Chapter 24: Beastly Shadow

An unbearable scream echoed through my ears as the images started forming in my mind. I knew my body was unable to move and my eyes were shut into deep slumber. In my hands was a long thin sword that dragged on the floor with two other people escorting me? It was vague, but it looked like I was in a large living room, lighted by chandeliers and painted walls of gold. A portrait of the late Queen Elizabeth hung above the grand fireplace and the tables of cuisines were destroyed, trashed like a mob had crashed the party. None of the lights were switched on so the moonlight was shining through the huge glass windows, showing the gore sight of the mansion. There were dead bodies. Plenty of them, all lay on the floor. Blood stained the red carpets and all the dead bodies had stabs directly to the heart.

Somehow, I felt my right hand squeeze the blade tighter unwillingly. There was this buggy feeling inside me. I could feel that their lives were torn by me, by my hands. I took a look at them. One held the exquisite craving of good sword craftsmanship and the other smeared with an innocent's blood. I felt myself walk forward, closer to the overturned chaises with my two other teenage confederates, whom which I realised were also holding onto swords as well. I couldn't help but glance back at them. One had a nasty scar on his hard face with his rapier wider and thicker than mine. His expression was focused and determined like as if he was doing his job.

My other accomplice though, was grinning. Across his left eye was a long graze as the blood from his face kept on dripping down from his chin. He acted like as if the cut was painless, enjoying the pang of his left eye. The right eye was an attractive colour of purple, staring straight into the direction that we were heading. I turned back to find myself already at the destination. An elegantly well-dressed couple, still alive, was cuddled up behind one of the sofas, cradling a baby in their hands. Their eyes widen with agitation as their grip on their child tightened even more, pleading and begging for mercy. In some way, I wasn't able to hear their pleas and cries. In my eyes, the couple was just mouthing the words, 'please' and 'no'. My right hand had a life of its own and lifted up the blade high above my head, taking its aim on them.

Kill them.

Who is that? I tried moving my mouth but the words were only heard in my head as my body concentrated on the slaughter. The next few minutes were intolerable. My saber was so swift that I was confused at where it was swinging and at which part of their bodies it was slashing. Moments later, the only being that was alive besides me and my comrades, was the baby. A small infant wrapped in a blue towel was asleep and unaware of its attacker. One of my associate, the boy with the purple eye, dropped his sword and carried the baby in his arms.

At first, I thought my uncontrollable self and the teenagers were sparing the poor child's life. But again, I was mistaken. My partner, instead, threw the baby high up to the ceiling. Twisting my fingers and my body, I involuntarily leaped out towards the thrown baby and knife the pitiful infant's head from its tiny body with my blade. The head plopped to the floor before the rest of its body could, spilling every ounce of blood from the cut neck. Again, without me commanding my body, I turned around to look at my comrades and surprisingly smiled at them like as if it was a job's well done. Unexpectedly, I spoke without intention. It was like there was another life or will inside of me that was controlling my body.

"I have no doubts. My soul depends on this," I could hear myself speaking in Shakespeare's language but then, the words turned back into English, a language I could understand finally. However, I couldn't celebrate. In this body, I have murdered a room filled with about fifty guests and a newborn. My hands are stained by the blood of the innocent and all this body did was to smile, ignore, forget and move on.

★

Tiadora shut the glass door behind her and found Jason asleep on a plastic chair right outside the flower shop. His head leaned back that it touched the glass while he slouched back in his seat. The flower pots beside him were just like what Ms. Hermione, her brand new employer, had described. Delicate and a good impression on the flower shop. Jason had brought her here to find a job and Tiadora was glad that the lady of the shop was kind.

Ms. Hermione, a rather fair-skinned lady, looked like she was in her fifties as her white hair and wrinkles stood out dramatically. From far, Ms. Hermione would look like a naggy granny of the block, but in truth, she was soft-spoken and had a sweet smile. Tiadora was told that Ms. Hermione had met Jason when he had sprained his knee in a bicycle race last year and that she treated his bruises. Since then, Jason would always stop by her shop once in a while to help out. Ms. Hermione didn’t marry nor had any children so all her life, Tiadora thought, was filled with loneliness. Somehow Tiadora was glad that she was introduced to her.

The flower shop wasn’t big or small. There were plenty of shelves with pots of many different kinds of flowers. Ms. Hermione was explaining all the special needs for special flowers and halfway through her explanation, Jason, who had been listening to their conversation for all this while, decided to make a call outside the shop. In the end, Tiadora made a decision that she’d work on Wednesdays as well as Saturdays. Though Tiadora knew that it was a small pay, she was happy that she at least had a job to earn money for her own expenses.

Tiadora stared again at Jason. She noticed that Jason looked rather peaceful when he sleeps, motionless and deep into his mysterious slumber and dreams. She knew once he’d woke up, she had to tell him the rest of what happened, how she had trained, the knowledge of the chest and especially the black smoke that hurt her from the box. Maybe it will help them, Tiadora wondered for a moment as she continued to look at Jason’s closed eyes. How could a phone call bore him to sleep?

Wake him up; she kept telling herself, it’s getting late. Tiadora shake his sleeves and Jason practically jolted himself off the chair. The impact accidentally made Jason fall onto Tiadora, whom Jason didn’t notice was right in front of him. Tiadora fell on her back as she felt Jason’s weight pressing onto her. When Jason realized what was happening, he quickly struggled to get up from his fall, giving out a helping hand for Tiadora. “My apologies,” Jason started wiping the dirt of Tiadora’s shoulders, “I’m so so so sorry.”

“Hey. It’s fine. It was just an accident,” Tiadora patted him. Suddenly, Jason pulled the hand that was patting his shoulder and hugged Tiadora. For a moment, Tiadora was stunned by his reaction and was confused of his feelings. They stayed onto that embrace for seconds and in between, Jason had murmured something that Tiadora managed to catch, “I’m so glad that you’re safe.”

Hearing that, she knew that he had felt bad for falling onto her. But somehow, Tiadora couldn’t shake off the feeling that the reason he had said that wasn’t for the fall. He feels hurt, that’s all that made sense to her.

♥

Kiara and David were walking together on their way back to Kadic Academy. They had just finished with their weekly modeling, again. Kiara felt energetic and was practically skipping during the journey. David was as always quiet and calm, looking straight ahead. Being very hyperactive, Kiara twirled and twisted her body. She notice David’s silence and decided to make the atmosphere lively, "Wasn't that session just awesome?"

"Awe-inspiring."

"You okay?" Kiara felt that there was something amiss, "Because you're starting to freak me out."

"And why is that so?"

"Cause this is like the first time ever, that you've talked to me like a friend," Kiara declared.

"Aren't we best friends?" David smiled friendly and continued walking while Kiara gasped that the answer he'd given her. They continued walking silently. Kiara wasn't sure of what to say anymore. That is until David spoke again, "Promise me something."

"It depends."

David then stopped in his tracks and stared into Kiara's brown eyes. Once he had sensed the sincerity to trust her, David asked, "If I ever became something that I'm not, promise that you'll never avoid me."

Kiara ruffled his fringe to get a better look at his face to see if he was serious. His green eyes looked like as if he was pleading for her to stand by that promise. She put her left arm through his right arm, which at that time were dug in his blue jeans, and leaned onto his shoulders saying, "I've n ever avoided you. And never will either. Now do you remember the promise that you made when we were five?"

David bends down to make his face only about an inch away from Kiara's. Kiara could sense her cheeks blush pink as she couldn't control her emotions. His face was so close; Kiara thought David was going to kiss her because of their childhood promise. "Now, how can I forget that one," David made Kiara smiled but soon, David frowned as he glanced at the entrance of Kadic Academy, "I have to go."

David slipped away from the connection and hurriedly breeze past the gates. Kiara chased after him and managed to overtake David, "Go where?"

"To see the principal."

"Principal? Why do you have to meet the principal now?" Kiara asked in confusion.

"Well," David hesitated, thinking of what to say, "She has asked me to join some competition. So I entered."

"You? Committed for a competition? I don't believe it."

"Nothing's impossible," David ruffled her red hair to cover her eyes so that she won't see him leave her side. By that time, she had already reached the academy. She hatched up a plan and quickly dashed into the boys' dormitory, up to the second level. While passing through the boys' common bathroom, Ian came out half-naked with a towel wrapped below. Kiara took only one glance at Ian's hard chest and continued on her walk to David's room.

Opening the locked door wasn't a problem. She knew that Mokona would happily open it for her. And true enough, it did. Mokona was floating when the door opened and greeted Kiara with its hugs. Kiara stepped into David's neat room and dropped short onto his tidy bed, playing playfully with his pillows. "Hey you," Kiara patted Mokona on its head, chatting to the sacred animal in a funny and joyful tone, "so tell me. Is David keeping anything from me?"

"Mokona don't really know," Mokona's smile turned to a frown, "whenever he comes back, David always looks so sad and lonely. And whenever I ask him why, he fakes a smile and says that everything's alright."

"Is that so?" Kiara smiled slyly but with full of curiosity and got out of his bed, scanning through the many books that David treasures so much, "So what's he hiding?"

All familiar book titles surfaced, The Black Book of Secrets, Artemis Fowl, PENDRAGON, etc. Nothing out of the ordinary, till her finger pointed to a blank side. Normally books would have the title at the backbone of the book as well as the author's name, but this book, surprisingly, happened not to have anything written on it. Kiara took the black book out and analysed the leather cover page. She flipped open to the pages but only saw yellow blank pages that filled the thick black book.

Is this a notebook? Kiara wondered in deep thought. David had always like old stuff. But that thought vanished when she flipped to the very first page of the book. There, written in beautiful curved handwriting, were 'For my princess. Xana.' Something David should have seen if he had gotten the book in the first place. Kiara slammed the book shut and crouched down to Mokona, "Do you know about this?"

"Princess Tiadora's servant brought him that book the afternoon of my arrival," Mokona recalled that very same day, "it was received a few minutes before I came."

"I should go find Tiadora and show her this," Kiara aimed for the door and turned the knob, ready to get out, "Tagging along, Mokona?"

"Kiara! Look it's..." Mokona screamed in its squeaky voice. But it was too late. Kiara had already opened the door to see what Mokona was yelling about. The next thing she knew, she took a nano second to look at her stalker, a purple bright light was shining in her face as the glare blinded her eyes. All she could remember after that were the black smoke clouding her vision, making everything absolutely blur for Kiara. The stalker hovered over her, but with her losing conscience, all she could see was a rough image of a human. A human with the eyes having the shade of blazing fire red.

♪

Another victory in battle is another step closer to winning the war. Another score in the regional is another step closer to winning the championships! Cornelia smiled to herself with that motto singing in her head. Once again, Kadic Academy has tackled its opponents in a recent fight with one of the strongest volleyball players in the nation. The Loretta Giants were of no match for the Kadic Knights at all.

Cornelia hopped out of the girls' locker, not wanting to shower like she always would and took a stroll along the open corridors of the academy. The breeze, she commanded, concentrated more on her and calmed her down so soothingly. Cornelia decided to skip like a ballerina in the woods and trees. "Yay! Yay! Yay!" Cornelia decided to go crazy, celebrating yet another win for herself. She jumped and leaped and toppled onto the dry grass, rolling on the greenery, ignoring the dirt. Till Cornelia bumped into someone's leg. "Opps. Sorry sorry sorry..."

Cornelia quickly got up to her feet and backed a few feet away, but came back when she realised who she bumped, "Ulrich?"

There, Ulrich Princeton was sitting against a tree, reading a thick storybook. He stared at her with curious eyes and removed his reading glasses from his face and started to chuckled, "Do you have to say every word three times?"

"When I'm excited, yeah," Cornelia admitted and sat right beside him against the tree bark, "I didn't know you wear glasses and read books?"

"I only use them whenever I read," Ulrich folded his spectacles and placed them on his opened book, "I can see without them though, just like you. And I do enjoy reading, just, just like your brother."

"Wait. How do you know that Jason reads?"

"Saw that dark friend of yours reading a book that had a sticker with Jason's name on it. So I figure..." Ulrich explained as he bumped his head on the trunk, "Oh. And guess what. Coach Dean accepted me in the team."

"You got into the soccer team? Congratulations," Cornelia fished out her mini-towel and wiped her sweat, "Does my bro know about this?"

"Since he wasn't there for training, so I guess not. And god you stink."

"My usual and natural smell. Deal with it, buddy."

And Ulrich, Cornelia noticed, was quiet again. Had he gone back to his book because I was too boring? Cornelia thought as she glanced over his shoulders. Ulrich was wiping his lens on the spectacles. This time it was Cornelia who laughed, "Obsessed much?"

"At least I'm cautious enough. And clean for that matter."

"Alright. I get what you're trying to say," Cornelia got up from her seat and started to walk back to the girls' locker, until Ulrich grabbed her by her wrist. "Hey. It's almost time for dinner," Ulrich realised, "And the food here kinda suck. Wanna grab something from that cafe near the outside library?"

Cornelia turned around and folded her arms, eyeing Ulrich, "Normally I wouldn't do such. But I guess, I could take a break from school veggies."

The guardian of Air and Ulrich together walked side by side outside the school boundaries and onto the peaceful streets outside. Cornelia made sure that there was at least a three-inch gap between them, just in case other students had the wrong idea. And speaking about other students, right in front of her, walking back towards the academy were her bionic twin and Tiadora. They seem to be not as cheerful as always, Cornelia thought as Jason waved frantically when he caught their attention. “Taking my sis out?” Jason winked at Ulrich when they reached the academy’s entrance.

“Just wanting to get something from the café,” Ulrich gave that gentleman smile and hand to Jason, “I think it’s appropriate to get permission first, right? Hi. I’m Ulrich, from your class and a friend of Cornelia’s. You’re her brother, am I right?”

“He’s he one I met on Friday,” Cornelia barged into the conversation, “you know, the day when I sprained my ankle. Well, if it hadn’t been for Ulrich, the bleeding might not have stopped at that time.”

Jason’s eyebrow went up, curious over her explanation but smiled at the new student and took his hand, “Yeah, I’m her big bro. Bring her home safely by eight. Her curfew’s at 8.10 at night, you know? She may be very clumsy sometimes so be careful. And do you know tha…”

“Shut up, Jay!” Cornelia ran her hand over his mouth as he silenced like an obedient dog and turned her attention back to Ulrich, “Let’s go before anything else gets out.”
“Oh hold on a sec,” Ulrich stopped her pushing and this time, eyed Tiadora with a smile, giving out his hand like he did for Jason to shake, “a pleasure, miss.”

Tiadora found the way he greeted her, strange. She stared at the outstretched hand once again and then, shifted her direction to his face. Like how she recognizes other students, Tiadora tried to look for something in his face that was different, unique. His eyes, the small sound in Tiadora’s head shrilled. Normally, the voice would talk to her in a calm tone, but this time, it was shouting and as if it was beating against the walls of her mind. She ignored it and concentrated on the friendly introduction. Ocean blue and royal purple, different coloured eyes just like hers but she has blue and green eyes, not purple. Jason nudged her for encouragement and assurance that it was alright. That made Tiadora took his hand and shakes it firm as she smiled back at him, “a pleasure indeed.”