Seiya stood, bewildered by the havoc he had wreaked upon Miss Onoya's face. But the expression of sheer bewilderment on Miss Onoya's face as she sat on the floor, stunned by his actions, mirrored his own.
His heart thumped violently, a drumbeat of fear echoing through his chest. Dread gnawed at his nerves—fear of the consequences, fear for the children who might once again suffer for his mistakes. The cacophony in his mind made it impossible to think clearly.
The poison coursing through his veins compounded his plight causing sharp, unrelenting pain to seize his head, leaving no room for reflection. Seiya crouched, clutching his skull as cracking screams ripped from his throat. The torment within him caused his body to convulse relentlessly.
Miss Onoya, still reeling from the shock, barely registered the command in her earpiece.
"Leave him. Exit the training hall and lock him in" Seiya's father instructed with a chilling detachment.
Obediently, Miss Onoya dragged herself up, blood trickling down her face. She exited the hall, locking the door behind her.
Alone, Seiya writhed in agony, clawing at his already battered skin. His nails tore at his flesh, his fingers clutching and twisted in his hair—a futile attempt to find relief to his body contorting under the relentless assault of the poison.
{Seiya, calm down. I'll help you} Ibyu, his heart, whispered soothingly. But its words were futile against the overwhelming pain.
Hours dragged on until the late night when the poison's grip began to wane. Seiya lay on the ground, his chest heaving as he gasped for air.
His body, now a canvas of deep scratches and cuts, was drenched in blood, staining the training ground.
Ibyu had not ceased in its attempts to comfort him and remained a constant presence throughout the ordeal.
As Seiya's consciousness wavered, the door to the hall cracked open. His father's silhouette appeared, casting a long shadow across the room.
"You've survived once more" his father remarked, his tone devoid of warmth.
He approached with measured steps, his gaze cold and unyielding.
"But injuring your assistant will not be overlooked. As punishment, you will not be healed. Your wounds will heal on their own. Now, go to your room" He let out harshly.
Seiya, battered and weakened, struggled to rise. His legs, trembling and drained of strength, barely supported his weight as he limped away. Every step sent jolts of pain through his body but he pressed on, driven by exhaustion rather than will.
He stumbled into his dorm, too worn to hesitate as he had before. His body ached for rest, his mind foggy from the day's harrowing events.
"You're back" a voice from one of the beds interrupted his weary steps. The boy with light blue hair emerged, his eyes widening in shock at the sight of Seiya's injuries.
"What happened? Why weren't you healed?" he asked, concern lacing his words as he cautiously approached.
Seiya, too tired to respond, collapsed onto his bed, uncaring about the blood that soaked his clothes and sheets. He needed sleep.
The boy watched him with a mix of worry and determination, retreating briefly to return with a bowl of water and a towel.
"Excuse me" he murmured, gently lifting Seiya's arm to clean the blood. He worked in silence, his touch delicate, careful not to aggravate Seiya's wounds.
"I'm sorry if this hurts" he said softly, dabbing at the cuts on Seiya's chest.
"You know, I just realized I never introduced myself" He laughed softly, a bit awkward.
"I'm Hayne. Nice to meet you, Seiya" he added softly, continuing his ministration, his focus unwavering.
When the water turned crimson, he fetched a fresh bowl, diligently wiping Seiya clean until all traces of blood were gone.
Realizing Seiya's wounds were too severe to leave exposed, Hayne improvised with limited resources.
He retrieved his blanket, cutting it into strips to fashion makeshift bandages.
"I don't get cold so easily anyway" he shrugged, wrapping Seiya with the fabric, ensuring he was well tended and mummified.
"Rest well" he whispered, retreating to his own bed, satisfied with his efforts.
5:00 a.m at dawn, Seiya awoke to the sharp sting of his wounds. He groaned, inspecting the blood-soaked bandages encasing him. Silently, he went into the restroom, did a thing or two before coming out into the room to meet Hayne who stood with an ear reaching smile.
Seiya halted, nervous and clueless on how to act.
"Sorry for making you nervous" Hayne said softly, revealing a snack.
"Here! For you. You missed all your meals yesterday, so I snagged this for you, hehe" He giggled, stretching out the treat.
Seiya remained still, seeing no need to take the snack. He couldn't eat it even if he took it because he wasn't allowed breakfast and his other meals weren't fixed either.
Seiya had earlier wanted to unwrap himself off the bandages because it might infuriate his father who wanted him to suffer the pain without being treated for hurting Miss Onoya. But seeing how careful and how much time Hayne spent on it, he decided against it.
Recalling the previous incident, Seiya's heart lurched. He wondered what punishment awaited him. He feared for the kids.
"Just take it!" Hayne gently took a hold of Seiya's hand and placed the snack.
"Take care" With that, Hayne plumped down on his bed and immediately dozed off.
Touched by Hayne's kindness but mindful of his father's punishment, Seiya tucked the snack under his blanket and hurried out. In the hallway, Miss Onoya awaited, her presence sending a ripple of anxiety through Seiya.
"Surprised to see me?" she asked, a faint smile playing on her lips. "I'm not giving up so easily on you. Start your sprints then proceed to your usual exercises. The Karate and Taekwondo instructors will evaluate you afterward."
Before commencing, Seiya bowed deeply, apologizing to Miss Onoya as the weight of guilt pressed heavily on him.
He completed his sprints and exercises, his movements hindered by pain but driven by resolve. In the training hall, the instructors awaited him, their eyes assessing his battered form.
The Karate instructor called Seiya forward, intending to evaluate his skill. Though he couldn't ignore the visible injuries marring Seiya's body, he knew his duty and resolved to set his concerns aside.
Standing firmly before Seiya, the instructor opened his palms in a sparring stance, inviting Seiya to unleash his strongest punch. Essentially, he offered his hands as a living sandbag for the test.
Seiya prepared himself, clenching and unclenching his fists to warm up. His foot slid sideways across the floor, assuming a sideway stance, facing the instructor. His fists rose, one drawing back with intense force as he pressed firmly on his dominant leg to steady his balance.
Veins bulged along Seiya's arms as his fists tightened with each passing second. He summoned all his strength, channeling it into his dominant arm, ready to deliver a powerful blow. Just as his punch was about to connect, a firm command rang out—"Stop!"
Seiya's fist halted just an inch from the instructor's palm. Yet, the sheer force behind his motion sent a gust of wind rippling through the instructor's hair. Seiya stood in confusion, his eyes questioning why he had been stopped.
The instructor, beads of cold sweat forming on his brow, offered a sheepish smile. With his extensive experience in Karate and Taijutsu, he'd seen enough to understand.
The power behind Seiya's punch felt like a sledgehammer poised to strike. The instructor had observed how Seiya harnessed his strength, flowing seamlessly from his shoulder down to his fist, as if his arm were forged from iron rather than flesh and bone. He foresaw the inevitable—if Seiya's punch had connected, it'd have shattered his wrist, not merely sprain it.
Recognizing the potential devastation, the instructor had to stop Seiya just in time. He couldn't help but be both impressed and amused, marveling at the raw strength housed within such a young individual.
"How old are you again?" The instructor asked, still taken aback.
"Ten" Seiya replied simply.
"You pass" The instructor declared, bypassing any further tests.
The Taekwondo instructor concurred as well, impressed by Seiya's raw potential.
Seiya embarked on his lessons, his bandages soaking red from reopened wounds. He wasn't allowed lunch despite not eating the day before nor even a break till the evening where they stopped because he had sessions with his father.
Seiya headed to his father with heavy heart, thinking mere torture wasn't all there would be to his session today—certain his father would unleash the punishment to his previous mistake.
He was led to the yard where he met the facility workers on standby and at one corner, a group of children awaited. A sight that filled Seiya with dread because it wasn't just the usual group of nine or ten children—almost every child he had seen in the cafeteria was present.
"Don't be so afraid; I won't be the one killing them" his father remarked coldly to Seiya.
The children were kept at a distance far enough that their conversations couldn't be overheard.
"Today, all of you will enter the dungeon—every single one of you" his father declared, pausing briefly before continuing. "Your task is to ensure that all of the children, including yourself, survive while you clear the dungeon. If even one child perishes, Suhei will pay with his life."
Seiya's eyes spread in shock, his heart pounding as he struggled to recall where he had heard the name Suhei. When the realization struck him, a soft gasp escaped his lips.
"You must already know about Suhei and what he did" his father continued. "Remember, completing this task will only spare his life, not absolve him of his punishments"
His father's sneer deepened. "It's not a new dungeon, but one we've already explored. Still, I won't provide any details to keep things interesting. You will all be teleported to different areas of the dungeon, so you'll have to work hard to protect everyone, Seiya."
"And one more thing—there are 26 children in total. Make sure you don't lose a single one. Now, go"
A heavy sigh escaped Seiya as he stepped forward. How was he supposed to keep 26 people safe? He didn't even know what kind of gate it was or what monsters awaited them. With everyone scattered, there was no guarantee he could protect them all, even if he managed to help a few.
Fear gripped Seiya, but he knew he couldn't afford to overthink. He wanted to save Suhei if he could.
Ugh! What a tight spot I've been put in. Seiya thought, as he and the children began to step into the gate.