The music in this chapter really makes it something I'm proud of!
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"Hey Woah, Woah, Woah! What's going on here? Why are you suddenly running so fast?!" Ysa sprinted up to me and I guess when she saw the stern look I was wearing, she fell back with her pace.
"Just leave her, she's trying to show him that she's strong enough without him. She's good." Kirito honestly knows how I am. He knows when I'm feeling down or when I'm feeling upset and maybe even a little confused. Most importantly, I think he knows now that after all this time, no matter what I go through, I can help myself. He's grown alongside me long enough to know that we're not children anymore.
I guess Bai didn't hear that though because he decided to sprint past me screaming, "RACE YA TO THE RIVER LAST ONE THERE LOSES THEIR RATIONS!"
Laughing to myself I sped up, my heart pounding against my chest giving me the natural high I'd been craving all along. Pumping my arms to gain speed and lifting my knees to wide each step, I sped up and eventually caught up to Bai, "you've gotta pick up the pace if you're trying to beat me B!"
He scoffed and gave me a determined look, but his faced suddenly turned amazed as he began to slow down. "Y-you're on fire Azami!" I smiled and kept running.
Ah! The river is in sight, I can do this!
I turned around to see Bai waving at me energetically, "cheering for me, isn't helping you get there!" I laughed and turned back to see the Yellow light surrounding me as I ran. It had specks of orange in it as a ran by, I looked back to see Ysa and Kirito running after me while Bai was still screaming something I couldn't hear.
'You're on fire Azami...'
So that's what he meant by that!
But these lights aren't fire, they usually mean someone is using magic around me!
Looking around I saw that I was still running towards the river by myself with no one within a fifty-foot distance. The lights and sparkles around grew brighter and bigger as I kept going, I didn't care though. I felt free and more alive than when Sam was beating the absolute shit out of me at the sanctuary.
I was nearing the river fast, but with every step I took, I decided to make the next one come even faster. "Azami, stop! You'll run in the river at that speed!" I could hear Ysa screaming at me to stop, but my heart was jumping out of my chest making me want to chase after it.
I had so many feelings jumbled up inside of me that I needed to let out, so when I reached the edge of the river I jumped through the air, spreading out my arms and screaming my battle cry as loud as I could so that the whole camp could hear. When I hit the water, I looked around to see a strange man to my right talking to a younger woman from one of my first visions.
Looking closer, they seemed to be arguing about something. The woman was flinging her arms in the air while the man rubbed his temples in frustration as she screamed at him. I couldn't understand what they were saying, but it seemed really heated. I swam closer, but like always I hit a wall.
"Damn it to all! I just wanna hear what they're saying for once!" I slammed my fists against the walls and like magic, the language they were speaking switched so that I could understand them.
The woman slammed her fist down on the table again and screamed, "you can't do this! You'll never find them, they're already dead! Just leave everyone be, these people trusted you!" She began to cry as she collapsed to the floor and grabbed onto the man's pant leg. "Please Eiji...Please just stop this, I've given myself up to you. I swear I'm the last one!"
"How can I be so sure? You married that man after all when I told you-you belonged to me," he squatted down to where the woman was and pulled his hand back, "YOU'RE NOT LYING TO ME?!" He let his hand fly leaving a red imprint of all five of his fingers on her cheek.
Why'd he slap her for doing this married thing? Who is that woman, she looks familiar!
Grabbing her by the collar, he picked her up and threw her across the room. She coughed and tried to stand but he strode across the room and kicked her in the stomach, "she was my daughter. If she were to die, I'd want it to be from natural causes or by the hands of the one that brought her into this world." The woman bravely stared up at Eiji then looked down in her grief.
"Bullshit." He grabbed her by her hair and began to beat her senselessly until she could no longer keep her eyes open. With that, the scene faded away and I opened my eyes to be greeted by Sam and Kirito sitting over me.
I sat up and felt really gross, "why am I soaking wet?"
"You don't remember jumping into the river? We literally just pulled you out Zam..." Kirito looked a little worried as he filled me in.
Actually, now that I think about it I do remember jumping in. I felt so free and so alive at the same time, I just felt the need to jump in and swim away.
Looking between the both of them, I began to laugh while holding my forehead, "I've never felt that kind of rush in my entire life! Sam, you should've seen me, I was like a bullet flying out of a gun chamber!" I kept laughing then grabbed him and pulled him into a hug and began to cry.
"A-Azami? Why're you cr--"
"I've never felt that free in my entire life...But," I hesitated thinking about whether or not I should say this or not. "But I was completely alone. Why do I shine brighter that way?" He looked at me not knowing what to say so he just hugged me as tight.
"So this is Sam?" I turn around, still slightly in the embrace to see Kirito softly smiling. "I'm glad you make her happy when she's like this." He ruffled my hair and stood up reaching out both of his hands to us, "let's go you two, we've finished the assignment, let's catch up with the coon."
Smiling, we both took a hand and stood up. Walking back, I looked around to see Haru doubled over out of breath. He looked up at me, making eye contact. I looked straight back at him like the way I looked at him when I ran past before but instead, I remembered what I saw in the river and realized...
"You didn't bring me into this world." He stared at me for a moment but before he could speak I finished with, "yet you still killed me, I guess this means I've been reborn to be even stronger."
"Azmai..."
"Goodbye Haru."
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This chapter is one of my favorites, mostly because this shows Azami truly letting go of the past and realizing her future!
How do you feel about Haru and Azami's relationship?
Do you think she should've given up on him like that?
Vote and comment on what you think will happen next, I like talking with you guys!
~SoFran
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Imagine
Adventure"You don't need to come in anymore." I stared at him in shock then shook my head and remembered what had happened last time. "I uhm, I got my second stage letter yesterday..." He glanced up for a second at me or so I thought until he pulled down a p...
