The Third Eye (#1)

14. Constance

"The winner is-"

I watch pitifully as his body concludes it's plummet to the hard black platform creating a thunderous crash that vibrates through my ears and sends incessant chills racing down my spine.

"Constance." Anthony finishes placidly, but I remain frozen in my position, standing in front of the unmoving body of the boy I just knocked out.

I won.

But I don't feel like a winner.

Why?

I continue my detached gaze upon his unflinching form, unsure of the next course of action to take.

In fact,

I feel like a loser.

Why?

"Are you going to move or what?" Anthony snaps, and I avert my gaze to meet his piercing pupils that are evidently full of irritation towards me.

I hesitate, thinking about the unconscious boy before me, "Oi, what about him?" I inquire gesturing towards Alexander's wounded body that has become decorated with a colorful assortment of bruises from our exchange.

"He will be carried off to the nurse's office to receive medical treatment there. Now can you move? I have other students to assess." Anthony narrows his dark eyebrows and glares at me impatiently, but I merely roll my eyes in response to his snappiness as I don't feel particularly inclined to respect his authority.

Nonetheless, I stride to the side of the caged in arena, and climb over the low fencing to return to my previous position between Amber and Dante.

"U-uh C-Constance..." Amber stutters while staring at me wide-eyed in apparent concern, and before I open my mouth to formulate a response, a familiar wet sensation trickles down and grazes my upper lip and I am abruptly reminded about my busted nose.

"Are you going to go to the nurse for that?" Anthony's voice booms, and I swipe my fingers across the crimson liquid. Staring at the tips of my fingers now coated in my blood, I reluctantly find myself absorbed in haunting memories of times when I would frequently return home with various injuries similar to this one.

"Hello?" I hear Anthony question irately, and I shake my head to clear my mind of the previous horrors I've encountered, "We don't have all day. Are you going to the nurse or not?"

"Oi, the blood has slowed down, I'll be fine." I sigh and redirect my gaze to Amber whose expression is still plastered with genuine apprehension,

"Please go later." She encourages anxiously while moving closer to me to further inspect the wound and as she does I am able to lucidly read the uneasiness in her eyes and I find myself involuntarily nodding in agreement to her plead. After my compliance she visibly seems to relax, allowing her to smile her typical wide grin at me,

"You were amazing. I didn't know you knew how to fight!" She cheerfully remarks, her long flowing golden locks bouncing up and down to match her enthusiasm for my victory.

I wish I didn't know how to.

I cringe inwardly, thinking back to countless encounters of relentless beatings from Georgia and her crew. Despite my refusal to use my power against them, using my hands and feet from time to time became necessary in aiding my escape from their unforgiving clutches.

"Constance?" Amber tilts her head, outstretching her hand to lightly graze my shoulder, "Are you okay?" She questions while closely examining my demeanor from head to toe, subconsciously trying to decipher the reasoning behind my indisputable state of daze,