Body parts were strewn across the forest floor, the green grass painted with blood. Seven teenagers, their lives extinguished, lay lifeless around him, and yet Dom could not fathom how he killed them. But there was no time to dwell on the "how" or "why" of it all. Survival demanded his full attention.
Dom's mind spun in utter chaos as he tried to look for a way to get out of the situation. The longer he stayed, the higher the possibility of the guards, that were paid off, returning.
Then, an idea struck. He could run toward the school, screaming for help. With his disheveled appearance and the genuine terror on his face, no one would probably doubt his story. The staff would rush to the scene, and he'd be whisked away to safety. It was risky, but it was all he had.
His heavy breathing and sheer terror made acting unnecessary. With trembling legs, he rose from the blood-soaked ground. His gaze lingered on Daniel's lifeless face, guilt gnawing at him.
"I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice cracked
Without looking back, he turned and bolted. He ran through the forest, swiftly maneuvering between trees, each step bringing closer to the clearing. The school building came into view
Two guards sat at the entrance to the building, sipping their cups of coffee.
"Nothing is better than an afternoon black coffee." one of the guards said, while taking a sip.
"You know what's better than that? My wife's a-" The guard was interrupted by a loud yell.
"HELP!" Dom yelled as he swung his hands, so that the guards would be able to see him from their post.
"Holy shit!" One of the guards exclaimed before reacting with inhuman speed. He enveloped himself in lightning and appeared in front of Dom like a thunderbolt.
Dom was taken by surprise by the terrifying speed, but he quickly recovered and pointed to the direction he came from.
"Help. We were attacked by a beast!" Dom weakly said, exhaustion weighed heavy on him as he closed his eyes.
He didn't even realise how tired he was. Everything was happening so fast that he didn't even notice his mental fatigue and when his brain performed its last given command, it quickly went into hibernation.
The guard caught him and handed the-now-asleep Dom to his partner before running into the forest. The other guard activated his Arcanum, healing Dom's injuries.
...
The guard sped into the forest, easily making his way deeper into the forest. He came to an abrupt halt and looked at the ground. On the ground lay the hand of one of the students.
"Holy fuck" He held his hand on his mouth, preventing himself from vomiting out the coffee he just drank.
He walked past the hand and saw the gruesome art. Limbs and heads scattered around, with blood serving as the paint. By now, the place was infested with flies and an extremely putrid smell.
Unable to hold it anymore, he released his mouth and vomited everything that was in his stomach. After nearly vomiting his intestine, he picked up his intercom and held a button.
"Gatekeeper One reporting. There's been an attack. Multiple casualties, seven students confirmed dead."
A pause followed before the response crackled through. "Understood. Await further instructions."
.....
Later, two investigators arrived on the scene. Their expressions were grim as they surveyed the gruesome scene. One carried a scanning device, the other a notebook. The scanner beeped softly as it identified the victims.
"This is just gruesome." A man said. He was wearing a long, black coat over a black casual wear. He was holding a book, as he took note of every information he could find.
"7 students, killed, with just one survivor. And you wonder, where were the guards that were placed here?" a female -dressed in a formal attire- said as she bent down to take a closer look at the dead bodies.
"They're all freshmen. What were they doing here? This area is restricted," the female investigator remarked.
The face scanner beeped and she froze as it brought up the information of one of the students.
"Wait… this can't be right."
"What is it?" her partner asked, sensing her unease.
She swallowed hard. "It's Anderson MacQuoid."
Her partner's eyes widened in disbelief.
They exchanged a tense look, the implications sinking in. "We need to tread carefully. One wrong step, and we're the ones who'll pay the price," he muttered.
"Let's finish and report back to the Chancellor, ASAP." His partner nodded and they resumed their jobs.
"There is the possibility that Anderson paid or threatened the guards to leave while he and his friends entered the forest."
They both dropped the face scanner in their bags and examined the bodies.
"According to the guards, the student said that they were attacked by a beast, but these injuries are too precise to be that of a beast."
"Only the arms and heads were targeted and there are no other cuts apart from tiny scratched that were probably caused by something else, like a tree branch."
Of course, something that had enough strength to easily slice of a Keeran's head surely won't just leave scratches on its prey.
One of the investigators turned a dead body to the side. Their faces darkened as they saw the cuff, locking the hands together. They kept quiet, their head thinking of various possibilities and only one held weight over the others.
"Jack, I think we are both thinking the same thing. With the power that Anderson has and with what we are seeing, there's a huge possibility that he cuffed this student and brought him here to..." She didn't dare finish the sentence. The punishment for slandering someone as powerful as Anderson was death.
"I know. Let's report back. " They both got up from the grass and took another look at the gruesome scene, in case they missed anything. Their eyes landed on another cuff, this time broken, causing their expressions to darken more than before.
They both looked at each other, their eyes communicating silently and then they disappeared, leaving the forest in an eerie silence.
.....
The investigators reappeared at the entrance of a grand building, its towering facade adorned with intricate carvings that seemed to whisper of power and authority. The massive doors loomed before them, a testament to the influence of the man they were about to face. They exchanged a glance, their expressions grim, before knocking.
The door opened after a few seconds, revealing a man dressed in a butler suit. His glasses glinted under the chandelier light.
"Welcome, Investigators. The Chancellor is awaiting your presence." He smiled and gave them a light bow before moving aside for the investigators to enter.
Without a word, they followed him through the opulent halls, their footsteps muffled by the plush carpet. The air was heavy with the scent of polished wood and aged books, a stark contrast to the horrors they had just witnessed. The butler led them to another set of doors, even grander than the first, and pushed them open.
Inside, the room was vast, lined with shelves brimming with ancient tomes. At the center sat a desk that seemed to command the space, behind which the Chancellor loomed. His suit strained against his muscular frame, each movement exuding an air of dominance. His grin was sharp, almost predatory.
Although most Keerans were bulky, this man easily took bulky to the next level. One might think that he was obsessed, but the muscles that threatened to explode from his suit, would immediately change their minds.
"Why the grim expressions? Please, sit," he said, gesturing to the chairs before him. His voice was deep, resonating with authority.
The Investigators sat, their silence speaking volumes.
" Anderson MacQuoid is dead."
Like the after effects of a huge bomb explosion, the room became dead silent. The grin on the Chancellor's face had long vanished and was replaced by the same grim expression the Investigators shared.
After a minute of silence, the Chancellor spoke with a serious expression on his face.
"Tell me everything."
The female investigator leaned forward, her voice steady despite the gravity of the situation. "Seven students were found dead in the forest, their bodies mutilated. Among them was Anderson MacQuoid. The survivor claims it was a beast attack, but the injuries suggest otherwise. They were precise -targeted. And we found cuffs on some of the victims."
The Chancellor's jaw tightened, his hands clenching into fists. "Cuffs?" he echoed, his voice low and dangerous.
"Yes," the male investigator confirmed. "One pair was broken, suggesting a struggle. The evidence points to something far more sinister than a mere beast attack."
The Chancellor leaned back in his chair, his gaze piercing as he processed the information. "Anderson was no ordinary student. His death will have consequences-political, social, and personal. He was the fucking son of Locke MacQuoid. You understand the delicacy of this matter?"
The investigators nodded, their expressions resolute. "We'll handle it with discretion," the female investigator assured him.
The Chancellor's eyes narrowed, his mind already calculating the next steps. "Good. I want every detail of this incident uncovered. No stone unturned. And I want answers, fast."