Love is a very strong thing and so is something like, infatuation, crush, you name it. But it is also something that brings pain, despair, self-doubt, especially if you do not work on it or the person you show that to doesn't reciprocate them.
It is more painful when the person is unaware of your feelings and he goes in for someone else. You feel a lot of things-betrayed, doubt, a huge blow to your pride and dignity, and most all, you question whether you are even visible in the person's eyes.
Lisa Tennyson, a very beautiful girl was going through all this silently. She was beautiful, with dark skin, short black hair, gold eyes and an athletic build. She was one of the eight class monitors Ethan was personally supervising and she tried her best to win his attention but it didn't seem to be working. It had never worked ever!
She had had a crush on Ethan for as long as she knew his face but she was too shy and somewhat afraid to tell him. Ethan was too intelligent while she was average. Their backgrounds too were almost worlds apart. While she was from a rich family, although not insanely rich, Ethan was from a common household. Ethan was good friends with a lot of nobles, especially more with his best friend and his crush. It all came crashing down when Clara started showing feelings for Ethan and then it was destroyed completely when they came today, to school after Ethan's supposed coma holding hands. She felt like her world had turned upside down.
What did she do wrong? Was she not pretty enough? Or maybe Ethan wasn't into dark skinned girls? Probably she was very ugly.
Lisa was too broken hearted to concentrate on Ethan's words. It became apparent when Ethan flashed in front of her and started calling her name.
"Lisa! Lisa! Lisa! Are you alright?"
"Are you okay? You seem out of it today."
"Are you perhaps afraid?"
"You would kill me before I realize."
"That hurts me a lot."
"Whatever is the matter, I'm here to listen and help. When you feel free, you can tell me."
Ethan commanded as he moved to stand in the middle of the room. He had changed the training location of the second years to a huge and spacious virtual room where people can choose environments to fight in. He was fed up with Leon's taunts and the upper years bullying his mates when he was in coma. Good thing was Trevor and sometimes Lamair were around to stop these things and through them, the second years had grown exponentially. He was witnessing it just now. For some reason too, apart from a few people who were against him and more so after his video leak, the rest were all in support of him. In a more appropriate estimation, 10% were against him and 90% were in support if him.
"I can see you've all made progress since my unavailability. I'm sure most of you know the reason but that's not important for now. I stopped you because, after observing you, I picked some of you. Now, the people I will be picking from today onwards are Subordinate candidates. There will also be substitutes who can replace the subordinates if they should fall from grace.
I will complete the selection tonight and send it to the year group so you will all be aware.
The next is, I know that some of you have a lot of questions about me. Questions that you want to ask me, doubts you want to clarify. We have 20 minutes to spare, if you've got any question for me, ask on. I will try and answer to the best of my abilities."
Ethan said, earning looks of surprise and curiosity from the second with the exception of his friends. He proceeded to sit cross-legged on the polished floor of the training hall, signalling that he was ready.
"Just Ethan is okay."
"Okay thanks. I'm Felix. I wanted to ask, what is your actual race?" A short guy with short, undercut black hair asked.
"Okay Felix. I'm actually a vampire."
"So you drink blood? You really need it to survive? Is human blood really that delicious?" Felix asked again in bewilderment.
"Haha! I don't really need blood to survive. I need blood alright but I can still survive with normal food though. And I don't really know about human blood. I haven't tasted one before."
"You expect us to believe you? After you turned into a monster?" Jerry chimed in with a grin on his face.
"Any other question?" Ethan said while ignoring Jerry.
"Are you really a monster?" Lisa asked, her gold eyes glinting in the light.
"If I was, do you think you would all be here talking to me?" Ethan answered with a slight smile causing the girls to blush profusely.
"Um... Ethan?" A slim guy with long wine colored hair raised his hand.
"Reginald. Can I be your friend?"
"I'm sorry if I said anything wrong!"
"It's not that. I'm just surprised and I have no problem with you being my friend. Besides, you are all people I can call my friends."
"I'm not your friend you son of a b..." Jerry shouted with an angry face but before he could finish, he was hanging in the air, a purple claw-like projection holding his neck.
"I dare you to finish that statement and I can promise you that you will be crippled till the outing is over." Ethan said in a cold tone which sent shivers down the spines of everyone. They saw his eyes turn a blood red while he released a suffocating aura causing some of then to nearly collapse. For the first time in his life, Jerry felt death around him. He realized that he had really pissed Ethan off and he didn't want to find out. Ethan released him after the threat like nothing happened and continued to chat with his mates. Some asked of his relationship with Clara, his mage level, but most of them were personal ones.
'I love him! I really really love him but he already has a lover. He admitted it. This is so painful. I want to die!'
"Death won't help you." A female voice sounded, breaking Lisa Tennyson out of her thoughts.
"Who? Clara? What do you mean?"
"Lisa. I know what's going on. My baby is too charming right?"
"You know... it's not good to have thoughts about a man who is already in a relationship."
"You like him. I know. I've known for a long time and I'm not here to threaten you. But I will give you a hint. Become Ethan's subordinate."
"Why? Isn't he your boyfriend? Or are you just playing with him because of his rising fame? Are you just using him?"
"Make no mistake girl. I love Ethan. Very very much and I know you also do. Ethan... isn't as simple as he seems. The reason why I'm telling you all this... you can say it's my instincts. Whether you succeed or fail is up to you. Just try and become his subordinate. I'm one of them myself." Clara said while raising her right hand to show the golden tattoo on her hand.
"You are asking too many questions my friend. If you want to be part of Ethan's inner circle, just try your best and close the gap you put between you two. I've done my part."
"Where's Ethan right now?"
"You will find him in the Cultivation Hall. He's stabilzing his recent breakthrough."
"Thanks a lot! Oh... she's gone..."
Ethan sat in a meditative state in the air with a blue energy covering him. His eyes were closed leaving only the third eye on his forehead open, glowing with a bright blue light. Small, purple shimmering portals and silver images hovered around him. Above him, a huge golden symbol shining with a golden brown light cast a glow over him. The two distinct glows slowly transformed into two flowing rivers of silver-blue-purple and golden brown and intertwined with his body in the middle. They moved around his body, intertwining and releasing bursts of light. As the lights reached a crescendo, they exploded in firework of blue and brown as he slowly floated back onto the ground.
Lisa hasn't seen anything this beautiful and frightening at the same time. She had found Ethan in the Cultivation Hall just as Clara said but instead of him being in a room, he was floating in the middle of the hall, where a huge ancient formation was drawn on the ground. The formation glowed with a dull grey light as Ethan floated above it. Then she experienced the supernatural artwork of Ethan's affinities.
She was so mesmerized by it that she didn't notice the glowing blood red eyes locked onto her or the towering man looking at her with hunger.
All she experienced was a sharp sting on her neck, followed by a sensation she had never felt before... ecstasy. Her legs gave away as she succumbed to the feelings she was having, with no idea of where it came from. All she had in mind was that it wouldn't stop. She was in heaven right now!