Shadow

Chapter 5

  I woke up to the sound of the stream as my eyes adjusted to the light. My head hurt and so did my eyes. I got up and walked towards the stream to wash my face.

I saw the reflection of a girl in the pellucid waters, her eyes were big and puffy, her hair messy and her expression lost. It was me. The girl from before, only now beaten and worn. Despite having cried all my tears the previous night, I felt more tears threaten to surface.

No. They have broken me and who I had been. I will not let them see me like this.

I scooped up a handful of water and splashed it onto my face. The chilling water made it feel as though I had still been asleep and only now truly woke up. I took my change of clothes with me as I maneuvered into a cave-like structure behind the waterfall. I was not willing to risk getting spotted showering.

In case you were wondering where my change of clothes came from, there was a room dedicated to clothing, it was literally a walk-in closet. One of the robed people (if they were people) had shown it to me before and told me that I was free to take anything I wanted (the same applied to the kitchen and any other room).

When I was done and my hair was still wet, I changed into my new clothes and sat inside the cave.

I'd much rather stay here forever than do anything. For one, the rock doesn't die from me touching it and the water doesn't become black when I dip my feet in it.

But no one gets what they always want or the world would be in peril. Others may wish for others to not get what they want, etcetera. Maybe the fault lies in us and not the world, for we prevent perfection. Everyone can't be kind and welcoming to one another for there will always be those that take advantage of it.

A robed person called out for me and I didn't want to wait to find out what would happen if I didn't obey. I got up and went out of the cave, relishing in the splash of water that reminded me I was alive.

Maybe I should try. Try to disobey. Try to fight back. Try to escape.

But when I got out of the waterfall, I followed the person obediently.

I was led down some stairs and down a corridor into a room. It was as large as the room The Reconditioning used and the floor was covered in a soft grey carpet while the walls were painted white. Other than the ceiling lamp that illuminated the room in a bright white glow, there was nothing else in the room. The robed person left and I waited, keeping my eyes on the only exit and entrance.

What if I run now? Clearly, they wanted me to wait here but what's keeping me from running? Who's stopping me from getting as far away as I can from this creepy place?

I had barely put my foot forward when I heard footsteps and saw a face with violet eyes and purple-tinged lips. But it was a Raleshka that I had never met before.

Thinking about it now, I had never met or known any Raleshka other than the obnoxious creep that always smiled after my Reconditioning and of course the one before me now. Maybe I counted as one but I wasn't ready to admit it yet. Yet.

Would I ever get used to this life?

I did, however, notice something strange. Though The Reconditioning had turned my hair into an abhorrent shade of platinum, the other Raleshka I had met (unless they weren't Raleshka but they most likely were) all had normal shades of hair.

"Hello," the Raleshka's voice came, gentle yet distant. I nodded and she continued. "I will be teaching you about the powers you gained from The Reconditioning."

I nodded again. She was different from the other Raleshka. She sounded like she knew how horrible I felt yet could not express it because maybe we were under surveillance. Maybe I am overthinking it, I do tend to overthink sometimes though.

She gestured for me to watch and in one fluid motion, she pulled her hand back and whipped it forward, causing a blunt whip-like form of black to plunge in the direction she directed her hand at. It hit the wall and dissipated, as though it had been made of gas. The patch of wall that it had hit was now black.

"Watch again, this time watch closely."

She redid the move but this time she did it slowly so that I could see the exact movements required to pull it off. I noticed that her hand (her right hand) was curled as though she was a clawed predator about to strike her prey.

"Now you try."

And so I did.

I pulled my hand back, careful to have my hands in the same way hers had been. And launched it forward. A strange feeling made its way from somewhere from my head to my hand and it felt like it burned the tips of my hand. The feeling was very strange and hard to describe, it felt sudden and intrusive and like a tangible snake sliding through my veins.

I watched as my own whip of black hit the spot beside where the other Raleshka had hit hers. Although the mark my whip left was smaller than hers, I felt dangerous. I felt like I had a power that could harm or protect others. I felt significant.

"Now try it with your leg."

What?

But I tried it anyway. I pulled my leg up (which sort of looked like I was about to climb some stairs) and curled my toes before launching it at the wall. The same feeling made its way to my toes and sure enough, another black whip smashed against the wall, further staining it black.

"Practise doing it again and again."

And so I obliged.

Being curious of the extent of my new powers (which the concept of still frightens me), I tried to do both hands at once. And sure enough, the now familiar sensation coursed its way to my fingertips and two giant black whips lashed out from them. I then of course tried both legs, and it worked. I tried a leg and a hand and it worked (regardless of which leg and which hand). By now, I was starting to feel tired, as though I had just went for a very strenuous workout.

And so, I faced the Raleshka that had been watching me "practise" while still panting.

She simply smiled and I instantly knew something was going to go wrong. Since when had smiling purple lips ever mean something good?

And behold I was right.

"You're ready for your first mission."

"Which is?"

"Kill the president."

~~

Author's note:

SORRY I KNOW THIS CHAPTER IS LONG OVERDUE ;-; BUT IT'S EXAM PERIOD AND SCHOOL IS A BITCH. FORGIVE ME :(( I'LL DEFINITELY TRY TO STICK TO MY SCHEDULE BUT FORGIVE ME IF I CAN'T ;-;.

Anyways, bye now~ gonna go stock up on more chapters so I can study closer to the date of exam (last-minute person here lol).

Bai 
~~