Kaiya Aoki | 許し
General Information | 情報
Age: Thirteen years | 十三
Sex: Female | 女性
Height: 153 centimeters | 百五十三
Weight: 103 pounds | 百三
Sexuality: Heterosexual | 異性愛者
Rank: Academy student | アカデミーの学生
Detailed information | 詳細な情報
Personality | 人
Kaiya Aoki, the silver-haired maiden. An enigma to most. Quiet and somewhat arrogant, she bares a lot of personal secrets, that which are known by very few people. Though a mostly peaceful person, a deep hatred dwells deep within her for people that disregard nature, and life in general. Calm and collected in most situations, she envisions herself as a leader. However, she's far too self-minded to play that role. Born into a life of advisory, she simply sticks to the side-lines and observes... to her dismay. Not partial to being wrong, being corrected is one of her largest pet peeves. And while she may argue, she does listen - perhaps this is not always obvious, however. She views her friends highly, choosing those which she deems respected and that she looks up to. Independent and usually doesn't like to ask for help but doesn't mind helping others. An avid reader, she loves to read every and any genre of book with a slight distaste for romance. Emotional is a good descriptor, though she's good at putting it aside in serious situations to be more logical. Unfortunately, she does have one mental weakness, however - people prodding/guessing about her past, and getting it right. She loves snow, and rain, and will sit for hours just enjoying the weather. Very in touch with nature, she has a plant she keeps at home which she looks after avidly - She misses no opportunity to take in the surroundings around her and admire pretty plants and trees, sometimes even zoning out in awe. Her most crippling fear would be the dark and, though usually not prone to crying, being in the dark alone, in a scary place, has been known to bring her to tears.
Kaiyo Aoki has a few interesting habits; Biting her nails when nervous (though usually, she takes good care of her nails), scratching her neck when she's nervous, gently tilting her head and rubbing her arm up and down when she's scared, intertwining her fingers with both hands and motioning a lot when she feels awkward and the most subtle one is gently placing her left fanged tooth on her lip, pressing down and pushing her pointing finger down on a surface when she's around someone she looks up to a lot and admires.
Appearance | 外観
The most noticeable out-right feature Kaiya has is her eyes. A beautiful violet purple-like color. Her hair a silver-white with a pale skin complexion and soft, pink lips. Her hair appears in many different ways depending on her mood but most commonly it's seen with a middle braid running from left to right through her hair, with messy bangs. Clothing wise she wears a very basic white attire, with a few leather straps running down the shoulders and around the waist, a simple bead-band around her ankle, and a cheap beady bracelet as well. Black-brown leggings cover her legs and she likes to keep her hands free of gloves unless absolutely necessary. She wears a necklace her mother bought her when she was young (not referenced in history).
History | 歴史
(Key: Blue text indicates someone else is speaking; Red text indicates Kaiya is speaking; Humming is red but is a link to a song should you wish to hear what she's humming; Orange indicates someone is thinking - used once.)
On a sunny and peaceful day, many years ago, there was a small cottage, hidden away in some small woods. In it, a proud new mother and father just had their first child. Kaiya Aoki. A bright and wonderful child albeit quiet for a baby. She didn't scream or cry as much as other babies but was instead observant and learned quickly. After a few years, Kaiya turned three years old and in the same month, a second baby was born. Kaiya's little sister. Despite a normally quiet nature, Kaiya was very protective of her new little sister. She would try to show her how to do things (despite her not being able to understand) and as they both grew up, she became dependant on Kaiya to look after her. Their parents knew they had a strong connection and worried that come the day they split, it would make life very hard--too hard--for the little sister, though it was a thought they often disregarded because they planned to keep them at the cottage until they wanted to venture off on their own. Both girls, now aged 7 and 4 respectively, started to explore further and further away from their cottage. Or, as far as their parents would let them. Nearby, lay a stream. A very pristine blue. The flow of the river was calm and serene, a perfect place for two energetic kids to explore and have fun. Eventually, it was a regular thing. Every morning, the two girls would run down to the stream, splash around for a few hours, walk back home on the path and pick the apples from an apple tree that lay in the dead center of the woods. Kaiyo would frequently read here, under the shade of the tree. Listening to the tweets of the birds and the occasional other noise from different animals. She was very in touch with nature and was most at peace whenever she could zone out. Her little sister would often follow her but view from a distance as Kaiyo lay there, reading. As they grew more and more, she only began to admire her big sister even more.
As the passage of time pushed forward, the girls found themselves aged 9 and 6. Kaiya, who continued to read and began studies on plants and other wildlife, found herself speaking pretty well for a child of her age. Not perfectly, but she certainly tried. Unfortunately, her sister wasn't so adept at learning quickly and oftentimes found herself struggling to get a grip on things. Especially when it came to understanding certain ideas and words. Most of what Kaiya knew was self-taught via books but her parents had shown her a few things about cooking, cleaning up, and some other basic life lessons. One day, on a stormy day, both girls found themselves splashing around the stream as usual (though to their parents' dismay, they warned the girls could end up sick if they stayed out in the cold but weren't listened to.) when Kaiya noticed something slightly further down than they usually go. A small plant, in the shade of an overhand of soil and grass. A small stem of green, with a small white-tipped bud on the top, two adjacent leaves on the stem itself. A small layer of fur layered the entire stem and looked like a protective mechanism however did nothing when Kaiya touched it. The flower was one she'd never seen in any of her books thus interesting her. She found a pot back at the cottage and dug the plant up with her bare hands, placing it into the pot and allowing it to soak in the rain for a little before moving it inside. As each day passed, she grew an emotional attachment to the plant. She watered it daily, made sure it got sufficient sun, made sure the soil was regularly get up to standard, and fed it good nutrients that her father had acquired from a vendor. Though to her family this flower seemed small and insignificant, it would become a symbol of hope and peace for the young Kaiya.
Not long after adopting her new plant, Kaiya's mother began to grow sick and unwell. This became a large burden on her family as her father knew not how to react and was often in a state of melt-down. Kaiya managed to keep what she could together, however. An independent girl, looking after her sister, tending to her mother and making sure her father didn't completely lose it. This began to take a toll on her, however. She grew quieter due to exhaustion and had less time for her little sister who, being young, didn't understand why her sister would shun her occasionally. Though not a devastating sickness at first glance (as in, it didn't cause much pain and had no aggressive symptoms), it was a corrosive one. Gradually she got sicker and sicker, growing more pale, losing feeling in her feet and fingers. She grew delirious and slowly her memory faded. Kaiya did her best to explain it to her little sister and keep her father positive, but she began to doubt her own words. One day, Kaiya's mother uttered the words "Who're you?" upon seeing her. She knew it was just because her memory was going but these words broke her heart. She cried countless hours, sobbing far away from the cottage, the stress of looking after everyone at such a young age was finally showing itself. Her little sister, who didn't understand much of what was going on, felt neglected. This caused Kaiya to grow frustrated and angry at her. Thus came the fateful day...
Another sunny day, much like the one Kaiya was born on. The wind blew gently through the trees and whistled. The trees swayed and swished, the leaves moving in a wave at each breath of air. The shadows moving as the trees moved as if they had their own life. Birds chirped and sung, animals pranced about. The stream played a calm and sweet trickling melody as it flowed effortlessly through the land. And yet, on this peaceful day, a growing air of pain and sadness grew. Kaiya's little sister, having had enough of being ignored and not understanding, begged and screamed at her sister to come to the stream with her. Pulling, tugging, scratching at her. Screaming, shouting, yelling in her ear. And for the first time since they were born, Kaiya slapped her sister across the cheek and firmly told her "Shut up! Mother is unwell and you're making it worse. If you want to go to the stream so badly, go yourself!" She ran out of the house crying. Her father disappointed in her big sister. "You mustn't yell at her, Kaiya. She's young. You're young. She doesn't understand what's going on and you've grown distant from her. I know it's hard with everything going on but you can't just hit your sister. Go apologize." "But..." "No buts, Kaiya Aoki. You know better. Go apologize."
With a solemn feeling deep within her heart, she glanced over at her mother and upon making eye-contact with the frail shell of what her mother had become, she dropped her head to the floor, ran out of the door to the cottage and slammed it shut behind her. The most likely place for her sister to be was by the stream so she headed there, shouting her name every few minutes, looking around the rocks and trees, underneath the tall grass and behind the overpass where she found her plant. Yet, nowhere could she find her little sister. No matter how much she called, she couldn't get a response. She began to panic, her chest grew heavy and her breathing harder. The blood pumped around her body faster and faster, as she began to sweat in the heat. There was one place she hadn't checked. The apple tree. Where she'd sit and read books, and listen to nature with no interruptions. "But why would she be there? That's not where she usually goes..." she thought to herself, as she rushed there with the strength she had left in her legs, the heat sapping all of her remaining energy. To her surprise, there she was. Underneath the tree in the same spot she usually sat in. Her sister was looking up at the tree, hands clasped together as if praying. Kaiya made her way over and gently put her arms around her little sister, hugging her tightly, and apologized. They made up and Kaiya gently rubbed her bright red cheek, still painful from the slap as her sister's tears snuck their way down her face. "Let's go home. I'll take you to the stream tomorrow." "Kay... Promise?" "Promise."
She took her little sisters' hand and walked her the way back home, taking their time to look at the beautiful scenery they usually run straight past when heading to the stream. Kaiya stared up at the tall trees, creaking and bending in the wind, and wondered how the world could be so peaceful all around her but so cruel to her mother. They reached the cottage and before entering, Kaiya knelt in front of her sister and gave her a soft kiss on the head and hugged her again. They pushed the door open and, having hoped everything would be okay now, stared in shock. Their father, sobbing and crying, lay at the side of their mother's bed, saying her name and telling her to hold on, that it'd be okay and that she just needed to wait, that she'd get better, that everything would be okay. But Kaiya knew. The frailty of her mother's voice, the weakness of her grip, the paleness of her face, her deteriorating memory... She bit her lip and forced herself to move forward, edging towards the side of the bed her father was not on. She placed a hand upon the bed and with a soft, but painfilled voice spoke to her mother.
"M-mother... It's Kaiya. Your daughter." She paused, her teeth digging into her lip and tears welling up in her eyes. She was at a complete loss of words. She had no idea what to say. Her sister still stood in the door frame, more silent than she'd ever been, pondering over the whole situation. The frail mother gently placed her own hand upon her daughters and smiled at her. A very weak smile. The wall Kaiya put in place to stop her emotions from pouring out crumbled and she burst into tears. "Don't cry... my beautiful Kaiya," she said in that gentle, motherly voice she always had. The tears continued to stream down her face, and her fathers', as they both helplessly stared at the dying woman. "It'll be okay..." A small sputter-like cough interrupted her. "Promise me something, Kaiya." "Yes, mother, anything, what is it?" "Continue to look after your little sister... You know how much she loves you. And your father." "I promise..." "I knew you would... you always do..." The already weak grip on her hand loosened, the small smile on her mother's face remained and she grew limp. Her eyes closed and her head fell to the side. On this peaceful, summer day in which the world continued to turn, in which all the trees continued on moving and the stream kept on flowing, the animals kept on grazing and the birds sang a lullaby, a small family that resided in a small cottage in a tiny wood in the middle of nowhere lost what meant the most to them.
A few years passed and then came Kaiya's 11th birthday. But it wasn't a celebration for her nor her family but was instead another harsh reminder that their beloved mother was no longer with them. She took her sister and rounded up some flowers before placing them where the mother was buried, closed their eyes for a moment of silence, and made their way back to the house. The death had a severe effect on Kaiya. Her already quiet demeanor became quieter, she was more to herself and the enthusiasm she once had was long gone. She tended to her flower and helped her sister with education but spent any other free time she had just reading by the apple tree. She barely spoke to her father who was in shambles over her death. Her little sister tried her best to be respectful of both but was young and felt growing loneliness inside of her.
One morning, when venturing to the stream on her own, she heard a faint humming. She ignored it at first but it kept her interest. After a few minutes, she decided to follow the soft humming and noticed it was in the direction of where her big sister usually is. Hiding behind a bush, she peered over and found Kaiya staring up at the sky, humming a soft melody. Beautiful and unlike anything she'd heard before, she was completely entranced. Stuck in a gaze. The time slowly ticked on-by as the hum continued but like all things, it eventually came to an end. Kaiya rested her head against the tree and closed her eyes. She let every negative thought disappear and just felt completely at peace for the first time since her mother had died.
Though the two sisters managed to get by with their emotions, barely, their father was not in as good a place like them. Depressed and distraught, he slowly lost his mind and fell into bad habits. Drinking, gambling, stealing. Debt collectors took furniture from them, broke windows, and even beat their father up countless times. The girls found this hard to watch and Kaiya would shield her little sister from seeing it, usually taking her away from the house. Life got harder and harder for everyone and just existing wasn't enough. Food became scarce and the girls starved. They grew distant from their father as he grew worse, took bigger debts, and drank even more. Kaiya had worries that when her mother passed, a situation like this could happen but she always believed in father to be a stronger man, to know what he had to do, and to be there for his daughters. But it was only going to get worse...
Furniture being taken wasn't uncommon. Houses being smashed and broken weren't uncommon. But the debt had accumulated and there was no longer anything for them to take. Everything was gone. They beat Kaiya and the father, burnt the house down, and cut the apple tree down. And yet remained unsatisfied. They weren't killers, however. They weren't there to end a life. So instead, they look Kaiya's little sister. With nothing else to take it was the only option. Kaiya was too young and weak to fight back, her voice carried no weight. She begged them to take her instead but to no avail, as they completely ignored her. She could only watch helplessly as her little sister was carried away and she was left to freeze, with no food and a useless drunkard father to worry about.
She was left with two options. Stay with her father and rot, falling prey to his addictions and debts. Or move on and leave him here, find a new path in life and eventually find her sister. She loved her father. When he was a sensible man. But those days were long gone. And now he wasn't the same man that was married to her mother. With a heart full of pain and a stomach empty, she limped away, beaten and bruised, from her little woods in the middle of nowhere, never to return. A place once filled with so much happiness and joy now destroyed, cut down, burned, and tarnished. The one thing she managed to save, however, and bring with her - Her beloved flower. Her symbol of peace and hope, that which she loved. It was to be a reminder that her sister was out there and she'd find her. And the only way to get strong enough to find her sister, and save her. It would be to train. To learn to fight and grow. To study further and become smarter. To enhance every part of who she is.
A few more years passed since the incident and Kaiya was now 13. She had enrolled in the academy and had begun her training alongside her studies. She did not have a house to stay in nor anyone she knew yet but with her plant and determination, she was ready to make big strides and so her journey...
Began.
General Information | 情報
Age: Thirteen years | 十三
Sex: Female | 女性
Height: 153 centimeters | 百五十三
Weight: 103 pounds | 百三
Sexuality: Heterosexual | 異性愛者
Rank: Academy student | アカデミーの学生
Detailed information | 詳細な情報
Personality | 人
Kaiya Aoki, the silver-haired maiden. An enigma to most. Quiet and somewhat arrogant, she bares a lot of personal secrets, that which are known by very few people. Though a mostly peaceful person, a deep hatred dwells deep within her for people that disregard nature, and life in general. Calm and collected in most situations, she envisions herself as a leader. However, she's far too self-minded to play that role. Born into a life of advisory, she simply sticks to the side-lines and observes... to her dismay. Not partial to being wrong, being corrected is one of her largest pet peeves. And while she may argue, she does listen - perhaps this is not always obvious, however. She views her friends highly, choosing those which she deems respected and that she looks up to. Independent and usually doesn't like to ask for help but doesn't mind helping others. An avid reader, she loves to read every and any genre of book with a slight distaste for romance. Emotional is a good descriptor, though she's good at putting it aside in serious situations to be more logical. Unfortunately, she does have one mental weakness, however - people prodding/guessing about her past, and getting it right. She loves snow, and rain, and will sit for hours just enjoying the weather. Very in touch with nature, she has a plant she keeps at home which she looks after avidly - She misses no opportunity to take in the surroundings around her and admire pretty plants and trees, sometimes even zoning out in awe. Her most crippling fear would be the dark and, though usually not prone to crying, being in the dark alone, in a scary place, has been known to bring her to tears.
Kaiyo Aoki has a few interesting habits; Biting her nails when nervous (though usually, she takes good care of her nails), scratching her neck when she's nervous, gently tilting her head and rubbing her arm up and down when she's scared, intertwining her fingers with both hands and motioning a lot when she feels awkward and the most subtle one is gently placing her left fanged tooth on her lip, pressing down and pushing her pointing finger down on a surface when she's around someone she looks up to a lot and admires.
Appearance | 外観
The most noticeable out-right feature Kaiya has is her eyes. A beautiful violet purple-like color. Her hair a silver-white with a pale skin complexion and soft, pink lips. Her hair appears in many different ways depending on her mood but most commonly it's seen with a middle braid running from left to right through her hair, with messy bangs. Clothing wise she wears a very basic white attire, with a few leather straps running down the shoulders and around the waist, a simple bead-band around her ankle, and a cheap beady bracelet as well. Black-brown leggings cover her legs and she likes to keep her hands free of gloves unless absolutely necessary. She wears a necklace her mother bought her when she was young (not referenced in history).
History | 歴史
(Key: Blue text indicates someone else is speaking; Red text indicates Kaiya is speaking; Humming is red but is a link to a song should you wish to hear what she's humming; Orange indicates someone is thinking - used once.)
On a sunny and peaceful day, many years ago, there was a small cottage, hidden away in some small woods. In it, a proud new mother and father just had their first child. Kaiya Aoki. A bright and wonderful child albeit quiet for a baby. She didn't scream or cry as much as other babies but was instead observant and learned quickly. After a few years, Kaiya turned three years old and in the same month, a second baby was born. Kaiya's little sister. Despite a normally quiet nature, Kaiya was very protective of her new little sister. She would try to show her how to do things (despite her not being able to understand) and as they both grew up, she became dependant on Kaiya to look after her. Their parents knew they had a strong connection and worried that come the day they split, it would make life very hard--too hard--for the little sister, though it was a thought they often disregarded because they planned to keep them at the cottage until they wanted to venture off on their own. Both girls, now aged 7 and 4 respectively, started to explore further and further away from their cottage. Or, as far as their parents would let them. Nearby, lay a stream. A very pristine blue. The flow of the river was calm and serene, a perfect place for two energetic kids to explore and have fun. Eventually, it was a regular thing. Every morning, the two girls would run down to the stream, splash around for a few hours, walk back home on the path and pick the apples from an apple tree that lay in the dead center of the woods. Kaiyo would frequently read here, under the shade of the tree. Listening to the tweets of the birds and the occasional other noise from different animals. She was very in touch with nature and was most at peace whenever she could zone out. Her little sister would often follow her but view from a distance as Kaiyo lay there, reading. As they grew more and more, she only began to admire her big sister even more.
As the passage of time pushed forward, the girls found themselves aged 9 and 6. Kaiya, who continued to read and began studies on plants and other wildlife, found herself speaking pretty well for a child of her age. Not perfectly, but she certainly tried. Unfortunately, her sister wasn't so adept at learning quickly and oftentimes found herself struggling to get a grip on things. Especially when it came to understanding certain ideas and words. Most of what Kaiya knew was self-taught via books but her parents had shown her a few things about cooking, cleaning up, and some other basic life lessons. One day, on a stormy day, both girls found themselves splashing around the stream as usual (though to their parents' dismay, they warned the girls could end up sick if they stayed out in the cold but weren't listened to.) when Kaiya noticed something slightly further down than they usually go. A small plant, in the shade of an overhand of soil and grass. A small stem of green, with a small white-tipped bud on the top, two adjacent leaves on the stem itself. A small layer of fur layered the entire stem and looked like a protective mechanism however did nothing when Kaiya touched it. The flower was one she'd never seen in any of her books thus interesting her. She found a pot back at the cottage and dug the plant up with her bare hands, placing it into the pot and allowing it to soak in the rain for a little before moving it inside. As each day passed, she grew an emotional attachment to the plant. She watered it daily, made sure it got sufficient sun, made sure the soil was regularly get up to standard, and fed it good nutrients that her father had acquired from a vendor. Though to her family this flower seemed small and insignificant, it would become a symbol of hope and peace for the young Kaiya.
Not long after adopting her new plant, Kaiya's mother began to grow sick and unwell. This became a large burden on her family as her father knew not how to react and was often in a state of melt-down. Kaiya managed to keep what she could together, however. An independent girl, looking after her sister, tending to her mother and making sure her father didn't completely lose it. This began to take a toll on her, however. She grew quieter due to exhaustion and had less time for her little sister who, being young, didn't understand why her sister would shun her occasionally. Though not a devastating sickness at first glance (as in, it didn't cause much pain and had no aggressive symptoms), it was a corrosive one. Gradually she got sicker and sicker, growing more pale, losing feeling in her feet and fingers. She grew delirious and slowly her memory faded. Kaiya did her best to explain it to her little sister and keep her father positive, but she began to doubt her own words. One day, Kaiya's mother uttered the words "Who're you?" upon seeing her. She knew it was just because her memory was going but these words broke her heart. She cried countless hours, sobbing far away from the cottage, the stress of looking after everyone at such a young age was finally showing itself. Her little sister, who didn't understand much of what was going on, felt neglected. This caused Kaiya to grow frustrated and angry at her. Thus came the fateful day...
Another sunny day, much like the one Kaiya was born on. The wind blew gently through the trees and whistled. The trees swayed and swished, the leaves moving in a wave at each breath of air. The shadows moving as the trees moved as if they had their own life. Birds chirped and sung, animals pranced about. The stream played a calm and sweet trickling melody as it flowed effortlessly through the land. And yet, on this peaceful day, a growing air of pain and sadness grew. Kaiya's little sister, having had enough of being ignored and not understanding, begged and screamed at her sister to come to the stream with her. Pulling, tugging, scratching at her. Screaming, shouting, yelling in her ear. And for the first time since they were born, Kaiya slapped her sister across the cheek and firmly told her "Shut up! Mother is unwell and you're making it worse. If you want to go to the stream so badly, go yourself!" She ran out of the house crying. Her father disappointed in her big sister. "You mustn't yell at her, Kaiya. She's young. You're young. She doesn't understand what's going on and you've grown distant from her. I know it's hard with everything going on but you can't just hit your sister. Go apologize." "But..." "No buts, Kaiya Aoki. You know better. Go apologize."
With a solemn feeling deep within her heart, she glanced over at her mother and upon making eye-contact with the frail shell of what her mother had become, she dropped her head to the floor, ran out of the door to the cottage and slammed it shut behind her. The most likely place for her sister to be was by the stream so she headed there, shouting her name every few minutes, looking around the rocks and trees, underneath the tall grass and behind the overpass where she found her plant. Yet, nowhere could she find her little sister. No matter how much she called, she couldn't get a response. She began to panic, her chest grew heavy and her breathing harder. The blood pumped around her body faster and faster, as she began to sweat in the heat. There was one place she hadn't checked. The apple tree. Where she'd sit and read books, and listen to nature with no interruptions. "But why would she be there? That's not where she usually goes..." she thought to herself, as she rushed there with the strength she had left in her legs, the heat sapping all of her remaining energy. To her surprise, there she was. Underneath the tree in the same spot she usually sat in. Her sister was looking up at the tree, hands clasped together as if praying. Kaiya made her way over and gently put her arms around her little sister, hugging her tightly, and apologized. They made up and Kaiya gently rubbed her bright red cheek, still painful from the slap as her sister's tears snuck their way down her face. "Let's go home. I'll take you to the stream tomorrow." "Kay... Promise?" "Promise."
She took her little sisters' hand and walked her the way back home, taking their time to look at the beautiful scenery they usually run straight past when heading to the stream. Kaiya stared up at the tall trees, creaking and bending in the wind, and wondered how the world could be so peaceful all around her but so cruel to her mother. They reached the cottage and before entering, Kaiya knelt in front of her sister and gave her a soft kiss on the head and hugged her again. They pushed the door open and, having hoped everything would be okay now, stared in shock. Their father, sobbing and crying, lay at the side of their mother's bed, saying her name and telling her to hold on, that it'd be okay and that she just needed to wait, that she'd get better, that everything would be okay. But Kaiya knew. The frailty of her mother's voice, the weakness of her grip, the paleness of her face, her deteriorating memory... She bit her lip and forced herself to move forward, edging towards the side of the bed her father was not on. She placed a hand upon the bed and with a soft, but painfilled voice spoke to her mother.
"M-mother... It's Kaiya. Your daughter." She paused, her teeth digging into her lip and tears welling up in her eyes. She was at a complete loss of words. She had no idea what to say. Her sister still stood in the door frame, more silent than she'd ever been, pondering over the whole situation. The frail mother gently placed her own hand upon her daughters and smiled at her. A very weak smile. The wall Kaiya put in place to stop her emotions from pouring out crumbled and she burst into tears. "Don't cry... my beautiful Kaiya," she said in that gentle, motherly voice she always had. The tears continued to stream down her face, and her fathers', as they both helplessly stared at the dying woman. "It'll be okay..." A small sputter-like cough interrupted her. "Promise me something, Kaiya." "Yes, mother, anything, what is it?" "Continue to look after your little sister... You know how much she loves you. And your father." "I promise..." "I knew you would... you always do..." The already weak grip on her hand loosened, the small smile on her mother's face remained and she grew limp. Her eyes closed and her head fell to the side. On this peaceful, summer day in which the world continued to turn, in which all the trees continued on moving and the stream kept on flowing, the animals kept on grazing and the birds sang a lullaby, a small family that resided in a small cottage in a tiny wood in the middle of nowhere lost what meant the most to them.
A few years passed and then came Kaiya's 11th birthday. But it wasn't a celebration for her nor her family but was instead another harsh reminder that their beloved mother was no longer with them. She took her sister and rounded up some flowers before placing them where the mother was buried, closed their eyes for a moment of silence, and made their way back to the house. The death had a severe effect on Kaiya. Her already quiet demeanor became quieter, she was more to herself and the enthusiasm she once had was long gone. She tended to her flower and helped her sister with education but spent any other free time she had just reading by the apple tree. She barely spoke to her father who was in shambles over her death. Her little sister tried her best to be respectful of both but was young and felt growing loneliness inside of her.
One morning, when venturing to the stream on her own, she heard a faint humming. She ignored it at first but it kept her interest. After a few minutes, she decided to follow the soft humming and noticed it was in the direction of where her big sister usually is. Hiding behind a bush, she peered over and found Kaiya staring up at the sky, humming a soft melody. Beautiful and unlike anything she'd heard before, she was completely entranced. Stuck in a gaze. The time slowly ticked on-by as the hum continued but like all things, it eventually came to an end. Kaiya rested her head against the tree and closed her eyes. She let every negative thought disappear and just felt completely at peace for the first time since her mother had died.
Though the two sisters managed to get by with their emotions, barely, their father was not in as good a place like them. Depressed and distraught, he slowly lost his mind and fell into bad habits. Drinking, gambling, stealing. Debt collectors took furniture from them, broke windows, and even beat their father up countless times. The girls found this hard to watch and Kaiya would shield her little sister from seeing it, usually taking her away from the house. Life got harder and harder for everyone and just existing wasn't enough. Food became scarce and the girls starved. They grew distant from their father as he grew worse, took bigger debts, and drank even more. Kaiya had worries that when her mother passed, a situation like this could happen but she always believed in father to be a stronger man, to know what he had to do, and to be there for his daughters. But it was only going to get worse...
Furniture being taken wasn't uncommon. Houses being smashed and broken weren't uncommon. But the debt had accumulated and there was no longer anything for them to take. Everything was gone. They beat Kaiya and the father, burnt the house down, and cut the apple tree down. And yet remained unsatisfied. They weren't killers, however. They weren't there to end a life. So instead, they look Kaiya's little sister. With nothing else to take it was the only option. Kaiya was too young and weak to fight back, her voice carried no weight. She begged them to take her instead but to no avail, as they completely ignored her. She could only watch helplessly as her little sister was carried away and she was left to freeze, with no food and a useless drunkard father to worry about.
She was left with two options. Stay with her father and rot, falling prey to his addictions and debts. Or move on and leave him here, find a new path in life and eventually find her sister. She loved her father. When he was a sensible man. But those days were long gone. And now he wasn't the same man that was married to her mother. With a heart full of pain and a stomach empty, she limped away, beaten and bruised, from her little woods in the middle of nowhere, never to return. A place once filled with so much happiness and joy now destroyed, cut down, burned, and tarnished. The one thing she managed to save, however, and bring with her - Her beloved flower. Her symbol of peace and hope, that which she loved. It was to be a reminder that her sister was out there and she'd find her. And the only way to get strong enough to find her sister, and save her. It would be to train. To learn to fight and grow. To study further and become smarter. To enhance every part of who she is.
A few more years passed since the incident and Kaiya was now 13. She had enrolled in the academy and had begun her training alongside her studies. She did not have a house to stay in nor anyone she knew yet but with her plant and determination, she was ready to make big strides and so her journey...
Began.
