On the way to the cla.s.sroom, she had to pa.s.s through the hallway filled with students. The part of the day she hated the most. Sitting there are the bully boys that makes fun of her whenever she pa.s.ses by. "Sc—" Out of habit, she tried to grab someone in front of her, but there's no one. Scarlet, unlike before, is not there to walk with her. "That's right… is she still at the hospital?"

"Hey, she's here look! Haha!" As expected, the boys noticed her, and are louder than usual seeing her alone. Aya looked down and walked faster, trying to ignore them. But one tall boy blocked her path and pulled her hair up.

"Hey! The h.e.l.l are you doing jacka.s.s!?" Van roared from behind Aya. She came running to them as fast as she could. Of course, the moment the boys saw her face, they hysterically ran away. "What a bunch of losers. Hey, are you okay?" Van was like her usual self. She's always been like this, strong and cheerful and brave. But for some reason she looked special today. "Hey Aya, you okay?" Van noticed she's unusually quiet. Though she's always been quiet, but she's more quiet than normal!

"N... nothing! Thanks. I'll go to cla.s.s now!" She hurriedly ran to her cla.s.sroom. She barely made it in time. The teacher though, looked especially scary. When he asked for their homework, Aya panicked, rummaging through her belongings.

"Those who don't have homework, get the h.e.l.l out!" Yes, he was especially moody, though he was never someone she liked in the first place. Aya was taking a long time. "Aya, where's your homework!?" Sweat rolled down her forehead. "Um, no. I…." She can't find it. Of course she won't. Because she had to do housework last night, she barely slept much less do her homework. "I'm sorry sir, I…"

"GET THE h.e.l.l OUT!" The teacher threw a blackboard eraser at her, hitting her on the head. Aya felt tears form at the corner of her eyes. She sobbed, but no one dared look at her. Else, they might get scolded too. Seeing this, Freyja who's sitting on the front row stood up all of a sudden. She grabbed her backpack and without batting an eye, she walked out of the cla.s.sroom.

"HEY! Where do you think you're going!?" The teacher threw a small bamboo stick at her, but she caught it with ease. "I have no homework too. So, I should go out, right, teacher?" She threw the bamboo stick right back at him, making him even more furious. "Let's go Aya. Not like we can do anything about it now." Freyja left the room without a single care for the world. Aya followed her.

Aya walked two meters behind Freyja. She looked so relaxed. Looking at her walk confidently, reminded her of Van who's so strong-willed and Scarlet who won't budge no matter what's thrown at her. Aya felt a pain in her chest.

"Aya, can you feel that!?" All of a sudden, Freyja stopped and looked to her side. Shoving her thoughts aside, Aya closed her eyes and heightened her senses. She did feel a slight sinister presence. But this not uncommon. Unless it felt really strong, normally these kinds of aura won't manifest itself. Freyja should know that, but she looked worried. "Frey?"

"We can't slack off after all." Freyja felt strange. The aura is faint, but it's not the same as the usual. It's like, it's hiding itself on purpose. That, is a reason to worry.

~ o 0 o ~

Holding a book each in front of them, Freyja and Aya vigilantly watched out for the sinister presence. Nothing special came about, until a senior student approached Freyja with a strange look on her face. She's smiling, but her eyes are wide open and looks like the smile is forced on her face—by someone else. The senior student suddenly grabbed Freyja's arm and pulled her with inhuman strength.

"Freyja!" Aya stood up and tried to pull her back, but they're too strong she didn't even hold a candle to them. Not for long, all students inside the library stood up and closed in on Freyja, pinning her against a wall. Normally, she can push them all away with a tiny bit of aura. But right now, they are, without a doubt, being controlled and reinforced by a really strong sinister aura. Aya could only watch as twelve people all at once try to restrain her friend. Freyja winced, gathered he strength, and pushed them all away. She managed to push them, but they just keep coming at her. "Aya! Get Van! Hurry!" She shouted.

Aya nodded and ran outside as fast as she can. Her nightmare came true. Every single person in the high school building was engulfed in a strange dark aura, with strange, seemingly forced expressions on their faces. They reminded her of lifeless puppets being pulled by a string, towards Freyja. Aya panicked.

The moment Aya came to Van's cla.s.sroom, her jaw dropped. The person she thought can rescue Freyja is herself, pinned down by at least six of her own cla.s.smates. Van struggled, but like Freyja, she couldn't. They are all inhumanly strong. Van punched one cla.s.smate on the face, but he didn't flinch, though his cheek got red. "G.o.ddammit! They don't feel pain at all!" Van kicked one on the groin, but like all others, he didn't bat an eye.

"Stop it Van! You'll kill them!" Aya shouted. Hearing her own words reminded her of what happened to Scarlet. She ran to Van and tried to pull her out, but she was pushed so easily by one of them.

"These things…" Van said, "…are drawn to strong aura sources… AND EATS THEM LIKE MAD!"

In front of her, Van is being restrained. Her aura is being forcefully sipped out by her cla.s.smates. Freyja too. And Scarlet? She's still in the hospital. Fortunately for Aya, her aura is not strong enough to attract these controlled puppets. Aya fell on her knees. "Am I really that useless? You won't even come for me? Nothing?" She laughed. She's starting to feel her consciousness drift away.

"Hey Aya! What's wrong with you? Run away! Get Freyja!" Van's words won't even reach her ears.

Aya, found herself trapped in an oblivion. There's nothing there. It's all black. But isn't it great? No one will find her there. No one will see her there. She can sleep, she can rest without a care. Does she even need to go out? No. Nothing will change anyway.

She stretched her hands out, they looked smaller than normal. Has she turned back to a child? The black oblivion turned to small room with wooden walls, and lots of boxes it's so cramped. The door is locked. It's dark. She's scared. She wanted to go out! But she can't. No matter how much she calls for help, no one will come to rescue her. Slowly, her limbs grew. She turned back to a teenager. But did things change? Not a bit. Every time she walks on roads with people, they all look faceless and scary to her.

In front her, is Freyja's back. She's facing forward, her white aura is strong and grand. Then, there is Van. She's strong and smiling all the time. And then, Scarlet. No matter what, she keeps standing strong. Her red aura too, is so beautiful. The three of them started running forward. Aya chased after them. But they're too fast! So fast!

"How about me?" Aya asked. "Will the world even matter without me? Will they even notice I'm gone? No one. I won't even notice. So maybe, it's better if I sleep here… forever." The darkness came closing in on her, engulfing her entire body, her entire consciousness.

"Aya! Aya! Don't tell me they got you too! AYA!" Van could clearly see a thick dark aura engulf Aya. She desperately shouted. She can't move, she's getting weaker and weaker as her controlled cla.s.smates absorbed aura out of her. Van felt groggy, she can barely move her limbs. "A…y…." She can't even call Aya anymore. Van collapsed.

"SO BRIGHT!" One voice, only one voice reached Aya's ears. It's a familiar voice, a kid so cheerful and energetic. The kid is slim, had dark brown wavy hair and slit eyes. She's running carefree, with a wide smile on her face. "Someday, I'll be bright as the sun!" The kid said.

"The sun, eh?"

The kid, then looked to her. "Someday!" She said, holding her little hand out to her. "I will be."

Tears fell from Aya's eyes. She recognized who that kid was. "That's right," Aya said, wiping her tears off. "I did say that." Aya opened her eyes.

"VAN!" Seeing a collapsed Van, she instinctively reached out to her. When she did, all of a sudden, a long silk fabric materialized in her hands, and stretched out to Van. Like a whip, the fabric, covered in bright yellow aura, shoved Van's cla.s.smates away. She stretched her other hand out, and the same thing happened. Mysteriously, two whip-like fabric covered in bright yellow aura materialized in her hands. Saving the wonder for later, she used them as whips, and driven the possessed people away from the two of them. Her fabrics wrapped one of them, and slowly sucked the dark aura out. After that, the person collapsed on the floor, asleep. "I know!" Seeing this, Aya had an idea. She used her fabrics to wrap every single one of them, sucking out their dark auras, making them collapse one by one.

Not for long, all of Van's cla.s.smates are asleep on the floor.

"Van, you okay? Van?" She noticed that Van's color is returning. Van opened her eyes and stood up. "Aya, are you okay? What happened?"

"I'm okay. You?"

Van did a bit of stretching. "No problem. Not in my top condition, but I can manage. Let's go get Freyja!" They nodded and ran out to her.

On the way, they met Scarlet, who's surrounded by the possessed people as well. She was about to attend the afternoon cla.s.ses, but ended up cornered in the hallway instead. "Scar! You okay now?" Van shouted.

"Do I look okay!?" She is very much tempted to burn all of them, but she knows she can't. All of a sudden, all of them jumped onto her, restraining her the same way they did to Freyja and Van. Scarlet was about to release her fire arrows by instinct, when Aya rushed in the middle and used her whip fabrics to s.h.i.+eld Scarlet. Like the others, she caught each and every single one of them, sucking their dark auras out, making them collapse onto the floor..

"Amazing! How did you do that Aya!?"

"No time! Let's go get Freyja!" Aya ran straight to the library. "Freyja, please, stay alive." She prayed.

The moment they reached the library, they found Freyja surrounded by even more possessed students and teachers. Freyja is pale, panting, and could barely stand. But she's trying her best to ward them off with her fists, with minimal aura. Just in time, Freyja fell onto her knees, covered in scratches and bruises. She still didn't want to use her aura, otherwise she will kill their bodies off. But if she didn't, she'll be the one to die. Freyja is so frustrated, Like Scarlet, in her frustration, she finally summoned her white aura, and aura blade.

"DON'T!" Aya ran to her, and used her fabrics to s.h.i.+eld Freyja. Aya took a deep breath. Then, her whip fabrics grew longer and larger and encircled all the possessed students and teachers in the library in one wrap. She started sucking off their dark aura, making them fall on the ground one by one. When they are all asleep, her fabrics stretched out so long, and released all the acc.u.mulated dark aura, dissipating them to the skies.

The presence, is now gone. And everyone in the high school building, except for the four of them, are deeply asleep.

"Awesome Aya! Your aura is awake now!" Freyja ran to her excitedly. "How did you do that? That was sick!" Van slapped her back too in glee. Scarlet smiled at her. And Aya, took a deep breath and went to Scarlet.

"Scarlet…" She said, gathering her courage. "I'm sorry for what happened. I stopped you and you were injured. And I couldn't do anything back then."

Scarlet smiled, shaking her head. "No, thank you Aya. You saved us. You saved us from doing something we know we'll regret. Thank you." She lowered her head.

Freyja and Van looked at each other and smiled.

Aya took a deep breath and smiled. Then, she laughed. She burst into laughter, in relief, in happiness, in ease. "You're welcome!"

The next morning, Aya was running late again. She was running on the hallway, to her cla.s.sroom when the same group of bully boys blocked her.

"Hey look. It's her again!" They started laughing. "What? Are you gonna call your brute friends again? Haha!"

Van, Freyja and Scarlet, from not so far away heard it, Van was about to interrupt when Freyja stopped her. Freyja shook her head and smiled.

"So, what do we—" One of the boys is about to grab Aya's bag when Aya grabbed his wrist and twisted it. "OW!" Glaring at them, she said. "What's your problem?"

They were all shocked. No one could say anything at all. The boys, had to wonder if it's really Aya they're seeing. "Are you sure you're not possessed or anything?" One of them mumbled. Hearing that, Aya burst into laughter. She tapped his back and went ahead. "Trust me, you don't want to know about that."

~ o 0 o ~