The nightmare hit her like a tidal wave, pulling her under with memories she'd tried so hard to bury. Akame woke with a start, her skin cold and clammy, her heart pounding in her chest. She sat up, taking in her surroundings, but the shadows seemed to cling to her, remnants of the nightmare still lingering, making her feel as if she couldn't breathe.
In the past, she would have turned to scalding water, letting the heat sear away her shame and fear. But tonight, the thought of sitting under the water, trapped in her own skin, only made her feel more suffocated. She needed to escape, needed to find somewhere she could move, somewhere she could let herself break free of the memory that held her in its grip.
Carefully, she slipped out of bed and scribbled a note for Yuta, leaving it on her pillow: Went to school early. Don't worry. She didn't want him worrying, didn't want him to see the darkness in her eyes that had only grown stronger since the breakdown.
She gathered her things quietly, grabbing her backpack with her ballet shoes and school uniform, pulling on her sweats over her leotard and tights. Her movements were instinctive, silent as she slipped out of the apartment and into the empty streets. The early hours of the morning felt eerie, but there was a strange comfort in the solitude, in the knowledge that she was utterly alone, with no one to witness her vulnerability.
With her hood pulled low, she moved through the darkened streets, her steps quick and quiet. Each corner she turned, each shadow she passed, felt like a piece of her nightmare lingering in the waking world, and it only made her pace quicken, desperate to reach her destination. The warehouse loomed ahead, its worn exterior barely visible in the dim light, and she slipped through the loose plank, her breath steadying as she entered the familiar space.
Inside, the air was still, a heavy silence settling around her. The warehouse had become her sanctuary, a place where she could be alone with her thoughts without fear of judgment or intrusion. She tossed her backpack to the side, her hands trembling slightly as she pulled off her hoodie, leaving her in her leotard and tights. The cool air brushed against her skin, grounding her, reminding her that she was here, in control, not a helpless memory trapped in her own mind.
She closed her eyes, letting the quiet fill her senses, before taking her place in the center of the empty floor. Her body knew what to do, knew the rhythm she needed, and as she began to move, her muscles responded, each stretch and contortion allowing her to reclaim the parts of herself that had felt lost.
Her arms lifted gracefully, her body bending into familiar positions, each movement deliberate, controlled. She lost herself in the motion, letting the tension flow out of her with each step, each leap. The nightmare's grip began to loosen, the haunting images fading as she focused on the feeling of her muscles obeying her commands, bending and twisting in ways that defied gravity, defied fear.
The dance became her release, a way to cast off the chains of shame and helplessness. She pushed herself harder, her body moving with a fierce precision, her breaths steady, each one a reminder that she was here, that she was free from the darkness that threatened to consume her. Ballet had always been her escape, a way to transcend the limitations of her mind and body, to prove that she was stronger than the memories that tried to drag her down.
Her feet glided across the floor, her body moving in perfect synchronization, the grace of each movement a quiet rebellion against everything that had been forced upon her. With each turn, each controlled leap, she felt herself reclaiming her power, her autonomy. In the stillness of the warehouse, she was no longer a broken girl, no longer defined by the pain that haunted her. She was simply a dancer, lost in the rhythm of her own strength, her own resilience.
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SUB ROSA | Wind Breaker
Fanfiction❝ She was like light slipping through the cracks-out of place, yet impossible to ignore.❞ Akame finds herself in a world that was never meant for her, a quiet contrast to Furin's chaos. But in a place that challenges her at every turn, she begins to...
