Dark Thriver

Chapter 4 - Not me

The room became instantly silent as those words left Lira's mouth. As she stared at him with a flustered look, he pinched his cheek slightly. "A-are you okay?" asked Lira. "Yeah. Perfectly fine, it seems..." said Riku as he began pinching his hips and shoulders.

"Could you please answer my request?" asked Lira, flustered. "Ah? I'm sure I was imagining that. Could you repeat it? Just in case, you know?" asked Riku with a smile. "Y-yes...I would like you to have a child with me. Right now!" said Lira with determination.

"No."

said Riku, causing Lira's eyes to widen. "W-what...?" asked Lira in confusion. "I can't have a child with you." said Riku, completely serious. "But...That is my mission!" said Lira with sadness. "Why? Am I not good enough?" she asked with worry.

"No. There's a different problem. Several, actually." said John without moving a facial muscle. "What could those be...?" asked Lira, holding her hand close to her chest in worry. "For starters, I'm 14. I don't think I want to have a child. Second, that's your goal. After the child is given birth to, I'll probably be just trash to you and everyone else here, despite the fact that I don't know why you even want this from me..." explained Riku. "That's..." stopped Lira in the middle of her sentence. "The third reason might...No. It is the most important--" "Before that, allow me to explain!" cut him out Lira. "Maybe you should've done that first..." said Riku, scratching his head.

"I, Lira Clangcher, am the daughter of the now passed away, former ruler of this part of the kingdom, Evan Clangcher...I was given this important mission by him before he passed away..." explained Lira.

"You're leaving some things unexplained. Like the main one...Why me?" Riku asked. "My father told me...That the person with aura as white as snow, and as clear as the sky, should be the one to have my child. He also told me that the child that I give birth to from that person, shall become the first person in this world to be born with a full affinity to magic!" further explained Lira.

"I see a problem there. First, I can't use magic. Second, my aura isn't that white. If you haven't noticed, I'm a poor reject that no one wants to hire. You'd think I'm lying, seeing from you expectations of me, but I steal food, clothes, money, and other essential things. The coat I'm wearing right now doesn't belong to me...I can't have this white aura." explained Riku, showing a sad smile.

"That's wrong!"

said Lira, taking Riku's hand. "I have been born with the ability to see other people's aura. I can see their personality...And even now, your aura is the clearest thing I have ever seen in my entire life!" yelled out Lira, trying to reassure Riku. "Sorry..." said Riku as he pushed her hand away from his, widening her eyes. "I'm not as nice or whatever you think I am." said Riku as he stood up from the bed. Remember the third reason I won't give you what you want?" asked Riku, causing Lira to nod quietly in sadness.

"I don't know you."

said Riku, shocking Lira. "I will never do that with a person I don't truly love with all my heart. That's it." explained Riku. "But i--" "am destined to do this?" finished her sentence Riku. "You'll manage. There are people with clearer auras out there! Don't worry about it..." said Riku. "No..." muttered Lira, causing Riku to look at her with a confused look. "I have been searching for that one person for 8 years. That is when my father passed away. I have never met someone like you!" said Lira loudly. "Someone like me...Someone?" said Riku, gripping his fist.

"No. I can't do that." said Roku. "I can't. Not with you." explained Riku, leaving Lira petrified. "Not with me...? Specifically...?" asked Lira. "Yeah. You. As you are now, I don't see a reason to accept your request. I don't and won't like someone who sees me as a tool to finish their assignment..." stated Riku with an angry tone.

"N-no! Of course you're not a tool!" explained Lira. "Then answer this...Would you marry me?" asked Riku. "What...?" asked Lira. "I was clear. Would you marry me? Me. The man you see in front of you right now!" Roku said, raising his voice.

As Lira remains silent, she stares at her hands in shame. "I knew it...You like to think you're not using me as tool, but you don't see me as anything different from said tool. That's why I don't like people like you!" said Riku. "I..." tried to explain herself Lira, but couldn't. "Now, for my demand..." said Riku. "Yes...State your wish..." said Lira, depressed. "I want a place in this academy. The lowest rank possible." said Riku, sparking hope inside Lira's eyes.

"W-why...?" she asked him. "I want to prove something! To the people from my village! To the people of this kingdom! And most importantly, to myself...That Japanese aren't any less human than the rest of them!" said Riku in a happy tone, causing Lira to blush. "I'm going back to my room...Later." said Riku as he began to walk towards the door.

"Wait...!"

said Lira, stopping him in his tracks. "What now?" asked Riku. "Then...If I learn to love you, will you accept my request...?" asked Lira with a red face, almost tearing up. "I already told you...The person you're looking for isn't me. But you can do whatever you want!" said Riku, leaving the room with annoyance in his voice. "Does that mean...I can still complete the mission...?" thought Lira to herself as she fell onto her bed, gasping for air. "Learn to love...? Did I say that...?" she thought as she closed her eyes, tears going down her cheeks. "I apologize, father...I failed temporarily, but I shall not give up yet!" she thought as she slowly fell asleep.

Making his way to his room, Riku was lost in thought. "Man, I'm an idiot...I turned down THAT request? I bet the other guys at this school would accept before even processing her words..." thought Riku as he stopped in front of his room. "But I didn't lie to her. Every last word was the complete truth..." he muttered to himself, clenching his room key as he opens his door.

Entering his room, he stops in shock. As he looks over at his bed, he finds a message written above it on the wall. "What the hell...?" thought Riku as he slowly read the message. "Leave this place before you die!" he read out to himself, closing the door behind him immediately. "Who the hell would write that?!" thought Riku as he quickly sat on his bed. "What's it even written in?" he thought as he touched it carefully. "It wasn't here just a little bit ago...It's already this dry." thought Riku as he realised something. "It isn't WRITTEN on the wall, but engraved into it? Why...?" thought Riku, beginning to think.

Before long, he found himself fast asleep on his soft bed. Beginning to dream about what would happen from this point on. "I don't have friends, family, people to call close in general...Should I even worry about that message? I'm sure as hell no one would care if I died...Who cares anymore...?" he thought as he slowly fell into quiet deep sleep.