The Great War

IX

I release a scream when someone grabs me, the person immediately covers my mouth, I look up and my eyes widen when I see a man I've never met before. His hair was red and sweaty as it fanned in his face. His eyes an inhuman shade of blue and his skin that of a porcelain doll.

He looks down at me and a deep sadness seems to hit him, we both look back up at the creature as it drops back down to its hands. It sniffs around us and the man pulls me closer into his body, practically encasing me.

The creature stops at the man's leg but doesn't do anything, it grunts and stands up before leaving the room.

My eyes snap to his eyes before I push away from him, "Who are you!?" I force space between us as I stare him down.

"Calm down. A thanks would surface for just saving your life, you know." His voice was light and soothing as he gave me a smirk.

"Who, are, you?" I glare at him and he eases up sighing.

"I'm Azrael, you are a variant of my sister whom I assume you've met if you..." He vaguely gestures at me saying everything he needed to without speaking.

I nod and look down, "I'm sorry... for you know." He waves me off and gives me a sad smile, his eyes dulling as he looks down.

"She's...she was my younger sister by 6 years, I hadn't seen her for years when the accident happened. Me and mother rushed down as soon as we got news of it. But...she was already gone." He sighs, a grimace of pain on his face.

"We should get going, I know where the people you're seeking are." He stands up and offers a hand down to me, I take it gratefully and stand up. He releases my hand and we climb down leaving the dorm. Cautious of the creature that could still remain.

"We'll take the second stairs that lead to the pool, alright?" He looks back at me and I nod, we sneak our way towards the main door.

"Now what do you think you, my boy, are doing here?" A deep voice asks harshly as a man slowly walks out of a dark hallway.

"I was just leaving." Azrael spoke harshly, his whole demeanor changing around whoever this was.

"Of course, son. Just... give me the girl."

He shook his head, "No."

The man chuckles and steps forward, a black and red suit adorning his tall body. His face was tan and he had a black beard speckled with white from age, and a scar running from his eyebrow to his cheek. He held a menacing aura as he stared at us. "That wasn't a question boy."

Azrael pushes me behind him, standing his ground. "I don't follow orders from a pathetic man, father." Azrael spits rudely, crossing his arms.

I look outside towards the pool seeing a group of people waiting on the bridge that formed across the pool, I sigh with relief, they were all okay. "When I say to, run."

I jump and look at the back of Azrael's head, "What?" I whisper back to him.

"Shh, don't say a word." I shut my mouth and tense up. Just listening for his word.

"Hand her over."

Azrael hardens his glare as he waves his hand at me subtly, "Go." I listen to him and book it, I run outside of the castle and rush down the steps two at a time till I reach the bottom.

"Hurry!" I hear someone shout down to me, I look up and smile at them before looking behind me. My eyes widen when I notice the creature from earlier rush outside of the school's main doors. I felt my breathing pick up as I try to calm my nerves, so I don't fuck this up.

I rush up the steps towards the bridge and see Mani waiting there for me as the others run ahead of us. He reaches a hand out to me and I take it when I reach him. We both start running together catching up to the others quite fast as we run to another opening at the side of the school. The creature slams into the bleachers, sliding on the ground.

"Hurry, go on." Mani moves his hand placement and holds my hips pushing me ahead of him. He keeps me in front of him as we run towards the exit of the school. "Go, go!"

I take his hand, fear running its course through me as Cora opens the doors and we all run through. She stays behind and waits for the creature. Once it's close enough she slams the doors in its face. It thuds against the doors, a large crack running up the middle of each wooden door.

"We can hide in the town, we'll find a new place, it'll be okay." Mani rushes out, trying to solve their problem at the moment.

"Mani..." I stop moving and it forces him to,

"We can probably convert the library, plenty to keep us busy in there too depending how long we have until we're found again."

"Mani,"

He looks up at me, "Yes, my darling?"

I give him a sad smile as I shake my head, "No more running."

He furrows his brows, "What? We'd die if we don't hide, we have—"

I shake my head again, cutting him off, "You're coming back with me, I found Smilla, and she's agreed to help us. I'm going to fix this all. I'm bringing you all back with me, Okay?"

Mani shakes his head, his jaw clenching. "I'm not putting you through that unneeded stress. You will go back, you'll figure it out from there."

I glare at him and cross my arms, "I will do as I please when I please. You are coming back with me, all of you. Whether I have to take you by the ear or not."