A Z R I E L (A Freenbecky Fanfiction)

CHAPTER 13

AELIA'S POV

I used to think being supernatural was cool.
Having powers. Possessing abilities no ordinary human could dream of.
It made me feel secure—like I could protect myself no matter what came my way.

Turns out, that was a delusion.

I lived in a place where it is more populated by normal human beings, so I haven't had the slightest idea of what danger awaits me outside of its comfort. I wasn't ready for what was coming when I left home, I lived in a false sense of safety. I had no clue what dangers lays beyond that bubble. No understanding of how deadly the world could be.

I wasn't ready.
Not for any of it.
And certainly not to die.

What happened last Sunday was an eye opener for me. 

Almost dying.

The creature we faced was a harpy—a being from nightmares. I had been so sure of myself, so confident in my abilities. I'd been the first to run after it. Eirene and Celestine had followed me, but I had led the charge.

I'm an Elemental, I had thought. Fire-dominant. Why should I be afraid of a woman with wings?

Well, She controls fire too, the harpy.

And when she came at me, faster than I could even process, I froze.
Then came the pain—white-hot, mind-numbing—from her claws as they sliced into my skin. I'd never felt anything like it. Not physically, anyway.

I really thought it was my end, That I was going to die. 

Then I was pulled back from the darkness, which was death, by someone I completely have no Idea who.

Her name is Elethea.
She's beautiful—almost angelic. And apparently, she's Eirene's cousin.
Honestly, it makes me wonder if everyone on this campus is just naturally stunning.

"Hey, How are you feeling?" Kali greeted me when she entered our room.

It's Tuesday now, 2 days after that unfortunate night. Ms. Ammara had instructed me to rest and skip classes. I'd been told to stay in bed, and everyone—Kali, Blair, Eirene, and Celestine—had taken that very seriously. I hadn't been outside since.

I'm fine. I told them many times. My wound is healed and I feel fine. Thankfully, I'll get back to class tomorrow.

"I'm okay, Kal. I told you, I'm fine." I answered Kali.

"That's good. Here, I brought you food, you should eat." She handed me some food. I took it and started eating.

"Any news about the Harpy?" I asked. Since the harpy escaped, we have no idea what happened to it. 

Celestine mentioned a wooden stake striking its chest mid-attack, though no one knew where it came from. Despite the wound, the creature had somehow managed to fly away.

Ms. Ammara said the supernatural authorities weren't able to track it down, but the guy the harpy was looking for, Identified as Anwir Tyrion, Is a known snatcher. He was a friend of the owner of the café that's why the harpy decided to go to that place to look for him.

That's all the information Ms. Ammara gave us. We didn't pry more.

"Still nothing. But that's not our problem," Kali replied, tone clipped. "Let the elite hunters deal with it." She dismissed. 

I didn't press further. She'd been the most affected out of all of us, even if she never admitted it. I could see it in her eyes—the way she looked at me, the way she hovered. There was more to her worry than she let on, but I didn't want to push her.

Just as I was finishing my food, a knock on the door caught our attention, Kali stood up and opened it.

"Hey. Come in." She greeted, I am not able to see who it is though, when the person stepped inside, I gave her a genuine smile.

"Hey, Elethea." I greeted. I'm very grateful for her. She's the one who saved my life.

"Hi, Aelia. I just came by to check on you." She walked over and sat in front of me, her posture relaxed but her gaze intent.

"I'm great, Feeling like I wasn't attacked and almost died." I laughed. 

Elethea laughed softly with me. Most people would probably expect me to be traumatized, but strangely, I wasn't. I wasn't pretending either. I was really okay.

Maybe it hadn't sunk in fully, or maybe... I'd just decided not to dwell. I was alive. That mattered. And I'd learned something vital: danger is everywhere. I need to get stronger—not just for me, but for the people around me.

"That's good to know." Elethea said. 

Kali excused herself to the bathroom, leaving the two of us alone.

"Can I ask you something though?" I questioned her.

"Yeah. What is it?"

"Why did you save me?" 

Elethea looked at me, slightly confused. "Because you were dying?"

"But why? You didn't know me."

"Do I have to know you to save you?" she asked, tilting her head. "I don't think so."

She had a point. But something about it still bothered me.

"Who told you I was dying?" She suddenly looked uneasy then looked away from me.

"Eirene." She silently answered.

"I don't think so," Kali's voice came from the doorway, sharp and certain.

We both turned to see her stepping out of the bathroom, arms crossed.

"Eirene was with us the whole time."

"She messaged me through the RWD," Elethea added hastily.

Kali raised an eyebrow. "If there's one thing we know about Eirene, it's that she never brings her RWD when she leaves campus."

Elethea awkwardly coughed then scratched the back of her head.

"Okay, fine. A friend of mine saw what happened. So she informed me to go to the infirmary and check if I could help." She nervously explained.

"And this friend is...?" I pressed.

"Just someone," she said, a little too quickly. "You don't need to know." She dismissed and stood up.

"I need to go, Ria is waiting for me. I'll see you two around." She make her way towards the door and turned around when I called her.

"Thank you again, for saving me." I told her.

"You're welcome, Aelia."

"Tell your friend, whoever it is. I said thank you, for asking you to check on me when I was bout to die." Although a part of me really wanted to know who it is, I decided not to pry more since it's obviously making Elethea uncomfortable.

"I'll tell her." She smiled before exiting the room.