Move and you're dead"
A man stood infront of a dartboard, a can placed on his head as he shook anxiously.
He closed his eyes.
A knife flew in the air, splitting the can in half and landed directly at the center. "Bullseye!" Aria cheered joyfully as her bird, Oriel flapped it's wings around her.
She had managed to get closer to Hardin. Blood sharing was an intimate act between demons (not all demons drink blood only ghouls and her kind.)
She was celebrating a way she knew how. Good alcohol and darts.
The man wet his pants as tears streamed down his face. He was dismissed by the right hand man of the Carrington family; Sebastian.
Sebastian clapped his hand, impressed by her prowess. "When you said you were good with knives I imagined cooking" he said.
She chuckled at his words and downed a glass of whiskey, "most people tend to underestimate me so I'm not really surprised."
"Why?" Sebastian asked adjusting his glasses.
"Believe it or not I'm the black duck of my family" she admitted. "My father and I are not really close."
A small smile formed on Sebastian's face as he recalled his own father. A man he would forever love and respect. "My father was a great ghoul" he rose his glass up.
"Mine is a dickhead" she added clinking her glass against his. She gulped down the drink in one go.
Oriel puffed up her cheeks. Sebastian cocked finger at the red fiery bird on her shoulder, "what kind of bird is she? I've never seen one like that."
Oriel ruffled up her feathers staring at Sebastian, "I think she likes you" Aria commented at her birds odd behavior. "Did you do something to my bird?" She asked with a hint of suspicion.
Sebastian frantically shook his head, "she's a bird. What could I possibly do to her?"
Laughter filled the room. Tears collected at Aria's eyes at his reaction, "I was just messing with you."
A surge of electricity shot through her body and her gaze sharpened.
'Ethan' she thought.
****
Footsteps echoed in the dark eerie darkness that shrouded the school.
"Ethan!" Blue shouted as she bolted in the direction she had heard the scream from.
Sweat trickled down her chin as her stomach churned with fear. She did not know what she would do if she found Ethan lying on the ground dead or, worst of all, his body halfway into the mouth of a demon.
"Ethan!" Raphael came into view, worry written on his face as he raced through the halls. Blue didn't hesitate—she took a sharp turn toward the gymnasium, her boots skidding slightly on the polished floor.
Raphael was right behind her, footsteps pounding in sync with hers as they sped down the dimly lit corridor. Blue kicked open the large doors.
A monstrous figure crouched on all fours at the center of the gymnasium, its twisted form illuminated by the dim overhead lights. Its skin, pale and smooth like polished bone. Its black beady eyes snapped in Blue's direction.
"What the fuck…" Blue cussed as her eyes examined the thing from head to toe. She stepped back, her spine meeting Raphael's.
"What is that thing?" he asked, horror written on his face as he took a step away. He had never seen anything that huge before.
It roared angrily, the sound sending shivers down their spines.
"Run!" Blue shouted as she darted away from the area, and Raphael followed suit.
The monster bounded after them, breaking through the gymnasium wall.
"What is that thing?" Raphael yelled, dropping on all fours and quickening his speed.
"A phantom!" She replied as she dashed down the school stairs, Raphael by her side, but they paused abruptly when the beast catapulted itself down the stairs, landing in front of them.
They scrambled up the staircase, and a spark ignited in Blue's eyes when she saw a glass cabinet encasing a fire hose. She broke the glass with her elbow and grabbed the hose.
"What are you planning?" Raphael asked hastily.
"Just run," she ordered, stopping in her tracks as the beast leapt into the air. She inhaled sharply and slid beneath it.
It landed heavily on the ground.
"Find Ethan!" She barked, swinging the hose in her arm and whistling at the creature and caught its attention.
It lunged forward, claws outstretched. Blue yanked open the fire hose, blasting the creature with a high-pressure stream of water that forced it backward.
For a moment, her plan seemed to work—until the phantom slashed the hose in half. She cursed under her breath as the water sputtered out in weak, useless spurts.
Dropping the hose, she sprang back a few feet, keeping her eyes locked on the creature.
A maniacal grin stretched across its face, reaching its beady eyes and exposing rows of jagged teeth.
It lunged again, swiping at her abdomen. Blue twisted away just in time, but the creature's other arm curled into a fist and drove hard into her stomach, sending her reeling.
She crashed against the wall, pain flaring through her body. Blood trickled down her forehead as her bright blue eyes widened—the creature was already in front of her.
It swung again. She ducked, and the wall behind her cracked under the force of the blow.
"You....." The creature's voice drawled out and Blue felt her heart sink. It could talk. "Killed her..." it continued and the spider phantom flashed through her mind.
"You deserve death!" It roared angrily, looming over her terrified figure. Her heart thundered in her chest as her breathing quickened.
She smelt it.
She was going to die.
Blue flames ignited in her palm. She gasped in shock at the flames dancing in her palm but she had no time to be surprised. The phantom went for another strike but she hurled a fireball at its eyes and it screeched in pain.
Spotting an opening, she dropped low and rolled between its legs.Clutching her aching stomach, Blue staggered toward the nearest classroom, every breath a struggle.
Her heart thundered in her ears as she stared at her palm in awe. She hid underneath the teacher's desk.
'What the hell was that?' She wondered as she replayed the scene in her head, skeptical.
Never before could she hurl fire out of her palm or even have the ability to wield it. She was a human, a human that was unnaturally strong and with good eyesight but never before had she ever heard of a human that could have fire powers.
The phantom stepped inside the classroom, it's vision blurred. Blue froze under the desk. It sniffed the class and a low disappointed growl escaped it's mouth as it turned away.
It sprinted in the direction of the Gymnasium.
She got out of her hiding place and switched on the classroom lights. She lifted up her shirt and saw a huge purple bruise where it had punched her.
She cussed underneath her breath. 'I think they should be outside by now' she thought. 'But what is a phantom doing in school?'
She remembered how the Bureau had dug in talismen around the school to keep phantoms away.
A voice rang out through the halls from the speakers.
"Blue this is Ethan, if you're still alive meet us at the cafeteria."
She slammed her fist against the wall, of course those idiots would not leave her behind.
Outside, Aria stood on a tree her eyes wide in surprise at the girl she deemed worthy running toward the chaos. She watched Blue's bright core dance in her chest and she felt an overwhelming hunger.
She licked her lips, mischief swirling in her crimson orbs. "Oriel be a sweetheart and go back to Aurora" she ordered, shifting her attention to the bird resting on her shoulder. "Search up magical humans or anything that fits the criteria."
Oriel nodded her head and flew into the night.
Aria leaped off the tree and rammed her feet against the window, shards of glass flew everywhere as she landed on her feet.
Blue snapped her head around on alert and a smile formed on her face at her demon friend standing behind. "Ethan needs us!" she winced in pain.
Aria dropped to one knee. "And so do you. Get on," she ordered, her tone light but firm.
Blue circled behind her and climbed onto Aria's back. Aria secured her grip by locking her arms under Blue's legs, her muscles flexing as she rose.
Aria shot forward, the world blurring around them. Blue's eyes widened at the sheer speed—faster than she thought possible. In seconds, they reached the cafeteria.
Aria didn't slow. She slammed the door open with a sharp kick.
Blue's face brightened the moment she spotted her friends, safe and unharmed. "Ethan!" she called out, her voice lifting with relief.
Ethan let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. "You're okay," he said, tension easing from his frame.
"Thank God," Raphael murmured, his knees buckling as he dropped to the floor. The weight of fear lifted—but not entirely.
Blue got down from Aria's back, staggering toward Ethan. She pulled him into a hug and letting all her worry leave her body, he hugged her back but he's gaze lingered on Aria who only stuck out her tongue at Raphael.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Raphael barked angrily, butting his forehead against Aria's.
"Saving your ass" she retorted with a scoff. Raphael clenched his fist angrily, grinding his teeth together.
Blue freed Ethan from her hug and split the two apart. "That thing, it's not supposed to be here" she noted focusing on the important facts.
Ethan nodded his head. "How did it even make it past the barrier?"
"Somethings not right about this" Raphael agreed, stroking his chin.
"And how are you still alive?"
Ethan paused as he recalled the scene. "I saw it, it saw me. I screamed and I ran away" he admitted lowering his head in shame.
"It let you live?" Blue was baffled.
"I guess I'm the chosen one."
They stayed silent. Aria was in the background eating a bag of potatoe chips she had found in the cabinets where the lunch was made.
"That's it" Raphael said. "You weren't the target. Blue is" he released. "When we split up, it went after you not me."
Raphael was right. "It said I killed her"
Aria's ears perked up at the sound of heavy footsteps, "guys I think-"
"So I'm not the chosen one" Ethan interupted her.
"I really th-"
This time, Raphael cut her off. "The Spider Phantom. So it wants—"
"Guys, I d—"
They all snapped their heads toward her, frustration crackling in the air.
"What?!" Raphael and Blue shouted in unison.
Aria didn't answer. She just lifted a finger and pointed at the door.
The phantom stepped inside. Its long, jagged claws scraped against the floor, and a low, guttural growl rolled from its throat. Strings of thick drool hung from its curled lips, dripping onto the tile with a wet plop.
"It's here" she finished her sentence.
They stepped back in horror.
"Ethan hide" Blue ordered, standing infront of him protectively. "Raphael and Aria, I need your help."
Aria dropped her bag of chips and stretched out her arms, she rolled her neck back. "No he's all mine!" She yelled and she vanished from their eyes leaving a trail of dust.
The creature's eyes darted around trying to spot her and she connected her foot against it's head.
It flew back crashing through a four walls, before it could even grasp the situation Aria appeared above it and punched it on its chest and it fell on the school field track.
She laughed maniacally as she watched the phantom struggle to stand, blood pooled beneath its body.
It roared weakly. Aria slowly waltzed toward it and the team watched in awe from the ruined wall on the second floor.
It weakly tried to strike her but she caught its arm and tore it from its body, it screamed in pain. The sound scared Blue.
"Oops" she cooed, tossing the arm aside. She crouched down beside it and pierced its chest using her hand, her hand swam in it's chest searching for its core as it lay helplessly.
"There it is" she said as she ripped it out of its body. The orb glowed in her hand and she frowned at the sight of the gold swimming inside. "Someone fucked with your core as well."