Chapter 6: The past ?

Golden dried leaves danced softly outside the window upon Inunna the biggest city in Maki one of the biggest state in Northern Nytheris .

It was already the late afternoon but the city seemed to be as busy as ever , dozens of people could be seen going from their day to day activities . Preparing for winter Inunna was as busy as ever with it's marketplace overflowing with farmers whom were out to sell their goods and merchants coming from various parts of Nytheris to purchase Goods and also sell , after all winter was close.

Situated in the far West of Innuna were the Ishtars the leaders and rulers of the city giving a rich vast lonely human civilization. With the Inunna Magic Training -IMT-which hailed Somewhere around the Ishtar base, a huge and wide construct with 4 ,three story building, a large field, a training ground and other construct , the school blossom with students each year with over 3 main clans and about 10 additional clans whom stayed in Inunna with a couple of more than 12 undesignated clans.The school overflowed with students yearly even though it wasn't the only training institution in Inunna having other competitors,it was still know as the best due to it's intensively care and nourishment by the Ishtars whose clan leader was the Baron of Inunna known to protect the land as his territory under the State ..

Xavis eyes were focused on the little pond found in the school compound with different colors of butterflies flying around it , he found comfort in the wind that blowed in through the window.

"Are you all ready for the question?"

"The question is .." Mister Clifford cleared his throat once more as he walked back to his table. Xavis didn't even spare him a glance his entire focus was at the pond, looking at the little Red-eyed tree frog as it gazed at it's meal a yellow striped butterfly resting on the pond flowers.

Hunter and the hunted.

With a little leap , the frog went for the catch it's tongue stretching out only to miss the butterfly- sensing danger-the insect took flight suddenly sending the other butterflies around it flying away in the sky. The Frog retracted back into the water seeing his preys fly away.

'Why did they all fly' Xavis couldn't help but wonder after all only one had Sensed danger but the rest had followed it to run blindly.

'At least it saved lives' , Unknowingly.

Xavis smiled, the yellow striped-butterfly flew up away from the Three story building classroom going towards the direction of the City marketplace.In one piece .

Something golden caught Xavis gaze flying towards Xavis window on the top floor, a butterfly....?.

No it was faster.. a Finch... it's speed increasing as the second passed . Looking like a odd creature glittering as it got closer, Xavis stretched his hand to touch it . Out of curiosity.

The creature speed was slowing down , it didn't go to Xavis hand it stopped as though scanning him.

Curious.

"Huh?" Xavis face in shock the thing that at first glance looked like a butterfly-no it was bigger than that- at most a Finch was surprisingly odd-looking. What unnerved Xavis the most though , were the fact that the ball didn't have wings or any obvious means of it flying and still it looked like it was alive . Glowing.

'That's just ... So weird ', he thought, Aghast.

As soon as Xavis finished that thought, all hell broke loose.

The ball increased it's speed and lunged into his Chest as though it was entering a liquid it entered him with ease.

Xavis chest hurted - a little burning sensation -with his face looking confused,

His body burned up ,

He felt dizzy,

He felt sick. Disoriented,

He felt his body being dragged out .

"In what year did the Nytheris and others went against the Zhilak?" Mister Clifford had finally asked his question. But that wasn't Xavis problem right now. He couldn't even hear him.

With intense pain in his head and voices creeping in his head. He was losing consciousness and fast

His body reverberated with sudden jerks ,his head banging with migraine then his eyes rolled over .

His head slammed into his desk.

Bam!

Everyone attention turned to him ,

Did he fall asleep?

The class slowly started to uproar in laughter, it was as though he had suddenly fallen asleep to everyone , tired or exhausted or maybe wanted to make fun of the teacher trying to say his class was boring or trying to say that he rather slept than continue the class- everything they thought were within those lines.

With only the guy behind Xavis had seen the weird way his body shaked before he passed out. It wasn't normal.

'Something is not right' Jake ,the guy behind Xavis looked confused his eyes couldn't have decided him ,

Right?.

His whole conclusion that things weren't right did not come from self pity.

No. He wasn't one to pity .

He had been sitting behind Xavis for the past two weeks and never once had he shaked weirdly or even slept in class .He was sure that something was wrong that made his body shaked a bit in pain before slamming on his desk.

A hunch. It was just a hunch

Or Was he seeing things?.

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Kaido's eyes snapped open.

A sharp, suffocating pain surged through his body like molten steel running through his veins. His breath hitched, throat dry and raw as he gasped for air. His fingers trembled against the wooden desk beneath him. The world spun, his head pounding as if something inside him was tearing itself apart. The pain was unbearable—no, it was worse than that. It was as if his very existence was corroding, unraveling at the seams.

He had died. He was sure of it. He had felt the darkness consume him, had welcomed it. Yet here he was, gasping and heaving, his body screaming in agony. The weight of existence pressed down on him, suffocating, overwhelming. It felt wrong. His limbs were thinner, weaker. His uniform—this wasn't what he had last worn. He wasn't in the battlefield. He wasn't dying in the dirt, surrounded by the stench of blood. He was...

Kaido's vision swam into focus. The classroom. The dull murmur of students filled his ears. The air smelled of chalk and paper.

His heart slammed against his ribs. No. This was impossible. This was years ago—before everything. He could easily identify the place he was from seeing the Ishtar clan Symbol above the board with bold markings -eight pointed star with a round circle inside the star looking like an eye-

A sound escaped him, something between a laugh and a sob. His fingers clawed into his sleeves, his breath ragged. The pain didn't stop—it only intensified.

His head banging .

'Make it stop '

His body felt as if it was burning from the inside out,

'Make it stop '

His skin burning, his bones grinding against each other.

'Make it stop'

He clenched his teeth, nails digging into his arms. This was a dream. A nightmare. It had to be.

"Xavis .. is something wrong?" Mister Clifford was tensed seeing his student behavior - it wasn't normal -, he tried looking the boy in the eye to observe him well.

Kaido slammed his forehead against the desk. Once. Twice. The sharp jolt of pain was real.

It's real. It's real.

But it couldn't compare to the pain he was experiencing.

It could be called Fun compared to what he felt in his bones, blood, brain , heart ... Every part of his body.

He hit his head again. And again. The pain grounded him, but it wasn't enough. It wasn't enough to drown out the feeling of his body unraveling. His head was bleeding already.

"Kaido! What are you doing?!"

The teacher's voice rang through the classroom once more, startled and sharp, the other students looked at him with shocked and terrified looks, but Kaido didn't stop. He needed to end it. This was wrong. He wasn't supposed to be here. He was supposed to be dead.

And he wanted to stay dead.

"Someone stop him!" the teacher shouted.

Footsteps advanced from behind and his side,Jake -the boy behind him- who had been watching him with mixed expression stood up also. Hands grabbed at him, trying to restrain him. Three students, their grips firm yet untrained.Jake little hands could barely hold on to Kaido's wrists, his legs shaking from fear .He thrashed against them, his strength unnatural for his frame. His mind screamed. The pain twisted inside him like a living thing. He had to end it. He had to Turning with angry red eyes and already bleeding head , Kaido turned left with his eyes meeting Jake's, he gasped terrified as Kaido red eyes bore through him. His grip fluttered.

". "

His voice yelped in audibly as Kaido wrenched free, the sickening snap of a broken wrist echoing through the room.Whith Kaido left arm freed from Jake grasp, he swung his arm hitting the guy who pressed his head down to the table , the guy legs moved back with his hand yanked away the last boy stumbled, his grip faltering as Kaido drove his knee into the boy stomach, sending him crumpling to the ground , next to Jake with the broken wrist.

Mister Clifford eyes flashed seeing the unnaturally anger in Kaido eyes ,

'He was possessed,

He rushed close to subdue the boy. Before something bad happened, after all he wasn't actually a full teacher -he couldn't be -after all he was just seventeen, a substitute teacher .

He wasn't ready to get blamed for some trouble that happened the day he was in as a substitute.

It would tarnish his image. And would reduce his reputation as a Senior

Kaido head spun, his breath ragged. His eyes darted wildly across the room—searching. With Clifford walking fast over

For a fast way...

A way to end it.

Then he saw it. The window.

Without hesitation, he moved.His legs moving fast. His hand grabbing the window handle.

"Kaido, STOP!" The teacher's voice cracked with desperation. Past the first seat and the second almost to Kaido seat he stretched

But Kaido had already leaped.

'No you don't ' Clifford drew mana from his reservoir, Conjuring water like tentacles stretching after Kaido.

A bit too late.

The wind roared in his ears as he plunged from the third-story window. For a fleeting moment, he felt it. The freedom , the cool breeze. The release.

Maybe now..... He would actually rest in peace.

And then—

Darkness.

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