Ring
The academy's bell rang ever so loudly, signifying the conclusion of the day's lecture. It was just another Thursday for the students of the Institution Of Demonic Arts. All the young demons quickly started to make their way to their respective dorms to rest and reprieve themselves from the tedium of listening to the teachers talk about the history of how the first war between the demons and celestials started.
Almost every single individual knew the story, as they were told about it from when they were young.
Sweeping his way through the crowd, Dean nervously headed to his dorm room, in hopes that no student would taunt or remind him about how much of a waste he was.
It had only been a week since his parents sent him to the academy, hoping that he could maybe unlock a hidden potential in his powers. And during his stay there, life only got harder and more challenging for him.
Prestigious and talented students that were also sent to the academy displayed powers that were nothing short of breathtaking.
While other students had the ability to manipulate their demonic energies in ways that made them produce amazing feats, Dean was seen as the true definition of useless.
He was born with an incomplete demonic core, which made it almost impossible for him to grow stronger or increase his demonic rank.
He constantly got bullied and pushed around. And when he tried to fight back, he got severe beatings that made him contemplate his very existence.
Desperately trying to increase his pace as beads of sweat started forming on his temple, Dean hoped today would be different. That maybe, just maybe he would have a full twenty-four hours of peace and tranquility.
After a few minutes of walking like the ground hated his very existence, his dorm building finally came into view. Dean tried to increase his pace, as a little smile slowly started forming on his face. But that ounce of pathetic joy that he felt was short-lived.
Riley, a tyrant of a student who got his reputation by bullying those weaker than him, came into Dean's view.
The moment Riley spotted Dean, a large grin formed on his face, making it seem like the corners of his lips were one centimeter away from touching his eyes.
With a slow and precise motion, he proceeded towards Dean's position.
As he moved, several students slowly stepped aside, trying to create as much distance as possible.
As Dean saw Riley moving towards him, more beads of sweat began streaming down his forehead.
"Ohh no. Not again. Not this son of a bitch," Dean cursed under his breath.
"I have to avoid him at all costs. I'm only about a hundred meters away from absolute peace and quiet. And Riley is not going to be the one to disrupt it. Not today."
With a quicker pace, Dean changed his direction and started moving in a perpendicular trajectory in hopes that he could evade Riley's wrath. Riley, noticing that Dean was trying to get away, swiftly made a huge leap, elevating himself from his position and landing directly in front of Dean.
"Riley. W… wh.. what do you want this time?" Dean asked with a slightly startled expression.
"What the fuck do you mean by that statement, you useless piece of shit?" Riley asked with emerging agitation in his voice.
"You're mine, boy, and no one else's. I'll play with you whenever I want, and I'll let you breathe whenever….I….want."
Riley slowly raised his hands.
Dark-colored crimson waves of energy could be seen seeping out of his fingers, and almost instantly, the energy headed straight for Dean, wrapping itself around his neck.
Dean began to gasp for air as his throat tightened. The red waves of energy compressed, squeezing Dean's airway as he struggled to breathe. He desperately clawed at his throat, his eyes turning bloodshot.
After almost a minute of this silent torture, Riley lowered his hand. The crimson-colored energy dispersed into particles, releasing its grip on Dean.
With a loud gasp, Dean started breathing heavily as his life flashed before him.
Cough after cough followed as his bloodshot eyes started regaining composure.
"If I kill you, who will I play with, huh? Out of all the weak and pathetic people, you are the weakest and the most pathetic person there is."
"Your very existence is proof that mother nature isn't as kind as we think she is, you weak fuck."
Bystanders started laughing at his comment as they watched the amusing scene unfold.
"You were about to head to your dorm, right? Let me help you with that."
Riley raised his hands again, conjuring his demonic energy once more. He moved his hands in a circular motion, and all of a sudden, his crimson-colored demonic energy changed its pattern.
The energy began moving in a circular motion, gradually speeding up. The next instant, the wave of energy engulfed Dean entirely. It lifted him from the ground, and with a slight hand movement from Riley, the energy threw Dean in the direction of his dormitory.
Dean landed with a heavy thud right by his door, and with a loud groan, he lifted himself just enough to be able to reach the handle of the door.
Detecting his fingerprints, the door opened, and Dean proceeded to crawl into his room.
Quickly closing the door behind him, he reached for his bed and collapsed on it with the last strength he could muster. This was the pain and torture of being a weakling. He had no friends, no help, and no one to come to his aid. Even other low-ranking students avoided him because he was just too unfortunate to be around.
Closing his eyes, he quickly dozed off, as that was the only moment he was able to escape reality.
—
BANG
A small explosion woke Dean up from his slumber, making him jolt and almost fall off his bed.
With a racing mind, he wondered what could be the cause of the noise, because it was currently midnight.
"Maybe it's those assholes trying to rile me up. But in the middle of the night? Don't they have anything better to do? I better go check it out."
Dean staggered to the door, unlocking it quietly before stepping into the hallway.
With slow and silent movement, Dean left his room and started moving towards where he thought he heard the noise.
That was when he saw it.
A white glowing silhouette was hovering in place, slightly illuminating the dark night. With a curious but careful gaze, Dean advanced towards the glowing light slowly.
"What is this? A white energy? The only energy that exists in the demonic realm is crimson-colored… not white," Dean thought in fear.
Suddenly, the white energy surged forward, engulfing Dean in a blinding wave.
Dean was startled by this sudden change. He felt the blinding energy trapping him, his body movement restricted, the air in his lungs sucked out.
Dean tried to understand why a white energy would appear out of nowhere. The planet he currently resided on was in the demonic realm. The only form of energy that was supposed to exist there was demonic energy, and it definitely wasn't white in color… until it finally clicked for him.
Right from when he was young, his school had always brought up the topic of a threat that existed in their universe. They always hinted that the celestials were a constant threat to their very existence, but one thing stood out from everything that Dean knew about them.
It was their energy. The celestials were said to possess an energy that emitted a white hue.
Dean froze at this realization. He felt a cold sensation run down his spine.
"No… this can't be happening. I… I can't survive this."
Before he could try to fight the energy or escape its embrace, Dean felt an overwhelming wave of weakness hit him. He felt his consciousness slipping away, and his body becoming limp.
The next second, he collapsed, and everything went dark.