☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

Part Twenty-Five

Strange as it was, it should not rain inside the building where he was. The sprinklers weren’t active because there was no fire. So the question laid out bare, what was this?

The drops of rain that landed on his face lasted for only a second or two and stopped.

Matthew licked his lips, but instead of a substance with no taste like water. He tasted slight iron in whatever it was. Shocked, he stood still as he became more alert. This was blood. There was no mistaking it.

He started using his senses to try and make out what was happening.

How many people have died?

Why has no one screamed?

From his peripheral he saw Nick’s icy blue eyes, clearly he was fully alert.

Matthew clicked his tongue at the same time as Nick. Regretting not bringing their weapons to this competition.

Soon the lights flashed causing the room to brighten. The adults in the room were all glancing around, searching. They paid the blood no mind, instead they were trying to find the culprit.

Who, or what could possibly get past them and kill so many?

There was no time to mourn for the dead. Some would say they were heartless, but when you stood on the field of battle you’d come home changed too. Mourn someone during battle? Foolish! You’d die in a split second.

Kill the culprit, bring the dead justice. That was how they solved it on the battlefield.

Clearly the students were not like them. Some seeing their first dead body.

Headless corpses in the stands, blood spilled all over the floor. To the students these were their friends. People who they grew close to, people they hung out with. Why? Why did they die?

“Why aren’t you doing anything?”

One of the students yelled out as she held a headless body in her arms, tears flowing down her face. She looked at an older man, in a black suit. His eyes were cold, his face showing no emotion.

“What do you expect me to do? Slaughter everyone here?”

He asked her in a cold and cruel tone.

At this moment, she lost her best friend, her ‘family’, her ‘sister’. Her emotions were all over the place. She didn’t care whether the rest of these people died, as long as the person who did this was brought to justice.

Isn’t that why the adults were here? What about the judges? They were suppose to make sure no one got hurt, yet people were killed instead!

Rage boiled inside her body.

“If you must then so be it! Make them suffer, show them no mercy! I don’t care, I just want my friend back!”

Tears continued to stream down her face.

Everyone heard her words causing their stomachs to turn. She thought very little of them. Wanting to kill every person here just to avenge the life of one close to her.

Matthew couldn’t watch her suffer, he wanted to step forward and comfort her. No one should go through what she was going through.

Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

A hand grabbed him holding him back. He turned and saw Nick staring at her.

It surprised him, Nick didn’t seem upset at all. Did this scene not disturb him? Matthew knew Nick had a heart, he cared about others. So why was Nick stopping him?

“She’s not what you think she is. A young woman suffering due to her friends death. No.”

Nick said softly as he whispered to Matthew while he watched the girl be walked out of the room.

Matthew looked at him confused, what was Nick talking about?

Nick walked away without saying a word, causing Matthew to wonder what he was doing. Did Nick have a plan to catch the culprit? From his words it was clear that he suspected that young woman.

Matthew followed behind him.

The adults in the room started taking small action by asking questions and sending the students away from this room. The judges also moved swiftly, as they personally talked to each competitor. They were the only ones with weapons no them, so it was safe to assume when the lights went out they could have killed.

This was their only option to take.

Maybe it was not the smartest decision, but they had to do something or else they’d be called incompetent. The rest of the students would start to feel unsafe and run off. They needed to do something to prevent that from happening, even if they were wrong. This was better than doing nothing at all.

Slowly the doors opened up and everyone was moved to the hallway in an orderly fashion. The adults talking to each other in a hushed manner making sure the children did not hear them. Some students shaking still remembering the sight they saw.

Freya just finished getting questioned when she walked into the hallway. Glancing around she could not find Nick or Matthew.

‘Where did those two run off to?’

She asked herself as her eyes continued to wander.

☆☆☆☆☆

Outside of the Sharpshooting building a young woman started walking. She ignored the gazes of the students and walked even faster. She made a hard right as she went into the park.

“Why are you in such a rush?”

A voice asked her as a figure flashed in front of her.

A young man with brown curly hair and hazel eyes. His hands in his pocket but fully focused on her.

“Why are you blocking my path?”

She asked him in a cutesy tone, hopefully he’d leave her alone. All guys loved when girls spoke soft to them and in a friendly manner. Why would he be any different?

“You didn’t answer me.”

He paused as his hands reached his side and his body relaxed.

“Its surprising you don’t remember me, but its even more surprising that you can change your look. You can’t change what you are in the inside though.”

His killing intent locked onto her.

There was no way she was getting out of this. He knew what she had done and he was planning on making her pay for it.

A smirk appeared on her face. He was alone and with no weapon, what could he possibly do? She wouldn’t lose to a human teenager.

Suddenly she felt another presence as she twisted her neck and saw another young man with black hair that seemed to curl and green eyes. In his hand was a sword in its sheath.

She laughed almost madly.

“You’re going to gang up on me? What honor is there in that?”

She asked.

Her eyes were steady as a tree, but her body shook with excitement. This would be a fresh experience and if she came out alive, her strength would soar to new heights.

The male in front of her shook his head.

“There’s no need to gang up on you when I alone am enough.”

She couldn’t believe what he was saying. He wanted to face her alone? Foolish! She’s come close to death once before, but it only made her stronger as she survived. Since then she's been refining herself over and over, she would never lose again.

The young man in front of her turned his head to the side.

“Is your friend joining as well or is he only going to watch?”

Her eyes opened wide, how could he tell? Their presence was almost non existent, so how could he find her partner?

A person appeared by her side. It was the older man who caused a scene with her.

“Who are you boy?”

The older man asked the young man.

“Nick Wilson, and you are?”

“Just call me Z. You aren’t a target, why don’t you just walk away and forget everything.”

The older man told Nick as he looked down on him.

Nick’s eyes turned Icy Blue as he glared at the two of them.

“Sadly I can’t do that even if I wanted to.”

Matthew observed the three of them while being alert. Nick’s aura made him seem like a totally different person.

Matthew shook his head, first demonic beast and now two mysterious people. They were only halfway through the first year, Matthew wondered what would come next.