Ira's POV

It might've been broad daylight while I walked for who-knows-how long, but I didn't care. As long as I'm away from Rikka, the better

Although I was still dizzy from all the loss of blood, my pace was a bit unsteady

I could've flown (which would've been a lot easier) but my powers are a bit weak due to my condition.

So I guess I'm gonna settle this in foot.

But as far as I knew, I wasn't getting anywhere, I sighed, and decided to take a break.

I found a nearby bench in a deserted area of the town, and sat down, my hands behind the back of my head and my eyes closed.

-(FlashBack begins)-

When I was younger, I seemed to have been different from the rest.

I wouldn't socialize, nor would I ever talk to anyone. I was pretty introverted, and I just wanted to be by myself

My mother, of course, wanted me to be happy. After all the things that have been happening, she had poor health conditions and my father disappeared after a few months of when I was born. But she would always encourage me to try and talk to the other kids, and she was worried about me.

I was an only child, who had to care to my mothers needs, even though at the time, I was three

For some reason, I can't remember how my mother looked like, but I would remember her smile. Just her smile. Because that's all she ever did, she always smiled

When she was taken to hospitals, I would be crying by her bed, and what would make me cry even harder, was when she didn't cry herself

She comforted me, and she always told me that everything was going to be okay, that she would get better, I tried to trust her, I really did, but I knew deep down, that she wouldn't get better

And eventually, I was right, her time had come.

I went to the hospital the next day, to visit my mom like I would usually do after daycare

I passed the front desk.

"Wait! Ira, y-you can go up there.."
"Why not?"
"It's just.. well.."
"Well...?"
"...."
"Ugh, you people are useless, fine! I'll just go see her for myself!"
"No! No you can't!"
"Just try and stop me!"

I ran while the nurses chased after me. I finally made it to the room, when I was completely unprepared for what was about to happen once I would open that door

She was gone

I fell to my knees. The nurses told me that they tried everything they could, but she was in worse condition than they thought. And eventually, they couldn't handle it, there was nothing they could do.

"Useless" I thought, "completely useless"...

At first. I pretended that nothing even happened at all. When I went to daycare, I would still think that she was at the hospital and that I would be waiting for her. Sometimes I would even go to the hospital and ask for her at the front desk. The employees said nothing and glanced at one another nervously.

I always wondered why they did that. After all, they were the same nurses who cared for my mother in the first place. They had to know!

They would tell me to go home, that I had to rest up. But I always argued with them, and try to push them out of my way so that I could go up to the room myself and prove that she was there. But in the end, they would hold me up by my arms while I kicked my legs in the air and screamed

Until one day, I did manage to go up to her room

"Um.. Ira honey, maybe you should go home.."
"Why should I? Where is she? Why can't I see her?"
"See that's the thing, Ira, you know what's-
"What? You people don't even care-"
"Of course we-

I never really did hear what the lady at the front desk said, cause I was never there to stay and listen. I sprinted up the stairs and got to the room she was kept in. As expected, she wasn't there. I didn't know what to feel. I didn't know how to react...

A piercing pain came over my heart, I didn't know what it was...

What was it..?

I never went back to that hospital ever again after that day...

I ran so hard that day. I didn't even know where I was going, but I kept on running. I didn't want to deal with this anymore, I didn't want to get bullied...

...I didn't want to be alone...

"Well then... maybe you don't have to be alone..." I heard a voice tell me.

I looked up and dried my tears. I stayed completely silent.

"No comment? I pictured a kid like you yo always fight back"
"...why do you care...?" I had said, annoyingly
"There it is. Got a lot of fire in ya, eh kiddo?"
"Shut your trap!
"Feisty... hmm.. I guess this is just how things are gonna work like..."
"What do you... what do you mean...?"
"Interested?"
"... in what...?"
"Oh I know aaaaaaaall about you. Lost your parents and bullied for no reason at all... it hurts right?"
"...."

I remember, kids used to bully me, and tell me that my mother wanted to die and that my father wished that I was never born...

They used to tell me things, and they would usually end up like this:

"Haha! Look at him! He's just a stupid wimp!"
"S-Stop it-
"Aww! He's crying! He really needs to man up!"
"P-Please.. I'm sorry.."
"Oh look! The poor boy is shaking!! We've really done it this time!"
"I-I just wanted-
"Wanted what? Someone to finally except a pathetic, loser like you?"
"My-My mom said that I-
"Your mom's DEAD Ira! Stop hanging on to the past and grow up!"

I hated when they told me that. To "grow up"

"I am grown up...." I uttered
"I think you most certainly are"
"Don't mock me, I'm not little kid. What's your deal?"
"Mock you? I wouldn't think so."
"What do you want!!?"
"Say Ira... have you every wondered about your father...?"
"... my father...?"
"It's okay. Forget it"
"If you got something to say then just say it!"
"You know Ira... you're very special. Well, I'm sure you're mother has told you that many times"
"You've got some nerve"
"Do I? Well then"
"....."
"You don't want to be alone, right?"
"...."
"If you come with me.. you'll learn that, you're not so different, at least, not from me"
"..."
"We may be two different individuals, but.. I have a keen eye for... let's just say, for "desires""
"I'm sure you have something you extremely want! And there is not harm about that, the act of wanting something is completely normal"
"....I want everyone to leave me alone..."
"What was that?"

I had bursted into tears

"I WANT EVERYONE TO LEAVE ME ALONE!!!!!"
"Yes..."
"I WANT THE BULLIES TO SUFFER!!!"
"Go on"
"I WANT- I WANT MY MOTHER BACK!!!"
"See? Was that so hard?"
"GO AWAY!!"
"No, Ira. I won't go. See the thing is, I need someone like you"
"Someone... like... me...?"
"You have a special power Ira, you just don't know it yet"
"What kind of power?"
"I'll explain in a minute. First off, do you think it's fair? That these people, these bullies, treat you this way..?"
"No... no it's not fair!"
"After all you've been through, you deserve better"
"..."
"Now tell me, how did you feel when you're mother passed away. What did you feel?"
".... I cried...."
"Because..?"
".... because...."
"You don't know?"
"......"
"Think of all the times you've felt this way. Why do you have to suffer? I mean, you suffered through your mother's death, and had to deal with the piercing pain in your heart, of that fact that she's gone"
"Piercing .... pain..."

I did feel that pain.. why was that..?

"See that pain in your heart... it's a painful emotion called "love""
"Love... why... why does it hurt so much?"
"I wouldn't know... but it's one of those unexplainable things that can't be reasoned. I'm trying to end that feeling.. and replacing it, with the feeling of "desire""
"Why.. why do you want to do that?"
"Why wouldn't I? Being able to feel the feeling of desire, achieving whatever you want imaginable, being replaced by a feeling of hurt and pain for no reason at all. Who wouldn't want that? After all you said it yourself"
"....."
"You have the power to do that Ira.."
"How?"
"Let's do a test. Channel all of your hate and negativity towards anything that makes you upset"

And I had done so. I thought of the bullies.

"I hate them..."

I thought of my mom.

"Why did she have to leave me...?"

I then... thought of my dad....

"I hate him even more... why did he leave me alone....?"
"Now Ira....
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Let it all go"

At those words... I completely lost control. I have never felt so free. Free to let my emotions burst from me, after having them bottled up inside.

A burst of energy caused the ground to shake, then explode. I couldn't understand. Did I do that?

"W-What-
"Well done"
"What did I-
"Join me Ira, let's eradicate "love" and replace it with desires! Replace it....
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With selfishness..."

At that moment, a man had appeared. He smirked at me. He had yellow eyes... like mine. Only... his was filled with hate...

And then..

He was gone.

Ever since the day I left from that hospital, I went to daycare the next day. I didn't want to go, and I knew that I would regret it.

As always, the kids would come up to me and let me have it. Only, this day was different...

"Hey Ira! Still thinking about you're mommy?"
"...."
"You ignoring me?"
"...."
"HEY! SPEAK UP YOU LITTLE-
"No"
"What did you say to me?"
"Why should I listen to you? Pathetic"
"..."
"I know! Let's see how it feels like when the tables you set...
Are turned..."

At that moment, I once again, lost control. It felt kinda good to see the bullies in pain, whereas it's always the other way around. The daycare monitor came rushing to see what happened. The kid cried, everyone else around us were shocked, and I? I felt something that I haven't felt in a long time...

I felt great!

The monitor couldn't understand why I looked so happy, but she took the kid by the hand and walked off, everyone else following her, leaving me alone

Ever since that day, I've become completely sealed off from the other kids, to the point where they wouldn't even go near me, let alone breathe the same air as me. Which is fine by me, it's what I wanted anyway

I was used to being alone... but now I really was alone... no mother,  let alone no father..

Sometimes, when I thought about my father, my heart would ache. And now that my mother was gone, it did the same... why?

One day, it was a bit more painful than usual. And the the same man appeared.

"Is this... is this love..?"
"Yes, Ira it is love"
"But... I still don't understand why it hurts so much.."
The man sighed
"Listen Ira, do you like that feeling..?"
"Love?"
"Yes"
"What do you mean if I 'like' this feeling..?"
"Hmm.. maybe I should rephrase that"
"Do you love someone, Ira?"
"Love someone..? ..."
"Hmm... you're mother perhaps?"
"Yes.."
"Your father?"
"....."
"Friends?"
"I don't have any.."
"Anyone else?"
"I hate everyone..."
"Everyone you say?"
"Everyone"
"Even your mother?"

I looked at the ground. I couldn't believe I thought this...

Did I hate my mother?

She cared so much for me.. she was the only person who'd except me...

But she left me..

How could she leave me? I'm just a kid, I can't fend for myself? Why did she had to leave me all by myself?!

But there was that small voice inside my heart, begging me, pleading me, not to say what I have said next.

"Yes.. I do hate my mother..."

It's as if someone else was in my body.. speaking their mind, cause at that moment, I didn't feel like myself...

I wanted to run and scream and break everything that was around me, I wanted to hurt everyone, and I didn't know why.

I wanted to cry

"Calm down Ira, save all that energy on the battlefield"
"Battlefield?"
"From now on, you serve King Jikochuu"
"King... Jikochuu...?"
"The king of Selfishness, you will train with me and along with three others, to learn to fight and defend the king"
"Hold on a minute, I'm not defending nobody! Besides, I do things my way"
"Face it Ira, you're not who you think you are"
"Well yeah! I kinda figured that out already!"
"Listen, this is your destiny, you can't run away from it"
"YOU THINK I CARE!??"
"Ira, have you ever wondered what your father did for a living?
"My... my father..?"
"How do you know about my father!?"

The man said nothing

"Who are you anyways!?!"

-(FlashBack ends)-

My eyes opened wide and I sat up, panting. I put my hand over my head

"Not that dream again..."

Just a quick disclaimer, this FlashBack is obviously probably not what happened, I'm just using this for the story, it's all just my idea