"Madam Jasmine," Ariel called out, her voice clear and firm. "I see you here with the other students, but I don't see Zane anywhere. Do you know where he might be?"
Jasmine was rolling her sore shoulders, trying to ease the stiffness that had built up. At Ariel's question, she froze mid-motion. A nervous twitch flickered across her lips. Her gaze dropped briefly to the ground. She couldn't say that she had left Zane behind.
Just then, Mario scoffed beside her, arms crossed over his chest. "Zane? That bastard? He should be de—"
He didn't finish.
Jasmine stepped in fast, her voice sharp. "Before that," she interrupted, "I'd like to know your relationship with Zane. And while we're at it, tell us a bit about yourself." She redirected the question, stalling for time to come up with something believable.
Conversations stopped. All eyes turned toward Ariel with curious looks. The girl who had saved them—who fought like a phantom of vengeance—was finally about to reveal who she really was.
Ariel looked around calmly, unbothered by the attention. She hadn't planned to reveal her identity, but after all that had happened—after running away, she no longer cared. If her father and brothers were furious, so be it. If she could find Zane, it would all be worth it.
"My name is Ariel Walker," she said simply, her tone steady. "Only daughter of Blake Walker… and Zane is my older brother."
Her words hit the group like a silent explosion.
Jasmine's heart skipped a beat. "Wait… Blake Walker? As in—the President?" she asked, her voice tinged with disbelief and dread. Her mind flashed back to how she had used the money meant for Zane without a second thought. She swallowed hard.
Mario blinked. His body stiffened as the words sank in. "She's Zane's little sister? Fuck…"
His face turned pale as memories came rushing back—memories of the teasing, the cruel pranks, the way he'd made Zane's life miserable during school days. He felt his stomach twist with guilt.
He leaned toward Darren, who stood silently beside him, still shaken from the encounter with Scarbone. Mario's voice dropped to a whisper. "Did you see what she did to that bonehead? The bones didn't even stand a chance" he said as he gestured towards the Scarbone's corpse. Darren followed his line of sight and gulped.
Darren gave a slight nod, his lips pressed into a thin line.
Mario wiped sweat from his forehead. His voice trembled, despite the hushed tone. "If she finds out what we did to her brother, we're dead meat. I swear—she'll be sticking signposts through our heads next. So you better shut the fuck up."
He wasn't exaggerating. Just thinking about what Ariel might do made his legs wobble.
Among the group of shaken survivors, a tall upperclassman leaned lazily against a broken streetlamp. His uniform was torn at the shoulder, and his hair was matted with ash, yet he still carried himself with casual arrogance.
"Zane? Who's that? Your friend or something?" Malric asked, squinting slightly as he turned to Mario.
His tone was curious but dismissive, like someone asking about a stranger they barely remembered.
Mario rubbed the back of his neck, awkwardly avoiding eye contact. "You could say that… I mean, we sort of did have a close relationship," he muttered, scratching his temple and glancing the other way, clearly uncomfortable.
Celine stood quietly beside them, her arms crossed tightly around herself. Her eyes lowered, clouded with guilt. She remembered too well how she had always stood by and watched—watched as Zane was mocked, pushed, and humiliated… and she had said nothing.
"I've been calling his phone since all this chaos started," she finally said, her voice trembling slightly. "He's never picked up. Not even once." Her eyes searched the others desperately. "Can someone just tell me where Zane is?"
Jasmine shifted uncomfortably, fidgeting with the hem of her torn sleeve. "You see… the thing is—"
But she never finished.
A low hum filled the air, and suddenly, with a sharp whoosh, a portal split open beside them like a tear in reality. A gust of wind spiraled out, laced with cold energy. Their hair and clothes flared as the air turned thin and heavy. The sky dimmed further as if even the sun hesitated to shine on what was about to appear.
Then, the System Notification appeared before each one of them.
[System Notice]
You have encountered a Gemini
Rank: Elite
Species: Whisperkin
Final Rank: Whisperkin F
Abilities:
Death Roar: Emits a soul-piercing scream that paralyzes with fear. The more fear the target holds, the more powerful the effect.
Fear Sense: Though blind, it can detect the slightest movement or emotional distress—especially fear.
Disorienting Whispers: Constant whispers drive victims into confusion, hallucinations, and creeping madness.
Weakness:
Soft Heartskin: The only vulnerable spot is a small, delicate patch of skin directly above its heart. Piercing this spot will kill it instantly. However, the shifting bones around it make it incredibly difficult to hit.
Before them stood a nightmare made flesh.
It was tall—almost three meters—with elongated limbs that bent in unnatural ways. Its skin was black and wet-looking, almost like oil clinging to flesh. The creature had no face—just a rough, hollow surface where its eyes, mouth, and nose should have been. From its arms hung claws as long as swords, each one glinting faintly in the fading light.
A low, almost inaudible whisper filled the air, brushing against their ears like a ghostly breeze. No words could be made out, but it was enough to make their thoughts swirl and their stomachs twist.
Mario's face went pale as all color drained from it. He pointed with a shaking finger.
"That... that's the same bastard," he whispered, voice barely holding together. "The one who... killed our classmates. Eight of them—gone in a blink."
The others said nothing. Their eyes were locked on the creature, too afraid to breathe. Even the wind seemed to die down, as if nature itself feared the thing now standing before them.
Everyone stood frozen—every muscle tense, every heartbeat pounding like a drum. They didn't dare move. The Whisperkin was blind, but they all knew... even the smallest mistake could mean death.
And then, breaking the silence like it was nothing more than a minor inconvenience, Ariel stepped forward.
Her eyes narrowed. Her voice calm.
"Another Gemini?" she asked casually, tilting her head as she examined the monster.
The others turned toward her in disbelief. That tone. That look. It was like she didn't even feel fear.
She stepped forward again, boots crunching glass beneath her heel. The Whisperkin shifted slightly, its claws twitching. The whispers grew louder, more insistent… but Ariel didn't flinch.
She just kept walking, like the demon before her was nothing but a minor obstacle on the way to her true goal.
A thick silence had settled after Ariel's bold step forward, broken only by the faint, eerie whispers leaking from the monster's form like a slow poison.
Then, suddenly, a voice echoed—not aloud, but inside their minds.
"Knew it. I thought of just sitting back and watching... but something told me to come check. You're Ariel, aren't you? The one Zane kept talking about."
The voice was cold yet curious, like a predator amused by its prey.
Celine gasped and stumbled back a step, clutching her head. "It… it can talk? It's speaking inside my head!" Her voice trembled.
"You hear it too, Celine?" Mario's voice cracked with disbelief. "I thought I was going crazy." He shook his head, then sneered, trying to hide his fear. "See? I told you Zane wasn't normal… getting all buddy—buddy with a freak like this. I bet he was the one who called him to our classroom."
The others remained silent, too shaken to speak. The horror of the situation had pinned their voices down.
Ariel's eyes narrowed, her tone sharp and dangerous. "You know my brother?" she asked. Though her voice was calm, the fire behind her words burned bright. Her fists clenched at her sides as if holding herself back.
The Whisperkin paused. Slowly, the sharp claws it once bared like spears melted back into its arms with a quiet schlik. It raised a thin hand and scratched the rough surface where its face should've been—almost like it was thinking.
Darren's eyes widened as he watched the eerie transformation.
'It could just pull those terrifying claws back at will?'
The Whisperkin's voice returned to their minds, this time softer, almost thoughtful.
"Of course, I know him. How could I not?"
"Unlike you all... he wasn't afraid. He didn't fear me. He didn't flinch at the chaos. Even when I killed people right in front of him, his heartbeat stayed steady. Unshaken."
A strange hush fell over the group. Every word it said made their skin crawl, not just because of what it revealed—but how casually it spoke of death.
"Do you know what he told me?" the Whisperkin continued.
"He said his only fear… was for his little sister—that she might be in danger. He feared that their father would abandon her… just like he abandoned him."
It didn't finish its sentence.
Because Ariel moved.
In a blink, she vanished from her spot. A gust of wind exploded in her place, sending dust and pebbles flying. Her speed was like a bolt of lightning—a blur that even the Whisperkin didn't fully register until it was too late.
Tears streamed from her eyes, but her face was a mask of pure focus. A memory flashed through her mind: Zane's quiet smile. 'Big brother…'
Her fist, crackling faintly with raw force, struck the Whisperkin dead center in the chest—right at the small, nearly invisible patch of soft flesh over its heart.
The impact was thunderous.
SMASH!