Mrs. Jenkins didn't remember leaving the church.
One moment she was kneeling beside Mr. Parker's lifeless body.
The next
she was outside.
Walking.
Almost running.
Her breathing uneven.
Her hands shaking uncontrollably.
The cold evening air hit her face.
But it did nothing.
Because all she could hear was Mr. Parker's final scream.
All she could see was his face.
The terror.
The despair.
And then...
nothing.
Like a candle being blown out.
Mrs. Jenkins stopped beside her car.
Her legs finally gave out.
She leaned against the door and slid down onto the pavement.
For the first time in years...
she cried.
Not polite tears.
Not quiet tears.
She cried like someone whose world had just cracked open.
Because she knew.
Deep down.
Something was hunting that boy.
Something ancient.
Something evil.
And for the first time...
she was afraid she couldn't protect him.
Hours Later
The house was silent.
Mrs. Jenkins slowly pushed open Andre's bedroom door.
Moonlight spilled across the room.
Andre was asleep.
His face looked exhausted.
Even in sleep.
Like he was fighting something.
Mrs. Jenkins quietly sat beside the bed.
For a long moment she simply stared at him.
The boy who had filled a huge hole in her heart
Slowly...
she reached forward and brushed a strand of hair from his forehead.
A mother's touch.
Gentle.
Protective.
Then she whispered:
"...I don't care if you're not human."
A pause.
"...I don't care if you're destruction itself."
Another pause.
"...I don't care if heaven, hell, demons or angels come after you."
Her voice cracked.
"...You're my son."
Tears filled her eyes again.
"...And I won't let them take you."
She leaned forward.
Kissed his forehead.
Then sat there until morning.
Watching.
Guarding.
Just in case.
Monday Morning
Emirates academy
The following Monday felt strangely normal.
The school grounds buzzed with life again.
Students filled the walkways.
Teachers shouted instructions.
Friends reunited after the break.
Yet for Andre...
nothing felt normal anymore.
Every laugh sounded distant.
Every face reminded him of Azazel's vision.
Every person he cared about looked like someone standing at the edge of a cliff.
Andre stepped through the school gates quietly.
And immediately froze.
Because someone was waiting.
Esmeralda.
The moment she spotted him her face brightened.
Without hesitation she marched straight toward him.
Then she wrapped her arms around him.
Tightly.
Right there.
In front of everyone.
Students immediately stopped walking.
Heads turned.
Whispers exploded.
"Did she just hug him?"
"At the gate?!"
"She doesn't even care anymore."
Andre blinked.
"...People are staring."
Esmeralda squeezed him harder.
"Let them."
Andre sighed.
"You sure?"
"Ofcourse I am."
For the first time in days...
he smiled.
Just a little.
She finally released him.
Then immediately grabbed his hand.
Andre looked down.
Then at her.
She raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
"...Nothing."
"Good."
And just like that she began dragging him toward the building.
Students parted like they were watching royalty pass.
The whispers only grew louder.
Neither of them cared.
Well...
Esmeralda didn't.
Andre was trying very hard not to.
Class E
Marco immediately spotted them.
"Andre is here!"
The entire group looked over.
Misheal nearly jumped out of her seat.
"Andre!"
Hugo grinned.
"Look who's alive."
Sonia laughed.
"You scared everybody."
Andre sat down beside Esmeralda.
"You people act like I was dying."
Marco pointed dramatically.
"We were informed you became mentally unstable."
"Marco."
"What?"
The class laughed.
Then Marco scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"Sorry we couldn't visit."
Andre looked at him.
Hugo continued.
"I was at my aunt's place during the break."
Marco nodded.
"And we had a little family reunion in which our so-called uncle never showed up."
"The food was worth it though," Misheal added.
Even Esmeralda smiled.
Then suddenly...
Andre's smile disappeared.
A flash.
Just one.
For a split second.
Marco wasn't standing there anymore.
Blood covered him.
A hole through his chest.
His lifeless body lying on the ground.
Andre's breathing hitched.
The image vanished.
Then another.
Misheal.
Burning.
Screaming.
Then gone.
Andre gripped his desk.
Hard.
His knuckles turned white.
Esmeralda noticed immediately.
The others didn't.
Another flash.
Hugo.
Dead.
Another.
Sonia crying.
Another.
Mrs. Jenkins.
Covered in blood.
He was back to watching everyone die.
Back hearing their screams.
Back hearing his mother.
His brother.
Back hearing that voice.
"You couldn't save them."
Andre covered his ears.
As if he could stop the memories.
As if he could stop the screams.
But they wouldn't stop.
Andre immediately stood up.
The chair scraped loudly.
Everyone looked at him.
"...Andre?"
Misheal asked.
He didn't answer.
Esmeralda stood up.
She grabbed his wrist.
"Come with me."
The group looked confused.
Neither of them explained.
She simply led him outside.
Away from the noise.
Away from everyone.
Hallway
Andre leaned against the wall.
Trying to steady his breathing.
Esmeralda stood beside him quietly.
Not forcing him to talk.
Not asking questions.
Just staying.
After a while she finally spoke softly.
"Still seeing it?"
Andre's eyes widened slightly.
"...How did you know?"
She smiled sadly.
"You are showing symptoms of PTSD..."
A pause.
"...because you get lost then you look terrified."
Andre looked away.
He hated that word.
Terrified.
Yet he couldn't deny it.
Because he was.
For the first time in a very long time.
He was.
Before either of them could say anything else
A loud voice echoed from inside the classroom.
"What the hell do you mean he's not here?"
Both of them looked back.
Rufus.
His bruises had mostly healed.
But his expression hadn't.
Anger.
Humiliation.
Hatred.
The entire class had gone silent.
Rufus stood in the center of the room.
Looking around.
"Where is Carlos?"
Nobody answered.
Marco sighed.
"Oh great."
Rufus slammed his hand onto a desk.
"I asked a question."
The room grew tense.
Even teachers passing outside slowed down.
Watching.
Waiting.
Rufus laughed bitterly.
"What?"
"Everyone suddenly mute?"
Then
A voice came from the classroom doorway.
"Heard you were looking for me."
Silence fell instantly.
Every head turned.
Carlos stood there.
Smiling.
And everyone in the room realizing...
It's going to be a crazy Monday.
"You got something to say?" Carlos asked coldly.
Rufus grinned
"Plenty but with my fists."
A few students immediately began backing away.
Everyone knew this wasn't going to end peacefully.
Rufus stepped forward.
Carlos matched him.
Neither looking away.
"You think what happened before was funny?" Rufus asked.
Carlos tilted his head.
"No."
A pause.
"I thought it was hilarious."
The room erupted.
Rufus lunged forward instantly.
Carlos moved too.
But before either could reach the other
Marco and a few students jumped in.
"HEY!"
"BREAK IT UP!"
"ARE YOU BOTH INSANE?!"
Desks nearly toppled over as people shoved themselves between them.
For a few seconds it looked like things were calming down.
Then
Rufus snapped.
Completely.
His eyes landed on Marco.
The closest person to him.
The easiest target.
Before anyone could react
BOOM!
His fist crashed into Marco's jaw.
The punch landed so hard Marco spun sideways before crashing into a desk.
The classroom froze.
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Marco slowly hit the floor.
Holding his face.
Blood dripping from the corner of his mouth.
"...Marco!"
Sonia immediately rushed toward him.
Hugo wasn't there.
Misheal wasn't there.
Neither had seen what happened yet.
Esmeralda's eyes widened as she just reached the doorway.
Then fury exploded across her face.
"What the hell is wrong with you?!"
She shoved Rufus hard.
The entire class gasped.
Rufus looked down at her.
Something dangerous flickering behind his eyes.
He took a step forward.
Then another.
Esmeralda didn't move.
"If you touch him again—"
"Or what?" Rufus interrupted.
Another step.
Then suddenly
Someone moved between them.
Andre.
The room immediately became quiet again.
Rufus stopped.
Andre stood directly in front of Esmeralda now.
Rufus stared at him.
"...Move."
Andre didn't.
"Make me."
The words landed like a challenge.
The classroom collectively held its breath.
Rufus walked closer.
Now only inches separated them.
Neither looked away.
Neither moved.
The tension became suffocating.
Then
"RUFUS!"
Anastasia.
She rushed forward immediately and grabbed her brother's arm.
"What are you doing?!"
Rufus jerked his arm away.
"Stay out of it."
"No!"
Anastasia shouted.
"What is wrong with you?!"
Meanwhile
Esmeralda had both hands wrapped around Andre's arm.
Trying to pull him back.
"Andre."
Nothing.
"Andre."
Still nothing.
His eyes never left Rufus.
Then
The classroom door opened.
Misheal and Hugo walked inside.
Laughing about something.
Until they saw Marco.
On the floor.
Holding his jaw.
Blood visible.
Everything changed instantly.
Hugo froze.
Misheal froze.
Then Misheal's face darkened.
Dangerously.
"...Who did that?"
Nobody answered.
She already knew.
Her eyes found Rufus immediately.
"Oh."
Hugo dropped his bag.
"You're dead."
The classroom exploded again.
Students began shouting.
Moving.
Trying to stop what was obviously about to happen.
Misheal was already rolling up her sleeves.
Hugo looked ready to launch himself across the room.
Then
Maria rushed inside.
"STOP!"
She immediately placed herself between them.
"Everyone calm down!"
Rufus laughed.
A bitter laugh.
Then shoved her aside.
Hard.
Maria lost her balance.
Her back hit a desk before she crashed onto the floor.
The room gasped.
Everything happened at once.
Andre moved.
Hugo moved.
Misheal moved.
But somebody got there first.
Buck.
Nobody even saw him cross the room.
One second he was standing near the back.
The next
CRACK!
His fist slammed into Rufus's face.
The impact echoed through the classroom.
Rufus was lifted completely off his feet.
He crashed into several desks before hitting the ground.
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Even Buck looked surprised by how hard he'd hit him.
Rufus slowly sat up.
Blood running from his nose.
His lip split.
But then
He smiled.
That smile immediately made everyone uncomfortable.
Because it wasn't anger.
It wasn't embarrassment.
It was excitement.
Rufus wiped blood from his mouth.
Then pointed at Buck.
"You really don't learn."
Buck folded his arms.
"Try me."
Rufus got to his feet.
Ignoring everyone else.
Ignoring the teachers gathering outside.
Ignoring the crowd.
His eyes never left Buck.
Then he spoke.
Slowly.
Clearly.
"Meet me in the yard after school."
The room fell silent.
Rufus smiled again.
"We finish it there."
Then he turned.
And walked out.
The classroom remained frozen.
Nobody speaking.
Nobody moving.
Because everyone knew one thing.
School wasn't ending peacefully today.