Trails of Cold Brave Sky Chronicle 9: Memories of Millennia

How Aron Met the Council

(This chapter mentions dark themes. You have been warned.)

The remaining fighters were in the waiting rooms. The rest of the students were in the stands, and Aki and Reito were both at unease. Both would be having to fight strong second years.

Reading the order of battles, Reito got up. "Wish me luck, Aki."

The fans were cheering for the battles.

Aron was already at the arena, and Reito walked in. From his battle with Laust, Reito was quite aware of Aron's technique.

"May the battle commence!"

Aron turned around, and Reito walked to the middle of the field, prepared for the knockback.

Aron faded, and reappeared above Reito. Quickly before a punch was landed, Reito dodges, and punches Aron. To regain control, Aron landed on his feet, and backflipped.

Aron's shadow expanded, and he disappeared behind Reito, and kicked him.

Reito was knocked closer to the edge, but he managed to get back to the center.

The two were panting heavily, and Reito used fire magic to make the floor around him burn.

Aron kept jumping to try to avoid the hot ground, and landed on top of Reito, standing on his shoulders. He quickly extinguished the heat by dousing the ground in water.

Suddenly, Aron had a flashback mid battle. He thought about the council for some reason.

~It was Aron's first year, and he was busy in the festival battles. Niyo was watching everybody fight, and then saw Koru. He also saw a missing child poster from years ago. He walked over to Cornelia, and asked her about Koru. He wasn't scheduled yet, but he was

"Cornelia, is that the boy from the missing fliers over town?"

Cornelia asked Aron who he was talking about, and he pointed at Koru. "Him."

Cornelia saw where Aron's finger was pointed. After taking a closer look, she gasped.

"Oh dear, that is him. He was missing for so long that his parents and brother thought he was killed!"

Aron and Cornelia walked over to Koru.

"You're that kid from the fliers, right?"

Clearly Koru didn't know what they were talking about.

Aron handed Koru the poster. "Weren't you gone for so many years?"

Koru nodded. "I-I-I-I just barely escaped with my life. I would've been victim 20..."

Koru was starting to tear up. His emotions were stirring up, and so were his chains.

Ariel walked over to Koru. Quickly, she calmed him down, and brought his mind at ease. "Why were you making him answer questions he was too afraid to answer?"

At this point, Koru was incredibly worried. Cornelia used a spell to calm him down, and then used an analysis spell on him.

"His sustained injuries are severe. His captor had him in bondage for so many years that he couldn't walk or fight back. From stabbing to sexual acts, his captor sure was a complete and utter sadist."

Koru crouched, and curled into fetal position. "I was around three when I was kidnapped. My memory was hazy back then, but what I can remember is sitting in the basement of a dungeon-like room, chained to a wall, sometimes bleeding. I was also usually restrained into the air while my captor would slam my body with these chains. My body would be aching, and she would try to break me, but my spirit was not lost. I managed to withstand losing my eye, the pain massive. By the time Ariel found me, I was unconscious in the air in the middle of the room, in a pool of blood. It was late, but she knew she had to save me. For weeks, she would be preparing our getaway, and she had a paper in hand, presumably to here. I only had to survive five weeks of torment, and I would be free."~