Ms. Meyer strolled down the hall, mumming to an unknown tune. I tried to keep up with her, but she was too fast. My legs ached as my feet smashed against this facility's flat, white tiles. Does she even have a destination in mind? I scanned the walls and floor, hoping to get some clue where we were going, but everything appeared to be the same—nothing but white and bright titles, hurting my eyes the longer I stared at them.

I tried not to blink as I walked behind Ms. Meyer further down the blinding halls. Then she stopped, staring at a room behind glass walls. I avoided bumping into her and followed her eyes to the people fighting on the other side. They don't look human; no shock there. Their swords clashed, creating a beautiful symphony of metal and steel. I covered my grin as I watched the swordplay.

I could watch this all day. 

I wasn't sure if it was malice; however, it was strange to smile at something like this. 

Two particular creatures caught my eye, a man with black curved horns and a girl with lavender skin and pointed ears. They wore similar black suits just like the rest, but these two were different. The man and the girl move more gracefully than the others. Their swings were similar to Ms. Meyer's. I turned to the woman beside me, her greyish-brown eyes glued to the window. She placed her yellow ID card on the window. A translucent door appeared in front of us, and without saying a word, she when inside. 

I hesitated for a few minutes before stepping into the room as goosebumps appeared on my skin. The air was much cooler inside and was grey instead of white. The creatures here don't seem to notice me. They were too occupied with their work. A broad smile spread across my face, like a child in a candy store. 

I shook my head.

This was wrong. Sure, swords are cool, but I shouldn't be this excited. This yearning would drive me insane if I couldn't hold at least one of these marvelous blades. I hoped this bloodlust would go away soon.

I darted to find Ms. Meyer in this crowded space, ignoring the weapons in their hands. I couldn't believe I had lost her. She couldn't be too far, right? My mind swirled around, wondering if I could see Ms.Meyer in this massive group of trainees, but then I saw her talking to the two individuals with beautiful footwork. Would they think I was a creep if they saw me grinning? It would be weird to see me coving my face for no reason. 

Next time, I'd wear a mask.

The man with black horns glanced at me as I crept closer to Ms. Meyer. There was no white in his eyes. It was like staring at a black hole; not even a reflection from the ceiling light was visible in them. I shuddered. My hand still firmed on my face as I hid behind my protector. He grinned at me, exposing his sharp yellow teeth.

"So you're Ellis? Erin was just talking about you," The man said as he extended his hand, "You can call me Theron."

I grabbed it, and he shook vigorously, my left hand still covering my mouth. His emotions reflect his action, yet I was still unsure about him. Why would anyone be this delighted to meet me? Mariel was happy to see me and now this guy. This wasn't because of pity, right?

"Theron?" I questioned. I expected something long and satanic for a being with black horns.

"It was the name I was given. You like?"

He lets go of my hand, but it remained in the air, and the girl with lavender skin shook it. The palm of her hand was soft. 

"Lucia," She announced.

Her eyes were a darker shade of purple, reminding me of space. Even the tiny white spots on her skin look like stars. She was indeed beautiful, and her voice was also bitter with joy. Something was not right.

"Why are you covering your mouth?" Lucia asked as she let go of my hand.

"Umm… Dry lips?" 

No one is going to believe that, especially her.

But she nodded slowly, "Erin told us that Ethan took you in as an apprentice."

"Is that a good thing?"

"It's not a bad thing."

The taste didn't change, but was it a good thing? We are talking about the emotionless bastard here. For all I know, he might kill me when I severed my use. Mr. Ross didn't mind sacrificing me to the Wraith. Even if it were to protect Mariel, I would never forgive him for doing that.

"Ross is a good teacher," Ms. Meyer said, "He’ll teach you everything you need to know. I'll do the same as well."

She went to a rack full of wooden swords and handed me one. My left hand still covered my face as I eagerly grabbed the weapon. If I smiled any wider, would my face fall off? This can't be real. My heart was beating out of my chest as I stared blankly at the sword, fingers rubbing on the wood. I didn't care if I got a splinter. 

This was real.

"Since Ross is busy, we might as well have fun," Ms. Meyer held a similar wooden sword in front of her.

"This is just practice. Remember that," Lucia said, glaring at the both of us.

Ms. Meyer placed her right foot forward. Her hands wrapped around the handle of the toy. I copied her stance, still covering that smile. Ms. Meyer shook her head.

"Use both hands to hold the sword," Ms.Meyer instructed.

I gulped. Sweat covered the wood as I contemplated what she said. Using both hands would reveal that hideous grin, but I complied. I slowly released my palm from my face, biting my lip to drown out the grin. I looked weird, but at least I wasn’t smiling.

"Are you alright?" Ms. Meyer asked, her face scrunched up.

I bowed my head, glancing at the sword in my hands. Something about this felt natural to me. It was pleasant, too pleasant. This was more thrilling than watching people's swordplay. Why does holding a fake sword have so much pleasure? The bloodlust was getting stronger. I should drop this and walk away, but what was the fun in that? This felt right in the wrong way. 

Not only from the enjoyment of the rush, but I was also facing a woman who could quickly knock me out. This was practice, so maybe she won't hurt me, but still. I saw her skills, and I knew they were something I shouldn't ignore. I wished to beat her in this mock battle. Maybe, I could impress her, if I could, but let's face it. Reality doesn't work that way. I'll be lucky enough to have a few scratches.

Is that what you want? A familiar voice spoke to me.

I glanced around the room. It was when the voice repeated itself that I realized that the voice was inside my head. The sentence echoed in my head like an empty cave. It sounds like me, but it couldn't be me. Could it?

I… guess? I answered.

No response.

I frowned. This was stupid. Answering the unknown voice in my head was another level of crazy.

Ms.Meyer said something, but I didn’t listen. I lunged at her with speed I didn't know I possessed and knocked her sword out of her hands. Both she and the two creatures stared at me. I looked at the toy sword with disbelief as it skidded across the floor. That did not just happen.

I managed to knock the weapon out of Ms. Meyer's hand. The woman who took down a monster, a Wraith. I couldn't hide my smile. It felt great, but if she was using her real sword, there was no doubt I would have lost. Still, it was terrific that I caught her by surprise. The expression on their faces was such a joy!

No, this was wrong.

I shook my head, clenching tightly at the wooden sword that the white of my knuckles showed. Sweat trickled down my cheek. Why does using a blade feel natural to me, and why do I enjoy this feeling? I don't know, and I don't care. 

Enjoy it while you can.

"Sorry," I said, almost chuckling, "I don't know how I did that."

Who was this? This wasn’t like me. I was saying this, but something else took over, forcing these words out. It was exhilarating for all the wrong reasons.

Ms. Meyer shrugged and picked up her fallen sword. She examined the blade before turning her attention back to me, "Hmm, it seems like you're a natural. How about I go a little harder?"

She lunged at me, her wooden sword covered in golden sparks. Without thinking, I deflected the blows coming from all sides. I still have no idea how I was even doing this. My breathing was steady, and my hands remained firm on the weapon. I was amazed that I was keeping up with her lightning-fast blows. It was like my body remembered something that I couldn't.

But when did I pick up a sword? My parents never signed me up for fencing. Mom would never allow that. Yet, I was moving like I knew what I was doing. The voice in my head was telling me how to swing and block. Its words were the only thing I could hear as I kept moving. This bloodlust was not going away.

I wanted this to stop.

Ms. Meyer took a step back, shifting position. I halted and watched her close her eyes as the blade in her stopped glowing gold. The two beings glanced at us with sparks in their eyes. Something was about to happen. Sweat tricked down my face as I listened for the voice to speak. But the unknown voice disappeared when I needed it the most. There was only me inside my mind telling me to run.

Run. Run. Run.

To where exactly? 

My grip on the sword was not the same as it was before. It became too loose and too sweaty for me to hold. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't remember how to wield it. As my sloppy fingers grasped the blade, I was struck and slammed to the floor. Air escaped my lungs when I landed. My eyes remained closed until I felt claws digging at my left cheek, and I quickly opened them, glaring at the black button eyes of a cinnamon color rat. The rat climbed down from my chest, still staring at me. My eyes turned to the people gathering around me, muttering among themselves. Theron and Lucia didn't seem as surprised by the event as the others; their heads were down to the floor as if they knew this would happen sooner or later. However, Ms. Meyer was different. She stared at me wide-eyed, ignoring the rat by her feet. A warrior like her showing fear to me was downright terrifying. 

Theron helped me get up. His claws dug into my clothing, but I didn't flinch. The ringing in my head is far greater than any pain.

"Dang, Erin," He chuckled, patting my swore shoulders, "You didn't have to hit him that hard."

"He was blocking so well. I thought he could block it," Ms. Meyer responded, still staring at me with shock.

"I-it's not your fault," I immediately said when I tasted the sourness of her words, "I-I w-wasn't paying attention! I d-didn't even know what I was doing!"

Which was true. I had no idea what I was doing. It was like someone or something was controlling me. A shiver rushed over me as the event played in my mind like a broken record. Am I really that controllable? 

"For someone who had no idea what he was doing, you did well," Teo said with a straight face, "Erin is a beast on the field. Isn't that right, Lucia?"

Lucia nodded, "Is this your first time using a sword?"

I opened my mouth to answer her but didn't. I never held a weapon, not even a kitchen knife. But that felt like a lie. Something was telling me that I had before, a long time ago, but the memory had faded away. Maybe I did when I was a Cub Scout, but I wasn't sure.

"Yes," I managed to say.

"You okay, right?" Ms. Meyer said. The cinnamon color rat sat on her shoulder.

I nodded, biting my lip from the pain. Now that the shock was over, everything hurt.

"So this is what you been doing?"

Mr. Ross walked over to us; his face was as emotionless as ever. Ms. Meyer shrugged and gave the wooden swords to me, which I quickly dropped. Never again was I holding a sword. I don't care if it felt good.

"What did you and Soto talk about?" Meyer asked.

Mr. Ross glanced at me, "I'll tell you later."

I frowned. Not surprised that he was keeping secrets.

"Aren't you going to say hi to us, Ethan?" Theron smirked.

"Hi," Ross said flatly and left the room with the rat.

"Nice meeting you. If you need anything, let us know," Lucia said with a small smile, picking up the swords I dropped.

I nodded, watching her put the weapons back with the other equipment. And just like magic, the room continued what it was before Ms. Meyer and I entered the room as clashing blades ringed in my throbbing skull. It was strange that I felt nothing from it, and with a frown, I turned away. 

A part of me was missing or at least hiding from me.

There was no way that the bloodlust was me. No, I refused.

"Hey," I called out to Ms. Meyer, who was almost out of the room. I jogged up to her, "did you do something to me earlier? Like cast a spell or something?"

She frowned, "Why would you think that?"

I looked at my sneakers, "I just feel different. Lighter, I guess."

"I don't know how to do magic. Even if I knew how I would never cheat in a mock battle, go home, and get some rest. Maybe you'll feel better."

I followed her out of the practice room and into the hall, where Mr. Ross waited. Something changed inside me, awakened, possessed, or whatever people call it. Either way, I have more questions than answers. No matter how many of them get answered, more pop up like maggots. I glanced back at Theron and Lucia. 

If you need anything, let us know.

That might be sooner than you think.