[CHAPTER-8] He was watching!!

 Lungs were burning with every desperate gasp for air.

Eva held Luna’s wrist. Dragging Luna through the forest, luna was in shock as if her brain was rejecting what her eyes saw.

Eva was pushing through thick bushes even tho her legs were aching, but she did not slow down, because she knew they can’t afford to slow down.

Tears were streaming down aqua’s face, she was stumbling, falling on her knees yet kept running without looking back.

Valentina looked back, her eyes were wide with fear.

The noise in the forest changed, the wind stopped, only leaves were rustling. There was total silence around them, in dark forest with clouds covering moonlight, sound they can hear were of their own heartbeats and footsteps.

It felt like Irim was just behind them, but on looking back they saw nothing. Only the endless darkness and shifting shadows.

A dim glow through the trees, they were able to see the academy.

Bursting from the treeline their feet hit the hard stone path, yet no one stopped to take a breath, kept running until they reached dorm.

They burst into the dorm, Valentina slammed shut the heavy door.

Their hearts still beating hard against their ribs, No one spoke for a long time. Air inside room was safe, yet fear was crawling inside them.

Aqua sat at the corner of room, pulling knees to her chest very tightly. Her body was trembling, that vision was coming over again and again whenever she tries to close her eyes.

Luna was walking back and forth, her footsteps were quick, angry. Her hands were shaking.

“We shouldn’t have followed him.” Said Luna in her trembling voice. She looked at Eva, then at Valentina. A sharp, accusing glance.

Eva was sitting at bed, continuously staring at her hands, she tried to stop them as they were shaking but she couldn’t.

Valentina was quiet, she sat on the edge of a chair, she put her hand in pocket to take out her handkerchief as she was sweating due to intensive running. Pocket was empty!

Realization was too much to handle in her mind, Valentina froze and her eyes got wider.

A slow, chilling horror dawned. “My handkerchief…” All three looked at her.

Their eyes were filled with only one question, she patted her skirt then her jacket, her hands searched everywhere yet found, nothing.

A deep silence fell again but this one was different. Like air itself had turned solid.

“Where did you last—” Eva was asking but Valentina cut her question at middle.

“—At the window.” Said Valentina in empty and flat voice, her every word was a stone dropped into cold water.

No one screamed. No chaos erupted. Just the four of them and silence.

The thing that was eating a human arm… That thing now had Valentina’s scent. That thing now knows who Valentina is.

They looked at each other, dorm suddenly felt small and unsafe.

It was already midnight, they all pushed in a single bed against the wall. Bed was too small for four of them, but somehow made space.

Luna was on one edge side with wall, Eva was in the middle, Aqua curled up between Eva and Valentina. Valentina on the other edge side close to window.

Dim blue moonlight was coming through the window, painting long and pale strips across the floor, room was feeling cold and exposed. The only sounds were their own breaths.

“Do you think… he’s still hungry?” whispers Aqua in her frightened voice, breaking the silence of room.

“Don’t talk.” Luna shushed her in harsh voice just to hide her own fear. She closed her eyes tighter. Praying for morning.

Valentina’s eyes fluttered open because she thought she heard something, very faint like breathing near the window.

She looked at the window, curtains were moving, slowly, gently swaying. As if a soft breeze had come through, But the window was closed…

“Just the wind…” she whispered, her voice was thin. She pulled her blanket closer to her chin.

A faint outline began to form. Slowly. A handprint. Pressed onto the glass. Unseen by the them, the outline sharpened. A dark, smeared shape. It was right there!!

Gentle morning light came, pale yellow filling the room. It felt like a normal day, Birds chirped outside.

Aqua woke up first, yawning, stretching and rubbing her eyes. She looked toward the window, her gaze was lazy at first. Then it froze. Her eyes locked onto the glass.

A dark streak on the glass. At first glance, it looked like a smudge. But as the light caught it, she saw more. Clear bloody finger trails, they dragged downward. They ended in faint, dried blood, rusty brown color. Below the finger marks a clear mark of licking, Wide. Faint traces of saliva glistened, Mixed with more dried blood. It was sickening.

It wasn’t just a mark but a shape of hunger, Pressed into the glass. He was there last night watching over them from Outside.

Aqua screamed through the morning calm, others shot awake. Chaos erupted again.

Luna sat up, her eyes fixed on the window. Eva gasped. Valentina rose slowly. Her face was white, Eva reached out a trembling hand and picked up a small cloth from her bedside table, she wiped a small patch of the window but red stains her hand.

It was real. It was wet. Still fresh. Valentina stared at the mark. She stared too long. Her eyes were distant. Her voice was a flat murmur. “He was right there…” She finally said what they all thought.

It was better to go for classes rather than staying at dorm so after getting ready they all went for breakfast. Their voices were too loud, too brittle. The laughter died quickly. Their hands trembled, it showed in how they held their cups and how they picked at food.

Their eyes were always glancing at surroundings, food on their plates remained mostly untouched. Every moment was terror.

In the training yard hall, Dame Lilith was waiting with her arms were crossed over her chest, unhinged.

She saw Eva coming but her movements were sloppy, unsure. Her mind was clearly elsewhere. She was not focused. Not ready.

Eva was swinging her blades with no form and was missing her timing, sword felt heavy. Lilith pinned Eva’s sword to Eva’s throat.

The sharp point rested lightly, Lilith looked down at her.

“You’re not here, are you?” said Lilith, she was not angry, Eva lay still. She did not respond, Lilith sighed softly.

Lilith offered Eva a hand to help her up. Eva took it. Her hand was cold.

“Tell me what’s eating your birdbrain?” asked Lilith.

“N..Nothing” said Eva with hesitation constantly looking at floor with lost eyes that wanted to tell a lot but for some reason can’t…

“Eva you can’t stay a coward like this forever and think someone will come to save you…. Don’t run away from that fear, if you can’t even save yourself then how will you save those who you love?”

Eva looked straight into eyes of Lilith as if her words were heavier than fear.

“Pick up the swords and come at me” said Lilith with determined look at her face.

Eva picked her dual swords and charged at Lilith, but this time she was fast as she barely dodged Lilith’s punch, but second punch came at her from right and she used her sword to shied her and got slammed on ground. Lilith grabbed her leg and threw Eva towards wall but Eva this time successfully got her balance and she digs her sword in floor and drags a little backward, Lilith was impressed not only Eva was able to regain her balance but stopped herself from getting slammed in wall.

This time Eva starts running in circular motion around Lilith, Eva was running too fast enough to be able to make here multiple self, yet Lilith’s eyes knew who Eva is and was waiting for Eva to attack, as Eva attacks it appears like a attack from every

direction tho Lilith turns back and punches straight at Eva’s face and she gets unconscious,

Eva comes to her senses after getting healed by lady in glasses, “Ya did well after my little speech, ya need more on daily basis?” said Lilith in cheerful tone, Eva smiled a little and said “Thanks Lilith I feel better now”.

Don’t forget Eva you come to me, I’m here! “Well, I gotta teach you, your first technique tomorrow, so don’t be late, okay?” Said Lilith.

“Yes! I look forward to it” said Eva as she walks away from training hall.

It was already evening, Eva meets up with Luna, aqua and Valentina who still had same tensed eyes, Eva was little brave this time. They also were passing from a corridor but lights were flicking. Dim. Uneven. They cast long shadows of four girls walking side by side. Their steps were soft and voices were low. Their faces were tired. But they tried to smile.

From behind them. A voice. Calm. Too calm. Familiar. “Excuse me…”

They froze in the moment, laughter died. They turned slowly and saw Professor Irim stood at the end of the corridor. The dim light cast his face in shadows. His eyes were looking directly at Valentina’s eyes, His smile was faint…. Too faint. It did not reach his eyes. It was like the skin of his face did not quite fit right.

He was holding something. Small. Folded. Pink fabric. Their eyes focused on it. That was Valentina’s handkerchief the one she had lost.

“I believe this belongs to you, Miss Valentina?” said Irim in smooth and Polite voice that was cutting through the silence and flickering of light.

He extended his hand and held out the handkerchief then…. A single drop of blood, Dark red. It fell from his right eye. Slow. Heavy.

It hit the floor and starting to spread It spread.

No one took a breathe.