The Weaponsmaster

Chapter 31

Drea’s dreams were filled with a mess of colors, numbers, and words, all blurring together like paint. Different bits of information kept bouncing through her mind at random intervals as she tossed and turned in a restless sleep.

After hours of unrest, she felt the dreams dissipate as her mind began to work again. In a burst of light, the dark dreams ended and bits of light broke through. She opened her eyes and waited for her vision to come into focus.

Drea was in a dimly lit room, lying on her back. She was on a bed. She sat up and looked around. A set of curtains were cutting off the light, while a small bed lamp sat by her side. She put her head in her hands and just sat for a little while, trying to remember what she was dreaming about.

It all felt like it was important in some way, but Drea just couldn’t remember. She sat there for some time before she slipped out of bed and rubbed her eyes. She was dressed in the shorts and t-shirt that she had been wearing before, but she didn’t feel like changing them.

She slipped out of bed and went to the door. The hallway was completely empty. Since no one was around, she slipped out the door and began to walk past the multitude of doorways. It was quiet, which felt strange to Drea somehow; she thought someone would be watching her.

As she walked further and further, Drea felt her head beginning to hurt. She leaned against the wall, trying to regain her composure, but when she reopened her eyes, she didn’t see the long hallways anymore. She saw long shadows reaching for her from every direction, whispering her name. She began to run down the hallway, trying to escape it all. She saw symbols erupting from the walls, but she didn’t stay long enough to see what they were.

            She suddenly whacked into something hard and the vision faded. She blinked a few times until her eyes refocused. Drea was lying on the floor with a tall man standing over her. She sat up to see that he was slender with short brown hair. He looked tired, as if he hadn’t slept in weeks with the bags under his eyes. His hair was ruffled like he’d just got out of bed, and his clothing made him appear like he just didn’t care.

He reached down to help her up. She took his hand and was surprised at his strength. He was strong, but he sure didn’t look it. “Are you alright?” he asked her.

He seemed familiar somehow, but Drea just couldn’t remember why. “W-who are you?”

“My name is Luke,” he said.

“Luke…” Drea looked down. “Like the previous Weaponsmaster?”

He smiled warmly and chuckled without responding. “And I suppose you’re Andrea, the new Weaponsmaster everyone’s been talking about.”

Drea felt like her world had been turned upside down. She was standing in front of the guy whose powers she had stolen. Imagine how bad that felt.

She started to say something when he interrupted, “Why don’t we talk in my room. It’s just a little farther from here.”

He took her down the hall and down some stairs to the part of the headquarters that seemed more lived in. Wherever she was before, it seemed like the hospital or something. They entered a fairly spacious room with white walls. It was fairly bland.  

“This is where you live?” she asked as she sat at his small round dining table.

“Yes. I may not be Weaponsmaster anymore, but I still have a room here.”

“I’m sorry I took your powers,” she blurted out before she could stop herself.  “You’d still be the Weaponsmaster if it wasn’t for me.”

He looked at her without showing his emotions. “I’m not unhappy that I lost my abilities.” Drea looked up at him in surprise. “My head wasn’t in that after the death of my family. I would’ve only caused the deaths of many more Kaienshi.” He sighed sadly. “It’s just too bad someone so young took my place.”