Jade flinched as someone suddenly tapped her. It was Phoenix.
"Oh, it's you," Jade said, a hint of surprise in her voice.
"Let's grab lunch together. Looks like your friends aren't around," Phoenix suggested.
Before Jade could respond, another voice intervened.
"Sorry, but she's coming with me," the voice asserted.
They turned to the classroom window. Jade's eyes widened as she spotted Xylon perched in the tree, glaring at Phoenix.
"Dude, I was the one who invited her first," Phoenix argued.
"But she's still coming with me," Xylon insisted.
"And why's that?" Phoenix inquired.
Jade was taken aback by Xylon's statement.
"W-Wait, what do you mean by 'mine'? When did I become an object?" Jade questioned.
Xylon leaped through the window into the classroom. He approached Jade and forcefully pulled her towards him.
"You belong to me, ever since you were a child...and no one can claim what's mine," Xylon stated, casting a challenging glance at Phoenix.
Phoenix chuckled, masking his irritation with amusement.
"You know, bro, it's fine with me if you want her to join you for lunch. You're saying all sorts of things. Go ahead, have lunch together," Phoenix said with a smile, though his eyes betrayed his simmering anger.
"Good thing you understand," Xylon replied, his grip on Jade tightening as he dragged her out.
Left alone, Phoenix seethed with anger, he wanted to punch Xylon, but he couldn't because of Jade.
.
.
"Why are you so grumpy towards Phoenix?" Jade asked as they walked down the hallway.
"Because he's ugly," Xylon replied.
Jade couldn't help but hit Xylon's head in response to his comment.
"Ouch! Why did you hit me?" Xylon complained.
"You're so arrogant, you need to behave," Jade scolded.
"Why? I'm just stating the fact," Xylon retorted.
Jade rolled her eyes and walked faster leaving him behind.
"Hey, wait up!" Xylon called out, but Jade continued on, ignoring him.
"Hey babe, I'm sorry!" Xylon shouted again, trying to catch up.
Jade halted her steps.
Xylon smirked. "Aww, you stopped when I called you babe." he teased while approaching her. "Babe, I'm really sorry," he said, attempting to make amends.
Jade's cheeks flushed as she turned to face him.
"Babe, your face! I'm not a pig!" Jade shouted before walking away again.
Instead of calling her again, Xylon smirked again as he thought of something naughty.
Xylon quickly moved, effortlessly lifted Jade off the ground as if they were newlyweds.
"W-What do you think you're doing? Put me down!" Jade demanded.
"Later, babe," Xylon said, flashing a playful wink at her.
A blush spread across Jade's cheeks, only serving to further amuse Xylon.
Their unconventional display drew curious glances from passing students, leaving Jade wishing she could simply vanish from sight due to overwhelming embarrassment.
.
....
Aria was walking through town with Stephen and Cedrick as dusk was beginning to settle, so it was okay for them to be out. As they walked, they noticed a crowd gathering.
"What's going on? Why are they causing a commotion?" Cedrick asked in bewilderment.
Approaching the throng, Cedrick's stomach churned at the gruesome scene before them: an elderly man lay lifeless on the ground, his abdomen savagely torn open, his insides gruesomely absent.
Aria and Stephen exchanged glances.
"Chimera..." Aria said through mental telepathy.
Stephen nodded.
Cedrick urged them to leave as he couldn't bear the smell and the sight of the corpse.
When they reached the apartment, Aria noticed the silence from Cedrick.
She didn't want to read his mind; she wanted him to tell her himself.
"Is something troubling you?" she asked.
Cedrick's gaze turned inward as he relived a painful memory.
"I just remembered what happened to my parents," Cedrick replied.
Intrigued and concerned, Aria urged him to share his story.
"What happened to them?" Aria inquired.
"They were killed by vampires," Cedrick said.
Stephen almost spat out his tea, and even Aria was shocked.
"Vampires?" Aria gasped, her disbelief mirroring Stephen's.
Cedrick nodded.
"We were poor and lived in a shanty house. One night, my father went out because he heard some noises outside. We were shocked when he suddenly screamed and told us to run away with my mother. Then I saw him being attacked by a vampire. It killed both my father and my mother... My mother hid me inside our old cabinet, so the vampires didn't see me..." Cedrick recounted.
Tears welled in Cedrick's eyes as he recounted the tragic events that had shaped his life.
"That's why I harbor such resentment towards vampires. If ever I encounter one... I will not hesitate to kill it," Cedrick declared.
Aria was rendered speechless, her heart heavy with the weight of Cedrick's revelation. How could she reveal her true identity to him, knowing the depth of his animosity?
Stephen remained silent, but his gaze was fixed on them. This is what he had warned Aria about before. It was indeed wrong for a vampire to love a human. Because humans despised vampires...
.
....
Fall and her siblings were walking when suddenly shadows appeared on the ground. From within the depths of these shadows emerged Kan, gradually materializing before them.
A meaningful glance was exchanged between Fall and her sisters.
"How are you guys? Seems like someone was missing today," Kan said.
"If you're referring to Snow, she's in Aznar right now because she was summoned by our father," Autumn replied.
"I see," Kan responded, briefly glancing towards Rain.
"I recently discovered that Rain and I share a similar ability. While I can move and travel through shadows, Rain possesses the ability to travel to other places as long as there's water," Kan disclosed.
"What exactly are you insinuating?" Fall inquired.
"I suddenly became interested in her. Especially since we encountered beings yesterday who can control nature," Kan said.
"Are you accusing my sister?" Autumn asked.
"I didn't say that... I just want to let you know that it's too dangerous to go out alone now... Please be careful," Kan said before sinking back into his shadow.
The siblings exchanged looks again. It was evident that Kan was issuing a warning.
.
.
"Ugh, so boring," Blake complained.
They were in the room now, with no teacher around.
"They always disappear, Aria's not here, neither is Xylon, Phoenix, and now Yvess. Seriously, where do they keep going?" Blake wondered.
Xenon just shrugged, absorbed in his book.
"What are you reading? A romance novel?" Blake teased.
"Can you please not project your boredom onto me?" Xenon retorted.
"Is there anything more boring than what you're doing?" Blake fired back.
Xenon didn't respond.
Heberlin was busy playing on his cellphone, while Maddison and Genevieve were also reading books. Blake glanced behind him and saw Rebeus with a girl. The jerk looked happy as he embraced her.
There were only a few of them in the room, so Rebeus felt free to do as he pleased. He held the girl close and kissed her on the lips. The girl responded, making him grin. He quickly slipped his hand inside her blouse and fondled her chest. The girl let out a soft moan.
"Hey! Take that to the bedroom, not here!" Blake suddenly yelled.
Rebeus paused in his actions and gave Blake an irritated look.
"You're just jealous, man," Rebeus retorted.
Blake just laughed.
Rebeus pulled the girl out. They headed to the girls' restroom, and he promptly locked the door behind them.
.
.
"Hey Jade, where have you been?" Rain inquired.
They bumped into each other in the hallway.
"Ah, just grabbed a bite at the canteen. What about you guys?" Jade responded.
"We escorted Snow home, she's not feeling well," Autumn said.
"I see. I hope she feels better soon," Jade expressed sympathetically.
As they made their way up the stairs, they encountered Phoenix accompanied by his male classmates.
As they ascended, Rain suddenly nudged Jade. She was puzzled, but Rain pointed at Phoenix. Jade was surprised to see him staring at her.
A wave of embarrassment washed over Jade, prompting her to hasten her steps up the staircase.
Phoenix's expression suddenly turned sad. He felt like Jade was avoiding him.
.
....
It was late at night, and Genevieve was walking alone towards her dormitory. She stopped in her tracks when she felt like someone was following her.
"Show yourself," Genevieve demanded.
A woman who looked like a mannequin emerged from behind a tree.
"Who are you? You're not a student here," Genevieve confronted the intruder with a mix of curiosity and caution.
A sinister laughter emanated from the woman as its nails extended slowly, a menacing display that sent shivers down Genevieve's spine.
Genevieve stepped back, her senses heightened in anticipation of the impending danger.
The woman's face gradually opened up, revealing a large mouth with razor-sharp teeth and an unnaturally elongated tongue.
"You're a chimera!" Genevieve exclaimed.
The chimera lunged at her.
It was too late for Genevieve to recite her incantations because the chimera's tongue quickly elongated and wrapped around her neck.
It pulled her closer. Genevieve tried to break free, but she couldn't escape.
"P-Please... l-let me go," she pleaded.
As the chimera drew near, it swiftly struck Genevieve's abdomen, blood spurted from her body, her agonized cries drowned out by the creature's triumphant roars.
The chimera delightedly tore apart her insides. Then, it threw her away. Genevieve's form dissolved into a haze of dust.
.
.
Aria and her companions raced urgently towards Genevieve's location, driven by a sense of urgency and dread. Aria, catching sight of the grim scene unfolding before them, wasted no time in alerting her friends to the situation. Despite their swift pace, they arrived too late, greeted only by the scattered remnants of Genevieve's form.
Maddison's voice rang out, filled with rage and anguish. "Whoever is responsible for this...THEY WILL PAY FOR IT!!!" she declared vehemently, her words echoing through the night air.
Xenon, his usual calm demeanor shattered by the sight before him, felt a surge of fury coursing through him. Determined to seek justice for their fallen friend, they knew they had to uncover the identity of the perpetrator.
.
....
The woman, bearing an uncanny resemblance to a mannequin, strode gracefully into the grandeur of the mansion before humbly kneeling before the Chief Minister.
"Well done, Love. I am right about you; you are really useful to me," the minister praised, while stroking the woman's hair.
The woman, devoid of emotions, simply stared at the floor, accepting her master's praise.