Epitome of a Hero

The Start of Another yet mysterious Journey

I scanned every corner of her room and all I found were her notes in school, her drawings and a bunch of paper with written short stories. As I look at all her sketches, I was amazed by how clearly she depicted her drawings in the piece of paper. The way she also drew it was light unlike her scribbles which were pinned on the corkboard.

As I flipped through the pages of her sketches, I stopped by one of them as I saw a drawing of a boy wearing glasses. The drawing was kind of hurried as the strokes show. From the depiction, the boy had unruly semi long hair, a fit body—thinner than the ones I’ve met. He was also wearing the same uniform from the ones in the university. Who is this boy?

As I examined her drawing, I found myself smiling for some reason. That’s odd.

I shook my head and flipped to the next one and my eyes widened when I saw the same boy that was now drawn with a different angle. Who is this? I huffed, thinking about how this girl loved drawing this boy. If I think about it, I haven’t experienced a romantic relationship.

As a swordswoman in her 24th year of age, I was more obsessed on staying alive and now--- I just realized that because I was busy keeping myself alive, I almost forgot what it felt like to really live. I laid down the soft bed with the sketches placed on top of my chest while I breathe my woes out as I stared at the white ceiling.

Will I ever experience how to really live before I die?

****

I opened my eyes and I found myself kneeling at the ground, wearing my armor. Everything around me was pitch black so I stood up with my hand gripping on my sword. Where am I? What is this place?

I took small steps inside the nothingness and each of my step echoed through my ears. There was nothing. As I continuously walked, there was still nothing I could see--- until there was a darker silhouette awaiting me at the other end of the empty space. It was a shadow of a human—a girl? I ran towards the figure and when I got closer, my steps halted---slowly I recognized her face, her faint smile as she stared back at me.

Tricia?

She started to mumble some words which I cannot even hear and fell down with her back first into the void. I was too late to catch her and I was left gaping, wondering where she fell down and scared of what she did.

What was she saying lately?

Panic began to set in as I remember the day when I got in her world for the first time--- my breathing started to get faster, and my sweat was instantly cold when I thought of being beheaded in my own world. Stop…

I held my head because of the pain that thinking made me have, the way Tricia mumbled some words entered my mind and still I cannot even grasp whatever it was she was saying.

I tried calming myself down but it was no use. The area was getting darker and darker and slowly, I was being devoured by the darkness all around.

“Damian!”

A man’s voice called and I stood up to look at the voice behind me. What? Before I could see who that anonymous voice came from, the continuous ringing of some alarm clock made me open my eyes in shock. I sat down immediately, finding my sword beside my bed---completely forgetting where I was. My sword ain’t here… so is my real life.

I placed my palm on my tightening chest and glanced at the clock beside the bed. 4:00 am? I closed my eyes and let the air from my lungs expel slowly from my mouth. Where could you be, kid? I brushed my hair to the back, massaging the back of my head that was pulsating because of the pain I feel in my chest.

A knock once again woke me up and I realized that I fell asleep after lying down, so I hurried my way to the door.

“Hey kid, you’re gonna be late,” the old man chuckled and I smiled a little. I don’t even know what to do in that school…

“I’ll be ready, thank you,” I answered and he nodded. I closed the door after he left and let my body fall to the floor, feeling so surreal. What the hell is going on?! My fist automatically punched the floor but then I regretted it right after since this body was so fragile and it hurts—badly. I’m sorry, kid.

“I shouldn’t do that…” I huffed, massaging the aching knuckles with my other hand.

My vision suddenly landed on a small picture frame beside the desk as my eyes roamed the entire room. I stood up and grabbed the picture frame. It was the picture of her and her dad. I smiled, thinking that it was adorable to have this thing in this world. How lucky—in my world, they needed to be painted.

I need to prepare.

I automatically went ahead to prepare for school. I got some uniform hanging from the wardrobe and laid it on the bed. I then headed to take a shower.

On the way to the university, the old man insisted to take me to school so we rode in the car. As soon as we reached the place, the old man stopped the engine and decided to ask me the question he’s been keeping since last night.

“You know you can tell me any of your problems, right? Even when those asshole kids, uhm—you can tell me anything,” he mumbled worriedly, cutting his sentences and thoughts for some reason.

“Does that always happen to me?” I asked. I can’t access any of her emotions so I never knew what happened to her and as to why she was like that, or why she wanted to die… The old man sighed and he seemed curious why I asked.

“Yea. But you got mad at me one time when I tried meddling with those kids so I tried not to get my hands onto it anymore…,” he answered. Why would she get mad at her father for meddling? What is happening to her?

I bet she is an isolated type… The call from before recalled in my mind and I remembered that the girl’s father said something about her mother.

“What about her--- my mother?” I added to my inquiries. Father suddenly became stoic as he took his eyes off of me and on the windshield. I think this is the wrong time… s**t Damian… Stop being insensitive… I shook my head and gave him a tap on the shoulder.

“I’m gonna go now Dad, let’s talk about it later.” I waved him a hand and smiled before getting off the car.

He smiled back at me and nodded. “Okay kid, if ever there’s a problem, call me, okay?”

I raised my hand and headed to walk towards the University gate and as I did, I can see students looking at me so I looked back at them with a menacing nod.

I saw those faces from my first fight before. Those students were the laughing ones when the asshole pushed me.

“So this it huh, Tricia? Let’s go discover what your life really is about and who you really are, for now.”