Josiah shot his hand up— almost yelling.
"Kerrigan wants to!"
I kissed my teeth— I really want to kill this guy.
Professor Hartwell glanced at me with a raised eyebrow before sighing.
"Kerrigan, stand up and describe the process by which a Blood-Tree fuses with its sustenance?"
I stood reluctantly as every eye turned to me. I nodded detachedly. I lightly cleared my throat.
"The process begins with the Blood-tree sensing a corpse. It then uses its roots or blood red tendrils to wrap around the body— like a mummy."
My explanation was crude but I wasn't wrong.
"It slowly drags the body toward the tree of origin. Once it's pressed against the trunk… the tendrils pull."
My breath hitched. My pupils felt like they were shrinking to pinpricks, then widening again. A tremor started in my hands, small at first, then growing. The images… they clawed their way back.
The sound of snapping bones echoed in my ears again, like they had that day—wet, crunching, final. My hands wouldn't stop shaking. My body remembered what my mind tried to forget.
"They pull and they pull and they pull… the bones of the corpses snap, break, splinter. Sticking out their flesh. Their skulls get crushed as their eyes pop out— their blood spilling onto their floor."
My graphic descriptions hung heavy in the sudden silence of the classroom, catching everyone off-guard. Yet, I couldn't stop. My voice trembled, mirroring the violent shaking of my hands.
"It then slowly fuses, liquifying its organs into a paste, absorbing it into its flesh-like bark."
Some students went purple with nausea.
"Then after all of that, there would be nothing. As if nothing happened, just a lone Blood-tree is all left."
Silence
"Thank you f-for your description Kerrigan… sit down." Professor Hartwell stammered, his eyes widened with shock.
I sat back down.
The memories stopped— I finally snapped out of it. I held my face in my hands as I felt an overwhelming sensation of nausea taking over. Clenching my jaw, I suppressed it as I leant back against the chair.
I sighed exasperatedly.
But it didn't help. The smell was still there—blood-soaked bark, rotting flesh. Just something to hint that the trauma lingers past his explanation.
'I don't ever want to go back there.'
Professor Hartwell continued— this time avoiding picking me. As he droned on, Josiah didn't make any remarks, but his burly friend did, snarkily.
"It's as if he saw the real thing— probably saw a video of it and got scared."
I took a deep breath and just filtered them out.
Just waiting for this lesson to end.
Each class at the Academy runs two hours—just three a day. After this, we'd have thirty minutes of peace.
I zoned out and the rest of the lesson went in a blur.
BRRRRRINGGGG
'Finally.'
In unison everyone in the class got up and filtered out the class. Stepping outside the class felt like a breath of fresh air. Seeing the black-bricked walls of the corridors filled me with relief, that classroom was suffocating.
The air felt lighter, but the stench still clung to me—blood-soaked bark, rotting flesh.
I needed this break.
But, of course, Josiah had other plans.
Josiah slung his arm over my shoulder like we were friends.
"WOW! Kerrigan that was such a detailed description, like I knew you were fucked up but not this fucked up!"
His two friends came on either side of us sniggering as the athletic one roughly patted my back.
I could sense Corvus' apprehension via our blood pact as he hid in my hair.
"Was the poor little nameless scared of a tree?" the mouth-breathing slab of meat grunted beside him
That's it.
I'm at my limit.
I pried off Josiah's arm like it was infectious and stood. My glare was ice. My voice, final.
"Don't touch me."
Josiah's eyebrow twitched, yet he maintained his infuriating smile. His cronies' faces hardened— the athletic one approaching me placing his hand on my shoulder; gripping tightly as he snarled at me.
"Who do you think you are? What are you goi— AGHK!"
BANG!
My mind went blank with rage. I crouched, lunging forward. My fist met his nose with a grizzly CRACK. I didn't use any adaptation or skill— just my anger. I sent the little shit sprawling to the ground, he gripped his nose as blood spilled like a faucet.
My fist—already swelling, bruised a crude mix of purple and red from the force of the hit.
"I told you not to touch me."
The corridor went silent— every single student looking at us. The impact of the punch reverberated throughout the corridors.
"James!" the thick-skulled brute yelled.
The one I sent sprawling—James, apparently—glared at me through a curtain of blood. His hand dripped with blood, spilling from the crevices of his fingers.
"You BASTARD!" He roared.
I coldly stood there, my emotionless heterochromatic eyes boring into them. Josiah helped him up— he wasn't smiling anymore.
That almost made me smile.
Almost.
"Kerrigan, I thought we were friends here."
Josiah spoke as if trying to act like a saint.
I just stood there glaring defiantly.
"Shut up."
"We're not."
"Leave me alone."
I denounced.
Josiah tried to keep his composure— he was really bad at it. A vein was practically about to burst in his temple. His voice went quiet as he shot me a glare.
"Kerrigan, you're forcing my hand here, you've just hurt my friend— I might need to enforce my authority as Duke."
"Do whatever you want, just leave me out of it."
With that I turned around and walked away from the scene— tucking my hands in my pockets whilst trying to find a place of quiet.
Unbeknownst to me, Josiah had reached his limit with my defiance. He calmly raised his right palm to face my back. He bitterly murmured to himself.
"Wanna bet on that you fucking mutt."
The air around his hand converged into a vortex in the middle of his palm— slowly transforming into an orb of pure ferocious wind. A sinister green hue came off the orb as it compressed becoming smaller— the bystanders gasped.
Josiah had the affinity of wind— the move he was trying to pull off now was called an air-bullet. The name might sound basic but that's what it is— a miniscule orb of gale that can travel at 500m/s and tear through anything.
I felt the light pressure of his mana on my back. I turned around to see what he was trying to pull.
And saw death racing toward me.
'What the fuck…'
I didn't just see mana. I saw my death—shaped like a green bullet, spinning, screaming toward my spine.— I felt a hand on my shoulder. Its grip is light and soft but firm enough to keep hold. Then I heard a quiet mumble in a certain Aussi accent.
"Blink."
Blip!
One moment I was in the corridors of the academy— I blinked— the next I was outside the black castle, at the damned entrance. I didn't know what to think, all that came out from me was a weird noise.
"Wha…"
"Are you alright mate, crikey what the fuck was that noise?!"
A voice snapped me from my stupor— snapping my head in its direction.
'It's him…'
It was the guy who sat next to me in class. He had hazelnut eyes and a light tan on his skin, wearing a hoodie— but now I could see strands of his dirty-blonde hair.
"My bad… Was that you?" I stammered, still bewildered by what had just happened.
"Nah no worries mate, yep that was me. Thought you could use the help, name's Bodhi by the way." he stated confidently.
I just nodded incredulous as I trepidatiously replied.
"T-thanks… I'm Kerrigan, you probably already know that as everyone keeps cursing me out for existing."
Bodhi chuckled— I didn't, I wasn't going to trust some random kind act out of the blue. So cold-turkey I bluntly demanded.
"Why did you help me? So far everyone I've met has either tried to insult me, assert dominance or now kill me."
Bodhi tilted his head as he let out a deep sigh.
"Why, do you ask? Because I thought birds of a feather should help one another out."
'What?!'
He started to walk towards a cafe, I followed— needing to know what he meant. With a raised brow I questioned.
"What do you mean 'birds of a feather'?"
Bodhi's eyes widened as he glanced at my face— as we entered the cafe.
"You seriously didn't think you were the only student who joined mid-year, did you?"
'I did… fuck I'm so stupid!'
I sheepishly scratched my head— a wry smile curling on my face as we stood in line.
"Would you believe me if I said 'No'?"
Bodhi just had a deadpan expression as he looked at me. I could feel the disappointment in his eyes. It didn't feel good.
Letting out a chuckle he broke the awkward tension— chortling.
"Mate I joined here a month ago in September— only a couple a' weeks after they started. Treated me the same as you…" he pointed his thumb to the conglomerate of tables in the cafe.
My eyes followed— narrowing in disdain when I saw all the students staring at us with disdain and hate.
"Ahhh— I see," I sighed.
Bodhi nodded, we both reached the register. The barista, a lady in her early-thirties, chirped.
"What would you two be having today?"
'Thank God she's a normal person, jeez'
"A hot-chocolate, medium please!" Bodie hastily replied like a starved animal.
"Make that 2" I added as I took out a debit card.
Before I left for the academy— Leon gave me an assortment of items as his congratulatory gifts for being accepted by Headmaster Cassius. A debit card with $1,000,000 was one of them— I know, I was gobsmacked when he gave me this.
I glanced at Bodhi.
"I'll pay."
Bodhi's face went bright with happiness— contrasting the glares we were getting from all the other students.
I paid for our hot chocolates— the barista promptly made it, scarily quick.
Taking our drinks we found a table near the window, away from the judgemental stares— making ourselves comfortable on the plush sofas.
'Holy shit this feels so nice'
The seats were so good we both almost moaned in bliss. I, whilst sipping on my hot chocolate, glanced at him.
"How did you actually get me outside so quickly, like fractions of a second?"
Bodhi leaned back as he took a sip, retorting casually.
"Oh mate it's just my skill called [Blink], it just allows me to kinda teleport anywhere I want to in a 20 meter radius."
I blinked. He had such a versatile skill yet he talked about it as if it was a party trick.
'Bloody hell.'
"Papa!"
Corvus jumped out of my hair and onto the table— nuzzling his head in my hand. I had a soft smile as I gave him head-rubs. Bodhi on the other hand looked like he was malfunctioning. With a brow raised, I inquired.
"You alright there?"
"You already have a blood pact?!" He exclaimed.
"Yeah— is there something wrong?" I retorted, I really didn't get what the fuss was; I just had a pet.
"A-ahh…" Bodie stammered, "They're rare, really fucking rare mate— what rank is it"
My eyes momentarily widened as I realised the rarity of a blood pact as I stammered.
"Uhh… last time I checked it said it was a [Pureblood Apex Transmutant]"
After I said those words— I could almost see Bodhi's soul leaving his body. I heard Leon mumble about apex ranked transmutants but this reaction was different. Bodhi, shakily put his hot chocolate down as he put a hand on my shoulder. His voice is low and cautious.
"Do not ever let anyone know about that, you essentially have the A5 wagyu beef of blood pacts. If any of the Clans find out they'll take him from you."
My blood went cold when I heard that. I had so many things taken away from me: my childhood, my parents, my happiness. Now when I was slowly rebuilding everything, a part of it could be taken away. No! I was not letting anyone take Corvus.
'Over my dead body!'
My hands instinctively held Corvus closely— he mewled in surprise but he didn't mind.
"Let's not talk about this now, but be careful— don't ever let anyone know, you can trust me with it. I'm not a snake." Bodhi warned.
We both sighed, sipping our hot chocolates— I absentmindedly stroked Corvus, who was nestled against my side. For once, in this godforsaken world, I had a sliver of peace. With Bodhi beside me, it felt… almost normal. I let myself smile, soft and small, as I gazed out the window—
"AHHH—!"
I yelped so hard my soul evacuated my body.
Because outside the window— stood someone I never expected to see.
She had a calm, composed reflection, her porcelain complexion polished with subtle make-up enhancing her already divine features. Her short, layered hair framed her sharp cheekbones, lavender highlighting the tips of her pure white hair.
Poised. Calm. Almost ethereal.
Andrea.
Staring directly at me.
Unblinking.
Unmoving.
Watching.
My mouth dried instantly.
'What the fuck—can I not get a BREAK?!'