Bennia.
The name felt like a half-remembered song that you heard long time ago but now struggling to remember. Her long, dark purple braid, tied with that peculiar skull bow, swayed as she tilted her head, her golden eyes still clouded with sleep. She looked like someone who had just finished a long shift, a weariness clinging to her movements despite her seemingly nonchalant attitude.
"Tree: 1 Bennia: 0," she mumbled, a wry smile playing on her lips as she rubbed the back of her head. "Falling's a skill, you know? Just not a very refined one."
"Uh, sorry," I managed to be sorry but the words came out clumsy and inadequate "I was… testing something. Didn't expect anyone to be resting up there" My explanation sounded weak even to my own ears. But it was better to appear weak in front of her than flaunting my half assed powers. Downplaying my abilities felt instinctively right, drawing attention to me was the last thing I needed.
She finally focused her sleepy gaze on me, and a flicker of something – curiosity? amusement? – danced in her golden eyes "Testing something that makes trees… go down for a nap too?" she asked, her voice a soft murmur as her scythe rested lazily over her shoulder.
"Not really" I corrected, feeling a bead of sweat trickle down my temple "More like… a lack of control on my power. Still working on it" There is no way a branch cleaved with clean precision fell on it's own, even a dumb individual won't buy that it fell on it's own.
She pushed herself fully upright, her light blue dress and the jester-like hood with its emerald tip swaying gently. There was an odd charm to her appearance, a whimsicality that aligned with the unsettling feeling that her presence evoked.
Her gaze lingered on my hand, as if she could still sense the faint remnants of the ki I had unleashed. "That's… interesting. Most people around here are more into complaining about homework or… well, just being normal. And you're training with?"
She noticed something or at least, she suspected something was out of the ordinary. "I'm… still settling in," I offered, a flimsy excuse, dodging her question about my powers "Just trying to find some quiet spots but you end up becoming a target. I didn't knew you were up there"
Her lips curved into a slightly wider smile. She took a step closer, and that unsettling energy seemed to intensify, a subtle pressure in the air. "You are… different. The energy around you is way different than I ever came across, very weird soul"
My heart pounded as I tried to maintain the calm composure. All this was happening too fast. My carefully constructed plan of laying low was already crumbling "Everyone's different," I said, trying to keep my voice even. "Maybe I'm just… more careful than usual."
She chuckled, a soft, almost musical sound "Well I would find it on my own. I like surprises!" Her gaze was piercing now, those golden eyes seeming to see more than they let on "What exactly were you testing earlier?"
The directness of her question caught me off guard. I could feel the weight of her gaze, the subtle challenge in her tone despite my earlier dodge to this question. Do I lie further? Do I try to intimidate her, something I was woefully unprepared for? Or do I offer a carefully curated half-truth?
"It's… a personal training method," I said finally, opting for the vague approach. "Trying to improve my focus."
Bennia tilted her head again, her purple braid sliding over her shoulder "Focus that can sever thick branches? That's some impressive focus. You wouldn't happen to be one of those… unusual residents of this town I heard about, would you?"
The word "unusual" hung in the air, heavy with unspoken implications. My mind flashed with images from the memories – devils, angels, fallen angels, all wielding powers far beyond human comprehension. Was she one of them? Her dark energy signature certainly felt… otherworldly, and the weariness in her eyes hinted at something beyond mundane fatigue. A devil with scythe? An angel? More like a reaper.
"I… I don't know what you mean," I stammered, trying to appear confused. It felt like a pathetic performance and even I would get vary of myself if I was in her spot right now.
Her smile widened, and this time, there was a hint of something sharper in it "Don't you? Kuoh's a small town, but it has its secrets. Humans with… distinct powers tend to stand out, even if they try not to" She took another step, closing the distance between us. I could feel that oppressive energy more intensely now, a subtle warning to my senses "I'm Bennia," she said, her voice carrying the playful tone.
"Rei," I replied, offering my name "Rei Kurosaki. And I assure you, it was just an accident. I'm just trying to… get some control"
Bennia studied me for a long moment, her golden eyes unwavering. The silence stretched, punctuated only by the rustling leaves. I could feel the tension coiling in the air, the unspoken questions hanging between us. Was she going to press further? Was she going to reveal something about herself? The exhaustion in her eyes seemed to war with a sharp intelligence, as if she was weighing me, trying to decide how much to reveal, if anything at all.
Finally, she sighed, the strange, dark energy around her seeming to recede slightly "Alright, Rei-chin" she said, her tone shifting back to a more casual, almost teasing lilt "Just be more careful with your… control sessions. Some of us prefer our naps undisturbed." She winked, a flash of unexpected playfulness in her golden eyes.
She turned to leave, then paused, looking back over her shoulder, a small, almost sleepy smile playing on her lips. "And Rei? You know how it is… sometimes the forest like these has unexpected… bumps. Better to watch your step." With that cryptic remark, she turned and disappeared into the dense foliage, leaving me standing alone amidst the remains of the branch, the unsettling feeling of her presence lingering in the air.
I survived.
I let out a shaky breath. That was too close. Far too close. My carefully laid plans of staying low had just collided headfirst with a purple-haired girl who seemed to possess an unnerving level of perception and an even more unnerving energy.
Bennia.
My quiet start to this new life had just become significantly more complicated. The forest, once a peaceful spot for testing my power, now felt like a stage for an unwanted introduction to the strange undercurrents of Kuoh Town. Her seemingly innocent warning about unexpected "bumps" in the forest floor echoed in my mind, a subtle hint that she knew more than she let on.
The sun was beginning to set, casting long shadows with the gentle sway of the remaining trees. My earlier sense of quiet accomplishment at severing that branch had completely evaporated, replaced by a gnawing unease. Bennia's parting words, seemingly innocuous, felt like a veiled threat or at the very least, a knowing observation. Unexpected bumps? What did she mean by that? Was she referring to other supernatural beings? Or something else entirely?
I ran a hand through my still-unfamiliar hair, the pierced ears a constant reminder of this new life. My desire to avoid the main plot felt even more urgent now. This encounter proved that staying hidden in a town like Kuoh might be far more challenging than I initially anticipated. People like Bennia, with their strange energies and perceptive gazes, seemed to be lurking just beneath the surface of the ordinary.
With a sigh, I decided to cut my training short for the day. My focus was replaced by a swirling vortex of questions. It was necessary now to understand this world better, to get a clearer grasp of the players and the potential dangers. And most importantly, I needed to gain better control over this ki, this energy that resided within me and around me, before I accidentally knocked down more unsuspecting tree-nappers carelessly.
But the most important question to me was how I wasn't able to sense her presence at first place? Her dark chi that was present later was nowhere to be seen earlier while I focused around the forest.
As I walked back towards the edge of the forest, the distant hum of the town felt less like a peaceful side of this world. Bennia's face, with her sleepy golden eyes and that unsettling energy, lingered in my thoughts. Our accidental meeting felt like the first ripple in a pond I had hoped to remain outside of. The consequences of that ripple, I feared, were yet to be seen.
. . .
After that bizarre encounter, I finally reached my apartment building. I climbed the familiar stairs, the mundane creak of the steps. I fumbled with the keys, a sense of weary resignation settling over me. My carefully constructed solitude was already proving to be an illusion.
The moment the lock clicked and I pushed the door open, the familiar layout of my small apartment was… wrong. Terribly wrong. A figure was sprawled on my couch, bathed in the flickering light of the television screen. Long, dark purple hair cascaded over the cushions, and the distinct jingle of a controller being furiously button-mashed filled the air.
Bennia.
She glanced up as I stood frozen in the doorway, a wide, surprisingly cheerful wave breaking across her sleepy features. On the screen, a colossal, grotesque creature roared as her character, presumably, dodged its attack.
"Oh, hey Rei-chin!" she said casually, as if finding a stranger in your apartment playing your video games was the most normal thing in the world "Almost beat this boss. You got good taste in games, by the way. Elden Ring, nice!"
My mind struggled to process the sheer audacity of the situation. "Bennia?" I finally managed a strangled whisper which was audible to her "What… what are you doing in my apartment?"
She replied with a frustrated groan as her character likely met an untimely end "Ugh, so close! Anyway," she continued, tossing the controller onto the side, "My master thought I needed a week to… clear my head. Some jobs can really fry your circuits, you know?" She stretched languidly, her golden eyes twinkling with a mischievous glint.
"That still doesn't explain why you're in my apartment," I pointed out, trying to keep the exasperation from completely taking over my voice.
Bennia sat up, crossing her legs on the couch. "Well," she said, her tone shifting to one of innocent explanation, "you did kind of destroy my favorite napping spot back there. You know, that perfectly comfortable branch?" She sighed dramatically "And now I have nowhere peaceful to stay. Plus," she added, as if it were a minor detail, "I'm completely broke until my next… allowance. Rent? Food? Forget about it." Her gaze filled with disarming blend of nonchalance and blatant manipulation "With me being around, we will be a great duo! Don't you agree?"
I stared at her, the pieces clicking into place with a sickening thud. Her earlier weariness, her cryptic warning… and now this. It was an obvious, albeit incredibly forward, declaration. She was moving in because she was broke and used that warning to make me fear and accept her as protective shield to unseen dangers.
A long, weary sigh escaped my lips. I closed my eyes for a brief moment, the image of my meticulously planned quiet life dissolving like smoke in the wind. Stay low until I get stronger, I repeated to myself, the mantra sounding pathetically naive in the face of this purple-haired whirlwind currently lounging on my couch.
Opening my eyes, I surveyed the scene – the unexpected houseguest, the still-glowing game screen, the sheer absurdity of it all. "Just great," I muttered under my breath, the words laced with a resignation that surprised even me. My plans for a low-key existence in this supernatural-infested town were crumbling right before my eyes.
The controller lay abandoned on the coffee table, the glow of the television illuminating Bennia's smugly innocent smile as I stood defeated in the doorway. After losing parents in a car accident few months back, this boy survived on their money and doing part time job at a café.
I'm broke too, damnit!