𝐷𝐴𝑅𝐾𝑁𝐸𝑆𝑆 𝐸𝑉𝐴𝐷𝐸𝑆

𝐶𝐻𝑃 4 "𝐴 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑡"

𝑃𝑜𝑣 𝑜𝑓
   𝑉𝐼𝑅𝐴 𝑊𝐴𝐿𝑍𝐼𝐶
       "𝐸𝑦𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑓𝑒𝑎𝑟"

PRESENT TIMING

I could see the anger, the panic, the sadness in people's eyes, ever since a death has occurred within the school campus, all the heroes are shaken, and more aware in the look for a murderer, perhaps a big man with cold dead eyes, dried out lips, and a voice so deep and stern, that it could kill with words.

Many officers, and crystal analysers taping out the ground, away from people, taking up even speckles of clues from the snow on the ground, they must've done the same with the body before it was wrapped up in cloth.

“It was you, wasn't it?”

I felt my body freeze at the sentence, not wanting to look back at the unfamiliar voice behind me, certain of what happened, did he see me? Did he see me take away the life of the girl which was found dead this very morning. “what?” i look behind my shoulder to meet, deep navy blue eyes, such blue signifying a storm sturing up in the middle of the ocean.

“i saw you last night, you were smoking weed.” hearing his words, i hold back a sigh of relief to not give away the panic i had felt before. “busted” i murmured,

He let out a soft chuckle sitting down beside me, admiring the beauty of the clouds, seeming oddly calm given the situation the campus was in at this moment. He took out a pack of cigarettes from the back of jeans, offering me one, “care to join me?”

“i am not smoking with a random stranger i just so happened to meet, who knows, you could be the person who murdered the girl”, i lied, about two things. first, i don't mind smoking with a random stranger. second, i was the murderer.

“It can't be me, I'm human. I don't have powers like the others” he took in the pack holding onto it tightly,

“Human? Are you one of those, whose parents came here years ago, and got trapped?” I've always read about humans, i knew there were a few humans here too, but I'd never thought I'd encounter one.

“yeah, I'm one of those” he paused for second “monsters.” he took one unlit cigarette, tearing it apart with his stern gaze.

“monster? No way, you have a heart.” it felt odd, saying the word heart. As a kid I'd always dreamt about what having a heart must feel like, what my life would be like if I were a human, when my mother would treat me like a child even if I'm weak. If my mother would protect me from my father when he'd say that I'm useless.

“they think having a heart, is monstrous” he said, framing the word they as us, me, crystalians.

“Well if you're not threat i don't mind smoking with you anymore” I picked up a cigarette from the pack, he smiled as he took out a light, his fingers flicking onto the lighter,

“I’m chase, what's your name? this campus is too big for us two to notice eachother”

“Vira.” the lighter burst with a small flame, the warm outside of the flame being blue, highlighting the yellow. Placing both the tips of our cigerette, letting it ignite,

“Vira? Never heard of that name before, must be unpopular, sucks” he chuckled, the sides of his cheeks being a light shade of pink as he smiles, taking in the smoke produced by the cigarette, “tsk, you'll hear it often now”

His eyes turned to meet mine, he let go of the cigarette, the smoke slowly escaping his lips, “why? Are you going to put a spell on me? So i hear your name every second?”

“I am not sure if crystals work like that”

“it doesn't?” he shrugged, rubbing the burning cigerette to the cemented ground, his mouth opens up to speak once again, being cut of by the footsteps approaching behind us. Mckella, she'd been my friend since awhile, always a nervous wreck and a complete mom most of the time.

“Vira, there is a killer around and you are hanging around with a complete stranger?” she began already, her eyes set on Chase, if glares could kill a person it certainly would be hers. 

“calm down, I'm not murderer, I'm just a human, and not stupid enough to kill someone on the rooftop when there are police just below us on the ground” Chase poked his inner cheek with his tongue, i could tell that his words were pouring oil into Mckellas burning anger.

“I wasn't talking to you, mister.” she grabbed onto my hand, throwing away the cigarette which I had been holding onto, “I’m just concerned about my friends health” she said, her grip tight around my arm,

“Also vira, the school has set out a lockdown till the crystal analysis goes on” she stepped backwards forcing me to do the same, “i don't want you to be alone, so I'll be taking you to my dorm”

I couldn't argue with her, so I agreed, looking over my shoulder to see the distinct figure of Chase waving his goodbye.

“so i heard, the girl who died, she was your new dorm mate?” Mckella casually said, almost letting me choke on my own saliva, “mhm” i hesitated, this looks bad on me already.

Before we could reach her dorm a older man, wearing a fitting shirt with his belly sticking out on the slightest had been hovering over the both of us. His eyes were small, wrinkles on both the corners of his eyes, “Where are you two young ladies going?”

“My apologies, we're headed towards our dorm” Mckella speaks, her smile being overly friendly towards this old man. “I see, I see, as you may know, I'm the lead investigator for this case. Call me jonas” he said his voice being heavy and raspy,

The old man took out his chubby hands out from his pocket, a golden ring so tight around his finger, his skin seemed a bit too red.

I took his hand onto a light handshake, but unfortunately for me his grip was too firm around my hand, the cold metal of his ring against my skin, his fingers itself crushing my bones under his handshake,

My touch didn't burn him. I was relieved. It wouldn't be nice to burn anyone who touched me.

“You should be more careful around here, don't roam around freely for now” he said leaning in closer to my face, the smell of beer from his breath making it's way through my nostrils. Who is allowing this old man to live?

I took my hand out of the handshake, my skin red and itching for fresh air.

“Sorry we won't be roaming around so freely, we were just making—” before Mckella could finish her Apologies, his eyes narrowed towards her, he had cut her off by a rude and arrogant tone “Go to your rooms, i don't want to hear it”

He pushed past the both of us, walking down the hallway further, “that old ass, he shouldn't be speaking like that knowing he could drop dead any second” I heard Mckella mutter under her breath, her hands curled up into a tight fist.

“Lets go Vira. I'll do my own research on this little killer later”