"Have you ever wondered what the hell is wrong with your life? Everything looks fine, yet you still feel like you're suffocating. Ever happened to you? I only felt truly alive and free like that a few times in my life."
Those thoughts flashed through Renato's mind as he spat blood from his mouth.
He clenched his fists and charged forward.
Renato had never been the fighting type. When was the last time he'd gotten into a fight? Must've been almost ten years ago. Yet there he was, trading punches with some guy from school. He couldn't even remember why. All he knew was that, for a moment, the endless boredom had been replaced by the raw intensity of the fight.
The thug in front of him was Roger, a kid who claimed to be part of a gang. Supposedly, his cousin was the leader, something he bragged about constantly. Roger shoved people in hallways, smoked in the bathroom, and stole baseball caps. A real badass, cap thief! Rumor had it he even hit his girlfriend. And right there in the schoolyard, that rumor became fact.
The slap landed squarely on Tâmara's face, spinning her around like a top, spit mixed with blood flying from her mouth. Before she could fall, he punched her. Then he raised his hand for another strike.
Nobody understood when Renato, the quiet, passive student who dreamed of studying psychology, interfered.
Roger slammed a punch into Renato's stomach, knocking the air out of him.
The bully moved in again, but Renato blocked and countered with three quick shots to Roger's gut.
Roger collapsed to the ground, clutching his stomach.
Renato mounted him and started hammering his face. He didn't stop. How long had it been since he'd hit anyone? And yet, it didn't feel bad at all.
Roger didn't react.
Hiro, Renato's only real friend, rushed in and pulled him away, shouting:
"Enough! You trying to kill him?!"
Renato looked down at Roger, unconscious. One eye swollen shut, the other half-open. His mouth hung open, drooling spit and blood. His nose looked broken.
Renato's fists, still clenched, throbbed in pain.
"Shit!" He grabbed his head.
"It's fine. You helped her. You did something good."
"Helped?"
"Yeah. If you hadn't stepped in, that bastard would've kept hitting Tâmara."
Renato hesitated, then remembered. Yes, Roger had slapped Tâmara violently, punched her, and raised his hand for another blow when Renato stopped him.
Now, lying on the ground, he didn't look so tough.
Tâmara, who had watched the fight in silence, tried to approach Renato to thank him. But Alicia reached him first, and the amber-eyed girl stepped back. She touched her stinging face.
"Look at your hand! It's all messed up!" Alicia said.
"I'm fine." Renato looked at Roger again, and strangely, a pang of guilt stabbed him. I didn't need to hit him that much, he thought. Why didn't I stop? I started because of Tâmara, but at some point, I forgot about her and just kept hitting because… because I liked it. A shiver ran down his spine.
"Man, I'm the Asian here, but you're the one doing the Kung Fu!" Hiro laughed.
"Can someone explain what happened here?"
Standing tall, nearly two meters, with stern eyes, was the school principal.
"Roger and Renato fought!" some snitch's voice rang out in the courtyard.
"Snitch!" someone else shouted.
"I don't care!" the first voice shot back.
"You're just mad you lost money!"
"Roger and Renato?" The principal frowned.
"He's not even gonna remember who you are, let's sneak out now, " Hiro started plotting.
"I'm Renato. Second year, class A."
"For fuck's sake!" Hiro groaned at his friend's honesty.
"I see." The principal sighed, pulled out his phone, and called. "Hello? This is the principal of Dr. Pirulla State School. A student was hurt in a fight. He's not moving. Looks serious. Please send an ambulance. Yes, he's breathing. Okay, we won't touch him. We'll wait."
He put the phone away and looked at Renato.
"My office."
"…Okay."
The principal's office wasn't very big. Renato sat in a chair facing the desk.
"You've been here since kindergarten, haven't you?" the principal asked.
"Yes."
"I don't remember you ever getting into fights. Why now?"
Renato pressed his lips, nervous.
"Roger was beating a girl in the middle of the courtyard. I stepped in and… well, he didn't like it."
"So you fought him to defend a girl he was hitting?"
"Do you believe me?"
"Why wouldn't I? I know my students, Renato. Roger's behavior isn't the best. I respect your attitude, but you're still a student, and I'm the principal. I need to report this to your parents. I asked the coordinator to call them. You'll stay here until they arrive."
Renato sighed, a sarcastic smile forming at the corner of his lips.
"Those gym mats we use in P.E.… can I borrow one?"
"…What?"
"If I'm stuck here until my parents come, I might as well sleep."
The principal frowned, tempted to scold him, but lacked the energy. He just stood up and said:
"Let's wait for your parents."
When the principal disappeared into the back room, Renato pulled out his phone to check TalksApp. No new messages. He opened the chat with his mother but gave up and pocketed the phone again.
Then he jumped when he saw Hiro's face pressed against the window, distorted by the scratched glass like some ghostly apparition.
Renato opened the window.
"Yo."
"So? What's happening? Suspension?"
"I don't think so. He's just trying to reach my parents."
Hiro burst out laughing.
"Then you better grab one of those mats, 'cause you'll be sleeping here tonight!"
"Hey, you stole my line."
"Speaking of stealing, we can't go watch Hotties and Thieves at the movies Monday. I kinda lost our money."
"You what?! That was your sacred duty!"
"Well, when you started fighting Roger, the seniors started making bets…"
"But I won the fight."
"Yeah."
"You bet against me?"
"…Yeah. My bad."
"You bet against me, you bastard?! Even Judas wasn't that, "
"Look, I'd never seen you fight! I thought you'd faint after the first punch. My intentions were noble! I was gonna use the extra money to cover your hospital bills!"
"Bet against me… Thanks for the vote of confidence! Did you at least save something for the school festival?"
"Yeah, about that… I bet everything. If you had lost, the payout would've been five times bigger!"
"So the festival's in a few days and we've got nothing? Goddammit, Hiro!"
"You should've lost. Who told you to go all Jet Li out of nowhere?!"
"Ahem!" The principal returned.
"I had nothing to do with the fight!" Hiro shouted, slamming the window shut.
"We couldn't reach your parents," the principal said. "You'll have to stay here for now."
…
When the sun dipped below the horizon, the principal realized contacting Renato's parents was nearly impossible. He grew irritated. There's a limit to how absent parents can be, he thought. The school's calling about their kid! The words child services crossed his mind.
With a resigned sigh, he decided to let Renato go home.
Renato walked to the bus stop, sat down, dropped his backpack to the side, and leaned against the metal post. The wind was cold, drizzle fell over him. Lightning split the sky now and then.
His stomach growled. He was alone at the stop.
He rubbed his bruised fist.
That's when he heard screams from a nearby alley. Shadows moved in the darkness. He squinted, but only saw silhouettes. It sounded like a nasty fight.
A girl's voice cried out. Renato thought about calling the cops. He pulled out his phone, dead battery. Wouldn't matter anyway. By the time they got here, it'd be too late.
The girl screamed again.
"Damn it!"
Renato jumped up and ran into the alley. Shapes grew clearer: a woman with long hair, bodies on the ground, the glint of a blade.
He pushed forward.
Suddenly, a flash blinded him, knocking him off balance. When his vision returned, only the woman remained. She cursed, furious.
"Shit! I was careless."
"Miss, are you okay?"
She glanced at Renato, still tense.
"An Atalaya?"
"A what? I don't even know that word…"
She stepped closer. Shadows seemed to bend around her presence. A strange tingling spread through Renato's body.
"Hey, what's your name?"
"Renato." He didn't want to answer, but he did anyway.
"Nice to meet you, Renato. You know, " she leaned in ", I'm hungry."
"There's a hot dog stand nearby, we can, "
"I'm hungry for something else, Renato."
She got so close that the sweet fragrance of her perfume tickled his nose. It was intoxicating.
"Something else? W-wait, are you… a vampire?"
"No. What a terrible thing to say. I'm a succubus."
She pressed him against the wall. Renato nearly stepped on a bloody corpse hidden in the shadows. More bodies lay scattered. He should've been terrified, but her scent overwhelmed him.
"I just want one thing, Renato. Just one."
"One…?" He was losing control.
"Just a kiss."
"Just a kiss…" He leaned in, eyes fixed on her lips. What would they taste like? His legs trembled. His skin tingled like prey before a predator. Fear and desire mixed. Should he run from her, or to her?
Their lips touched.
It was an explosion. Energy drained from him in a torrent. Dizzy, weak, starving, thirsty, sleepy, yet consumed by a sharp, electric pleasure. He clung to her, pulling her close.
She allowed it, surprised, her skin soft under his hands.
Air ran out. Renato collapsed, gasping for breath.
The succubus stepped back.
But Renato didn't want her to leave. He wanted more. Needed more.
As she faded into the shadows, he forced himself up, trembling.
"Wait!"
She froze, staring at him like he was a ghost. Shocked.
"How is that possible?" she whispered, approaching carefully. "What are you?"
"Wait. What's… what's your name?"
"Clara." She answered automatically. "Who the hell are you?"
"Renato."
She grabbed his collar, slamming him against the wall. Her eyes glowed blood-red.
"Don't play with me! Who sent you?! BaelZubub? Satanakia? Answer before I blow your dick off!"
"Blow my, what?! Wait, what?!" Renato panicked.
"Look at you! All recovered after I drained so much! How can you have so much life force?"
"Must be my athlete's background…" He forced a sarcastic grin.
She sniffed him head to toe like a hunting dog.
"Hm. Virgin? How cute."
"H-hey, wait! I'm not… I mean, how do you even, ?"
She frowned, confused.
"No trace of demonic presence. Not even that human gullibility stench. Just an average-looking human with bruised fists. But how? Look! The fire inside you burns even brighter now! Tell me what you are."
"I told you. I'm Renato."
"Is 'Renato' the name of some new monster species?"
"No. Just the name my dad picked. It was supposed to be Roberto, but they changed it. Personally, I prefer Roberto."
"You're coming with me!" She dragged him by the collar.
"Where?"
"Call it a rescue mission."
"Like in Hotties and Thieves?"
"I don't know. Haven't seen that movie."
"Me neither. And looks like I won't anytime soon."
They left the alley. Renato almost choked when he saw the sleek black Camaro waiting. Clara pulled out a key fob, pressed a button, and neon-blue lights flared beneath the car.
She opened the passenger door and shoved Renato inside.
"You're kidnapping me? Not that I mind, just asking."
"Relax. We're just going for a ride. Like I said, it's a rescue mission."
She circled the car, pausing to sniff the night air, focusing. Her supernatural senses picked up faint holy energy to the west, pulsing like a beacon.
She floored the Camaro, the engine roaring, inertia slamming Renato back into his seat. Rain lashed the windshield mercilessly.
"Red light! Watch it! Brake! Holy shit!" Renato squeezed his eyes shut.
When he opened them, they were still alive. He exhaled shakily.
"You trying to kill us?"
"Acting so scared in front of a woman is not a good look, you know."
Renato fastened his seatbelt silently.
Minutes later, they spotted a limousine ahead, driving as recklessly as they were.
"There they are!" Clara pointed.
The limo sped up, realizing they were being tailed.
Clara pushed the pedal to the floor. Tires screamed.
The chase was relentless.
Meanwhile, a bored cop scrolling on his phone in a patrol car accidentally blasted a porn video. His partner laughed hysterically. Furious, he shoved the phone away, just in time to see the limo and Camaro blasting past. He joined the chase.
"Fuck!" Clara cursed as sirens wailed behind them.
The limo's rear window rolled down. A man leaned out, aiming a pistol.
Renato ducked instinctively.
"Relax. This glass is bulletproof. That toy can't scratch my windshield."
Bullets peppered the glass, leaving faint marks but doing no damage.
Then the man tossed the gun inside and pulled out something heavier. A rocket launcher.
"Okay, maybe that can." Clara swerved hard as the missile streaked past, grazing the Camaro and exploding against the police car. The patrol flipped in flames.
Clara closed in, bumper nearly kissing the limo's rear.
"Can you drive?"
"Sort of!"
"Then take the wheel!"
Her body shimmered, turning misty black and red, phasing through the metal to appear inside the limo.
Renato scrambled into the driver's seat, gripping the wheel tight, adrenaline flooding him.
Inside the limo, chaos erupted.
Suddenly, the limo's rear door burst open. A man flew out, slamming against the Camaro's windshield, blood splattering everywhere.
Renato swerved wildly, the body tumbling across the road.
Gunfire. Screams. More men thrown out.
Finally, the limo screeched to a stop.
Renato pulled up beside it.
Clara stepped out, beautiful and triumphant, drenched in blood, dragging two young girls to safety.
"Crazy and gorgeous. Just my type." Renato muttered, staring at her.