~Chapter 36~

Danger comes like a cat. It creeps up to you when you least expect it and then jumps on you when you least expect it, at the blink of an eye. But this isn't a cat; it's a hyena, who is salivating to feast on an almost dead flesh that has rejuvenated for some reason from some time. However, the prey was snatched away right from it's mouth leaving it behind utterly bewildered and enraged. The hyena temporarily backed down for the moment but did not give up. It went back to its temporal den also known as infirmary and found the most annoying existence that ever existed standing in all her glory.

The hyena's red lips smeared with disappointment curved in to a fake smile that is easily mistaken as genuine one by the flower headed teenagers of Roschend High. However, the hyena was unaware that the effect of such smile is losing its power and fake assurance that it provided and is already susceptible as well as has entered the vortex of rumors that have been brewing among the student body of the high school wing including the departing seniors and remaining juniors.

Clearly the hyena had underestimated of this 'face's' intensity.

Onto the current situation, the hyena and it's blonde nuisance stood facing each other.

"Rio Sanders was sent here due to an urgent medical attention, I don't see him, has he left?" the name itself sent jolts of shiver of pleasure down the hyena's spine. She maintained her composure with difficulty.

"I didn't see him here, Miss...?"

"Johannes."

"Yes Miss Johannes. He isn't here," she murmured the last word. "unfortunately."

"I see." The blonde rival exited the infirmary as the hyena moved aside. "By the way," she turned around; "In case you've forgotten, please call me as Emily like you always have done, Miss Inlon."

Rio wasn't in his home as well. His phone remained switched off, her texts remained unanswered. Emilia sometimes really hates how Rio puts up an invisible wall in between them and tries distance himself from her as if he is trying to run away from something or someone. And the worst part is that he doesn't want to involve her. Emilia hates this. True, she knows that she too haven't divulged her past to him and therefore he too, has no reason to do so….but it's a sense helplessness that's eating her up at present as she sat in front of the television mindlessly chewing on her apple.

The front door was unlocked with the correct code and her aunt entered. The older woman was surprised to see her niece sitting in front of THE freaking television and watching it! Her niece is the typical Gen Z who'd prefer binging over some web series or watching a movie or going to a party rather than watching a news channel in TV. She peeped inside the living room space where the TV is actually placed in which news about some rich family's lost son is being talked about.

Emilia gasped in surprise to turn around when her aunt put a hand on her shoulder from behind. She was so invested in hearing the news that she didn't hear much when her aunt arrived.

"Oh! You arrived early." Emilia gulped down the bole of apple in her mouth. She turned at the TV and mentally cursed because the picture of the man and woman of that rich family has been replaced with the face of news reporter. The woman in the picture looked awfully familiar to someone she knows. Especially her eyes, those emerald pupils seemed extremely known. She had seen them somewhere but cannot remember where but then again emerald or green eyes are not an uncommon color.

"Congratulations on your graduation." Her aunt put of packet on her lap. Inside the packet there was a box that contained Emilia's favorite nut pie from her favorite shop.

"Wow! Nut pie!"

"Your favorite." Miss Johannes smiled. "You can invite your friends if you want."

"Mmm no, I am sure they too have their plans on their own." Emilia stood up to get a plate for the pie.

"No I wasn't talking about them but I was talking about those with whom you used to go to parties?"

"Uh.." the niece paused; "They are not my friends actually. I'd call them acquaintances, "she pursed her lips, "yeah, acquaintances. As soon as I broke up with Daniel at RonCorr's party I sorta became invisible. So yes, they proved that they weren't my friends, never were but they only stuck to Daniel for the sake of their elevated social statuses in school." She sighed.

"What about Rio?" Miss Johannes tried to ease the conversation.

"Oh…erm…I haven't been able to reach him since after the exam. His phone says switched off so no calls or messages could be sent."

"He went home?" the aunt accepted the plate containing a portion of the nut pie. "Oh this is good!"

"Yeah. Rockezs always makes best nut pies." Emilia finished her portion; "Speaking of nuts, I remembered, I think Miss Inlon has gone nuts?"

Miss Johannes looked at her niece weirdly wondering what the latter is even talking about. "I-I don't know if the teachers have come across this rumor but….in fact today too I first handedly experienced that rumor…I mean…Aunt, I think there's something wrong with Miss Inlon. She's.....she's behaving a bit strangely, as if something possessed her…I'm sorry I know I'm not making much sense but, I had an uncanny feeling today when I went to the infirmary….she…she always have called me by my name. Today she can't even remember my name? And her gaze….I have never seen such gaze containing so much malice..." Emilia took a deep breath, "I don't know aunt, but I am having a bad feeling about this."

By the time Rio reached home it was already midnight. He had a nosebleed during the exam hours. After he submitted his answer sheet, he was sent to the infirmary but he didn't see Miss Inlon in there. Droplets of blood were already drenching his handkerchief making it further red, so he decided to reach home first and maybe buy some medicine for this from the local medicine shop. He almost reached out of the gate when the bell rang loudly signally the dismissal of students and the end of their exam and the winter holidays. Even if its already December, winter is yet to reach Roschend town properly. Citizens of the town are yet to dress themselves in their winter wear due to their high endurance towards winter but the kids are already seen in the streets in their winter garments.

Rio had hardly taken two or three steps out of the school premises when his path was blocked by an expensive, shiny black luxury sedan car. Behind it some other black, Audi cars too stopped. He had no way out to proceed towards his home. As he was wondering about the identity who'd block his path, the door of the sedan opened and an old man with a strong aura sat inside.

"Come on, kid."

"Huh? Who are you?" Rio's spoke in a muffled voice from his now red handkerchief. The old man looked at him, his handkerchief then spoke; "Your father sent us here." Rio's heart skipped a beat.

Father.

That word, he hadn't heard for a long time.

"I don't believe you." Rio's voice trembled and he could feel his eyes becoming blurry due to unexpected tears and a burning sensation coated his eyes when he tried suppressing them but he had learnt better never ever to trust anyone who'd spout fake promises of taking him to or have been sent from his loved ones.

"Well, if you don't believe me then would you rather go back to that weird looking woman who has been looking at you for the past four minutes?" Rio looked back. He dared to look back actually because he did feel an oh-so familiar chill run down his back. But he had promised himself that he'll be brave and he has been doing great till now. So he looked back.

"Anyone you know?" Asked the old man with raised eyebrows.

"No. Not at all." He slammed the inviting car door shut from the monster from which he had been hiding all his life.

The monster was left all alone bewildered and enraged.