My body is numb when that terrifying growl comes from afar. The beast's pair of red eyes makes it more terrifying. I lift my right arm and lighten my fire.
He covers me to protect me. However, I don't want him to do that. I don't want him to die of protecting me.
"What is that thing?" I asked him when I saw how huge the beast's silhouette is. My fire dies when the thunder rumbles like the God above is mad. I stepped back when the beast gets bigger and it is coming toward us.
I gasps when I heard a whining of a dog. I turn around to see a white pup rubbing himself on his dead mother. Now, I had a reason to fight the beast. Not for myself but for this poor orphan pup.
"I don't know…" he murmurs. I wanted to roll my eyes on his answer. I kneel and took the pup and hugged it. I thought that it would complain but it nuzzles on me instead. Nicholas glanced at me and when he realized what I am holding he looked into my eyes. I immediately gave the pup to him and throw my fire on the beast who is running to us. The fire didn't even scratch the beast.
I duck down and hold the ground. The ground started shaking as it grumbles and the roots of the trees come out and it held the beast. I throw fire and it surrounded the wild beast who tried to resist from my roots. My eyes widen when I see how huge it is. It is a furry beast with a single black horn on the forehead. His head looks like a bull or buffalo or something. The body looks like a muscular human wrestler but it has horse legs and the arms are like a human wrestler that I had ever seen in my life.
I can't help but gape. The roots are just like a paper to him, that easily torn. I stepped back and looks up to the flying sharp woods. I glanced at Nicholas who is breaking the branches just to make it as a weapon. The beasts run to me and growl in front of my face as his disgusting breath blows my face. It smells like blood…
My heart is pounding because he's ready to eat me whole but blood dripped into my lap. Nicholas pulled me and I saw Patrick on top of the head of the beast and pulls the sword that he stabbed on the beast's nape. The beast let out a small growl and it falls on the ground. I looked into Patrick who looks directly into my eyes. He dropped down the sword and kneels in front of me. He scooped my cheek and kissed my forehead. I stare at the beast that becomes ashes and the wind blows it along.
"I'm glad that you are safe…" he murmurs. I didn't notice that my breathing isn't normal. My heart is palpating. I fall my back on the ground and a good thing that Nicholas had to catch my head. I don't feel good. My body is fighting from hot and frozen temperatures. I felt a furry thing rubs my skin and the footstep of it on my abdominal as it sniffs me.
I feel someone carrying me while I am hugging the pup. I gently open my eyes. It was blurry but I know the face. He put me down gently on the warm soft couch. He kneels in front of me and put his hand on my forehead.
"What do you feel?"
"I feel like there's a typhoon inside me."
"Your temperature isn't normal. You need to take a quick bath." He took the pup from me. "I will clean him up." I lazily get up and hold my head. I looked at my arms that looked so pale and it got dark bruises. The door opens and I looked at Patrick with Marissa. He got bloodstains on his tuxedo. He immediately runs to me and held me.
He checked my bruises. Marissa came too and checked my pulse. She immediately told him that my blood pressure is low at 80 over 49. Patrick runs on the corner and grabbed a glass of water on the water dispenser. He gave it to me and I drank it all. I breathe and leans on the couch and close my eyes.
"Her bath is ready," Nicholas said. I open my eyes and saw him holding the pup with a towel that is wrapped on it. Marissa asked me if I could stand. I just nod but, Patrick and Marissa needed to pull me up. I can't even take a step so Patrick carried me like a princess and went to the bathroom.
I close my eyes and my body started cooling down. I looked at Marissa who is washing my hair. I am still wearing mine under garnets. She's just quite. I wanted to peek on her eyes to see her expression or to read it.
"What is in this world that makes it scarier?" I asked in a very low voice. My throat is dry and rough.
"Everything is scary, Catastrophe." She told me.
I was already in the bed after Marissa helped me to dry up and put clothes on. Patrick sat beside me while Marissa and Nicholas had left already. He was holding my hand while staring at me.
"I'm sorry." He said it. But he doesn't speak to me personally but inside my head. "I should've known that they had done it to you. But I am here now, I won't let them hurt you ever again."
"You can't protect me, Patrick. We don't know whom we are against." I speak to him through my mind. All this time, I am guessing right. He can get into people's minds, read people's minds, and speak through mind-link.
"Do you know why I am still in this Academy instead of going to Europe as a psychiatrist?" he asked me. "I didn't leave this school because the answers on Adhiti's disappearance are inside this school. I never leave this school because I know that the people who wanted to kill Adhiti and you are here. They never leave without their greed." I blink slowly as a tear falls from my left eye. He gently caressed my left cheek brushing off my tear.
"I am really tired," I told him. He bent out and I close my eyes. I felt his warm lips kissing my forehead.
I gently open my eyes. My body is in pain, stiff and never wanted to get up at this time. But I tried my best to get up. I gasped when Nicholas is inside my room sitting on the floor and the white furry pup is in front of him licking on the bowl.
"Good evening." He greets. I looked around me and glance at the window. It was dark outside. "You've been sleeping for two days. Now it seemed that you regain all your strength. Next time," he stood and walk towards the side table with a small cactus. "Don't heal dead wolf." He gave me a glass of water and it chills down my throat. That was a real relief. Sleeping in two days is not me. I must've drained all my energy.
Katherine purrs and rubbed herself against my back. The little pup runs towards me and barks on the cat. Katherine purrs and hissed on the pup and the pup whimpers and runs. The floor was quite slippery and he hit his butt on the wall and runs again and hides under the drawers. I can't help but smile at how adorable the pup is.
"That little guy is hyper. So, since there are two of them here, you need to be responsible for him too. You need to walk him outside and trained him well. He can't just pop around and pee around your room. I also had bought a dog's food and milk. He needs milk since he's a baby wolf." He said it all while I am sipping on the water. "I will tell Mrs. Patterson to bring you food here."
"I'm alright. I can take care of myself." I told him and patted Katherine.
"Take care of yourself, you say?" he asked sardonically and crossed his arms. "You almost died two nights ago. You barely move your whole body."
"What are you? My father?" I asked him a little insulting. "You are just my mentor—"
"Mentors do care for their apprentice, like their own daughter or son." He explains. I hold on the post of the bed and slipped off from bed. I walk towards the bathroom slowly. Why my whole body is still in pain. After peeing, I walk outside seeing Marissa with Patrick and with a tray of foods.
I started eating while they are all in front of me watching me. I have to stop eating and look back at them. They all turn back except Patrick. He raised his left eyebrow and sign me to continue eating.
"How can I concentrate if all of you keep staring at me on my every move?"
"I am just making sure that you are eating." Patrick reasoned.
"I am eating, right," I said sardonically. "I wanted some privacy, at least give me that and that's my right."
"Tomorrow, you are going back to school. Your training will proceed." Patrick said like he's my father or what. I wanted to feel annoyed but somehow, I missed it. I just sipped on the orange juice and cleared my throat.