Chapter 17 Level 2

The tranquil valley was swaddled in a veil of poltergeist-white mist. It was eerily silent in the valley, and the reason was apparent. The deathly vapor didn't lick the valley's cold floor as the wind was known to do. Its tongue-less form wouldn't allow it to.

Instead, it warped nature using its spineless tentacles to trail around everything. It drifted and ghosted, glided, and dangled.

Then it pounced. Once it had conjured enough of its milky white substance, it clung to and enrobed everything it could.

Nothing was spared. It snagged and snared every crag and tree without mercy. Although it looked ethereal and gossamer-fragile, it packed a punch far above its weightlessness.

It writhed and coiled with delight, its ghostly scarves wrapping the valley in a maze of mist. Then its age-old enemy arrived to banish it into nothingness.

Darts of icy rain came spitting from the sky. They hissed and swished, shredding the veil into collars of isolated steam. Increasing in intensity, fat droplets of soaking rain purged the valley of any remaining mist.

The constant rain swelled the river, bursting its banks. It turned peat-brown immediately, rumbling through the valley's rocky caverns. This time, the rain had won.

Last night's lightning was more than just a storm, it brought the uninvited into doors that were no longer closed.

It awakened an instinct, an inseparable scent that made the taste of blood sweeter yet so tastefully satisfying to me.

The more I had, the more I wanted.

Yes, I wanted that unique taste that filled up my system. More than just the taste of blood awoke my Apha instinct.

It was the strongest I felt, the confidence I felt, the blood of the innocent flowing through me.

Getting ready, I was in the shower and couldn't stop thinking of last night, the kill, and Maka. Somehow, I couldn't stop thinking of her.

The heavy downpour of rain crashed on the window seal, "How long are you going to be?"

It was Maka. She needed to use the bathroom, "fifteen minutes."

"I can't wait that long. Sorry, I am coming in."

The shower curtain was closed, so I didn't mind. Slightly surprised she felt comfortable sharing a bathroom with me, "dont come out."

"Not that I was planning to."

Maria walked past and heard me talking. She stopped and knocked on the bathroom door, "the two of you better not be doing anything you shouldn't under my roof."

"Dont worry, Maria."

After Maka was done, she flushed the chain, making the water cold. She probably did that deliberately. After I was done showering, I stood in the mirror, trying to fix my tie. I always had trouble fastening a tie.

Maka knocked on the room door and entered, "do you need help?"

"I do. I have been struggling for over five minutes."

"Okay, turn to me and face me."

I faced her.

Her lips were inches away from mine, I could hear her heartbeat, her hair loose, and she wore a grey skirt with a white shirt and a black pullover, "my mom had a song when she tied my dad's tie."

This is the first time Maka has spoken to me about her mom and dad, "she did?"

Maka smiled and looked up into my eyes, stepping closer.

What is happening? This feeling of confusion and fear started to feel overwhelming. Her lips were inches from mine, and for a moment, she glanced at my lips, then looked down, remembering last night, "so shall we get breakfast?"

"Sure, I will be downstairs soon."

Five minutes later, the doorbell rang just as I arrived downstairs. It was Lei, "I have to go see you later."

Maka had sconces in her hand, and Maria smiled, "it seems like Maka has met someone."

"They are just friends," I replied.

Jia turned, looked at me, shook her head, and combed her hair, "they are more than friends."

"Your six. What do you know about more than friends?" I asked

"I know more than you do clearly."

I could swear Jia was getting smarter by the day.

"That Lei guy never had his books in his hand," I mentioned.

"He came with a car."

"His driving? It seems like everyone is driving but me."

"It's fine. We will walk, bro."

I thought it would be more convenient if I could get a car. Jia had tidied up where she had eaten.

It was Tuesday, and I was not in the mood for school.

After dropping Jia off, I could smell Maka with her sweet rose perfume. Looking over the road was a yellow Jaguar parked.

I could see Maka. She was in the car with Lei; they were making out. At this moment, it felt like my world came tumbling down, I stood still, and she saw me and climbed off Lei, pushing open the door, "Kai, wait," she screamed.

I turned to my right, and there was a fence. I jumped over the fence and ran as fast as I could. I felt anger. I need, I need to kill.

The yellow stone started to glow, I saw a man casually sitting in the sun, and without thinking twice, I jumped on him and bit into his flesh, tearing the flesh off him.

I then dragged him into a bush and sucked out all his blood. This made me feel alive, and the stones lightened up.

Blood became like a drug to me. The more I had, the more I wanted. The feeling was unlike any other I had felt. Every time I killed it tasted different; it tasted better.

I dragged the body deep into the forest and buried the remains. My nails had dirt under them, and my hair was wet with sweat.

I stood up and screamed in the center of the forest. Everything I loved and cared about got taken away from me. I felt hatred toward Maka, I didn't want to be around her, and Lei had to stay far out of my way.

My hand started to glow like sparkles, I stretched out my arm, and my entire arm was glowing like a diamond in the sunlight.

Even though there was only a tiny amount of sunlight with the heavy cloud, I spread my arms naked in the middle of the field as my whole body glowed.

I closed my eyes and heard Jia's voice, "you have to stop." I opened my eyes and looked around. Tall trees surrounded me. Was it the stones doing this? Or the bracelet she had given me? As I was about to remove it, I saw the time.

I had exactly five minutes to get to school. I ran home on my paws as fast as I could, which was faster than a car on a highway chase

When arriving, I jumped up to the back of my window, washed myself off in the shower, and changed into fresh school clothes.

I carried speed and strength that I never knew existed.

I arrived at school, and the bell went off. I headed to class. Lei seated next to Maka in front of me. She looked at me, "Kai, can we talk?"

I ignored her. We all know everything has its price, but this was not expected.

Lei sat on the edge of his table, as far away from me as he could. He kept glancing in my direction, and when he looked down and saw my hand glowing, Maka's eyes followed Lei's, which were staring at my hand.

She took her right hand and checked the stones. Only my life was glowing.

I turned and looked at Lei; he nearly stumbled off his chair. I never said anything. I wanted to drain every drip of blood within him as I clenched my fist. I heard Jia say, "don't do that, Kai. She is not worth it."

I looked up, and Maka insisted, "Kai, say something, anything."

"Maka, come to the front and solve this equation."

Maka had not been paying attention, walked to the front, and solved the equation in less than a minute.

The teacher was surprised because this was an equation for a college mathematician. She stood there dumbfounded. The kid's mouths hung open, "Sir, are we done?"

"No, hold on," he wrote another equation, one he has been struggling with.

Maka stood there, looked at it, then tilted her head, the teacher smirked, and surprisingly she took a tissue and wiped away the equation, "what do you think you are doing, young lady?"

Maka looked up and then picked up the chalk, redone the equation, and solved it.

The teacher stood staring at the board. He has been struggling for many months and even asked some college professors to help him, which they couldn't.

He stood there for five minutes, then called someone, left the class, and returned with higher-grade maths teachers. They all looked at it, took a pen and paper, wrote it, scratching their head, and nodded. They were stunned by her.

"Please come to the principles office in the morning," said the teacher.

He took out a phone and shot a photo of the equation. The school bell rang as they exited the corridor.

There Jiang stood with employees of his father who were dressed up in black, standing next to the diamond black Mercedes Benz. Jiang and his friends walked up to Lei, "climb in the car."

The teachers came out, but they all knew who Jiang was and never dared to interfere, so they turned a blind eye.

There were twelve men. Lei bumped his shoulder against Jiang walking toward his yellow Jaguar. As he approached his car, three men stood in front of it with their 9mm guns in the front and tilted their heads, indicating to climb in the Mercedes.