Surviving The Night

"You think I'll fall for your ploy?" Sei sneered, his voice cutting through the stillness of the night. His words were spoken with such conviction and disdain that it left the other man stunned.

Without another word, Sei turned his back on the man, he walked away with a slow, deliberate pace. The man could only gape in shock, his expression a mixture of shock and disbelief. his eyes wide and his mouth agape.

"Y-You won't help this girl?! Have you no sense of morality or compassion!?"

The man's voice echoed through the empty streets, but Sei paid him no mind. He continued on his way, his steps steady and unwavering. As he walked, he shook his head slightly, a gesture of disdain and disgust. He had no time for such petty concerns, and he had no interest in getting involved in the affairs of others.

As Sei walked away from the scene, a loud thump echoed through the empty streets. He paid it no mind, until he felt a presence behind him. Without hesitation, he turned to find the girl he had refused to help standing before him, her eyes filled with disdain.

"You.." she said, "are a terrible person."

As he looked to where the man who had held her captive lay, he noticed that the man was encased in a large, shimmering crystal of ice, the blood around him frozen in place.

"Woah.. Is that a Quatom Manipulation?" Sei spoke, his voice filled with awe and wonder as he gazed upon the spectacular display before him. He had never witnessed such a miraculous feat before.

The young girl before him, standing at a petite height and adorned with long black hair that cascaded down her shoulders in a straight curtain, regarded him with a cool, aloof expression.

"You don't need to know, and you can't." she said, her voice tinged with an air of mystery.

Sei couldn't help but take in her appearance, she was quite young and even the same age as him. She was dressed in a casual outfit of an oversized t-shirt and short jeans, which made it all the more baffling as to why she would be attacked on such a night.

As Sei continued to stare, the girl became increasingly uncomfortable, her hands covering her chest and lower half as she glared at him with a look of suspicion.

"Don't you dare try anything on me." she warned, her voice low and menacing.

Sei gave her a nonchalant shrug, "I won't and I'm not interested," he replied, his tone laced with apathy.

"Are you gay?" she asked, a hint of disbelief in her voice. "There's no one who can resist my beauty."

"You're quite narcissistic." Sei replied coolly, not at all swayed by her charms.

With a disdainful glare, she shot Sei a cold and calculated glance before turning her back and walked away.

I couldn't help but wonder if her actions were a calculated move or just a casual dismissal. I decided to discreetly trail her, taking care to tread softly, so as not to alert her to my presence. It became increasingly clear to me that she possessed a distinct lack of experience.

With this realization, I made the impulsive decision to launch myself at her, driven solely by a desire for a momentary thrill.

Sei lunged at her from behind, the sound of a dull thump echoed through the air as she fell to the ground. He was now towering over her, as she lay prone and face down. She made no sound, instead opting to desperately struggle, her entire body writhing in a desperate attempt to free herself, but Sei held her fast, preventing her from turning her head.

As the girl's struggles subsided, Sei couldn't help but be struck by the sound of her sobs and the tears that pooled beside her face. Despite her obvious distress, he retained his grip on her, a twisted sense of curiosity driving him to inquire about her limitations.

"What's wrong?" he asked, feigning concern. "Is this your limit?"

Her eyes widened in surprise as he released her from his grasp, allowing her to turn her head and meet his gaze. "It's...you.." she choked out through her tears.

Sei offered no response, instead allowing her a moment to compose herself before she spoke again.

"D-Do what you want," she exclaimed, her voice trembling with anger and fear. "I'm not afraid of you. My body may be yours, but my heart will never be."

Her words elicited a chuckle from Sei, as he found her defiance to be amusing. And with that, he decided to release her, having already obtained the twisted enjoyment he sought.

This is the live that Sei wanted from childhood, freedom. The freedom to do anything is the thing he dreamed as a child.

As Sei's thoughts swirled with the longing for freedom that had consumed him since childhood, the girl delivered a powerful punch that sent him flying. Aghast at her strength, Sei stood back up, wiping away the blood that trickled from his nose as a result of the impact. He couldn't quite form the words to express his surprise.

"You are quite strong for a girl.."

He managed, before turning to walk away. Expecting a follow-up attack, Sei was caught off guard when the girl simply stared at him as he retreated, until he was out of her sight.

The encounter had sapped Sei's energy, leaving him little choice but to seek refuge in the uncomfortable embrace of the streets for the night.

As the first rays of sunlight illuminated the streets, Sei was abruptly roused from his sleep by a harsh kick to his side. Groggily, he opened his eyes to find himself being mistaken for a beggar or homeless person. As he slowly rose to his feet, the reality of his current situation hit him; he truly was homeless.

Shaking off the remnants of sleep, Sei surveyed his surroundings. The city was coming to life, the hustle and bustle of the morning rush commencing. Shopkeepers were setting up their stalls, early risers jogged by, and women tended to their daily chores, hanging laundry out to dry.

Sei made the decision to head to the academy. He reached into his pocket, only to find a single letter. Frustrated, he searched his other pocket, but it was empty, he had lost the map.