[Jow Ylliard Hayle]
I cracked my neck and rolled my shoulders.
Then I stretched, loosening up my muscles.
"You know exactly what you did, right?" I asked Lumiel, my voice calm but cold. "Are you trying to involve your 1,000 members against the 200 of Cruel Sun Gang members?" I asked again but he still didn't answered.
He stared at me with burning eyes, his body tensed like a coiled spring.
The wind was sharp and cold here on the rooftop. It howled around us like a warning neither of us would heed.
I followed him up here after he suddenly challenged me to a fight. I didn’t expect him to clock me in the face earlier when I was just moving a damn chair out of my way in the hallway.
“Why are you getting close to Clayrin?” he barked, his voice cracking from how much he was screaming.
I cracked my neck again and narrowed my eyes.
“Make this fun,” I muttered, the words like frost on my breath. I didn’t have the energy for confrontations. But maybe fighting this idiot would clear the fog in my chest.
I'm drowning in confusion over my feelings for Clay. I need clarity. Maybe this violence will give me that.
“I joined the Supernatural Club because I had a reason… Clayrin Aisfine Ezz was part of that reason. But it’s not just because of her.”
> Why the hell am I even explaining myself?<
“You’ve got some nerve after what you did to Cruzecrin!”
“Cruzecrin this, Cruzecrin that… You’ve been running your mouth since the hallway. Aren’t you tired of your own whining?”
His teeth clenched tight. Fury lit up his face. Only two meters stood between us now.
> My fists are itching to destroy something... someone.<
My vision darkened—especially my right eye. My heartbeat slowed down to something unnatural. My breath turned cold and mechanical.
"I'm losing control..." I whispered into the wind.
I lunged.
I swung my right arm wide and slammed it into his neck, sending him stumbling back several meters. He nearly lost his footing.
I didn’t give him a chance to recover.
I charged again and drove a kick straight into his gut.
He folded over, clutching his stomach. I grabbed a fistful of his hair and yanked his head back.
My fist cocked, ready to smash into his face—
But he barreled forward and tackled me, hard. Like a runaway truck.
His hands gripped my back, then he twisted his hips and shoved me off.
I landed fine—didn’t even flinch.
He was hunched over again, one hand over his stomach, his eyes filled with hate.
“That face… that demon’s face of yours! You don’t care about anything but destruction! You’re not human, you’re danger itself, Eyeden Ylliard Hayle!”
“Then stop yapping and try attacking,” I growled back.
He screamed and launched a right hook. I ducked. Then came a left—I caught it mid-air with my right hand.
I twisted his wrist and smashed my elbow into his arm. He cried out.
He aimed a kick, but I stepped back and let him miss.
He fell to one knee, gripping his arm, his eyes glistening with unshed tears he tried so hard to hold in.
“What’s wrong? Is that all?” I asked, walking toward him.
I didn’t hesitate. I brought my foot up and drove it into the side of his head.
He flew sideways and hit the ground hard.
His eyes rolled back, white as snow.
I grabbed the lanyard of his ID card and yanked it upward, forcing his head up with it.
“Hey! Wake up! Don’t you dare pass out on me, weakling!”
> My fist won’t stop shaking. I need to hit something again!<
I drew my arm back, about to punch him again—
But his eyes shot open.
He kicked my leg out from under me.
I fell and lost my grip on his ID.
He rose and threw a punch. It landed square on my face.
I stumbled, tasted blood, but when he went for another—
—I kicked him in the jaw.
Blood spilled from his mouth. He stumbled back, coughing, his knees buckling.
I wiped my bleeding nose.
“The last time we fought in a gang war, your punches were like feathers. Now… I guess you’ve leveled up to pebble status.”
I straightened up and cracked my knuckles.
“You’re barely holding yourself together.”
“Shut up! I’ll kill you if it’s the only way I can keep you away from Clay!”
“Oh, right. You said earlier that if you beat me, I’m out of the Supernatural Club. Since when did you have the authority for that?”
“Shut up, you monster! If it weren’t for you… Cruzecrin would still be alive! I promised him I’d prove him wrong! That I’d be the strongest brawler and earn the right to protect his sister! I would’ve kept Clayrin safe!”
He was losing it. Spit flew with every word.
“But you let him die! You let him die, Jow! It should’ve been you!”
Something snapped inside me.
I lunged forward, raining down hooks left and right.
I followed with an uppercut and ended it with a brutal face punch.
He crumpled to the ground.
His face was a bloody mess—mouth and nose gushing, right eye swollen shut.
He lay there gasping, wheezing.
“Got anything left to say?” I asked coldly.
His mouth opened. A sob escaped.
He screamed, voice raw and broken.
I moved to straddle him, fist clenched—ready to end it.
But—
“Jow! That’s enough!”
The voice broke through the haze.
I turned and saw her.
Clay.
Her eyes were wide, glassy with unshed tears. Her expression twisted with pain. Behind her stood Nova and Rain—Rain crying into Clay’s arms.
“What are you doing here?!” I barked at Nova. “I told you to control the crowd! Why did you let Rain call Clay?!”
Nova looked away, exhaling shakily.
“Stop it, Jow,” Clay whispered. The three of them stepped closer to where Lumiel lay trembling on the rooftop floor.
“You pathetic weakling!” I growled at him. “You were full of yourself earlier. Now look at you—crying like a child.”
Clay stepped in front of me.
And slapped me hard across the face.
“Snap out of it!” she shouted.
> You damn woman... do you want to die?<
My fists clenched. I could feel my body trembling, on the verge of lashing out.
But I held myself back.
“Please that's enough, Jow…” Her voice was soft, trembling.
Her eyes—they were shaking.
Those eyes… they melted something inside me.
I raised both hands and slapped my cheeks. Hard. Trying to wake myself up.
“This idiot,” I pointed at Lumiel, “he wants me out of the Supernatural Club.”
“Oh no… he passed out!” Nova cried out, rushing to Lumiel’s side. “Rain, help me carry him!”
Rain stayed quiet but moved to help.
“Did you hear what he said?” I asked Clay quietly.
She nodded, biting her lower lip.
“I was the reason your brother died…”
My hand instinctively reached for my chest, where the ache throbbed.
“I’ve been carrying that guilt all this time. I always meant to tell you… but it ended up coming from someone else. I’ve been a mess—full of stress and fear and regret.” I smiled faintly.
Three seconds passed.
She said nothing.
> Why aren't you saying anything? Ahh… I see now. You hate me, don't you?<
“I already know how to deal with my curse. I don’t know why I joined the clubroom in the first place.”
I turned away from her.
It’s better this way.
It’s better if I stay away from the people I care about.
I don’t want to hurt them again.
To be continued.