Chapter 25 - What happened

THIS CHAPTER IS FROM KLAUS' PERSPECTIVE OM THE DAY OF THE SECOND 'AMBUSH'

Quickly grabbing my belongings, I set out to meet with the rest of the team outside. I could hardly wait to be back at the academy, where I would no longer be forced to be in close proximity with Max. My anger would not subside no matter how much I tried to reason with myself. I told myself that he was sensitive, that he had just gone through a terribly terrifying ordeal, but nothing worked. I could not shake the feeling that my good will was being thrown back in my face, as though I was using his weakness for my own benefit. What was so wrong with me caring for a classmate to justify such unjust accusations?

I scoffed to myself, wondering if this had been what he thought of me all along. Had he always thought of me as someone so insecure that I would use another's pain to feed some sort of superiority complex? There was no need to think about it further. Soon we would be back home and I could avoid any further interactions with him. Though I knew this, I continued to think about the entire conversation, my anger only growing further.

On the journey back I did not speak. I could have. I know well enough that I am able to behave cordially should the need arise, but I knew it would only result in glares from Max. Had I not known any better, I would have assumed that we were sworn enemies in a past life and carried resentment with us into this one. The extent of our hatred for one another could not be contained in a single lifetime, that was simply illogical. Still, I could not voice this feeling so I chose to remain silent. Clenching my jaw tightly to prevent any ill remarks from slipping through, I walked with the team and merely listened to them converse. At times I thought there was a metallic taste in my mouth from the pressure of teeth upon teeth but I dismissed it, aware that it was far better than arguing in the presence of others once again. There is nothing enjoyable about humiliating oneself in that manner.

Thankfully I was not pestered to join any conversations, nor did I have to suffer while listening to Max's voice. He had remained silent in much the same way I had. There was a nagging feeling in my gut that this luck was indicative of something yet to come, because something good tends to be followed by tragedy. There are too many feelings in the world and most, if not all, were confusing to say the least. That is why, rather than addressing the source of this nagging, I decided to ignore it. Nothing good ever comes out of my hyper vigilance; it only serves to drain me of all of my energy.

Not even five minutes into entering the forest I learnt what it truly felt like to be gradually drained of one's energy, and it was far worse than anything I had felt to date. If anything, I felt ashamed for using the phrase so lightly up until now. Every bone in my body was straining under the weight of my being and for the first time ever, I realised how heavy a life is. It started off with small aches here and there that could have been attributed to something as insignificant as sleeping in a strange position. Then it got worse. The pain crept up on me, spreading through my veins until it felt like they were collapsing in on themselves. Soon enough my legs gave out and the muscles I had built were only for show.

I was the last to collapse to the ground. All around me were strong people who had been reduced to nothing but children unable to find their footing. As footsteps around us grew nearer, we too moved closer together for reasons unbeknownst to any of us. Max, who was at the centre, fell unconscious so suddenly that none of us had any inkling of what was going on. My ears were ringing, warning me of something worse yet to come but I could not protect anyone in this state.

When the first arrow came, it flew past us and hit the ground a few inches away from Ursula. It may have been the drive to survive or just fight or flight instinct, but I could feel myself growing just a little bit stronger. My energy was gradually coming back to me so that I could move without lugging the weight of my burdensome bones. The second arrow was much closer, grazing my ankle. The stinging sensation only furthered my motivation to move. From the previous ambush we knew that we outnumbered them, even with Max being entirely useless at this point. Without thinking too much, habit kicked in and we began to spread out and seek refuge behind anything that could shield us even slightly.

Hank and Leslie had taken Max behind a tree, dragging him like the dead weight he was. Although I was unable to see the rest of the team hiding away from me, flashes of their power would appear in different parts of the forest, accompanied by screams and groans. One by one the sounds of bodies collapsing resounded in the forest and all I could do was hope it was not one of our men.

I should have been grateful for not having seen any of the confrontations but I was too late to realise I had taken it for granted. From the corner of my eyes I could see a masked man running towards Hank with a sharp knife, striking him in the neck. But it did not stop there. As Hank continued to bleed out, moving his hands around in a desperate attempt to block the attacks, the masked man continuously took the blade back out and forced it back into his throat.

The blood gushing out is something I know I would never be able to forget. To not let her comrade die in vain, Leslie ran to apprehend the man, flipping him over on his back. As she went to grab his knife, he pushed it through her abdomen. More brutal than anything I had seen was the way he twisted the knife repeatedly, her face contorting to match every twist and turn. Nonetheless, she was a fighter and that is something we would all remember. Despite the unspeakable pain she would have been in, and the unsavoury circumstances, Leslie had managed to disarm the masked man and throw the knife away from the two of them. She held him down with might but it proved useless when he bit his own tongue to escape interrogation.

After all was silent, we came together at our original positions and headed to the nearest hospital, but Leslie would pass before we arrived. I had never felt as pathetic as I had at that moment. While everyone had been fighting to protect us, I shielded myself from it all. Peeking from behind the trees, I watched as Hank was murdered and did nothing but hold my breath, afraid they would find me. My strength did nothing for me, not when in my mind I was nothing but a child who needed protection.