Mira's POV
***Intense whistling***They were circling me. Their eyes looked me up and down. Their whistling matched the rhythm of their shoes tapping. Their hands moved just above my shoulder as my spine stiffened at their move. With a sharp move, one of them grabbed my pony tail and pulled my head back. I had my eyes closed. I couldn't show them the fear in them . " What is this specimen doing here, in a school uniform? "His mouth spit drool all over my face and neck and his breath reeked of alcohol. The others found his remarks very amusing and broke into a laugh. I was trying to hold my breath back. My body was as rigid as possible. I was bracing myself for what was about to happen next. There was no time for me to reach for my bag or dial that emergency number. Not that it would be of any help at the moment. Even if I did manage to call for help, I would be a dead ant before they arrived. The one grabbing my hair , started pulling me backwards. My steps faltered as I tried to keep it as non-violent as I could. Then suddenly, another one grabbed my legs. " This one's too slow, Rykin... " And he hurdled me up in the air. The next thing that I remembered was being tossed up in the air. It was like going up in the swing but there was nothing to hold, no seat underneath myself. With a loud thud, I landed on my left side. It felt like the pain originated on the hard ground and radiated up from my hand and leg, up to my hip. I could hear their laughter growing loud and louder, and it was accompanied with their wild claps. I tried to ignore the tears and focused on helping myself up with my other hand. But two pairs of hands grabbed me from either side and started pulling me back once again. They dragged me over the road but I did not scream. I did not scream, till I saw the injection in one of their hands. He was looking at me with his toothless grin and his metal jwelleries was shining against the sinister liquid in the syringe. This was the point of no return. " Noooooo.... Please let me goooooooo... "I yelled my lungs out, though this was not the original plan. My fingers and toes were getting out of control. I had no idea what was happening. I was trying my best to pull my body out of their grip, when suddenly they changed their course. They were looking here and there in panic. Was the police patrol car approaching? I began screaming my lungs out but that was definitely another mistake that I made. They gagged me, tossed a dark cloth above my head and began tying up my hands. It was at this point that I heard gunshots. The cops. It was definitely the cops. Thanks heavens, I was saved. But all my enthusiasm dropped down my pants when I heard more rogues yelling, " How dare you hunt in my territory morons...""Today your mother will be wriggling in pain in her grave... You m*therf*cmer ... "And so on the trail of abuse exchange went till it was almost making my ears bleed in pain. It was in fact me, who was absolutely f*cked . I was in the middle of a gang war between two notorious criminal gangs. Oh my luck! What did I do wrong in my past life to make you so upset? The shots showered one after the other. I could feel the steel zip zapping all around me. It was such a situation that I couldn't even get up and run, though I was practically free. I was frozen in fear, petrified. I was waiting for the next bullet to hit me and then for the next and the one after that. Miraculously, I was still in one piece when finally the sounds subsided. I still chose to wait for a few more minutes and then slowly opened the cloth over my head and spit out my gag. I was thinking that probably all of them were dead. But as soon as I opened my eyes, I saw a pair of legs, standing right in front. As I slowly looked up I saw a very familiar yet unknown face staring down at me, with one eyebrow raised. He did not look any older than myself, but the way he dresses was distinctive to the gangs. He even had a blade engraved on his black leather jacket. I was expecting him to extend his hand and help me up but he stood there with his hands , crossed over his chest, as if judging me. For what reason, I could have never guessed. I looked around. There were bodies all around me. But, they all had that one-eyed symbol on their jacket. Did this lad, single handedly, kill an entire gang? I couldn't even gulp. I was lost, wondering if I was supposed to admire his bravery or feel disgusted at his action. " Are you going to sit there all day? "He finally talked but I was looking around me. They all definitely looked dead but neither of them had any blood. I touched the hand of the one nearest to me. I poked it to see if I could get any response. It fell on the ground with a slop. " You shot all of them down... Why don't they have any blood? "It was probably an effect of too much novel reading, my mind was cooking up all sorts of hypothetical situations. Were those men vampires? Or were they zombies? Will they be getting up? Will I now face a group of undeads on my way back home. I heard the lad heave a deep, deep sigh. As if he was very disappointed in me. He pulled out something from his pocket and I immediately backed off and raised my hands to surrender. He raised both his eyes at me and displayed the item in his hand properly. It was a tranquilizing dart gun. But I was certain that what I heard were gunshots. I opened my mouth to put forth my point when he pulled out a second gun, on the other hand. That was real metal. A real gun. And it immediately made me stand up. I bowed as low as I could in front of him, "Thank you for saving my life. I will forever be indebted to you... "With that I quickly turned, picked my bag up, which had fallen a little up ahead and began walking , which broke into a run. Suddenly, I felt a tug on my arm. My speed broke and I was pulled into his arm. He was already in front of me and his grip on my wrist was tight. " Oh! sh*t! I am in the same mess once again... "I thought to myself. I was just transferred from one gang to another one. " Are you sure? ""Huh? " His question took me off guard. Could this one read minds as well? " Are you sure about forever? "" I beg your pardon? "At this point, I turned to face him like a man, sorry, a woman. I was really curious as to what the lad wanted. He was giving off that same aura as forbidden items. Like those boxes of chocolates tucked above the topmost shelves, like that wine bottle that all the adults had while you sipped on your soda... ummm, a very negative but attractive invitation that was not meant to be ignored at all. " I want to know if you are serious about owing me forever? "I tried keeping a straight face. "It's just a term you idiots. Human beings don't even have forever. " That's what I wanted to say but instead I ended up saying, " Yeah... I guess so... If we have forever... I mean... "" Good... " He pushed me and let go of my hand, " I just wanted to let you know that I am a very strict debt collector. Make sure to keep your return packed when we meet again, little rat. "He pushed me again, this time putting me back on the footpath. He hopped onto his bike and rode off before I could even process what he meant by what he said. All that was left behind was a trail of dust and smoke in the air.*** in the other world *** The waves of the Southern Seas were unusually loud and high. They had turned crimson in the sky, mimicking the hue of a triple moon. But they could not overshadow the shine of the rare beauty, the Southern Star. It was up there in the sky, just as was prophesied. It was a breathtaking view, but all that the onlookers could feel was fear. They were not timid creatures. They were mages. Human-like creatures with unimaginable supernatural powers. Their powers varied according to their clan and the techniques that they developed after birth. The rise of the Southern Star in the sky, along with the triple moons, was the beacon for the drumroll. It was an indication that the never-ending war between the tribes was finally coming to an end. A supposed happy affair. Alas! That was not the case. The end of the war would mean that some would gain superiority over others. That was a concept alien for the power-crazy mages. They had gained immortality a very long time a
Mother's love***present day world***Mira's POVI came back home in rags, running for my dear life for several long minutes, though there was no immediate threat. Good old reflex, I guess. I turned my keys and the door flung open. I was about to jump right in, pulling my disheveled hair behind when I heard my mother speak, " Mira, you are not coming back straight from school! "She had her back towards me and she had something in her hand. As she slowly turned, I noticed that she had a letter between her palms, which she was reading. Did my school write a complaint already? It wasn't that long. And what was my mother doing, coming home at this time, without informing me? I held my breath as I kicked my shoes open and slowly locked the door after walking in. I was cooking up excuses in my head. A possible thing that could convince my mother that leaving school for the time being, was the best thing. But then she smiled and her right hand landed on my shoulder with a pat. What
Xen's POVI found myself standing in a narrow, desolate alley, trapped in the clutches of my subconscious. The darkness engulfed me, suffocating and overwhelming. The air was heavy with an unspoken threat, sending shivers down my spine.With every step that I took, the sense of foreboding intensified. I could feel the unseen eyes peering at me, lurking in the shadows. The silence was broken only by the distant echoes of my footsteps, echoing like a haunting requiem.Suddenly, a flickering streetlight came into view, casting macabre shapes on the cracked pavement. It illuminated an object, nestled on the ground. A blade. Its steel glimmered malevolently, reflecting my mounting fear.Driven by an inexplicable compulsion, I reached out to touch it. As my trembling fingers made contact with the cold metal, a surge of electricity coursed through my veins. The room was shrouded in darkness, save for the faint glow of the moonlight slipping through the blinds. I gasped for breath, my heart
***in the other world***" Where is our son, my love? "The woman asking the question was dressed in such a beautiful manner that her presence screamed royalty from every angle. The person in front of her looked equally elegant. A tall man on the throne. A king, with no mistakes. " He is where he ought to be. You need not worry about him, sweetheart. Your body is still recovering. You should go back to your chamber. "The woman's hair turned slowly red as she stepped towards the throne with calculated steps. " Ought to be my king? And where is that? "Her hair strands were slowly standing up as her voice intensified. " I carried him for nine months. I couldn't even hold him in my arms and feed him my milk... "" I can't believe you, of all people, could be bothered by frivolous things like these... " The king made a sharp turn towards her and it made her even more angry. Her head was now adorned with a gigantic crimson crown, made of supercharged, standing hair. " Frivolous? You t
***present day world***Mira's POV -" This is it then... Mamma, take care of yourself and don't worry. I will give you a call when I land. "I hugged her so tight that I could have crushed her frail frame. What was more amazing was the force with which she hugged back. It was ten times rougher and tighter than mine. She was fighting to hold back her tears. And so was I. It was my first time staying away from her. It was my first time going away so far. After the last round of announcements for boarding, I had no option but to hurry my way towards the entry point. They let me in after checking my documents. I was shown inside the craft with a smile. I settled down at the window. And stared out of it, watching the big wings which were about to carry us all. I looked around. It was a crowded space. People were trying to get to their seats, arrange their luggage, and tuck in their babies as the air hostesses went about helping everybody. It was a long and exhausting flight but we final
Mira's POVThis new hostel was no joke, I must insist. I honestly felt, I was at a hotel when I tried getting my room number at the reception. I mean, what hostel even has a reception? They have warden rooms and the main office, right? Or am I just being a low class naive? Anyways, I learnt that I was going to share a room with a roommate.I patiently carried my baggage up and knocked on the door, even though I had the keys. If there was someone already residing in that space, I was only intruding. I was trying to be as less hostile as possible. After all, I had come to the place for a little peace. " Did they not give you those damn keys? "A half awake voice, flung the door open. She was wearing a t-shirt and matching shorts. Her hair was silver and tied up in a messy bun. She was at least a few inches taller than me and she stood there, staring me up and down, from behind a half rimmed glass that she was wearing. " Ummm, Hi, I'm Mira. Ummm, well I do have the keys but I didn
It was going to take Mira a lot of time to adjust to her new place. It was very clear to her. What was not clear was the fact that a world beyond her imagination was already awaiting her. She had no idea that people, who were not human, like her, had already started surrounding her presence. She hurried towards her first class for the day, A Brief Introduction to Historical Architectures. She burst inside the classroom, which was more like an auditorium, a movie theater with a gigantic 3-D screen. They were being shown some documentary and the room was pitch black except for the light from the screen. As soon as she entered, the light from the outside corridor entered like a flood, forcing the entire class to turn in her direction. " I... I am looking for the final year History class... Am I... Am I at the right place? "A very husky voice from amidst the dark replied, " Indeed, this is the History class for the final year students. Are you by chance an exchange student? "Mir
" Is it necessary for you to leave? We have already arranged for a representative for the exchange program. You don't need to waste your senior years for something like this? You can go on a vacation if you need a break. Why are you insisting on going for the Exchange Student Program? "Braze's mother had no knowledge that he was applied to be on that list, even though she was the principal. It was primarily because it was a trivial matter and things like these were handled by her subordinates. It was when her son was about to leave, that she knew about the matter and she definitely didn't look pleased. " I just want to go for the ESP, Mama. What's the big deal about it? "It wasn't like he and his mother were particularly affectionate. Besides, he too needed his time away from Mira. He knew he was running from his reality. Those dreams that were haunting him lately, those urges that were telling him that he didn't belong where he was, those voices that were whispering in his cons