The three students all cried out in anger as they tried to intervene but the crowd held them back, fearing that if they did charge towards her, they would meet the same fate. But they didn't bother silencing them as the students poured out their emotions through their screams.
"She's a killer!"
"She killed him!"
"Murderer!"
The students cried out one by one as they fiercely fought against the people that held them down.
Upon hearing the words being uttered, Inna blinked furiously as the heat of her body returned. But seeing the sight before her, it immediately left her again as she felt her body shiver in shock and disbelief.
"W-what did I just…"
Looking at the limp body of Garnel before her, her legs gave out as she scrambled to get away from his body.
"N-no… I d-didn't mean t-to…"
She looked at her stained hand and the other hand that still held the dagger, the shock still nowhere near diminishing.
Then, seeing her hand and the dagger tainted with Garnel's blood, she held in a scream as she hastily threw the reddened dagger away from her in disgust.
She… killed him?
She actually… killed someone?
She refused to look at Garnel's limp body, trying desperately to delude herself into thinking it wasn't her. But as she moved her gaze away, her sight instinctively focused on the bloodied dagger that looked like a sinister weapon of a murderer.
The accusing cries of the crowd around her started to become unbearable but it was drowned out by her inner thoughts that were far louder inside her head.
No, it wasn't her.
It wasn't her, right?
It was her other self!
She had no control over her!
Then, as she looked at the dagger more, she remembered the wound he gave her. She instinctively clutched her stomach but much to her surprise, the pain she thought that would surface from her touch didn't come.
And when she poked around her stomach some more, she realized that she no longer had the wound.
What the…
Her surprise has shifted as she stared at her stomach. This time, her thoughts grew wild as she filled her head with questions.
What was happening?!
How did her wound suddenly disappear?!
And why did her 'other' self kill Garnel?!
And why was her 'other' self able to speak?!
For the past year, nothing this extreme had happened. Her other self had always been powerful yet as blank as a sheet. But what made such a difference now?
Why was she able to speak?
And what did she mean by her words?
Faced with these stacked up shocking developments and newfound questions, Inna no longer knew what to think, do, or say anymore.
All she could focus on was what she felt.
She stared at Garnel's body that seemed to have stopped bleeding. Nevertheless, the pool of blood beneath
When the shock slowly diminished, she was slowly starting to feel something else.
And that was fear.…
An immense tidal wave of fear directed at no one but herself.
Raghnall snapped out of his shock when he saw her fearful eyes. He never saw her this frightened before. Even when he tried to spook her with some ghost pranks, which she claimed was her biggest fear, she'd always hide her fear behind her wit or anger.
And so, seeing such a grave and frightened expression on her, he knew that what she needed the most right now was comfort so he couldn't help but hastily go near her.
And when he knelt beside her, it was like she knew immediately that it was him as she hastily turned to look at him with widened eyes filled with panic.
"I… I.. I d-didn't…"
"Shhh…"
Raghnall patted her head softly, hoping it would appease her slightly.
"Calm down. Calm down. It's okay."
He spoke to her with a comforting voice but it didn't seem to do anything to Inna and her raging emotions.
"I k-killed…"
Raghnall's eyes furrowed as he shook his head.
"No, no. We can't say for sure."
Before Galen fell limp on the ground, he felt something was amiss but he wasn't entirely sure. After all, he could be seeing things due to his shock. But to comfort Inna and to confirm his suspicions, he decided to go near Garnel's limp body to check.
But before he could take a step, Inna harshly grabbed onto his sleeves as her eyes started to water.
"I-it… it wasn't m-me..."
Raghnall patted her head again as he gently pried her fingers from his robes.
"I know, I know."
Then, before Inna could grab him again, he went to Garnel's side.
And even without him checking his body, Raghnall already knew that he wasn't dead.
The subtle yet clear rise and fall of his chest was an obvious sign of life.
So, after heaving a sigh of relief, he casted a short low tier healing spell, one that would help with Garnel's blood loss.
But it seems like his goodwill was misinterpreted as the three students all exclaimed in shock.
"Wha--! What do you think you're doing to our dear brother?!"
The three students now began to struggle relentlessly at the crowd who still tried their hardest to hold them down.
But in a second, a student was able to find his chance and break free from their hold. Then, now free and filled with rage, the student immediately rushed to Inna as he took out a sword from his own spatial pouch.
Inna saw him coming but she didn't have enough energy and motivation on her to fight him so she just remained on the floor, staring as he quickly approached her.
And truthfully, Inna wanted to receive whatever punishment he intended for her to have because she felt that she deserved it after killing someone they loved.
But when the student raised his sword to swing at her, she felt the familiar coldness slowly creeping inside her body and she couldn't help but tremble.
Nonononono!
Not again!