Jonea crouched in the middle of the overpass. She was alone there. Only a few pedestrians passed by. The girl folded her hands on her knees and hid her face.
Her cell phone kept ringing. Everyone is trying to contact and look for her.
The girl was so fed up. She turned off her cell phone and put it in her trouser pocket. When Jonea looked up, the last snow of the season had fallen. Jonea's eyes reddened and watered. She started shivering, either because of the snow or because of the anger that was suppressed in her chest.
"I have to do something, right? Damn it! How come I realized it so late?"
Jonea stood up and hit the guardrail of the bridge.
"So everything is interrelated. I'm too naive. No! I'm too stupid to fool myself."
Jonea walked down the overpass. Once on the sidewalk, she started running along the road to tire her body. Jonea ran to vent all her anger and disappointment on herself.
"Miller, I have betrayed my own cause. I was too carried away by moods and feelings to realize they were all using me."
In private club B4, Hunter and his friends gather. They were all worried about Jonea not being found.
"I'm sure she's with your mother, right? Why did you stay here and let your mother misbehave with Jonea? You know your mother is dangerous!" shouted Aland, who couldn't hold back anymore.
"Watch your mouth, Aland!" retorted Hunter with real anger. "It's not even proven that my mother was involved in Miller's accident. How about you? You were involved that day too!"
Aland was already about to hit Hunter.
"Everyone, calm down!" shouted Elmar. "It's time Jonea knew what really happened to Miller. We can't keep hiding from that girl."
"Of course, she will not forgive us," continued Edison. "But she should have the right to know."
When Aland released his grip from Hunter's collar, Aland's body suddenly froze. His instincts told him Jonea was not far from him. The young man immediately pushed Hunter away from him and ran to find Jonea.
Quietly, Jonea returned to school. Even though it was late and she couldn't get past the school gate, Jonea managed to reach the school building via a shortcut connected to the school forest.
She walked quietly down the path between the dark and deserted school forest. Jonea just wanted to go to the art club room.
The girl is holding the keys to the art club room. But all for free. Because someone had barricaded the art clubroom door with wood. Jonea looked up and was so fed up.
"Who did this? Axel was never coming back. But I am still officially a member of this club!"
Jonea looked for a rock that was big enough. She pounded hard on the wooden bar before the door until the nails came loose. With what last bit of strength she had left, she ripped open the wooden beam and opened the door to the art club room.
With a shaking body and shaken consciousness, Jonea turned on the light. The room glows yellow. She walked unsteadily–tired from the run and opened the barred door.
She went to one of the piles of paintings still stored there.
Jonea picked up a painting she still needed to finish. Jonea originally intended to give the painting to Aland on his graduation day.
Jonea opened the cover of the painting. She noticed a picture of a gray-white wolf that looked so beautiful. On the back of the wolf figure was a sketch that Jonea had yet to complete.
Jonea covered the painting again with a cloth. Her hands drooped to the sides of her body.
She secretly took out the silver peg she always carried with her. Jonea gripped the silver stake tightly.
"No use anymore! All is over."
Jonea swung the silver peg right at the rewrapped painting. Aland appeared and grabbed Jonea's hand.
"Stop it, Jonea!"
Jonea was surprised. She looked to her right and saw Aland standing there, looking sad and full of longing.
"Let go!" Jonea said in a voice almost trembling. She wanted to shed tears, but she was desperately holding them back.
"What are you doing here? Did you meet Mrs Abraham? What did she do to you? She hurt you?"
"Let go!" hissed Jonea.
Aland glanced at the cloth-wrapped object in front of Jonea. He began to wonder what was behind the cloth cover.
"No, Jonea. You have to let go of this peg. You could hurt yourself."
"Let go, or I'll hurt you first!" Jonea shouted with a piercing gaze.
Aland was shocked and couldn't believe it. "What is it?"
Jonea just stared at Aland sharply. Finally, Aland understood what was happening.
"This about Miller? I know you are capable of injuring and even killing me right now. I'm willing to die in your hands. But not before you listen to everything."
"I have nothing to hear from you, Aland Hamilton. I already know everything. I already know what you guys have done to make Miller suffer and hurt."
Aland pressed his lips together while still gripping Jonea's right hand.
"Let me explain. After that, you can make any decision. I will definitely accept it."
Jonea rebelled. She gripped the silver stake tighter and tried to escape Aland's grip. A struggle ensued. Aland wasn't willing to let Jonea go in her very unstable state.
Aland won the struggle. They both fell into a pile of paintings, and the silver stake slipped from Jonea's hand. The painting that Jonea wanted to destroy collapsed with a broken frame.
"Calm yourself first, Jonea."
Jonea was blinded by anger. She crawled and fumbled for her silver stake. She found the silver peg in one of the legs of a table in the corner of the room.
….
When Jonea was at the Abraham family's house some time ago, Mrs. Abraham handed Jonea a file.
"Intelligence report?" she asked.
On the cover of the file was written 'Top Secret' in red. Mrs. Abraham asked Jonea to read the file carefully.
"What does all this mean?" she asked. "How did you get access to secret state documents?"
At first, Jonea thought it was just a forged document. However, when Mrs. Abraham showed several videos documenting research activities in a secret laboratory, Jonea finally believed her.
She was shocked and couldn't gauge how much influence and power Abraham's family had. Until they can get state-secret information.
"As you and everyone else know, this country is funded by the rich and powerful one percent of the country. Currently, the country is in a state of crisis, both security and financial."
Jonea squinted. "How can I believe? None of the media reported it. You are all fine after invading our territory and eliminating the human race several hundred years ago!"
"We tried so hard to cover it up!" said Mrs. Abraham. "But not anymore. We are on the brink of war. State officials have tried hard to cover it up. However, it is only a matter of time before all these problems will be exposed."
Jonea still needs to understand the relationship between the country's security problems, the threat of war, and Miller's accident.
"The werewolf race that mostly dominates the country of Blue Sapphire has been at war for centuries with other races outside of the country of Blue Sapphire. Our warriors have been struggling to control internal turmoil–the war with the lycans. There weren't many, but these Lycans were strong and hard to track down. Because they are solitary and do not colonize."
"Then what's the problem? We, humans, are not interested in your business!"
"You live in this country and become part of us. Currently, the country needs to do better. How strong and able are we to hide it from the people, but in the end, it will be revealed too."
Mrs. Abraham pointed at the file in front of Jonea.
"Intelligence reports say that the Lycans are preparing a force to attack the Blue Sapphire. They used reinforcements from the vampire race, who had long been our enemies. Their attacks occur continuously and are increasingly widespread in the border area. They want to rise up and dominate the power of the Blue Sapphire nation."
"That's your problem!" Jonea pouted. "It makes no difference to us who will rule. Humans will still be made into slaves."
"We are short on soldiers!" said Mrs. Abraham quickly. "No matter how many warriors we have, we are still outnumbered compared to the vampire in the north country. Because of that, our research institute researched the best formula for turning a human into a werewolf."
"You're not ashamed to say it frankly in front of me?" quipped Jonea.
Mrs. Abraham ignored her. "The research started from a research institute funded by the Abraham Foundation. Last year, we devised a new formula to turn human DNA into a werewolf without surgery. It is enough to inject manipulated DNA into human blood."
Jonas clenched her fists. She remembered the contract Miller had agreed on for the research.
"You're using a human student who got a scholarship here to become the object of research? You… harmed Miller!"
"Yes, as you already know. Miller became one of our volunteers. The problem was, right on the appointed day, these students suddenly rebelled and refused to accept insemination. Their rebellion was started and led by Miller Fallon."
Jonea almost squealed joyfully when she discovered that Miller had turned down the project.
Mrs. Abraham also showed video footage from CCTV cameras at the school, which had been secured. So far, Jonea has yet to find the videotape. It was as if all the evidence had been erased.
Jonea had considered taking the video from Mrs. Abraham to be used as evidence of the Abraham Foundation's crimes against its students. However, Jonea's gaze soon caught on the part of the video.
That day when Miller was reported to have had an accident.
Miller just received the B4 symbol at school. The B4 symbol was apparently given to Miller because he was considered a troublemaker after leading a rebellion. Miller influenced other students to oppose and reject the research.
Jonea's eyes heated up when she saw the video recording without sound. Miller is bullied by many students at school.
Jonea concluded, 'That B4 symbol would not have been possible for Miller to get without the approval and involvement of Hunter and the other B4 members.'
"You must have known," said Mrs. Abraham. "There's nothing you can do about Miller's case. Let's say he's lucky to be alive and only has memory loss. If only we wanted to sue him, surely he would get a far more severe punishment than you have received."
Jonea clenched her fists. Her eyes were glassy and red. She glared at Mrs. Abraham.
"A heavier punishment? You mean you're going to kill Miller like you killed Ashley?"
"Ashley? You might think I did it." Mrs. Abraham shook her head. "Read the files, and everything is clearly written there."
Jonea also checked every intelligence report in her hands. She arrived at the report file about the case that happened to Ashley.
"What? Is Ashley a spy? Impossible!" Jonea almost laughed when she read it. But, all the reports seemed too real to her.
"Intelligence has long suspected spies were sneaking in to learn about our research. We managed to get the spy. None other than Ashley Simpson. She works for the lycans. She's trying to find a loophole to thwart our research. The men who hunted you in the jungle work for the national intelligence agency."
"Impossible!" Jonea backed away on trembling legs. "What about Biggest? What did you guys do to him?"
"It's obvious. Biggest is part of the student body that supports Miller's rebellion. Of course, he must be secured so that similar uprisings do not arise."
Jonea opened her mouth in disbelief. "How many parties have you sacrificed for your ambitions in war and power?"
"We're back on the main topic. In the contract that Miller has agreed to, the articles and clauses are clearly written if he violates this agreement. We were good enough to let him live. So, Jonea. We'd better get over this problem. Get out of Abraham High School. Cover your eyes, mouth, and ears until you die. We'll be keeping an eye on you and Miller. Also, people close to you. If this secret information is spread, we will find you and your family first. Isn't this a good offer?"
Jonea grinned. "So, is this what you mean by the future that Hunter and all of us will face?"
"Don't be childish, Jonea. There are things more urgent and dangerous than your anger and disappointment. Currently, the country is focused on facing external and internal attacks. If you keep harassing Hunter, he won't be able to focus on leading the herd and stopping attacks from outside or within. So, it's only useful if you claim him as a mate. It will be easier if you reject him and let him be himself. He must lead the herd with a cold heart and an iron fist."
….
Aland is curious about the painting that Jonea is trying to destroy. The young man got up and slowly wanted to open the cloth cover. When Aland had only half uncovered the cloth, Jonea attacked him with a silver stake.
Aland was surprised. He didn't think Jonea would hurt him at all. Aland did not put up a fight either. When Aland came to his senses, the silver stake had already penetrated his stomach.
Aland and Jonea stared at each other blankly. Aland held Jonea's hand, who had thrust a silver stake into her stomach. Red blood seeped out from the wound on Aland's stomach.
There was a burning hunger in Jonea's eyes–hatred and revenge. Meanwhile, Aland, tossed between pain and shock, instead smiled at Jonea and seemed to want to say, I'm fine.