THE LAST KEEPER

Chapter 35: Chapter 35: METARMOPHOSIS

Sagiri gasped, sitting up. The darkness and pain that surrounded him had vanished on its own just when he thought it was going to last forever.

”Finally, you are awake,” a voice said beside him. Caption Salka was sitting on a chair playing with his dagger, which was moving at the speed of light in his hands. ”I thought you for sure died at some point,” Salka said, getting up from his chair to approach him.

”What happened?” Sagiri was still disoriented, as he was still in the dark place. ”How many days has it been?” It seemed like he had been under for months.

”Days?” Salka looked at him as if he had gone completely crazy before he burst out laughing. ”Lotaga brought you in yesterday evening, it’s been just a night, you look to have lost a few pounds also, I could say you look like you have lost a few more pounds. Why must you visit this wing every day?” he continued, rolling his eyes as he came to a stop in front of Sagiri’s bed.

”Just a night?” Sagiri said softly. He had endured all that suffering in just under a day. he had never been so glad to wake up.

”Yes, you should thank your friend from team 25, too, he insisted on being the one to stay with you and take care of you, even when you were throwing up nasty slime. he even cleaned you up and changed you into your other pair of uniform. I see you have already made a good friend,” Captain Salka said, and Sagiri froze.

”Who?” Sagiri’s eyes widened at the information. He threw the covers away, taking himself in to find he was covered as always.

”Don’t worry, he asked everyone to leave so no one would see your skin condition,” Salka said, thinking that was the reason Sagiri was so tense. Sagiri was worried that his secret had been revealed. He could not think of anyone he could consider a friend in Team 25. It could absolutely not have been Kaka, that was for sure. Then he remembered someone who had been watching him and was good enough to hide his presence. He must have let his guard down. Sagiri fell, and in that moment, let his feelings leak through.

’N’varu Neni.’

Sagiri always knew a day could come when someone would know his secret, but he did not expect it to be so soon. If the boy were to blab his secret, that could put him in danger, and even worse if he was sent by his ’benefactor’, then that was so much worse. He could have to take strict measures, even if it meant eliminating the boy. Some part of him had always been ready to defend him, no matter what the measures. But the power within him had not warned him. How then could he explain the familiarity he felt and the nostalgia surrounding the boy?

Something else was odd, too. Sagiri’s body was back to full recovery. it was as if all the pain he had experienced in the past few days had magically disappeared. Had the boy done that, too? he wiggled his fingers and his shoulders, but he felt brand-new as if he had been reborn.

”What medicine did you give me?” he asked Salka.

”Nothing, you kept throwing up that weird slime of yours, and you couldn’t ingest anything. Salka answered. After Lotaga had brought the boy into the healer’s wing, he had gone to report to Salka about what he had witnessed on the broken pillars and the shadow arena. Of course, Lotaga was doing so not to earn favour and not get punished for going outside his jurisdiction. still, Salka had to punish him. The man was a big man-child, and he sometimes wondered why he had him in his battalion. Lotaga was good at tracking, however, and once he had his eyes on a trail, he could not lose the enemy. He was literally a human hound. That was the only reason Salka had not already beaten the guy to death and used his skin to make a scarf. Tracking was not the only reason Captain Salka chose him personally to be on his team. The boy had a good eye for talent, and he was like a talent hound, too, and was a great fighter.

”Senraki wants to see you, too, if you are up for it,” Salka said, studying him.

”I feel better, let’s go, ”Sagiri answered, half distracted about all the information and after the dream-like state he had been in. he felt even lighter as they walked to the principal’s office. The soreness from the previous day was all gone, and it was like it had never been there at all. He felt lighter as if his body had undergone a metamorphosis and he had been reborn. He did not even tire of walking up the couple of stairs to Zazami Senraki’s office. He was buried behind a pile of papers, as usual, his expression grave. It brightened the instant he saw them enter.

”My dear Sagiri, we meet again. ”You look skinnier than the last time I saw you, and Salsal tells me you have been to the medical wing three times in the past three days. is the personal curriculum I made especially for you, too much for you?”

”Don’t call me Salsal,” Salka groaned, launching on another chair in the office.

”It won’t help much if you keep collapsing,” Senraki continued, ignoring Salka like always. the two were opposites, and Sagiri wondered how they managed to coexist.

”The boy is a genius, Senraki. He can read what other people read in a week in one lesson. Sometimes his body can’t keep up with his brain,” Salka said, and Sagiri snapped his eyes to him. ”I know you asked me not to tell, but it’s good that this dump Senraki here knows, so he doesn’t overwork you.

”Why would you keep such a good thing from me, Salsal?!” Senraki jumped all the way across the room to Salka and crouched in front of him, clutching Salka’s hands. ”I knew he had to be special for me to get begged to accept him among the five candidates!” he jumped back, pacing with joy.

”I am going to be famous for my school having the most geniuses,” he muttered, rubbing his hands together while cackling, as if he were possessed by the desire for fame. He looked really creepy.

”You are acting creepy, Senraki.” Salka groaned, thwarting him across the head. They really were a pair. Senraki stopped mid-laughter, pulling himself together but barely containing himself before he turned around to Sagiri.

”My dear Sagiri, you should have told me that. I could have put one subject per day,” he said, coming impossibly close. Sagiri had to step back. How was he the principal of the number one academy while he acted like that?\

”I am okay with the curriculum,” Sagiri said, however. He did not want things eased for him just because the archive inside him absorbed knowledge. He had to do a lot of things he needed to do and know, and he did not have time to slack off. Besides, now more than ever, he needed to find out who he was, why he was different, why he wielded a power he did not understand, and why there was a barrier blocking the archive inside him. He had always felt like he was missing a big chunk of information, and he craved for it to be filled. for now, someone had found out his secret, too, and he needed to take measures necessary to keep him from talking.

”I don’t think that is a wise decision, boy,” Salka said. ”If you collapse again, I’ll throw you in the hell pool myself this time,” Captain Salka said, not agreeing to what Sagiri was saying. His reasoning was right, but he needed to learn as much as he could and train as much as he could, so he could run and get out of Galka Academy if his life was threatened.

”I have to agree with Salsal on this one. if your brain is bigger than your body, then I have to allow for adjustments.”

”You said I won’t get special treatment and I have to earn the respect of my peers. I will get used to it. Besides, I still have to catch up to the others.”

”If you keep collapsing...” Senraki started, but Sagiri cut him off,

”I won’t.” Sagiri insisted, ”I’ll train my core to handle the intensity of the training. please allow it.”

”How will you train your core by yourself?” Salka groaned, standing to his feet, ready to leave the duo, one thirsty for fame and another thirsty for knowledge, with no care for their health.

”Salsal, you will t...”

”No!” Salka denied quickly. ”If the boy can’t handle Fuwuka, then he will die under me. I didn’t escort him all the way north just to kill him. And Senraki, you should grow up and know where to draw a line.”

”Fine. you are so mean, Salsal. You wound my feelings,” he started before turning to Sagiri. ”If you go a week without collapsing, I will consider keeping the schedule and maybe salka...”

”No, a week isn’t enough. Don’t drag me into your childish plans.” Salka ground his teeth in irritation before he pulled the door open roughly.

”Salsal...” Senraki started, but Captain Salka did not wait for him to speak. He shut the door with so much force behind him, making the walls tremble, leaving Sagiri with an open hand gesture.