127 Corrupted Hearts

She pulled me all the way to the chemistry lab. We got inside, and she closed the door shut.

"This is out of control." she said. "What happens next, I don't care anymore. I don't care if people finds me, sees you, or whatever. Protecting the innocent ones and keeping the darkness away... I thought this was something that mystical community agreed on. But, it turns out, power can corrupt the most innocent hearts!"

"What is going to happen? Why did you bring me here?" I asked.

"While those who are loyal to our cause are still with her, I need to go. For the rest of the journey, you will be on your own. And, hopefully, if, and once we are victorious... The spirits shall phase out of this world to their own, to never bother the beings of this physical world ever again."

"But, that doesn't explain; why did you bring ME?"

"Please bring me peace, I beg you!"

She dropped on her knees as she completed the sentence.

"For one last time... What does this has to do with me!? Why do I have to witness it?"

"Mr. Kenan, you are not a bystander. If Mother chose you, there is a reason for that." she sighed. "In case I fail..."

"..."

"...you will take my place in this world, as the representative of the great ideal of my mother. If the right time ever comes, we shall connect to this reality through you."

"I don't understand."

"You are a fail-safe, an early warning!" she said. "...although I hope our next meeting will be for better reasons."

"I..."

"Unlike the previous time, the clock is ticking, Mr. Kenan. She doesn't have much time, so neither do I. Please, let's get this over with."

"There must be some other way..." I said. "Let ME go instead!" How did I just say that? How could I say that!? I had no idea what I was thinking.

"I can truly see why Mother chose you for this duty." Melis commented. "But there is no other way."

"..."

"Listen... You are being selfish. Let go of your emotions, and do the best for the people. Needs of the many outweights the needs of the one."

I could have turned her in to the police and it would be done.

I could have turned myself in and everything would be okay.

I could simply run away instead of getting dragged into this mystical world.

I could...

I could've done many things differently.

But not anymore. Not after it all came to this. I could save myself, but I would never forgive myself. If we were going to entrap the evil we have unleashed, there was no other choice.

If I was supposed to dedicate the rest of my life to keep the darkness at bay, that was what I was going to do.

"One last death to put a stop to this madness..."

Was she talking to me, or was I making things up?

I got a good hold of Melis' neck and strangled her, squeezing her neck with all my power. Her eyes opened wide, and her face muscles began moving randomly. I was feeling a weird vibration on my fingers. She was trying to scream, but couldn't. Her mouth was wide open, with her tongue out.

She started sweating, and the color of her skin changed. I could see the veins running just under her skin.

She began waving her arms around, and eventually, she grabbed my arms to try to push them away. I knew she was in great pain, but there was no turning back. She knew it as well, but couldn't help herself.

She moved her legs around, pulling them closer to herself and trying to crawl away from me. I didn't let her. Her movements turned into random kicks into the air.

Her grip on my arms loosened. Her eyes slowly slided upwards. Some sort of foamy liquid came out of her mouth.

Her muscles relaxed, and her head dropped to the side under it's own weight.

She stopped moving completely. I released her after going on for a few more seconds. I held her from by her shoulders, and softly placed her body on the ground.

Suddenly, a weird, blue light appeared in the room. I got up, scared and curious.

Melis' eyes lit up, shining with a light tone of yellow. Looking into her eyes, I felt like I was being pulled into it. I had a tunnel vision now, locked onto her eyes.

"Although the spirits shall phase out..." I was hearing the Mother's own voice again. "...her memory can stay with you."

"Memory? What will happen to her?"

"Thanks to you, she will be okay with me."

"Her memory-"

"Farewell."

All the lights faded out.

I was feeling empty, and a little dizzy. What was I going to do here?

"Teacher?"

"Melis?" A student at the school, in the middle of the night?

I looked at her awkwardly as she got back up. I thought I had just killed her.

No. Where did that thought just come from?

"Is there something wrong, Mr. Kenan?" she asked me.

Was she real?

"No, no; not at all!" I chuckled. "So tell me, why are you here in the mid-"

Of course she would be here. She had brought me here in the first place.

"Teacher, get some rest."

"Okay, okay." I said. I couldn't remember why we were in the chemistry lab.

What was I even thinking about? Of course I would be here. I had felt that urge to come here in the middle of the night.

"So, this may be a bit awkward..." I continued talking. "Do you remember why I called you here?"

"Did you call me here?" she answered with a question of her own. "Hehe, guess I forgot all about it~"

How could she forget about everything that just happened here?

But, again... Why was I here? Why were my thoughts oscillating back and forth?

They were taking the memories!

Who were doing... what? What was I saying? I was confused by my own train of thoughts. No, this was more like a rollercoaster.

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"I think it is enough for today." I said. "Let's get out, shall we?"

"O-okay." Melis responded, giving me an even awkward look. We got out of the school.

"Don't mind me." I said on the way out. "I think I might be a little too tired. I don't know what I'm saying."

"I figured." said Melis. "You sound like you are drunk, teacher!"

"I don't drink!" I said.

"Okay, but hold it." my inner voice talked to me. "Is she real?"

"Are you r-" I was about to ask it out loudly by accident.

"What?" said Melis. "I couldn't hear you."

"Nothing." I said and kept walking. What a strange thing to ask! In what fantasy world was I living in?

We walked the rest of the way in silence and arrived at the bus station. I sat on the bench and started waiting for one of the late-night buses. She did the same.

"Let go." Melis said. "Our memories shall be erased like their existance."

"What?" I said. I couldn't understand it. Was this a quote from a popular book or something?

"Oh, nothing." she said. I couldn't ask her to say it again.

I was dozing off when the bus arrived. Melis woke me up, and we got on the bus. I sat next to her in the empty bus.

I was apparently dozing off again. Melis woke me up when we got close to my apartment. I had unknowingly put my head on her shoulder.

"I'm sor-"

"It's okay." she said. I stood up and prepared to get off the bus. Melis turned around in her seat to look at me.

"It wasn't your fault." she said as I stepped outside. Before I could ask anything to her, the doors closed, and the bus left the station. I looked after the bus until it turned to another empty street.

What have I done? What was she talking about?

I suddenly changed my mind and started running after the bus. I could still hear the engine sound, and I knew the route. If I was fast enough, I could make it.

After I ran past three streets, the sound faded out. I had lost the bus, and Melis was nowhere to be seen. But, she was my student after all... I could ask tomorrow anyway. Now thinking of it, I had no idea what day of the week we were in.

"I might really be drunk." I said myself. "Or maybe it is the chemicals..."

I barely made it home that night.

- - -

The next morning, two teachers were found dead in a classroom by a few students. School was cancelled for some time. Some parents considered sending their children to other schools, concerned about their safety and well-being.

According to the police, all the evidence was pointing to suicide, but... There were lots of questions, the most obvious being "Why?". They were simply tasked with patrolling around the building...

Those questions went unanswered. But because of the safety concerns, a series of rules were agrred on by the teachers, and were put into effect at Chersonese High; most notably banning late hour activities in the building.

After that event, no one have ever seen or heard from the Mother or the community of tortured souls.

...until years later, when a group of friends decided to make an extended stay in their school building. Despite all of the precautions taken by their teachers, they would find themselves in an adventure full of action and mystery.