『Gazing through crystal eyes』
Internships are supposed to be a taste of what a Hero was expected to take on after graduation. After struggling to get his provisional license and being a step behind his classmates, Akihiko Mochizuki finally has the o...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Sleep does not come to those who allow worry and confusion to simmer in their thoughts.
Irises crafted of periwinkle found themselves staring at the whiteness of the ceiling, counting the small bumps decorating its surface. A short breath escaped Akihiko as the familiar darkness of his room stilled in transience with only him as its companion. The pull of his mirror image was nonexistent, the other him lost within the plane of reality and illusion.
A frown pulled at the crystal's lips as yesterday became nothing more than a hectic memory. Another attack that was written as a random Villain who wanted to cause a scene. A lot of those were happening, which caused his Dad to stay at work longer than needed. But that was the life of a Hero, and in a couple of years, it would be his own life too.
Using the illuminance of his hair, Akihiko lifted his arm and gazed at the back of his hand. His pale skin had taken a lavender hue. "Your worth, huh?"
His nose scrunched up in bewilderment. Those words spoken by the person wearing the leather plague mask were in his mind. He had been trying to tear the meaning apart since he returned home with Yua after she left and into the early morning since sleep did not come easily. Even Akimitsu was confused because he did not warn him of incoming danger, so was the person, not someone to worry about?
But why could Akihiko see him whereas others could not? When he asked Yua about it earlier, all she gave him was a confused stare and a half-hearted joke saying maybe his Quirk was spazzing out again. The back of his hand pressed against his forehead, knuckles rubbing against his fiberglass bangs.
Maybe he was just going crazy. This would not be surprising, considering how much chaos popped into his life daily. A sigh slipped free from his lips as the beginning of a headache was developing.
"Your worth lies within the eye of the beholder."
The eye of the beholder. Was the meaning of that phrase saying that true beauty differed between people because of their opposing views? What did that have to do with worth? What did that have to do with him? And as far as he knew, Akihiko had never met that person in his life. His younger memories may be a bit blotchy, but that was only concerning Junpei, which had been resolved already.
The crystal glared at the ceiling through slits as a huff left him. Should he try? He shifted his attention to his phone lying on his bedside table and then to the clock. It was only three in the morning. It was not that early. Akihiko knew that was a lie, but it made him feel better anyway.
With his thumb and index finger, he unplugged his phone from the charger and pressed the power button. He did not flinch at the high opacity of his screen and typed in his password. Tapping the messages button, his thumb lingered above one of the contacts. After a few seconds of thinking, he clicked on it before typing on the keypad.
Akihiko
Hey, I need to ask you something.
The crystal stared at the screen as if the longer he did, the faster he would receive a response. But given that it was the witching hour, he quickly doubted that it would become a reality. But he was anxious; for once, it seemed like amethyst's calming properties were not working when he once wanted them to.
