Vol 2 Chapter 15: One of A Kind
...
Few years passed while I was under rigorous training of my teacher. Not only he taught me how a Lurachnid effectively uses their skills and abilities, he also taught me different kinds of survival skills. He told me that a Lurachnid should not only know how to fight, but also to survive. After all, a Lurachnid should trust no one, not even their own kind. Every time I always bring up the topic of him having a negative aspect in everyone, he only responds with "You'll understand sooner"...
My journey of mastering Extreme Mana Conservation came to a halt after I became a teenager. It was thanks to that hellish training that I was able to use most of the skills a Lurachnid should have, but because I have this indomitable curse, I cannot use it as freely as I wanted to. My teacher always restricts me to only use at least three skills or abilities a day to further mitigate the effects of the curse, which will prolong my life expectancy. Although I wont get to live as longer as the other Lurachnids, I still have a lot of time to live myself to the fullest
But I was a stubborn, mischievous kid, hence why I always secretly hone my skills further my limit behind my teachers back. I suppose he didn't suspect a thing as of now, but if he does, I'll have to change my plans
"Lura! There you are!"
It was then that a familiar person reached out to me when I'm in the middle of my hush-hush training
"Shh! Keep your voice down! He might be around here somewhere!"
He then puts his hand on his mouth, looking for anyone especially my teacher if they were around the area
"What are you even doing here?"
"Isn't it obvious? I came here to invite you!"
It was always warming how he would always try to invite me to hangout, but as I grew up, I was more influenced by the teachings that were passed down to me
"...I think I'll pass again"
"Lura..."
He's always like this, frowns and then jumps back to his normal self in a matter of seconds as if nothing had happened
"But we really do want to hang out with you, you know!"
"..."
"Everyone wants to talk to you Lura! It would be an honor for them to be able to be friends with the daughter of the former Honorable Guard!"
I got ticked off the moment he crossed the line. Usually he would just say "Alright, I'll invite you again tomorrow!" and the conversation ends there...but this time, he was more persuasive
"So apparently, you just want to be friends with me because I'm the daughter of the former Honorable Guard?"
"! N-No! That's-"
"Slip of the tongue. There's nothing you can say that will make me believe you now"
"Lura! We do want to be friends with you! Not because you're the daughter of the former Honorable Guard, but because we want to be friends with Lura!"
"Lies. It was as clear as day what you really meant earlier"
"Lura! I've been friends with you ever since! I've never seen you that way!"
Like a fuse that short circuited, I stopped my training right after, confronting him with all my true feelings
"Be honest with me, what do you think of me all this time?"
"H-Huh?!"
His face suddenly got flustered, but I kept on with my rage
"When I was the one who tried to get close to you guys, why did you push me away?"
"! I-I-"
"Why weren't you always had the time for me, when you guys have all the time for yourselves?"
"..."
"Why did you guys avoided me when I was trying my hardest to be friends with you?"
"Lura-"
"And when you were the one who talked to me first, we suddenly ALL became friends?!"
"..."
I was grateful, grateful that he always invites me to hang out even until now. I was grateful that he was the first one to reach out to me. I was grateful that he was the first one who made him change their minds about me...
...but to think that they would just want to be friends with me because I'm the daughter of the former Honorable Guard...means that I myself had no value at all. I was only valuable enough due to the reputation of my mother...
If it weren't for my mother at all...nobody would even notice me...not even you...
"Lura, I can't speak for all of our friends, but my friendship to you is genuine! I wanted to be friends with you because despite the mischievous reputation that you had in the tribe, I was able to see your kind side!"
"...?"
"I remember it, I remember that day! I remembered that you would go through lengths to take care of someone's field even if it wasn't yours and you don't benefit from it. I remembered that you would always give everything you have to the needy when you yourself are already struggling, I remembered that you would always never deny a request even if its something that you don't want to!"
"..."
"I know it, I saw it! Its because of that, that I liked you ever since! I know it was wrong of me to watch on your every move those times, but believe me, its because I got attracted to you that I couldn't stop myself!"
"..."
"Lura, since that day, I gathered up the courage to talk to you, in hopes of getting to know both each other better. I've been in love with you ever since. You may be regarded as the Mischievous Lurachnid of the tribe, but you're the most one of a kind Lurachnid in my eyes!"
"..."
It was the most warmest thing that I felt ever since I met him. It reminded me the days when I already had lost interest in making friends when he was the one who restored it slowly. I never cared about his intentions of me, but somehow, I knew that there was some truth to his feelings that he was showing to me...
...but I was already on the age where I took my teacher's lessons to heart...such that "Lurachnids, must not trust one another to the fullest, one cannot rely on the other, one cannot depend on each other...such co-dependency leads to disaster"...
Since he didn't know the condition that I had, I'm afraid its best that we separate for his own safety. I did put some trust in him, but Lurachnids to each other are unpredictable, one cannot know what the other might be thinking, just like what my teacher always says to me...
I took a deep breath, and replied with an earnest, turning my back on him
"I'm sorry, but I don't think I can accept it"
I was ready to take on his set of questions for my rejections, which only leads to 'No' or a negative answer, I was there, waiting for him to react to my response...
...but I wasn't prepared for what he did next
"I see..."
He then spouted something suddenly
"Father, I've failed"
"...?- Ahck!"
Right after I turned around from what I've heard, I suddenly fell down, losing unconsciousness from the unknown...
...