Xaloc finished reading the book and put it back on the shelf. The library in the residential area was small. Just a couple of bookshelves that are filled with books on the geography of Atlantis and other miscellaneous stuff.
Nothing important but no knowledge was useless. The book he was currently reading was about the island of Lemos. It was the location of the forge of Hephaestus, god of blacksmiths and metallurgy.
The Miocene volcanoes that used to spew lava were one of Hephaestus's favourite fires for crafting. According to the book, to this day, there were different god weapons crafted lying around on the island.
It was interesting.
He checked the time on the clock while missing his phone. 2:30 a.m. He needed to go back to bed.
He shivered, wishing that he had brought a scarf or a thicker sweater, the entire area was quiet as Xaloc made it across the training court to the dorms, occasionally he could hear the movement of small animals. he yawned, he might not even make it to lunch this time around.
He walked across the training court and paused when he passed a corner. It was too silent. Unnaturally silent.
"Who is there?" He said. After a few seconds, three figures walked out. He could recognise the tall, muscular one as Chad. Another had the same build as Chad but was smaller and with fewer tattoos. The last one was as thin as a praying mantis, with two round eyes and a shirt fluff of hair on his head.
Xaloc tried to remember where he had seen them before but he had no idea who they were.
Xaloc frowned, not wanting to know the reason the three of them were there, especially as they looked hostile.
He turned to leave but his action made Chad angrier.
"Stop fu**ing walking away from me. You toe-rag."
He swore and swung his right fist aiming for Xaloc's head, but Xaloc was flexible. He lowered his body to dodge while returning a hard punch into Chad's belly region, for maximum pain
Xaloc froze.
Chad's stomach was like a block of iron, thick and impenetrable.
The pain from striking iron went through Xaloc's entire body but he endured it and moved back.
He used his divinity and he could see Chad's eyes dull a bit like he was sleepy. He then turned to run but the other two men had blocked his path, he tried to use the same divinity on them when he was hit with a bout of dizziness.
"Smack."
This time around Chad's attack met its mark and it was like an iron boulder gas smacked Xaloc on his head. He could feel the thick scent and warmth of blood as it filled his mouth.
The hit threw Xaloc to the floor and blows rained down on him at all angles.
He tried to stand up, flames of anger burning in his eyes as he stared them down. He spat out the blood.
"If you have a problem. with me, go on and say, you don't have…"
"Pa!" The man gave him another blow as he chuckled wickedly, "Problem. I have so many issues with you. Your face, your voice, everything." The man mocked him, his eyes gleaming with malice.
The three of them surrounded him, they withheld no strength as they punched him.
Xaloc tried to stand up again but they beat him to the ground. The more he tried, the stronger the punches were.
Eventually, he stopped. What is this? Why? Were they trying to kill him?
He shouted as he tried to call attention but the man laughed louder.
"Feel free. Miso is the descendant of Aurras. He has isolated this area, no sound can get in or out. Xaloc~" The man drew, "guess what we are going to kill you."
Killing was not permitted, Xaloc wanted to say but the pain clouded his thoughts.
He had an injury on his head because blood ran down his face, obstructing his vision but Xaloc shook it off. He wanted to carve the features of these men into his memories, into his bloodstream.
Chad roared, "Stop f***ing looking at me like that, you crazy piece of shit!" He hated everything about Xaloc but foremost, he hated his eyes, those black eyes that seemed to look down on everything, looking down on him like he was an ant.
The memory of the afternoon came flooding Chad's head feeling hum with scorching anger and he ended up on Xaloc again.
This time around, he held his hand and with one swift motion broke it.
Xaloc screamed!
The pain was so intense that it flooded his mind. The more he screamed, the more Chad enjoyed it, till he started laughing.
The two boys stopped punching Xaloc and were staring at him nervously.
"If I knew that this was all it would take to make you scream, why would I waste so much time here?"
He made slow steps towards Xaloc.
Xaloc felt an ice-cold fear run through his spine and then shame that Chad had made him so scared.
With each step Chad made, he tried to move back till his back hit the wall.
Chad's green eyes were very bright as he held his other hand and broke it.
A scream tore out of Xaloc's mouth into the quiet night.
Suddenly, there were footsteps coming from the right and everyone froze as their eyes moved in that direction.
Xaloc could recognise the person that just walked in.
It was a tall girl with a messy bun and a quiver of arrows around her waist, she was holding a black bow. It was Hina.
She paused and looked at Xaloc. For some reason, Xaloc could feel disdain in the woman's eyes that chilled him to the bone, making him swallow his plea for help.
So this is Atlantis. In this place, nobody can help you.
He regretted it. He wished he never came here.
He started to lose his breath as his eyes blurred from the pain and blood loss.
He could still hear Chad talking.
"Don't tell me you were expecting her to help, as long as you don't die, she doesn't care. I rarely get angry so just don't provoke me next time or I don't know what I would do. You are the one that forced my hand. Just remember that Selene is mine and we would get along great. Sounds good."
Selene! Xaloc thought as his eyes closed.