Gamble of Fate

“Let me get one thing straight. I’m not fiery, I’m fired up. And when I’m fired up, ironically, I can be very, very, cold," Krin responded callously before storming off the stage.

If there’s one thing she hates being called, it’s “fiery,” it’s the word that’s prevented her land for centuries from being anything but ‘ill-tempered fighters.’

She started walking back to the dojo. Upon entering, she was greeted with a room full of angry and disheartened faces. “Get off your high horse!” They shouted. She ignores them of course, too tired to deal with their scrutiny at the moment. “How can you be so rude!” her peers practically screeched at her. “You really know how to let people down!”

Krin lays down on the floor, exhausted from a very long day.

“Hey!” Her quick tempered best friend and rival Aurey shouted at her. “Why don’t you come over here and fight me you namby-pamby coward!”

Aurey was the definition of a traditional Uchian.

“I don’t feel like sparring right now.”

“Fine! Then I’ll just have to come to you!”

“Wha-!”

Before she could finish her thought, Aurey came at her with a hook kick to her face.

“Come on! You gotta be quicker on your feet, like me!” She says smugly.

“What gives?!” Now Krin was hyped.

Krin charged back with an uppercut to her jaw, then a flying kick, knocking Aurey into the wall. “That easy? Pathetic," Krin says in a mocking tone. “Looks like you’ll always be one step behin-”

Before she could finish her sentence, she was already on the ground.

“Ha! Look who's pathetic now. That's what happens when you lose your focus. And they give you all the fame."

“Who cares anyways,” Krin mumbles.

“How's that again?”

“I said, who cares, because I certainly don’t.”

“You’re just mad because you lost. You’ve always been a sore loser like that.”

“I don’t even want to be a fighter anymore.”

Aurey sighs. “What is it this time?”

“I want to be a fashion designer,” Krin says, still on the ground.

“When are you going to let it go, Krin. You always have a dream, don’t you?

“Why can’t I have a dream?! I have good ideas! It’s not fair, is all I’m saying!”

“Life’s not fair, Krin!”

“I get that, but at a certain point, we should be able to control just how unfair it is. You know that everything that we know today was created by other people. Even the words coming out of my mouth were invented by other people. Why should our life be decided by other people’s verdict?”

“Hmm, an interesting thesis,” Aurey replies sarcastically.

“Shut up.”

“Your mind is all over the place! I’m so glad you’ve gotten over your ‘passion’ for painting. We don't need another suffering artist.”

“Hey! Art is subjective, just because you don’t like it, doesn’t mean others won’t! It depends on how you interpret it. Were you even listening to the right music while looking at it?"

"What?"

"I just have a feeling I can prove that people can be versatile. That where you're born isn’t an 'achievement' and definitely shouldn’t determine your future.”

“Everybody wants to change the world," says Aurey, shaking her head. "Sorry, to ruin your optimism, but if things could change, they would have by now. What makes you think you’re so special? Face it, our fate was sealed even before we drew our first breath."

“You’re a real bummer sometimes.”

“You know, you’ve got a real shot at becoming a great ninja one day. A better shot than me at least if you get your head in the game! Remember, one day with no training is pretty much career suicide for someone like you. Are you really willing to throw all those years of training away for some fantasy dream of yours?”

“Maybe I am.”

“Huh. Good luck with that.”

When she could finally stand up again, Krin left the dojo. To clear her head a bit, she walks around a desolate area, nothing but waterfalls and flowers around her, but to no avail. Aurey’s words circling in her head like vultures. Was it really just a fantasy? Distraught, she gets lost and finds herself wandering around in the middle of nowhere.

“Ah!” she yells as she trips over a branch.

“Are you alright?” she heard an unfamiliar voice ask.

“I’m fine,” she responded curtly.

“Wait, you’re Krin Flynn right?”

"What do you care?”

"Saw your interview today, you were really cool!"

"Thanks."

“I have a question for you.”

“Of course you do. No, I won’t step on you.”

“No, no, not that! I was just wondering if you would... teach me how to fight like you?”

“And what will you do for me? I don’t do favors, I make pacts. ”

“I can... uh”

“So, nothing. As I suspected. I suppose I can make an exception for you this time. Are you ready to throw your old life behind?”

"Yes!"

"Good answer."

“Ah! What the heck was that for?!” he yelled as she kicked him in the stomach.

“I see we need to work on your reaction time. What’s your name?”

“Katsuo. Katsuo Cooper.”

“Strange name. I like you Katsuo, let’s be friends.”

“O-Okay.”

I’m going to sleep now.”

“Here?!”

“You should too. Toughen yourself up a bit.”

“But it’s snowing!”

“Jeez, how did people get so weak! You want to be a ninja, get used to the elements.”

Shivering, he lays down to sleep by a tall birch tree.

“Here,” Krin says, handing him a blanket. “What’s that,” she asks as she points to something in his hands.

“It’s a sketchbook, I use it for interior design.”

“You do interior design?”

“Ya, can't say I enjoy it.”

“Why wouldn’t you like to design?”

“It’s so boring. Plus, it’s hard to make it as a successful designer, you have to really stand out for someone to even notice you.”

“Wow, sounds tough. Still sounds better than fighting to me. So, where are you from?”

“I’m from Feflioya.”

“Really?! No wonder you’re a designer!

"Of course, because all us Feflioyans can do is design."

“I mean, it's kind of what you guys are known for.”

"Fair enough."

"Darn right it is, we may be friends, but I won't hesitate to snap your neck if you step out of line... well, I might hesitate a bit, I'm not completely heartless."

"Duly noted."

A few hours later

“Hey, wake up! we’re going for a run.”

“But it’s so early!”

“You think you can get to my level from lying around? How insulting! Get up,” she says sternly.

“Okay,” he replies dejectedly.

After half an hour of running

“How much further do we need to go?!”

“Until we reach our destination.”

“Okay,” he says, almost out of breath.”

About an hour and a half later

"Good run, I’m amazed you could keep up with me."

"D-Don’t be so s-surprised," he says, stumbling and out of breath. "Where are we by the way?"

“This is my dojo. Where I train.”

“Krin, there you are! I’m so sorry about yesterday! Please tell me I'm still on your friends list!.. Who’s this?”

“Aurey, meet my friend Katsuo. Don't worry, he's not your replacement. He’s our newest member. It's his dream to become a ninja.”

“I hope it’s nice to meet you."

“Likewise I guess? What happened yesterday?”

“Just a little disagreement. I’m heading back inside now.”

“I won’t be coming in yet, Katsuo, you can go train with her for now.”

“Right!”

“First, I’ll be taking that,” she says, taking the sketchbook from his bag.

“Hey, if you want something to work on, there’s an annual designing competition in my hometown. You should enter.”

“Cool, what are the rules?”

“You can design pretty much anything, it's due in a few weeks, so I would consider waiting until next year and lastly, the winner gets a full scholarship to Painted Smile University.

“I’m on it!”

“Well, you really shouldn’t start with such a big task."

“Shouldn’t you be training right now?”

“Oh, shoot! Aurey, wait for me!”

It's been about 3 weeks since she started working on her design, and it was finally time for the competition

"Yuyan, please notice me!" everyone shouted at Miss Yuyan, a very famous fashion designer, and judge of this competition. But Yuyan noticed someone else. She starts walking over to Krin.

"Hey, you don't look like you're from around here. Are you even qualified to be a designer?"

"Well, anyone is, aren't they?"

"Good one. Anyone is welcome to enter, but sorry, not everyone is cut out for this. You should quit now. I saw your design anyways, it's just not controversial enough."

"What are you even saying?!"

“Well to put it in simpler terms so you can understand, you’re not good enough. You can’t ever be good enough."

“This may sound cliché, it also may seem cliché to say it’s cliché, wow, language is so weird, but I’m going to follow my dream no matter what other people say! Life’s too short to compromise for what I want.”

"If life’s too short to compromise, don’t, nobody asked you to. You don't need to be happy. Just do what you’re good at, barbarian."

“Don't make me do something I might regret."

“Don't worry darling, I wouldn't do that. Alejandro, show her out.”

“No need,” she says coldly as she gives her one last glare.

"Krin, it's okay," says Aurey, as they start walking away.

"No, it's not okay. You know what? She wins! I quit!"

"But you never quit!"

“Well, clearly this is what life has decided for me and there’s no point in complaining about it”

“Here,” Aurey says, handing her a present.

“A book?”

“It’s a new sketchbook. You’re right, you shouldn’t compromise for what you want."

“Thank you, but I don't think I can be a designer, though it was nice to live it for a minute."

"So when I'm finally on your side, that's when your gonna change your mind?"

"It appears so."

"Wow. Miss Yuyan really broke you, didn't she? I payed $20 000 for that book!"

"Sounds like you got ripped off. Big time. Where did you even get that kind of money?"

"Found it on the mountain on the way to Feflioya."

"You can keep it. I don't even want to design anymore."

"Don't lie to me Krin!

I'm not. I like fighting now, being considered strong, or dare I say 'fiery.'

"Have you been possessed or something?!

"Just trying to follow the path destined for me, like you've always told me to. Channel your anger into the fight, right?"

"Okay. Fine. Enough talk, let's see if you're really thinking like a true warrior now."

"Fine, just get it over with!"

"That's definitely not the spirit. You know what, this isn't even worth my time. Katsuo!"

"Yes?"

"Come with me!"

"Okay."

"At least someone should follow their dream, right Krin?"

"Bye."

"Katsuo! Let's go!"

"Some friends you are," Krin mumbles to herself. "Well, no more," she says before scratching Aurey and Katsuo- her last two friends, off her friends list. Looks like it's only foes for me from now on."

"Ha ha," Krin cackles to herself. "You should have been more specific world, I don't know what you want from me. You don't blame me right? Don't worry, I don't care anymore. You shouldn't have done that. Now you're gonna see a side of me that even I'm scared of, and I won't feel sorry for you."

Krin starts making a bonfire for herself. Once it's big enough, she proceeds to throw her list into the fire, and from the ashes, a little black book emerges.

She opens to the first page.

Bad move Krin.

If you're reading this, your fate is now in the hands of this book. Complete the tasks, you'll achieve your dreams, put the book down, and you die. First task: The one who knows most about you, kill them.