Chapter 4 Natural Enemies

CHAPTER 4

Five days passed.

I didn't tell anyone about the flower.

I don't know why I kept the information from my friends. Perhaps, I was embarrassed. The Cortege was an archaic and serious tradition. Young people today considered it outdated.

Courtships were rare. When they did take place, everyone followed closely - and I hated spotlights. If they were going to notice me, let it be for my skill as a guardian, and not my ability to win hearts. That was stupid.

It was a Thursday.

After class, I went to practice.

There was a heated Olympic-size swimming pool in the basement of the Pantheon. I put on my swimsuit, my cap, and went for a workout. It was important for guardians to know how to swim. Some water demons could beat us in the water.

I was training more than usual that week. I was using physical activities to channel stress.

There were a few students in the pool. Some were relaxing with friends, others were swimming furiously. Obsessed with training, just like me.

I completed several laps of the pool and stopped at the edge. I took a deep breath, catching my breath.

Suddenly, two feet appeared in front of me. They wore very thin high-heeled boots - totally out of place for the swimming gym.

- Hey, you. - Someone called me.

I looked up and was confronted by Kamala. Argh.

I removed my glasses.

- Oh, Kamala, it's you. I didn't know they let witches out of Salem.

She had a piece of paper in her hands. This time she didn't look sassy or self-confident. Just angry.

- No time for small talk. Get out of the pool. I need to talk to you.

I sighed. What a sweet person.

I froze myself out of the water.

- Let's go to the changing room. - Better get it over with...

We sat down on the bench in the changing room. I wrapped myself in a towel.

- Okay, what do you want?

She showed me the paper in her hands, irritated. It was an official letter from the Pantheon.

- What did you tell Professor Aryan about me?

- What? Nothing.

- Don't lie. - She pointed to Aryan's signature at the bottom of the document. - The bastard kicked me out of his class. I got a spot last week in a very competitive competition. Now I get a letter dismissing me from practice.

How strange. Teachers did not expel students without proper motivation.

- Did you do something to upset him?

- Obviously not.

I clicked my tongue.

- So maybe he just doesn't like his kind. Snakes are not very popular.

- Argh, Kali, I have no time for your grudges. I am serious. This is very important to me. Aryan did not know me and never exchanged more than three words with me. I have never offended him or misbehaved in his classes. Yet he sent this letter to the principal requesting my dismissal from the class "for personal reasons." You know him and talk to him....

- No, I don't know him.

- Give me a break. You even danced. If he hates me, it had to be you.

- But it wasn't. Yes, I hate you, but I would never harm your academic life. Besides, why would Aryan listen to me? I have no influence on him. The two of us are not friends. We talked for ten minutes at the ball, and that was it. We don't meet for afternoon tea. Honestly, I don't know why he wants to stay away from you. Why don't you talk to the principal?

- I've tried. He said the captain has discretion over his classes. I don't understand... There's no reason why he shouldn't like me...

I could think of a few reasons.

- Sorry, Kamala. It sucks. I don't know what to say.

- Can you talk to him for me?

- What?!

- You are the only student he talks to. Maybe if you interceded...

- Kamala, stop. If it were any other professor, I would. Not because I like you, far from it, but because I don't mess with other people's academic careers. Believe me, the captain hates me. He is Shikram, and I am Dakti. Interceding for you will only make your situation worse. I am not the right person for that.

She massaged her temples. For the first time, without emanating her natural arrogance. She looked exhausted.

- Fuck, what a situation. What can that teacher have against me?

- Why don't you ask him directly?

He snorted.

- A friendly chat with the devourer of souls? Is that your suggestion?

- I don't see any other option.

He sighed, stuffing the letter into his bag.

- You know what? I'm going to go. I have to think about what to do. See you later.

- Okay, bye.

Then Kamala left - without any provocation.

Wow. She must have been really depressed.

I took a shower and put on my uniform. As I did so, I thought about how intriguing it was. Why would Aryan purposely harm my nemesis? It was almost as if I was...

Trying to punish my enemies.

No. I quickly abandoned the idea. It was too absurd.

The other day I went to my first class.

I used to meet Shantai and Rajan at nine o'clock.

That morning, the class corridor was crowded. Students were running to their classes, chatting in groups.

That's when I saw a shocking scene.

Three people were talking at the door of my classroom. Shantai, Rajan and

Aryan?

I froze, watching them from afar. What on earth could the three of them have in common?

Aryan had his back to me. He was saying something, and my friends were just listening. Shantai held the strap of her backpack over her shoulder, tense. Rajan just listened with raised eyebrows.

The passing students cast mortified glances at the three of them.

Why would the captain be here? In the corridor of the theory classes? His classes were practical, held in the gymnasiums. He had no reason to be on this floor.

I watched Shantai mutter, shocked.

"Is that serious? It would be an honor... Thank you for the invitation."

Rajan agreed, stunned.

"Thank you, professor. We'll be there."

Aryan said something, nodded, and walked away. Shantai and Rajan exchanged an incredulous look.

"What was that?"

"I have no idea..."

I approached:

- First of all, good morning. Secondly, when did you become friends with the soul eater? The spawn of Satan?

Rajan exhaled.

- Good question.

Shantai explained:

- It was scary. We were waiting for you at the door of the room and he approached us. He came to talk specifically to both of us. At first I thought he was going to devour us, but in the end... He invited us on a date.

- How is it?

Rajan frowned - not believing what he was saying.

- It was very strange. I don't even know how he knows us. It seems that he is pre-selecting some students to mentor, and both of us were chosen. Don't ask me how.

I was shocked more and more.

- But it is not the teachers who choose their pupils, it is we who approach them...

- That's right," Shantai replied. - But it seems that the captain has his own rules. He wants to take us out for coffee and a chat. He wants to get to know us better, to see what our talents and aspirations are.

- But why just you two? Have you signed up for any of his mentoring programs?

Did it exist? How come I never knew?

- No. I don't even know how he knows us.

- But let's not ask either," Rajan concluded. - This is practically a miracle. When an opportunity like this falls into your lap, you don't contest it, you accept it.

We went in to attend the class.

At lunch, I decided to come clean to my friends. We sat down in our usual places in the cafeteria, and I began:

- So... A strange thing happened yesterday.

I told them about my conversation with Kamala.

Rajan was shocked:

- He kicked her out of class? That doesn't make any sense! The classes have just started!

Shantai opined:

- Kamala hasn't even had time to be a slut yet. How can he hate her already?!

- That's the point - I bite my lip. - Actually, I have a theory, but I might be delirious.

- It counts. Usually your intuition is infallible.

- That's good. Think with me... The captain has not approached any other students for mentorship, only you. Gossip here spreads, and the chosen one wouldn't hesitate to tell advantage. He wants to mentor my two best friends, and he just sunk Kamala's academic life. The asshole ex-girlfriend who humiliated me and broke my heart.

- Continue.

- It's just a theory... But don't you find it strange that, after the fight, he didn't try to take revenge? He's the devourer of souls, for the love of the gods. It's logical that he would take revenge. Compassion is not his strong suit. First, he asked me to dance, and now he is besieging the lives of my friends and enemies. Do you understand what is going on here?

Rajan exhaled.

- Ah, damn it. It's obvious! He's recognizing the territory! Knowing his friends, strengths and weaknesses.

- By the gods! - Shantai put her glass down on the table, mortified. - Either the guy is in love with you, or he is planning an exquisite revenge.

- Okay, the three of us know that he is not in love with me. So there is only one option left.

She swallowed hard.

- Revenge.

I hid my face in my hands.

- Shit. I can't have a teacher as an enemy. He has the power to destroy my career.

Damn the time I beat him in that fight.

- Calm down," Shantai held my hand on the table. - We will find a way. We'll talk to the principal.

- No way! The director eats out of his hand.

Rajan intervened:

- We will talk to the Council, then! We'll do anything. We won't hold her hostage to a psychopathic teacher.

At that moment, someone cleared his throat near us. I looked up and was confronted with the principal's secretary.

- Miss Kali?

I frowned.

- That's me.

- You are being called to the board of directors. Can you come with me?

I exchanged an apprehensive look with my friends. I wondered if Aryan had already made a move. Plotted to get me kicked out of school, or some such cruelty?

I threw the backpack over my shoulders.

- All right - and I followed the secretary out of the cafeteria.

On the way, everyone cast glances at us. Being called to the principal's office was not a good thing.

But it was not at all what I expected. The director called me for a much worse reason.

My grandmother was dying.

When our relatives on earth went to their deathbed, we were called by the board of directors. We could accompany, from afar, their last moments. Sending blessings to help them make a smoother passage, to heal and to take away the pain.

I cried for hours. I begged them to let me come down to earth to say goodbye to her. However, very few students could get such a benefit. They had to be sponsored or the children of important people. Trips to Earth were forbidden for fledglings.

Grandma was hospitalized. She had a degenerative disease. According to the director, these were the last weeks of her life.

I didn't go back to class that day. I locked myself in my room - and cried myself to sleep.

Poor Grandma. I had to be by her side in those last days...

My mother would not be there. Grandma had only me. To die alone was very sad. She needed my comfort and care.

Unfortunately, I had already sent all my available blessings to her.

Shantai and Rajan tried to help me, giving away the blessings they had. Still, it was not enough. Our blessings were students - fragile and weak. They would not completely undermine his suffering. The disease was too painful and serious.

I just wanted to give her a dignified end...

That week I languished.

I couldn't go to class or study. I did volunteer work at the Pantheon to get more blessings. Everything I earned was sent to Grandma. Small doses of joy and anesthesia so that the illness would not be so painful.

By the end of that week, I was able to gather extra blessings. So I went to the Shrine to send them off.

The Priestess attended to me. She was used to my presence. I appeared every night - almost always crying.

- Oh, hi, you're back. Your name is Kali, isn't it?

- Hi. Yes.

She went through her log book.

- Do you want to send blessings to your grandmother again?

- I put the coins on his desk. - That's all I have. Please send them immediately.

We got blessings from work and study. Volunteer work generated extra blessings. That is, gold coins that were converted into luck, joy, and health for our loved ones. It was a way to stimulate us to work hard.

The Priestess flipped through the log book, looking for my grandmother's name.

- Here it is... Mrs. Prianna Sarkar, isn't it?

- Herself.

- Sorry, dear, but you can't send any more blessings. I just saw that the limit has been reached.

- How is it?!

The limit was millions of rupees, Hindu currencies! I would have to work for years to get such a fortune!

- It seems that someone made a donation of thousands of gold coins to her.

I gasped.

- This is crazy! I have no sponsors!

And neither are friends so rich.

- But it happened. It was this morning. The deposit took place in the name of... - she put on her glasses to see the records - Oh, yes. Captain Aryan Razam.

I petrified.

- What did you say?

- That your teacher made a million-dollar donation.

- No. There must be some mistake.

She stared at me, trying to understand my reluctance.

- This is good news, dear. With all these blessings, your grandmother will not suffer any pain at the end. I have learned that her illness is terminal and very painful in the final moments. Now she will be able to leave in peace and without pain, having good dreams. And when she is conscious, she will be in a state of joy and gratitude. It will not be a sad death.

I started to cry. By the gods...

- I can't believe he did that.

- Your teacher must love you very much. It's a rare, million-dollar donation. - He caught my hand on the table. - Be happy, dear. Your grandmother is well and will leave in peace. If I were you, I would go right now and thank the captain. He was very generous.

I wiped away the tears of happiness.

- Thank you! Thank you very much!

I ran to the professors' dormitory. It was in the farthest and most elegant part of the Pantheon.

There was a guard at the ward door. Of course there was. Many students would show up here to disturb teachers. They would ask for notes, advice, mentoring - and even make statements.

Trained guardians exerted an authoritative attraction on students. Many of us fell in love.

Of course, no childish infatuation was ever reciprocated. Teachers would never get involved with pupils - but not because of ethics, but because they didn't consider us their equals.

Among guardians, there was a hierarchical scale. Everything was about status and strength. In the food chain, students were small fish. They, sharks.

I begged the guard:

- I need to see Captain Aryan!

- Sorry, student, he is not in. He left for a mentoring appointment.

Ah, geez. I had forgotten.

The week was a blur, and I forgot about Aryan's meeting with my friends. At that hour, they would be in the Pantheon cafeteria.

Rajan came up with a plan. He thought it best to accept the professor's invitation. At the meeting, they would try to read his intentions. To see if our theories made sense.

I went back to my room hoping that my friends would bring some good news. No, he is not obsessed with getting back at you. We rave about conspiracy theories.

But then...

How to explain the millionaire donation?

Aryan was no benefactor. He had always been known for his dubious and cruel personality. Who knows what kind of intricate revenge he had been planning.

I suspected that the problem was not, in fact, with me. It must be Shikram acting through him to harm Dakti.

Only, in this fight, I would lose everything.

***

The other day we had the day off. A weekly rest from classes.

I found my friends on the lawn. I didn't even have to sit down. Rajan was already talking:

- You were right.

- Ah, crap. - I threw myself on the grass next to them. - Tell me everything. Even if it's terrifying.

- Right. He asked a little bit about us, but then he just talked about you. He claimed to be considering you for a mentorship. He said you impressed him in the fight.

- Did he want to know details about me? My weaknesses and fears?

New ways to scare me?

- No. - He frowned. - In fact, he asked unexpected questions. Your dreams, your hopes for the future, what you do in your spare time... Oh, and if you are dating anyone.

- That was the weirdest part," Shantai added. - What does this have to do with mentoring?

- Okay. - I stood up suddenly. - This has to stop.

- Where are you going?

- Confront the damned.

Rajan's eyes widened.

- K, it's not a good idea. The captain is dangerous and unpredictable. His fame is not by chance.

- He messed with my family, Rajan.

- What do you mean?

- Forget it. See you guys later. - And I ran out before they could stop me.

Involving my grandmother in your plans was too much. It crossed all limits.

I would be kicked out of the fucking Pantheon, but I would make that man stop chasing me.

I made my way to the teachers' wing. I didn't know if the captain would be in his quarters. On free days, teachers used to leave the Pantheon, and seek diversion on Earth.

I stopped in front of the guard, panting.

- I need to talk to Captain Aryan, and I can't take no for an answer.

I expected a fight, but got the opposite.

- Are you Kali Sarkar?

What?

- Yes. How do you know?

- The captain warned about you. He gave you a free pass to his quarters. You may enter.

I was perplexed, but had no time to reflect.

The guard gave me the room number and I rushed into the ward. Some teachers were talking in the large hallway. When they saw me, they were shocked.

"Hey, miss! You can't be here!"

"How did they let a student in?"

I didn't stop and I didn't explain myself. I just kept running.

The teachers' wing was huge. Aryan's room was in the farthest, most private room.

At the end of the hallway was a double door. The number 33 was carved into the wood. It was there.

I slammed the door three hard times. My heart hammered against my chest. I was hot-tempered, impulsive, and instinctively protective. Most of the time I could be rational - but if they messed with mine, I'd go crazy.

Time passed and he didn't answer. So I knocked again. This time with the open palm of my hand.

- Open up, Captain! I know you are there!

It was sudden. The door opened violently. My hand remained flat in the air. I lowered it, tense.

Aryan was on the other side of the door. He didn't say a word. He just stared at me with piercing, dangerous eyes.

Shit. His presence was dominating and intimidating.

I glued my arms to my body and clenched my wrists. Even though his gaze terrified me, I would not back down.

- I know you are chasing me.

He just raised an eyebrow, devilishly.

- E?

My blood boiled. He didn't even deign to deny it?!

- I just came to say that I am not afraid of you. You can try to fuck up my career and hurt me, but don't mess with my family. That, I will not accept. I don't know what your intentions were in donating blessings to my grandmother, but I am sure that it is part of an intricate and diabolical plan. If you want to get back at me, then do it! But don't involve my family in this! Leave my friends and my enemies alone. Your problem is with me. Take your revenge on me and only on me.

In response, Aryan looked me up and down. Then he came forward. Without thinking, I walked backwards. He didn't stop walking, and neither did I.

I ended up with my back against the hallway wall.

He came closer and closer. He put one hand on the wall, next to my head, surrounding me. His muscles were huge and powerful, trapping me.

I was breathing heavily. I could almost hear my heartbeat.

I looked down. Shocked, I realized he was hard.

Then the professor did the unthinkable. He leaned over and brushed his nose against the skin of my neck. Then he took a deep breath.

Upon smelling me, he emitted an animalistic grunt.

It wasn't hate. It was horny.

He hissed. His voice, embattled with excitement.

- If you don't want to end up naked in my bed, run away.

My brain went into a panic. I couldn't move. My nipples hardened. I wasn't thinking - I was just feeling.

Those powerful muscles compressing my breasts... His hard and powerful member rubbing my hips... His intoxicating masculine scent...

I tried to formulate the words.

- You... You can't say that to a student.

I felt his breath in my ear.

- Don't be stupid, little girl. Run away from my passion while I'm giving it a chance.

My eyelids fluttered.

- How is it?

- I'm going crazy for you. If I catch you, you will be mine. And I will fuck you so hard that no other male will dare come near what is mine.

Suddenly, everything became clear.

Fuck. The captain didn't want to get back at me... He wanted to fuck me!

Terrified, I leaned over and slipped under his arm. I ran out, my pulse racing.

As I walked away, I heard the sound of a fist hitting a wall. The captain was punching something to vent his frustration. Not with me, but with himself. He failed. He was a celibate professor lusting after a female student.

It was never my career in danger of collapsing.... It was always his!

I ran to my room. I locked the door and opened the dresser drawer.

I took out my diary. I hadn't written in it for years. I used it as a method of therapy after arriving in the Pantheon. Dying burned left its traumas.

Nobody went through my drawer. It was a safe place. So that's where I hid my secret.

In the middle of the pages, there was the red rose. Crumpled and dry.

The frightening idea emerged.

I was putting the pieces together. Aryan would peek into the details of my life and make donations to my family. He questioned my romances and punished the ex who broke my heart.

Daktis and Shikrams had only two paths. Either kill each other, or love each other. No middle ground.

This rose only appeared after the arrival of the captain. And red roses meant passion, devotion, and desire.

I closed the journal and tucked myself under the covers.

- No, no, no. - The devourer of souls could not have fallen in love with me. It was not possible.

Or was it?

Deep in my heart, I already knew the truth.