Chapter 37: Charmel Real Identity

Kai quickly approached them, his brow furrowing in anger as he assessed the situation. He tried to keep his own emotions in check, knowing that getting riled up wouldn't help Charmel.

"Hey, let go of her!" Kai exclaimed, stepping in front of Charmel and pushing Aaron's hand away. He stood firmly, placing himself between Charmel and the aggressive classmate. Aaron glared at Kai, clearly annoyed by the interruption. "Stay out of this," he growled, his jaw clenching. He took a menacing step forward, trying to intimidate Kai.

Kai, seeing the situation escalating, acted quickly. He balled his fist and with a swift motion, threw a punch straight at Aaron's face. The impact sent Aaron stumbling backwards, letting go of Charmel's collar. Aaron staggered for a moment, stunned by the unexpected punch. He touched his cheek where Kai had hit him, his expression a mix of anger and shock. He glanced back at Charmel and Kai, his eyes narrowing in fury.

Despite the blow to his face, Aaron's determination to find whatever he was searching for remained undeterred. He repeated his question, his voice laced with a dangerous edge."I asked you, where is she?"

Charmel, still shaken from the ordeal, clutched Kai's sleeve. Kai stood protectively in front of her, his fists clenched.

"I don't know what you're talking about, but you need to back off," Kai responded firmly, his voice cool and composed despite the tension. Aaron's gaze flicked back and forth between Charmel and Kai, his anger growing. He took another step forward, his fists balled.

"You're protecting her, aren't you?" he growled. "You know something about her whereabouts."

"I know who you are, Chamel" Charmel flinched, her eyes widening at Aaron's unexpected words. She could see the determination in his gaze, and it sent a chill down her spine.

"What are you talking about?" Charmel managed to ask, her voice shaking slightly. Aaron smirked, a sinister look in his eyes. "Don't play dumb with me. I know who you really are," he said, taking another step forward. "And I know you've been hiding something from everyone."

Charmel's heart pounded in her chest. She didn't understand how Aaron could have found out about her secret, but the fact that he knew made her feel vulnerable and exposed. She tightened her grip on Kai's sleeve, trying to maintain her composure.

Kai's mind raced as he tried to make sense of the situation. He could see Charmel's distress, and he felt a protective instinct rising within him.

"What is he even talking about?" Kai thought to himself, his gaze bouncing between Charmel and Aaron. Whatever Charmel was hiding, it had clearly caught the attention of this pushy classmate.

"You kidnapped Lila do you?" Charmel gasped at Aaron's accusation, her eyes widening in shock. "What? No, of course not!" she protested, her voice wavering. She looked genuinely bewildered and afraid.

Kai turned to look at Charmel, an expression of disbelief on his face. "Is he serious right now?" he muttered under his breath, his protectiveness kicking into high gear.

"Are you making me fool, that aura you have, It's from evil spirit!" Aaron's words echoed in Charmel's ears, making her blood run cold. She couldn't believe he had pinpointed her true nature so quickly. Her secret had always been a heavy burden to bear, one that she kept hidden from everyone.

Kai, caught in the middle of this strange exchange, looked at Charmel with a mixture of confusion and curiosity. He had no clue about her secret, and the mention of an evil spirit had left him completely bewildered.

"What is he talking about, Charmel?" Kai whispered, his voice laced with both concern and confusion.

"I...I don't know." Charmel's voice trembled as she tried to maintain her composure. She felt naked under Aaron's stare, stripped of the facade she had worked so hard to build.

Kai saw the tears welling up in Charmel's eyes and felt a pang of sympathy. He had never seen her so vulnerable and afraid before, which only heightened his worry. Kai's patience had completely run out. Seeing Charmel in tears filled him with a mixture of anger and protectiveness. He stormed towards Aaron, grabbing him by the collar and shoving him back against the wall.

"You think you can just accuse her of something like that and expect me to believe you?" Kai barked, his voice low and dangerous.Aaron stumbled against the wall, surprise and defiance etched in his expression. He clearly hadn't expected such a reaction from Kai.

"You think protecting her will change anything? She's hiding something, something dangerous," he retorted, his voice tinged with malice. Kai tightened his grip on Aaron's collar, anger coursing through his veins. He was sick of Aaron's accusations and the distress he was causing Charmel.

"And what if she is?" Kai shot back, his eyes narrowing. "That doesn't give you the right to harass her like this. You have no proof of your claims."

"Even she's trying to kill someone?" Charmel had disappeared from behind him. Fear and panic gripped Kai's heart. Where had she gone?

His confusion was quickly interrupted by Aaron's chilling question. It seemed like this situation had taken an even more dangerous turn. Kai turned his attention back to Aaron, his expression hardening. "That's a serious accusation," he replied, his voice low and controlled. "You better have some solid evidence to back it up, or I swear, you'll regret it."

"Of course I have I'm exorcist after all I can sense devil spirit of her" Aaron's revelation that he was an exorcist caught Kai off guard. It provided some context for his ability to detect Charmel's aura, but it didn't change the fact that he was still making wild accusations.

"Alright, let's say I believe you for a second," Kai said, his grip on Aaron's collar loosening slightly. "What makes you so certain about this?"

"And also Lila saw Charmel wondering around on the abandoned street at night" Aaron's second piece of information sent a jolt of surprise through Kai. He turned back to look at the abandoned street where they were standing.

"Lila saw Charmel on the abandoned street?" Kai echoed, disbelief ringing in his voice. He ran a hand through his hair, trying to make sense of the information he was being given.

"She know that Lila saw her so she kidnapped her. Kai's anger flared once again as he processed Aaron's deduction. If what he said was true, it painted a sinister picture of Charmel's involvement in Lila's disappearance. But he couldn't bring himself to believe that.

"You're telling me that Charmel kidnapped Lila because she saw her on the abandoned street?" Kai asked, his tone laced with skepticism.

And then Kai remember what Lila said on the day the rumored spread on the classroom month ago "Yes. One night, I was walking home alone, when I saw this tall, shadowy figure standing on the corner. It had these glowing red eyes, and it sent chills down my spine she's holding baseball bat." Kai's conversation with Lila replayed in his mind, the pieces of information finally falling into place. Lila had mentioned a shadowy figure with glowing red eyes holding a baseball bat on the abandoned street. Could that have been Charmel?

A wave of shock and confusion washed over Kai. He grappled with the possibility of his friend being involved in such a sinister act. "Are you certain it's Charmel?" Kai asked, his voice betraying a hint of desperation. He clenched his fists, trying to process the implications of Lila's description.

Aaron smirked, clearly enjoying Kai's internal struggle. "Who else would it be? It fits her description perfectly. Plus, I could sense the evil aura radiating off her. There's no doubt that she's involved."

Despite Aaron's confidence, Kai wasn't ready to accept his words without proof. He scowled at Aaron, feeling torn between loyalty to his friend and the new information he was receiving.

"I don't know what kind of game you're playing, but I won't accept your accusations just based on your gut feeling," Kai retorted, his eyes narrowing. Aaron shrugged off Kai's doubt, his smirk unwavering. It was clear that he was convinced of his own conclusions.

"Suit yourself," he said, his voice dripping with condescension. "But you're just deluding yourself if you think your friend is innocent."