CHAPTER 31: Mind

KILLER ACADEMY- EMPTY CLASSROOM.

"Its no use..." Zakiyye said, exhausted from the multiple tries.

After their successful operation of capturing Lute, they returned to the empty classroom they had used in the morning . Lute was in the centre, where the desk of the professors are usually placed with a green board behind him , tied to a chair using tight ropes and unconscious.

Zakiyye , Samuel and Noir came while Batuhan and Bow stayed behind to investigate Lute's room.

"I can't go across his barrier...." Zakiyye shook his head , " He has blocked off his mind to intruders...as such I cannot read the information he has..."

"That would happen if the core of his powers also laid inside the mind." Noir pointed out.

"Meaning his powers or whatever they call them , might be similar to yours Zak." Samuel said as he shifted his weight to the right.

"Aleena and Jun did lose their memories....but what I donot understand is why that was necessary..." Zakiyye made a step closer to Lute's sleeping body. He stumbled a little but quickly regained his footing.

"What did they see...or find out...we need Aleena and Jun....to figure this out..maybe an academy professor can regain their memories.."

"I didn't know how exhausting survival was until I was about to be executed.." Noir said in a tired tone.

"Are you sure...he is a Yosei...we can't take him to the principal without proof.." Zakiyye turned to question Noir.

"Since the only proof we have of his suspiciousness is that he is in the records.." "-records we got by infiltrating the principal's office..." Samuel finished Zakiyye's statement.

"Well when he opened the door he did emanate a strong energy...but in all fairness..I only called him a Yosei to see his reaction." Noir replied .

"He also did try to use the gleam to escape...you knocked him out yourself Zak." Samuel looked at Zak confused.

"Yea...yeah ..I forgot.. I... think ..I might need a small br-" before he could complete his sentence , Zakiyye began to sweat profusely and lost his balance right after.

"Zak!!" Samuel barely saved him from hitting his face flat on the floor.

Zakiyye was writhing in pain.

"My head....he is...UGH!!!!....He is trying to...." Zakiyye held his head as if it was about to burst.

"You know you really ought to stop fighting it or I will not be responsible for what happens to you." Lute who had been dead silent for so long was now wide awake , his eyes shining gold . He was still tied to the chair but he hardly seemed bothered.

*SWISH*

Samuel's sword stopped right near Lute's carotids. His eyes glowed blood red, there was no doubt in his swing, it was a swing made with the intent to kill.

"Even if I chop your head off...we will still be able to prove that you were a spy...your beating heart is of no use to us .." Samuel said in a calm tone.

However , Lute's smile only grew bigger.

"Well now that is a threat to consider...I have one aswell though if-"

Samuel pressed his sword even closer , it touched Lute's skin and made a small cut that let out a drop of blood.

"AAAAAGH!!!!" Zakiyye let out a scream.

"ZAK!!" Samuel turned around on Zakiyye's scream,

"Donot take your eyes off me...." Samuel's felt a sharp pain in his head and a force made him turn his head to face Lute again. It was Lute who moved in closer to Samuel's sword this time, the cut got deeper with more blood, his eyes wider, staring right into Samuel's .

"Your friend's mind is connected to mine right now.....if you kill me , you will kill his mind aswell.."

Noir too, helpless as he couldnot attack Lute when he had such an upper hand , held Zakiyye's writhing body in his arms.

"This is..quite a predicament we are in.." Noir said .

*INSIDE ZAKIYYE'S MIND*

A thin wall of glass separated the two souls , Zakiyye stood on one side and a boy with silver hair and silver eyes on the other. The boy wore a long white coat with grey shirt underneath, and white pants and boots with golden lace.

"So that's your true form....Lute" Zakiyye said as his voice got across the thin wall of glass and echoed in the surrounding darkness of his mind.

"Please call me Noel..." He said as he bowed in a graceful manner.

"I am glad you came here on your own....it was a chore to get into your conscience. You seem to have opened the doors for me." Zakiyye replied.

"I like to fight in a fair manner....if both of us desire the same thing....why not have equal chances to obtain it." Noel smiled a grim smile.

"How thoughtful of you.....but you wont be able to conquer this mind.."

"Even though its guarded by only a thin piece of glass?"

Zakiyye grinned and the glass shattered. The surroundings changed from darkness to being surrounded by trees in the middle of a forest , one Zakiyye visited often . Red moonlight engulfed everything.

"So you decided to give yourself up ...a wise decision. " Noel who had stumbled a little but collected himself quickly , said as he stepped towards Zakiyye . He extended his arm towards him but his hand got caught by a small one .

"Huh..." Noel looked down to find a young boy standing infront , between him and Zakiyye .Though it was just a black shadow but it had a form. The boy held his hand and his grip grew tighter as he brought it to his chest.

Noel felt his heart beat and immediately fell to his knees , he lost all power and his body grew numb. The boy still refusing to release his hand.

"Your hands ...are so warm...." The boy said.

"Wh..who are you..." Noel mumbled.

"You know...my friends...they had such warm hands too...."

"What..."

"But I killed them..." the boy began to sob , "They died because of me....their hands....*sob* they turned c..cold.."

His grip grew tighter and Noel was unable to utter a word

"The mind you were trying to possess...." Zakiyye said as he appeared standing behind Noel," was never mine to begin with."

Zakiyye finally opened his eyes that glowed blood red and Lute's head thrusted backwards with a force that almost snapped his neck.

"What the he-"

"You alright...?" Noir asked as Zakiyye regained his footing and stood up. He moved his fingers through his hair , to wipe off all the sweat.

"We win this one ." He said as sweat ran down his cheek, looking at Noel's unconscious body with his head lying backwards.

***********

*KILLER ACADEMY MALE DORMS-LUTE'S ROOM*

"I knew boys were low maintenance but this is ridiculous..."

Bow said as she stared at the almost empty room.

"A table, chair and a bed...seems lavish enough to me." Batuhan said as he softly kicked aside the broken chair.

"Well...on the bright side...we won't have to search much."

They looked around the room , removing the pillows and opening drawers.

"What's this..." Batuhan said as he looked at a silver butterfly broach. Batuhan held it up to have a closer look.

"Drop it!!" Bow shouted as she shot an arrow from where she stood and it took the butterfly from Batuhan's hand to outside the window where it blew up in midair.

The blast didn't make much sound nor did it have much impact.

"Thanks..." Batuhan said ,still confused.

"That was a signal fly.... designed to transfer signals through long ranged distances...and blow off the hand of whoever held it."

"Who the heck....came up with that idea...?" Batuhan gave Bow a "THEY CRAZY!?" look.

Bow shrugged her shoulders.

*YOSEI TERRITORY*

As Laila was standing with Krystallo trying to figure out where the infiltrators went, she felt a sudden shock.

"Today's just not a good day is it.."

"What happened " Krystallo asked.

"Noel....he is in trouble.." Laila said, staring at the sky clouded by the trees of the forest.

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