CHAPTER 43: My Friend.

CONTD.....

Jun , Zakiyye and Samuel sat in a cafe , Jun directly facing the two of them , silence surrrounding them and staring with discontent,

"Man...don't look at us like that.... we really have to go there..." Samuel said in response to Jun's piercing gaze.

"Why....just...why..." Jun asked .

"Well because....Um....we want to find out more about the Red Night..." Samuel said with a shaky smile.

" Hmmm...." Jun put his hand under his chin , " I mean I don't agree that this is actually a very important matter-"

"See! I knew you'd understand! Lets-" But Samuel was cut off .

"How do you expect to get into their territory?...Layla will kill you and that would only be the start of it..." Jun said as a shiver ran down his spine.

Samuel and Zakiyye looked at each other.

"We...we might not come in contact with he-"

"Impossible... her garden tells her everything...and its the closest one to the territory..." Jun said.

"Ok...but then can we atleast talk to Krystallo...." Samuel continued to plead.

"I don't know how to use this.... we have to wait for him to contact us to figure it out." Jun held out the crystal.

Jun shook his head and Samuel threw himself back and rested his back on the sofa in a laidback manner.

"Ugh I guess we are at a stop again huh..." Samuel looked at Zakiyye who was deep in thought.

" I guess we are...." Zakiyye said with a sigh after arriving at no conclusion.

Samuel patted his shoulder .

Jun stared at the crystal and touched it.

************

YOSEI ACADEMY - GARDEN OUTSIDE THE MAIN BUILDING .

Malak and Krystallo sat under the tree. Malak with his back against it with Krystallo sitting on the side , his arms on the ground supporting him while he looked at the sky above.

"I donot think Noel and Laila will cause any problems anymore....." Malak said. Krystallo looked at him.

"Malak ...they are probably planning something RIGHT NOW." Krystallo said with a tired look.

"Hahaha...yeah you are right...but probably not on the grand scale as before ...I had rather have them use these exceptional talents of being villainous in the tournament...Michelle would follow the side she thinks would win.."

"Yeah she is alarmingly dangerous to have as a teammate....she would ditch you anytime."

"Now that's hurtful..."came a voice from behind. A shadow grew over Krystallo. As he looked up she saw Michelle looking down on him.

"Oh heyy Miche!" Krystallo said with a wide smile.

"Hey...." Michelle replied back with a scornful look.

"Sorry sorry" Krystallo said.

"Sigh..."

"Something wrong Michelle?"

"Another student...battered down..by one of our own . " She said with a serious look.

"What..." Krystallo said as he stood up. Malak continued to stay where he was but was frowning.

"And....what about the student who attacked?" Malak asked

"Gone. Exactly the same as your story Malak." Michelle replied.

"Shouldn't they just stop the tournament and start looking for whoever is behind this?" Krystallo said.

"Why is it all...students..." Malak mumbled.

"What?" Krystallo asked.

"I said...Why is it all students who have been attacked ? There aren't any civilians are there...who have been disappearing..?" Malak said as he looked at Michelle who shook her head.

"Maybe it is because we are the only ones who go into the bordering forests?" Krystallo said.

"That's one explanation...but its never the teachers either...just students ...and more so...those around 17 to 19 years of age.." Malak kept on thinking.

"The tournament also has students , just around this age doesn't it...again why aren't they stopping it?" Krystallo said, annoyed.

"Because they don't trust each other...they want to have authority as soon as possible." Michelle said , " The last time it was the BlackWings who won wasn't it? The results of the tournament become invalid six months before the next tournament."

"How is that related though..." Krystallo said.

"The attacks did increase in the last few months.." Michelle said.

"The Red Nights were really silent before until last year...." Krystallo said.

"Is there anything significant that happened in the last year?"

" Everything is still the same though...same students...same-"

"There was...one thing... we had a transfer student in our class.. it's not a very common thing to happen." Michelle said.

" Dolion wasn't it? He was shifted from a non combat school because of his uncontrollable powers. I saw him in class today aswell. I don't think he would be a problem..." Malak said.

"True.. " Michelle said as they all went silent.

Deep in thought.

*******

*KILLER ACADEMY- MALE DORMS*

*Zakiyye's Room*

Zakiyye laid on the bed as the clock hands kept moving.

He closed his eyes and when he opened them he found himself in the centre of the same forest he always spent his nights in.

The kid was sitting infront of him...crying.

Zakiyye looked at him and then patted his head.

"It wasn't my fault...I wanted to tell everyone...that I was made by my own friend's blood...But I wasn't the one who killed him..."

Zakiyye patted his head and his eyes opened, he was back in his room. Lying on the bed. Same as before.

"None of what you say...makes any sense to me.." Zakiyye mumbled to himself.

"Its been an year...since you have shown yourself in my conscience....I know I carry your blood...I know you are someone in the past...I know you once lived in this world...But I just don't know...who you are." Zakiyye mumbled to himself as he continued to stare at the roof of his room.

"This won't do" Zakiyye had a sudden burst of energy , "I have to think."

A few seconds later ,

"And what has that....got..ANYTHING to do with me...Zaki.." said Samuel , his eyes barely open, wearing a sleeping suit , holding the door open for Zakiyye who just showed up at his door.

"You are my friend aren't you?" Zakiyye said with a poker face.

"Is this a new way to get rid of me...cause its workin..." Samuel said with an annoyed look.

"Just let me in" Zakiyye said as he went in before Samuel could reply.

" So this is what revenge is like huh?" Samuel said as he closed the door .

Zakiyye sat on Sam's chair , turned on the lamp , took a pen and stared at the piece of paper infront of him.

" If you keep staring at it that intensely it might burn." Samuel said as he rubbed his face with a towel to dry it from the water he threw on himself to wake himself up.

" I am confused..." Zakiyye said as his head fell on the table.

"Sigh.... okay ... Let's start with what we already know. Always helps." Samuel said as he patted his shoulder. Zaki pulled himself together and began writing.

" The Red night," He said , " Is something that started 300 years ago , when a Blackwing child killed a human...."

"That was our first question , " Samuel added , " That why were we being addressed as humans after which we thought we were artificially created , we had powers from an artificial source".

"But Bow negated that possibility," Zakiyye continued, " Since we can't exist here if our powers were from an artificial source...meaning our powers are natural."

"Stop stop...is it that our powers are natural or that..." Samuel said with a grim look, " or are they from a natural SOURCE."

"Are you trying to say..." Zakiyye said as he looked at Samuel , " We obtained our powers from something or...maybe someONE else."

"J..Josh...said.." Samuel stuttered , " That the girl who captured him , said something like Killers existing because the Yoseis were killed by them..."

"That could also mean they were at war with each other or something...but.." Zakiyye said thoughtfully , his hand slightly shaking ," That Yoseis were killed and USED as a source of power for the Killers.."

"B..but...we had powers and we didnt kill anyone..." Samuel raised a question.

"They could have been carried...in our genetics..but I don't know of any ways of how one can kill someone and then obtain their powers..." Zakiyye said.

"Let...Lets put this question on hold and proceed further for now...otherwise we will start going on circles..since we don't have any more evidence on this." Samuel said as he regained his calm.

" When the human child died , The Blackwing child was punished and killed . That made the night go back to black." Zakiyye said.

"The thought that the red night is there when innocent blood is spilled..... how much evidence do we have to support that?" Samuel said.

"Maybe people back then...just THOUGHT the red night was because of that..."

"Okay we can keep that aswell."

"Okay so , the resentment grew and the BlackWing child's family murdered those involved in the death of their child." Zakiyye stopped.

"Wait , if they murdered everyone involved and the nights turned red again, then that means they turned red not because someone innocent was killed, since they were all atleast involved in killing of the BlackWing child." Samuel said.

" Also maybe they just assumed , that , since the color of the night was red , it was because of blood....that also doesnt make any logical sense..sounds like a myth. " Samuel said.

"But it DID happen...and the cause has to be something more important.... maybe it was that day...when we obtained the natural source of our powers and its impact made the whole night red." Zakiyye said , his eyes wide open.

" But that would mean..."

" The human child was still alive and the BlackWing was either killed BY the child or was punished unfairly-"

"AAAAAAAAAAGHHHH" Zakiyye suddenly felt his blood boiling , he stood up holding his chest feeling as if it was being crushed by something inside , his head was screaming , suddenly his eyes turned completely red and his voice changed ,

" I DIDN'T KILL HIM !!!! I AM NOT THE KILLER!!!! BELIEVE ME!!! IT WASN'T ME! B..BUT...H..HE..DID...AND I -" Zakiyye fell down on the floor , banging it hard , shaking his head left to right , as if he was in deep regret , he cried with tears in his eyes , " HE DID IT AND I COULDN'T STOP HIM.....HE WAS MY FRIEND...AND I DIDNT DO ANYTHING !!! FOR HIM...I FAILED HIM...I AM SORRY...MAYBE IT IS MY FAULT...I SHOULD HAVE..JUST DIED!!!!!" With that he took the pen in his hand and pointed it towards his neck , but just as he was about to pierce his own neck , Samuel immediately hit it out of his grasp and slapped Zakiyye as it flew in the air. For a second their was silence. Zakiyye's eyes were still all red but now he was silent and staring at Samuel who was staring right back.

Samuel put his hands on Zaki's cheeks and pressed them a little,

" I believe you...." he said.

" D..do..y.. you really?" Zakiyye said in a voice that wasn't his.

"Yes I really do...and so does Zakiyye. He is trying to find the truth for YOUR sake ." Samuel said , his lips curved into a smile , " We will figure it out.... we will figure everything out so for now... let my friend rest...he is as dear to me as yours was to you."

"H...he is ...your dear friend?"

"Yes.. he is."

"P..please... I..I am not a..killer..."

"I know"

"B..but he ..he is still out there...h..he will come back...for me..."

"Who will?"

"The one...who killed my..friend..."

"Why did he kill him?"

"To get..s..something....."

"What is it ?"

"I have it....but..I...forgot...where it is....but..I ..have..to ..protect it...my ..my ..f.friend d..died for it..."

"He sacrificed himself?"

"Yes..b..but no one..believed me...so..I..r..ran away...with it....S..sam."

" Yeah?"

" I came back...because I was ca..called back...the killer..called..me back..to take it f..from me..."

"Does that mean..."

"I c..couldn't protect my frie..nd...but y..you must..not...fail...Zaki...protect ..him."

"We will protect you and Zaki, you dont need to worry..."

"S..sam.."

"Ahan?"

"T..Thankyou...."

With that the red eyes disappeared and Zakiyye's body , fell weightlessly on to Samuel's shoulder.

Samuel patted on Zakiyye's back.

"No problem" he mumbled .

*******

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