“Come out, come out now....." Stefin whispered softly. "I don’t have all day.” he walked carefully amd also with a sharp instinct. A few moments later something forced its way through a dimensional crack into the human world. Its face was unlike anything human, as it stretched downward. it's mouth split wide in a silent scream, as black residue dripped from its claws fingers. A low, roar escaped its throat. But it wasn't clear. Then a small portal opened close to Stefin right hand and through it a small dagger handle emerged from inside slowly. Without hesitation Stefin grabbed it and moved first closing the distance in a blink of an eye, his blade flashing upward in a clean arc aimed for the creature's chest. But it shrieked and recoiled, its body twisting with unnatural flexibility. Claws raked the air where Stefin head was. But Stefin pivoted just in time to dodge, his boots scraping the concrete floor. Then without hesitation he adjusted his grip on his dagger and prepared hims

Surprisingly, the girl suddenly stopped. She didn’t turn back to face him, which startled Stefin for a moment, considering how hard he had been trying to get her to speak.“You talk too much for someone who’s wounded,” she said, though she still didn’t turn around. It was almost as if she was avoiding looking at him directly.Stefin opened his mouth to respond, but nothing came out. For a moment, it felt as though his mind had gone blank.“So you can talk?” he asked, a hint of shock in his voice.“Yeah, I can. In case you hadn’t noticed,” she replied in a low, flat tone. “I’ve been trying to ignore you.”Stefin blinked before letting out a short laugh. “Well, that explains a lot.”The girl remained silent and continued walking.“What did I even do to deserve that?” Stefin whispered silently but the girl still heard.“Nothing,” she answered without slowing down. “You were just distracting.”Stefin placed a hand over his chest in a mock offense. “Distracting? I was trying to have a conv

Then an old woman stepped into view from the kitchen.She carried a striking, elegant presence. Her pale skin contrasted sharply with her short silver-white hair, neatly styled back with a few soft strands framing her face. Her vivid red eyes just like Stefin’s, were sharp and expressive, composed yet intense.Her features were refined: a slender nose, a defined jawline, and slightly parted lips that suggested quiet confidence. She wore a sleeveless, high-neck black top that fit closely, emphasizing her tall, slender, well-defined frame. A single red, diamond-shaped earring hung from one ear, adding a subtle but bold accent. Her posture was upright and assured, her arms relaxed, an effortless display of authority. She was past her youth, her hair silvered by years rather than weakness, yet her posture remained straight and unyielding. Age had touched her, but it had not claimed her strength. She studied Stefin in silence.Then her gaze narrowed slightly when she noticed something susp

When she finally sat down, Stefin didn’t say a single word. The entire class was still staring at her, whispers threatening to break out at any moment.With a sharp clearing of his throat, the teacher quickly pulled everyone’s attention back to the lesson. “Alright, that’s enough. Open your textbooks to page forty-two.”An uneasy silence settled over the room. But Stefin was uncomfortable.Anna, on the other hand, didn’t seem bothered in the slightest. She sat calmly, eyes forward, as if nothing around her mattered, not the stares, not the whispers, not him.Looking at her, Stefin knew that if he tried talking to her now, he would only be ignored. Since she clearly wasn’t ready to talk, he didn’t push any further and simply went along with the flow of the class.After that, the classroom fell quiet, and the only sound that could be heard was the teacher explaining the lesson while writing on the board. Different teachers came and went, each taking their turn to teach until it was fina

The remaining part of the school day didn’t pass quietly. In every class, students whispered about what had happened between Anna and Sonia. Some praised Anna for standing up to Sonia, while others said she had been foolish and had only gotten herself into trouble.A few hours later, the final bell rang.The sound echoed through the hallways, and the classroom instantly filled with noise, chairs scraping against the floor, students laughing, and bags being slung over shoulders.Stefin stood up slowly and slung his bag over his shoulder.Bob and Jerry walked toward him from the front row where they sat.“That was… a day,” Bob muttered, letting out a breath of relief.Jerry nodded slightly as he adjusted his glasses. “Yeah, I could say the same.” Then he glanced toward Anna’s seat by his left where she sat close to Stefin and noticed it was empty. Slowly, he turned back to Stefin, whose gaze was fixed on them. “Where is she?” Jerry asked, gesturing toward her desk with his head. “The ne