THIRD PERSON POV
This Chapter Contains Violence. Please READ WITH CAUTION.
The school grounds buzzed with energy. Canopies lined the courtyards for clubs, new students wandered around exploring, old students mingled, and popular crews were busy showing off. Music, chatter, and laughter filled the air—almost enough to drown out the occasional chaos of rivalries or pranks.
George and his team weaved through the crowd, showing Ivy around and pointing out clubs. Albert stuck close, occasionally whispering something only she could understand, while Lily bounced beside them, overflowing with energy. Fiona kept an eye on Zoé, who chose to glare daggers at Ivy's back instead of socializing.
"So, what's your pick?" George asked casually.
"Hmmm… music, science, and basketball,"
Ivy replied calmly, her blue eyes scanning the activities with detached precision.
"Wow… isn't that stressful?" Fiona asked, frowning.
"Yeah. You got paired with one of the toughest groups in the school. Busy schedule. Are you sure you want all that?"
Nathan added, hands in his pockets.
Zoé scoffed. "She chose it. It's her problem. If she can't handle it, she'll quit. No need to waste our time."
Ivy didn't even glance at her. "No worries. I can handle it."
"Showoff." Zoe muttered under her breath.
George scratched the back of his head.
"Don't mind her. She's not usually like that."
Donald gave Ivy a brief glance, then returned to his path through the crowd. The group gradually split up to explore different areas. George and Donald headed toward the food stalls, Nathan wandered lazily, and Albert, Lily, and Ivy stayed together while Fiona went to keep an eye on Zoé.
"Where next, where next… ooh! Science club—let's critique them!" Albert said, tugging Ivy along.
"Are you kidding me? That stuff's boring," Lily protested, hugging Ivy's arm.
"Then music section it is," Ivy suggested calmly. Lily's eyes lit up, and she bounced along behind Ivy, dragging Albert with her despite his groans.
At the music club, Ivy and the team took a seat to watch performers. Albert fiddled with his phone, growing bored, while Lily whispered excitedly about the show to Ivy. Ivy listened patiently, nodding occasionally, showing only faint amusement.
The festivities stretched on for three to five days, allowing students to socialize and clubs to compete. Slowly, the team began opening up to Ivy—everyone except Zoé, whose glare seemed permanently fixed on her. Even so, Ivy remained calm, adapting silently to her new surroundings.
By the fourth day, the team stayed in the apartment. Nathan and Fiona were in the kitchen making snacks, while the others set up the living room for a movie marathon of their previous tournaments and battles.
"Oh yeah, you two never told us how you met," Lily said, stuffing her face with popcorn, peeking at Albert and Ivy.
"We met at a science fair when I was ten. She was first place, I was second, and I had to know her secrets," Albert said, smiling at Ivy.
Donald looked between the calm girl and Albert. "You two dated?"
"Yeah we did," Albert admitted.
"Why'd you break up?" George asked, curious.
"It wasn't moving. We realized we were just attracted to each other's brains," Albert replied, shrugging.
Lily laughed, and Albert playfully tossed a piece of popcorn at her. Nathan and Fiona returned with trays of snacks.
Thirty minutes later, Zoé eventually joined them. Nathan observed silently, jotting notes. Lily occasionally asked for a rewind, saying she loved the scenes.
After an hour and thirty minutes, they were done.
"Ivy, don't you guys secretly record too in Country A?" Nathan asked.
"We do. Want to see?" Ivy replied.
"Of course," George said with a light smile.
"Isn't Country A based on entertainment? What good could their battles be?" Zoé scoffed and continued.
"What I'm telling the truth. Seventy percent of their resources go to the entertainment industry. That's why they need exchange programs with us. I pity those who actually went there—they'd drop to nothing,"
"Zoe, shut up," George said sharply.
"But boss, it's—" Zoé began, but George's glare silenced her. By now, everyone noticed Zoé's dislike of Ivy, but they stayed quiet. Ivy connected her phone to the TV, showing a twenty-minute video.
"Tch. What did I say? No one wants to believe me," Zoé muttered.
"Zoe, we're a high-ranked team. Anyone joining us isn't to be underestimated,"
Nathan said, giving her a disapproving look. Zoé went silent, glaring at the screen instead.
The screen showed a peaceful street, until a portal suddenly opened. A woman crawled out, her wet hair clinging to her emaciated body. Her eye sockets were empty, and a half-serpent body slowly revealed itself.
Passersby ran in terror, while a few unlucky souls were grabbed by her tail. She clawed at them, licked the blood, and revealed sharp, uneven teeth and a forked tongue.
Not far away, a girl exited a mall with twin boys trailing her. They froze at the inhuman sounds—the growl, the whiz. The girl glanced back at the creature, then calmly led the boys to a car.
The serpent lunged. The girl pushed the boys into safety and drew a long chain. But the creature grabbed her and threw her aside, smashing the car.
"Oh my goodness, poor kids!" Lily exclaimed.
"Shhh," George, Nathan, and Fiona warned. All eyes were glued to the screen.
A louder growl echoed—not from the serpent, but elsewhere. The girl they had seen earlier—Ivy—stood ready, irritated, pole in hand.
The serpent paused, sizing her up, then lunged. Ivy didn't flinch. One swing to the head, another to the chest. Black blood spilled across the street. The monster twisted, trying to escape, but Ivy yanked its hair, controlling its movements with terrifying precision.
Finally, she smashed its head with the pole and twisted to break the security camera filming the chaos. Silence fell.