The Fallen Angel

8.Hatred

Amid the fond memories and laughter, my brother's question about Adrian stirred a mix of emotions. Aria's attempt to intervene with a falsehood only heightened the tension. With a soft sigh, I confessed, "I wish I could say I'm completely over him, but I'm still working through it." Meeting my brother's concerned gaze, I added, "But I'm hopeful for new possibilities." Glancing at Aria, I could see her panic as she struggled to maintain the facade.

Feeling the ache of missing my brother, I mustered the courage to ask, "How have you been?" Pausing, I added softly, "I've really missed you." The unexpected sincerity in my words caught both Aria and my brother off guard, revealing the depth of my longing for our bond.

As I made my way down the hallway after chatting with my brother, I paced away  leaving Aria and my brother behind, books in hand, I approached my locker. As I struggled to recall my password, I felt a playful bang on the locker, signaling the presence of Adrian's friend. Ignoring their antics, I focused on unlocking my locker. Suddenly, I sensed someone standing closely behind me, their breath brushing against the back of my neck. The unexpected question, "Do you like Adrian?" sent a wave of fear through me, leaving me stunned and wondering how they could have possibly known.

Ignoring the intrusive question from Adrian's friend, I focused on gathering my books from the locker. However, my concentration was disrupted when Ero stood directly in front of me, causing Adrian's friend to step back. His smug remark about having "bait" infuriated me, bringing back the memory of when he shoved me against the wall. With frustration boiling inside me, I met his gaze and snapped, "Is there a problem with you?" Rolling my eyes, I pushed him back, creating space for myself to leave, determined not to engage further with his antagonizing behavior.

Feeling Ero's iron grip on my wrist, I attempted to wrench myself free, but his hold remained unyielding. Despite my pleas for him to release me, Adrian's friend seemed to relish in my discomfort, his nails digging deeper into my flesh. As I fought to break loose, my gaze was drawn to a peculiar tattoo adorning Ero's arm. Mesmerized, I watched as the tattoo inexplicably faded away before my eyes, leaving me bewildered. Just then, Adrian arrived and swiftly intervened, pulling me away from Ero's grasp and providing the liberation I had been desperately seeking.

Ero's smile twisted into a menacing expression as he spoke, his words dripping with anger. Despite the pain coursing through me from his tight grip, I couldn't help but feel a chill at his ominous threat. With his fingers still digging into my wrist, I turned to Adrian, only to notice a faint resemblance of the strange tattoo on Ero's arm etched on Adrian's neck. Confusion mingled with fear as I struggled to comprehend the connection between them.

As Ero stood defiantly before me, Adrian's annoyance was palpable. His dismissive words cut through the tension, leaving me feeling abandoned and vulnerable. Before Adrian could walk away, however, Ero seized him from behind, preventing his escape and deepening the sense of unease that gripped me.

"I'm not done talking to you," Ero shouted, his voice cutting through the tense air. I met his icy glare, feeling a wave of sadness wash over me. As I stared into those cold eyes, I couldn't shake the resemblance to Adrian's expression. In that moment, it was as if Ero's disdain mirrored Adrian's, leaving me with the haunting realization that he harbored a deep hatred towards me.

The tension between Adrian and Ero was palpable, their gazes filled with anger and wrath as if they were long-lost enemies reunited in hostility. I hesitated, sensing that my presence might exacerbate the situation, but I intervened nonetheless, reaching out to Adrian. "I think you should leave before the principal comes," I urged gently. They both fell silent, but Adrian didn't even spare me a glance, Adrian's unwavering focus on Ero exuded such a fierce intensity that it sent a chill down my back.

Ero's sinister smile twisted into an evil grin. "Your girlfriend is worried about you," he taunted, his words punctuated by the hushed whispers of onlookers casting blame my way. Adrian's rage boiled over, and he snapped back, "Stay back!" I attempted to retreat, but Ero blocked my path, his grip tightening around my wrist, anchoring me in place. On the other side, Adrian intervened, swiftly grabbing Ero's hand to release me from his grasp.

Caught between the clutches of these two villains, as they each gripped my hand, my surroundings blurred into a disorienting haze. A sharp ringing pierced my ears, causing my head to throb with increasing intensity. Dizziness overwhelmed me, and my vision clouded, the pain escalating to a searing crescendo. With a cry of agony, I shouted, the sound lost in the chaos erupting inside my head. Voices echoed in a disconcerting cacophony, as if I had been transported to another realm, leaving my senses deserted in a whirlwind of torment.

Amidst the sea of students in the crowded hallway, my focus honed in on only two figures, their tattoos etched vividly in my mind. Screams echoed around me, engulfing me in a nightmarish reality where grotesque scenes played out before my eyes: bodies contorted in agony, flesh melting away in the searing heat of flames. Through the chaos, I heard Ero's voice pierce the cacophony, dismissing my torment as mere drama. Desperately, I pleaded for help, my silent cry barely audible amidst the infernal cacophony. As Ero locked eyes with me, seemingly aware of the hellish visions tormenting my mind, Adrian withdrew his hand, his expression betraying a flicker of concern. Yet, Ero's grip remained firm, a cruel reminder of his intent to prolong my suffering.

As the flames of agony consumed me, Adrian's demand for Ero to release his grip fell on deaf ears. The searing pain intensified, as if my very skin were ablaze, and my strength waned as my body succumbed, bending slowly to the ground. In the midst of my torment, Ero's whispered cruelty pierced through the haze, condemning me to suffer. But in a moment of desperate clarity, I grasped his hand, where his tattoo lay, and the agony I endured transferred to him. With a cry of anguish, Ero recoiled, his tattoo igniting in a fiery blaze of pain. Confusion clouded my senses as I knelt, clutching his arm, watching as his hand reddened in agony. His violent shove sent me crashing to the ground, but with his pain, the torment that had gripped me began to ebb away. As I opened my eyes, relief flooded through me, tears streaming down my cheeks. Through blurred vision, I saw Ero looking down at me, and Adrian's eyes filled with concern, a silent witness to the ordeal I had endured.

With a heavy heart and a weary soul, I surrendered to the darkness, allowing my eyelids to fall shut. In that fleeting moment, my mind drifted into a void, blank and empty, as if on the precipice of eternity itself. The weight of exhaustion pressed down upon me, and for an instant, the prospect of oblivion seemed imminent.

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