Emotional turmoil

The walk seemed to stretch on endlessly, Aaron's steps echoing in the empty streets. The setting sun cast long, ominous shadows, and as night crept closer, an eerie sense of unease settled over him. 'This walk is a lot further than I thought it would be...' Aaron thought, his heart pounding with each step. 'I probably shouldn't have taken so long at the ice cream store...'

Turning into his street, Aaron's senses heightened as he noticed a movement in the darkness. He paused, squinting into the shadows. "Hello?" he called out, his voice barely a whisper. But there was no response, only the eerie silence of the night.

Shrugging off his unease, Aaron quickened his pace, eager to reach the safety of his home. But then he felt it—a tug on his shirt, like icy fingers brushing against his skin. Whipping around, his eyes darted into the darkness, but there was nothing there. 'I must be losing it...' he thought, trying to rationalize the sensation.

Rubbing his eyes in disbelief, Aaron took a deep breath, attempting to calm his racing heart, why did this feel so eerily familiar? But when he opened his eyes, he was met with a sight that chilled him to the bone—a pair of glowing red eyes staring back at him.

Terror seized him, freezing him in place as he stared into the abyss of those crimson orbs. His mind screamed for him to run, to flee from this...nightmare, but his body refused to obey. He was rooted to the spot, a helpless prey ensnared by a predator.

The creature before him was like something out of a twisted dream—a grotesque fusion of man and beast, with long, jagged claws and a face that resembled a demonic goat. It towered over him, its presence suffocating him with dread.

And then it spoke—a voice that echoed in the depths of his mind, sending shivers down his spine. "Lunch…" it hissed, the sound like a death knell.

Aaron's world spun in terror, his thoughts consumed by the horrifying reality of his predicament. 'Did…it…just…say…lunch…?' Panic surged through him, threatening to overwhelm his senses, forcing his eyes shut, hoping it would all just go away.

The sun's rays danced through his blinds, casting a warm morning glow across Aaron's room. Slowly, he blinked his eyes open, rubbing away the last remnants of sleep. But as reality set in, his morning cheer non-existent at that point. "Damn... I've got school today..." The thought hung heavy in his mind, exacerbated by the absence of his car. The memory of the day before flooded back to him, immediately he remembered the strange dream/nightmare he had.

"I probably shouldn't tell anyone..." Aaron muttered to himself, the words lingering in the air like a guilty secret, perhaps there was more to-.

"Tell anyone what?" His mother's voice startled him, her presence unexpected by his door. Aaron sat up, meeting her gaze with a dazed expression.

"Ahh…umm…well…it's one of my friends…he passed away yesterday," Aaron hoped his mother never picked up on his lie with that in-built lie detector of hers. 'Passed away' felt like a softer blow than "killed." 

His mother's concern was palpable as she approached him. "Who was it?" she inquired, her voice laced with worry.

"It was Bruce," Aaron answered, a heavy sigh escaping him. "He was always quiet."

"Well, I hope his loved ones are coping okay," his mother remarked with a gentle smile.

"So do I," Aaron echoed as he rose to prepare for school. He promptly disappeared into the bathroom, his mother's worry lingered outside the closed door.

An hour later…

Emerging from his house, Aaron couldn't help but miss his car. A honking horn jolted him from his thoughts, the sudden sound sending a shiver down his spine. Despite his best efforts to shake off the unease, he was still on edge apparently.

"Hey, Aaron! Need a lift?" Adam's voice cut through the morning silence as he pulled up alongside Aaron.

"Yeah, sure. Thanks," Aaron replied, grateful for the reprieve from walking. Yet, even as he settled into the car, his mind drifted back to the events of the previous night.

"So... did you sleep alright?" Adam's question shattered the silence, prompting Aaron to meet his friend's gaze. But something about Adam's eyes, now dark orbs devoid of color, sent a chill down Aaron's spine. Was he hallucinating?

"Not really," Aaron admitted, his heart racing with a mixture of fear and uncertainty. "It's not just about accepting what happened... it's about coming to terms with... everything, you're a Devil…and believe me, it's not a pretty sight."

Adam put a hand to his chest, feigning hurt as he shed fake tears. "My poor heart... cut into pieces by a human... you hurt my feelings."

"Focus on the road!" Aaron interjected as the car veered dangerously close to the street's edge.

Adam grinned and shrugged. "Fair enough." The school came into view, and Aaron felt a surge of relief, but Adam's warning quickly brought him back to reality. "But fair warning... most of the supernatural creatures at school knew that Bruce was going to kill you. Apparently, he said that he was going to eat you... no supernatural creature is expecting you at school... and they don't know that I killed him, so for now... if a student attacks you while you are all alone, it's because they think that you killed Bruce somehow. Just say Jasmine's name with clear intent that you want her to come. Her fox ears will hear you, just try and refrain from yelling unless you need her to come immediately," Adam explained almost nonchalantly. "My advice to you would be to pretend you didn't see Bruce at all yesterday. After all, there is no way you could have killed him."

Aaron regarded him with a look of disbelief as Adam burst into a hearty laugh. "Why must I pretend that I don't know who killed Bruce when it was you? It would take the target off my back if you tell everyone you killed Bruce," Aaron argued, feeling unsettled by Adam's laughter.

"They can't know I killed Bruce," Adam insisted, still chuckling.

"Why not?" Aaron demanded, his annoyance evident.

Adam parked the car abruptly, fixing Aaron with a serious gaze. "Aaron... you're entering a new world... If I don't have respect as a Devil, and other supernatural creatures think I care about a human, I will not be able to go back to Hell without being a laughing stock... and that will last for a long time. Lucifer would shun me as well."

Aaron listened intently, curious about Adam's reasoning. "In my world, which is yours too by the way, humans are at the very bottom, it particularly rings true for Demons. It's the same as caring for an ant. It would have been a different story if you were supernatural as well. Even if you were a Hunter, things would have been a lot smoother. At least you'd have some form of connection to the full scope of the world."

"But in layman's terms it would cause a domino effect—my superiors, who protect me, will now have to be confronted by Bruce's superiors, as killing a demon from another clan can trigger a small scale war between the two clans, our population has been on the decline for some reason. That's why I say that if we pretend that we have no idea what happened, things should calm down after a few weeks," Adam explained.

"If I were an Angel, then it would have been understandable if I killed Bruce because, well... he's a demon."

"Everything has an order, and no supernatural creature would respect me if they knew I was protecting a human, including my superiors who protect me from creatures stronger than myself. Then, it would be up to Michelle and Jasmine to keep unnecessary attention off of us," Adam concluded, glancing away before exiting the car. "Understand?"

Aaron pondered Adam's words for a moment. While it made sense to him, he couldn't claim complete understanding. "Kind of..." he admitted. "But for now, I'll go along with it," Aaron said as he followed Adam into the school, ignoring the curious glances from some students. 'Supernaturals...' his mind added, offering little comfort.

Other students obliviously walked on, going about their own business. 'Normals...'

Aaron reached the cafeteria along with Adam and found his friends instantly. He briskly and quickly walked there, trying to act natural under the stress of having eyes drilling into his back.

"Hey, guys." Aaron nervously greeted as someone bumped into his shoulder from behind. Aaron looked back to see a jock staring right at him, his name was Brock. For a split second... he thought he saw black eyes similar to Adam's. Just as the Brock was opening his mouth to say something, Adam steered Aaron away from the jock.

"Hey Brock! I've been meaning to have a chat, do you mind?" Adam asked, making it clear he wasn't asking.

Once Aaron was facing the opposite direction, Adam stared at the jock, his eyes shining threateningly. Brock glared but backed down. He wasn't about to pick a fight in school.

Aaron could feel the intense dark energy behind him; he didn't need to be a genius to understand what happened, his neck hairs were all on end! Aaron saw a few students watching him with a dangerous look in their eyes, but the moment they glanced at Adam, they looked away. Aaron slowly sat down as Adam's explanation started to make more sense.

Adam looked at them before smiling. "Sorry, guys, I have to go and talk to Brock," as he turned and walked out of the cafeteria. 

"I don't like that guy...he looks like he could be a problem in the future for Aaron..." Jasmine said to her friends casually. "Should I get rid of him?" She turned and looked at Aaron with her round innocent eyes.

This flustered Aaron as he quickly covered her mouth. "Shhh!" Making her panic as their friends started laughing at the two.

"I agree with Aaron, Jas...you shouldn't be saying things like that out loud." Brianne said.

Shrugging Jasmine nodded. "Alright, just thought I'd ask..."

Jasmine glanced at Aaron, smiling softly. "So how was your day so far?"

"Could have been better," Aaron relaxed a bit as he looked between his friends. 

With Adam and Brock...

"It's been badgering my mind as of recently but why are you even protecting a human?" asked Brock with a condescending attitude.

Adam gave him a blank stare before responding with an uninterested tone. "I couldn't care less about what happens to some worthless human, but you are a complete moron if you think attacking him at school is a good idea," said Adam as Brock glared at him.

"Watch it, I never thought I'd see the day the Savage clan would fraternize with maggots," warned Brock. "You aren't that powerful; I could kill you myself if I wanted," 

Adam chuckled. "Yeah right, don't make me laugh, it's almost laughable how you show your stupidity every time you open your mouth, don't tell me you still haven't figured out why I stopped you," said Adam as he walked up to Brock and stared him straight in the eye.

Brock growled. "Whatever, why should I care about attacking him at school? I can always wait until after school," Brock continued as Adam burst out laughing.

"Well, you really can't see what kind of land mine Aaron Black is? Did you forget who he's friends with?" Adam asked with a disappointed tone. "I am trying to stop you from blessing all of Demonkind with a curse."

"The rumored prodigy. Her potential is said to surpass the current Nine-tailed fox by a large margin; even as a Class-5 right now, she would destroy you and all your minions, could you imagine what a fully imagined Class-3 Nine-tailed Demon Fox would look like charging through the gates of Hell, looking for you?" Adam spoke.

"S-so what!? What can one Demon Fox do against Hell?" Brock asked as another woman flashed through his mind.

"Micheleon..."

"Ding! Ding! Ding! Micheleon; she can do whatever she wants, and neither you nor your superiors can touch her without gaining the attention of the Dragon King. Not that he would need to involve himself; she can take care of herself," Adam explained calmly as Brock clenched his jaw in anger before calming down.

"Brianne might also end up harboring a nasty grudge against you too, so you'd probably never be able to rest ever again, unless you go back to Hell obviously, but who wants to do that?" Adam asked with a grin.

"Besides, how in the world did Aaron actually survive? Shouldn't you be figuring that out?" Adam offered.

"You're right, do you have any idea what could have happened to Bruce?" asked Brock as Adam shrugged.

"No, and I don't care; he is your underling, not mine. Just try not to attack someone who could create a terrible domino effect for all of Hell, and you in particular," Adam stated bluntly.

"So just try and figure out something better than that, otherwise prepare for a battle, because they will eventually find out if you attack him," said Adam as he turned and left Brock to his thoughts.

The school bell rang, and everyone made their way to their homeroom.

Throughout his entire day, Aaron noticed a couple of people staring at him, but he never said anything nor did he dare to do anything. He just wanted to leave school, and run away from the penetrating gazes.

The bell ringing signified the end of the school day. Aaron felt insanely relieved. He was about to hurry out of the school, but he was stopped by Adam, who seemed to be shadowing him for the day. "You okay, Aaron?" Adam asked as he continued walking, gesturing for Aaron to walk by his side as he went.

"I'm fine," Aaron managed to say. "I just keep seeing some students staring at me..." Aaron turned to peek at the school as they exited and headed further away.

"It's only natural. You were supposed to be in a Demon's stomach, or maybe his small intestines, right about now... remember?" Adam asked almost too casually. "Which reminds me... Brock doesn't seem to be happy that you made it to school and Bruce didn't," Adam stated, hoping Aaron caught his hidden message.

"Brock?" Aaron wondered aloud. "The big guy, right?" Adam nodded in reply. "Why is he so mad?"

"Because Bruce was one of his underlings in Hell. Brock may not look like it, but he protects his underlings. He is a Devil just like me, and he has his pride. I am not sure who would win if we had to fight," Adam stated with a heavy sigh. "But a confident attitude can deter even the bravest from trying you." He ended with a grin.

"Underlings?" Aaron asked curiously, "Do you have underlings too?"

Adam chuckled, "I did... but not anymore... I chose to come here and figure things out after some stuff happened. Even though my higher-ups think I'm a joke, no one in the living world will say it to my face." They saw the others of the group waiting for them at the park.

Adam smiled at the sight. "Honestly, I have everything I need right now."

Aaron grinned. "Don't tell me the devil is going soft?" Aaron made an innocent face at Adam, they both laughed at the joke as they approached their friends.

"Well... you look happy," Jasmine said as she poked Aaron's shoulder.

"What? I can't laugh now?" Aaron asked with the innocent expression still firmly in place.

"It seems you have accepted what has happened. Perhaps you have come to terms with the whole supernatural thing?" Michelle asked with a soft, well-meaning smile.

"Accepted is a strong word... but well, it doesn't feel all that strange anymore. If you guys told me this earlier when my life WASN'T in danger," Aaron stressed on that more than necessary.

"I would have probably thought it was pretty cool. I still do, but my feelings towards the whole thing are still kind of sketchy," Aaron said with a smile. He stood still for a solid second before he realized he never knew what Michelle was.

"By the way, Michelle... what kind of creature are you?" 

Dean answered instead. "She is very strong... even compared to Angels."

"So..." Aaron drawled out. "She's an Angel?" He asked.

'I can believe that,' 

Adam shook his head. "No, it will probably blow your mind. Here's a short explanation so you don't get as confused. She is a High-tier Class-5 Supernatural creature in her first form and a Mid-tier Class-4 in her final form," Adam noticed Aaron's confused look and explained.

"To give you an idea of her strength, there are 10 Classes of strength in our world. I am a Low-tier Class-5 Supernatural creature. Lucifer, as you know, is the lord of Hell. He is a Low-tier Class-3, and he is all sorts of strong. Then, we have Azriel, the Fallen Archangel, who is a Low-tier Class-3 supernatural being as well, also very powerful." Adam explained.

"In High-tier Class-3, we have one of the most powerful supernatural beings known; the Archangels, although Michael being part of House Genesis means he is the only High-tier, the other Archs are Mid-tier and Low-tier."

"There is another really strong guy but he isn't as known, his name is Grail; I have no idea what his class is, just that he is very strong," said Adam.

"Grail?" He was confused; what in the world was a Grail? He understood Michael; he was like some sort of super-powerful angel, right?

Adam nodded his head. "As in the Holy Grail of God? The thing that was personally crafted by the hand of God for countless eons before he even thought of creating everything. It is an entity, although knowing about him isn't important seeing as he hasn't been seen for many years," Adam said.

Aaron nodded as a thought struck him. "But wait... he said you have two forms?" Aaron raised a brow at Michelle as he asked, he kept trying to get an answer.

"I am a Dragon, Aaron," Michelle answered. Aaron crossed his arms incredulously.

"A Dragon?" Disbelief clear in his tone.

"Basically, my first form is this big, bulky, and honestly quite ugly dragon. I mostly use it to intimidate other creatures, but when I encounter someone really powerful, I have to switch to my smaller, more humanoid form, which packs a way bigger punch," Michelle explained straightforwardly.

"It's enough to knock me down a class," Michelle added, her tone bordering on smugness, if Aaron didn't know any better.

"It's just a class. You're making it sound like a big deal," Aaron remarked, trying to grasp the significance.

"That's because it is. The gap between a Class-4 creature and a Class-5 creature is massive. If they had to fight, it would be a total mismatch," Adam chimed in, casually leaning against a nearby tree.

"As you know, Bruce was a Demon, but he was completely crushed by Adam. Bruce was a Class-7 creature, so he was way out of his league, regardless of his tier," Dean informed with a nod.

"So what creature are you?" Aaron asked as he looked at Brianne.

She smiled. "A Vampire." Her fangs on display before she retracted them.

Aaron paled slightly. 'Hopefully she doesn't come after my blood... would she?' Aaron inaudibly gulped and coolly asked,

"What about your class?"

"I'm a Low-tier Class-5 Creature," Brianne explained, flashing a smile. "I'm the fastest among us, except when Michelle's around. Each creature has its own strengths. Vampires, for example, are known for their speed."

"Right," Adam chimed in, picking up where Brianne left off. "Michelle has the most destructive power in her class among all supernatural creatures. Brianne's got the speed record for her class, so if a Vampire ever chases you, you're not escaping. Devils like me are the most agile, so no matter the class, we're always the swiftest. Same goes for the others."

He paused, then continued, "Dean's the hungriest in his class, hands down. Jason's a Werewolf, so he's got all our abilities, just a bit toned down. But even if we're at our best, facing a newly awakened Low-tier Class-3 creature would be suicide... more like getting chewed up, digested, then spat back out," Adam concluded bluntly, shrugging with disinterest.

Aaron nodded slowly. "It's pretty interesting but kind of complicated," he admitted, massaging his throbbing temple.

"Aw, is the baby's head starting to hurt?" Adam teased, a mischievous glint in his eye as he jabbed at Aaron.

Jasmine laughed at the comment. "It isn't nice being on the receiving end, is it?" She clasped his shoulder lightly and grinned, getting back at him.

Aaron wanted to say something, but he stopped and looked at everyone. They were all laughing and joking around. The familiar act made him smile. He had friends, amazing ones at that. Even if they were all supernatural creatures that could kill him, he felt safe... but, why?

Aaron didn't know the reason, but he knew he could trust them.

"Very funny, Jasmine," Aaron said as he dropped his head in defeat.

"Are we still going to have the study session later?" Michelle asked, instantly going back to her usual seriousness.

"Come on, Michelle! Why can't you enjoy the moment and not kill it with studying? I can finally say it but this is just a human school, we don't need to study!" Adam groaned and sighed heavily.

Michelle grinned. "I'm just saying... you aren't that smart, so you need to cultivate what little brain cells you have," blunt as usual.

"Ouch," Adam said with mock hurt. "My heart... it's in pain! You stabbed it with the sharp edges of betrayal," Adam, always the clown.

"You deserve it Adam!" Jasmine said as she started laughing.

"You need it as well, Jas," Michelle said with a half-hearted shrug.

"Don't you dare say it!"

"You also need to develop more than two brain cells after all," Michelle said, provoking Aaron to erupt into laughter.

Jasmine turned bright red with embarrassment. "Why do you always pick on me?" Jasmine whined annoyed.

"I will have you know I am a genius prodigy! I can probably beat you all in a straight-up fight!" Jasmine defended herself with a grin as Adam sighed.

"Yes, we know, Jas..." Chuckled Dean as Jasmine nodded happily.

"And you better not forget it!" Said Jasmine.

Aaron ignored the conversation and looked to Michelle and whispered. "Thanks." Michelle gave a small nod and a smile in return.

Jason started humming, "Michelle and Aaron sitting on a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G. First comes love, then comes marriage, then-" Michelle sent Jason a cold stare as Aaron blushed, oblivious to the situation. Jason instantly shut up with an audible gulp.

The entire group froze when they saw Michelle; Aaron was the only oblivious one.

"Well, I guess it's about time I get going," Dean said as he sensed the tension in the air. He gave everyone a thumbs up, and he walked away almost too quickly, glad to escape.

"Well, I should follow too," Brianna said. Jasmine nodded in agreement, and soon, both of them were gone.

Jason's neck hair stood on end when he made eye contact with Michelle. "You alright Michelle? Your aura got really dark..."

"I have to get going," Michelle bit out with a frown adorning her face before she walked away. Aaron gave Adam a quizzical look as he watched Michelle leave. Adam waited for Michelle to get far enough and out of hearing range before he started speaking.

"She is going to get married soon," Aaron's jaw almost hit the ground in shock.

"Married?" He repeated as he remembered her frown. Hesitating slightly he asked. "Isn't that a good thing?"

No one knew this but he was full-on in love with her, and he couldn't let Adam know that. Adam sighed as he leaned back and saw Jason already asleep, unaware of the problems he stirred, having some happy dream in Lala-land. The effects of a park.

"It would be... if she actually liked him... or even tolerated him. She hates the whole idea, which is why she's always on edge when anything reminds her of it," Adam explained with a sigh. "But Dragons are strict about traditions, even when they don't want to follow them." Aaron breathed a sigh of relief at the thought. "If some miracle happened and the wedding was called off, Michelle would probably be much happier," Adam continued with another sigh.

"Was it an arranged marriage?" Aaron inquired, hoping for a solution.

Adam nodded. "Her family arranged it with a powerful and influential family to have stronger children and elevate their status."

"Can't it be canceled?" Aaron asked, clinging to hope.

Adam shook his head. "No, the arrangements are set. Breaking them now would bring shame to her clan, and Michelle wouldn't be able to show her face in Ailiand ever again," Adam explained with a resigned tone.

"Ailiand?"

"Yeah, it's where all Dragons come from... like Heaven for Angels or Hell for Demons and Devils," Adam clarified.

"When is the wedding?" Aaron pressed.

"I'm not sure, but it's soon. They've been planning it for nearly four hundred years," Adam said with a shrug.

"Four hundred years!?" Aaron exclaimed, astonished.

"She's much older than you think," Adam chuckled at Aaron's reaction. "Most of us are."

"I still have a lot to learn about this world, especially since it seems like everyone I meet is supernatural," Aaron joked, albeit somewhat depressingly, the information slowly sinking in.

"Actually, only about ten percent of the town is supernatural," Adam corrected with a smile. "You just have a talent for finding us."

"By the way, I passed by the car garage yesterday after I dropped you off at 'I scream', and old man Jackie told me your car is ready," Adam announced, brightening Aaron's expression.

"Knowing how much you love that car and with everything that's happened, I brought it to you!"

"Where is it?" Aaron eagerly asked as Adam handed him the keys.

"It's in the school parking lot," Adam replied as Aaron wasted no time walking away.

Adam shook his head and vanished in flames.

Aaron approached his black Dodge Charger, feeling some semblance of relief wash over him as he sank into the familiar, comfortable seat and gripped the wheel. He started the engine, feeling the power beneath him, yet his mind was still in turmoil and his heart weighed heavy with distress.