Gwen walked toward the woods, her steps heavy and sharp as they crushed the dry twigs scattered beneath her boots. Her chest rose and fell quickly, her nose flaring as the cold wind blew strands of her white hair into her face. Anger painted every line of her features, and the streak of blood smeared across her cheek only sharpened the image, She looked like a storm walking on two legs.
"Allan!" she called out sharply, her voice echoing into the open air. Allan and Horace, who had been speaking quietly nearby, turned at once.
"What happened to you?" Allan asked, frowning as the metallic scent of blood hit him. It clung to her clothes, strong and sharp, mixed with the smell of dust and broken glass.
"She probably got into a fight," Horace answered for her, his tone casual as if such things were expected of Gwen.
"With who?" Allan asked, his expression narrowing.
"You know Gwen likes to get into fi-," Horace intened to speak on her behalf rather tease her but was brutally cut off.
"Shut up!" Gwen screamed at him, her voice cutting the air like a blade. Allan only chuckled lightly, which seemed to amuse.
"Horace enough, before she explodes on you," Allan teased, though his eyes soon turned serious. "What happened?
Gwen spat the name out like venom. "It's Dana".
"Who?" Horace asked cluelessly
"one of her friend's new roommate" Allan answered.
"Elaine?" Horace placed a guess
"Yes" Allan confirmed.
"I was already wondering since when Gwen began having so much friends " Horace added.
"why'd you fight with her?" Horace asked
"I didn't intend to, but that bitch is a-"
"Soul Leech" Allan filled in for her.
"How did you know?" Gwen asked, but he only shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly before answering."I just know".
A Horace blinked in disbelief. "A soul leech?! Since when did Mrs. Diamandis start admitting such creatures?"
" That vile thing shouldn't even step foot in this school." Gwen added spitefully.
Alan's tone was calm, but his words carried weight. "Why can't it?"
Gwen's eyes widened at his question. "What?"
"The creature hasn't caused trouble yet, has it? Then let it live. We don't kill for no reason."
"No, we can't just—" Gwen began furiously, but Allan cut her off with a pointed smile.
"Yes, we can. Just like how we let June live."
The remark hit her hard. Her lips parted, but no words came out. Allan's smirk left her without an immediate retort. Her fists clenched so tightly her knuckles went pale.
Horace stepped in, sensing the tension rise. "No worry, Gwen. Once that creature makes a mistake, even the smallest slip-up, consider it gone."
But instead of calming her, his words seemed to pour oil on her fire. She watched Allan casually walk away, the image of his back only deepening her frustration.
"Don't be upset," Horace added quickly, flashing her a faint smile.
"Don't talk to me," Gwen snapped, dropping onto the dusty ground with a huff. Anger and exhaustion weighed her down, but she refused to show weakness.
"Just make sure the soul leech does something it isn't supposed to, and Allan will handle it," Horace said, sitting beside her despite her glare.
"I want it gone," Gwen admitted, her voice low and raw. "But maybe you're right. Picking fights won't solve it."
"Exactly," Horace replied. Then, with a teasing look, he added, "And don't act like you didn't start this fight."
"So what if I did?" Gwen shot back, scowling.
"You should seriously stop poking your nose into everything."
Her glare sharpened, colder than before. Yet after a moment, she closed her eyes, drawing in deep breaths, and let her power settle over her wounds. Slowly, she began to heal herself.
Meanwhile, Alan's footsteps carried him toward the administration building. His expression was unreadable, but his mind raced. He had brushed off Gwen's words earlier, but the truth was far heavier. Soul leeches were dangerous, even to non-humans like them.
As he neared the building, his eyes caught sight of someone approaching from afar. Elaine.
Something about her movements made his instincts stir. Her presence felt off, her aura faintly twisted, almost sinister. The closer she came, the more certain he grew.
She reached him and gave a slight smile, as if everything was normal. She was ready to walk past when Alan's hand shot out. He grabbed her wrist firmly, his eyes narrowing as he searched her face.
"Allan, wh-"
"come out of her" he ordered in a stern and cold tone, one she had never heard him use before, but then the next moment, her eyes turned completely abyssal black as a sinister smile etched it self on her face as she spoke, stretching every syllable.
"LET ME BE".