A tear rolled down Melanie's cheek. "Why?!" she blurted out, eyebrows knitting together in anger. Her mind was a photograph filled with clutter and disorder, and her heart was a ripped paper.
Her friends...one of her dearest friends murdered their two professors like they were moths blinded by the light, and there were no signs of guilt in those cold and dull eyes.
Adi wiped her blood-stained blade with the cloth in her hand and scoffed. Her charcoal eyes met Melanie's purple gazes. "I'm just doing my job."
Melanie wiped her tears and stepped back. She opened her palm, igniting a ball of energy above it. She gnashed her teeth. "Traitor."
"I couldn't care less about how you think about me, Melanie," mumbled Adi, kicking their professors' corpses out of her way. "But for once, these teachers are right. We need Clementine, not you."
"I don't know why you are doing this, Adi..." Melanie balled her fists, her eyes still filled with grief, "and I also don't know how you guys are so certain Clementine is living inside me." She raised both of her arms and glimpsed at the ceiling. She smirked. "But I'm not a pushover anymore!"
Melanie screamed as she released her powers at Adi's direction. Adi was unfazed then leaned in the air, being one with the wind. She spun and successfully dodged the attack, tips of her hair grazed by the assault. Adi returned her gaze to Melanie and was flabbergasted by her expression.
A playful glint in Melanie's orbs. "Goodbye, Adi," she said, blasting the ceiling of the library over Adi's head. The room roared like thunder as debris, rubbles, and other wastes dropped like rain, plummeting Adi to the ground.
Melanie stared at the horrendous scene for a moment, then decided to depart through the tunnel. The torches were dim, and darkness chased her the farther she goes, but Melanie wrapped her eyes with her powers. Imitating how night vision cameras work she learned from old books, she utilized infrared light to illuminate images her eyes perceive.
Melanie quickly reached the staircase and climbed it. However, when she was about to open the basement door, she heard snarling sounds right above her. She gasped, covering her mouth. She curled underneath and waited for the sounds to stop.
"T-the monsters," she thought, "they're lurking above!"
She inhaled sharply, and let her thoughts accelerate through adrenaline. The monsters had the ability to rip her throat the moment they saw them, and certainly, they could also sprint like sonic pulse systems. If Melanie was her old self, she would easily be food to them.
However, she was not the same as before.
Melanie thought of summoning Alice with her, but she had a bad hunch about it, leaving a bitter taste in her mouth. Instead, she focused her powers and imagined them like a curtain—a barrier that would temporarily shield her when she finally presents herself to the monsters. She opened both of her palms and clasped them together above her head. She bit her lower lip.
"Please, work," she pleaded in her mind. Like rushing water from a faucet, her powers showered her from head to toe and stayed on her like a film of light. She nodded, completely convinced that her plan would work. She opened her hands, imagining a lance. Holding the lance above her head, she heaved a sigh and jumped out.
As expected, lemures nearby turned their heads at her like hungry beasts. Their saliva dripping like waterfall from their mouths, and their eyes were big and bloodshot. Melanie straightened her arms to the side and simultaneously threw her lance made up of her own magic. She bent her knees, preparing to leap, and force her way through them.
Lemures with their fragile bodies quickly disintegrated the moment they were stuck with dark magic. However, some of the monsters had enhanced agility, and they managed to dodge Melanie's attacks.
Melanie knew that she could not eliminate them all with her powers. They were nearly a hundred surrounding her like a whirlpool, and Melanie could only make sure of her own welfare against them. Her plan was to flee from them, then find a safe place to fall. As they were increasing in numbers as time passed by, Melanie's stamina could only last so long. She better finish that as fast as possible.
Melanie squinted her eyes when she saw another group of lemures running towards her from the opposite direction. She looked back and gritted her teeth. Her heart sank in fear. Their snarling and roaring sounds charged her ears like bees, hammering her head in pain.
She grunted, "They have no end!"
The swarms were like waves of ocean meeting at the center, where Melanie lay like a sacrifice. She stopped and panted, looking back and forth to both of her sides. She looked around and searched for a path to escape. She shut them tightly when she saw no other route safe for her to take.
"I don't want this to be the end of me," she muttered. "If there's no way, then..." She circled her hand on the wall. "...I'll make one!"
The mark she created burned in fire and ashes, then she threw her body into the hole. The lemures tried to follow her but the wall easily returned to its normal state, guaranteeing her safety temporarily.
Melanie looked around the room and sharpened her senses. It was a vacant classroom, but it reeked of blood. She prepared a dagger in hand and started to check the lockers. She flinched when she heard a growling from one of them.
She slowly advanced to the shaking locker and swallowed a lump in her throat. She grabbed the handle and yanked it open, her dagger poised in the air. Her eyes widened when she saw the person inside that narrow space.
"A-Amirah?!"
The President shouted in muffled screams due to the tape sticking to her mouth. However, the gap between her eyebrows was as short as her patience. Melanie quickly understood her gibberish words and pulled the tape out of her. She bent forward and untied the ropes snaked around her, revealing marks on her pale skin. She then slapped away the lasso of purity sitting like a crown over the President's silver glory.
"When did I allow you to call me by my first name?" the President gritted out the moment she was freed. Her tone earned her a wince from Melanie, and she quickly cleared her throat. "Never mind that. We have a bigger problem to face than this."
"President, the University is already full of those monsters. Professors Marfori and Professor Razia mentioned that you protected our community with your barrier. Can you do that now?"
"I can't," the President's golden eyes dimmed. "I need to recover my powers first. That stupid headdress sapped my energy like crazy!"
"U-um," Melanie tilted her head. "I-I can recover that for you."
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The President stopped and a tint of recognition flashed on her face. She snickered. "Yeah, the mighty saint."
"Please, stop calling me that," Melanie said with furrowed eyebrows. She reached for the President's hand and gently gripped it. "I'm not a saint and I am not that Clementine you're claiming to be."
"I still cannot believe it either," the President murmured. "The day that Adi suggested the possibility, I thought she had lost her mind. But Criterion and Ms. Marfori supported her theory, and I had no choice but to think of ways to train you without raising you or your classmates' suspicions. "
Warm yellow light from Melanie's palms filled the President's body. She shook her head in disbelief. "Is that why you disassociated me with them? I always did my tasks alone."
"Yes," said the President, her tone unfaltering. "It's...necessary."
Melanie recoiled her hands after the magical treatment and nodded a few times. "It's fine, I understand," she replied. "That temporary solitude helped me to sort my thoughts too. It did help me to be stronger than I ever was before."
The President inhaled sharply and felt her magic returning to her like seams stitching her insides. She glanced at Melanie and flashed a smile. "Thank you."
"Anyway," said Melanie, fidgeting with her hands. "A-about Adi..." Her voice almost cracked upon uttering her old friend's name. "She killed Ms. Marfori and Ms. Razia."
"That's no surprise, Melanie," hissed the President. "Whose thick-skinned face do you think imprisoned me in that stupid locker? I trusted her, dammit! And you know what happens if I'm not in my seat?" Melanie nodded. "Yes! She was the one who led the meeting earlier! Maybe she's also the one who started this chaos in the first place."
"Traitor." The word sounded bitter in Melanie's mouth.
"Don't feel bad about it," said the President, waving her arm flippantly. "You don't have control over her thoughts. You're not her."
"I know but..." Melanie sighed. "I can't believe that my own kin would end up like this."
"Just don't think about it that much," advised the President. "Let's just see how my powers would work now that you restored it for me."
Melanie watched the President materialize her powers like a screen consiting of hologram footage. She had every side of the school at the palm of her hand, and navigation towards a better destination was much easier for them now.
"That's really awesome—" Melanie did not finish her sentence when her eyes landed on one of the footages. She stepped forward and tried to drag the clip, making it bigger. The video glitched for a moment, then clearly showed the scene where her friend lay on the cold hard ground.
Melanie covered her mouth and tears welled up her eyes. "A-Axel!"
She glanced at the President and tugged her arm. "She needs our help!"
The President shook her head while gritting her teeth. She removed Melanie's grasp from her and looked down. "She's..." she stuttered. "She's a goner. I'm sorry, Melanie."
"No..." cried Melanie. "It can't be! She's alive, I know it for sure!"
The President immediately lifted her gaze. "Can't you see?" Her golden eyes sparkled with unshed tears. "Where do you think that pool of blood comes from? She's not even moving, Melanie!"
"No! She's—" Melanie looked at the screen, and whimpered. She shut her eyes and more tears fell. She was always scared of the truth. It did nothing but knock the life out of her. The President's words hit her like lightning. They were ugly truths.
"Melanie!"
Melanie opened her eyes when the President suddenly shouted her name. She stared at her and saw her gaze looking through the screen. She followed her eyes, then she gasped.
There was Axel, raising her middle finger with trembling hands.
"She's alive!" She exclaimed. "We need to get to her now!"
"Yeah, yeah, I know!" The President swiped the clips at great speed. She smirked when a perfect map of the route appeared inside her head. "I know a way. Follow my lead!"
She pointed her hand towards the ceiling and her golden eyes dilated. A ray of blue light came out from the tip of her fingers and soared high. It blasted the ceiling and the layering floors that followed them, illuminating the crimson sky like fireworks. The light spread and abounded the Damned region with ease.
"No monsters could ever enter our region anymore," said Amirah, her eyes glaring. "But we need to eliminate those who are already here with us."
Lemures heard of the commotion and marched towards the holes that the President created. They fell to the room like sardines toppling over each other. Melanie and Amirah took advantage of their confusion and stormed out of the room, preparing their powers for sudden encounters. Amirah with her hologram powers was in defense and Melanie was in the offense. They bludgeoned every enemy they could meet in the hall of mayhem into smithereens as they forced their way with goals in mind.
"Over here!" exclaimed the President. "The conference is closer here."
Melanie unleashed her final attack on the lemures and burned their bodies to dust. She then fell on the floor and placed her hands over the concrete ground. She gritted her teeth and let her magic flow to the materials. It then rose up to her will and transmuted into a barrier against the monsters.
"That will hold them off for now," she said, running through the alley. When she finally reached the end, a tremendous light blinded her for a second. She caught her breath and called for the president. However, what welcomed her as the light faded sent chills to her spine.
Amirah was there, petrified. Her eyes were big in shock and her mouth was gaping open. Her arms were in the air like she was doing something to stop the attack, but she still failed—all her last movements froze.
Melanie stumbled, but she chose to approach her, and offer her tears. She was instantly filled with shame and regret.
"If only I came here a minute earlier, she'll be alive," she cried.
Fear crawled into her skin when she felt an eerie presence around her. She turned her head to the source of those penetrating gazes and her jaw dropped.
Ginger hair, green eyes, and a contagious smile that Melanie was so fond of; she could not help herself but weep. Suddenly, all rumbling thoughts inside her head became ghost-quiet, and she only focused on the man standing across her—the delight of her eyes, her symbol of hope, and the light in her darkness. She walked closer to him until her steps became heavy and fast. She threw her body over to him and hugged him tightly.
"Luce!"
Luce's arms wrapped around her, then he buried his head on her shoulder. He gently squeezed her waist. "My love."
"Melanie, no! Get away from him!" A moan stopped Melanie's moment of joy. She turned her head to the side and saw Axel on the ground, weak and bathing in her own pool of blood. Melanie darted Luce a glance and quickly recoiled her hands. She staggered back, breathing heavily, she formed a lance within her hands.
"Who are you?!" she roared.
Luce titled his head and blinked his innocent green eyes. "Why are you acting that way, Melanie?" He raised both of his arms like he was asking for a hug. "I'm already here. Didn't you miss me?"
"Are you the one who started all this?!" Melanie felt stupid right after she spat out those words. She knew that Luce could never do something horrible. He is part of the Sanctified race. He is a normal person, possessing a big heart for music and books. How can he even be that evil person she had in her mind?
"No, Luce cannot do this to me," she thought.
"Aren't you happy that I'm here to fetch you out of this broken world?"
"No!" Melanie shouted. "Luce, I.." she pressed her lips together, then continued. "There's something off with you. I can't wrap my head around it but you're not the Luce that I knew."
Luce sighed and slowly shook his head. "How disappointing. " His words were sharp. "I never expected you to be so reluctant towards me."
"What are you—"
Luce turned his head to Axel and smirked. "Then, I must resort to bargaining, hmm?" he mocked, pulling Axel to her feet by her hair. Axel shouted in pain as more blood flowed out of her wound. Her chest had a slit mark through her chest, penetrating to her back, but the ends were already closing; Axel had been trying to prolong her life with her last strength.
"No! Don't touch her!" Melanie screamed and aimed her powers at them. "Get away from her!"
"I'll do what you want me to do in one condition," mumbled Luce, and smiled like a maniac. "Come to my Kingdom, Clementine."
"Shut up! You got the wrong person!"
"Uh-uh, you don't have the right to say that to me, my love. I'll snap this chipmunk's head if you repeat that again."
Melanie chewed her lower lip and tried to stop her tears. She threw her weapons and stopped her powers.
"D-don't listen to her, Melanie. Forget about me!" Axel's cracking voice only broke Melanie's heart even more.
She raised both of her hands in surrender. "I-I'll come with you."
"Well..." Luce flashed a malicious smile. "Say goodbye to your friend."
"No! Axel!"
Melanie stiffened when he saw how Luce propelled Axel in the air, calculating the trajectory of her fall to accurately land at the center of the swarm of lemures.
Melanie collapsed on the floor, endless tears flowing out of her eyes. "No... How could you?! How could you do that to her?!"
Luce knelt in front of her and wiped her tears. He cupped her face, then gently caressed it. "You don't remember me, don't you?" He leaned forward, brushing his lips against Melanie's and inhaling her scent.
"Why don't we go down the memory lane, Clementine?"
END OF BOOK 1