The next morning, Viola sat at her desk and decided to write a letter. Aurelia told her that she could write to her parents from time to time, but they would not be able to write back. This was mostly done to inform them of their daughter's whereabouts and well-being. She took a pen in hand and started.
Mom, Dad.
I hope you're doing okay. I'm already missing you a lot, and I am sure you do too. It felt different waking up in a new place, and lonelier not being able to see either of you first thing in the morning. But you need not worry about me, I am safe and sound. I saw quite a lot of new faces and, though I don't trust anyone yet, they seem to be good people.
I don't know what the future holds for me, but this is what I was born for, I guess. So, I'll have to live up to it and fulfil my purpose. As long as I am assured that you two are safe, I will be okay. Once I get strong enough to protect you from every possible threat, I will return, no matter how long that takes. Though I hope it wouldn't take too long.
Please take care of yourselves, and I will too.
Viola.
Wiping the tears from her eyes, she put down her pen and folded the paper she had written on. There was a tap on the window. When she looked at it, she saw a golden apparition of a bird, resembling a pigeon. She opened the window, and the bird entered, landing on the table.
"You must be the one who will deliver this," she spoke to it, and the creature nodded, taking the paper in its beak and sprouting wings to fly off the window, dropping towards one of the cherry trees. Viola watched it go until it disappeared from her sight. "Let's hope it doesn't fail."
Sighing deeply, she got up from her seat and gazed outside the window. The sky was completely clear of any clouds. There weren't any hills or significant landmarks, just forests as far as the eye can see. The flowers hung outside her window gave off a soothing fragrance. The mansion itself was quiet, and all she heard was a distant sound of footsteps. It was peaceful...a little too peaceful.
This would be my new favourite place...if I still felt human.
A few minutes later, gentle knocking came from the door behind her. She turned around and walked to it.
Luna said yesterday that she'll come to pick me up for training. This must be her.
"Here we go…" Placing her hand on the doorknob, she took a deep breath before twisting it open. And, as she had expected, Luna stood behind it, smiling widely at her upon sight.
"Are you ready?" she asked.
"I don't know," Viola answered in a downed tone. "But we'll find out soon, I guess."
"Then come with me!" she said excitedly, taking her hand and leading her away. "Emily is—"
"What's all the noise this early?"
A familiar yet mysterious voice approached from her side, and when they both turned to look at the source, they saw a tall boy with wavy grey and black hair and light-grey eyes, bearing an unamused expression as he stared back. He had come out of the room adjacent to Viola's, which was in the furthest corner.
"Oh, it's you," Viola said. "I figured I'd find you here." She didn't notice it, but Luna had a terrified look, since she recalled their previous encounter.
"I knew you were staying, but," he asked, "what are you doing here?"
"What do you mean, 'what am I doing here'? This is my room."
"Seriously? There were so many more empty ones. Why would you pick this?"
"I'm sorry, I wasn't given a choice." She frowned a little, crossing her arms. "Why? Never had a neighbour before?"
"I already made it clear that I preferred to be left alone," he mumbled to himself, turning away, but Viola heard him anyway. "That brown-haired already bothers me. Why did she assign another one right next to me? Or is Mother forcing me to socialise again?"
"Huh? Mother?" Viola's expression widened. "Are you speaking about Aurelia? But you two look nothing alike!" The boy stared at her again, with a confused frown. "Or," she continued, "were you also picked up from a random forest?"
"What are you talking about?" He sighed, closing his eyes and gently pressing his forehead with the palm of his hand. "No, we're not blood related. I just…see her as one."
"So, he's the golden child?" she asked Luna in a hushed tone. "And why is he pretending to have a headache?"
"He does this a lot," Luna added.
"If you have nothing else." He cleared his throat. "I'm leaving." He walked past, not once looking at them. "Just don't bother me too much. I'd rather not deal with another nosy neighbour."
"Wait!" she said, stopping him in his tracks. He didn't turn around, but was begrudgingly willing to listen. She continued, "You were the first of your group that I met, and the first to rescue me that day. So, I would like to know just one thing."
She turned to face him.
"Your name."
"Really?" He let out a disappointed sigh. "You stopped me just for that?"
"I know everyone's name here except the person I met first!"
"Not important," he declared in a monotoned voice, and continued walking away. He then mumbled to himself again, forgetting that she could hear him still. "It's as meaningless as my existence."
Viola's eyes opened wide. His words triggered a memory from her past. In front of her, the boy's figure was replaced by a vision of the girl with long silver hair. And, in that moment, she knew what she had to say next.
"That's fine if you're not willing to share it yet. But, until then…" She pointed at him with a determined look. "I will call you Silver!"
The boy stopped in his tracks again. And they didn't notice it since his back faced them, but his expression shifted away from blankness. The name she gave struck something deep within him, perhaps triggering an old memory too. He remained silent and rooted to the spot for several seconds, long enough to get Viola worried.
Oh no! Did I say something I wasn't supposed to? Please don't be upset, I don't need another cruel red-haired!
"As you please," he finally spoke up in his monotoned voice again, and continued walking even quicker, leaving Viola dumbfounded. She couldn't tell what he felt, but she let out a breath of relief knowing he agreed to the nickname.
"Quite the…strange interaction you two had." Luna finally interjected once he left. "You know, I could just tell you his name—"
"No! I would rather hear it from him."
"Cervena was unwilling to reveal her name, too, yet you didn't object when we told you," Luna asked. "So, why take such interest in him?"
"Well, for one, she's terrifying! I doubt we'd ever have a normal conversation, unlike with him. And for another…" Her voice trailed off as she held her pendant and stared at the empty hallway where the boy once was, and where she saw the girl's image.
"He's quite similar to a past companion of mine."
…
"Oh…you're the one training me?"
Viola questioned, once Luna brought her to the front yard of the mansion, where her training would take place. The morning sun shone on them gently, the grass rattled at the slightest gust of wind, and cherry blossom trees never ceased their blooming. There, she met with someone familiar and unexpected.
"Yes!" Emily spoke excitedly, clapping her hands together. "Wait, why do you sound doubtful?"
"Perhaps because I've only ever seen you as being the inferior one?"
"You're…probably not wrong," the blue-haired muttered to herself, with her head lowered. And before Viola could address it, Emily's face lit up again. "But don't worry! I will be a good trainer and make sure you become stronger!"
"I will watch from afar." Luna grinned widely and gave Viola a thumbs-up. "Good luck!"
"Before we begin," Viola said, "Silver mentioned a certain 'brown-haired' earlier. Is that another Hunter?"
"Silver? Who's that?"
"That boy in the cornermost room…right next to mine."
"Shouldn't he be 'grey' instead?" Emily narrowed her eyes. "And if you're naming everyone with colours just like Luna does, you can call me 'Blue', too!" She winked.
"N-No! That's only for him!" A faint blush appeared on Viola's cheeks. "And…silver is my favourite colour…"
"Oh my! I knew you two had met already, since he was the one who told us about you. But I had no idea you were THAT close!"
"W-What? That's not what I meant!" Her face went bright red. "He just wouldn't—"
"Don't be ashamed, Viola!" She grinned, patting Viola's shoulder. "Nothing wrong with that! And I'm sure he needed that development anyway!"
"Wh— No— I— Just answer the question!"
"Huh? There was a question?" Viola looked almost hurt by her response. "Oh, the brown-haired!" Emily let out an awkward chuckle. "Yes, she is a Hunter too! She joined us a few months back and completed her training so quickly that even Yukari was shocked. And trust me, that's quite the accomplishment!"
Viola gulped at the mention of Yukari. "I…doubt I could achieve the same."
"I also recruited her! Though I didn't go over the whole elaborate process as I did with you," the blue-haired continued. "I think she's off on a mission right now. We Hunters are very few, so we must be busy at all times." She sighed. "Sometimes, we don't return for weeks."
"Must be tedious…"
"It makes me feel useful," she muttered under her breath again. Viola blinked at the sudden change in tone. "At least, that's what I'd like to think." And before Viola could address that, Emily perked up again. "Wait, why did you want to know about her?"
"I wanted to know who my neighbours are. And, I guess, my room's sandwiched between a distant one and someone I'm yet to meet. Lively, isn't it?"
"Distant? Aren't you two close—"
"I-I've got my answers!" Viola's face flushed red again. "Let's move on with the training!"
"Well, as you wish." Emily laughed, then took a deep breath and cleared her throat. "So, your training will be divided into different stages. Every stage will teach you something new, each with a different trainer too. And you must pass one to move on to the next, until you reach your final test!"
I do NOT look forward to that one!
"For your first one," Emily continued, "you will be learning hand-to-hand combat. And what's better than to learn from the one who's best in it?" She then lowered her head again and muttered to herself, "Not that I believe it…"
"Emily," Viola asked worriedly, "are you okay?"
"O-Of course!" Emily forced a chuckle. "Everything's good! Especially since I get to be the first one to train you. I'm so excited!"
"I'm not…but, at least, the first one is on something I'm familiar with." Viola flashed a determined smile. "And with someone I'm already quite close to."
"I like your confidence." Emily smirked. "And I've already seen you in action a few times before, so I know how you fight. Even so, I'd like you to demonstrate once." She formed fists and took a fighting stance. "Come at me. And don't hold back."
"A-Are you sure?" Viola looked worried. "You've seen my strength…w-what if I accidentally kill you?"
"Oh, thank you for worrying about me." Emily laughed. "But I'll be fine. And please, don't ever get into a fight with that mentality ever again. You are no longer facing humans."
"Are you…human?"
"Only when I don't use magic. But when I do…can you really call me one?"
"As long as you look and act like one, I guess—"
"Enough stalling." Emily frowned, which caught Viola off guard. "Fight me. Think of me as a creeper. Do not shy away from inflicting real harm. And once you're in the right mindset...make your first move."
Emily stared coldly, and chills ran down Viola's spine. This was no longer the same clumsy girl she knew. With no other choice than to strike, she formed her fists and took a deep breath before rushing forward. Her figure disappeared halfway before reappearing at Emily's left, aiming a punch at her face. But Emily was quicker to move out of the way, grabbing Viola's hand and dropping her to the floor.
"Too slow," she remarked.
Viola spat out dirt, frowning as she got back up. She lurched forward and threw more jabs, but the blue-haired would swiftly avoid every move. A force then struck Viola's face, and the world spun around her.
"Sloppy movements," said Emily. "You left me a wide opening."
It took a few seconds for the violet girl to come back to her senses and realise she had taken a punch to the face. The pain persisted, but there was no broken bone nor blood. She ignored the aching sensation and went back at it.
"You told me not to hold back, right?" Viola said as fists continued flying. "Don't regret it later."
Viola managed to land a direct hit on Emily's shoulder. It was her full strength, and although there was no violet light, the ground still shuddered below their feet. They stood still for a moment, her hand remained rooted to the blue-haired's shoulder.
"Was that it?" Emily asked, looking confused. "That was your full strength?"
"Y-Yes?" Viola nodded, dumbfounded by her reaction, but also relieved that she was okay. "Why…?"
"Oh…it's not bad." Emily smiled nervously, lightly scratching her chin. "Just that…it barely tickled—"
"B-But I did my best—"
"Don't let your guard down!"
The wind was knocked out of Viola again, and she felt a little nauseous. Emily had struck her in the gut. She backed away and coughed for a bit before seeing the blue-haired dash towards her with a fist aimed at her face. Viola wouldn't be able to avoid it in time, so all she did was shut her eyes.
"Ow!" She opened them again when all she felt was a simple flick to her forehead, which still stung quite a lot. "I almost thought you were going to kill me!"
"Be glad that you're not my enemy." Emily giggled. "And, I suppose, we can stop at that to evaluate your performance."
"I did so well, didn't I?" Viola spoke in a sad tone, laughing awkwardly with her head lowered. "So much better than I expected…"
"Hey, we're not doing this to discourage you!" The blue-haired placed her hand on the other's shoulder, gently squeezing. "This is to make sure that, when you go out there, you don't return a dead body."
"That's not helping—"
"And you didn't do that badly! You are already quite an experienced fighter. You just fell short against someone who kills monsters for a living. But now that I have a good idea of where you're lacking, I will make sure you reach my level. Perhaps even higher!"
"So you mean that…I pass this stage by defeating you?"
"Well, I was originally planning on giving you the pass once you learnt everything I could teach, but…your idea sounds more fun. We'll go with that!"
"Oh no…guess I'm stuck with you forever…"
"Now, pay attention to my instructions and follow my lead!"
With that, Emily went on the entire day teaching Viola several close combat moves and tricks that would improve her skills. She also worked on fixing her sloppy movements and improving her swiftness. But, of course, Viola would not learn all this in a single day.
A week went by. Viola had now memorised the entire layout and map of the mansion with Luna's help, who guided her the entire time. During the week, she only got to interact and spend time with Luna and Emily, most of which would be when they were training. Luna would watch them like a curious child, or play with butterflies near the trees and catch the falling cherry leaves. Viola found her behaviour rather cute, but also quite odd.
Viola barely ever saw the other Hunters. And when she did, it would only be a quick glance before they rushed off towards their next mission. Zane would greet back with a smile, but Cervena did not even bat an eye, let alone speak a word. Nor did Viola even attempt to speak to her. Yukari and Silver were never seen again, and Aurelia never left her room.
"Come on, Viola," Emily spoke sternly, "you can't just keep slipping up!"
Another week went by, and Viola had yet to complete even the first stage of training. The shy and clumsy Emily she used to know was, much to her surprise, replaced by a strict and harsh trainer. At the end of every third day, Viola would challenge her for the final duel, thinking she was ready every time, only to fail brutally. She was far from reaching a Hunter's level.
I think…I'm getting the hang of it now…
But Viola was also far from giving up. Restless yet determined, fatigued yet stubborn, she persisted and kept pushing herself further. She took fewer breaks, even when Emily told her to rest longer. And though she'd lose every duel, she would reach closer to victory each time.
"Today, I will pass the test!"
At the end of the third week, Viola was ready to face Emily again. She was battered and bruised after training up to this point, but she stood high and strong. It was late evening, the crescent moon in the sky lighting up the battlefield, while the little moon lay eyes on it from the sidelines.
"Good luck, Violet!" Luna shouted from a distance, giving her a thumbs up with glee, as usual. Viola nodded and grinned confidently in return.
"So," Viola said, turning to face Emily, "how about you make the first move this time?"
"Ah!" Emily smirked. "Daring today, are we?"
What she used to see was a hesitant look, lowered head, shaky hands, and darkened pupils. But now, she was looking at a determined smile, a cold glare, firm fists, and sparkling violet eyes. Emily couldn't help but feel proud and hopeful.
"Sure, I'll oblige."
Both took their stances and gazed at each other.
"Remember, I won't hold back. And so shouldn't you."
Emily did not wait for Viola to respond or ask if she was ready. She dashed forward, reappearing inches away in front of her, as if teleporting. Previously, Viola would not be able to dodge quickly and sometimes barely escape. But she swiftly stepped to the side, grabbed her arm, and dropped the blue-haired to the floor.
"How the tables turn…"
"Not bad." Emily smirked as she got back up.
Charging at her again, the two went toe-to-toe with their punches. They would block, deflect, and avoid each other's hits, while throwing equal jabs in return. Neither slipped nor lost their footing. They were evenly matched in swiftness and skill.
But it wouldn't be enough. Viola had to break through the stalemate if she wanted to win.
An opening…
Blocking Emily's fist with the palm of her hand, Viola clutched it tightly and pulled the blue-haired forward, catching her off guard. With the other hand, the violet-eyed landed a blow perfectly on the side of Emily's face. She was sent back, stumbling and stunned in place. It only took mere seconds for her to regain control. But it was too late as Viola had already reappeared in front of her, almost like teleporting. Before she could retaliate, the wind was knocked out of her, and she felt nauseous. After coughing up a bit, she looked ahead again, only to receive a flick to her forehead.
"I win," Viola declared, grinning proudly.
"Y-You did," said Emily, trying to form a proud smile, but was left panting for air. "I think I…regret telling you to not hold bac—"
"Emily!"
Viola called out when she fell to the floor unconscious. Luna came rushing towards them. Together, they carried her back inside the mansion, and Luna went to bring Aurelia for help while Viola stayed by Emily's side. Worry and fear filled every piece of her.
Don't tell me I killed her!
Viola passed the test. But it was only one of many before she could call herself a Void Hunter.