Andrew Bailey & The Eternal Maze

Chapter - 19

In the institution, just like in any environment, there were cases of bullying however it did have a huge difference with what we consider as normality. With the target of making everyone in the institute strong, being weak is one's own fault. Lecturers ignore acts of bullying and since being separated from their parents upon arrival in the institution, you couldn't go to anyone when you had a problem. You hold your own fate in your own hands, the institution could actually be comparable to a prison. Just a matter of opinion.

Bellows was unfortunate in the sense that he was small in size and being a dunce at using his aura, making him a prime target of being picked on. Mostly the bullies needed a target to vent their frustrations on. Day after day, being beaten black and blue, called names and humiliated worse than any animal. The frustration in him just kept building up, even up towards the coming of age ceremony. 

Though something did change the moment they fell from the floor. Amidst the chaos running wild through out the area, just like Snow, Bellows figured out that he had a 'characteristic'. You could just picture what happens when a huge number of them were hunted, there naturally would be something abundant that you wouldn't normally find wouldn't you? Blood, flowing and dripping everywhere near a body. The moment Bellows saw all that blood, something inside him just made him shake with excitement, just like electricity. He just couldn't stop smiling, he now had a weapon, to hunt down every single one of those bullies. 

Just like a child with a new toy, he couldn't wait to play. Every single one of their faces were burned into his memory and it now just became a hunting list. Though the area was wide, it wasn't that difficult for him to find them. The screams and the shouting around were a dead give away. The first bully Bellows located and cut down was begging for forgiveness and so were the rest who followed. Bellows did not feel a thing, no remorse not even satisfaction but he wasn't going to stop till the list ended and thus his blood lust just grew bigger and bigger. 

It went from targeting the ones that bullied him into including those from his institute who did nothing but just watch and smile, carrying on without a care in their lives.

 As his murder spree went on till the night, he found an unexpected target. He wasn't a target however his fame was widely known and had this cocky air around him together with his group. Bellows just branded him a bully in general like the ones that bullied him and Bellows was going to add him to the list and he wasn't going to check it twice.

Bellows gathered blood from his collection and with his aura, sent them out as snakes. Bellows could have used his new toy the blood 'characteristic' to make the snakes however real blood was much easier to control in comparison.

 Quietly and swiftly, the snakes slithered up their bodies and by the time some of them realized, it was too late and the snakes just made a giant hole in their hearts. The snakes took a few out from the group however the stronger ones  had managed to save themselves by taking out their snakes before striking their fatal points.

There were twenty in number and now it was down to eight, the remaining eight were panicking, with their eyes looking all over the place, just looking for the assailant that just attacked them.

 Anger and fear were crawling all over their bodies, they may be strong but they were just kids, they were mentally weak. The body is a fickle thing, every little detail could affect it, including emotions. Atlas may not have much experience in battle however he could tell that his group was panicking too much. They were higher in number but it wouldn't do much good right now.

Atlas told the group to back off, wherever was fine, they simply needed to retreat.

Well of course there were a few protests about just leaving their members there and how they needed to avenge them but Atlas reminded them right now, he was the leader. Whether they live or die wasn't going to be decided on something like revenge, however Atlas assured them that he will definitely pay this humiliation back with interest. 

Bellows was radiating with anger, staring daggers at Atlas.

"Something like revenge? What's so wrong about revenge? As expected, Atlas will not be allowed to live anymore. A smug arrogant guy like him, will be hunted by me."

As Bellows went in for the kill, his stench of blood gave his position away rather fast. As their eyes moved towards Bellows, the nervousness still haven't left their systems. Their responses seemed to be in slow motion compared to normal and they couldn't move their bodies the way they wanted to. Atlas pushed those in the way aside and clashed with Bellows. 

Bellows with an excited face began using Atlas as an attack doll. Without giving much of a chance to retaliate, it started to become one sided.