Hunter or Prey

Chapter 3: We Don't Talk About That

Zylah bolted upward with a gasp. Her heart was racing, cold sweat drenching her sheets and making her pajamas stick to her uncomfortably.

That same nightmare.

It had been weeks since the mysterious figure had attacked her, and she was still having nightmares about it. She could still feel the hopelessness and the fear as if she was right there. And for the past two weeks, she relived it every time she closed her eyes.

Sighing, she swung her legs out of her little cot and lit the oil lantern. She glanced at the old and cracked clock on the wall. 5:45. She suppressed another sigh. She'd have to go to school soon.

Opening the little cupboard in the corner of the one room in the house, she pulled out the jar of tea leaves she kept in there. It was nearly empty.

She quickly made herself some tea and sat down at the rickety wooden table that was barely tall enough for her to sit at. She had been drinking tea a lot more lately, courtesy of the nightmares she kept having. Blinking, Zylah shook herself out of her thoughts and looked at the clock. Somehow almost an hour had passed. Getting up, she drained the last dregs of her tea and started getting ready for school.

The school day passed in a blur, like all the other days the past weeks. The school year was almost over. Zylah would have to look for a new job until school opened up again.

Now, Zylah was sitting on the bench in the dustfield, observing a fight between Ken and Rillo. Murnak sat next to her, arms folded and lip out in a pout. He wanted to fight, but Zylah wanted to make sure he was completely healed before he began again.

"Watch your side, Ken!" She called. Ken took her advice and protected his ribs from a kick coming to his side. He uppercutted Rillo in the jaw, and Rillo stumbled out of the chalk ring. Zylah called the match, declaring Ken the victor, when she spotted someone coming across the field, coming towards them. The haze above the ground distorted the image, but the white hair was unmistakable.

Shade stopped in front of the ring, silently staring. His heterochromatic eyes were a bright blue and bright green, unusual colors in the small town of Jenoah.

Vental broke the silence. "Shade!" He exclaimed, approaching Shade jovially.

"Hey, Vental." Shade smiled slightly. He looked at the rest of them, his gaze lingering for a moment on Zylah. She bristled and looked away pointedly.

"What are you doing here?" Rillo asked. "I thought you didn't know where we practiced."

"I knew. Just couldn't find the time to come visit." Shade replied. He made his way over to the bench. Murnak stood quickly to allow Shade to sit down. Zylah suppressed a sneer at his willingness. "Just forget I'm here."

"O-ok." Diego stuttered, surprised. They looked to Zylah.

"Diego against Ken." She said simply. "Winner goes against Vental." They nodded and took their positions.

"3! 2! 1! Fight!" They chanted. The battle started. Occasionally, Zylah called out a piece of advice.

"Do you fight?" Shade asked suddenly, keeping his eyes on the fight.

"No."

"Why not?"

"Reasons. Things you wouldn't understand." She said waspishly, effectively cutting off the conversation. His hands tightened around each other, the little scar below his first knuckle whitening. She noticed the bandage on his left wrist. "What happened there?" She nodded to his wrist. He looked at her and smiled faintly.

"I was burned."

Zylah blinked, the cogs in her head turning. He had phrased it so oddly. Not 'I burned myself' but 'I was burned'. As if someone had intentionally burned him. Why had he...wait.