It took quite a lot of strength for me to pull the door of the freezer. As the large door slowly opened, a gust of cold air blew into my face. Could I really be able to... stay here?
I took a look around. It was huge! It would take so long for me to find this banana milk! It seems that this would take a lot longer than expected.
The door shut behind me. I didn't pay much attention to it, anyway. The most important thing was finding that banana milk quickly before I froze to death.
Thousands of shelves reached up to the sky. I climbed those shelves, searching. It was a good thing Elyse had helped me overcome my fear of heights. I wonder how she's doing now...
My footing was bad and I slipped on melting ice. How the hell was that even possible?! In such a cold place, how could ice melt?
I was lucky enough to land on a huge pile of ice. It hurt like hell, but I managed to get up. The pain was the least of my worries. From time to time, I felt as if I wasn't the only person in the large freezer.
"Eeenie... meenie... miney... mo!" I pointed to a box covered in cloth, rushing to open it. No banana milk. Damn!
"Why does the headmaster want something so... troublesome?"
My heartbeat increased tenfold. That was the only thing I felt.
Ba-dump. Ba-dump.
I placed my hand on my chest. Why was I so... afraid? It was something my brain knew but was too afraid to tell me directly.
Move. Move. Move!
That was my only thought. Listening to my head, I jumped out of the way. A large tail slammed into the area that would've been where I was standing.
My heart started to beat even faster and I began to sweat uncontrollably. I picked myself up as fast as possible, running away. From a short glance, it could only be one thing.
A large, reptilian body, with wings and scales. Grey in color, with sharp teeth and large, reptilian-like eyes. A dragon. That's all it could be.
But what the hell was a dragon doing in a freezer? The headmaster sent me here. He surely knows something about it, right? I'll ask him about it at a later time.
What I needed to focus on was running away. It was cold, but when the dragon blew his firey breath, it allowed me to grasp at warmth, even for a moment.
It seems the dragon took notice of this. Pillars of ice rose from the ground. This dragon... could take on multiple elements? What kind of-
My train of thought was disrupted by a whip to the side by the dragon's tail.
"Keuk!-"
My breath became heavier and I could barely move, but I moved anyways. The fear grew stronger and stronger. I kept running.
I cut threw corners, occasionally slipping on ice, but that didn't matter. I quickly picked myself back up and continued my sprint. How large is this freezer!?
I kicked up a butcher knife and threw it at the dragon. It did nothing. His skin was too tough. The only weak spot was his heart, where the scales weren't as intense in that area. It was a gamble, but it was the only way I could win.
I remembered something Ian told me.
***
"Hey, Julian. You've ever seen a dragon before?" Ian said as we walked down the hallway.
"Nope. I don't intend to, since I'll die in a second."
"Hah. You have such low self-esteem, huh?"
"I don't have low self-esteem, I'm just thinking logically, that's all!"
"It's quite simple. A stab in the heart could kill them, pretty easily."
"Really? Are you an expert, or something?"
"Apparently, my uncle fought one with his teammates."
"Sure. Your uncle was definitely spouting crap."
"You could never know. But there's one thing you should NEVER do while handling a dragon."
"What is it?"
"Eating its heart. The mana will be too much for your body and your Velian to handle, ripping you to shreds."
"I don't have a Velian, remember? I can't even store mana."
"Right. Now that I think about it, aren't you quite weak?"
"Shut up!"
***
Thank goodness. If it weren't for Ian, I would surely be dead right now. A direct stab to the heart would work, right?
I kicked up a butcher knife, stopping in my tracks. I jumped at the dragon, throwing the knife to its chest. A failure. It bounced off its tough skin.
Without hesitating, it whipped me with its tail, sending me into the wall.
"Gya!-" I screamed in pain as my back hit the wall. If it weren't for my demon body, I'd be paralyzed, or even worst, dead.
Right. My demon body! It was definitely a gamble, but I could use my demon legs to advantage. A knife wouldn't be tough enough, though.
Demons are... creatures that feast, right? Then, they must have tough teeth and strong jaws. Yeah. I'd have to eat the dragon's heart. Even if it kills me.
My knees contracted and I looked at the dragon dead in the eyes. He continued to run at me. When my knees extended, I zipped at the dragon, my jaw unhinged. When I was close enough to the dragon's chest, I bit down.
The dragon screamed in pain, shaking me off. I stayed there, biting down on his heart. I even swallowed a bit of the heart. No, not just a bit of the heart. A lot of it.
He finally fell down. I collapsed on his body, panting. I couldn't feel my fingers, it was cold. Am I going to die? I'm definitely against it... but I feel... different. As if I'm more okay with it.
A pack of banana milk was found. I took one out, drinking it. Tears fell from my eyes.
"This... this is too good!" I cried. Something so good could only be given as a last meal. So I'm really gonna die here, huh? No! I can't die here! I must... live on! For Cera and Ian! For Rosette, Dr. Vaen, and everyone else waiting for me!
I crawled all the way to the door, taking a pack of banana milk with me. No way. I have to live.
By the time I reached the outside, my grip on consciousness was fading away. This isn't good!