𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐍 𝐀𝐈𝐑! ❀ 𝐊. 𝐓𝐀𝐊𝐀𝐌𝐈 [ˢʰᵒʳᵗ ˢᵗᵒʳʸ]

⑥ 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚'𝙨 𝙥𝙪𝙧𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙚

Training passed by in a flash, and the months passed by even faster.

Before she knew it, Kimika was ten years old. In those three years, a lot had changed.

Her ability to release items from her Void was becoming easier and easier to control. She hadn't had a single seizure since she'd learned how to do it. She'd trained with Fujikawa and Dr. Sasaki for several weeks just to refine her release trigger. The doctor had discovered that a trigger might be easier than doing the whole 'imagine the red balloon letting go of its air' thing. In battle or on missions, daydreaming would take up too much time. So, they developed Kimika's trigger. When she snapped her fingers, all the items in her Void could now be emptied and let back into the real world.

Her headache only came back after long training hours with Hirose, when he'd fill her Void as much as he could before it became too dangerous. Luckily, she now knew how to empty it. She was now used to the familiar slower movements of her fingers and arms that were there long before her quirk had manifested. Her balance wasn't as skilled either, but Dr. Sasaki kept reminding her this was only because of her lacking a cerebellum.

Kimika hadn't seen too much of Hawks over the three years. Of course, they had their training sessions together every day, but they weren't allowed to speak to each other during those times. Those sessions had one purpose and that purpose only: to train their quirks. They'd both grown in many ways. Keigo could hit the middle of the target with every feather he produced. Recently, he'd been working on the speed of his feathers, trying to see how fast they could go in their pursuit of the bullseye.

They weren't allowed any private meetings like the two they'd had in those first few months after his arrival. The two of them were bummed out about it, but they expected it. Their purpose was to train, not to make friends, however disappointing it was.

Kimika sat peacefully in her empty room now. She'd grown several inches taller, and her sleek white hair had grown out to her elbows. She kneeled in the center of the room, her hands on her knees, her ruby eyes closed as she meditated. She'd found it a new comfort that she'd repeat during her lonelier hours.

The fires never went away, and she didn't think they ever would. They still burned at the edges of her mind and raged even when her Void was utterly empty. She'd concluded it had nothing to do with her quirk, but more to do with her mental state. Meditation was something she'd picked up to try and douse the fires, even though they were persistent.

The door to her room clicked open and she blinked open one eye.

"Vanish. You are required on level thirteen."

Kimika's eyes widened as she shot to her feet. The thirteenth level? That was where the higher-ups completed most of their business meetings, was it not? Why was she going there?

She followed closely behind the escort after her restraints were secured. Her hands buzzed at the familiar feeling. However long ago, she'd been quite comfortable with the cuffs, but now they were starting to get old.

Her bare feet stomped quietly against the metal flooring as they made their way toward the elevator. She hadn't been on the elevator since her arrival. She marveled at the array of buttons on one wall as the doors slid and clicked shut. The escort pressed the button labeled 13 and a dizzy feeling overcame Kimika. She blinked rapidly as she started feeling lightheaded. She remembered this sensation from when she'd first been on an elevator.

The screen above the button selection began going through the numbers. 4. 5. It stopped at 6.

The doors peeled open to reveal two people waiting. There was another government official that Kimika didn't recognize, and--