VIVIAN
The boy’s mental attack was becoming unbearable. It was like a remote control pushing her to commit suicide.
Vivian’s forehead slammed against the tree again. Blood trickled down her face.
She tried to stop herself.
She couldn’t. Her arms trembled as she fought against the invisible force controlling her mind.
Stop... Please... stop!
Another impact was coming..
Then a sharp crack echoed through the forest.
The boy controlling her suddenly screamed.
"What?!"
A layer of frost spread across his boot.
He looked down in horror.
"What the fuck is this?"
The frost climbed higher.
His ankle, His knee, His thigh. Cold vapor surrounded his entire body.
Serial slowly raised his hand.
His pale face was covered in sweat, but his eyes were frighteningly cold.
"You shouldn’t have touched her."
CRACK! Ice covered the man’s chest.
He struggled violently. "Wait! Stop!"
The frost reached his neck. "I surrender!"
Serial didn’t answer. The man’s entire body froze solid.
Vivian collapsed onto the ground.
Her vision blurred for a moment. Then she crawled towards Herbert.
He was still trapped beneath the illusion.
His lips moved. "Mother..."
Vivian frowned.
"Father..."
Tears rolled down his cheeks.
"Why did you change my school to Haxia Military Academy?"
Vivian paused. What?
"You knew I was chosen to become a Saint..."
His voice trembled. "But you changed everything for your biological daughter."
He clenched his fists. "Why, Mother?"
"Why?"
"Have I not proven my worth?"
Vivian stared at him.
So this stubborn mule has family problems too.
Unfortunately, she didn’t have time for his family drama.
She slapped him.
Herbert’s head snapped sideways.
"AH!"
His eyes widened. "I’ll kill you, Alvin!"
Vivian blinked. "Who the hell is Alvin?"
She slowly stood up and kicked his leg.
"Ow!"
Herbert immediately grabbed his leg. "You crazy bitch! What do you want?"
Vivian pointed toward the frozen student.
"That."
Herbert followed her finger.
His expression changed.
"Oh."
He immediately understood.
He rushed forward and grabbed the student’s identification device. The ID shattered.
A teleportation beam instantly swallowed the frozen student.
He disappeared from the abandoned forest.
Serial slowly stood up, he was weak for using his S class power. He walked toward Vivian. She laid on her back.
"Are you hurt?"
"I’m fine."
She wasn’t. Her head was bleeding. Her uniform was torn. He could see large amounts of her pale laps..he instantly looked away.
Her entire body felt exhausted. But she didn’t have time to complain.
Footsteps suddenly echoed through the forest.
Serial’s expression changed.
"Someone is coming."
Herbert looked terrified.
"Students?"
"Probably."
Serial immediately crouched. He turned into his beast form. He was a very large polar bear. His fluffy like a pillow. Vivian couldn’t hesitate to pat his body. His ears turned red.
He said quietly.. "Get on."
Vivian was still shocked. He was beautiful in his beast form.
"Your legs are shaking."
She replied, "I can walk."
"Get on."
Vivian climbed onto his back.
Serial carried her through the forest.
Herbert followed behind them.
"She always causes trouble and then expects us to carry her like a princess."
Vivian ignored him.
I’ll kick him when we stop. She thought.
They ran for several minutes before finally reaching a river.
Moonlight shimmered across the dark water.
Serial carefully lowered Vivian.
They drank from the river. The water was cold and refreshing.
The Night had completely fallen.
"We should rest here," Serial said.
Herbert nodded.
"We’ll make camp."
Vivian sat beneath the tree. Her body felt strangely empty.
She closed her eyes. Then frowned.
The lotus. She entered her consciousness.
The mysterious lotus floated weakly in the darkness.
The new petals had lost their usual glow.
Vivian’s expression changed.
Did those mental attacks drain it?
She opened her eyes. "Interesting."
Herbert asked. "Vivian, are you hungry?"
She nodded.
"Let me go hunt rabbit." he said and left.
A sweet scent suddenly drifted through the air. Vivian turned. She sniffed.
"What is that?"
Her stomach growled. She looked at Serial.
He was already asleep. Carrying her in a beast form had completely exhausted him.
Vivian slowly stood.
She followed the scent deeper into the forest. The smell became stronger.
Then she saw it.
A massive mutant beast lay dead beside a tree.
Its body was enormous. He has sword cuts. It must be the student that passed by.
Vivian swallowed.
Her stomach growled again.
That looks delicious.
She remembered the academy’s rules. Mutated beasts weren’t safe to eat.
But hunger was beginning to overwhelm her. She crouched beside the corpse.
"Maybe just a little..."
Suddenly...Her right hand moved.
Vivian froze.
A strange blue light emerged from her palm.
"What the...?"
The lotus appeared. Not inside her consciousness.
Outside. A tiny lotus-shaped creature stretched from her hand.
Its stem elongated.
Then...SNAP!
A mouth opened in the center. Vivian’s eyes widened.
Rows of razor-sharp teeth filled the opening.
"What the hell are you?!"
The lotus lunged.
CRUNCH! It swallowed part of the mutant beast.
Vivian stumbled backward.
"That’s Gross!"
The lotus continued eating it crunch by crunch.The enormous beast disappeared piece by piece.
Flesh, Bone and Blood. Everything!!. Within seconds...Nothing remained.
Not even a fragment.
The lotus slowly withdrew into Vivian’s palm.
The blue glow disappeared.
Vivian stared at her hand.
Then...Energy suddenly surged through her body.
Her exhaustion vanished. Her breathing became steady.
Her fingers curled into a fist. Her eyes widened.
It ate the beast and I gained strength
She stared at her palm.
"What exactly are you?"
The lotus remained silent. Vivian took a slow breath.
First it healed me.
Now it can eat mutated beasts.
What else can it do?
She didn’t get an answer.
Instead..she heard a branch move. Her ears could hear from far and little sounds.
A broken branch fell somewhere behind her.
Vivian froze. She slowly turned.
Darkness stretched between the trees. Nothing moved. She narrowed her eyes.
"Who’s there?"
Its forest was deadly Silent . Then..CRACK. Another branch snapped.
This time, Vivian heard it.
Something breathing slow but Heavy. Someone was approaching. Did the person watch me eating a beast?
Her fingers tightened.
The lotus beneath her skin suddenly trembled.
Vivian’s expression changed.
Wait? The lotus was afraid.
Her blood ran cold.
If even this thing is afraid...what could be coming
She slowly stepped backward.
A shadow moved between the trees.
Vivian’s heart pounded. What the hell was coming?