Page 4 of The Blackened Blade

A cream cotton blanket is draped over my legs with a soft matching pillow behind me. I pull myself further up and glance around.

Looking around the space I’m now in, my eyes now fully adjusted as I gaze around a familiar room.

A room I hadn't seen in over seven years after having graduated from the academy.

The small bed I’m lying in is made of old chestnut wood with a worn headboard and scratched legs. An even older wooden desk sits across from it, and to the left of that, is a large old pinewood dresser and matching wardrobe. Their wood is worn with small cracks and scrapes, something I’m sure was second hand or to be thrown out before it found its place here.

The walls around the room are painted a drab beige with small water stains dripping from the ceiling in certain corners, and small splotches of mould in the others.

Frail fabric lines the curtain poles sitting beside a small window near the wardrobe, with light cream curtains dusty and fraying at their hems.

I turn to my right, noticing a familiar white door beside me. It’s been left slightly ajar and shows a discoloured tiled floor and a small dingy sink.

I turn back around. The room looks old and empty, and void of any colour or life. Just how I remembered it from seven years ago, when I had to spend my last three academy years in it.

So instead of heaven, it looks like I was sent to hell.

I guess thoughtsdocarry weight because there's no way that paradise is the place where I spent five years being tormented and isolated.

I push the blankets from me and climb from the bed.

Everything felt soreal.

The feel of the cold floor beneath my toes, the air sweeping in through the old and draughty window to my left, and the noise of voices and people moving from the door furthest to my right.

Wait…Voices?

Why would there be any voices here?

I make my way to the door and quickly pull it open.

I’m met with three pairs of eyes as they pass me, a glare set on one as the two others giggle and sneer beside her.

“Going for a walk in yourjammies?” A blonde girl jeers as they pass.

The middle one turns back, her glaring eyes meeting mine as she spits the word ‘Pathetic’before they head down the dormitory stairway.

I watch as they disappear down the stairs and to the floor below.

What was happening? Why was I seeing all this, experiencing all this,again?

I mean, I know I said my academy years were my mini hell, but was I really going through this again as myactualhell?

Or was this some sort of illusion or nightmare?

Because this wasn’t the worst part of my life.

The Facility held first spot on that one. So wouldn’tthatbe what hell would want me to experience if I had to suffer?

I shake my head.

What was happening here?

Whywas I here?

I pinch the bruised skin on my arm, my nose scrunching at the small ache forming there.

Probably not the best test for this.

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