Chapter 3: The Burned

Kyra enjoyed sitting on the grass beside the soccer field, watching the players practice. It was one of her ways to recharge her power. Tyler was the last person she expected to see. Kyra watched the basketball team exit the gym. A bunch of ladies approached and seized the team.

Kyra shook her head. "They're worse than demons," Kyra said with disappointment.

Kyra kept reading Manga Online. It distracted her a few moments later when she noticed someone seated next to her. Kyra diverted her gaze to him since he wore jeans and used a man's cologne. She hadn't expected to see Tyler. He wasn't looking at her and was wearing headphones. Kyra took off her headphones and turned to face the man.

"Why are you here? "Kyra asked.

But when the man didn't respond, Kyra took the headphone out of his ear. The man turned toward her and looked puzzled.

"Why? "Tyler asked.

Kyra smirked and asked the man once more. "Why are you here?"

"I'm a student at this university. I am entitled to use school facilities. Why? "Tyler asked.

"With so many places to go, why are you here next to me? Are you still angry about the incident in the locker room? "Kyra said, irritated.

Tyler asked, "Who said I was furious at you, or what happened?"

"Because... because..." Kyra said inexplicably. The man did nothing; she simply reacted instantly.

"You haven't got a boyfriend, so it's fine if I approach you and sit close to you," Tyler said. Tyler's words astounded Kyra. "Why do you react like that? Do you have feelings for me?" Tyler asked unexpectedly.

"What? "Kyra was stunned a little and smirked after. "Perhaps in your dreams!"

"Therefore, there's no need for you to drive me away." Tyler said, "We can read quietly." Tyler reinserted the headphones into his ear.

Despite her irritation, Kyra didn't budge. She remained seated and returned her headphone to her ear. She picked up her iPad and resumed reading.

Tyler secretly glanced at Kyra a few seconds later when Kyra's phone rang, so he avoided staring at the woman.

Kyra answered the phone right away. Beatrix is calling her. "What's up, Bea? "Kyra asked on the other end of the call.

"Radar spotted a creature on the golf course." On the other line, Beatrix said, "3 kilometers from your place."

"OK, Bea," Kyra said, "I got this."

Kyra hung up the phone and stood up. Tyler locked his gaze on the woman as she walked away.

"She'll flee again, just as she did in the locker room," Tyler whispered.

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The two of them crashed near the golf course's entrance. Cael turned around and smelled an unusual scent that was not human.

"Something's coming, Kyra," Cael warned.

Before they could react, four human-like monsters materialized in front of them, but their look was that of a burned person with sticky goo wrapped around them.

"What kind of demons are they? "Cael asked.

"I don't have time to check through the list, but these seem to be burned," Kyra said.

The creatures rushed towards them. Cael let go of his boomerang blade and hurled it at the burned demons. Kyra launched her power to produce energy toward the burning monsters. It startled them when they broke the creature's body parts, but they were regenerating.

"Nothing ever happens to what we do," Cael said.

Kyra cast a glance towards Cael. "I'll lock them up with my energy, Cael, and you'll kill them."

"All right," Cael replied.

Kyra generated an electric current by touching the golf course grass, forming a giant energy ball. Cael swung his boomerang blade over the burned demons, and it landed within Kyra's energy ball. Inside the energy ball, they heard a deep growl. Cael repeatedly hurled his boomerang blade, yet it always returned to normal after splitting its bodily parts.

Cael cast a glance towards Kyra. "How come they don't die?"

Kyra realized that the burning demon's energy was being absorbed by her energy ball.

"Cael, I don't think they're dead yet. The burnt demons are still alive," Kyra said.

The sweat-drenched Kyra. She couldn't even keep the energy ball in her hands. Kyra's hand eventually wore out. The burning demons rushed again, but they came to a halt. The demons realized it trapped them in an invisible cage and couldn't get out.

"What happened? What exactly is that? "Cael asked Kyra.

"It's like being trapped by an unseen force," Kyra said.

Cael approached the burning demons, but when he tried to touch them, he flew away. He fell to the ground.

Cael grumbles, "Aw, it hurts."

Kyra slashed the burnt demons' chests with her double-bladed dagger. When Cael realized what had happened, he launched his boomerang blade at the burned demon's chest. The ball of energy vanished like a bubble. Kyra was sweating, pearls on her forehead, and gasping.

"There's one left," Cael said to Kyra.

Kyra cast a glance towards Cael. They weren't sure if the burnt demon was dead, so Cael summoned Beatrix to bring a monster. Their research lab will need that demon sample. Beatrix arrived immediately via the portal. She'll transport the demon to the laboratory with her.

"If you're correct, it means the burned demons are still alive. And your power prevented it from dying like its comrades." Beatrix said.

"I believe so," Kyra said. "Anyway, the demons were previously held captive by an unseen force. So we can eliminate them. Do you have any idea where that came from?"

"I'm not sure. I saw nothing else on the tracker but you, Cael, and the demons," Beatrix said.

"Is that correct? "said Kyra. It troubled her. She had a different hunch about what had happened. They had someone or something with them who assisted them in defeating the demons.

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Kyra is busy researching a one-week design project. It was almost midnight when she looked at the clock. Kyra rested her head on the sofa's backrest. She can't forget what happened on the golf course earlier. Kyra looked at her phone. She wanted to get her thoughts straight about what had happened. Kyra took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Her mind was clear, but she remembered what had happened in the shower room. Tyler was removing his clothes in front of her.

'Why do those humiliating memories continually come back to torment me? 'Kyra thought.

When Kyra's phone rang, it startled her. In a group chat, her classmate chimed in. It surprised her to see Tyler's name there. She was also a candidate for student government elections, to her surprise.

"Seriously? "Kyra said.

When a new message appeared, Kyra would have refused to take part in the student government election. It was from Tyler, and she did not know she had accidentally opened it. Tyler sent her a photo of her school ID.

Tyler: Perv, I found your ID earlier on the football field. Meet me tomorrow if you want to get it.

Kyra frowned. She looks through her luggage for her school ID but can't find it. Kyra kept her head down. "Shit."

If she doesn't have an ID, she won't be able to enter the main gate tomorrow. If she wants a new ID, the procedure takes much longer. Kyra breathed deeply.

Kyra said, "Damn, I have to meet him tomorrow."

Kyra kicked the air in frustration. She retook the phone a few moments later and replied to Tyler's message.

"OK, let's meet at the gate tomorrow," Kyra replied to Tyler. Her phone rang again within seconds. She saw Tyler's message.

"OK."

Kyra scoffed at what she saw after the word OK. It was a heart emoticon. "Annoying," Kyra whispered.