Departed

Chapter 19: Threat Uncovered

Harumi's POV

     Steepest Wisdom had closed for the day. The windows were closed, and the only light came from the artificial bulbs in the ceiling. The Ninja were sprawled around the back of the store, bickering about who knows what. I was exhausted from several long days of work. I trudged to my room, ignoring Kai's moans from upstairs.

     Ever since Kai had been started on his beetroot treatment, he had drifted in and out of quiet slumbers. It had been four days since Nya and Skylor brought him into the shop, thrashing and shivering. He was calm now. If you watched, he would toss and turn in his bed, but there was no violence to his actions anymore. The purple lines in his skin had started to fade, and Skylor insisted he would be better any day now. She spent her days by his side, helping him warm up when he was cold, or feeding him beetroot stew when we brought it up. As much as I hated the girl for her bright hair and annoying stubbornness, I must admit how much care she showed for Kai was almost touching. Almost.

     I went into my room, closing the door with more force than necessary. All I could hear every night was moan after moan after moan. I couldn't sleep with Kai's constant noise. Skylor told us she kept his door open to make sure she could call for help when necessary, but I didn't see how that would help. That girl could probably scream loud enough to wake one of the Ninja who boarded in the room right next to Kai's.

     I tore off my apron, flung it across a chair, and undid my bun. White hair fell across my shoulders. It had gotten considerably longer; now the tips reached the top of my legs. That was probably due to me not having it cut since before I died.

     The bells rung, signaling it was eleven. I listened to the clock's twinkling chimes and decided it was too late to shower. If I wanted to get any decent amount of sleep in before the next day's work, I had to go to bed now. Sometimes Kai's sickly noise would cease long enough for me to actually fall asleep. I had to utilize as much of the night as necessary.

     I caught sight of myself in the room's mirror as I made my way over to the light switch. The sight stopped me. Several days of hard labor and nights without much sleep had taken their toll. My hair was greasy and flat against my head. My skin looked faded and worn. My face now supported quite a few bumps of acne, and I had what seemed like a permanent crease of worry in between my eyebrows. Even my eyes weren't their usual sparkling Caribbean Blue. They looked greyer now.

     I took in my altered appearance. Combined with my dirty brown uniform, I reminded myself of the poor people I pretended to feed.

     I used to rule the city. Now, I was nothing more than an insignificant peasant.

     Seething, I felt my fingers curl into fists. If the mirror shattered, I wouldn't have to see this reality anymore. I didn't want to be the Ninja's dirty servant. I didn't want to be part of a stupid prophecy with stupid unknown and vague messages. I didn't want to have to show everyone what I looked like without my mask of power.

     Maybe seeing my reflection hurt because it was the truth. I was small compared to the destiny of the world, I was unclean in the eyes of others, and I was an unkept mess waiting to explode with locked up feelings.

     The only thing I had left was my dignity, but even that was slowly chipping away. I didn't have power, respect, or another set of clothes. I was at my weakest, and there was nothing I could do to change that.

     A knock snapped me out of a daze. I went over to the door, expecting to have a new set of chores. Instead, it was Skylor.

     "Kai's asking for you."