Raizen lowered me on the bed, placing his weight on me. He pulled off my clothes and kissed my body. His caress sent shivers down my spine, making me gasp. I watched him as he got lost in ecstasy.

"Raizen," I gasped, "Why do you hurt me?" I waited for his reply, but he didn't even pause. "Don't worry Raizen, no matter how many times you hurt me, I will still love..."

"Would you shut up?!" snarled Raizen. He lifted his fist and slapped my face.

"G-go...gomenasai..." said I, teary eyed.

We made love for the rest of the night. I didn't utter a single sound, afraid I might anger him again. Throughout his onslaught, I bit on my lips, tasting my own blood, tears of pain in my eyes. When he finally got tired, he lay by my side and went to sleep. My body ached and could hardly move. I looked at him and dared to ask one last question.

"Raizen"

"Now what?" he answered annoyingly.

"Do you still love me?" I asked straight out. Inside I knew what the answer would be. I knew it would hurt me, but I was still denying it.

Raizen was silent for a while, then suddenly started to laugh out loud.

"Do you honestly believe that I have loved you?!" he blurted out.

I felt my whole life crumble all around me.

"If you didn't love me...then ...why...?"

"Do you really want to know?" he mocked, "Okay, I'll tell you." he continued. "If it wasn't for you, I never could have defeated your father! if it wasn't for you, I never could have taken his lands! If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be this powerful!"

"No! that's not true!" I screamed, covering my ears with my hands, "You said you Love me!!!" Raizen rose from the bed and lifted me up.

"I thought you wanted to know the truth, what's the matter? Is it really that hard to face?"

"If you really don't love me, then why do you keep me imprisoned here?" I blurted out.

"What? You want to leave?" he yelled, throwing me out of the bed "Go ahead! What are you waiting for?"

"No..." I begged on my knees, "Please Raizen, don't make me leave...I'm so sorry...Please..." I crawled to his feet and held on to his leg. "Onegai, Raizen...I love you...I need you..."

Raizen looked down at me with his cold eyes. He pulled me up by the hair then shoved me hard against the wall and grabbed me by the neck.

"You wanna know why I really keep you here with me?" he asked as he lifted my legs and separated them. "This is why I keep you here!"

With that, he started shoving at me so hard that I couldn't help but scream in pain.

"This is what you want, don't you?" he said panting, "You love the pain as much as I love making you suffer because you're too stupid to think for yourself! You're too stupid to realize anything!"

"No...!" I cried, "Stop...Raizen, stop it!!!" he didn't stop. He kept thrusting harder and laughed at me.

"YAMETE!!!" I screamed as a gush of blood spurted out of Raizen's nose. There was a sudden bright light and the next thing I knew, Raizen went flying across the room, hitting the wall so hard that blood spat out of his mouth. His figure was left on the wall as he stared back at me, wide-eyed with rage and disbelief.

I started to panic. I didn't know how I did it. Raizen rose slowly from his fall, his chi raising dangerously.

"Raizen...gomenasai...I...I..." He was suddenly in front of me. He raised his glowing fist and sent it rushing to my face. It got in contact. Everything went black.

"Fera! Fera!" called a voice from far away. I was still alive, I noticed. Cold. So cold, the wind blowing on my naked body. I tried to open my eyes, but they were too swollen. I could barely tell that I was tied outside the cold balcony. My whole body felt raw, as if the skin have been peeled off. I felt two hands take me down from where I hung, screaming in pain as it got contact with my wounds. It didn't come out as a scream, though, barely even a croak. My throat was so dry, it felt like it was scraping against a two edged sword.

"Fera," said the voice again. A warm body, embracing me, yet barely enough to keep me from trembling with cold. He took me to a warmer room, then stopped in his tracks. "Get out of my way!" said the voice, turning bitter. He started to walk once more.

We entered another room. I felt myself gently being lowered on a warm bed. Gentle hands touched my body, nursing my wounds. Later, I felt a warm blanket placed over me. He sat gently beside me. Trembling fingers touched my lips, caressing them, followed by warm lips which gently kissed mine. I tried to kiss him back, but felt too weak to do so. His warmth so comforting that I soon fell asleep.

I woke up much later from the sound of arguments, I opened my eyes, they were getting better. My body still aches with pain.

"You've hurt her long enough, I won't let you hurt her again!" said the once gentle voice.

"What I do to her is none of your concern, Mayef, She belongs to me! I can do anything I want with her!" said another voice.

"Not any more! I'm taking her with me."

"You're not taking her anywhere!"

I slowly rose from where I lay and looked at the direction of the arguments. I could barely make out two figures; Raizen and Mayef.

"I've never broken a promise, Raizen, especially not to your dying Father, but this time, you've gone too far. From now on, you're on your own, You don't need me! You don't need anyone but yourself!" Mayef started to turn away, but Raizen pulled him back.

"You take her from me, I'll kill you! I swear I'll kill you the way I did to those 'pests' of hers in the river!"

Upon hearing that, memories of my friends came back to me. The friends whom I run to in times of loneliness, my friends who never hurt me. Knowing now what truly became of them made me realize that Raizen never changed. He was this way all along.

"You can try any time, Raizen," said Mayef, "Just remember that I am no longer your guardian." he continued. "I can kill you anytime you want."

I never knew what Raizen said to him, for I jumped to my feet and ran. Tears of anger and betrayal blinding my swollen eyes. I heard Mayef calling to me but still ran as fast as I could. My wounds reopened, soaking the bandages Mayef placed on them. I didn't stop running until I felt the icy water of the small brook at my feet. I collapsed on the water, sobbing. I wanted to die. Life has no meaning now, Raizen has taken it away.

I looked at my reflection on the clear brook water, the full moon lighting the scene. My face so badly swollen that I could hardly recognize my self. I removed the bloody bandages from my body and bathed my self in the freezing water, begging the gods to take me away. The water turned red from my blood, the wounds finally stopped flowing from the cold. I looked down at my reflection, tears never stop falling. I was still staring at myself when a hooded figure appeared behind me.

"Why are you weeping, child?" asked a soft voice, so gentle and comforting. I turned around to face her, unable to speak.

She wore a black cloak, her face hidden from view, standing almost as tall as Raizen. I tried to make out her face, but it was hidden by shadows as the full moon hid behind the clouds. There she stood before me, the phantom of the night. She reached out her hand, helping me to my feet; beautiful white hands with long slender fingers so soft to the touch.

"Who could have hurt you like this?" she asked. I felt so comfortable with her that I was soon sobbing in her arms, telling her everything, from the first day I met Raizen, up to the argument I overheard.

"Poor child." said she as a pair of golden eyes glowed from beneath the shadowed hood, "You do not deserve to be hurt like this." she placed her hand on my forehead, touching the golden sign I had since birth, "Would you like to come with me?" she asked. "We will go to a place where no one could ever hurt you."

"Yes." I answered back.

She took my hand and held me close, I looked up at her, her golden eyes, looking back at me, so gentle and beautiful.

"Fera!" called a voice from behind me. I turned around and saw Mayef behind me, gasping for air. He looked at me sadly. Behind him came Raizen, staring angrily at my companion.

"Fera! I told you not to talk with strangers!" said Raizen in a low growl. His chi began to rise as he pointed a finger at us. "Come here."

"Raizen..." said I, starting to panic. I suddenly felt the phantom put her arms around me and hold me against her body.

"What are you afraid of, child?" she asked, "Daijoubu, little one, he cannot hurt you."

Raizen was angered even more, "Suit yourself!" he hissed.

"Raizen, no!" yelled Mayef, he was running towards him, but Raizen released his aim. A blinding light raced towards us. I closed my eyes, hearing Mayef screaming.

"Fera, daijoubu." said the gentle voice. I raised my face and saw her gently raise her hand just as the energy ball was inches away from us. It suddenly disappeared into thin air. I stared wide-eyed at where it had been, and realized that Mayef and Raizen were doing the same.

"...How..." whispered Raizen.

I looked up at my companion just as the moon went out of hiding. Red lips on ghostly white skin. Golden eyes and a golden sign partly hidden under torrents of dark black hair. Everyone was silent. The Menear looked down at me and smiled, taking my hand into hers. She looked at Raizen and stared at him coldly.

"Raizen." she said, "This child was never yours to keep. I am taking her back with me."

"No! Fera, don't go with her!" said Raizen. I didn't answer back. "Fera, please! I love you!" I didn't believe him. Not any more.

I looked at Mayef instead. He looked at me, trying hard to smile as he nodded his head, telling me to go. My eyes flowed with tears as I gave him one last smile. Raizen rushed towards us. The Menear simply raised her hand, a sphere of bright light collecting in her palm exploded with brilliance. When I opened my eyes, everything was frozen in time. I looked up and saw the Menear smiling at me.

"Shall we go?" I smiled back. All my wounds were gone. All my fears washed away. I took her hand, walked away and disappeared in the darkness with the phantom of the night.

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