19- Yaagnar Maelstrom II

I follow the others to alight the train. My mind is clouded with thoughts, but what bothers me most is if Allan is still alive. The test is to make it back to the academy; there is no time limit. Many students would be heading directly to the direction of the academy. That means hundreds of students would be in a small surface area, leading to some 'accidents.'

It would be wise of me to move in the opposite direction as fast as possible, climbing down the hill, laying low for just a couple of hours, and then coming back to school. I don't know if I would be able to bond with another Entity, but it would be worth it to give it a go.

Another thing that bothers me is if Allan does not want me to come for him. I helped save him from his imminent death, and I did not receive a word of gratitude, but he jumped off a cliff to commit suicide.

"Ahh!!!!" I grumble aloud in frustration. I want to scream at the top of my lungs and beat whatever comes my way to a pulp, but I know better than that. I look no better than a rabbit lost in a forest, save the rabbit cannot be lost in a forest.

I don't know how long I have been walking, but that should be enough for me to go back. The last thing I want is to be stuck in this place. I carefully turn around to a hundred and eighty degrees to the best of my knowledge and start walking back. I don't know how efficient this was or if I just wasted my time and energy, which is not replenishable in times like this.

Walking back, I decide to think of the good things I could acquire from going through this, but I cannot think of one. I have not met any alumni of this academy. I had risked everything to come here because of Allan. I did not even complete my last year of high school just because I felt that without Allan around, I would lose my zeal and not make it. I am actually surprised I made it. Maybe I had unknowingly become a star without even realizing it while looking up to Allan all this while. I had not realized how I had improved compared to others around me.

Now, I am all alone, and I fear I would become the loser I once was.

"Fuck it!" I curse under my breath as I continue walking, stomping my feet into the ground, which has no effect as the trees that surrounded me were too big to be shaken by the small force I created. I instinctively duck, and I feel a sharp and fast gust of energy go above my head.

I am reluctant to stand up as I scout my surroundings to see if there was anybody around. I must have walked towards where he alighted.

'Ah, yes. I am at the foot of the hill.'

My thoughts are cut short when I hear footsteps drawing closer. I quickly go back into the forest, away from the hill. That person wants me dead; they aimed for my head.

"Hold up, man! I just want to talk," I hear a guy shout as he ran towards me.

I did not care to check if he still had a weapon or not. If he threw his only weapon at me or if he had more, but there's no way I would stop and listen to what he had to say. I did not have a weapon, so I would RUN.

"Just... wait... for... me!!" he screamed amidst running. He could not keep up with me.

As I was running, I saw a standing figure about 50 meters away from me. I took a turn; I did not want to take a risk and run into any other person. Then I saw a similar silhouette, but it was closer this time.

'What is actually happening?' I ask myself before getting startled by Febronia.

I braced my knees for impact as I tried coming to a halt. 'What is happening?'

I try to catch my breath as I have been running at full speed for a long time. The exercise had gotten to me. My knees trembled, and my arms fumbled, and I sat on the floor as I caught my breath.

I stared at her. She looked normal, healthy, like she had not fallen two hundred meters some time ago. She stared at me—no, she examined me with scrutiny as she crunched her brows.

'Was this the first time we are meeting?'

'Was she trying to remember who I was?'

That means the fall actually did affect her. I lean against the tree and close my eyes.

'I should have lost that bastard a while ago. At least Febronia did not scream or something seeing me.'

I am startled again when I notice her face very close to mine, like she basically teleported herself in a split second. That is when I start to realize my mistake.

'Maybe this is not Febronia but something else that looks like her, maybe a creature that took the form of someone I knew to lure me. That makes sense, but why not use Allan?'

I must be stupid! Instead of getting on my feet and running away—to where? I don't know—but after having seen the speed at which this thing moves, it is useless, but it should be worth a try.

"Excuse me," I say as I push her away by the shoulder, trying to make a way for my escape. But she just brought her face closer as I pushed her shoulders away. This girl is crazy.

She just stared at me with blank eyes, hardly blinking. I had to get out of here.

I could feel her soft palms against my neck, and my body turned stiff. Her palms were soft but cold, sending several chills down my spine. This is not how I die!!!

In an attempt to free myself, her grab turned into a chokehold, and I felt her surprisingly hot breath against my face. My throat hurt as the grip grew stronger, and my senses dwindled.

The last thing I remember was her cold eyes that ever stared as if staring into something I did not see or understand.