Escalation (1)

[Note: This is a trial chapter at best since there are several elements I need time to mull over so read it with this in mind. Thanks!]

Hovering in the air, a small feminine figure stared at the train cautiously. As her hazelnut bob cut swayed in the wind, she tapped on a small black device attached to her ear while her shining blue eyes stuck on the train.

"[Lila?]"

"Camerone, I found the train. It really stopped moving. Can I go in right now?" 

"[Don't be hasty. How's the situation looking?]"

"I'm not sensing anything at all. Can I go in then?" She spoke after another brief scan of the area, her tone growing increasingly urgent.

"[No. Hide somewhere and observe the train. The reinforcement's on the way.]"

"B-but he..."

"[No buts. I know how worried you are, but I only let you go on the basis that you adhere to my orders, Lila.]

"Grrrr, fine." Lila clenched her teeth bitterly.

"[Huh? What are these readings?]"

"Huh-"

Boom!

Before she could finish speaking, a sudden burst of explosive Ether hit her invisible shield, causing it to momentarily become visible. Sensing danger, Lila's eyes quickly darted along the trails to the source of the attack - a mysterious figure in a brown jagged mantle. 

However, what caught her eyes was the overwhelming amount of insidious energy exuded by the man, something she had never seen before.

"That..."

"[Lila?]"

As if her guts took control, her hand had extended even before she noticed and cast [Ice Rain] - her Tier 3 signature spell, much to her surprise. 

Ensuing the casting, hundreds of ice shards manifested from behind her and flew at high speed toward the figure without restraint.

"My...What a rude guest."

"!"

The array of shards, one after another, was instantly met with flame pillars. All was effectively scorched in an instant. This somewhat shook Lika, who felt unsettled by the familiar spells.

"[Lila?! What's going on Lila?]"

"...Alex?"

Being part of the Academy Escort squad just like Camerone and Lila, Alex was responsible for escorting and protecting students during the entire train journey this time around. They lost contact with him when they heard about the train being taken over, which upset Lila and made her leave despite Camerone's objection.

Back to the present, Lila wasn't sure when she first looked at his Ether nature through the trail, but that spell...it bore too much similarity to his.

"It can't be..."

"Kukuku..."

Upon hearing the name, the mysterious figure threw aside their mantle, revealing a young man in an unscathed tuxedo. A bright smile spread over his face as he put on a pair of black lens glasses.

"You must be referring to the owner of this body. I must admit, it had quite an amazing body. Was it your acquaintance? Friend? Perhaps lover-"

WOOOSSSHHH!---SLIT!

Out of nowhere, spears of ice trapped his body in place as he barely dodged each of them, grazing him in the process.

"Don't you speak another word with his mouth, dirty scum. Give him back!"

Lila didn't know why, but she felt that whoever currently inhabiting Alex's body was extremely revolting. The presence alone told her that Alex was in danger, causing her to be filled with bloodlust. 

"Quite the hot-blooded one, aren't you?"

Dismissing her threat, Alex? drove his hands into the spears' edges, burning them to the ground in the process. Lila became even more distraught when she saw that Alex's hands were gravely wounded, but he didn't seem to care. Instead, he was enjoying every second of the sight, feeling only sweetness at the tip of his tongue.

Exhilarated, he began to emanate a large concentration of Ether in the form of steam as his smile grew wider.

"Let's have some fun, shall we?"

There was no way she was going to let him play with Alex's body any further. 

On the other hand, Camerone, who had managed to somewhat grasp the situation in the last minute, tried to intercept with a panicky voice.

"[Lila, stop! As your commander, I command you to retreat! The reinforcement is coming shortly, so don't be reckless! I repeat, retr-]"

"Annoying."

She tapped her black device, cutting off Camerone completely. Drown in thought and worries, all of Camerone's words have escaped her ears. To begin with, she wasn't in a rational state of mind, seeing Alex's body being toyed with. 

If there's someone higher on her priority list than the students, it's definitely Alex. After all, he was her precious....

"...."

Ignoring everything else, she started giving off a freezing aura that slowly froze her surroundings. In an icy tone, she spoke.

"Mind getting out of his body before I f*ck you up?"

In return, Alex? gave a gentleman bow, his smile growing ever creepier.

"Nein."

***

"Huff! Huff! Huff!"

Ragged breathing could be heard as a girl ran through the carriage, desperately escaping something. Her uniform was completely torn apart, and in conjunction, such words could be used to describe her state as well.

KOFF! KOFF! KOFF!

Letting out violent coughings, she could see even more blood stuck to her reddish deformed palm.

"Huh? Did it...ever look like that?"

Consequently, her body was in even more pain, yet she kept moving, and at some point, even barely limping forward, seemingly having no other choices. 

At this point, she didn't know what she was running from or why she was running away anymore, but she didn't feel like stopping

"!"

Slam!

Unexpectedly, her legs lost all their strength, making her fall to the ground, just a little distance away from the door. The sharp pain grew even worse, as if her every fiber of being was being ripped apart and reassembled simultaneously. However, she was so exhausted that groaning was a far-fetched chore in itself. 

'Aaaagh, what's...happening to me?'

Despite her blackening vision and relentless pain, she kept crawling on and on, trying to remember what had transpired. Her consciousness began shutting on and off, putting her through fragments of memories slowly fading away.

A group of friends laughing loudly together.

A pair of two filled with warmth and tenderness.

People who always try to smile and support each other regardless of circumstances.

A little girl, showered with all the love and care in the world, once had a dream of spreading it to the world. After all, she loved looking at the bright happy colors.

Over the years, however, being confronted with the cruel reality, she realized her naivete. With that went her dream, but never once did she stop believing.

Believing that she can save someone and grant them "happiness", just like her ordinary, yet colorful past.

'How...could I forget? Dennis, Sora, Yeonwa,…I'm sorry I forgot. I'm sorry I couldn't....'

CLANK!

'!'

Suddenly, she could hear the door swung open. Footsteps followed, one that stopped right in front of her. 

She couldn't see clearly, but somehow she could feel it - a soul meshed with all kinds of colors. It wasn't beautiful, but certainly not ugly either, yet her heart was still captivated nonetheless.

It was somebody who had seen more than she had ever had, she thought.

A rightful judge. 

In the end, she was powerless and unable to save anyone, even herself. She was just an insignificant human in the vast world, holding no capabilities of her own…

The warm couple, drenched in blood, gave their last gentle goodbyes.

The kids, relentless and cruel beyond reason, torture another of their kind like a toy.

Unreasonably, people pointed fingers and shouted their ignorant righteousness.

Houses upon houses burned in flames as people cried and screamed their lungs out.

People stabbed one another by fate or by will.

Corpses piled up, one after another, like a haystack.

Every time. Every single time. Every ounce of a single time, she couldn't overcome the challenges presented to her. 

Even just recently, all she could do was run and pray helplessly. 

But this time...it might be different.

'Maybe...'

She gathered her courage and poured the last of her out.

"Please...save them....however you can." Faint screams of agony hang at the back of her ears, gnawing away at the bits of her conscience. Despite everything she had gone through, that girl still wished to save someone. 

"Is it wrong...Is it...selfish...wanting to save them despite my powerlessness?"

"Shouldn't you decide that for yourself?" A dull voice replied.

Surprised, she tried to lift her head and look at the blurry figure. 

Unsurprisingly, their colors remained consistent, but there was empathy to be seen. 

Perhaps...Just perhaps, her wish has finally been heard.

Satisfied, the girl fell into deep sleep.