Suddenly, a piercing scream ripped through the air.
"Ka-Kaiser!"
Hannah screamed, her eyes wide with horror.
Before I could react, a massive thing swatted me aside with a backhand. My back slammed violently into the wall, knocking the wind out of me.
Hannah, panicked, had already dashed toward the stairs.
"I'll deal with her later," growled a raspy, distorted voice.
I lifted my head, still dazed. Agent Tom was gone. In his place stood a monstrous creature, its form half-human, half-beast. Its eyes glowed with a predatory gleam.
"You're really unlucky, kid," it said, advancing toward me. "You and your friends were in the wrong place at the wrong time."
A wide, gaping maw opened before me, revealing razor-sharp fangs.
"What are you...? Monsters?" I asked, my voice surprisingly calm despite the fear twisting my gut.
It wasn't the first time I'd seen something strange. And now, facing death, I was oddly relaxed.
"You don't need to know... human."
Another roar, louder this time, echoed in the distance.
The creature froze, its hands trembling.
"Shit!" it hissed before bolting toward the door and disappearing.
A car honked loudly outside.
I stood frozen for a moment, trying to regain my senses.
"I'm going crazy..." I muttered. "What the hell just happened?"
But it was the second time that scream had saved me.
I slammed the door shut and rushed up the stairs.
Hannah was sitting on my bed, curled up, her face pale.
It made sense. What she'd seen was terrifying.
I approached slowly, searching for words.
"Hannah..."
She looked up at me, still in shock.
"Are you okay?"
'Women... I almost died, but I'm the one asking if she's okay...'
She nodded weakly, but her hands were trembling.
My hand gently slid into her hair, brushing the silky strands as if to ground her to this moment, to reality.
"I don't understand everything either..." I whispered, "But one thing's certain..."
My fingers lingered on her neck, and I locked eyes with her.
"The world is far darker... and far stranger... than we ever imagined."
A shiver ran down her spine, and instinctively, she nestled against me. I wrapped my arms around her, feeling her breath steady against my chest.
She didn't respond, but her breathing eased slightly under my touch.
A door slammed abruptly behind us.
"Aunt Mathilde?"
I spun around.
My aunt stood in the doorway. Her gaze shifted from me to Hannah, then to the room, before settling back on us with an amused expression.
"You're here, Kaiser..." she said, raising an eyebrow. "Oh? Hannah..."
"Aunt, it's not what you think!" I protested immediately.
She smirked before closing the door behind her.
"Be good, you two..."
I sighed heavily.
Beside me, Hannah murmured weakly:
"I should go..."
I nodded and walked her to the front door.
Before leaving, she hesitated, then slipped her hand into mine.
"I'm a little scared..." she admitted.
I gave her what I hoped was a reassuring smile.
"It'll be okay."
She narrowed her eyes, skeptical.
"You think your fake smile will calm me down?" She shook her head before pulling me outside.
"If something happens on the way, you have to protect me, okay?"
"I'll be the first to run, girl. You think I'm going to die for you?"
She elbowed me.
But despite my smile...
[We're in deep shit, guys. These creatures exist, and one just attacked us. Me and Hannah.]
I typed into the group chat.
[Hugo: Why were you with Hannah?]
'That bastard!'
*End of POV*
In their room, Hernandez watched his nephew Kaiser and Hannah through the window, hand in hand and laughing together.
"I never sensed any tension between them. I even wondered if Kaiser wasn't on the other side..."
"You're overthinking it. Look at them: they pretend to be just friends, but we adults know love when we see it."
Hernandez burst out laughing: "It was predictable. After all, we were friends at first too. Weren't we, Mathilde?"
"I just hope she doesn't break Kaiser's heart... It's his first love."
"Too bad she didn't stay for dinner. I'd like to dig a little deeper."
Clearly, the DiAngelo family was completely off the mark.
***
The first week passed normally for Kaiser. Boring classes, pointless interactions with other high schoolers, and a routine that no longer surprised him. Apart from his crew and Hannah, he mostly kept to himself, inaccessible. It wasn't out of shyness. He naturally cultivated an aura of nonchalance, his gaze often lost in the void, headphones glued to his ears, absorbed in his music.
Yuki, on the other hand, had resumed her activities in sports clubs. Anything related to martial arts and combat techniques naturally drew her in. She was good, even without having awakened her Zodiac abilities yet. It was in her blood, a genetic predisposition waiting to be revealed.
Ben spent his classes reading manga, completely indifferent to the lessons. Hugo, meanwhile, had visited Hannah, but she made sure never to be alone with him in a room. He was persistent, and she preferred to avoid any ambiguous situations.
Hassan was mysteriously unreachable after school. He always talked about family matters to handle, but no one really knew what that meant. As for Carter... well, he'd confessed his love to the music teacher, and it ended very badly...
*In the principal's office*
Carter slumped in a chair, staring at the floor while Principal Dale Hobbs gave him a monumental scolding. Across the room, Music Teacher Andrea stood with her arms crossed, visibly upset.
"I've never seen such an inappropriate and absurd declaration in my entire career! What were you thinking?" Hobbs thundered, his eyebrows furrowed.
Carter attempted a smile, but quickly reconsidered when he saw Andrea's murderous glare.
"Listen, I just wanted to express my feelings... Is that forbidden?" he shrugged.
"Express your feelings?" Principal Hobbs slammed his fist on the desk. "You literally interrupted her class, in front of the entire room!"
Carter opened his mouth, but the principal continued, his expression dark:
"I'm ready to challenge anyone to win your heart, even that bald-headed old man."
Carter paled. He glanced at Andrea, who sighed and shook her head.
It was a well-known rumor that the principal had a secret relationship with Andrea, but saying it in front of everyone and mocking him like that...
Silence fell in the room. Carter's face crumbled in an instant.
"Uh. Shit."
Principal Hobbs slowly stood up, his face crimson with anger.
"If this kind of incident happens again, believe me, I won't settle for a warning. Is that clear?"
Carter frantically nodded before hastily standing up and rushing out of the office, closing the door behind him.
' Wait till I tell your wife. Heh heh.'
In the hallway, Carter found Ben and Kaiser waiting for him with mocking smiles.
"So, how'd it go?" Ben asked, arms crossed.
Carter sighed deeply and ran a hand through his hair.
"Man, I barely made it."
Ben burst into laughter.
"That idiot thought he was in a Pornhwa."