XLI

For a whole week after that attack, Kimi never spoke to anyone except Ravenna who brought him food. He simply stayed by Aurum who had been unconscious since that day. The week passed and the Friday of his make up test came. He couldn’t miss the test for anything so he conquered the urge to stay isolated and prepared for school.

When Kimi finally freshened up, he walked back to Aurum’s figure that was laid in bed. Kimi held his hand that was connected to a drip’s bag that contained blood instead.

“I’ll be back soon,” Kimi whispered, bringing his freezing hand to his lips. “If you wake up we can finally start all over. This time we’ll sort out our feelings.”

Kimi dropped his hand on the bed and patted it before he left. On his way out, he picked up his bag from the couch in the room. Hanging it over his shoulders, Kimi sluggishly moved to the landline and pressed number one. Then he picked up the phone and slackly held it to his ear.

A beep sounded. “Yes Young Master?” came Ravenna’s muffled voice from the landline.

“I can’t find my way out of this house,” he said tiredly and Ravenna chuckled faintly.

“Is that all Young Master?”

“No. Tell Ren to take me to school,” he sighed.

“Okay.”

The call disconnected and Kimi dropped the phone. He gazed over his shoulders at Aurum’s white body that was getting sucked in by the blackness of the room.

Kimi’s hand flew to the locket around his neck. “I have no fear,” he mumbled as he looked at the locket. “I am fearless.”

*

The day went by slower than usual. It was dull and Kimi got called a zombie more than before due to the dark circles around his eyes that had become worse. But Kimi simply zeroed them out and swerved through the day. The Vdélla siblings and his cousin tried to talk to him but he shunned them by giving an excuse that he didn’t want to be bothered because he had a test to prepare for. When the time for his test came, the school was partially empty and he had no fear whatsoever. He was almost killed in the same school yet he survived; it was something like a trophy to remind him that he still lived.

As Kimi walked into the classroom, it was only he, Mr. Marshall, rows of desks and chairs, and the rainstorm outside the closed windows.

“Please sit down,” Mr. Marshall said, getting up from his chair. He picked up a question paper and answer booklet. “I hope you’re prepared for this test,” he said, walking to a desk on the front row and slapped the items on them.

Kimi hummed tiredly and walked to the desk. He threw his bag on the floor and dumped his body in the seat. The second he saw the words on the paper, his vision swirled and he blinked rapidly.

“Mr. Mikaelis are you alright?” Mr. Marshall asked, pushing up his glasses with a finger. “You look like you’ve been lacking sleep.”

Kimi answered with a hum again and reached out for the papers. He dragged them closer to himself and plucked a pen out of his pocket.

Mr. Marshall looked at his wristwatch. “You can start,” he said, keeping his eyes on Kimi. He watched Kimi as he picked up the question paper and brought it to his face. When a thunder rumbled outside, Kimi flinched and glared at the window. “Is the rain a bother?”

Kimi shook his head and Marshall walked away. Kimi exhaled and opened the booklet. He breezed through the instructions and went straight to the questions.

Most of the questions were easy but twisted; the questions asked were mostly of translations and normal, everyday questions and a comprehension. As Kimi looked at the first question, he bristled. The question was: What does ‘blood’ mean in Latin? Mr. Marshall had asked him the same question a long time ago and he hadn’t been able to answer it.

Kimi looked over his paper at his teacher and caught sight of him marking scripts. He took his attention back to the question and racked his memory for the answer. Finding nothing to give as an answer, Kimi left the question unanswered and moved to the rest.

The classroom was filled with the sound of clicking pen and papers being turned. Kimi spent approximately one hour on his test and the instant he was done, he reached down for his bag, flung it over his shoulder and stood.

Mr. Marshall gazed up at the sound of groaning seat. “Are you done?” he asked and Kimi simply slapped his papers on the table and made a beeline to the door. “Wait.”

“What?! You asked me if I had finished meanwhile I had freaking finished.” He turned around and glowered at his teacher.

Mr. Marshall simply gestured to the desk he had been sitting on. “Take a seat while I mark your script,” he said in a flat tone.

“Why?! Does my face need to be freak—”

“Take a seat Mr. Mikaelis,” he said in a strong tone, pushing up his glasses with a finger.

Kimi flung his head back and growled in annoyance. He placed his head on the door, lightly banged his fist on it a few times before he groaned loudly and spun on his heel. He exhaled furiously and marched back to the seat he had been sitting on.

“Good. Now...” Marshall picked up his booklet and opened it. “You are a rare case Mr. Mikaelis. You never ask or answer questions in class. I want to judge your performance right here and now so I can sulk before the main exams and console my heart.”

“Well great for you,” Kimi said in a dry voice. He folded his arms over the desk and placed his head on his arms.

“You know... I know nothing about you Kimi Mikaelis,” Marshall said, tapping the butt of a red pen against his lips. “I know that there’s no Mikaelis in the academy’s preschool or primary school and you’re the only Mikaelis in the academy’s secondary school. So do you have any sibling that’s outside Rhodes Isles?”

“Yes,” Kimi groaned and raised his head. “She’s dead and buried in the soils of some African country.” He dropped his head back on his folded arms.

“Well... that’s news.” Mr. Marshall cleared his throat and went straight to the very first question. As he saw that it was not answered, he snorted lightly and peered at Kimi over his glasses. “You failed the very first question. Should I be bothered?”

“When you do find your way to the hospital when you have a freaking cardiac arrest,” Kimi said in a tired voice.

Mr. Marshall sharply cocked his head. “You know that I can reduce your score because of your attitude.”

“Score away then.”

Mr. Marshall sighed and shook his head. He looked back at the booklet. “But you really don’t know what blood means in Latin?”

Kimi rambled curses under his breath and raised his head. He was frowning deeply. “What part of it not being answered do you not fucking get?”

Mr. Marshall shrugged and put a zero over the question. “I’m just shocked that someone like you doesn’t know what blood means in Latin, especially since kids your age fawn over that music band called Qulture.”

“And what is that supposed to freaking mean?” Kimi asked as he lifted a brow.

“Because blood means caedis in Latin,” Mr. Marshall said in a monotone voice. He peered up to catch Kimi start in shock. “Does that surprise you?”

Kimi lightly shook his head to wash away his shock and dropped his face on his arms. “Only the fact that you’re freaking weird.”

Mr. Marshall chuckled a little and removed his glasses. “I suppose,” he said, placing his glasses on his table. “One could tell.”

For a few more minutes, Marshall did not question Kimi. He silently marked his test. But when he was done, he noisily dropped his pen on the table. Marshall placed his elbows on the table and laced his fingers together. He kept his eyes on Kimi as he placed his chin on his locked hands.

“Kimi do you believe in vampires?” Marshall suddenly asked, catching Kimi off guard who jerked in surprise.

Kimi swallowed the lump that was threateningly growing in his throat. “Why... Why do you ask?”

“I just want to know what you feel about the current trend that’s been gripping you kids. You know... with all the Twilights and the Originals I did find a bit of interest in their stories.” He inclined his head to the side, looking like a kid in a candy store, his face blank. “So... do you believe in them? Do you believe in what the media portrays?”

Kimi held back his answer before he muttered, “no. I believe in cadavers.”

“Cadavers?” Marshall asked in a quiet, baffled tone. “Zombies?”

“No!” Kimi sat up, his back slamming into the backrest of the seat. “Cadavers are... I don’t know... the truth?” He folded his arms. “Do you believe in cadavers?”

“Yes.” He picked up his glasses and put it on. “In fact, I’ve studied their history so I know a thing or two about them. I know how they seem to look like they are almighty meanwhile they are simply controlling the matter or organs around them.” He dropped his hands and narrowed his eyes at Kimi’s face that had a  saucer-eyed expression. “And I also know that they share a maker with their own hunters.”

Kimi gulped in fear, fisting his hands over the table. “And do you know who that person is?”

“Yes... Their maker had been a young woman.” Mr. Marshall held his chin in thought and raised his head. “What was her name again? Oh, that’s right.” He dropped his head and smirked wildly at Kimi. “Her name is Kidagakash Mikaelis, mother of all cadavers.”

Author’s Note: Kidagakash means ‘goddess’ and ‘princess’, so she could be called ‘Kidagakash, goddess of all cadavers and Hunters’. Psyche, the surprise should be good. Console your heart, the chapters from here on will be brutally sad. :’( Stay Safe and Stay Alive.