I am New Here (6)

The sky was tinted in different hues of blue. Classes ended at 6:00 PM. Ashii stared at the time on her wristwatch as she stood at the waiting shed outside the academy. She was waiting for her family's driver to arrive. 

Ashii was wondering where the students in her class went. It felt like everyone evaporated into thin air when they left their classroom. As she stayed for a day, she had already noticed the abnormality of some students. She also heard from others that the night classes would resume today.

How could an academy have night classes that end before dawn? Are they crazy? Who would want to stay awake at night?

"So, I assume you're the new student."

Ashii was so surprised that someone was already standing beside her, and she did not even feel his arrival. 

"How did you know?"

"You smell different," the man answered. 

Is there something wrong with this man? Why would he identify people according to their scents? His nose must be so powerful!

Ashii met the man's gaze.

Then, she noticed that her reflection was inverted.

He is not human at all!

Ashii smiled and said, "I still don't know your name..."

The man chuckled and answered, "You must taste sweet. Would you still want to know my name if you are destined to die today?"

"Are you sure?"

Ashii did not run. She stood still and waited for the person to move. 

"You are brave!"

Ashii saw how fangs appeared out of the man's mouth. Black veins appeared in his right arm, as his nails grew long. Long enough to tear people into shreds. 

He is an Aswang!

Aswangs are vampires that appear in their physical form. Just comparable to a human with extra strength, and kills people to drink blood. 

Before his hand could land on Ashii's neck, a knife appeared in Ashii's hand. She accidentally cut herself in the process, and blood dripped on the blade of the knife. The man suddenly looked excited when he smelled her blood.

He looked crazy.

"Do you think a person like you can kill me with a knife? What a wishful thinking!"

The man appeared next to Ashii. His hand wanted to reach for her neck, but Ashii was faster. She landed a cut on the man's body.

The man laughed to his heart's content. "Is that all?"

He mocked Ashii for having no strength to fight back. 

"Watch closely," Ashii whispered.

The knife in Ashii's hand disappeared, then she fell unconscious and fell to the ground. The man laughed again. He did not know how his prey ended up passing out. But her blood smelled sweet and intoxicating. 

The man wanted to lick the blood on Ashii's hand, but before he could move, an indescribable pain engulfed his body. His head felt like bursting any moment. His limbs were shaking so badly all of a sudden that he fell to the ground. Then he slowly lost his sight.

"What did you do to me?"

Like acid, Ashii's blood on the wound of the man slowly reacted. A few drops of blood scattered became acidic, which burned the flesh of the man. 

"Impossible! I can't die!"

The man burned till nothing was left, but his screams were heard in the neighborhood closest to the academy. Even the staff on duty shivered while hearing his name. Yet no one decided to check or help. 

When Ashii woke up, she was already in her room. Her clothes were changed into comfortable ones. She could not remember what happened to the Aswang who wanted to kill her. She could not even remember what happened after the man showed his fangs. Her memories were missing, but she could tell she had done something.

There was a soft knock on the door.

"Come in."

Athena, one of the three servants under Devina, came in.

"My Lady, your dinner is here."

"Put it on the table. Thanks."

Athena nodded and did as she instructed.

"Did you know how I got home?"

"My Lady, Butler Xian and Uncle James found you unconscious at the shed of the academy. They hurriedly went home and called for the family doctor. Doctor Riza said there were no major problems and concluded that you had passed out due to exhaustion."

Ashii nodded, "Was I alone when they found me?"

"You were indeed alone, My Lady."

"Who changed my clothes?"

"Sarah and I changed your clothes, My Lady."

"Where is it?"

"We have already washed them, My Lady."

"Are there no stains on my uniform?"

"None, My Lady."

Ashii nodded.

Why can't I remember anything? It feels odd that I always fall unconscious whenever I face opponents like supernatural creatures.

Ashii ate dinner in silence.

She had not made any friends at school today. If not for her cousin, she would probably eat lunch alone. She could feel that her cousin was protecting her from everyone, but they could not meet all the time. Drake was already in his senior year. 

Back in the academy, a man was standing at the crime scene. 

"What happened to the suspect that we're chasing?"

"Master, someone got ahead of us. The suspect was killed, and there were no ashes or bones left in this crime scene. If we arrived too late, we might never notice the little remains of his scent."

"Have you seen the identity of the person who killed him?"

"Master, the suspect was too cautious. He cut off all the CCTV footage when he arrived here. So his death was not recorded. The team has already checked the last footage saved by the academy, and they did not see the suspect appear."

"Let me see the last video footage."

When the man checked, it was a video of a girl waiting outside the academy alone. There was something about her that intrigued him.

"Check the identity of this girl."

The assistant hurriedly looked for Ashii's file.

"Master, she seems to be new in the city, a transfer student from the Imperial Capital. She currently owns the old house of the Malevcon family."

"Can you check how she bought the house?"