Raiji

I look at the mangled fork on Andromeda's plate.

'He just took it… How weird. How should she eat then? Isn't it his fault that he broke it. Why should she pay for his rage with her fork…'

suddenly my thoughts get interrupted by an ear-piercing scream that echoes from the direction Dante went, straight to where Lionheart is seated. I realize that Dante clearly has a strong grudge against Lionheart, and whatever's happening is not going to end well.

"Shit," I hiss under my breath, and I swiftly pivot to see a horrifying scene unfold. Lionheart sprawled on the ground, his friends poised for battle, and even Seraph, though still seated, is ready to spring into action. In the midst of this gruesome scene stands the arrogant golden boy, Dante, his surroundings marred by a pool of blood.

From Dante's chest, grotesque limbs extend into a student's stomach, and the terror in the student's eyes mirrors the fear I've seen countless times in my own siblings. The fear of facing the grim reaper. On Dante's face, however, there's nothing but a chilling smile. A fucking smile is on his face.

Drawing in a deep breath, I activate my Aspect ability, and I feel tiny bolts of lightning crackle around my eyes and mouth. With one rapid stride, the world shifts under my feet, and the very air resists my advance, making my muscles and flesh ache as if I'm sprinting against an impenetrable barrier. Employing the Aspect is always painful.

With lightning crackling around me, I materialize behind Dante, extending my fingers to touch his back. One touch should be enough to knock him out. However, Dante seems to sense the threat and hastily opens another Pentagram on his back. From it emerges a horrific head resembling a distorted horse with goat horns and jagged, chaotic canine teeth. The head swivels sideways and lunges toward my throat.

'The fuc…', Before I can even complete my thought, something sweeps me off my feet and intercepts the menacing head.

Seraph...

Before I can express my gratitude, the grotesque head from Dante's Pentagram retracts into it, and the Pentagram drips off his back.

Seraph moves with such blistering speed that it's nearly impossible for me to follow his actions, even with my heightened abilities from my Aspect. He throws a powerful overhand punch at Dante. But Dante doesn't remain idle. He retracts the limbs back into the Pentagram on his chest, causing the injured student to collapse onto the cold, blood-smeared floor, choking on his own blood.

Once the Pentagram vanishes from Dante's body, he spins around, aiming a vicious elbow strike at Seraph's temple. Seraph reacts with lightning reflexes, blocking the attack by firmly placing his palm against Dante's elbow, causing an audible crack as something in Dante's elbow gives way.

Seraph's Aspect...

I quickly rise from the floor and attempt to knock Dante off his feet, just as Seraph had done to me. But Dante leaps backward, placing him out of my sight. 

I can glimpse Andromeda, kneeling beside the dying student with milky white bandages in her hands and on her forearms, and she appears to be in discomfort, or perhaps pain. However, I have no time to assess her feelings-

As I prepare for another dash, I sense an adrenaline rush flooding my bloodstream. It's a sudden surge of power, and I can guess it's source.

'Lionheart...'

The electricity inside me accelerates, coursing through my bones, muscles, organs, and nerves. A sense of urgency grips me as I mutter to myself, 'Need to move, need to move, need to move…' The rapidly increasing speed of electricity makes me slightly anxious.

I lunge forward, catching a glimpse of Dante as he thrusts his hand forward, fingers adorned with long, sharp nails, aiming to pierce Seraph's head. Then, his hand shatters, and the nails explode into bloody shards just inches away from Seraph's face. 

'His weird Aspect again'

Empowered by the surge of electricity, I reach Dante without giving him the chance to react. My hand clamps down on the back of his neck, fingers coiling around his throat. I exert all my might to slam him against the hard floor, causing both the floor and his face to shatter. I release my grip on his throat when I'm confident that my Flaw has electrocuted him enough to render him unconscious.

Teachers and medics rush into the scene moments later. They assist Andromeda in saving the injured student, who bears five dreadful wounds in his stomach, now covered by milky white bandages that remain unperturbed by the blood.

'That's probably her Aspect,' I think to myself as I observe the medics and teachers in action. They're Awakened with healing Aspects. When they reach the injured student, Andromeda rushes over to Dante and touches his slightly broken face, which surprises me. I could have sworn I heard the sounds of every bone in his face breaking, but now the only damage remains in the form of a broken nose and one fractured cheekbone.

My attention then shifts to Dante's elbow, which has already fully healed, and his bloody hand, where his fingers are slowly regenerating right before my eyes. His nails grow back and his fingers move back to their original position. 

The grotesque sight makes me cringe a bit, but my unease is soon eclipsed by a sudden wave of death that fills the room.

I turn toward the entrance from which the teachers and medics arrived and find my gaze fixed on a woman, one that dredges up memories of my own past. My eyes are locked onto her.

A Saint... a damn Saint!

She's a vision of beauty and mesmerization, her tall, lean figure exuding an aura of otherworldly grace. Her violet hair seems to float as if she is in vacuum, and gravity doesn't exist whatsoever. Her eyes, matching that captivating hue, glow with an ethereal light and her dark skin catches the light like polished silver. A tight black dress clings to her hypnotic form.

I recognize her all too well. This is the Saint who took the lives of my siblings, unless they were infected by the Spell before reaching the age of 17. She's my 'Mother.'

Dread surges through my entire being, and I'm overwhelmed with an impulse to cry, to break free from the façade of the cold-hearted individual I've been pretending to be.

The only thing I hear are the loud steps she produces with her high heels as I beg any divine force watching over us to intervene, praying that she won't notice me. 'Don't look, don't look, don't look,' I silently plead as one of my hands moves to cover my mouth. The air grows oppressively heavy, and I'm suffocating, slowly sinking to my knees.

I can't see Seraph, but I'm convinced he's experiencing the same, if not more profound, terror. If she were to notice one of us, it would undoubtedly be him – her favored 'Son.'

The Saint, whose name I've never known, as we all simply referred to her as 'Mother,' kneels beside Dante. She extends her palm above his head, and an enigmatic light radiates from it toward Dante. Andromeda observes this with a concerned expression.

"I've calmed him down for now. Would anyone care to explain what on earth happened here and why a Sleeper is on the verge of death?" the Saint inquires after withdrawing her hand and standing up.

Silence ensues. I remain paralyzed by fear, and every word she utters sends shivers down my spine.

Lionheart finally speaks, "He just snapped for some reason... We were having a conversation when suddenly something overtook him, and he lost control of his body. He tried to resist, but it was futile, as you can see."

I know he's lying. While I'm uncertain about the details of what transpired between them, I can deduce that Dante wouldn't have tried to resist. He likely surrendered to his rage, losing control. Nevertheless, he wouldn't have resisted...

"So, he simply lost control?" the Saint expects aloud before barking, "Healer! Is the boy alive?" The healer nods in response. 

"Well, just give this stupid brat a house arrest or whatever. I was hoping for a Gate or something to have fun with, but in the end, it was just kids fighting over some dumb shit.". here it comes again, her vulgar way of speaking-

My fear begins to shift into anger, and my blood boils as I recall the many siblings, she ruthlessly murdered for not measuring up, for being weak, for being nothing more than children.

But my anger is instantly overwhelmed by sheer fear when she suddenly appears beside me out of thin air, crouching on my right with her head resting on her crossed arms.

"If it isn't my little rascal of a 'Son.' My adorable Raiji, why didn't you greet me?" she inquires, her voice oddly pleasant and hypnotizing.

I'm breathless once more. Air refuses to enter; it only escapes in short, shallow exhales. Slowly, I lean backward, yearning to plummet through the floor, desperate to escape this nightmare.

'Why me, why me, why... Go to Seraph, please, please, please.'

'Gods, please wake me up from this nightmare' I beg as I struggle for breath, producing only small gasps.

Tears gather in my eyes as she leans closer and seizes my chin with one of her hands, her finger gently gliding over my lips. The sharp nail on her index finger punctures my lower lip, forcing a trickle of blood to emerge and stain her finger. She licks the blood away as she rises.

"I missed you so much, Raiji, but you don't even want to speak with me," she sighs and departs, leaving the cafeteria. On her way out, she calls back, "Raiji, Seraph, survive the Dream Realm, and you two might get a second chance."

Her message lingers as she exits, taking her ominous presence with her. My breathing returns, and I inhale deeply after regaining my composure.

I glance around, searching for Seraph. I spot him standing behind Lionheart, seemingly concealed by the Legacy.

"You're a fool if you think his status means anything," I mutter, wiping away my tears. Gradually, I rise and make my way to my room.

"Not only will I survive, but I will raise to heights you can't even dream of reaching, you wench," I mutter through gritted teeth. 

That's a promise…