A typical day it was at Saint Catherine Sierra Academy, bright blue sky and a windy weather but it didn't mirror the stirring inside Maou's chest—perturbed since they came to class. The towering redhead kept on glancing at where Caroline sat, her sour mood clearly apparent from distance, thanks to Jeson's declaration about Georgina and her family being dead.

This was troublesome, like a fish-bone stuck annoyingly in his throat. Dead, huh? I don't see anyone mourning. Maou's brown eyes turned away from Caroline and checked the rest of his circle, whatever the teacher at the front was discussing no longer registering in his head. He was glad Yoshihiko returned after an indefinite absence, a lot of catching to be done later for sure; Hayato, nothing new with him, still had that default scowling expression even if he wasn't angry; and Aya was trying to concentrate but Erick had his armchair scooted too close than comfort.

Tch, this son-of-a-shit.

All the impending thoughts of helping Aya from her source of distress vanished when Maou caught someone standing against the door frame near the black board at the front. The teacher seemed oblivious and showed no signs of noticing that person over there staring intently at Maou.

Sheer raw fear sculpted on Maou's face. The terror that hit him in the gut as he met those unblinking gaze was unanticipated. No, no, no! This is impossible! What the fuck is happening to me?! His hands were ice-cold, eyes welled with tears he held back hard and his heartbeat went ballistic.

The surrounding became mute, almost like in slow motion, the teacher kept on talking but Maou no longer comprehended what her lips were forming. His brown eyes gleamed with fright, he wanted to turn away but he sat there frozen meeting those unblinking gaze.

That gaze echoed memories far from Evergreen, of a group Maou cherished and held close to his heart. It was also the reason for the demise he exerted to bury six feet under.

Those chapped, bluish lips opened and moved.

"Stop being blind, Red Demon, don't be an ass. This isn't like the last time"

Maou had to bite hard on his lower lip and made his startling movement subtle because he heard those raspy, tired voice clear despite their distance. He shook his head, wanting to wake up from this shit but his body wouldn't budge, no matter how much screaming internally he did for it to move.

A fraction of blink and the ghastly limping figure by the door frame was gone.

"Maou, stop thinking about us and move on from our deaths already! Get a fucking grip!"

No he didn't vanished, that figure was now close whispering on Maou's ear and up close, the latter could see the decaying details, the cause of death.

The Red fucking Demon.

No one knew about the edgy code name except for the group Maou used to hang out with years ago. Their bond was that of brothers despite not sharing the same blood. It was a long time already yet that memory never really released him.

Maou had rushed out of the classroom through the back door without asking for permission, he knew the teacher called to him but he didn't care. His panic was at the ceiling of his skull.

'It's your fault, a murderer this young.'

'YOU UTTER FAILURE OF AN EXISTENCE.'

'RED FUCKING DEMON.'

Standing inside the empty male washroom and leaning onto the tiled sink, the towering dark red-haired boy tried inhaling and exhaling slowly. He felt his lungs restricting like several blockages in his air sacs—the past was taking such malignant forms within the surface of his consciousness and grinning maliciously, enjoying his demise.

"Stop...For fuck's sake, enough" Now his head was aching too, an irritating throb on both sides of his temple as if it'd explode. "I'm trying to live in the present"

One of the cubicle doors swung open, someone stepped out and stood next to Maou which he could see from his peripheral vision that the guy opened the faucet to wash hands.

"Are you now?" The question came from that guy washing his hands.

Maou stifled, freezing in the middle of an unwanted meltdown.

The guy already had his back on Maou turning to leave and he bumped onto Maou's bag which caused it to fall. "You never let them go, you just hide them with thick smokes"

On the tiled floor, the bag became half-opened and peeking out from it were the cigarette packs Maou had and his old silver lighter with intricate details.

Maou clenched both fists, his chest rising up and down tensely. His brown eyes turned livid as he drilled a sharp gaze at the back of the guy. "Oy! Wait!" He felt anger for the call out. "Who the fuck are you?!" He didn't have time for this, his headache was getting worse.

The guy didn't stop leaving the male washroom, he left without his footsteps making any sounds. Maou held onto the counter, holding back the impulsive urge to go after the bastard and vent his frustration at him through beating.

Because he was damn right.

He never fucking moved on from what happened.

The reason he left and came to Evergreen.

"I thought you already stopped" Now standing by the doorway was Yoshihiko, by his statement he meant the empty packs of cigarette that fell out of the bag.

A dry sarcastic laugh escaped Maou as he shakily picked his bag and the empty cigarette packs. "You're the one to talk, man" He crumpled those packs in his hands then threw it in the bin.

Yoshihiko smiled, knowing what Maou meant. He walked forward to lean on the sink next to his friend, hands in pockets. "Everyone got worried when you left the classroom so I checked on their behalf"

"Who is everyone? I doubt they gave shit" Maou asked.

"Only those who gave a shit" Yoshihiko replied without missing a beat.

After their exchange, both guys laughed in unison at their unexpected syncing and timing. The migraine kicking Maou's temples were slowly subsiding now.

Yoshihiko glanced down at his shoes after laughing, it felt so good to crack a wide smile and share some good sniggering with a friend. "I'm so alienated right now, missing a lot and wondering if the school becomes crazier or I am the unhinged one" He held the white bracelet on his wrist which was similar to what Maou and his other friends were wearing. "Teacher Femante asked me a lot of stupid questions earlier"

"When did she not?" Maou didn't stop himself from huffing.

Silence followed the boys' brief chattering, neither had many to say but uncertain where to start or filter it. But both were tempted and also conflicted about this one topic they beat around the bush, like a canned good from a decade they refused to open.

Yoshihiko was glancing the other way, he knew Maou was doing the same. They couldn't brought it up and when they did, it always end up putting a strain in their peers.

"We should go back" Maou declared, sounding forced and unsure. He didn't want to go back to class yet but if they stayed here more he might spill everything.

How long would they act like this?

--

The Untouched, yes that was what Reina said, this floor was called as such because of its accessibility to exclusive people only. Those deemed to be the chosen, the extraordinary. Yet it was Sushi's least favorite place to be but she couldn't not be here because she was...a chosen.

Untouched was the second to the highest floor of the main campus building, from the outside it only appeared as a normal modern wall without any windows but this was a disguise to hide its true nature. The staircases leading to the Untouched was only known to few and never been found.

Sushi had been drowning in her silence and erring thoughts, rats gnawing in her chest due to this turmoil. This unspoken burden she had to carry every day. She held Zenji's phone on her hand, staring at the messages from Yoshihiko.

"What the fuck, Su? What's the deal?" Erick Naiteru asked gruffly, half of his face was dirty and wet at a slobbering state.

The frown on Sushi's face deepened, she despised being stuck here with him and became witness to Erick's malicious state. The dimness of the room where they were wasn't enough to shut the mortifying scene before her. On the coffee table in the middle was a freshman named Nayra, she was new to Evergreen and enrolled in Saint Catherine Sierra Academy this year. She was pretty and ripe in the making, Sushi felt awful for the girl.

Nayra was paralyzed from head to toe but awake, her eyes were glistening with tears looking at Sushi. "H-Help...please...it h-h-hurts" She laid on the coffee table naked, her uniform was already torn like rugs on the floor and Sushi knew Erick kept her since the start of the week...in this position.

Erick scowl, spreading Nayra's legs apart that it was dangling on each side of the table. "Shut up, accept already that you're my bitch to play with" He smothered half of his face again on Nayra's wet folds between her legs, darting his tongue out to taste and devour.

"You have no shame nor class at all" Sushi couldn't stop her tongue anymore, huffing and turning her eyes away from the disturbing reality presented on the table.

Someone came in the arch doorway, slow and seductive movements like that of a snake. "Is there a problem here? I heard defiance in someone's voice." Chanel raised a brow, a taunting gaze directed to Sushi.

The Untouched used to be the most elegant floor Sushi laid her eyes on after they declared proudly that she was one of the extraordinary selected, it gave an impression of a sorority or exclusive group in campus which would serve an educational function without eliminating fun in the picture. Each pieces of furniture, even the exterior wall materials were splendid. But it never crossed Sushi's mind that its purpose would be something like this.

Chanel continued standing with a straight back and pose of a confident young lady, she was unfazed at the messy way Erick sexually feasted on Nayra. "What is wrong with you, Su?"

"She called me shameless, I'm just minding my own here" Erick was pouty, dipping two fingers this time between the freshman's slightly swollen wet folds, pumping in and out. "After all the boring normal things we need to do at the bottom floors, you can't expect me not to feel exhausted!" His tone became exaggeratedly dramatic. "And that Aya neglecting me the attention I require!"

How were these things normal again? Sushi's senses were turning numb and it was unsettling.

"I need some fresh air." Sushi made a move of leaving the room but Chanel stood on her way.

Chanel stalked forward. A beautiful predator. "This is our fresh air, Su. Really, could you have gotten the same sickness our Georgina did?"

Bringing Georgina up also brought the night of how they chose to purify her. Sushi shook her head, going visibly pale and almost tripping at her words. "I am n-not sick or anything, I only need to be away for a moment." She moved past the pretty blonde girl, pocketing Zenji's phone and left.