READERS DISCRETION IS ADVISED - This Chapter contains some uncomfortable topics even though they have been toned down from the original/uncensored version.
As the sun cast its warm glow through the classroom windows, Habondia found herself under the scrutinizing gaze of Professor Shirley Rough, a figure of authority and disdain in equal measure.
"What do you know about the fae?" the professor of Human Studies asked.
Habondia's heart raced in her chest as she faced the professor's question about the fae, a topic she knew little about. The words that escaped the professor's lips were laced with ignorance and prejudice, a reflection of the misinformation that tainted the professor's understanding of the magical beings Habondia was often likened to.
"The fairies are stupid creatures, that coax humans and they turn them into their lovers," she replied, her voice tinged with a hint of bitterness born from years of discrimination and misunderstanding.
Shirley Rough, with her sharp gaze and haughty demeanor, embodied everything that Habondia despised in a person. The professor's disdain for nonhuman creatures like the fae was evident in her every word and action, a testament to her narrow-minded views and unwavering belief in purity above all else.
The classroom itself seemed to shrink under the weight of Shirley's oppressive presence, the walls closing in like a suffocating embrace as Habondia struggled to maintain her composure in the face of such blatant prejudice.
Despite her best efforts to excel in Shirley's class, Habondia was met with nothing but scorn and derision, her very existence a thorn in the professor's side. The tension between them crackled in the air like electricity, a silent battle of wills that neither was willing to concede.
The arrival of summer brought a change in the winds, as Völundr's resignation paved the way for a new era under the instruction of an old Scot who filled the halls with the mournful wail of his bagpipe. The school's atmosphere shifted, a sense of uncertainty lingering like a specter in the shadows.
Emrys, who tasked Jonna with supervising Shirley, stood as a barrier between the professor's wrath and those who dared to challenge her authority. Habondia, with her fairy-like skills, found herself at the center of Shirley's irrational disdain, a target for the professor's unfounded animosity.
"You're not good for Natural Studies, and you're a fairy!" Shirley scoffed. "You're always reading fairy tales in the library, aren't you?"
The day of reckoning arrived when Shirley presented a wooden chest to the class, a test of skill and knowledge that would push Habondia to her limits.
"The class topic we will be how to track curses and find a way to release them!"
As the professor tasked her with unraveling the curse that lay upon the chest, a sense of dread settled in the pit of Habondia's stomach, a fear of failure gnawing at her resolve.
"Let's see what you are capable of Habondia. I want you to tell me, what kind of curse was cast on this chest."
Struggling against mental fatigue and the weight of Shirley's expectations, Habondia faltered in her attempts to decipher the curse, her frustration mounting with each passing moment.
And then, in a cruel twist of fate, Shirley's true colors were revealed as she produced a rag doll.
"Let's see, can anyone give this doll a name? "
"Kyle!" Karen Sørensen shouted. The doll, a likeness of the former student named Kyle, became the focal point of Shirley's sadistic game.
As Shirley slapped the doll, causing it to writhe in pain on the floor, Habondia's eyes widened in horror, a surge of anger and sorrow coursing through her veins like a raging river. The sight was a visceral assault on her senses.
"Let's see Habondia. What kind of curse is it?"
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Jonna, who witnessed the unfolding nightmare, stood at the entrance of the classroom, her eyes wide with shock and disbelief at the scene before her.
"Professor Rough, stop all this!" Jonna's voice sliced through the air, filled with urgency and desperation, but Shirley remained undeterred by the command.
Habondia stood frozen for a moment, her eyes wide with both shock and seething anger. Years of pent-up frustration and injustice bubbled to the surface, simmering like a cauldron of molten emotions ready to erupt.
In an explosion of raw fury, Habondia lunged at the professor, her fists connecting with Shirley's face and chest with a force fueled by years of mistreatment and prejudice. The first blow landed squarely on Shirley's nose, the sound of bone crunching filling the room like a crack of thunder.
Jonna rushed forward, her hands reaching out in a futile attempt to separate the two women. Despite her efforts, she found herself unable to pry them apart, the intensity of Habondia's rage proving to be an immovable force.
Desperation gripping her heart, Jonna resorted to a drastic measure, grabbing hold of one of Habondia's pigtails and yanking it forcefully. The green ribbon, a token of affection from Kyle, snapped under the strain, its threads scattering in the chaotic scene.
The sudden pain from the ribbon's destruction only stoked the flames of Habondia's fury, her eyes ablaze with a mixture of betrayal and anguish. In her blind rage, Habondia's movements became erratic, her blows landing with a ferocity that bordered on primal.
As Habondia's onslaught continued, a guttural cry ripped from Jonna's lips, the sound a haunting melody of agony and despair. Blood cascaded from her nostrils, a crimson river that painted the floor beneath her like a macabre canvas. Jonna’s body convulsed, her very essence spilling out in a grotesque display of violence.
In a final, desperate act, Jonna reached out to Habondia, her trembling hands stained scarlet with her own life force. Her eyes once filled with warmth and kindness, now reflected only a deep well of sorrow and regret.
Habondia's gaze turned from the professor’s to Jonna's, and in that moment, a flicker of recognition passed between them. The horror of what Habondia had wrought dawned on her, the weight of her actions crashing down like a tidal wave of remorse.
Jonna's body trembled as blood flowed out her every orifice like a red tide, her life force ebbing away with each passing second. The once vibrant hues of her eyes turned to a shiny red, the spark of her spirit extinguished in a cruel twist of fate.
As Jonna's final breath escaped her lips, a heavy silence descended upon the room, broken only by the haunting echoes of her passing. Habondia stood frozen in place, her hands stained with the blood of her friend, the weight of her actions a heavy burden upon her soul.
The scent of iron lingered in the air. The room felt suffocating, the walls closing in around her like a prison of her own making.
In the aftermath of the chaos, as the last echoes of Jonna's demise faded into the stillness, Habondia was left alone with the chilling realization of the irreparable damage she had wrought.
Habondia's magic had always been a gift and a burden, the ability to cast spells without uttering a word was a rare talent that set her apart. But on that fateful day, as chaos unfurled in the classroom, her power spiraled out of control, a force she could no longer contain.
Despair gripped Habondia's heart like a vice, squeezing the air from her lungs as she knelt beside Jonna's lifeless form, tears streaming down her cheeks in a torrent of grief. With trembling hands, she reached out, pulling her friend close, as if through sheer willpower she could breathe life back into Jonna's motionless body.
In a moment of anguish and desperation, Habondia clutched Jonna to her chest, her sobs echoing through the silent room like a dirge. She pressed a gentle kiss to Jonna's cold cheek, a final farewell to a friend lost to the cruel whims of fate.
As Shirley, battered and dazed, struggled to her feet, the weight of horror etched deep in her eyes, a strangled gasp escaped her lips. "What have you done?" Her voice cracked with disbelief.
The other students' faces pale with shock as they scrambled to flee the room. The once orderly classroom was now a scene of tragedy and loss.
With Jonna's lifeless form cradled in her arms, Habondia staggered towards the exit.
"Where are you going? Monster!"
Shirley's accusatory words hung in the air like a curse, but Habondia paid them no heed, her focus solely on honoring Jonna's memory. As she exited the classroom, Professor Shirley Rough fell to the ground, dead in the same way as Jonna, with all her blood gushing out of her body like a river.
Once into the main dining room, Jonna's body slipped from Habondia’s grasp, the sound of the body’s impact with the floor a haunting echo of finality.
Tears blurred her vision as she fled, the weight of loss a heavy shroud upon her shoulders.
"Stop!" Professor Emrys called out to her.
Emrys, her last remaining friend in school, was the one constant in her world torn asunder by tragedy. Völundr's resignation, Sains's departure, and Du Bellay's absence, were each a painful reminder of the fractured bonds that once held her life together.
Habondia fled.
Habondia's footsteps echoed through the empty streets of London, the city a maze of shadows and whispers that taunted her at every turn. She sought refuge in the seclusion of a dark alleyway, the stench of decay and neglect a stark contrast to the once vibrant city she had known.
Nestled among the detritus of the alley, she wept until her tears ran dry, her body wracked with grief and exhaustion. The city's heartbeat pulsed around her, a symphony of life and loss that she could no longer bear to witness.
As the night wore on, the darkness enveloped her like a lover's embrace, offering a fleeting respite from the pain. And as sleep finally claimed her, the weight of her grief lifted, if only for a moment, in the solace of dreams.