Hollow Repentance

- - - - - Torren's POV - - - - -

Thank god I had finally regenerated my powers. I slowly opened my eyes to find Aldin and Dimi staring at me intently. Wait, where was the child? Oh no...don't tell me?! Jolting upright on the seat, I panicked and scanned the room desperately for any sign of her and quickly turned back to Aldin when I couldn't find her.

"Where is she? Please don't tell me that she escaped again. I can't handle that right now! I had to go and use up all of my power before I had even stopped to consider her safety. I'm such an idiot. So? Where is she?!"

Dimi was the first to answer, speaking coolly as I glanced between him and Aldin with a worried expression.

"Calm down, Torren. She's in bed; or at least, she's in her room. I've already tended to her mark and Aldin brought her a book up to read. She cleaned herself up in the bathroom and changed before we went up to see her and seems to have taken to sittin' on the balcony."

I couldn't believe Dimi was acting so calmly about this; he had just left a child, who desperately wants to go home, unattended in her room with an unlocked balcony that she can quite simply climb down from! I stared at him in awe and furrowed my eyebrows at Aldin for not restraining the girl, as he knew I would have. Aldin caught my expression and opened his mouth to speak; cut off by Dimi as he continued from his earlier explanation.

"Anyway, as I was sayin'. She was a little cautious to begin with, but once we'd assured her that we weren't goin' to hurt her; she let me to use the leech and flintulan oil on her. She also told me that she was a monster and everythin' that had happened was all her fault."

A monster? My child? There was no way on earth that the human girl in the room upstairs was a monster, or any species of nasty creature. Sure, she could be a little scary sometimes and her persistance and determination was a little above average; but she was normal. Just a regular human.

"She recalled a time when she was younger and she was approached by a gan' after she had attacked their leader! She mentioned that she produced a blue spark and a whirlwind, just like the last two times she's gone crazy. She couldn't control herself in town today and admitted that if she hadn't resisted at the last moment; she would have killed Roswell without a second thought!"

I was shocked that she could have done something like that, but there was something still bugging me and distracting my thoughts away from her past. I glanced towards the stairs and turned back to Dimi and Aldin.

"I can't think about that now. What's bothering me, is that I don't believe Koerta will just stay in her room and not escape, since you were trusting enough not to restrain her. I do trust your decisions, but I'm her legal guardian now and I'm supposed to worry about her."

Smiling at the thought of what the child would do if she knew that I was actually allowed to keep her prisoner in my mansion now, I jumped to my feet and bounded up the stairs; skipping over two steps at a time. Within minutes, I reached her bedroom door, slowly and silently turning the handle. The door opened to reveal her dimly lit room. The light was still on and the balcony door was open.

I was right; she had ran away. Suddenly, I spotted movement out of the corner of my eye and jerked my head around. There she was. I crept over to the bed and gazed down as the child slept soundly, a book laid open across her chest and the covers hanging at her waist. Her hand drooped gracefully over the edge of the bed. She looked like an angel.

"I guess you were right, Dimi. You just need to show them that you can trust them. I wonder why she didn't escape, though. It really isn't like her at all."

I glanced back as Dimi stood in the doorway and Aldin crossed over to close the balcony doors. Dimi smirked slightly and closed his eyes. I guess the power I loaned him before was starting to run out already.

"I was tryin' to tell you before you ran off. Back in town when she said that she was injured, I did notice she was havin' trouble with her right leg. It just seems like a minor injury, but I found a prominent bruise, which could suggest somethin' more severe. I've let her know that you'll need to brin' her to my hospital when I'm there so I can take a scan; just to be on the safe side. I doubt she'll let any of the other doctors anywhere near her, however much they're desperate to meet her; so I'll do it for efficiency."

I sighed in relief and smiled broadly, thanking them both warmly for their help all day. Pacing slowly over to Dimi, I rested my hand on his shoulder and a red spark leapt through his skin.

Dimi's eyes opened wider as he gained the power and waved goodbye; disappearing instantly, leaving behind a pale cloud of dust. I turned to bid Aldin goodnight, but found that he had already left. He was always doing that; just because he knew that it annoyed me. Typical Aldin!

Carefully, I rounded the bed and returned to Koerta's side, brushing her hair out of her face. I tried my hardest not to wake her; lifting the book from her and setting it down on the chest of drawers. I drew close to her again and knelt down beside the bed; wrapping my fingers lightly around her wrist as her hand dangled over the side of the bed. I moved her hand to the pillow beside her cheek and whispered softly to her.

"You've shown us a lot today, my child. It looks like you'll be a very worthy opponent for the Dangroes someday; if that time ever arises. Don't worry, I'll train you."

I smiled as she mumbled and wriggled around, sinking lower on the pillow. What a carefree little girl. Pulling the covers up to her neck and flicking off the light, I crept silently into the doorway and turned back to watch her again. I have to admit that I was still a little apprehensive of leaving her unguarded and unbound in that particular room. Oh well, I'd certainly see what she's capable of now.

Carefully, I pulled the door firmly shut and headed to my room. Quickly changing, I collected my diary from the corner where Koerta had dropped it and sat down at my desk to update my notes with todays interesting events.

'...I awoke to Dimi and Aldin, who briefed me on the events with the child, Koerta, while I was asleep. It seems that she has calmed to an extent and matured a little. I anticipate witnessing further improvements in her behaviour and the ways in which she adapts to life with a being like me. Tomorrow anticipates our meeting once again.'

I dropped my pen and laid back; closing my eyes and dreaming of the adventures and experiences that were certain to come.

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