WELCOME EXECUTIONERS (4)

I should consider being an Executioner.

Think of all the fun legalized slaughter I'll get to commit!

"Can you stop?!"

I snarled at Tu Diep, who I was forced to take care of in the meantime.

The boy gave me a shit-eating grin in return, following my steps while we walked up to class.

The first period had quickly gone by while I was spending my time in the headmistress' office. All students are headed to their respective classes already while I make sure to walk as slowly as possible to Biology.

"You sure are taking your sweet time."

"Well, you still need to elaborate on these… creatures I keep seeing!"

"Fine fine…" He yawns and stretches his arms above his head. Suddenly, his arm wrapped around my neck in a chokehold. I was fast enough to push him off.

"What the fuck was that?!" I feel my temper growing at his antics but he merely shrugs.

"If you were affected by that, then it means your body is adapting to Karma."

His hand grabs my wrist. Indeed I can feel his touch on my skin, but it's way colder than it should be.

Thinking back to the one-eyed leech that had attached itself to me while I was asleep, I was able to hold it firmly…

"So the things you told me about my eyes…"

"That's right. Your senses will evolve to see, hear, and feel Karma. But your sight is still quite ba..." He flicks his fingers between my eyes, I wince at the pain but shake it off.

"I can see you just fine?… Didn't everyone see you yesterday?" Tu Diep lets out a long sigh in annoyance but he complies with answering either way.

"Correction, only your classmates and that junior saw me. I saved up a year's worth of energy just for yesterday."

Then, he curves his middle finger and his thumb so the two are touching. Mimicking a circle. He raises his hand to his right eye to look through while staring directly at me.

"You remember the hand with the eyeball on top from yesterday?"

Ah, the poor creature that had to witness such an event….

"While I was sustaining my form as a student, my extended limbs covered the eyes of those in your classrooms so they could see me. Like a substitute set of eyes.

"And right now, I've given up all the energy I've saved up for that three-headed bastard. I only have just enough to look like this so I don't scare you off."

Wait, so does this mean this guy is at his weakest?-

"I can hear what you're thinking, shut it."

I opened my mouth to either ask another question or refute his statement but he already raised a finger to silence me.

When my silence is kept, his finger turns sideways to point at what's in front of us.

Keep walking.

On the stairway is a student, with their back hunched over while crying into their hands. The sounds of hiccups and sobs from her painfully reach my heart.

"But she needs-"

Keep fucking walking. That's not a human.

His statement startles me as I look forward, glancing down at the figure but keep walking ahead.

I make sure to slightly divert my step so that I avoid bumping into her on accident.

When I made it past the crying girl, my eyes looked back at her, and felt my blood run cold.

On her back, multiple faces form while moaning and crying for help. The wrinkles on their face move along with the movement of their chapped lips.

One of them opens their eyes and stares straight at me. Mouth opening to possibly scream.

It doesn't have the fortune to do so as half of her body flies across the hallway.

I'm not sure what I expected the death of karma to look like, but it was no different from us humans. They still bleed just like we do. Although no one would be able to witness the crime scene.

Tu Diep stood in front of the corpse of the girl, sharp claws wiping the inky blood away on his school uniform. He stares right at me with his golden eye which releases such hostility that would've made me faint.

What the fuck did I tell you about keep walking forward?

"I was! I didn't think it would notice me—"

"You could've DIED, you MORON!" Hands grip on my shoulders painfully. All it took was one blink for Tu Diep to move over to me. His teeth are bared in a threatening manner while eyes burn through my skull.

Why does he care?

Why does he look scared?

"We'll talk about this after school." He hisses out, forcibly dragging me away by my collar up the stairs. I struggled against his grip and nearly fell over when he released me.

I didn't shout at him as we were standing in front of the biology classroom. Students were staring at me from the outside with curiosity while the teacher wasn't fazed at all.

"It's nice for you to join us today…" The teacher speaks with an Irish accent in voice, assessing me with his blue eyes.

"Um, you can just call me Kai, sir."

"Right, Kai, will you please go back to your seat?"

And I did just that, with Tu Diep trailing behind me.

I nervously turn around to see if anyone will pay attention to the guy following me. Tu Diep must have noticed me as he halted in his steps to wave his arms around like a madman.

My blood runs cold at his drastic movements, he even goes as far as laughing out loud, his sharp teeth on display.

To my relief, everyone was still staring at me when I sat down before turning to the board.

The noirette happily returns to my side. Even if no one saw him, I still held my face in embarrassment.

"What's with that reaction? No one saw me! Relax!" I can feel him patting me on the back multiple times. It's hard to believe what he said when I can feel and see him just fine…

"Well… Except for one."

What?

I look up to see him waving his arm at someone sitting across from me. Immediately, my eyes catch up on silver ones. My mind wanders back to the moment when we had "met" in the forest, to the strange creatures surrounding him.

"Do you guys know each other?" Tu Diep asks when the other boy has turned away. Leaning over my desk while looking back at him.

"No…"

"Let me try to ask him." And before I could stop him, Tu Diep strides towards the desk across the classroom.

No! Don't do that, you idiot!

"Hey hey hey! I know you can see me!" He leans over the poor boy, who tries his best to focus on the teacher.

"What's your name? Hey! Answer me!" Then he starts shouting, I can see the slight wince from my poor classmate at the volume. But regardless, he refuses to acknowledge the presence behind him.

"Minh Son, can you answer this question for the class?"

…

Tu Diep jumps back when the person next to him stands up. He stands there before a smile breaks out while his victim reluctantly answers the teacher.

Ah fuck.

———

"What do you want?!"

Minh Son finally snaps during lunch break. A thunderous storm swarmed inside those eyes but had little effect on the mischievous karma.

Tu Diep had spent the entire double Biology period harassing Minh Son. Calling out his name and even going as far as taking his eye out to scare the poor guy. That had caused quite a scene during class.

"Well, I just wanted to talk to you…" I said, also intending to apologize for the behavior of the ghost that was stuck with me.

"Stop fucking pretending! You can see me!" Said the ghost kept on insisting that it existed inside Minh Son's eyes. He was growing annoyed at being ignored.

"Tell that guy to fuck off!" He shouts at us.

"I am a girl!" Tu Diep says offendedly.

And that got the two to shut up, with Minh Son being too dumbstruck to answer and Tu Diep smirking in victory. I turn my head to look at my companion.

"Are you actually?"

"It changes from time to time."

"Whatever! I don't want to be involved with you!" Minh Son turns away abruptly. His steps come to a pause when he faces none other than Kristen.

The senior blinks at him and slightly tilts to the side, looking back at me.

"Hello, Kai! Is that your friend?" She politely greets me. And I can tell that the three of us are gaping at her like idiots. The blonde nervously looks at all of us in puzzlement.

"I see you guys are getting acquainted already."

Sounds of heels clicking against the tiles of the floor. Auburn hair flips back behind her shoulder and is tucked behind her ear to show off the crystal blue colors of her eyes. Mrs. Aurelia approaches us all in her glory while nearby students gape at the sight.

"Aurelia." Tu Diep says her name with such venom that draws the attention of Minh Son and Kristen. However, said target of his wasn't fazed in the slightest.

"Don't look so surprised. I am here to remind you of our club meeting after school."

"Club? But aren't extracurricular activities starting next week?" Kristen questions her with a slight frown.

"That is quite correct, however, the headmistress had made an exception for us. You will be joining me in our lovely principal's office after school." She says with a smile. I turn my head to look at Tu Diep and he shrugs. So he knew…

"Him too? I haven't seen him before." Kristen returns to her question, giving me a puzzled look at the figure next to me. Minh Son sighs in annoyance and looks at her in pity.

Tu Diep smirks at the attention on him, to outsiders, it would just look like we were staring into space. He brings two fingers and presses hard on his trachea. Again, the tattoo of a circle of flame returns. At the same time, I felt a burning sensation on my neck almost like needles were puncturing into my skin.

I expected Kristin to look at the action in confusion but to my surprise, she carried a look of horror. It was fear and anger mixing in those Sapphire eyes.

"Let me introduce you to Tu Diep, he will be your supervisor from now on." Mrs. Aurelia says. Leaving us three in shock.

"Isn't he a teenager?!" Minh Son shouts, drawing attention from nearby students. Immediately his face flushes red from embarrassment. I regard him with pity but for Kristin, she stays unmoving.

"Oh? Am I?"

I turn around to look at him, only to see a man superior to my height, ranging around Mrs. Aurelia. His eyes remained unchanged but his hair had grown significantly longer, passing his shoulders. There are more refined muscles in his body that stand out with his uniform.

Then, the figure of the man shatters, melting into an inky puddle on the floor before the boy returns. His cat-like smile never wavered.

"I must say, for you to leave these kids with me is an honor."

"I expect a fugitive like you to act accordingly with them." Mrs. Aurelia replies casually, a hint of threat in her tone.

"What exactly will we be doing after school?" Finally, Kristin says. A cold look on her face as her facade drops.

"There's many things I could teach you, with such unique individuals like you guys."

Tu Diep walks around us three, a different look on each of us while staring at the karma. He takes turns assessing each of us.

"A Traveller."

Minh Son tenses up.

"A Survivor."

A dark look washes over Kristin.

"And…"

Tu Diep draws out, turning his golden eye to penetrate deep into my heart. The answer was obvious and I waited either way.

"An ordinary mortal."

What?