"This is not the time to play peacekeeper, Kritika," Emilio repeated. He directed her attention with an open palm to the striker's team-mates, who were waiting on the sidelines. The other team had accompanied the defender to the Medical room. Lips pulled into subtle sneers said that they wouldn't be coming back anytime soon. A protesting prefect was thrust back into the crowd by the collar.

"See that? These kids have been itching to have a go at each other. Now that the duelling rules count for shit, they're going to play. We are going to go find Hera, get the Rulebook and turn off the wards before the Happy decides to turn this into a fudging Hug-a-thon!"

I'd rather hug the Happy than meet Hera, thank you.

A blast of cold air reaped shouts from the gathering and turned the heads that hadn't been paying attention. The referee's mark missed, and he was repaid with a blow to his right eye. Kritika heard Emilio ask a kid to move from behind.

Fine then, like I give a damn, jerk.

The striker froze a moving leg onto the ground contained within the circle and blocked an air-lash from the referee. The referee stomped free of the ice and back-flipped into the air using the built-up pressure. He landed a few feet away, panting, only to bounce back up and away from the array of monster-sized icicles. The twisters he summoned on his toes grew weaker with each successive jump.

Then he slipped and landed face-first on the ground. White fractals blossomed over him from below, ensnaring the referee within a dome of ice. Within the construct, one could hear his ragged breathing.

The moisture was scarce in the atmosphere on a bright summer day. The hydrokinects in the gang were happily whipping up water from the garden taps for the striker.

He placed his palms on the dome and dragged them downwards. The referee screamed from within and cried for his mother. The crowd went mute when the referee's voice howled and cracked.

Should I step in?

You're outnumbered eleven-to-one, don't be daft. There's a way better chance of him surviving this than a fiend raid.

"This is," began the striker, "is what happens to those who disobey gang rules and decides to help the enemies. For the newbies here, we'll introduce ourselves."

The striker pulled a black towel from his pocket and waved it.

"We are the Death Raiders gang. Our crib is the old bike stand. We hang out there on Mondays, three to four. If you kids would like to join us, we'll see you there today."

"Now, to whichever fuckers it may concern," he said, casting a look at the two seniors in the crowd. The striker's eyes flitted over her and didn't spare her a second glance.

"We don't give two hoots about what that old fart thinks, the bike stand belongs to Camur. The money for its repairs comes from the school fund; from our fees and donations. If we're going to let those wretches from Persimmons, Kadenza, and Madame Xia's park their bikes and vandalise the stand, we might as well stop paying for the repairs. If our Student Council had been more competent, they would've figured out a way to stop them. All we got instead was a bunch of useless fucking snobs. If I were them, I would keep my eyes wide open, especially on a day like this. We'll be around the new bike stand if one of them comes barking."

The striker then uncovered the hypothermic boy from the shell, who curled like a worm on a leaf. His lips were turning a pale blue, his grey eyes were open and pupils dilated. Kritika was quick to break through the loosened wall, lift him up and carry him to the Medical room, knowing very well that the Nurse was missing. The faces that gaped at them as they rushed through the corridors blurred in her periphery.

The boy was a cadaver out of a morgue in temperature when she placed him on the cot. Purple tipped fingers curled inwards on the palm. The Green Ribbon member whispered a prayer of gratitude when the irises finally shifted; the CPR was crudely performed but it did the trick. The pyrokinects among the Green Ribbon members flooded his system with heat, thawing his muscles and prompting his blood vessels to loosen up. Heat packs and blankets were piled upon his person. Hushed voices talked about the damage dealt to his face and the blood loss he might have suffered.

Kritika decided to wait outside when the room got too toasty. Her hands were folded on her lap, mind lost in the leaves of the palmyras far away. She blew out air to calm herself. Her finger-grooves had grown russet with blood and dirt. She flipped them over and scowled at the black gunk underneath her half-bitten nails.

Go ahead, give yourself a pat on your back. You've saved this one for the fiends to take some other day.

I should go check on Emilio.

The Sports Captain, Danielle Novak arrived on the scene when the commotion had disrupted elemental training in the gym. She calmly nodded and hummed affirmatives as she heard the news with a straight face. She gave her a curt nod and sped off to the School Office.

A speaker mounted on a nearby wall crackled to life in under a minute.

"Mr. Damien Novak, please report to the principal's office immediately. Killing a student, or in legal terms, second-degree murder on the school premises is a felony worth ninety years of prison according to the Lyonesse Criminal Code. If you're trying to play the good guy in this equation, Dupek, at least try to be less lethal in your attempts. All of the students who had been on the ground better get their butts to the office. The police would want to record evidence from the witnesses."

⑅ ♾️ ⑅

Author's Note

Hey everyone! I'd like to give a few shout-outs in this chapter.

If you love an intense, badass fantasy tale, with elemental magic and dragons galore, do check out CaptainSarcastic101 's The Night Rider. The lore is strong, gripping and dynamic, and it's a really fun read for those who loved ATLA.

If you're a history geek and are interested in learning more about Indian myths, do check out coalblackrose 's The Throne of Nagmire. It's a real treat to those who adore fairytales about star-crossed lovers!

If you're the sci-fi sort of person and love cyborg fiction pieces, do check out VirulentCole 's Paragon. It's got breathless action and some pretty gripping characters.

If you love reading works involving the fae folk and high fantasy with a feisty heroine, do check out xminimax 's The Olèrian series : Red Soul.

If a gorgeous tale of office romance is more to your liking, do check out SunStarsandHeaven 's Alyssa's Second Chance.

⭐ Please don't forget to tap that golden star if you liked this chapter. I can't thank you folks enough for reading this, and I hope I can keep you thrilled as we move further!