Soul

Ying and Yan

Valerian Lore's POV

"Again!", Kai shouted.

I grunted as his sword slammed into my side. Shouts echoed around us as students were dueling with each other around us. "You can do better than that.", Kai called out as he darted around me swiftly, avoiding my hit and returning it with one of his own.

I winced in pain when his sword sliced through my skin and blood dripped to the ground. My insides started to burn, a telling sign that my power was starting to flare up. I stumbled back, trying to control it. Kai kept coming and his swings became faster and faster. My arm cramped and I dodged a swing that would have cut off my head.

I glared at him, returning his fatal swing with one of my own. He dodged it, of course. But it still felt good as fuck to get in a fatal swing successfully without him beating my ass into the ground.

He grinned at me with mischief sparkling in his coal black eyes. I mentally groaned and like I expected, with one expert flick of his wrist, his sword bashed into my legs, and I collapsed onto the ground with a grunt.

"You're distracted today, Val. What's wrong?", he asked curiously while extending his hand to help me up. His honeyed voice calmed my frayed nerves, a side effect from being a hydromancer. I gripped his hand tightly and pushed myself off the ground.

I walked over to the benches and a clang of swords signaled that Kai hanged them back onto the weapons rack. I sat down with a heavy sigh. Kai plopped down next to me, and his obsidian black eyes stared at me with interest. I scowled and Kai raised his dark eyebrows. I tipped my head back and closed my eyes.

"Fuck off.", I snapped, my eyes still closed as I internally wince at being harsh to one of the only people that actually accepted who I was. Kai stayed silent beside me, and I let out a tiny sigh. I would take being dead over this curse of mine any day. 

I only had one person who I could show my true self to, but said person is now occupied with a task set by the dean, so I had to bear with it until he comes back.

Just as I was about to change the topic, a voice shouted from the entrance. "Miss, you aren't allowed in here." That statement was quickly followed by a grunt and a shout. Kai and I looked at each other, my rudeness all but forgotten, then bolted to the doorway of the academy.

Footsteps quickly followed after us, and Tally, an aeromancer, sailed pistols through the air in our direction. Kai caught them swiftly in one hand and handed one to me. I nodded my thanks as we reached the doors. Kai kicked them open and lifted his pistol to point at the intruder. The intruder who was now smiling maniacally.

"Kai! Nice to see you again!", she said joyfully. The girl was standing over Tom's, our school guard and a perverty fucker, bloody body with a sharp stick in her hand. Hands that seem to be missing...fingernails?

Her ice blue eyes were bloodshot and filled with madness. Her whole body was dripping crimson red blood, and her once white hair was covered in bright streaks of red, almost as if she ran her hands through it multiple times.

She smiled with all her bloody teeth on display, then swayed precariously.

Kai cursed softly and dropped his gun to the ground. The other students warily lowered their own weapons at their professor's signal and stared at the girl. I lowered my own gun and I turned to ask Kai if he knew her, only to see him standing next to me with his jaw on the ground, eyes wide with shock and guilt.

The girl kept her manic eyes on Kai while he continued to imitate a statue. Suddenly, the girl fell to the ground with a thud, her body still and unmoving. Her icy blue eyes stared at me, the clouds of madness fading away for a second, revealing intelligent and piercing blue skies before shutting away.