[IC] Stalwart University

[Hagura]

Kacela listened to Lu as he answered her. As she heard him talk about his family, it reminded her of her em. He remembered her brothers and her mom and dad. They were warm people, so caring and living. She dearly missed them and wante to back to see her family. But the shame and grief that would over come her made her hesitate. She was scared and embarrassed, she knew she was so wrong. To do what she did and then run away. Kacela had a better image of her self. But the actions were already taken and there was no going back.

Then as the conversation became more personal, Kacela let happy that he was opening up to he. Then his comment, it was a subtle suggestion. But obvious. Was this what they called flirting, Kaxela had never flirted before. But she knew how it was supposed to go. She was unsure if she has to decide now to if she wanted to be friends with Lu or not. Kacela didn't want to be tied down, so she decided to keep it friendly.

"O-oh. I'm sure you could make lots of friends. You have an amazing talent. A-and I would love it if you played for me. I like your music. I could listen all the time. "

Kacela felt weird saying that and it fel fuzzy inside of her. She liked this feeling.

"Those are nice clubs. And you are an outstanding musician. Even your crow friend knows you're a great performer. If you play again, can I watch you?"

Kacela asked Lu. She wanted to learn how to create great music. She had no idea how to do so, maybe Lu could teach her.

[Lucek]

The boy looked at the crow to hide his embarrassment and red face. His mother would shake her head to see him so flustered, though she would understand that it wasn’t a combat situation. Well it was no use to think about it. Kacela’s compliments got to him. Lu was rarely praised so getting so many of them he was a bit over his head.

Well… thank you for the compliment. I would be glad to play for you if you’d be willing to listen. Still I believe anyone would be able to play given enough practice. I was thought but I practiced every day. I think a person is able to accomplish anything as long as they put the effort to do it. This was what he believed, he himself knew it was a slight selfish, maybe hypocritical thought. Still he believed in what he said, that is what allowed him to go through life, making him who he is.

At Kacela’s question he just nodded. You don’t have to ask permission to watch me when I play, I’d be glad if you did though. He smiled. Well I wonder if I played in the forest I’d be able to meet foxes… It seems animals are kind of drawn to me… maybe they know I wouldn’t hurt them unless they tried to hurt me. He petted the crow again.

[Hagura]

Kacela played with the idea that she should go see Lu. Perhaps moving around the tree to watch him. But she was getting cold. She looked at the sky, she had plenty of time, but so much time had passed in their conversation. Her legs were getting stiff and her body ached. She stood up and stretched her body. Her joints cracked as she stretched herself.

"I'd love to watch you and i would listen anytime."

Kacela then decided to go around the tree and confront Lu. She wanted to some what surprise him with her appearance. She finally wanted to see who she was talking to. Standing infront of him, Kacela crossed her arms infront of her belly.

"I love animals. D-do you want to go exploring?"

Kacela then offered out her hand. Her mind was rushing with a multitude of thoughts. She wasn't quiet sure what she was doing. Her face turned pink in embarrassment against her pale skin. But she felt happy about suddenly being impulsive. Her eyes scanned all of Lu's body and drank in the information. She liked how Lu looked. His surprised expression pleased her and the bird in his lap was even more cute. Then Kacela couldn't hold in the embarrassment any more and let one hand come up to cover her face. Her body visibly began to shake from nervousness.

[Lucek]

Lu rubbed his neck it was a bit stiff, as his body was becoming. Still he didn’t move more than that as his little new friend decided to rest a bit. Seriously, soon I’ll have more animal companions than human ones. Well at least they don’t lie. He thought to himself a bit grimly. He heard Kacela stand up, but didn’t do the same, still it seemed the crow finally decided to shift a bit. It’ll probably take off soon. He thought.

He looked at her as she stood in front of him. He was surprised a bit but nit by her appearance, but more because she came out herself. He thought she was a bit shy but he wouldn’t tell that by her appearance. She did behave and react shyly so he knew rushing would be too much. Not that he wanted to. Lu decided he’d take it slow, as Kacela seemed to be someone who he could scare off pretty easily.

I love animals too. They’re great companions in the wild. He nodded and started getting up, the crow deciding to move to his arm, then shoulder, perching on it. Great so this one also is glued to me now He chuckled inwardly.I would love to go exploring. He smiled at the girl.

Lucius looked into her eyes noting she reminded him of a vast and calm forest, it was probably the color or how she behaved. Still he took notice of the scar, but didn’t stare at it. He saw his share of scars, on men and women, still they were either soldiers or police officers. He wondered for a moment what could have happened to this girl that she had one like this. His mind analyzed what could have caused it, but he shook his head to get those thoughts out of his head. It was his other mindset acting up. He relaxed and lightly rubbed his wrist, he had his own scars.

Well then, would you lead? He smiled as he picked up his violin case. I would love to see more of the campus with you. There are nice places in the forest too. I had the pleasure to explore a bit. He smiled and looked at her, noticing the blush of her face. I hope my ears aren’t red again He thought, sadly for him, they were, it happened when he was embarrassed or nervous, just like right now. He scratched the back of his head a bit nervous still. This was something he didn’t understand, he wasn’t usually so nervous, maybe it had to do with how Kacela was behaving or meeting someone so similar to himself in a way.

[Krodin329]

Marc didn't realize Avery was back when he finished talking and felt embarrassed. Even thought they weren't actually super powered, his senses were of the highest human caliber. She just doesn't have much of a presence because of how timid she is, he thought.
"Oh hey! Well, I don't know about you but I'm starving, as I'm sure my stomach let on, so if you don't mind, I'd like to head over to the cafeteria and grab a quick bite, then we can head over to the gymnastics facility and goof off there for a bit. It's been a while since I've done any gymnastics so I need to get back into things!"
What Marc said was true he hadn't done gymnastics since he was 14, but all he needed to see were a few opening moves and his muscle memory would come flooding back, like a well being re filled by the rain. As he walked he slowly turned his neck and legs and arms, working the tension out of each of them in preparing for any moves that didn't come with the general martial arts agenda.

[TaliPaendrag]

Avery was rather glad that Marc didn't sound like he was angry over having to wait for her to catch up, though he did seem a tad bit surprised by her appearance so soon. “That sounds good to me,” Avery said, nodding along. While she wasn't hungry at the moment, she was a little thirsty, so it would be a great opportunity to get a drink.

“I haven't done anything with gymnastics for about two years,” Avery said, leaving it at that. He certainly didn't need to know the reason why. “So I'm in the same boat as you, I guess.” Honestly, it would be kind of nice to get back into gymnastics. At least, it would be as long as she didn't get found out for being a freak of nature.

In a few moments, the two of them were entering the cafeteria, which had quite few more students in it now that it had earlier that day. The sound of general conversations between friends filled the air and would definitely make it a little harder to hear one another, but it wasn't too bad. “I'm going to go get a drink,” Avery said, heading towards one of the vending machines and leaving Marc to get some food. In a few moments, she was sitting at one of the tables with a Vanilla Coke, waiting for him to get finished ordering his food.

[Krodin329]

Descisions, Descisions. I want something tasty, but appropriate after a short run. Hmmmmm, a screw it , he thought.
"Double bacon cheeseburger with a large side of fries and a cherry Dr. Pepper please!
Those three things made an unbeatable cobination, but they screwed with Marc's training regimen, he could only have them occasionally. Even though Marc had a literall perfectly fit and built body, he still needed to maintain a balanced diet because otherwise, that level of fitness would drop fifteen percent capacity. So, these meals were a rare treat, of course today was a special day. It was his first day at college. Now he began systematically searching for Avery wherever within the crowd she may be. He moved forward into the crowd trying to get a better angle, as he did, a young man going about his day tripped over the foot of a passing senior by accident. His food tray flew from his hands at Marc. As he turned around to see what the commotion was the tray was nearly at his face. Before he even realized it his right foot went up sending the tray flying upward, he then stepped back and watched the good fall on the ground unfortunately he couldn't save it with his hands full. He sat there pondering whether or not to re-emburse the other student, when he realized that all of people had been staring at him. He looked around awkwardly and walked away, his eyes set on finding Avery. As he found her he moved over quickly and sat down next to her. "Hey", he said, simply.

[Hagura]

Kacela felt happy that Lu agreed to go with her. Her feet were restless again. She felt as if she had to move. And to have Lu go with her, made her happy inside. She wanted to go see the water fall. She had sensed water earlier. The walk would take about half an hour. Kacela turned and led the way. Remembering the way to the river where she had passed wonderful looking trout earlier. Their rainbow scales gleamed with a proud natural beauty.

In the forest and the natural places of the world where the infestation of men could not be found, kacela almost became one with the land. Her spirit merged with the earth around her. And in this state, she glowed with her love for it. Her sleek lithe body bounded easily between trees. She was wonderfully graceful in the forest. Her movements like that of the dancer. She seemed to be so familiar to it. As if she had never left this land.

The forest engulfed the duo in its arms. Giving them a private time to enjoy together. It was intimate and playful. Kacela was so much more outgoing when exploring. She stopped every so often to check on Lu's pace. She was aware he wasn't as swift as she was. But he made a valiant effort to keep up. Kacela kept a bright smile for him to follow. Her brilliant blond hair a trail of gold for his feet to race behind.

Soon enough they reached the waterfall. It's roar was echoing and deep. Kacela felt calmer as the moist mist hit her face. She breathed in the life of the waters. Then she wandered over to the pools edge that former under the falls. She kneeled over and splashed the water with her hand. A separate thought entered her head. She looked over at Lu.

"Want to swim?" She asked him innocently.

Her single visible eye staring at him intently for an answer.

[Lucek]

Lu gently urged the crow to return to its nest. After all he didn’t know how far they would be going. The bird reluctantly returned to the branch it was on before. We’ll meet again Lu thought to himself, after all even though this world was big and no one knows where the roads they tread lead to, some beings just seems to meet over and over. As Kacela turned he decided to follow, still a bit shaken from earlier.

Once they entered the forest Lu changed, he became one with the forest, partially erasing his presence as to not to startle the animals, his steps careful and quiet. Normally he would speed through the forest but this time he didn’t put away his violin and had a guide, who he couldn’t take his eyes off of. Lu observed as Kacela moved, it reminded him of a dancer, but something else came to mind… Forest Nymph is what he thought.

A few years ago he felt such a presence while deep in the forest but Kacela was something else entirely. Graceful as a Doe and fast like one too. A dancer in the forest, it seemed the trees and all that was living there welcomed both of them. Still the violin and his distraction made Lu struggle to keep up. I need more training A quick thought of the more serious and calm aspect of his personality.

When they arrived at their destination Lu wasn’t tired or breathless, but the view was breathtaking. The waterfall was beautiful, he saw a few during his travels, but not one this amazing. Closing his eyes involuntarily as the mist touched his face, a small smile appearing on his face. For a second he was worried about the instrument in his hand but the case it was in was waterproof for a reason so the thought was dismissed as soon as it surfaced. What got to him was Kacela’s question.

Swim? He repeated after her, then scratched his head. Not that he didn’t mind, however when he did he usually was alone, not to mention his body wasn’t something he wanted to show. Still the innocence in her voice and her gaze made him certain she wouldn’t mind. Sure I guess. He said, glad that he was always prepared. Meaning his shorts dubbed as swim trunks, really helpful in emergencies. Lucius was really thankful for his habits.

The boy sighed and slowly placed the violin on a tree trunk a few paces away from the water, one can never be too careful. As he took off his hoodie the body fitting shirt could be seen. Also revealing his lean and trained body. He wasn’t buff but well-toned. The training he went through sculpting his body into one fit and ready for combat and other excursions. However taking of the shirt all the scars on his body could be seen. There weren’t many but you don’t usually see knife and animal made scars on someone so young. The scar on his wrist was also visible. He let his upper body enjoy the cool mist, partially waiting for Kacela’s reaction.

[Hagura]

Kacela watched Lu in anticipation. But more out of her own shock. She had never been more outrageously crazy like now. She was alone with a handsome man! And on top of that, she asked him to go swimming? Kacela internally felt the turmoil of her complex rise to the top of her head. It boiled within her that she had done something so easily. Yet that now that Lu agreed, kacela was scared. She wasn't sure what to do. She had invited him and to back out now while he was ready to swim, would be a rude thing to do.

Kacela took that half minute to come to this. All the while intensely observing Lu's body. He was well managed and had an athletic build. Kacela then blushed after realizing what she was doing. She stood up and put down her shoes near a separate tree. As she undressed, she could tell that the day was wearing through. But the couple still had plenty of time.

As kacela undressed, she stripped down to her undergarments. Under her leather straps she only wore green cloth in place of restricting bras and panties. She never found them comfortable. She had a green strip of cloth over her chest and a similar colored loin cloth wrapped around her private section. She felt thoroughly embarrassed, but was glad that Lu had seen her.

Her skin was slightly tanned. It was supple and marked with multiple scars. She had plenty of indentations from previous wounds and scar tissue over much of her skin. It was slightly discolored due to the scars, but in the brown of the tree trunks, it was almost a natural camouflage. It disoriented her whole shape and helped her disappear. If not for the flair of her golden blond hair. Her long legs flowed out beneath her. She had an ample sized chest and very athletic body. It was toned to reveal muscles and was well shaped and developed. The only softness resided in her eyes and face. The rest bore the marks of use and work. She quickly tied up her hair with a hairband. Putting her bangs behind her face. Revealing her second eye. It was of course identical to the first. But her face now glowed with her beauty. She exemplified youth and adventure.

The forest near the falls was quiet except the water itself. But when you could ignore that sound, the place was as quiet as a hidden grove. The crystal clear waters surface rippled with the force of the falls. The rocks were shadowed by the leaves. But where the sun could shine, the stones were smooth grey. The sand was soft and warm. Kacela felt the sand between her toes and stretched. The water was cold, but under the falls, it would be warm. Deafeningly warm.

The pool was deep. But kacela was an excellent swimmer. She felt embarrassed to be seen by Lu, so with a short sprint, she jumped in the water with a perfect dive. Her grace barely broke the water tension. The water was cold, but not freezing. So kacela continued to swim through her body protesting with a tingling sensation to her skin. She dove deep and touched the bottom of the pool before surfacing. Her moist wet body facing Lu. She stretched out a hand and a smile.

"Come in! The waters cold but it's so awesome!"

Her voice cried out over the waters. She was an agile swimmer. She was obviously experienced and trained. Though with no formal strokes or form, she had an excellent way of cutting through the water like a blade.

[Lucek]

Lu opened his eyes only to spot Kacela already stripped to her undergarments. He blinked as the girl was only wrapped in a cloth, which somehow fit the image created in his head. He observed her for a while, mentally slapping himself for staring that much, a blush appearing on his face. Lucius looked up into the sky and calmed himself, listening to the forest. He didn’t feel anything in close proximity but could hear animals in the distance. He looked at Kacela again, he didn’t know why the girls was so shy, she looked absolutely stunning, she had to have her reasons though. He shook his head to stop analyzing his new friend and unfastened the belt, taking of his pants right after.

Lu stretched, even though his body was already warmed up from before. Doing that he took another glance at Kacela. He saw many pretty even beautiful girls and women, but this girl had something past the physical appearance. Maybe spending so much time in the forests made the forests made the boy strange but he thought this girl was very similar to one. Lucius couldn’t put a finger on it but somehow he had a hunch that both of them were similar in the regard that they felt calm and free in the wild.

As he looked at the waterfall and the pool he calmed himself once more, deciding he would try one of his exercises when in the water. His thoughts were roused when Kacela jumped into the water and called out to him. Be there in a moment. He took a few deep breaths and jumped into the water, going a few meters under the surface. Once there he closed his eyes and curled up into a ball, drifting in the water. This was what he sometimes did to calm himself, the current was just right and he felt at ease. After about half a minute he opened his eyes and slowly drifted up to the surface. Lu didn’t want to worry Kacela, nor did he plan to stay underwater long.

After surfacing, his hair, which was longer than it seemed thanks to his hairstyle, covered his eyes. He still saw but he must have looked funny. He smiled turning in Kacela’s direction. You were right. The water is pleasant. He smiled broadly and brushed his hair to the back again, revealing his face. It’s been a long time since I found a place like this in a forest. Thank you He looked up and took a deep breath. Afterwards he looked at the girl. I wonder if there is something behind the waterfall He murmured, floating on the water’s surface.

[TaliPaendrag]

Avery watched the fiasco between Marc and the food trays, quite honestly surprised at how he had managed to kick the tray that had been heading for his face like he had. He must have some pretty amazing reflexes to be able to react so quickly. All the attention on him appeared to make him uncomfortable, however, as he hurriedly left the area he had been in, head sweeping from side to side as if he was looking for someone. To help him out, Avery waved her hand a bit.

Before too long, he found the table she was sitting at and took the seat next to her, setting down his tray and offering a simple greeting. “What was that that you did there?” Avery asked, too curious to want to avoid the subject. While it was probably nothing, the feat has seemed almost... inhuman. No one she had ever seen had been able to move like that, and, though it was beyond foolish, Avery couldn't help but wonder if he was like her. The relief that knowledge would bring would be beyond her imagination. At the very least, it would mean that she wasn't alone, and at the most, she would have someone to talk to about it. But again, that was probably just a silly fantasy that she had dreamed up.

[Krodin329]

There was the question. "How do you do it?" That was the one question Marc truly hated being asked. He was proud of his martial arts skill, but he lived by a strict code of honesty. He couldn't simply say practice. Marc was born with a gift he couldn't fully control. His reaction speed was no longer normal, he couldn't drop it down to regular capacity anymore. It was always at two times regular human levels of reaction speed. It was getting faster, and faster made him unstable. Unless he needed or wanted it to, he preferred life a little in the calm side. Calm may have been training and joggin and the adrenaline that pumped through his veins, but it was peace non the less. This, was different. He could see everything that was going on, involuntarily reacting to anything that came remotely close to him. Always on guard, always ready to fight, never truly feeling safe anymore. Not to mention now being forced to rely on this ability when fighting was a brutal blow to his pride. When he had control, he embraced his power, now he was becoming scared. He had already been able to cope with being incapable of turning off his adoptive muscle memory, Italy have taken five years, but he did. He would just have to cope.
" The doctors call it a virtual superpower. My reaction speed can be up to three times faster than an average human when I want it to. Right now it's stuck at two and I can't get it to go lower. If it was turned off I could've dodged the tray, but not kicked it like that. As far as my other ability is concerned, I have Adoptive combative muscle memory. I see a move that call be applied in combat, I can instantaneously do it. Perfectly. Call it a superpower if you will, call me a freak. I'll embrace it either way." Throughout saying this he was I long, for whatever reason, he felt like he could trust Avery.

[TaliPaendrag]

The pause between asking Marc what he had done in kicking the tray and his answer made Avery feel a little guilty about asking in the first place. She hadn't meant to make him uncomfortable, but she hadn't been able to keep from asking that simple question. Just as she was about to tell him that it was okay if he didn't want to tell her, he began explaining. Avery's sense of bewilderment grew with every word that Marc said. It just didn't seem possible that the words he was saying were the words she was hearing. Never in her wildest dreams would she have thought it possible to meet someone who also had, for lack of a better word, powers.

Now that Marc had bared himself like that, leaving himself open to all kinds of terrible reactions, Avery felt like she could do the same. If he was the same as her, there wouldn't be a problem in sharing her own abilities after all. “I-I have... abilities too,” Avery said, still a little hesitant about revealing her secret after so long guarding it. But it was something that she had to do. “I have this... field around my body that protects me, but I can use it to make me stronger and faster.” Having her secret out in the open made her feel like a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders and set aside. Waiting for his reaction, she hoped that he wouldn't think she was pulling his leg.

[Krodin329]

Marc smirked, unable to keep himself from thinking of the combat advantages of such a power. Then looked at Avery, she was obviously nervous and relieved to have someone she could tell that to, but he wasn't sure what to say. Then, it hit him. He chuckled, totally realizing that she was like him. He's never really been bothered by it, but he always was curious.

"Well, now we're not alone, are we? It sounds as if we both have control over parts of our minds normal humans don't. You seem to be able to control your horomones as far as changes in strength and speed goes. As for your 'shield' I'd like to get a look at that on one of the brain scanners the university has to offer, see if I can detect where the shield is coming from. If that's alright of course. Anyway, is that why you always seem to be so nervous? I've always been lucky enough to have a power that just makes me a natural at all things martial arts, it hasn't really affected my daily life per say. I can't imagine how unnerving it's got to be to for a power like that to get out of control and into public knowledge. Can you control them?"

The flood of statements as questions came as Marc's curiosity and fascination grew. There had to be more than just them, he realized. Perhaps people's brains were evolving, unlocking hidden potential in order to move forward.
That would be fascinating, he thought.

[Hagura]

Kacela watched Lu swim about. She memorized his skin, his muscle and the feel of him with her eyes. She then swam about. The place they were in was so cool and pleasant. It would be their little secret. As Lu surfaced from his initial dive, she giggled as she saw his face. His hair has plastered to his face, making the usual handsome man a comical figure.

"Lets check." Kacela said in response to Lu's inquiry. She touched his right shoulder before swimming ahead of him to the falls. Lu had a great view of kacelas body from behind. Her legs were long and smooth besides the scars. But tender and lovely in shape. She had strongly built muscles, they worked easily to push her through the water. Soon the falls thundering noise grew louder as they got closer. A rock cliff appeared behind the falls. Kacela climbed up and went to sit under the crushing noise of the waterfall. She held out her long arm towards Lu. Inviting him in and guiding him once again.

[Lucek]

Lucius looked after Kacela as she swam towards the waterfall. She had a really great figure and he thanked that the water was so cold. He had no real experience with the opposite gender and this girl was just too amazing for him to be calm and collected. Still once she disappeared into the falls, he followed her, cutting through the water, guided by her arm. It wasn’t long before he got to the falls, his body was fit and swimming around like this wasn’t really an exercise for him.

As he emerged from behind the wall of water, he smiled at the girl sitting there.Hey. He smiled and sat next to her, enjoying the comfort and sound of the falling water. I love this place. He admitted and looked into Kacela’s eyes. Still sitting there he realized they should be returning soon or they might get in trouble. After a few minutes of relaxing in her company, he finally decided to speak up, a slight blush on his face, caused by her closeness. We should think about getting back… not right now, but we need to remember the time… for now though… He smiled and splashed a bit of water on her, a teasing smile on his face.

[Hagura]

Kacela felt her embarrassment rise in her. She was comfortable with Lu. She was happy that she was able to this place and time with Lu. She didnt know why she did what she was about to do. But she did.

Kacela leaned over to Lu's face. Getting within inches and looked into his eyes intensely. She pulled back her wet hair behind her ears. She took another moment to ready herself and licked her lips. "Race you back. " she then kissed Lu on the check. Her lips met his skin for a second. A small smooch was audible and then she dove back out into the water. She quickly swam over to the edge and grabbed her clothes. She laughed at Lu's stunned reaction as she ran back towards the campus. She most likely wouldn't be able to face Lu for a long time. But she was glad for what she did. She felt her heart pumping hard as if she had just ran a marathon. She felt as if her chest was tight. She ran with a head start towards the campus with the bundle of clothing in her arms. She never much knew this feeling. But she knew this what love must of felt like. She felt hot and flustered. When she was alone in the forest, kacela surfaced her powers. She instantly dried herself with a flash of light. Then dressed again before rejoining the campus.

[Lucek]

Dumbstruck and confused – is what Lu felt. Not only did the kiss he got stun him but also the way Kacela just ran. His face felt hot as did his body. He must have been red from tip to toe, not to mention paralyzed by what just happened. This felt like minutes but in reality it was only seconds. Lucius jumped into the water next to her, he didn’t know why, but he felt if he didn’t he’d hate himself forever.

Once on the shore he took on his clothes, good thing what he wore was waterproof, plus he felt it’d dry quickly if he ran. Once in the forest he changed, becoming serious and attentive. His training allowed him to spot small things like tracks so he roughly knew where she ran. Even if he started half a minute late. This time his speed was roughly on par with what she showed before, as he was serious and not distracted.

He was on her track but stopped where she changed, as it was close to campus. He looked around and making sure he wasn’t missing something then followed where she went into campus, walking fast looking for where she could be. Attentively slipping in=between people, still tracking her. He didn’t care if someone saw his serious face, which, he was told was quite scary, with his smile gone and how moved he really did seem like a different person.

[Hagura]

As kacela entered the campus, she ran all the way back to her room. Going around people and pushing through when the crowd got thick. She didnt want to see Lu right now. She needed time alone to think. She felt strange taking a leap like that. She was a reserved person. And for her to do something like that, it was as if she was another person.

Running up a few stair cases focused on her jumble of thoughts, she didnt even notice Lu trailing her. She stopped at her door and held the handle. About to enter, but she finally came to think about herself. Should she say something? She had not put their friendship in a weird place. It would never be the same again. What if Lu didnt like her back? She wasn't sure. She wanted to run again. To escape. Let the wild places be her prison if isolation. She began crying. Tears welled up in her eyes as they were followed by sobs.

She didnt know why. She turned and slumped down against the door and cried into her knees. Letting it all flow. She couldn't hold it back anymore. This was too difficult for her. Kacela was broken again.