<h4>Chapter 41: Sei’s Story</h4>


    Like Luna, Sei was originally born in Japan.


    She was the oldest daughter of a very wealthy and prominent family.


    She was seen by her family as a diligent, obedient child who excelled at whatever she tried her hand at and was her parents pride and joy.


    When she entered adolescence, Sei gained a mesmerizing beauty to match her divine talent.


    Simply saying she had arge amount of suitors would be a gross understatement.


    Boys were lining up in droves to gain her affections, yet only one was so lucky.


    A young man that Sei met in an after school club, turned out to be her first love.


    They spent lots of time together,ughing, discussingmon interests, and even studying together.


    Eventually, the pair sought to enter into an official courtship and went to Sei''s parents for their approval.


    Surely she, who had never asked for anything in her life would have this one wish granted?


    Her parents were utterly furious.


    Their daughter had actually brought home some poor nobody with average looks and ability!


    They could not allow her to sully their name and reputation!


    The young couple''s request for acknowledgment was denied, and they were forbidden from interacting with each other again.


    Sei was heartbroken but what could she do?


    She had never gone against the wishes of her parents before and she wasn''t even sure how.


    Months went by with each day seeming more and more bleak than thest.


    The boy she fell in love with had stoppeding to school entirely, and she hadn''t seen him in months.


    Her life that was once so beautiful and dreamlike, quickly became a dull wastnd she could not escape from.


    Then one day, the young man suddenly appeared in front of her once again.


    He had arge suitcase full of money and two ne tickets to America.


    Apparently he''d been working like mad ever since the two had separated, all in hopes of running away with her and starting a new life together.


    Sei waspletely stunned.


    At only seventeen, she did not know if she was ready for such a monumental decision as running away.


    But when she looked at all of the money he had collected, she knew just how hard he''d worked to give them this chance and she simply couldn''t say no.


    Sei went home to collect her passport and pack some clothes before she left a letter on her dresser exining her disappearance.


    She fled in the middle of the night with the boy she''d fallen hopelessly in love with.


    Arriving in America, things were slightly rocky at first but the pair were happy.


    For a while they slept in motels and worked odd jobs to make ends meet when money began to run low, but when Sei became pregnant, they knew they would have to take more drastic measures for their future.


    The man got an apprenticeship at a car garage as a mechanic, and was able to start earning a livable wage in a short time. Sei also started working at the restaurant that would be hers in the future.


    With their new sources of ie, the two were finally able to purchase a house and even a car.


    Their life seemed to be perfect with many more happy days in front of them.


    Unfortunately, it did notst.


    The man soon fell in love with an American woman and ran away to be with her.


    Leaving a heartbroken Sei with piles of bills to pay and a child to raise.


    She called home and begged for her family''s forgiveness and toe home, only to be told that a whore who opens her legs for any random man she meets had no ce in their lives.


    So now, Sei had no family, no husband and a child who she desperately needed help raising.


    Luckily, her boss at the restaurant took pity on her and she invited her toe and stay in her home for as long as she needed.


    As someone who never had children of her own, she weed Sei and her daughter with open arms and Sei found herself confiding in the tenderness of a new mother figure.


    A few yearster, her boss passed away from old age. Sei and Serana were devastated, but then they''d discovered the woman had left behind a will containing a small sum of money, the deed to the restaurant and the house they were currently living in.


    Sei was eternally grateful to the old woman for helping her to raise her daughter and giving her a ce to go when she had no one.


    -


    "As the years went by I never interacted with men outside of the restaurant." Sei said with a sad expression.


    "I thought I was just uninterested, but eventually I realized that I was just too scared to be vulnerable with anyone else.


    I couldn''t trust anyone, couldn''t depend on them either. The one person who consistently helped me has already passed away."


    Luna stared at Sei as if she were looking at a new woman.


    She had no idea this kind and gentle woman had such a horrible past behind her.


    ''I can tell this is difficult for her to talk about… so why is she going so far?''


    "And then.. Mchi asked to be with me." Sei''s downtrodden disposition suddenly turned into a pure warmth as she remembered the man she was dating.


    "Normally, I would''ve refused immediately. Maybe it was our history or maybe it was the genuine way that he asked me, but I found myself unable to say no.


    Despite that, I was determined not to fall in love with him and I was sure he''d lose his fascination with me sooner rather thanter. "


    "No matter how handsome he''d be.." she shyly added, prompting Luna to roll her eyes even though she inwardly agreed wholeheartedly.


    "But he''s so kind and caring.. unlike anyone I''ve ever known. He''s given me everything he possibly could even when I did not deserve it."


    "And even though the entire world is moring for his attention, he only gives it to me. I feel… special."


    Luna could not help but remember how Mchi was behaving like he was on cloud nine the day he and Sei began dating.


    ''So that''s why I was so bothered.''


    "Not once has he ever caused me to regret my decision. In truth, I wish I had made it sooner. " she giggled.


    Sei moved to the couch beside Luna and took her hand. "I will not pretend to know everything that you have been through, but I do understand what it''s like to feel scarred by your past and unable to trust in anyone. I am not asking you to trust in anyone else, just trust him."


    Luna stared at Sei''s soft white hand that was intertwined with hers.


    Her words were constantly ringing in her mind, telling her that she could be trusting, and vulnerable, no matter how hard it seemed.


    Could she really do that?


    Would it truly not go horribly wrong?


    She wasn''t certain but if Sei could try… maybe she could too.


    -


    "Alright kid, you wanna do this the easy way or the hard way?" Rowan asked Mchi.


    They''d reached their destination inside of the barn and were standing in the area Mchi usually trained in, arge open space with metal pails opposite him to act as targets.


    "What''s the difference?" Mchi asked.


    "If we start out hard, you''ll have an easier time with simple actions in the future. If we do it the easy way, we''ll slowly be able to build up your fundamentals, making sure your power is more concise." Rowan exined simply.


    Mchi thought long and hard about this decision.


    The gods had warned him already that more dangerous things woulde so he needed to be prepared.


    ''Do I focus on gaining power as fast as possible, or do I have time to learn the fundamentals?'' He wondered.


    Which was the right way to go about gaining power?