the truth (47)

(The rain continues to pour, the once peaceful school courtyard now a battlefield. Blood seeps into the pavement, mixing with the downpour. Michael stands over Ethan's lifeless body, his breath heavy, his knuckles bloodied. Lisa, untouched, watches with a smirk, her parents standing beside her.)

Lisa (mocking, playful): "Oh, don't worry, Michael. I won't use the dagger. After all, it's a three-on-one, and it'd be unfair if I had an advantage. Plus… my parents will be fighting first."

(Michael barely has time to react before Lisa's parents charge at him, their movements unnaturally swift. Their eyes gleam with confidence, as if this fight is already decided.)

Lisa's Father (cold, measured): "Michael, we warned you not to start a war you cannot win."

*(Michael doesn't reply. His bloodlust is suffocating, his entire being focused on one goal—kill them all.)

(Lisa's father throws a punch aimed at Michael's head, but Michael moves. His body blurs—too fast. Before they can register what's happening, Michael dodges and drives his fist into the man's stomach.)

(A sickening crunch echoes through the courtyard. Lisa's father stumbles back, his face twisted in shock. He wasn't supposed to be this fast.)

Lisa's Mother (snarling, stepping forward): "You little—"

(She swings at Michael. He doesn't block, doesn't hesitate—he ducks under her strike and drives his knee into her ribs. She gasps, staggering backward.)

(Lisa's parents exchange a glance, their confidence wavering. Michael… wasn't supposed to be like this.)

(But Michael doesn't stop. His body moves on its own, his rage fueling him. He attacks, striking over and over, his fists meeting flesh and bone. Lisa's parents try to fight back, but every attempt is futile. Their strikes do nothing. Michael is faster. Stronger. And most terrifying of all—he isn't holding back.)

(The air becomes thick with something primal. Bloodlust. It rolls off Michael in waves, suffocating and terrifying. For the first time, Lisa's parents feel fear.)

(They try to escape his onslaught, but Michael doesn't let them. Every dodge, every retreat is met with another crushing blow. He's relentless, merciless. It isn't a fight—it's a massacre.)

(Minutes pass. Then more. And then… silence.)

(Lisa's parents lay on the ground, battered and broken. Their bodies twitch, their faces bloodied and swollen. Michael stands over them, his fists dripping red.)

Lisa (shocked, whispering): "No way… my parents lost?"

(Then, suddenly, she laughs. A small chuckle at first, then a full-bodied laugh.)

Lisa (grinning, wiping a tear from her eye): "Ahh… expected of you, Michael. Scientific genius, and now, what? A monster, too?"

(Michael says nothing. He takes a step forward. Then another.)

(Lisa moves, fast—dodging his first strike. She retaliates, aiming a punch at his ribs. He dodges. She kicks—he sidesteps. But then—)

(Michael moves faster than she expects. His hand shoots out and catches her wrist mid-strike. Before she can react, his fist slams into her stomach.)

(Lisa gasps, doubling over in pain.)

Lisa (choking): "You—!"

(But she doesn't finish. Michael grabs her face—his grip tight—and slams her into the ground. The pavement cracks beneath her.)

(Lisa screams. But Michael doesn't stop. He lifts her again—throws her. She crashes into the school gate, the metal bending under impact. Before she can even breathe, Michael is there again, grabbing her by the collar and driving his knee into her ribs.)

(Lisa coughs blood, her smirk long gone. She struggles, thrashes, but it's useless. Michael is beyond reason.)

Michael (panting, voice breaking): "Why?! Why did you have to do this?! Everything was perfect! Ethan was happy! I was happy! Our friends were happy! But you—you ruined it!"

(Michael's grip tightens.)

Michael (cold, unrelenting): "you ruined my entire life ."

(Lisa's laughter returns—weak, delirious, but still there.)

Lisa (grinning despite the pain): "Oh, Michael… it was just a game. None of those feelings were real. None of it made me happy. None of it was real."

(Michael's breath catches. Something ugly twists in his gut.)

Lisa (soft, cruel): "I never loved Ethan. Never. He was just… a toy. A distraction. And now that I get a good look at your face, I'm glad I did this."

(She grins through the blood, eyes half-lidded in satisfaction.)

Lisa (whispering): "Your angered face brings me so much pleasure."

(Michael sees red. He lets out a roar and resumes his onslaught.)

(His fists crash into her face, into her stomach, into anything he can reach. Lisa barely has time to scream.)

(Her body goes limp, but Michael doesn't stop. Again. And again. And again.)

(Then—)

Voice (shouting, distant): "MICHAEL!"

(Michael freezes. His breath is ragged. His vision blurry. Slowly, he turns.)

(Alex. Marie. Emily.)

(His friends. His old friends.)

(Alex moves first, his body a blur. Before Michael can react—BAM—a solid kick to the face. Michael stumbles, barely keeping his balance.)

Alex (furious, voice shaking): "Michael… what the fuck did you do?!"

(Marie rushes to Ethan's side, pressing her hands against his wound, her voice frantic.)

Marie (desperate): "Ethan, wake up! Please, wake up!"

(Emily stands frozen, her hands over her mouth, tears streaming down her face.)

Emily (whispering, voice cracking): "No… Ethan's dead."

(Silence. Then—)

Alex (stunned, disbelief washing over him): "What?"

(Michael stares at them, his face blank. His hands still covered in blood.)

Michael (hoarse, desperate): "No, no, no, it wasn't me! Lisa—she killed him! I swear!"

(Alex turns, looking at Lisa's broken, barely breathing form. Then back at Michael.)

Alex (voice cold, sharp): "Look at her, Michael. She's half-dead. And you're telling me she killed Ethan?"

(Michael's stomach drops.)

Michael (pleading, voice breaking): "You have to believe me!"

(Then—police sirens. Distant, but closing in fast.)

(Michael's heart pounds. No. No, this isn't right. This isn't how it was supposed to go.)

(He turns to his friends, desperation in his eyes.)

Michael (barely above a whisper): "You called the police on me?"

Alex (cold, final): "Yes. After we saw what you did to Lisa… we had to."

(Michael looks at them—his friends—but their faces are unreadable. Except for one thing—betrayal. Disgust. Grief.)

(The flashing lights arrive. Officers storm the scene, shouting orders, guns raised.)

(Michael barely moves as they grab him, forcing his arms behind his back.)

(As they drag him away, he meets Alex's gaze one last time.)

Alex (low, quiet, filled with sorrow): "From now on… we are no longer friends."

(Emily sobs. Marie holds Ethan's lifeless body, her entire form shaking.)

(And the last thing Michael sees is their broken, grieving faces.)

(Dakota watches as Lucas, Mia, Ava, and Liam lay unconscious. Their breathing shallow, their bodies twitching slightly, as if haunted by something unseen.)

Dakota (softly, unreadable): "When they wake up… they'll be different people."

(He turns away, eyes dark.)

*(The storm outside rages on.)