Battle Academia (The original one)

Chapter 34: Presence of Mind

Kayn was fighting against a plastic mannequin. He felt incredibly bored. He was so tired of fighting against inanimate objects. He wanted to fight against someone real. With flesh and blood. Up the stakes.

He wanted to ask Professor Zed for a sparing partner. Maybe Yasuo would have been a good match for him, he thought. Everyone had sparred with everyone in the Battle Club. Except for Shieda Kayn. Ever since he had gotten his scythe, Professor Zed had forced him to shadow fight on his own every sinle day. He felt isolated. That much he could admit.

But up until that point, he had never once questioned his teacher's judgement or intentions. Because he always thought of him as a mentor. As someone to look up to.

"You're alone Kayn.. Again.. I see your nightmares.. Do they trouble you?", said the voice inside his head.

Kayn had been hearing it echoing over and over, ever since the scythe had chosen him. He had never replied back. But some days were worse than other. Some nights were more terrifying than others.

He had this recurring dream where he was trapped inside his own body. He felt as if his eyes were merely holes he was looking through. He was desperately trying to scream yet he couldn't use his own voice.

He saw his hands cutting. He saw his hands slashing and bruising. He saw his hands killing. They weren't his hands. Not anymore. He could no longer feel his skin as his own. He saw his claws dig into pale flesh. Gutting bellies and slicing throats.

In the end he was always alone. Horns had grown out of his head. The moon was red as it stood tall way above his head. His clothes were all torn. And he.. He was dragging his scythe on the ground leaving a trail of blood was staining the grass below.

And then he would wake up. Soaked in beads of sweat. He would see Ezreal sleeping soundly on the bed next to his. Every night he tried not to wake him up as he calmed himself down by meditating. It was a technique he had picked up in Ionia as he had watched his former master do that for years.

"I can't wait for the moment you stop pretending that I'm not here Kayn...", whispered Rhaast and his phrase would linger in his mind for days.

He saw Zoe target practicing across the room. Well, mostly destroying every target that was in front of her with a single shot. In the beggining it was quite weird for him to come to terms with how much power the little brat could evoke. But he had to admit. He was immensely impressed. But not to her face. Nah.. Those things were better to be kept to himself. If she knew that she'd just make his life miserable again. Even more than she already was. Annoying kid.

But still. He wanted to ask the Professor to let him sparr with her at least. He always thought that they wouldn't let him fight with anyone because he could actually hurt someone. He didn't know his limits quite yet. He couldn't really tell when too much was indeed too much.

And yet. Zoe was an aspect. A self proclaimed goddess. She should be able to take some extra hits compared to the others. She could even be immortal. What if we put that to the test? Kayn shook his head at his disturbing thought.

He could ask Ezreal to practice with him but he was stuck in detention due to the Sylas incident. I mean.. If you ask me, they should have just expelled Sylas but whatever. No one had asked for his opinion anyway.

His hand was halfway up in the air to ask Professor Zed if he could fight Zoe when someone spoke to him.

"Don't get your hopes up Criss Angel".

Kayn let his hand drop disappointed and quite frankly slightly confused.

"What?", he hesitantly asked the boy with the short but luscious white hair. Varus gestured towards Zed using his head as he put another arrow between his fingers.