Rebirth | BNHA |

Chapter 0: Rebirth

Playlist: Breathe Me by Sia

Minori slumped at her desk in the stifling classroom. She fixed her gaze on the worn, graffiti-scarred wooden surface as a barrage of crumpled paper missiles zipped past her. Scraps rained down, landing with muffled thuds around her. Whispers and mocking laughter swirled around her, drowning out the monotonous drone of the teacher's lecture. It was another day in Thanatos, where cruelty thrived like a dark, suffocating fog.

Minori's grey eyes fell onto a particularly battered piece that landed in front of her. Her heart churned. Scrawled across every corner of the page was a single, damning word: "murderer." She sucked in a sharp breath as a jolt of pain shot through her right arm. The cruel accusations echoed in her ears as she clutched onto the faded, but jagged scar below her elbow.

Her narrowed eyes swept across the room, jaw tensing. Everyone hid behind smirks and snickers, basking in their cruel victory. The paper within her grip crumpled further as her nails dug into her palms.

From the corner of her eye, the guard shifted in his spot by the door. His fingers hovered over the stun baton strapped to his belt as he glared. It was a large two-handed weapon that was capable of delivering incapacitating jolts. But more than that, it was a protective shield against Minori. Against the catastrophic Hecate Massacre.

Minori winced as her scar pulsed. It felt like her arm was being ripped open again, serving as a silent reminder of the burden she carried. This was her punishment for her part in the Hecate Massacre, after all. Or lack thereof.

Japan consigned her to Thanatos: School for the Troubled Youth. A living hell. Within the oppressive walls, they monitored Minori's every move. Where she slept, what she ate, who she was with, and most importantly, that godforsaken Quirk.

Despite the relentless scrutiny, they failed to protect her. The very hands meant to lift her struck her down instead. Guards, who had taken an oath to uphold justice, waved their pistols over a mere child. Shoot first, think later. Teachers who vowed to see the good in all averted their eyes, sneering. A chorus of hatred surrounded her, save for one figure who dared to see beyond the veneer of her past.

Minori's fingers traced the length of her ghastly scar as she dropped the crumbled piece of paper. The door creaked open, and she peeked in that direction. A taller guard entered. As he exchanged words with the guard near the door, his eyes roamed the room.

She stiffened as cold, penetrating blue eyes found her grey ones. He stomped toward her, and the rigid lines etched on his face deepened. Minori bowed her head, her body instinctively tensing, and pinched her eyes shut. What was it this time? Another bruise? No dinner tonight, or worse— a day in isolation? 

The guard reached out his calloused hand and gripped her arm. "Ki Minori," he roared. "Get up and come with me. That girl of yours brought another visitor." Minori bit into the soft flesh of her inner cheek as he pulled her to her feet.

"Again?" A collective murmur of disapproval rippled through the room.

"What is she thinking?"

"That killer is never getting out of here." Her ears burned as the whole class erupted into laughter.

Minori sighed a heavy breath and shook her head, her thoughts swirling. Why would Sora arrange for another visitor? It was all useless. There was no way she would ever get out of this hell. They grimaced at the sight of her, bore fake smiles, and their eyes darted everywhere but her own.

The guard's cold gaze bore into her as he squeezed her arm tighter and seized her wrists. With a harsh grip, he restrained her hands with cement blocks. The cuffs hung from Minori's wrists, dragging down her arms. The cuffs made Minori's hands tingle as they cut off circulation to her wrists.