Chapter 16: Blood And Water
2698 Words
“I thought of an idea,” Ivy spoke, removing his gloves. He observed his hands that were no longer scarred. “How about we go there, but not with our physical bodies.”
Yuma frowned. “Meaning? Wait, go where?”
“To the old world,” Ivy added, “If we go there–”
“Mister Ivy and Mister Yuma...” The teacher poked the board. “I want you to come down here and make a demonstration to your friends of the move I just explained in the presentation.”
Ivy lowered the scarf covering his mouth and nose and felt his lips, verifying if his scars were visible. They joined the teacher on the board. Ivy watched the video on the board and took Yuma’s hand, pulling him closer before flipping him up and kicking him skywards. He caught him in his arms as he fell, smiling softly. “Did it hurt? I was careful.”
Yuma glared at him. He grabbed his collar and jumped up before flipping Ivy over on the floor and pointing his hand and his throat. Ivy’s gaze softened. “You grew a lot stronger in the past two months.”
Yuma smiled brightly as he helped him stand. “Thank you!”
“All right, class dismissed.”
Ivy and Yuma went to gather their books. Ivy sat down. “It seems like both of us forgot what happened in those fifteen years. It can’t be a coincidence. Then... The only way to remember is to enter another coma together.”
Yuma laughed, confused. “You’re crazy!” he whispered, “We just got out of one, why go back?”
“This one will be different from a regular coma,” Ivy explained, “It's a form of meditation, a bit like lucid dreaming. I can do it on my own, but I’ll ask Seira or someone else to assist you and ensure your safety. Unless we do something this radical, I’m afraid we won’t remember.”
“Is it... bad if we don’t remember?”
“Think about those who sent you to the past so you get eaten.” Ivy pattered the desk. “It can’t be random. Someone must be trying to manipulate our memories.”
Yuma frowned. “I agree... We must fight back whoever is using these mind games.”
Ivy stood up. “I’ll test it out tonight. If it’s safe, I’ll let you go in with me next time.”
“But... how can we go in the same dream.”
“Through medication, it’s possible, but since you don’t know how to do that, there are machines specialized in these things. We use them for training, so they’re beginner-friendly,” Ivy explained, “Swimming now, huh.”
He clenched his jaw, remembering what happened last time. Yuma held his hands. “I’ll help you this time. I’m a good swimmer. Trust me.”
Ludovic was peeking at them from the door. They glanced at him. “Why are you being so fidgety?”
He laughed. “It’s just been so long since I saw you two getting along so well! I’m so happy for you.”
Ivy and Yuma exchanged glances. Ivy’s features softened, and he pulled Yuma in a tight hug. Yuma’s gaze saddened as he ran his hand in his hair. “I’m...”
“You don’t have to say anything. It’s okay,” Ivy whispered, “It’s over now.”
They walked towards the changing rooms. Ivy blinked as Raylan stood between him and Yuma and took his hand. “Your girlfriend is calling for you, and you’re here spending your time with boys?! Go to her!”
Ivy stared at Raylan in silence. He entered the changing rooms and didn’t remove his shirt this time. He wore leggings instead of speedos. Ludovic patted his back, smiling sadly. “What’s wrong?”
Ivy shook his head. “Nothing. It’s nothing...”
Ludovic patted his shoulder. “It doesn’t matter what people say about you. I won’t ask either. If you decided to cover your body out of your own conviction, then I will give you my full support. However, if you’re doing it because of what people say, I will fight them for you.”
Ivy rested a hand on Ludovic’s and smiled. “Don’t worry about me. I usually dress up like this. You’re... always watching over me. I will be sure to do the same. I will do my best to protect you, if necessary.”
Ludovic raised his eyebrows. “Oh, you don’t have to do any of that! It’s...”
“It’s decided,” Ivy winked then left the room.
He found Janis waiting for him outside. The grey-haired offered a faint smile, seeing him. “Hey... I really wanted to apologize for what happened last time. I... couldn’t protect you. You never showed up to class after that, and I felt bad... Was it because of me?”
Ivy unbuttoned his shirt. “No. I had things to do. I have no problems with you. I know it wasn’t you who used those chains.” He stood beside the pool. “I don’t know who did though.”
“I was assigned to be your instructor, Ivy.” Zalia stood beside him, wearing a sweatshirt over her swimsuit. She observed his body carefully then traced the muscles on his torso. “I want to assess your physical condition first.”
Ivy turned his head away from her. “Don’t bother.”
She took his chin. “You’re in no position to refuse.”
He opened his mouth to speak but gasped as she pushed him into the pool. “What would you do if someone did this to you mid-battle?”
She watched him struggle briefly before he froze the entire pool and sat on the surface, panting. He winced, pressing a hand against his mouth. Blood covered his fingers. Ludovic ran to his side and caught him as he fell. Ivy relaxed in his arms, panting. He moaned softly as she pulled him by the arm. “Interesting. I didn’t know you were capable of such magic. You... an eight-pointer, or was it nine? It matters little, either way, failure.”
She lifted him up by the hair and kicked him across the room, her gaze darkening. “Someone like you... stealing Orpheus’s attention,” she muttered to herself.
Ivy tried to stand but gasped as she stepped on his belly. He grabbed her ankle and threw her backwards. He stood up, leaning against the wall. Ludovic took a step towards him, but Janis stopped him. “Don’t get involved. We will die immediately if we interfere!”
Ivy tried to summon his weapon and clicked his tongue, remembering the ban. He raised the water from the pool and blocked Zalia’s bullets. He winced as a bullet pierced his shoulder. Ludovic ran out of the room in the meantime. Ivy yelped as Zalia pushed him into the second pool. She aimed lightning at the pool. He cried out in pain as the lightning burned him.
“Cancel!” Zalia frowned as her lightning disappeared. Ivy gasped softly, his body relaxing on the surface.
“IVY!” Yuma plunged into the pool and dragged him out carefully. He rested a hand against his cheek so their eyes could meet. “Talk to me, Ivy? Can you hear me?”
Ivy’s eyelids started dropping as his limbs twitched periodically. Yuma carried him in his arms and stood up, glaring at the woman. “Who do you think you are, attacking a student like this?”
She pointed a hand at him. “Who do you think you are, talking to me with that tone, worm?”
Ivy clung to Yuma’s chest. The red-haired blinked as the black-haired pushed him back. He heard him gasp in pain before falling on top of him.
Ludovic ran into the pool with Orpheus. The blonde-haired’s eyes widened, seeing dark blades stabbing Ivy’s back as he collapsed on top of Yuma. Blood ran along his back, down to the floor.
Yuma rested his hands over Ivy’s back and frowned, feeling the liquid on his fingers. He whispered his name. “Ivy...” He sat up, yanking the blades out of Ivy’s back. Ivy’s body leaned on his arm, his head tilting forward.
Yuma held his wrist to feel his pulse.
“No use.” He looked up to Zalia. His eyes flashed wide as he saw a heart in her hand. She gazed down at Ivy before stepping on his belly. “This weakling... We don’t need him here. He will only shame our–”
Her eyes flashed wide as Orpheus slapped her. “Go to my office. I will think about an appropriate punishment.”
He took the heart from her hand and knelt down beside Ivy. He rolled him on his back and inserted the heart back inside of his body from the gash caused by the blades. Flying green books floated around him, creating different surgery tools from light that he used to operate on the black-haired. Yuma watched the blood spreading on the ground with round eyes.
A red light burst from his body, blowing away the ceiling and the walls. “I will...” He stood up, his eyes going entirely red as his fangs grew longer. “Kill her...”
His claws grew longer as he walked behind Zalia. “I WILL KILL HER!”
The students ran away, screaming. Orpheus gazed at Yuma with round eyes. “Such... power... Is this even possible...?!”
He heard Ivy gasping in pain and looked down to see him opening his eyes. Ivy gazed at Orpheus, struggling to breathe. Orpheus carried on healing him. “Good. You opened his eyes. Try to stay with me. I’m healing you right now.”
Ivy stood up with shaking legs. He gazed at the red light blankly. “No...”
He took a step forward and teleported in front of Yuma. Yuma roared in rage and pushed his hand forward. Ivy gasped as the claws stabbed his belly. He pushed himself closer to Yuma and pulled him in a tight hug, hyperventilating as blood ran from the corners of his mouth. His eyes started closing as he whispered Yuma’s name, caressing his hair. He grunted as Yuma bit into his neck. He smiled weakly. “That’s... good...”
His vision went blurry. “Just... c-c... calm... d... down... Yuu...”
His world turned around. He fell to the side, breathing Yuma’s name. Yuma caught him and sat down, the red aura disappearing from around his body. He fell on top of Ivy, unconscious. Marissa ran inside of the pool with Reis and Elena.
Elena’s eyes widened, seeing Ivy lying in a pool of blood, breathless. Orpheus was healing him. “I’m losing him...” He glanced at Reis. “Do you have the apparatus to measure points with you?”
Reis gave him a bracelet that flickered with a blue light. Orpheus took Ivy’s bloodstained hand and tightened the bracelet around his wrist. He raised his eyebrows, seeing the number zero appearing on the bracelet. Ivy’s face went paler as his body grew colder. Marissa joined them. “We need to refill his energy before the old world claims him.”
Ludovic pointed at tentacles the appeared from the ground and pillars. “Wh-What is that?”
Orpheus clenched his fists. “That...”
The tentacles wrapped around Ivy’s body and began pulling him into the ground, legs first.
Orpheus clung to him, cutting the tentacles off. “Is there a way?! Can we transfer our points to him?”
“Yes... But there’s a risk.”
Marissa rested a hand against Ivy’s chest and another on Orpheus’s. “Just one point is enough.”
A white light covered all three of them, and all the tentacles retreated. Ivy gasped softly, blood and saliva running along his chin. He opened his eyes, gasping for air. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he scratched the ground. His eyes widened slowly as he cried out in pain. Orpheus frowned, confused. “What’s happening?!”
“Just like a blood transfer, transferring points has its risks,” Marissa started, “If the nature of your energy doesn’t match with his, he will feel tremendous pain that rivals death without dying.”
She folded her arms. “No healing can alleviate the pain. Even if we put him to sleep, he will continue to suffer in his dreams.”
Ivy scratched the soil, gasping and holding back not to scream. He threw up blood. “Kill... me...” he breathed. “KILL ME! KILL ME! PLEASE! KILL ME!”
Orpheus’s eyes widened, watching him beg. “Is it... that painful?”
“Most people lose their sanity by the time the seizure passes.” Marissa stood up. “While you can find many people who have the same blood type, energy is different. Hardly anyone has the same nature of energy as the other. Some transfers are less painful than others, depending on the bonds between two people. Nevertheless, energy is directly linked to the soul, and each soul is unique. I only accepted to do the transfer this time because it was a critical situation.”
Ivy scratched his own neck and chest, kicking the ground and screaming. Orpheus held his arms down. “Ivy! Put yourself together! You have to withstand this!”
Ivy shook his head, screaming for help. Reis held his legs down with Elena. Ivy gasped suddenly, his body relaxing on the ground as his head tilted to the side. Orpheus leaned back. “What... happened?!”
“I don’t feel his vitals anymore. It’s a heart attack,” Elena informed, her eyes watering. “Will he... die?”
“Not on my watch.” Marissa rested her hand against Ivy’s chest and pushed it gently as a pink light ran along his veins slowly. “Check on the other student, quickly. If he’s all right, take him to the infirmary so he can have a proper rest.”
“Yes!” Elena and Reis carried Yuma to the infirmary. Marissa carried Ivy in her arms. “To be honest, this isn’t the first time this happened.”
Orpheus walked with her. “What do you mean, headmistress?”
She sighed, staring at the bite mark on Ivy’s neck, blood pink matter oozing out of it. “Fifteen years ago, the same thing happened. I was there. I watched it all happen.”
She closed her eyes. “Back then, Ivy was only seventeen, already graduated from this university. He was a brilliant student, to say the least.” She sighed, "He was indeed..."
She clenched her fists. “But he was set up, and it was my fault for not realizing it sooner. By the time I got there, he was lying on the ground, drowning in his own blood.”
She entered her office and laid Ivy on the couch. She removed the hair from his face and caressed his cheek carefully. “It all started like this...”
- Writer
