Ethan stood by the window, gazing out at the pouring rain, his emotions swirling with anger and frustration. He couldn't believe the principal had called his mom to complain about him.
Turning to the mirror, he saw a darker, malevolent part of himself trying to surface. Closing his eyes, he focused on pushing the anger and negativity away.
When he reopened his eyes, the door to his room creaked open, and Lia entered.
"Dinner's ready, Mom wants you downstairs," Lia informed him. Ethan remained silent, prompting Lia to walk further into the room and confront him.
"I really think you should see a doctor, Ethan. I heard what happened, and you seem to be losing control. Trying to act like a troublemaker doesn't suit you," she advised before leaving the room. Ethan stood there in silence, fixated on the door, taking a deep breath before finally deciding to head downstairs.
As he descended the stairs, he found his family waiting for him. Approaching them, his mother stood up, but he halted her advance, choosing to move to a nearby chair and sit down on his own.
"Are you okay, dear?" Ethan's mom inquired, and he shot her a look. Did he appear okay? All he wanted was to escape this world and return to his real mother.
Ethan began eating without making eye contact with anyone, feeling a hunger as though he had not eaten for days, as if they were trying to starve him to death.
"If you're that famished, at least eat like a civilized person instead of devouring your food like a savage," Lia remarked, causing Ethan to halt his eating and glare at her. He cared little for her status as his sister in this world; he harbored dark thoughts of violence towards her.
Just then, his father interjected, delivering the news, "Ethan, the principal has suspended you for one week, and your mother and I have decided to ground you for the same duration until you return to school."
Furious, Ethan slammed his hand on the table, rose to his feet, and fixed a steely gaze on his parents. "I'm going to my room."
Ignoring their attempts to call him back, Ethan strode away and shut the door behind him upon entering his room. Making his way to the window, he peered outside at the less intense rain and a smile crept across his face.
Without hesitation, he leaped out of the window, with a singular thought dominating his mind—teaching a lesson to the principal.
.
.
Standing in front of the principal's house, Ethan gazed at it with a sinister smile. Raising his hand, he knocked on the door, and after a brief pause, the door swung open, revealing the shocked expression on the principal's face as she laid eyes on Ethan. Unfazed, Ethan grinned and advanced towards her.
"Ethan, what are you doing here?" the principal inquired, but before she could say more, Ethan simply walked past her and into her home, shutting the door behind him.
"Ethan, if you have something to say, please wait until after your suspension. It's raining outside; go home, or I'll have to call your mother," the principal urged, moving towards her phone.
Swiftly, Ethan intercepted her, snatching the phone from her grasp and hurling it to the ground.
"What's gotten into you, Ethan? Have you lost your mind?" the principal exclaimed, taken aback by his actions.
Drawing closer to her, Ethan stood face to face with the principal. Just as she was about to speak, she fell silent in fear as her gaze fell upon a mirror nearby, reflecting an eerie image of Ethan.
Ethan turned to look at his reflection in the mirror, his form darkened, a smile playing on his lips.
"What are you?" the principal stammered, to which Ethan leaned in close, whispering, "I didn't ask you to contact my parents. Why did you do it?"
The principal was filled with fear, a sensation keenly observed by Ethan. Suddenly, a sharp blow struck Ethan's head, causing him to crumple in agony as the principal hastily ascended the stairs.
Despite the pain, Ethan rose to his feet with a grin, his hands instinctively reaching for his head, which was now stained with blood.
Humming a tune, Ethan proceeded up the stairs, halting at the landing to survey the scene: a corridor lined with doors, yet no sign of the principal.
"Principal, can we have a word? I have something important to discuss," Ethan called out, receiving only silence in return.
He entered a room, methodically searching every nook and cranny, but the principal remained elusive.
Frustration mounting, Ethan began flinging open door after door until only one remained. A knowing smile played on his lips as he cautiously swung it ajar, only to be met with a sudden impact to his head, eliciting a cry of pain as he was forcefully knocked to the ground.
As the principal attempted to flee, Ethan seized her leg, causing her to tumble to the floor with a shriek. Slowly rising, he advanced towards her as she struggled to escape, ultimately being dragged back by her hair by Ethan's relentless grip.
"What, nothing to say? I thought you were strong, but now your strength seems to have waned," Ethan taunted with a smile, his gaze filled with a simmering anger directed at the principal.
"Dear God," the principal murmured in terror.
"You cry out to God, yet he remains silent, a mere illusion of power. How long will you invoke his name in vain? There is no deity, only the chains of servitude you willingly bear," Ethan proclaimed, his voice dripping with contempt.
With a forceful gesture, he slammed her head against the floor before hoisting her upright. "Go on, beseech your God. Perhaps he will heed your call and offer salvation."
The principal, weakened and bloodied, coughed up as Ethan struck her a final blow, rendering her motionless.
Standing over her, a smile playing on his lips, Ethan's eyes closed briefly, reopening to reveal a startling change—now a deep brown hue. Shocked, he stared at his hands and then at the lifeless form on the ground.
"No, it can't be."