Rosanna's P. O. V:
I awoke to Karissa's nudging, finding the bed empty and realizing I was not Doctor Osborne's patient room but in my room in Kairos' mansion.
I got out of bed with less struggles and prepared for the day. Freshened up, wore a grey hoodie and black tights.
I couldn't be bothered to do anything with my hair so I let the stubborn curls fall to my back.
Ah, the unanticipated and anticipated day. Today; Monday.
Fixing the necessary tools in my bag, I stood up from the bed and Karissa left my room, seeing I was done.
After she patiently waited for me to dress up, much to my discomfort.
What am I? A disobedient child that won't prepare for school? Well, if I could... I wouldn't.
I locked the door with my card and walked with Karissa by my sides, acting like my personal bodyguard.
Thereafter we descended down the stairs and found all Team Alpha present.
With Kairos at the center of everyone's attention, talking about things I could not understand and marking out zones on the large map. Which was spread out upon the high center table.
His silver locks fell gently, framing his face which gave a soft image to his contradictory serious eyes. But it all blended well.
"...Natalie and Elan will take positions in the west, Pearce and Karissa south, Naiyah and Drake will go East and I'll take the North. Questions?"
"Aye," Pearce raised his hand up with a calm look.
Kairos turned his attention to the boy who was sitting in a poised manner, contrasting Elan's bad posture and oily face, nibbling on a chicken wing with a hunched back.
So much for prince charming perfect everything.
The two individuals sitting together received the group's undivided stare. It was kind of comedic.
"What do we do about the girl? We're leaving her in the mansion?"
"Who?" Elan asked, taking a pause from his food.
Do all Vampires eat cooked chicken? Do they like spicy sauce? I prefer it crispy, tender and with heavy taste.
"Her."
I met Pearce's neutral face and received the focus of everyone.
I raised both hands in surrender. When did I come into this conversation?
"I am an innocent passerby." I declared blandly.
"She's with me."
Kairos' words came almost immediately after I opened my mouth. Clashing with my words.
Was that the typical male lead statement I heard?
Too bad I'm no female lead and rather a prisoner. Reality can be too disappointing, smh.
"Alright, Boss." Elan drawled, seeming to take the words off Pearce who had a relaxed expression, shrugging in acceptance.
"Don't you think it's too much to let pests such as that run unhinged in our territory?"
Ah, Natalie. Thank you for talking bad about me, would've felt even more threatened by your dormancy.
"And since when did your opinion determine Master's decision?" Karissa retorted, raising a brow with a 'I-didn't-know-it-has-come-to-this' look.
"Shut it mutt," Natalie glowered.
"Hey-" Pearce's offended cry was interrupted by Kairos' authoritative tone.
"Natalie, Karissa, step down. Remember the rules or retrieve a level 3 demon's head."
"Yes, Master/Lord." The two synchronized.
Such an easy way to end fighting, ah.
And here I was anticipating drama and almost reaching forward to grab a bite from Elan's bucket full of chicken wings.
Lucky son ate it all and watched the little scene with interest.
I nudged Karissa who was standing besides me.
"Classes?"
"Sure, let's go." She replied, clutching my hand and walking out.
I tried to ignore the contact but I was just too awkward involving hum- intelligent creatures, to not pay a lot of attention to it. And it felt weird.
I followed Karissa out with feigned calmness, eager to leave this group of odd people.
.
I've arrived! Mana Assimilation and Configuration Class! Soon I will gain powers, beat Kairos, rule the universe!
I'm more likely to rule the universe than beat Kairos. Haha, imaginations. So far from reality.
By the way, why has he been on my thoughts lately? It's bothersome how my life seems to forcefully revolve around him with major influence.
M. A. C. Class was not held in the usual classroom. We were told it was because of the awakening.
So every student of that class followed Ms. Ava into a simulation room with... Human sized glass... Thingies.
I just know they're sci-fi stuff that people enter for... An awakening.
"Alright, class!" Ms. Ava clapped her hands, turning to us with a grin. Which was quite surprising to see for some of us.
"Get into the Awakening Pods! Once everyone is fully inserted, the glass doors will close automatically and your physical awakening will begin. Understood? Great! Move on."
The lady seemed to be awfully excited today. Perhaps the awakening of Elementalists is a joyful occasion for any teacher. It's like seeing living hope manifest to resist the siege of demons.
I could understand, too. I am excited at the prospect of gaining power to survive and resist my life hanging on a thread. A thicker thread is better.
Like everyone else, I got into the opened Awakening Pod and laid my back on the soft but firm black material, held up by the strong glass.
I was half sitting, half standing in the pod and I wondered when it would begin. And how long I'd stay in here.
Nervous and excitement filled me. It was... finally doing something I desire in this new world. Somewhat.
The glass door slid over me automatically and I heard a genderless voice that gave me a bit of trauma.
It was the 'System Voice' I heard in the Simulation Class test.
"Initiating..."
Don't tell me-
"Physical Awakening, begin."
I sighed in relief. Thankfully it was no surprise Simulation test.
"Subject name?" Then I heard a soft feminine voice coming from within the pod.
"...Ro...sanna, Rosanna Graymond."
I was hesitant at first but figured it should be a normal way to identify the people within the awakening pod. Probably to monitor the student's-
"Error."
I froze.
"What-"
Purple smoke filled my vision and my brain became fuzzy.
Instinctively, I held my breath as a wild premonition brewed in my mind. But there was a limit to how much I could hold.
Knocking on the glass rapidly, I felt my dread increased when each passing second went by and I received no answer.
I opened my mouth to inhale slightly, exhausted from slamming my soon to be bruised hand on the glass.
Wrong move. Maybe I should have stuck to holding my breath than wasting energy.
"Arghhhhhhhhhh!"
I released one of the biggest scream I could muster.
My voice strained towards the end. If I didn't know better, I'd think that was a banshee's cry.
Intense pain wrecked my whole body.
I felt the pain of tear in the outer layers of my skin and deep within, worse it was like someone added salt, alcohol and itchy little ants to explore the open wounds.
I could not think straight.
The pain I felt and the pure discomfort made my mind go blank. My face itself was engulfed in this fiery torture.
'Please... Stop' I wanted to voice out but the only thing that exited my lips were metallic liquid.
I wanted to cover my body to stop the pain but even the slightest contact had me groaning. My hands laid limply at my sides.
Heat waves more deadly than the harsh sun in my home country had me feeling faint. And with the different feelings, I didn't know why I hadn't passed out yet.
I also didn't know why everything was against me.
Nor do I know who I murdered in my past life.
Can I happily say the world is ridden with animals?
I dearly wanted to pass out. But all I could do was have my weak legs press on the glass while my head fell on it, thumping harshly on the strong surface.
Perhaps death isn't so bad.
No worries, no pain, no nothing. Isn't that ideal? Must we all live to suffer?
Maybe I was crying but I don't think my body can afford tears.
I can't feel anything.
From the initial slow, inexpressible anger at my unfortunate life to sadness, then grief and mental numbness.
My head went blank, failing to listen to the System's words.
[Counterattack Successful: Physique Upgr-
...
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Third Person's P. O. V:
Kairos held the dagger in place just as he was about to stab the mutilated man who was strapped unto a metal chair.
"Why..." He muttered, feeling a big sense of unease.
He could feel Rael projecting large signal waves, foretelling and warning Kairos of something he couldn't understand.
'What the f*ck is wrong with Rael?' Kairos held in his growl of irritation, wondering if he should take some time to slaughter and calm the beast.
'Mate.'
Kairos made out a prominent word from amongst the scattered signs.
It was possible for Kairos to connect to Rael and better understand what the latter was trying to communicate about, but Kairos would not give Rael the chance to take control and create a mess.
"Mate." Kairos said with affirmation. Ignoring the panting of the bleeding man on the chair.
"Marshall, Elan, continue handling the investigation." He ordered.
The two people standing by the sides gave a nod of acknowledgement, each taking a torture tool off the wall and moving towards the amputated man whose life was hanging by a thread.
Elan and Marshall didn't drift their thoughts further into Kairos' sudden leave or his earlier words, they merely followed orders as told.
Walking a few steps away, Kairos teleported out of the area. His mind clouded with worry and his expression sour.
The sound of something hitting with a thud was heard in the dark room from where Kairos left. It's occupants being Elan, Marshall and a caught enemy.
One could hear the sound of chains clacking in response to the injured man moving his neck.
"Kill me... Please... I beg you... J-jus- mmph!"
It was unknown what was happening in the room but one thing was certain, the poor individual would not be receiving his desires anytime soon.
Arriving at the closest range to Rosanna's presence, Kairos ran swiftly, bursting open the metal door from kicking it off it's hinges.
Ms. Ava looked at the Admiral in surprise wondering what had gotten into his head.
"Where is she?" Kairos growled to himself, walking around the pods in the white room.
He could feel Rosanna's presence heavily, but something was blocking him from pinpointing the exact location.
"Who she?" Ms. Ava let out a confused expression. Was the Admiral sick?
"Rosanna- Sierra, locate Rosanna Graymond's pod."
Ms. Ava was upset. "Prince, with due respect, you can't just come in here, break the door and disturb my student's awakening! Do you-"
Suddenly finding herself deep inside a wall, Ms. Ava coughed up blood and fell down unto the floor with an expression of immense pain and disbelief.
Demon's hairy ass, what was happening?
Before she could muster up the strength to talk and contemplate fighting her Prince, she saw the holographic image of Rosanna's pod come into view showing the internal space of the pod.
Ms. Ava knew immediately that something was absolutely wrong.
While on the outside, as she had watched, every student's pod were working effectively with a green glow.
Signalling the devices were good, and the students were safe.
But Rosanna's condition was very far from safe.
The image automatically removed the blockage of the dense purple mist and revealed a clear figure within.
Red blood trickled down the unconscious girl's lips but that was the least frightening.
Deep knife marks were all over her body, excreting silver liquid and her pores released a thin thread of red blood once in a while.
"T-that..." Ms. Ava stuttered, crawling to her feet and walking towards the holographic image with wobbling steps.
"Sierra, shut down, n-!"
Before she could utter the complete sentence, Kairos had already thrashed the power line connecting the pods.
Using his hidden talent [Order] that wrapped a target with space-time attribute, reverting traces of it's existence into nothingness.
Sparks and a loud boom sounded, it was complete damage to the power line.
The glass doors remained close, each beeping red signifying error. But the Awakening was definetely stopped.
Kairos didn't think before acting- he just wanted to do anything that will save Rosanna immediately.
Something told him if he failed to save her, she'd be his ghost mate in a minute.
Fortunately, the outpouring of the mist in Rosanna's pod was cut short. Reducing the burden her body would've faced.
Kairos identified the dense smoke-covered pod with the initial '27' on it. The number Sierra had shown him in the image.
"Sierra, unlock." He commanded with urgency, cursing inwardly at how he could've used brute strength to break the glasses if Rosanna was not inside.
Blue light flashed from underneath Kairos' palm which was placed atop the glass.
The glass door opened and the purple mist dispersed immediately, some going into the air and hovering before disappearing.
Kairos cursed with a grim expression before he tenderly picked the unconscious girl up.
If Rosanna's situation hadn't already brought anger to him, perceiving the mist had made his eyes glow red, parts of his hair having black locks.
This was not an accident. And he'd murder whoever did this.