The sun sat at the apex of the sky, the city below it moving at its usual midday pace. It was a modest place — a large dormitory at the center, wide fields with sports equipment, a handful of shops, a river running along the outer edge like a natural moat. Beyond that, houses, most of them dark. Most of them empty.
The students were out. Shops full, fields busy, voices everywhere. But the adults moved differently through all of it — careful, eyes low, carrying something heavy underneath the ordinary motions of a normal day.
Alice tore off a piece of tough bread with her teeth and kept walking, Bjorn at her side.
"I saw a cute kid earlier."
Bjorn said nothing.
"Annoying, but funny. He had this pretty red scarf."
They settled on the grass by the soccer field and watched the students run drills. Alice chewed her bread and looked out at nothing in particular.
"So what do you think?"
Bjorn considered it.
"We'll leave by tomorrow."
"Guess it can't be helped."
Alice pushed off the ground, patting her skirt as she stood to her feet.
"I'm going into their cafeteria. You want anything?"
"No—"
"Hey! Shaman!"
Turning Bjorn watched as Maren took lanky steps over to him. He couldn't help but feel annoyed to face this clown once more. Well it was a good thing Alice was here, he could off load any talks to her.
Turning his head, he opened his mouth, only to realize she had already left.
'Right. She just ate.'
Standing over him, the lanky man blew out a haze of nicotine before taking an unwelcome seat next to Bjorn. Bjorn couldn't help but let out a bellowing sigh, before shifting as if to get up.
"I know I was rude before. I'm..."
Maren held his tongue. The words wouldn't come out the way he wanted them to. He was never good at apologizing, he knew that. Instead he held out a small bottle. Bjorn looked at it, then at Maren.
He shifted once more, taking it from Maren and downing the whole booze.
"What do you need?"
Maren relaxed slightly, leaning back on his arms.
"I need a favor."
He leaned in close, cupping his hands around Bjorn's ear.
"Kill everyone but the boy with golden eyes."
Bjorn went still. He pulled back and looked at Maren properly — not the way he had been looking at him since he arrived, but actually looked. Maren looked back. Whatever had been between them before — the rudeness, the posturing — was gone. What was left was just two people who understood each other.
"I'll try. But it's up to lady Alice."
Maren pulled out a second bottle from somewhere and drank it.
"So the master gets the last say."
Bjorn's expression shifted slightly. Immediately regretting his reassessment of Maren.
"Sorry. I meant only one of two on this island."
————————————
Walking around the dormitory Alice somehow made it to the cafeteria without getting lost. Opening the doors, she assumed it was empty enough to strike a pose.
"Safe!"
"Pfft.."
A single red haired boy fell back on the rowed seats laughing a hearty laugh. A single tray sat in front of him with the standard half loaf of bread and a bowl of red soup.
"You're so lame, Alice!"
For a second the room was only filled with Naren's laughter. When he finally stopped, he noticed Alice's expression wasn't the most pleasant.
Her grey eyes were sharp compared to her previous playful expression, a cold and heavy atmosphere consuming the room in correlation. It was like a shroud of fog fell over Naren, enough to get his brain to assume he would die.
"What's so lame, Naren?"
For a second his golden eyes wavered in the presence of Alice. Then it shattered, the entire illusion of death squirming away like a drain emptying a bathtub.
"You remember my name?!"
"Of course I did. Who do you take me for?"
Naren began bowing to her several times, in both reverence and pure joy.
"I was wrong. You're not lame at all. You're the best Alice."
"Yes. Yes. I know I am. Don't be afraid to continue praising me."
"You're the—"
Alice jutted in, her expression laced with suspicion:
"Wait. How do you know my name?"
Naren grabbed his ears, wiggling them.
"I have real good hearing."
Alice titled her head, then whispered.
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"Wow, you get more impressive by the minute."
Just then, Bjorn burst through the doors, Maren trailing right behind him. They seemed closer now, actively acknowledging each other, both their strengths and shortcomings.
Alice whipped her head around.
"Oh shit."
Grabbing her, Bjorn swiftly dragged her out the room, ignoring her wailing and shouting about wanting to "speak to the Naren some more"
Maren walked by them, muttering under his breath:"Naren?"
"What're still doing here this late."
Yawning, Naren finished the rest of his bread.
"Aw come on, the sun's barely setting."
"See you're already tired."
"Ok ok...but answer first...What's cannibalism and devour mean?"
Maren tilted his head.
"Where'd you hear that?"
"Alice said it to the headmaster."
He stroked Naren's hair. Then stopped and grabbed his ears instead, pulling.
"Those damn superhuman ears. Always hearing what they shouldn't."
"Ow! Ow! Stop!"
Silence filled the cafeteria.
"You're not going to tell me, are you."
Silence.
"Then what was the favor you asked Bjorn?...I couldn't hear it."
Nothing.
"Come on. Tell me—"
"I asked them to be good to you."
Naren went quiet.
Maren looked down and placed both hands gently over the boy's eyes.
"It's too late. I'll tell you tomorrow."
"Come on…fess…"
His voice trailed off. Sleep took him before he could finish the word.
——————————————————————
The narrow halls of the dormitory were only illuminated by the moon coming through the giant windows. Two students were tip toeing through the corridor.
A boy who had recently lost the red scarf he found and a girl with breaded brown hair.
"Hiro...Where are you taking me."
The boy didn't respond. It's not like he could hear her. The girl shook his shoulders, finally causing him to stop and look back at her weaving hands: Where?
Hiro took a deep breath.
"The monster from yesterday...It had the same star shaped scar on his stomach...The same as Jerald."
The girl tilted her head, pulling her hand back.
"Jerald graduated and left a year ago. What are you talking about?"
The boy stared at her, brealy illuminated by the moonlight. Just as the girl was getting ready to sign, Hiro's body began to convulge. Then it spoke.
"Jerald graduated..."
She backed up slowly. His voice...it felt wrong. It shrilled as if his voice box was being pulled tight. As she lurched back, Hiro's body began shaking. Blood began oozing out of his eyes, ears, nose.
The girls face paled, as she tripped over herself and fell to the ground. Hiro's figure stretched, grew, became something inhumane. A smell of rot and iron engulfing the air.
A limb moved through the shadows, the moonlight shining on a stretched out hand moving toward the girl's face.
SHING.
The arm hit the floor in front of her, blood dripping from the forearm. The Wendigo shrieked and fell back.
"My, oh my. What long arms you have."
Alice landed between the girl and the creature, executioner's axe over one shoulder, black ribbon catching the moonlight. She hadn't rushed. She looked like she'd stepped out of somewhere comfortable.
The girl scrambled back, tears streaming.
"Hiro...What happened to—"
"What a shame."
Alice looked at her. The warmth that should have been there wasn't.
"I'm too late."
Something grabbed the girl from behind. Pulled into the shadows by an elongated limb. She clawed at the ground, wailing and flailing for Alice.
"Help me! Please! Please!"
"What's the point."
Alice's eyes adjusted to the dark staring at the creature that just pulled the girl in. One with frizzy rough hair and glasses so thick it made it hunch over from the weight. The creature devoured the girl, unhinging it's jaw as flesh churned in it's mouth.
"You all ate the same meat."
She tilted her head.
"Seems you didn't know, did you...headmaster."
Alice gripped her axe.
"What should we do about this Bjorn?"
The axe answered.
"Please refrain from unnecessary words, my lady."