☆A Gakuen Alice Fanfiction☆

Chapter 9: A Dark Secret

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Blinded by the sun's bright light, Yuki blinked a few times before familiarly stepping onto the rooftop, her long white hair gently swaying in the breeze. In the past six months, this place had become special to the little girl —she felt safe up here, away from the constant attention and noise. She could breathe in the crisp air and peacefully bask in the sun's warm embrace. She felt almost as if nothing could ever hurt her again.

Yes, this quiet and empty rooftop was her haven, and she had decided to share it with Ruka, a boy she knew nothing about. Why did I do that? she wondered, absentmindedly gazing at the tall trees. Yuki had vowed not to get close to anybody ever again. She would rather stay lonely than experience the heart-wrenching pain of leaving somebody she loved again. Why Ruka? Why him? Just why... deep down, she knew the answer. It was quite simple; her loneliness was slowly eating at her.

The sight of the other kids having fun with their friends and smiling so innocently was torturous. It was a constant reminder of what she had had and would never find again. Truth be told, she was jealous of them. She envied them to the point of feeling resentful, and she deeply hated herself for it. But more than anything, she despised this darkness slowly tainting her being, trying to sink its sharp claws into her soul. She desperately wanted to hide away this ugliness of hers. Keep it tightly locked inside, in the deepest parts of her mind, never to be discovered. That's why she had to keep her distance and remember that, despite her jealousy, she would never wish for any of her classmates to be like her; to be an Alice.

Yes, being an Alice was a curse in and of itself. And Yuki was so tired of everything. She was so tired of living with the constant, overbearing fear and paranoia of being taken away at any moment. She could feel herself slowly losing herself, slowly losing this battle against her demons. More often than she wanted to admit, she had thought about surrendering to the Academy. At least then she probably wouldn't feel so exhausted anymore. Yuki sighed, tightening her free hand into a fist, her deep blue eyes with hints of gold, darkening like the night sky.

Why, despite everything, did she decide to help Ruka? The answer to this question was once again quite simple. Ruka was like her; she could tell. And, much like her, despite his unbearable loneliness, he still kept his distance from other children. Like her, he had something he desperately wanted to hide. Indeed, Yuki had immediately noticed it upon first laying eyes on him. He had this peculiar yet familiar air about him, this indescribable aura radiating from his entire being. And that reminded her of someone she knew; her dearest friend, Hotaru. That was what attracted her to him—this comforting familiarity. Ruka was special, just like Hotaru and Yuki; he was an Alice and a powerful one at that. There was no doubt about it; she could feel it.

Stopping before the roof's metal railing, Yuki took in a deep breath, the faint smell of the pine trees delicately filling her nose. Under the sun's bright rays, she felt her darkness slowly being pushed back. Her hand opened, revealing angry red half-moons on her tender skin, and the dark veil dimming her beautiful eyes lifted. She turned around and closely observed Ruka, who, surrounded by his two bodyguards, looked so small and frail. They were probably there with him because something bad happened in the past. But despite being there to protect him, Yuki could tell he felt suffocated; their presence was a constant reminder of his difference. And she knew too well what it felt like.

"This place is safe", Yuki started, her voice sounding clear despite its quietness. "We won't be bothered here, don't worry." She added, locking eyes with him.

Her unwavering gaze was reassuring, and for some inexplicable reason, Ruka felt he could trust her; her beautiful orbs were full of sincerity and another indecipherable emotion.

"Could you leave us alone?" Ruka asked quietly before realising it, his melodic voice gently carried away by the wind like fallen leaves. He felt this urge to spend time with Yuki and get to know her. He had never felt such a strong pull toward another person before. They had just met, but something told Ruka that this girl would become special to him, one of the most important people in his life. So, pushed by this powerful feeling, he turned around and repeated himself, his voice sounding more confident. "Can you guys leave us alone?"

The two imposing bodyguards wearing their black sunglasses looked expressionless. And their tightly pressed lips only made them look more intimidating. But that was just a façade, for the two men had simply been left speechless. They were completely shocked to their core. They had never seen their young master looking so confident before; his light blue eyes shining with a newfound glow. How could they resist him? He looked majestic under the sunlight, his golden locks forming an almost divine halo. The more they gazed upon his glorious appearance, the more they could envision a bejewelled crown adorning his precious head. As mere servants, how could they dare attempt to oppose him? Yes, their only option was to grovel and obey him. And they would do so without hesitation.

"Young master Ruka-sama, please allow us to inspect this rooftop", started one of the bodyguards, slightly bending down to match the young child's eye level. "We must make sure that it is safe for you to be here."

"Al-Alright, please be quick...", answered Ruka, surprised his request would be granted. This was his first time asking them to leave him alone; never in a million years would he have guessed they would heed him. Until now, he had never tried to get away from them, knowing how much their presence reassured his dear mother. Never would he have thought they would leave his side so easily; it felt strange, but oh so liberating. And it was all thanks to Yuki. Would he have gained the courage to form such a simple request had he not met her? What was this strange feeling slowly filling him up ever since meeting her? Lost in thought, Ruka unconsciously gazed at the young girl, his cheeks blushing a light shade of pink.

Ba-bump.

In just a few minutes, the two bodyguards finished their sweep of the place. Once they were sure nothing dangerous could interrupt their precious young master's time with his new friend, they informed him that they would come back to get them before their afternoon class. "Please, young master, don't hesitate to call on us if you ever need anything." With those final words, the two dedicated men finally left, quietly closing the door behind them.

Click.

Finally, the two children were left alone, and a peaceful silence permeated the air.

"Aren't you coming?" The young girl asked, her head tilted to the side.

Ruka was pulled out of his thoughts and followed her as she climbed up a ladder leading to an even higher part of the rooftop. From there, as they sat down on the edge with their feet dangling over, they could see everything: the lush forest with its imposing pine trees, the mountain peaks covered by a thick blanket of snow and the small villagers' houses in between with their tiled roofs. From up here, the air felt purer, and breathing in deeply, Ruka relaxed.

"You're an Alice, aren't you?" Yuki suddenly blurted out, her face expressionless and her impenetrable gaze fixed on the beautiful view. 

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Hi-ya dear readers,

It's been a while... again. I'm sorry life got hectic, and I had a lot to do. But here's a new chapter °˖✧◝(⁰▿⁰)◜✧˖° ... with a bit of a cliffhanger... Please don't hate me.

In the next chapter, you'll get to see more of Ruka and Yuki interacting. And we'll get to hear a bit more about Ruka's story, it'll be great, trust me! I put an image of what the view from the rooftop looked like in my mind. It's not perfectly accurate, of course, but it's pretty close. 

Anyway, please vote AND comment. Receiving your support and feedback would make me very happy and help me improve. I would also reallyyyyy like to hear what you think of this story so far!

Sincerely,

The Author.