While Arin and Alex were about to start their own battle, something else was happening outside the forest.
Riya's and Ben's Auras surged, each radiating fierce intensity as they glared at one another.
"You want to enter the forest?" Riya asked coldly, her voice chilling as the ground beneath her cracked from the force of her Aura. "Then you'll have to go through me."
Dan grinned, crouching lightly. "That won't even take a second."
The tension between them had already reached its peak, and then—
The ground cracked beneath them as they blasted off toward each other, swords drawn, eyes locked.
The other teachers could only watch in surprise; any attempt to intervene could mean getting hurt themselves.
Riya's blue Aura enveloped her sword, while Ben's brown Aura surrounded his. Their weapons seemed to gain a tangible weight and power.
They closed in on each other, swords poised for a powerful clash. Even the air rippled from the sheer force of their swings.
"Know your place!" Ben roared, his grin widening as his sword sliced through the air toward Riya's.
A thunderous crash sounded, sending dust swirling around them, blocking the teachers' view of the outcome.
As the dust began to clear, the teachers leaned forward in anticipation. But what they saw wasn't what they expected.
'I thought she wouldn't intervene…..' one of the female teachers thought, her eyes widening slightly.
In the center of the dust cloud stood the woman who had come on behalf of Dan. Her long black hair swayed, a few strands covering her calm, expressionless eyes.
Her hands gripped both Riya's and Ben's swords, holding them in place and preventing the collision. If anyone looked closely, they'd notice her palms were a vivid, almost orange-red, with smoke rising from them as if her skin had turned to lava.
'She stopped both swords with her bare hands?' one male teacher thought, astonished. 'I knew she was strong, but…..'
Realizing their attack had been halted, Riya and Ben quickly withdrew their Auras and sheathed their swords.
The woman dropped her hands, her palms returning to normal. She glanced at them, her voice calm but carrying an edge of authority.
"Did you both forget I was here?"
Riya and Ben lowered their heads, speaking in unison. "Apologies, Assistant Principal."
They kept their heads bowed, awaiting her response.
"Raise your heads," she said, turning back toward the carriages.
She leaned against one carriage, her gaze lingering on them. "The next time something happens, I won't take it so lightly."
Her gaze swept over the other teachers. "This applies to all of you. You know the rules—and the consequences for breaking them."
"Yes, Assistant Principal!" they all replied in unison.
Riya and Ben shared one final glare before looking away.
Just then, Riya's card vibrated, signaling that one of her students needed immediate help. Without a word, she dashed into the forest, following the signal.
'I hope Ben doesn't try anything…..' Riya thought. 'It won't be funny at all.'
Outside the forest, Ben watched her retreating figure before looking toward the Assistant Principal, who had closed her eyes, as if already asleep.
Under the watchful gaze of the other teachers, Ben approached her, knowing her reputation for falling asleep even in important meetings.
'Riya is definitely hiding something,' he thought. 'And with her gone, this might be my only chance to find out what.'
But he still had to ask for the Assistant Principal's permission before leaving.
"Assistant Principal," he called out.
She instantly opened her eyes, meeting his gaze.
Without hesitation, Ben continued, "I was wondering if I could check out that explosion sound from earlier."
"No." Her answer was short and direct as she closed her eyes again.
"Oh, I just thought—"
Before Ben could finish—
A fiery red Aura erupted from the Assistant Principal as she glared at him.
"Ugh..…" The teachers, including Ben, groaned as they dropped to their knees under the weight of her Aura.
"Have I been too soft that you all think you can question me?"
Her previously expressionless eyes now held a spark of rage as she stared them down.
Ben's eyes widened, falling fully to his knees. "I'm sorry! Please forgive me!" he begged, keeping his head low.
Then, as quickly as it came, her Aura vanished, and her eyes returned to their calm state before she closed them again.
"Perhaps it's time I start acting more like an Assistant Principal..…" she murmured, drifting back to sleep.
'That was close…..' Ben thought, still shivering slightly.
Meanwhile, inside the forest, Arin had fully transformed into his Vampire form, startling both Alex and Tessa, who rested against a tree nearby.
"So you want to know who I am?" Arin asked, a dark amusement in his voice. "Then you'll just have to find out yourself....."
In that same moment, Alex realized the severity of the situation. 'This is more serious than I thought…..'
But just as he had this thought, Arin took a step closer.
"Shall we begin?" Arin asked, his gaze fixed on Alex, whose leg had finally stopped smoking.
Alex quickly regained his composure, standing tall with a smirk. "Confident, aren't you? I like that."
Arin just shrugged in response, but a purple glint suddenly flashed in his eyes, surprising Alex.
And then, in a chilling, low voice, Arin whispered just two words.....
"Death's Whisper…..."
Hey guys! I know I've been inconsistent, and I deeply apologize for that. I've been going through a lot recently, and it's affecting me. Though, the update rate is now back to normal, so thank you very much for your patience and understanding. I really appreciate!!