JOSH JOSHUA (UNARCHIVED BABY!!!)

2: UNWELL

It's been two weeks. After a good few hours of staring at the ceiling, I get up for no reason in particular. My body leads me to the door, and I end up outside in the alleyway in front of the house. I soon come to the grave of Cassandra. That was her name. She was only twenty-three. Jesus, she had parents.

I kneel down beside the wooden grave marker. I've made a habit of visiting every day. I tell her how things go.

"Umm... Here. I brought these." I set down some tulips, removing the old flowers. "We're... We're looking for him, okay? I promise we'll find the guy that did this." I pause. "No matter what." My fist balls up, knuckles white.

***

Later that day, I sit at a desk in my new home. Keith does his best not to bother me, only occasionally interrupting me to remind me to eat.

"Thanks..."

"Not a problem." He gives me a gentle smile, setting down a sandwich for me. His wings flutter slightly, and he steps out, slowly closing the door behind him.

The big issue I was facing was the fact that this world had practically no forensic capabilities, and I wasn't quite sure if straight-up magic existed here. Sure, there were things that were magical, but I had yet to see raw magic.

That was when it came to me.

If I could learn magic, this entire endeavor would be easier by ten-fold. No more late nights trying to find tracks and connections. I wasn't sure whether an other-worldly being could learn this world's magic, but I figured it was worth a try.

I ran outside to find Victor. Keith didn't strike me as the controlled magic type. Running into the library, I quickly found Victor reading a book in the corner.

"Yo. So you finally came outta that hut, huh? Whatcha need?"

My breath ragged, I paused. I slowly looked up to meet his eyes. "I need you to teach me magic."

He cracked a grin. "Wow. Okay, then. No beatin' around the bush. I appreciate that."

***

Victor led me to a small clearing in the forest. It was beautiful, the fuschia wood, the lavender leaves, all of it. The Violet Forest was a wonder.

Victor turned to face me, a good 10 feet away from me. "Alright. I want you to come at me."

"What, now?"

"Yep." He chuckled. "Let's see what you can do when ya ain't caught off guard." I exhaled sharply, taking the best stance I could manage.

Before I took more than two steps forward, Victor was behind me. He drove his foot into my back, launching my entire body into a tree. It was like a sudden sensation of being hit by an entire steel beam.

I coughed up some blood, rose to my feet, and coughed more.

"You're tough. That's a good start." He smiled, balling his hands together and taking a wide stance. Suddenly, he released his hands from their entwinement in each other, a ball of flame in either palm.

Behind me again.

I turned just in time for him to clock my jaw. It was hot, like a blowtorch to my skin. I managed to stay up that time.

"C'mon, focus..." He narrowed his eyes. "Concentrate the flow of your energy." He started rushing me. "I can't give you all the answers!"

I panicked, dodging narrowly and sending an uppercut flinging into his gut. He was immediately winded. "N-not... Bad."

A pause.

"But not too good either."

He gripped my wrist, flipped over my body to be behind me, and drove his knee into the back of my head. "Come on!"

My body was buckling, my muscles aching.

"You wanna get back at that guy, right? Ya wanna show him you won't stand by and let people get hurt."

He kicked me again. "You won't ever get the chance if you can't even land more than one hit on me!"

He was right. I couldn't face Cassandra's killer like this.

I was worthless to the efforts everyone was making.

Sitting at my desk.

'Investigating.'

Losing sleep yet contributing nothing.

It was pathetic.

I had no idea this emotion was so... Quiet.

I looked up to be met with a void, surrounding me and nearly the entire clearing. I could faintly see the forest beyond it.

Victor looked terrified, but quickly a grin returned to his face.

"There we go..."

***author's note***

Welp, here's the new chapter! A bit shorter than the last, but it's finally out! Dunno if y'all could tell but the actual combat sorta takes a page outta combat manga. I think the style of combat and descriptions thereof just fit the feel I'm going for, especially in this chapter with the training-arc-style premise.

Hope y'all enjoyed!!