The Vigilant Yaksha

Chapter 16

Before she knew it, Vena was all alone again.

Xiao showed her to the room he considered his own, but was adamant about saying Adepti didn't need to sleep, and he simply used it to rest after fighting demons and shower.

He left rather quickly, saying something about her needing to rest so she could train the next day.

Vena hardly focused on his words, already spacing out while simply gazing around the simple yet tidy room, her brain already preparing for the inevitable.

What happened time and time again, without fail.

Without another word, Xiao was gone, the door shut quietly behind him, leaving the girl to her thoughts as she meandered over towards the bathroom to take a quick bath and rinse off all the sweat and dirt that still clung to her delicate skin from the rigorous first day of training.

She turned the knob, holding a hand under the water as she adjusted it to the temperature she desired.

Once she was satisfied with the temperature of her bath, she quickly undressed and slid in, sliding down to where the water was practically covering her shoulders as she exhaled deeply, her eyes closing as the warmth of the water enveloped her.

And now, I'm alone.

The simple thought provoked that all too familiar prick of tears already threatening to fall as she pressed her lips together in a hard line, trying to choke them back.

I'm always alone.

Cupping her hands together, she brought some of the warm water to her face, gently washing the day away after rubbing a little bit of bath soap between her hands.

Fuck.

A singular tear slid down her face as she simply stared down at the water around her, watching as the tear slowly slid down her cheek, eventually falling from her face and mixing into the warmth of her bath.

Why does this weakness always plague me? Why do I even care?

The frustrated thoughts continued to flow as she gently washed her body, being sure to scrub thoroughly after the day she'd had.

I have no real strength. I have no real confidence. I'm always alone. What do I even have to fight for? What even motivates me anymore?

The smell of the soap was a tad masculine, but Vena took no notice due to her racing thoughts.

That was the least of her concerns regardless.

But i actually managed to hit Xiao today.

Vena was currently massaging shampoo into her scalp when the random thought actually caused her to pause her actions momentarily, taking an extra second to actually gauge that.

Even if it was because I caught him off guard... that's a start, right? Isn't outsmarting or out thinking your opponent something?

"Hm..." The girl audibly spoke out, deciding to rinse her hair and at least attempt to get some shut eye before the sun came up.

After exiting the bath and drying off, she dressed in some comfy clothes to sleep in before crawling into her new bed.

Like Aether said. Let's just take it a day at a time. Today was a start.

Slipping under the comfy sheets, Vena pulled them up close, holding the ends of it in her hands.

Back in her world, she'd had stuffed animals and pillows she liked to sleep with and either hold or hug, almost for comfort.