"My father has returned! He's alive!"
A formidable creature thundered, his body emanating a dark, ominous aura as he descended from a huge magnificent throne upon which he had been seated.
"I can sense his presence; he's not from this world. Where is Domra?" he demanded, his huge voice sending chills across the room.
"My lord, you dispatched him to invade Leria village just a few hours ago," Grix, one of the guards, replied in reverence.
"Grix! Assemble a team of your most skilled men and embark on a quest to find my father," the creature commanded, his dark mist swirled around him before seeping into Grix's nostrils. "This power shall shield and guide you; venture into any planet, galaxy, or realm, and bring him before me… at all costs."
"Yes, Dahra! I shall execute your order!" Grix exclaimed, bowing deeply after regaining his footing from the dark energy that had coursed through him.
With a swift turn, he soared out of the palace, which lacked a roof, grasping a trident-like weapon.
Dahra, the formidable creature, smiled malevolently as he ascended the stairs leading to the thrones' platform.
Settling into one of the thrones, his smile gradually transformed into a wild, unhinged laughter, echoing through the palace.
"Prepare yourself, O' Perebia, for a reunion between father and son is imminent," he declared, leaning back into the throne.
*****
Mike, Stefan and Rachael eagerly accepted and piled up into the car. Laura smiled and drove off.
"Hey, Mike!" she said, glancing at him through the rearview mirror. "It's been a while! How have you been?"
Mike smiled wryly. "I'm good. Hope you didn't miss me too much?"
Laura chuckled. "Of course I did! Who wouldn't? Your absence from school was a huge deal, especially with no one to confront the school DND queen."
"I'm sure Christina must have missed him too," Stefan snickered, his sarcasm barely contained. "She must have gotten bored, with no one to play with her."
Laura shot him a quick glare, a stern look on her face. "That's impossible! Why would she?"
"You can't be sure, can you, Laura?" Rachael intervened. "Not only lovers miss each other; nemesis does too. It's only a matter of time before they become friends."
"Stop saying nonsense! That's never going to happen!" Laura retorted even before Mike could.
Her reaction puzzled Rachael. She narrowed her eyes on Laura. "Why are you getting angry? It's just an observation."
"That's one obvious unreasonable observation!" Laura snapped as she focused on the road.
Rachael leaned closer to her, a curious expression on her face. "Do you have feelings for my brother?"
"W...wh...why are you asking me that? That's absurd!" Laura burst into a sudden cough, her words tumbling out in a flustered manner. However, her expression betrayed her words.
"Do you like him or not?" Rachael pressed on, her voice gentle yet insistent. "Loving someone isn't a crime, you know. And Mike is single – totallysingle." She emphasized the last point with a sly smile.
"Stop your nonsense, Rachael!" Mike hissed, before turning to look at Laura through the rearview mirror. "I'm finally back to school with my empty books, dear friend."
Laura's gaze flicked to Mike's reflection.
"You're not expecting me to fill them for you, are you?" she inquired, her hand dancing on the steering wheel as she wheeled into the school gate.
"Who else can I turn to if not you, Laura? You're the only girl in school who cares for me," Mike said charmingly before winking at her, and for a moment, Laura seemed enchanted.
"I'll write half of your books," she replied, her voice softening.
However, Mike's expression turned sad, his eyes locked on Laura's through the mirror.
"You want me to write everything, are you kidding me?" Laura growled, accelerating the car.
"Write half and quarter then," Mike implored.
Laura shook her head firmly, her expression unyielding. "I still have a lot to do, I'll write half, and you'll write the rest, that's final!"
Mike shook his head in discontent, his face contorted in a scowl. However, Laura's anger boiled over, and she accelerated the car to its maximum speed. "Are you kidding me? You want me to–"
"It's fine, half is good, okay?" Mike said relentingly. "Just write the half and give me the rest. So will you please stop speeding now?"
"At this rate, we're all going to die before we get to class," Rachael muttered under her breath.
Stefan, meanwhile, shut his eyes tight and held onto the seatbelt in fear, muttering indistinct words:
Oh Lord, forgive me my trespasses. If I survive this ride I'll always pray to you. I'll go to church every Sunday and pay offerings. I promise I'll never sin again in my life, just please, stop this car.
And as though his prayers were answered, the car suddenly squealed to a stop, and everyone stepped out, breathing heavily. Stefan looked like he was about to throw up, but Mike patted him on the back reassuringly.
"Remind me next time never to argue with you when you're driving," Mike said to Laura with a chuckle.
"I'll make sure to do that," Laura replied, smiled meekly and scurried off.
"I'll wait for you after school hours, let's go home together, okay?" Rachael whispered, and before Mike could respond, she dispersed into the crowd.
"Come on, don't be a baby. Let's go now," Mike said to Stefan.
Half a minute passed before Stefan regained his stance, and Mike advanced up the stairs. Just as Stefan was about to follow, a sudden grip pulled him back.
He raised his head to see the interrupter.
"Dammit, Tina. Just tell me you're after my life. What do you want from me now?" he sniffed.
"We didn't get to finish our conversation yesterday," Tina said, tightening her grip on his collar. "Stop running from me and come clean. Where is your friend?"
"What's going on, Stefan?" Mike called from above, his eyes scanning the duo below. "Come on, let's go!"
Tina's face lit up with surprise as she saw Mike. "Excuse me..." she managed to mutter before scurrying past Mike and disappearing upstairs.
Stefan let out a deep sigh of relief. "Thanks goodness! That was close. I almost lost control of my bladder."
"Come on, don't let her little threat scare you," Mike said, strutting to show off his muscles. "I'm back now, with power, of course."
"To fight a girl?" Stefan scoffed as he walked past him. "Dream on!"
Mike smiled and followed him, wrapping his arm around his shoulder.
As they entered the classroom, Laura greeted them with a warm wave, as if they hadn't just met only a few minutes ago.
Mike's eyes scanned the room, locking onto a familiar figure sitting at a distance, almost isolated, in the corner.
Her blank stare and enigmatic expression hinted at a hidden emotion, leaving Mike somehow intrigued.
"What's wrong with her? What's she doing in our class?" Stefan whispered.
"Is there anywhere in the school that the queen can't make herself comfortable in, except perhaps the teacher's offices?" Mike smirked. "She has probably entered her 'DND' mode, isn't that obvious?"
"Yeah, yeah! That explains why she ignored us earlier and drove past us. Now it makes sense," Stefan chuckled.
Mike settled into his seat, taking out his books, but his gaze never left Christina. She sat a short distance away, her eyes clouded over.
"Don't you think you're staring for too long, buddy?" Stefan whispered. "Plotting revenge or just enjoying the view? Don't forget, it's a plate best served cold."
Mike shook his head, "No, that's not it. She totally wants to be alone at this moment."
"She always wants to be left alone during her DND mode. Your excuse is so obvious."
"I mean …I don't think she's angry as she normally is in her 'DND' mode."
Stefan raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? Do you study her that much?" He asked. "Just an observation."
Mike shot him a grim glance, his eyes glaring. "You don't need to study someone to understand their palpable mood," he replied, his voice low.
Turning back to Christina, he continued, "I'm sure something else is bothering her. This isn't her usual 'DND' anger mode, she's sad. This is the first time I've seen this expression on her."
Stefan raised an eyebrow. "She's always either angry or sad. That's why it's her DND mode. She doesn't want to be disturbed—but why do you care?"
"Exactly! How is it any of my concern? Why do I care?" Mike paused, as if questioning his own emotions. "Does the power inside me come with caring for someone I hate?"
Stefan smiled in amusement. "Maybe. So you'd better buckle up to win her heart."
Mike glared at him again. "You're just too good at annoying people," he smirked. "I'm kinda dangerous now, so don't annoy me, if you don't want to end up like the guys at the hospital."
The sound of heels against the floor echoed into Mike's ears and he turned toward the door. The math teacher entered the classroom.
"Settle down, class," she said. "Let's start today's lecture. As you all know, the exam is around the corner, and..."
The class continued as normal, but Mike's gaze kept drifting back to Christina, his expression thoughtful.