『Crystals must erode before their brilliance is shown』
"Move without a sound. You should only speak when it is time to say checkmate," were the words that Decadence said in the form of advice.
Agreeing to the words inscribed on that paper crane a ye...
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Trepidation clung to Tanami's limbs like bulky chains slithering across the ground. They creaked and groaned, yearning for some relief as anxiety decided to make itself known. The rapid thumping of her feet fell steady, albeit hurried as she forced herself into a light jog.
The strings of her jacket thumped against her chest with every movement while her backpack slammed against her lower back. The girl ran. She ran and ran and never stopped for a breather. If she stopped, she feared that her past guilt and secrets would catch up to her. To mock her for being a coward that hid in the shadows and fled like a rat because the road behind her threatened to showcase her emotions.
The past should stay in the past. To never be brought up once again because she feared that the slightest remembrance would make her crawl back. Soft, warm smiles flickered in the crystal's mind, but she furiously shook her head. She made her decision. She had to keep it because that was what the crane told her to do. It all tied back to that stupid piece of origami and that woman. The woman that no one could beat.
Her heels dug into the concrete, slowing herself to a rigid stop. Her hands connected with her knees as she hunched over. Greedily, she swallowed mouthfuls of air as her lungs reached their limit of protesting. Beads of sweat rolled down her jawline, leaving wet trails in their wake. Her heart hammered, making its presence known, and all she wanted was for it to shut up.
With her sleeve, she hurriedly wiped at the perspiration staining her face while glaring at the ground. She was not quite sure why she had grown so frustrated with herself. She had made peace with her decision. Her hand stilled. Had she come to terms with what she had chosen? She must have. A year had passed by already, so she should be all right.
A chuckle managed to rumble through her chest. Maybe if she lied to herself enough, she would start to believe it.
Sucking in a deep breath, it took only a few moments to rid her eyes of tears that wanted to fall. Rubbing her eyes until they turned red was not exactly flattering, but it was not like she had anyone around to scold her for doing so. However, Decadence would surely try zir absolute best to wrangle an answer from her. She was sure her appearance was crappy, but she could at least say the lack of sleep was the reason for it and not her stupid feelings.
Half an hour passed in the blink of an eye as she made her way to the city's outskirts. Words of her previous conversation with Junpei not too long ago fluttered freely within her mind but were quickly cast aside. It was not necessary. Just a fleeting passing. Although she did not know Junpei for long, she knew the teenager would not tattle. The sudden shift in his carefree expression told it all.
Running her fingers through her bangs, the deep brown crystal that once coated her bright amethyst hair broke off. Slowly bringing her palm up to eye level, the dark crystals swirled like a mini snowstorm. Sunlight graced their presence, lighting them up like stars while giving her hair a twinkling glow. With a quick clench of her fingers, the gemstones shattered into dust. As if they were never there in the first place. Pitiful.
