Torturous Love | Feitan

Chapter Eight: The Black Box

Some Years Ago

I watch the old man hold a dainty glass cup of water in his hands as he walks on to the back porch where we were sitting, the hot sun blazing down on us. From how bright and hot the sun was in Meteor City, I was and still am surprised, Heytun kept his pale skin. I blink before asking, narrowing my single eye at him "What are you doing? This isn't training as you promised us earlier." Heyun who leans his back up against the wall also narrows his eyes, but solely at me, not the old man like I expected.

"Stupid..." is all he mutters to himself, tossing his pervy artbook to the side, as the old man sits down with us on the floor of the porch.

"Huh! I dare you to say that again! You can't even read let alone speak right, and you're calling me stupid!" I holler at him sitting up raising my fist to his face but it merely an empty threat. I seem to get on the last of his nerves, as a tick appears on his forehead and he curls his lip at me. He was getting better at his speech every day as I taught him though it wasn't easy. He was a very hotheaded person, especially when it came to learning new stuff he was having trouble at.

He sits up as well getting ready to fight with me and just when we were about to actually go at it, the old man takes the top of heads and pushes us both down at the same time and starts to lecture us "Enough! Both of you! Do you wish to learn or not?" He lets both of us go when we quiet and settle down. I begin to fix myself, and Heytun just glares over at me and clicks his tongue, his eyes glancing away.

The old man sighs as he also goes back to sitting down and he glasses down at the cup "Now who wants to go first?"

"I will," I say before Heytun gets a chance but he doesn't speak up, just looks back at us curiously. I glance down at the cup with the leaf floating on the surface, and I ask tilting my head "What am I supposed to do anyway?"

"I taught you both personally how to use Ren. Yes?" he asks looking at me. I nod my head, and he pushes the cup towards me instructing me what to do "Take the cup into your hands, and use your Ren. Depending on what happens with the water, that is your Nen type and then we can further your training lessons." I nod excitedly now, and I grasp the cup and start to concentrate, enforcing my Ren.

Time passes but nothing happens, and I start to grow irritated. I click my tongue and give out a loud and exaggerated sigh as I then say "Nothing is happening..." I let go of the glass and look towards the old man for an answer.

"Is the water sweet or having any other changes to it?" he asks. I dip my finger in the water, and I pull it out and suckle my finger before shaking my head. It was just plain water, nothing sweet or bitter about it.

The old man simply smiles before he then says "Well it takes time for some...while others don't have much of a problem." He then looks over at Heytun who is staring at us with little interest and states "Let Heytun have a try at it. I only have one glass."

"I doubt he will be able to it...but I guess I will let him try..." I mutter as I push the glass towards him, who is sitting across from me. I cross my arms across my chest, as a pout lingers on my lips.

He looks at the glass before he mutters grasping the glass and holding it with both hands "This is waste of time..." He concentrates, his eyes narrowing, and eyebrows knitting, and when nothing happens, I see sweat trickle down his cheek. I let out a loud and mocking laugh.

"Ha! You can't do it! I knew a dumb boy like you wouldn't be able to." I say snickering at him, trying to make the poor and angry boy snap which honestly wasn't hard to do.

His eyes raise from the glass to me, and you can tell by the nasty look in his eye, he really is about to snap and lash out at me. Just then a crack appears on the glass making me shut up, and the old man's eyes glance down to it and also eventually Heytun's eyes, his anger fading. The old man then dips his finger into the water and tastes it, and he mutters "Transmuter...A bitter one at that."