Chapter 4: The Attack and the Mark on the Neck

"Are you okay?" Anran asked, her brow furrowed as she took a few steps back.

The boy looked strange, almost disoriented, with bloodshot eyes. Could he have some kind of contagious eye infection?

He seemed completely unaware of her words, standing motionless in the doorway, his expression blank.

Seeing this, Anran spoke again, irritation creeping into her voice. "Hey, I'm talking to you. Could you move? You're blocking the door."

Her words seemed to trigger something in him. The boy's red eyes widened, and he suddenly shouted, "Not enough! Not enough! Give it to me! Now!"

"Crazy!" Anran snapped, turning to leave through the front door.

But before she could take another step, the boy lunged at her.

Sensing his approach, Anran sidestepped gracefully, dodging his attack. In one swift motion, she grabbed his arm and twisted it, sending him crashing to the floor with a loud *thud*.

The boy lay there, dazed and muttering incoherently. Despite the hard fall, he didn't lose consciousness. "Give me… more… I need…" he mumbled.

Anran sighed. She had no choice but to knock him out properly. With a precise chop to his neck, the boy finally went limp, his face pale and his eyes closed, dark circles beneath them.

Was this another prank orchestrated by her classmates? If so, they had seriously underestimated her. As the thirty-second successor of the Compassionate Palm martial arts lineage, she wasn't someone to mess with.

With the boy unconscious, Anran felt a mix of frustration and amusement. He wouldn't be answering any questions in this state. As she pondered her next move, she noticed something unusual in the next classroom over.

Curious, Anran decided to investigate. Moving quietly, she approached the half-open door and peeked inside. The setting sun cast a warm glow through the window, illuminating a familiar face.

It was Aislyn, the class president.

Anran pushed the door open and stepped inside. "Aislyn, so it was you behind all this. If you've got the guts, come out and face me. Hiding here and watching isn't very impressive," she said, her voice tinged with anger.

Anran hated being tricked, especially when someone was watching from the shadows. But something felt off. Aislyn sat completely still, as if frozen in place, her face alarmingly pale and her eyes vacant. Her usually vibrant demeanor was gone, replaced by a strange, lifeless stillness.

"Hey, are you okay?" Anran asked, a sense of unease creeping into her chest.

Aislyn didn't respond. She didn't even move. Anran stepped closer and noticed two small red marks on Aislyn's neck, surrounded by a halo of pale skin. Against Aislyn's fair complexion, the marks stood out starkly.

Anran leaned in for a closer look, trying to make sense of what she was seeing. Just then, hurried footsteps echoed from the hallway outside.