Chapter 39: Coping mechanism
"AHHHHHHH!"
A blood curling scream tore from Rin's throat, echoing loudly through the dorm as she sat up in fear. Her wide eyes hurriedly glanced around the room.
Beads of sweat fell down her forehead in droves, enough for anyone who saw her to wonder if she had gone for a late night swim.
Her gaze slowly lowered the moment she realised it had just been the same nightmare again.
Blood threatened to spill from her lips as she bit down on them tightly in an attempt to stop her tears from flowing.
"Damn it...."
"Rin! Are you alright!"
Rin instinctively recoiled slightly as she heard a voice from beside her bed.
She glanced to her side, noticing the blue Mornan with long silver hair and beady brown eyes on the bed beside her own.
It was her roommate – Nota, who was staring at her with a worried expression.
She had once again been awoken by Rin's screams.
It had become somewhat of a recurrent incident in the last few weeks they'd been together.
They were the only two roommates in the dorm due to the uneven number of trainees in the facility.
Rin's expression slowly morphed into an apologetic one.
"It's, just the same old nightmares. I'm sorry I keep doing this. It isn't fair to you."
Nota's worried look quickly dissolved into a warm smile.
"Haven't I told you to quit doing that? You have nothing to apologize for. I understand what you're going through."
She moved closer to Rin, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"I don't care how many times you have these nightmares. I'll always be here to comfort you each time and remind you that whatever they're about can't hurt you."
"After all, that's what friends are for."
Rin's somber expression faded slightly as she gave Nota a small smile.
She was forever grateful to have been paired with a roommate like Nota.
Every day she felt guilty for the initial judgment she had made about the blue Mornan on their first day.
She had always kept her at arms length, doing her best to make it clear that they would never be more than acquaintances.
She'd noticed Nota had never taken her dismissive attitude to heart.
She had always been there to help Rin with the little things whenever she needed it.
Rin had simply judged that her attitude towards her was a result of her Dune family lineage and elite status.
She'd thought Nota was similar to Maze and the other blue Mornans that hovered around prince Jet.
Unlike him, she had no desire to surround herself with leaches and only wanted to get stronger.
Her thoughts on Nota had shifted ever since her long-buried nightmares had resurfaced, keeping her – and by extension, her roommate – awake through the night.
Instead of the silent irration and frustration she would expect from her, she had been met with warmth and kindness, instead.
She wasn't sure why, but it was as if Nota comforting her each time she had another Nightmare made her feel significantly better.
Even when she had never actually told her about the contents of the dreams that haunted her.
Rin let out a breath as she rubbed away the remnants of her receding tears.
"Thank you again, Nota."
Nota gave Rin one last encouraging nod before laying back down trying to get some sleep in preparation for the next day.
Rin did the same, resting her head against her soft pillow that she had brought herself as she stared off into the distance.
'It's as if I can still hear the faint melody of that woman's song in my head...' She thought with furrowed brows.
Even after all the time that had passed, the memories of the worst day of her life was still as vivid as ever.
The epigones of zuka.
The members of the witches coven.
The loud footsteps beyond those chambers doors that caused hardened soldiers to pray their last to the emperor.
She could still remember it all.
She clenched her teeth in rage as her hand reached for just above her left shoulder, where a strange marking in the shape of the crescent moon rested calmly.
It was a secret marking that only she could see.
Something she had learnt the hard way after being forced to go through repeated counseling when she tried to show others.
It was a mark she wished she could tear off her skin forever.
The last gift left to her by the Reincarnator simply known as 'The Witch'.
A core member of the second chance group and one of the most terrifying beings in the entire universe.
And, the target of her bottomless hatred.
Rin couldn't help but wonder if her conversation with the half-human Arbus had been the cause of her buried trauma resurfacing.
The thought of that possibility angered her greatly.
Her blue eyes burned brightly.
'One day. One day, I'll get rid of this thing. One day, I'll achieve my goals. I'll become a powerful Renegade, like my uncle.'
"And then. I'll come for you Witch. I promise."
"You'll pay for everything you've taken from me. You and your despicable kind."