Happy weekends always go by quickly.
After his early morning run Sebastian rode his bicycle to school with his schoolbag slung over his back.
He parked the bicycle and noticed Sean approaching. With a smile Sebastian immediately asked.
"Sean, why do you have such heavy dark circles under your eyes? You look like you have not slept in days."
Sean scratched his messy hair which he had not had time to wash and let out a long sigh.
"Do not even ask me about it. I tried to clear Assassin's Creed last night but that game is really something else. I thought I could finish it in one sitting but I was wrong. I played for hours and hours just grinding through the missions and I barely got halfway through before the sky started turning white. Now I am paying the price for my stubbornness."
"I hope you do not fall asleep in class today. Otherwise I do not think Teacher Frey will let you off easy. You know how strict she is about students dozing off during her lectures. She will make an example out of you in front of everyone."
"I will try my absolute best to stay awake I promise. Honestly I am regretting playing that game last night. I should have just stopped after the first hour or two but I kept telling myself just one more mission. Really bad decision on my part."
Sean continued speaking but Sebastian's attention shifted. He frowned slightly as his gaze fell on a girl walking into the school from the outside. Sebastian could clearly sense the overwhelming evil thoughts radiating from her. They were far surpassing all the Death Eaters he had encountered in his previous life. Even Voldemort himself was inferior to this level of malevolence. The darkness she emanated was pure and deep. As endless as the void itself.
Such a person entering the school could only mean trouble. After a while things would surely take a dangerous turn.
"Hey Sebastian, which girl are you looking at right now? Is the famous iron tree of our Midtown School of Science and Technology about to bloom? I never thought I would see the day when you would show interest in someone."
Ignoring Sean's teasing Sebastian pointed to the girl radiating evil thoughts.
"Sean, do you know who that girl is? Have you seen her around the school before?"
"Which girl are you talking about? Let me see where you are pointing. Her? Hah, bro I did not know you liked her type. You really are unique in your tastes I have to say."
With a helpless expression Sebastian shook his head.
"I do not like her at all. I have never even met her before in my life. I am just curious about who she is and why she is here. That is all."
"Her name is Akanksha. She transferred here from outside about half a month ago I think. But she is very withdrawn from what I have heard. She does not talk much to anyone and she does not make friends easily so not many people actually know her or care to know her. She is always been a bit of a loner from what I can tell. And it is like she gets fixated on people she barely knows. She tends to latch on to someone in whatever she does. If I had not overheard some things about her before from other students I would not even have an idea about her background or what her deal is."
"Also I have heard recently that she has been in a really bad mood the past couple of days. She has become much darker and more unsettling than before. People are really avoiding her now because nobody wants to be around her. Even the teachers are a little wary of her from what I understand. They are concerned that she might do something unpredictable or dangerous. You know how things can get out of hand in schools sometimes. With all the tension around her it is probably safer for you to steer clear of her Sebastian. Just keep your distance and do not get involved."
The two of them walked into the school while talking. Sebastian just wanted to know who she was and what her situation was. In truth he was not interested in getting involved with the evil thoughts she was emitting. He knew all too well that dealing with that kind of energy was beyond his current abilities and would only bring trouble.
But sometimes trouble does not wait for you to come looking for it. It finds you anyway.
When Sebastian and Sean walked into the teaching building Akanksha slowly raised her head which had been lowered. She looked at Sebastian's back from the gap in her drooping hair. A look of inquiry and joy appeared in her eyes.
The time of day was fleeting. School was ready to end at three o'clock in the afternoon.
Sebastian got on his bike and said goodbye to Sean. He was about to head home directly. His working hours were Tuesday and Thursday and Saturday so he had Monday free to allocate his time as he pleased.
Riding his bicycle down the one way street leading to his house there were not many pedestrians around. The trees were slightly lush on both sides. Sebastian personally liked this road very much. The peaceful atmosphere allowed him to think deeply about many things without distraction.
But today this road was doomed to be anything but peaceful.
Halfway through the ride Sebastian suddenly saw a person standing in front of him blocking the road completely.
Wrinkling his brows slightly Sebastian looked carefully at the person blocking the road. He immediately felt the evil thoughts emanating from them washing over him like a wave. It was then that he realized the person blocking the road was Akanksha.
Squeak.
Sebastian suddenly pressed the brakes of his bicycle hard and looked at Akanksha who was now in front of him. A bad feeling gnawed at his heart like a persistent warning.
Just when Sebastian was about to turn around and ride away in the opposite direction Akanksha who had been thirty or forty meters away suddenly emitted a black aura around her entire body. Her body flickered three times in rapid succession. In an instant she appeared right beside Sebastian almost like a ghost materializing out of thin air. She reached out and grabbed the handlebars of his bicycle with a firm grip.
"Sebastian, I checked your information today and I am very interested in you. Very very interested."
Why does she notice me?
Is it because of the way I looked at her earlier?
Or is it because my attention triggered some reaction in her?
Although he probably knew why she had stopped in front of him Sebastian did not want to escalate things. The evil thoughts surrounding her were far beyond anything he wanted to provoke or deal with right now.
"Sorry but I am heading home to do my homework right now. If you want to talk about something we can chat tomorrow at school during lunch or after classes. How about that? Would that work for you?"
Sebastian hoped to de escalate the situation and buy himself some time. But it was clear that Akanksha's obsession with him was not so easily deterred or dismissed.
"No no no! Did you see it just now? Did you see my ability? I showed you something special. But even so your reaction is just so ordinary like you see this kind of thing every day. You are really not an ordinary person are you? Let me see what makes you special! Come on! Come on! Come on! Show me what you can do!!!"
Akanksha's hair fluttered wildly in an unseen wind. The black aura swirled around her like a storm gathering strength. It floated behind her head in tendrils of darkness. As the shadows parted her face was revealed. Her forehead was marked with thick dark circles and red lines that formed a strange unsettling symbol that seemed to pulse with malevolent energy.
I feel like I have seen that mark before somewhere. What is that symbol? Where have I encountered it?
Without warning Akanksha reached out toward Sebastian with her hand outstretched. But her hand grasped nothing but empty air. In a swift motion he abandoned his bicycle leaving its handlebars still gripped by Akanksha. He cast a Levitation Charm under his breath. The spell allowed him to float away quickly putting distance between himself and her.
Being targeted by someone like her is serious trouble. I cannot fight her right now with my current abilities. Why me? Why did she choose me out of everyone?
As Sebastian floated away Akanksha's excitement began to fade. It was replaced by a chilling calm that was somehow more terrifying. She tilted her head at an unnatural angle. Her eyes darkened with dangerous intent as they fixed on him with laser focus.
"So it is you huh? You are the same as the others are you not? You hate me do you not? Everyone always hates me in the end."
Her voice grew colder and more venomous with each word.
"Hehehe a guy like you who looks at me with those eyes. There is no need for someone like you to exist in this world!"
The black aura around her contracted suddenly with explosive force. It squeezed the bicycle she was holding as if it were nothing more than a fragile toy made of paper. With a flicker of movement Akanksha reappeared next to Sebastian in an instant. The dark tendrils of her aura reached out like malicious tentacles twisting and coiling around him trying to ensnare him.
What is this power? It is overwhelming with pure evil thoughts and malice.
In an instant Sebastian raised his hand and shouted with urgency.
"Wingardium Leviosa!"
The Levitation Charm was effective on the bicycle that lay crushed on the ground. But against someone as formidable as Akanksha who was saturated with dark energy the spell was useless on her body directly. The bicycle however was sent flying into Akanksha's back with a loud crash. It staggered her momentarily and broke her concentration.
Using the opportunity Sebastian quickly levitated himself further away gaining some precious distance between himself and the unpredictable danger that was Akanksha. He knew he was not strong enough to defeat her now with his limited magical abilities. But he could not simply retreat to his home either and put his mother in danger.
She is not just any normal person with ordinary abilities. If I do not stop her now she might follow me and hunt me down until I am dead. I need to deal with her before she becomes a bigger problem for everyone around me.
With his mind racing Sebastian quickly formulated a plan. The Sanctum in New York. There he could face her with a better chance of survival and perhaps get help. The question was whether he could lead her there before things got any worse or before she killed him.
But just as he thought he might have a chance to escape a sudden boom reverberated through the air like thunder. Black flames erupted from the ground beneath him sending a wave of intense heat and thick smoke toward him.
If I had not dodged that attack just now.
Sebastian's eyes widened as he saw Akanksha standing in the distance. Her expression was twisted with fury and madness. The red mark on her forehead was glowing brighter than ever before casting an eerie oppressive light. Behind her the air seemed to warp and twist unnaturally. Sebastian caught the fleeting glimpse of a massive figure lurking within the dark space that had begun to form around her like a portal to somewhere else.
Just as the black flames closed in on him threatening to consume him a barrier appeared out of nowhere. It shimmered like shards of crystal forming an irregular formation of mirror like crystals surrounding him protectively.