Immortali: The Rising

Chapter 9-Getting Even

The two parried, back and forth as Pyra ducked and dodged Raina's swords, occasionally flipping and jumping out of the way with the same grace and style as a ballet dancer.

Say what you will about her common sense, but you have to admit; she's got style.

It became evident after a time that Pyra was running out of ideas. Raina didn't let her get enough space to allow her to use the whip. As a result, she struggled. A lot.

Raina backed her up into a corner, a sword pointed at her chest.

"Ready to give in?" she asked.

Pyra grinned and shook her head. "Not a chance!"

Raina shrugged.

I mean, if that's the way she wants to go...

Raina took a swipe. Pyra ducked and launched herself into the air. She tried to use Raina's head as something to push off of, but Raina caught her hand and threw her to the ground.

In an instant, Pyra lay on the floor, moaning.

"Ok, ok. Fine. I tap out. You win. I'll find something to use."

Raina laughed. Abruptly, her phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out with a frown, but then gasped. It wasn't a text message; it was a reminder.

A reminder she'd set 11 months ago. Before all this madness, before she'd become Immortali.

It was a notification she'd set to remind her of Taylor's birthday, which was supposed to be tomorrow...

Everything else became a blur to her as she continued to stare at the screen.

'Taylor's B'day: DON'T FORGET TO BUY HER A PRESENT!!!!!' her screen read.

A younger her had written it. A younger, human version of herself. A version of herself where Taylor was still alive.

A muffled sound emanated from the background.

"Hello, earth to Raina!"

It was Pyra.

Raina turned around, life and colour returning. "Uh, sorry, what was that?"

Pyra sat upright. "You zoned out, like a lot. Anyway, I was saying that you were right, and I was wrong and you don't need to rub it in, is all. So can we get back to training? I seriously can't wait til I learn how to kick your ass."

Raina sniffed and rolled her eyes, but there was an emptiness in her. Suddenly, she didn't really want to train with Pyra anymore. There was another place she wanted to be. Somewhere she just knew she had to go.

"Uh, sorry, but is it ok if we pick this up tomorrow? I have something I've just remembered I've got to do."

Pyra frowned. "Like what, exactly? We live in the same house. What else could you possibly be doing that I don't already know about?"

Raina sighed. "Something private, ok?"

"Oooo, has Raina got a boyfriend? While I don't know when that could've possibly happened, I'm willing to accept that Tinder is a distinct possibility."

"Yeah, sure, Tinder," Raina mumbled walking out of the training room, leaving a rather bewildered Pyra behind her.

***

Raina stepped out of the house into the afternoon sunlight. She squinted. It was the first time she'd left the house since the funeral.

Nothing much had changed. It doesn't matter how much your world fell apart: the rest of the universe kept going as it always had.