fragile time

~chapter 6~

Chapter 6: "I Can't Wait To Tell This Story."

~✶~

I silently folded the paper in half as I inhaled. There was my response. My first response to the insane person who'd sent me this warning that they were going to kill me. I felt more confident now that I had at least tried to do something. I knew I didn't have much time to write that, but I was proud of my work. I stood from my chair and finally released the breath that I'd been holding.

My gaze flickered to the nearby window, outside of which I saw the courtyard. The courtyard was sort of like a garden. Bushes, flowers, and other forms of plant life crowded the area. However, only one tree was in sight. We called this tree 'The Sacred Tree'. It was said that this school began with the planting of that tree. Personally, I think the school was built around that tree. There's a few people who believe there's a treasure hidden under the tree— I'm not one. That's an old fairytale. Society is so desperate for meaning that it creates its own. Some students ate dinner on benches around the tree, the wind slightly blowing on them. I knew a small pond was near, but it was out of my sight.

As I was lost in my thoughts, Blade bounced back in the bedroom. "The others eat so slow!" He complained, "It was so boring without you there, Micheal." I heard him flop down on the bed, and I finally shifted my view towards him. His short, wavy black hair fell messily onto his pillow as his dark red eyes stared at the ceiling.

I've never paid much attention to his eyes, but when I looked very closely, I saw a pool of blood. A pool that wants to scare you away, too thick for you to breathe in. However, if you just kept swimming deeper and deeper, you would finally get past that wall. You would see secrets of all kinds. A dark past but a hopeful future. When I looked in Blade's eyes, very closely, I could see sweet cherries, but on a cold winter night. They were full of whispers and forbidden energy, but with a slight spark of humor.

"Why are your eyes red?" I randomly blurted. Blade let his eyelids drop and sighed. "If you don't mind me asking." I quickly added.

"No, it's alright." He smiled softly, his maroon eyes meeting my brown ones, "I don't get that question too often. As you know, I have dark— or, shadow— magic, so my features show it. Like how vampires have fangs. People with... evil—" Blade flinched. "—magic usually have black, dark red, uhm... lime green, or... sometimes, I think, orange eyes. People with good magic can have purple, gold, blue, and... other color eyes. Blah, Blah, Blah, you get the point. Long story short, bad powers." He shrugged before ending, "Hooray."

"I don't think you're a bad person, though." I responded with less emotion than I'd intended.

"I know! I don't think that either." Blade snickered as he sat up, "It just is the way it is." I nodded. He seemed like he didn't care too much, but if I looked closer into his deep eyes, I could tell he did. I've always seen Blade as someone who was really easy going and fun. Now that I'm thinking about it, I didn't know too much about him. He never shared much about his personal life or feelings, he made everything a joke. He seemed energetic and positive all the time, but I don't think he was. I never paid enough attention to notice, I guess.

"Are you sure?" I questioned, with more sympathy in my voice this time.

"Sure. I know who I am. What I am doesn't define me. I'm confident." He defended. I nodded. Was he bluffing? I wasn't sure. Blade was such a good liar. That's why he's our spy— because he lies. He lies about his past, his feelings, beliefs, friends, and the list goes on. I always assumed that I could trust him, as he's been my friend for years. Now, I wasn't so sure. "I mean," he added, "I wish that sometimes, maybe, I didn't have to worry about going haywire one day. I know you think about this, too, with the death glare and all."