Jared made his way through the front of the crowd of people. Those around him looked at him with disgust. The viewers didn't know him by name, but when they saw his face, all their thoughts became clear.
Jared wasn't well-liked by the Senior Casters.
Having knowledge and information is as close as someone can get to people. In a family designed and specialized in transmitting that data and collecting it from others' minds, nothing really remained a secret for too long, especially for the higher-ups.
His attitude toward his family is one of their pet peeves about him. For someone to be born into the purest bloodline of their ancestry only to hate everything they stand for is more than unheard of. It's borderline treasonous.
Why couldn't he be more like his older brother? A loyal dog that would die for his family's name if it came to it, though unlikely to be thrown away so carelessly. Aizen had done unspeakable miracles at the age of 13. When receiving the application, Distortion at the youngest age in documented history.
Standards were set long before his birth, but nothing was expected after Aizen's achievements.
Professor Melinda had a melancholy expression on her face, and it seemed as if she could feel the burden that Jared would soon have to face.
'It's a shame that the nation's hopes and prayers were also put onto this poor child.'
Every step added to Jared's stress and anxiety. His fears were constantly being pushed aside by his wants to be great.
'Don't listen to them. I'm me, and I'm absolutely nothing like my brother. Just get your ability, leave, and never turn back. There's nothing here for me anyways.'
Jared had to try very hard to brush off the glares of the spectators and push on. After all, that's all they were… Spectators.
Melinda patted Jared on the shoulder and smiled lightly. "You're going to do great, kid."
As Jared reached his hand out to the bookshelf, an intense burning sensation engulfed him. Jared felt it wrapping around his hand, the pain gripping him. The room goes quiet and all that is heard is faint sounds of blood droplets dripping from Jared. Unable to withstand the pain any longer Jared dropped to his knees, facing the floor, white flames quickly radiated from his face.
Bursting into flame, books and transcripts from their shelves ignited in balls of white embers. Water ran from under the shelves. Wood planks snapped into pieces as if something was fighting its way from the deepest depths of the secret shelves.
[ IT HURTS!!!!! IT HURTTTTTSSS!!!]
Fighting the need to protect her mind, Melinda grabbed Jared's bleeding hand, squeezing tightly, lifting him to his feet as Jared continued to cover his face and eyes.
[It's going to be ok!]
Melinda tried to console Jared, but truthfully this was the first time she'd ever seen a scene like that. Jumping from the second floor down to the podium, a short old man, 5'6 stature, quickly rushed to Jared's side. The man's dreadlocks were firm and compact. As he reached Jared's side, he began to levitate as blue and white energy transformed his black hair into something celestial. Melinda still taken aback quickly readjusted as the old man she quickly recognized as Charles glared at her.
[ Next time you should listen to your elde-]
Charles' eyes widened, grabbing his neck. Quickly the light pulsing from his hair vanished into the ground as the air around him disappeared.
People screamed and yelled in panic as sudden shards of glass rained from the roof. Instantly dozens of men and women alike smashed into the pews, all tattoed with linked sawteeth, none of which were enough to form a full saw blade, but were still wrapped around by a snake. With the snap of someone's fingers, orange flames smoked the entire Cathedral, swallowing Charles in the flame.
Melinda's eyes pulsed as she opened her mouth, speaking, but not a sound was created from her words. Gripping her chest, feeling the oxygen not only being sucked from around her but from within her. Melinda turned to the jagged figure standing still in the midst, hidden behind the wall of flames. Dozens of kids' and adults' eyes rolled to the back of their heads as many of them were knocked out with a single punch.
BANG, BANG, BANG!!
Bullets flew into Charles' chest. Each shot closer to his heart than the last, emptying the clip.
Melinda snapped to Jared.
[ Get out of here!]
[ AH!! It won't STOP!! It's just getting worse!!!!]
Pressed for options, Melinda grabbed and tossed Jared away by his arm as the same orange flames encased her.
Watching all the people around him captured or set to flames, fear quickly stopped all forms of thinking. Providing temporary relief from the mental pain, Jared found himself lost, frozen, and paralyzed to the point that breaking down oxygen was a chore.
In the midst of the chaos and smoke, a figure burst through the shadow, holding him tight, lifting him off the ground. Mentally collapsing from the stress, Jared's eyes looked up once again, enchanted by the basic indigo and mid gradient in the ladies' eyes. Melinda watched as both of them vanished into the smoke.
As one familiar figure left, two others, more familiar, came charging in. Feeling more like family.
Slamming through the door with an army by her side and a weapon strapped to her to counter an attack from any source. The lady's dark caramel hair was light and flowing, as the forces rushed in with a single command. Her intense amber eyes pierced through the smoke and flames, commanding them to vanish. In an instant, the battle was set, and there was nowhere for the enemies to hide.
A battle quickly broke out as many intruders captured the hostages that they needed. Securing their escape to stay behind and defend the reinforcements. The smile on the figure's face quickly vanished, commanding his people to leave.
Aizen slid across the floor, grabbing both Melinda and Charles in one motion, jumping into a slightly safe room. Gliding his hand along the floor in front of them, a shield of Distortion appeared.
[ Can you understand me?! Teacher, are you responsive?!]
Instantly, oxygen returned to her as a big gasp of air sent Melinda into a coughing frenzy.
[Don't worry about me!~~~~~ That man!]
Aizen turned his attention to the Elder, Charles, one of the five who single-handedly created this kingdom and protected it from being captured. Blood oozed from his stomach, seeping into the old man's shirt and Aizen's hands.
"Damnit! Did Elder Nichole dispatch medics?!"
When put under stress, the human mind will fight for a solution.
Aizen looked down at Charles. Creating a distortion at the tip of his finger he circled every open wound he could find in Charles' chest, blocking the blood from leaving his body with tiny and hard to maintain barriers. With every circle, he can feel his concentration split.
Hearing the warfare on the other side of the half broken door, Aizen stood to his feet.
[ Now, that your safety is assured; I'm going to help Nichole.]
Melinda looked up, watching Aizen walk to the door. His eyes burned gray as part of his shoulder, chest, and back glowed with the same color.
[I'll kill whoever did this to you.]
[ AIZEN NO!]
Unable to hear her words, Aizen closed the door, setting another barrier around the room, blocking all noise.
…
The sun slowly began to dip beneath the horizon, casting golden-orange light across the dense, tree-filled expanse. With Jared's head laying on a pile of leaves, unconscious. A sole sound fitted amongst the gentle breeze, a sound of a lady quiet but precisely moving fingers combing through his belongings.
"There we go," she whispered, eyes narrowing in focused satisfaction.
All that was there to see was a singular smirk. WIth ease, she slipped the object from his bag — a battered black journal. Her thumb grazed over its spine, its leather cover cracked and faded from overuse.
"That could have been way worse." Her voice sank, as if contemplating the worst possible outcome. Her eyes turned to the child with a surprising level of relief. "I guess I should be thankful…"
'I should have just took my journal and left.'
"There was no logical reason for me to carry him all the way here." With silent steps, she walked to the child, lifting Jared's head onto her lap as she took a seat beside him.
" I guess gramp's teaching is still waying on my conscience." Without much thought, she unbuttoned his shirt, examining him for injures.
"Doesn't seem to be physical… Kid might have just passed out from the trauma. Kinda pathetic, but maybe that just comes with being born into one of the most influential families of the world."
"... Ugh, or maybe I'm just being too critical." Saying this, the figure reached down. Her hand gripped her ordinary blade, that was safely tucked by the side of her leg. With a delicate touch, she pressed the surface of her blade again the child's finger, before doing it to her own. Gently a stream of blood lifted from the finger's wound, flowing into the child's cut.
"Considering my childhood as normal would be blasphemy." Saying that,
She gently placed Jared in her sleeping bag as both their finger wounds seemed to have healed in seconds. " The blood should be making its way to the vital organs now.'
Catching a sniff of her food, the lady turned, walking over. With the bowl resting near the cooking fire. The figure took a scoop of soup, serving herself.
Her eyes landed on Jared. His body was visibly shaking. His face, lifeless, crumpling as the seconds ticked by. " Stop whining. My blood is just checking if anything is wrong. It's no Anima family healing but its not poison."
Giving the blood a moment more to work its way across the child's body, Jared slowly regained consciousness. The shadowy figure he saw started to take form.
Still struggling to breathe and keep his eyes open, Jared thought to himself.
'Is this the girl from the T.V?'
With a dipped rag in hand, the figure casually placed the fabric over the child's head. Her lips curled, contemplating the child's reaction. 'Is he waking up? Oh, please don't be one of those kids.'
Jared let out an ear-piercing scream as the lady already had her hands on her ears.