She was… falling, at least it felt like it.
'I'm sorry…'
She couldn't help but remember her past, the defining incident, it was her fault.
If she hadn't done that…
If she hadn't done…
If she hadn't…
If she…
If…
If only…
If only she could…
If only she could change the past.
She was sinking.
And she couldn't swim, no.
She didn't want to swim.
For why should she try to escape the truth of the matter?
It was her fault… wasn't it?
Then why should she even wake up?
Why?
"Is it not because people care for you?" A voice asked in the void, "It would be terribly cruel to leave them especially since you must have scared them."
Their voice was… familiar yet… not?
The voice was light and kind, yet oddly enough sarcastic and bitting.
It was caring and maternal, but strict and stern.
She tried to open her mouth to speak, yet nothing came out.
She realized quietly that it wouldn't even matter, whether she spoke or she woke up, they would be better without her.
"My~ self deprecating much aren't we?"
The voice was teasing her… why was it teasing her?
"Because it's fun~! You should try once in a while, child, it wouldn't hurt to have fun and see others reactions."
What if it made them sad?
"Well that is a different matter, if you notice they are sad, you apologize."
Then why do it in the first place if it can make them sad?
"For your own personal pleasure of course," she couldn't tell, but she wouldn't be surprised if the voice, had a smile.
…
"Silent treatment eh? Never would have expected you to give that to me, but here we are, but tell me, truly why won't you wake?"
I don't deserve to run.
"Yet you enjoy it so greatly, but still, why do you dodge the question? Child, my sweet, sweet child, please, answer my question."
The voice was begging now.
"Why yes, I am begging, so please answer."
I… I don't want them to be worried about me.
"So you won't run and instead stay in this state, one can only imagine the torment they must feel, to see their new team member lying down a infirmary bed tossing and turning as if they are having a night mare."
Then… what do I do?
"You wake and you run, even if you must face the past, keep running, only then can you achieve that promise you made with the person you love most."
Orfy…
"Now wake, sweet child of mine, your friends are worried."
——
When she opened her eyes she saw the concerned look of her trainer, the rest of the team wasn't here it seems, they must have been either waiting outside or have gone back to the dorms depending on the time.
But, nonetheless she slowly got up and sat upright.
He sighed and spoke with a tired weary tone, "You gave us quite a scare, do you want to talk about it? I've heard getting a problem off of your chest can help."
"Sorry, and no thanks."
"I see," he said nodding his head.
"What… what time is it?"
"It's around 6:30, you were out for an hour."
"I'm sorry."
"It's fine, I was planning on having your debut in a couple days, are you going to be fine to run in it? Mentally, I mean, physically, I mean… I'm at a loss for words."
Would she be ready for it?
Would she be?
She didn't know, but then… did we even truly know anything?
She felt fine, if anything it depended on the distance of the track, did it not?
"Whats the type of race?"
"A mile, 1600 meters."
She nodded her head, and spoke calmly, "I'll run, and I'll win, I promise you this trainer, my victory will be absolute."
It felt like bravado to her, she didn't know how strong her opponents were going to be, whether they could match her or not, hell, she didn't even know how truly strong her teammates were.
But… she knew, she just knew, deep, deep down.
She would win.
And that was confidence enough.
Her trainer looked at her with a gentle smile, "All right then, I'll confirm your joining of the race."
…
She walked back to the dormitory with Gold Ship, who oddly enough wasn't talking.
She looked at her roommate from the corner of her eye in curiosity, it was odd for her not to talk.
Was it because of what had happened before?
It must be.
She opened her mouth to say something but Gold Ship said something first.
"It's not your fault, I assure you that," her tone was hard and certain.
"W-what do you mean "It's not my fault,"?"
She fully turned to look at her roommate, and saw an odd glint in her eye after she had asked her question.
"Well, it's not your fault for the atmosphere, that's all," she said an odd looking grin on her face.
"But, didn't my… incident cause some tension in the group, didn't it make you guys worried?"
"Oh, most certainly."
She couldn't help but let out a small groan, as she felt an arrow stab her.
"I mean, it most certainly was quite the shock, but that wasn't the true cause of the atmosphere."
She looked at her in curiosity, wondering what could have caused the tension between everybody, if it wasn't her.
"Then… then who or what caused it?"
"Ah, I would love to tell you, Hope, you will find it out later though," She was grinning as she said that, for whatever reason, she didn't understand why though.
"AAAAAAHHHH!"
A scream resounded through the courtyard, it was so loud that she couldn't help but jump and look around nervously.
Gold Ship looked at her and with a straight face said, "Don't worry, that was the vice president."
"The v-vice president, but I heard that they were rather calm!"
"Yeah… puns tend to have that affect on her."
"Puns? You said a p—" She paused once she realized what exactly Gold Ship had said.
She stopped looking forward, and slowly turned her head to look at her roommate, who had a smug grin on her face.
"Gold Ship-san," her voice was cold, her face expressionless, her gaze hollow yet filed with a wrath unmatched, "If you ever, ever make a pun with my name again, I will ruin you."
She laughed as she looked forward, completely missing her face,"Hah! You won't do shi—" she turned to say the last part to her face, only to pause and look on in horror.
"Tell me, Gold Ship-san, will you or will you not, make a pun using my name?"
She looked on in horror for a couple moments and said nothing, until suddenly she tripped and fell on her butt, a terrified look in her eyes, "I-I won't I swear!"
She walked forward, looking at the terrified face of her roommate, and couldn't help but smile and pat her face, a cruel grin threatening to split her mouth, "That's good, yes that's very good, thanks for understanding, Gold Ship-san."
And slowly, ever so slowly she stopped patting her face, grin still bared and started to walk on her own.
After a bit of walking the cruel grin left her face and was replaced with an innocent smile, she looked to her side only not to see her roommate there.
"Gold Ship?" She asked as she looked around and saw that she was standing behind her, silently trembling, "What's wrong? Did something happen?"
Out of worry for her friend she walked towards her, only for Gold Ship to suddenly burst into a sprint in the direction of the dormitory.
"A-Ah Gold Ship! Wait for me!" Shocked by the sudden acceleration of somebody that she would consider a friend, even if they had only just met, she ran after her.
She was slowly catching up when she decided to call out once more, "Gold Ship! Why are you running!?"
"Hiih! S-Stay away! I won't make a pun using your name again! I swear!"
"What are you talking about!"
And so, after a bit more running both she and Gold Ship made it to the dorms.
Though for whatever reason her roommate was trembling whenever she got close to her.
—————
Authors note
Hey y'all, bit of an odd chapter but that was the point.
On another note, I'm on march break baby, so feel free to try and get extra chapters, I'll have them done in a day or two.
Oh yeah, 50 power stones for one chapter and 100 for two, 150 for three, and so and so forth.
Though I doubt, I'll even get to 100, but feel free to prove me wrong.
This is GreekAntrielos signing off, after having released a doozy of a chapter.