The Black Pawn • The first book of the Black Academy Series

9. Nightmare

SHE WAS DREAMING, but the dream felt so very real. The wind blowing in the room caressed her cheeks. The smell of the sea nearby tickled her nose. The curtains billowed in the blowing wind. Everything felt normal. She thought it was just a dream. Nothing to worry about, maybe her imagination had decided to give her a break. Then the scream came.

Footsteps padded into the room. A girl with her chest heaving. She was trying to get some air into her lungs. Her white shirt clung to her body. Maybe with sweat or seawater. The white color was stained red. Blood. A substance Azalea was familiar with.

Azalea approached the female, "Excuse me — can you hear me?"

The girl did not respond. Azalea waved her hands in front of her, "Hey! Who are you!"​​

The girl's erratic eyes passed over Azazlea as though she was not there. She reached towards the girl's shoulder, and her hand fell through her. Her eyes widened, what the hell?!

"Aiza~?"

A voice. Enjoying every single moment, by the sounds of it. The girl's breathing sped up. The blue in the girl's eyes was electrified. Like lightening. Scared, and cornered. The girl stumbled around the room. Azalea watched her. The girl passed through her.

It was beginning to seem more like a nightmare than a dream.

"Aiza, you know you can't hide out here." The voice came again. It seemed more familiar. It was closer now. It was a scratchy voice, cackling almost with every syllable.

The girl — Aiza — walked backward, bumping into the wall beside a fluffy bed. She whimpered softly. As if brought on by that a figure entered the room. Probably the one to whom the voice belonged. Azalea's eyes widened, she knew who it was. The blonde hair, usually pulled into a ponytail, was left open. A pale face, usually snarling, was grinning widely. ​​​​

Avaria. It was Avaria. Red stained her palms and her blue shirt. Azalea shuddered, this is definitely a nightmare.​​​​​​​​

"Sweet Aiza, you're just making this worse for yourself." Avaria said, licking her lips, "Remember, I'm not going to be the one who's going to get hurt or killed. I'm the one with power here."

"Sweet Aiza, you're just making this worse for yourself." Ms. Avaria said. Brandishing a silver dagger in her hand dangerously, "Remember I won't be the one that's going to be hurt or killed."

"Please, Avaria — you're my friend."

A cruel chuckle escaped Avaria's flushed lips, "Oh Aiza, me your friend? We were never friends. You were the prey and I was the predator, like always."

Wendigo. Azalea realized, She's a wendigo.

The girl shook. She made a run for it. She was running towards the window, death by her own hands would've been better than dying at a monster's hands. Sad that she would never had made it. Avaria was fast. Like every Wendigo.

She screamed so loudly. The sound cut through the air. Azalea was frozen, she had seen much worse. She had done worse. But all those experiences were out of the window the moment Avaria's teeth elongated. And they sunk into Aiza.

Monster. Monster. Monster. Azalea shook, she fell back onto the floor but Avaria did not stop. She ripped into Aiza. The blood fell. The flesh's sound filled Azalea's ears when Aiza's screams stopped.