The screams attracted Isaac like a candle flame attracts a moth. Their screams echoed within his mind and filled him with grief. How could a human being produce such a sound? It was almost unearthly. Frightening even.

Isaac took several deep breaths to try and gain his composure back. Normally, the old him would be terrified, but right now he was acting as a member of Seer and had to put on a brave face if he was ever going to change anything in this world.

His shoes echoed against the wooden floors of the school until he saw that up ahead there was nothing but a puddle of blood and mangled bodies. They were piled up on one another like a bundle of leaves in the cool autumn days.

Our young hero’s eyes widened with disbelief as he saw these corpses that were living just a moment ago. The halls soon darkened and the boy they were sent to retrieve soon made his appearance.

It was easy to tell that Alex was disheveled as he simply giggled at the bodies before releasing a smirk that continued to widen as he stared at the bodies.

“What did you…” Isaac stumbled on his words.

Hearing the boy’s voice caused Alex to turn around before raising his hand as if the teacher was calling on him. “I-I killed them! Yes, I did, yes I did!” He chuckled, moving his hands to run back against his bloodstained hair.

“I can’t believe this… these people…”

“Did you come to play with me as well…? Did you come to die by my hands!?” Alex shouted. Something had been building up inside of him. Ever since he murdered one of his bullies in the past and now that he had done it again something snapped inside of him and outside.

His body was coated in a strange purple aura. It had to be mana and it was chaotic at that, never before was it able to be seen so widely before. The feeling of the end was very present within this energy that was being released.

I’m supposed to save him? Right now, he has every intention of killing me…

Isaac didn’t know what to do at this point, but he wouldn’t have long to think about that. Already the boy was launching his attack, projecting a pure wave of his destructive energy. Being too scared to move, Isaac summoned a flock of cards to his front to try and protect himself from the attack, but the energy proved to be more brutal than he had imagined and it caused a mild explosion which sent him flying back through the halls.

“Nggh!”

He landed with a mild thud as his body slid back against the wooden floors. He stared at the ceiling for a moment before he forced himself up to a sitting position. Alex was walking towards him with a crazed look in his eyes. He was just taking his time right about now as if this was just some sort of game to him.

I have to do something fast. I don’t know what he can do, but I have more experience than him.

Isaac couldn’t sit around and do nothing. He had to make a move, he didn’t want to kill the boy, but he didn’t want to die himself. Not so early in the game.

He took a stand and summoned a single playing card before he tossed it towards the boy, watching for what his reaction would be. Since he didn’t seem like a tactical fighter this shouldn’t be too hard.

As the card soared through the air like a free bird it soon disintegrated into nothing as it neared the boy’s aura which caused him to laugh and sprout more nonsense.

“Hehe… playtime is just beginning!” Alex muttered as he ran towards Isaac with a burst of speed. He easily managed to land a direct punch to the gut which was enough to rattle the boy before he slammed Isaac against the wall.

Isaac struggled against the boy, just being this close to him made him feel bad. He felt like he would be swallowed up by whatever it was he was producing. It could all be over now, but he wanted to still try and save this kid.

“Your mother… is waiting for you…”

“Mom…? Arrgh! Shut up! I told her… I told her! I told her to keep her damn mouth shut!”

“She cares about you… it’s not too late.”

“It’s already too late! There’s no going back now! I’m sick of this… I’m sick of all of this! I’m going to destroy it all…. Burn it all down!”

Alex tightened his grip against Isaac, keeping him pinned against the wall. At any rate, he would kill him if this persisted. The only possible way to stop this would be to kill him… with his back turned all he would have to do is summon a card and send it towards his neck to create an opening… but still, he just couldn’t find it in himself to do that.

I want to believe….

“Hands off my buddy!”

That voice…

Alex shifted his head in the direction of the noise and soon found a metal pole being impaled into him which was coated in flames. It was so sudden, but yet he could feel every bit of pain that came shortly after. His warm blood dripped onto the ground as he released Isaac and hollered out in pain.

It was none other than Junji and Grey. Just in the nick of time at that. Unfortunately, they weren’t all smiles to reunite with their friend after the situation they saw him in.

“You ok man? This kid is crazy, but he should be finished now.” Junji said with a serious expression.

“Wait… we can still save Alex, Junji. There’s no reason he has to die like this.”

“He’s killed a good bit of people. Even if he’s saved he’s going to jail if not worse.”

“He’s as good as dead anyway.” Grey muttered.

Alex took a few steps back before he was forced on one knee from the pain. The feeling of death creeping up frightened him. Was he really going to die like this? So easily? Everything had just become so clear to him and now it was going to be light’s out.

“This can’t be… meaningless…. It’s all so meaningless!” Alex shouted.

That strange aura started to thicken and expand as his body started to flash every now and then like his body was taking in a massive amount of energy.

“Hey… what’s he doing?” Junji wondered.

“Whatever it is, it doesn’t look good. We have to get out of here!” Isaac warned.

No one disagreed with him besides Grey who was preparing to try and cut the boy off before he could launch his attack, however, Junji grabbed her wrist as he forced her to run off with him and Isaac. It didn’t take long before Alex released everything that he was charging, a purple wave of energy spreading everywhere inside of the school.

From the outside, everyone looked onwards in fear and disbelief none more concerned than Claire though who was now worried that she may have just lost her friends. She placed a fist along her chest and remained silent.