Beyond His Evil

TWENTY.

~~~

The general resolved the situation, and everyone dispersed in different directions. As soon as the chaos died down, I turned away, eager to return to my room. Exhaustion clung to me like a second skin, and hunger twisted my stomach into knots, but more than anything, I just wanted to be around Kate.

I kept my head down, careful to avoid Evelyn, and made my way to a food stall slightly away from the madness. The food was free—one of the only perks of this hellhole—so I grabbed a bag of potato rolls and hurried off.

No one recognized me.

But getting back to my room was harder than I expected. Hunters lurked everywhere, their stares burning into me, whispers slithering through the air like venom.

That’s her.
Did you hear what happened?
Pathetic.

I forced myself to keep walking, ignoring the disgust in their eyes. I was used to this. It didn’t matter.

But just as I reached my building, something yanked hard around my ankle.

I barely had time to gasp before I hit the ground face-first. Pain exploded in my skull.

Laughter erupted around me.

"God, she's so pathetic!" someone cackled.

I pushed myself up with shaking arms, my breath hitching at the throbbing in my forehead. When I touched my skin, my fingers came away slick with blood. I wiped it off on my hoodie, grabbed my bag of rolls, and got to my feet.

A sudden gust of wind slammed into me, lifting me off the ground before hurling me back down. I barely managed to brace myself before impact.

More laughter.

"And you call yourself a hunter?” a voice sneered. “You're so weak, it's honestly sad."

I looked up, meeting the smirking face of a girl I had never seen before.

Her skin was deathly pale, her violet eyes eerie and sharp. She was taller than me, with black hair streaked with vibrant orange highlights that trailed past her waist.

She was beautiful. Unnaturally so. But something about her made my stomach twist with unease.

I should run.

"Have you ever killed a vampire?" she taunted. "I bet you run away just like these pathetic humans do."

Her words stung, but I’d heard worse. Instead of answering, I wiped my hands on my hoodie and got up.

"I just want to go to my room."

She chuckled—a dark, humorless sound.

"I heard the demon trains you,” she mused. “I must say, I am very, very disappointed."

"Rya!" A sharp voice cut through the air. The seer.

The girl—Rya—ignored her and stepped closer.

A shiver crawled down my spine as she reached out, her ice-cold fingers brushing my wrist. She leaned in, her lips just beside my ear.

"Nice to meet you, Kira."

"Rya!"

She laughed softly before vanishing.

My breath caught in my throat.

She was gone. Just—gone.

Only two people I knew could teleport. Devon and the seer.

Whispers spread through the crowd, but they scattered the moment the seer snapped, "Why are you all just standing there like idiots? Find something useful to do!"

They all dispensed within seconds.

Then, the seer turned her piercing, all-seeing eyes on me.

"Are you alright, Kira?"

I swallowed, nodding despite the dull throb in my skull. "Who was she?"

Something flickered in her expression. She hesitated.

Then, without answering, she simply said, "Go to your room. Have a good night."

And just like that, she was gone too.

I exhaled a shaky breath.

This was, without a doubt, the most insane night of my life.

~~~

When I returned, Kate was already asleep, her slow breathing filling the room. Moving carefully, I found a first-aid kit and tended to my forehead, wincing as I dabbed at the wound.

But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop thinking about Rya.

There was something wrong about her.

She had used the wind to knock me down, but she didn’t seem like an air elemental. And what had pulled my leg earlier?

Why was she so cold?

How was she able to teleport?

And how did she know my name? Okay, the whole of Safe Land probably knew my name by now.

I sighed, running a hand down my face as I ate my potatoes.

Then, inevitably, my thoughts drifted to Devon.

Despite everything. Despite the way he hurt me. Despite how much I wanted to be angry at him.

I still wanted to see him.

I wanted to know if he was okay. I had so many questions—so many things I wanted to say—but most of all, I just… missed him.

I glanced at the clock.

11:55 pm.

It wasn’t too late. If I went now, I could find him and be back before anyone noticed.

Should I?

The rational part of me said no. But my heart had already decided before my mind could catch up.

Pulling on a hoodie, I grabbed a flashlight and slipped outside.

The air was crisp, biting against my skin.

"Devon," I whispered into the night.

Silence.

I walked, calling his name softly, my breath visible in the cold air. Still, nothing. The deeper I ventured, the more I began to second-guess my decision.

Thirty minutes passed.

Nothing.

Frustration simmered beneath my skin. I turned to head back—

—and slammed my foot into a rock.

Pain shot through my toe. "Damn you, Devon!" I hissed.

A quiet chuckle. Low. Familiar.

"I doubt I'm the stone, Kira."

My heart stuttered.

I turned sharply toward the voice.

~~~
A/N

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