“Leo!” David shook his friend shoulder. After Miles death, he was standing still and silent. “Are you alright? Leo!?”

The blond haired boy turned his head to face his friend. “Hmm… what was I? Eh!? Did you see that woman!? She had red hair and a sword sticking out of her chest! What happened?!”

“What are you talking about?” David said. He was already stressed and scarred with current situation and perspective of his friend going crazy didn’t make it better.

“You didn’t see her?” asked Leo his eyes wide.

“Calm down, please, there is no one like that here.” David pleaded.

Leo looked one more time around. His eyes resting on Miles once more. Suddenly as if remembering his situation he said. “Let’s go.” And started walking down the stairs. Leo felt lost and didn’t know what to do. He counted that Mr. Millies would help them but now he was not sure where to go to.

“Wait. Where are we going?” David asked as he followed his friend. Rushing down the stairs he stepped in a pool of blood, which caused him to lose his balance and tumble down the stairs. “Ouch!” He shouted.

Leo turned around and saw his friend laying on the floor. “Are you alright?” He said running up to David.

“I’m okay, I think the cross protected me, but what should we do?” David had tears in his eyes.

“I… We need to find help…” said Leo unsure.

“But where? Mr. Miles is dead and who knows if there are more bad people here!” shouted David, tears now streaming down his cheek.

Leo took his hand. “Let’s go. We can’t stay here.”

Picking up his crying friend, he started walking forward while holding David’ hand. He hoped that maybe if they walked why would find a teacher.

The way they were heading was leading to the entrance of the school. Past it, they could find a faculty room.

As the two boys were passing through the hallway, they heard voices of two people, hiding near the wall they listened.

“Did you hear anything from the second group?” said one of the voices.

“Not really, we should try to contact them, but group one took out the faculty room apparently. The only one we needed to worry about the principal and the vice-principal are out on business trip according to the boss. I heard though that Lewis Miles is here.” Said the other voice.

“That past mercenary? But didn’t he retire due to the injury? Would he be a problem?” asked the first voice.

“I guess he wouldn’t be even armed so I guess not. Hahaha!” said the voice before stopping for a second. “We have got a call. It’s the entrance, everything is clear there, oh you already finished with the faculty room. I guess everyone is dead, with you there, hahaha!”

“WHAT!?” shouted David before covering his mouth. Leo just looked at him.

“Who is there!?” shouted one of the voices. Before they could even react the pair already found them. “It’s just some kids?”

Both of them wore full body armor and were pointing crystal powered guns at them. Magic guns are weapons that used elemental mana to convert them into energy bullets that pierced its targets.

“Tsk. Should we just get rid of them?”

“No, they are money for us. I will call the commander. Look over them.” That person took touched their helmets and started talking. “This is the entrance, we found two kids. What should we do with them?”

David stood there frozen while Leo looked for a way to escape. He needed strength. Remembering the power he felt during the fight with a wolf he tried to access it once more.

Concentrating his mana inside his body he felt it gathering slowly but before it could focus it started running out of control.

He was in pain, it felt as if his whole body was tearing away on itself, he fell to the ground not even able to scream, his mind turning black.

“Oi, what is wrong with this kid? Thinking about it why he is covered in blood.” asked one of the guys kicking him lightly with his boot.

“Who knows? We were ordered to bring them to the boss. Take the kid on the floor, I will take the other one.” David screamed as the man got close to him. He dodged to the side and tried to run away.

Still, he didn’t get very fat, on his tenth step, a red beam hit his left ankle. Penetrating it and making him tumble to the ground screaming.

“That should have torn off his leg.” Said one of the guys.

“And good thing it didn’t what would have you done if he bled out boss would kill us!” shouted the other one.

Leo at this point couldn’t even move a muscle or even hear too much, pain still rushing through him. He only felt his body being moved before blacking out into the pleasure of unconsciousness.

-*-

It was much later when Leo finally woke up. His throat was dry and his head was throbbing. His body still in pain.

He opened his eyes, he seemed to be laying on some kind of carpet. When he looked around he noticed a big row of shelves filled with books and big antique desk in front of a window.

“Oh, you are awake.” Said a voice from behind the desk.

Leo tried to look who was sitting at the desk but he didn’t have the strength to bring himself up enough to look at it.

“What are you tired?” The person stood up and walked up to him. But no matter how hard Leo looked at it he saw only darkness in shape of a human. It was hard to say anything about it but it was high at least 6 feet 3, even the voice sounded off.

Leo looked wide-eyed at the figure.

“What? Do I scare you? It’s one of the tricks I learned in my past life and since people call me a demon I thought I would look the part.” Said the darkness.

Leo remembered about his friend. “Where is David!?” His throat hurt with every word he said.

“Hmm? Who?” The person tilted its head. “Ahh! Right! That kid you were found with right? He should be safe with the rest of the kids in the auditorium. Maybe, I don’t really care. But there is something I want to show you!” Leo was picked up by a collar of his t-shirt. He could offer no resistance.

He was placed in a chair in front of the desk. “Now watch this!”

Infront of Leo was a hologram screen and on it a recording of him pummeling the wolf to death replaying. “It was really hard getting that doggie through the border. You know? But it’s fine, fine. Don’t need to worry, it’s always worth meeting one of my own. You know? I’m happy!”

Leo looked at the figure, not sure what he meant. “Oh! You don’t remember! That happens, a lot of us after too many rebirths get broken a little and well people here don’t make it any easier. Killing us when we are still babies. I’m saying that you are like me a reincarnated!”

“It’s not true! Mom said that demon didn’t get me!” Shouted Leo despite his burning throat.

“Ah, that is a lie. The demons are bullshit or so I think at least, most people right now seem to believe in them though. All I ever remember is being a human. That being a fact let me help you. Don’t you ever get a feeling that you are doing something that you feel you have done many times ago? For example, today when fighting that wolf or having some recollection of memories you never experienced.”

Leo remembered all of the times he had a strange feeling about things and today he even used some spell he never even heard before but now could understand how it worked and he also saw that red-haired woman. He was now scared of the possibility that he may not be himself. “But, but even so why are you doing this things if you are not a demon?” He asked weakly.

“This, ah this is my revenge. You will understand how it feels to be killed over and over with so much pain one day. Then you too will be like me. Become a demon that they want us to be, that they are soooo scared off.” The blackness said theirs arms wide open.

“I’m not like that, I’m normal.” rejected the boy. He didn’t want to believe he could be one of the scary demons that everyone feared. Everyone would hate him if he was one. He didn’t want it.

“It seems you need more time. Don’t worry I will take care of you. I will take you with us. You will be safe.” said the figure with sympathy.

Leo was scared. Now that he heard he would be abducted by them he wanted to escape but he didn’t have the strength to do so. No matter how hard he tried he couldn’t feel any mana inside of him.

Suddenly a ringing sound could be heard. The figure placed a hand next to its head. “Yes? What? What is going on there?!”

The figure seemed annoyed and threw something out of its black mass. It looked like some communication device that someone would place in one's ear.

“It seems that I fucked up a little. Why is that guy here? Well doesn’t matter. Sorry kid but I will need to leave you here. Don’t worry, one day I will come back for you. Just stay silent about me or they will know that you are one too. You know a demon, you wouldn’t want for everyone to hate you right?” said the figure it seemed to dissipate into the air and finally disappeared.

As it disappeared, the door to the room opened and the white-haired man, that was always seen following the principal and announcing him entered the room. His suit clean as ever.

Leo felt he could finally relax and closed his eyes. Falling back into unconsciousness.