One Shots

13. [Karma]

A golden knife in her hand glimmered, as if it was made completely out of solid sunlight or gold. On the hilt of the knife, a five letter word was carved neatly in cursive.

Karma.

Even though Asuna couldn't understand why, someone had placed this knife gingerly in her hand. It was a beautiful woman, but her features flickered constantly to the point where Asuna couldn't focus on them for long.

"Go," she said softly, brushing away the hair on Asuna's forehead that had crusted over in blood, an aftermath of the cruel prank that was played on her that left her on the brink of death. "Karma has duty where it is due. Go, my little messenger. Go avenge what wronged you."

After that, the entity had brushed her hand along Asuna's eyes, and she had woken up back in her room. Looking at the clock and her phone, she noticed that the day had started over, the morning before the prank that nearly killed her.

She didn't have a single wound. But if she didn't put the knife to use, she would end up back in the ditch again, bleeding hopelessly.

But...how was she supposed to actually use the knife? If she stabbed someone with it, wouldn't it also hurt them? Wouldn't it kill them?

Asuna didn't want to be the reason why someone died.

Asuna tucked the golden knife away into her bag, a feeling of worry in her throat. She didn't know what to do with it, but she felt something even worse would happen if she had just abandoned it away.

---

"Hey, Fujioka, can you throw this away for me?"

Without even waiting for a response, someone had tossed a dirty napkin weighed down with something in it at Asuna's head. It knocked her glasses askew, nearly dipping onto the floor.

They didn't even say sorry. Asuna only sighed and picked up the dirty napkin, throwing it away into the nearby trash can.

They always did this. Walking all over her as if she was a doormat, and even though Asuna wanted it to stop, she couldn't say a word when she tried. It was like the words were being blocked on purpose, just making her a meek, passive ghost.

"Ne ne, Fujioka-chan," said a particularly nasty girl with blonde hair that faded into pink wisps at the ends. "Wanna hang out with my friends after school today? We're going shopping!"

This was the girl that had led to Asuna being nearly dead in the ditch. Asuna knew that she had to avoid her, but against her will, she couldn't say a word.

"Great! Meet me behind the school, we'll leave from there," the girl said, her bright brown eyes sparkling gallantly. "Don't be late~!"

She skipped away from Asuna, leaving her tongue-tied.

Asuna definitely couldn't go to that. It wouldn't be good for her health if that happened, she wouldn't be able to deal with the pain again if it happened again.

The knife. The golden knife.

Would that save her from the fate that she would suffer from later?

---

"Okay, Fujioka-chan!" The girl said happily, grabbing Asuna by the shoulders roughly. "We're just waiting for everyone else to show up, so just chill out!"