Witches of Mellgrah

Confused, Maya barely realized she had been biting her nails the entire time and retracted her hand as she suddenly became the focus of attention for all parties involved.

"Oh… Right. Sure."

It was an unexpected turn of events to throw Maya into the mix and push her to play this childish game when Chris most likely just wanted to flip her off in a creative way. However, it would only work in Chris's favour and disprove Elena's claim of him being predictable so he agreed even if they were put in an awkward position.

"Okay then, Maya. How many fingers am I holding?"

Maya looked at Leo behind his shoulder, who lit up with excitement from being offered this opportunity to feel useful, while the rest of the guys moved behind Chris to make sure there was no cheating involved.

Ending on a sour note with Leo yesterday, Maya felt bad. Not to mention guilty for having a fallout with him after he had experienced something so terrifying, although himself unaware of it. Letting him participate was her way of making up for it.

"Four," she repeated after Leo.

From their sudden stares of amazement, Maya could tell she hit right on the spot.

"Man, Chris, you really must be that predictable," one of the guys said with utmost amusement.

Chris, on the other hand, was confused about her getting it right. What were the chances?

"Lucky guess. Go again."

It seemed he was now interested enough not to stop the game. Or at least didn't want it to stay at proving Elena's point exactly. Elena, however, had a satisfied grin on her face.

"He's holding a rock'n'roll sign," Leo said.

"Two," Maya paraphrased it.

Chris reluctantly revealed it to be true. Guys began jumping in disbelief.

"No way. This can't be a coincidence!"

"T—then, let's see if you can do it for the third time." Chris paled a little. He was now determined and also worried. Perhaps beginning to question whether Elena had a point.

After the initial correct guess, Elena seemed to have lost interest and wasn't showing as much growing amazement as the rest of them. However, she was still standing behind Chris.

"He's flipping Elena off with both hands," Leo said.

No wonder Elena was rolling her eyes.

"Seven."

Maya fluked on purpose, bursting their bubble and disappointing everyone present, including Leo.

"I guess it doesn't work every time," Keith concluded.

"S—sorry guys… I guess it was just a freaky case of luck," Maya said.

Not only she was proving Elena's claim that Chris was predictable, but she was also turning suspicion on herself for being able to guess correctly. Having this ability of hers wasn't something she should risk being found out on such a meaningless game.

It was only Chris who felt a rush of relief when Maya failed to repeat the miracle the third time.

"Now you," Chris turned toward Elena. "How many fingers?"

As Chris turned toward Elena, everyone else shifted along to see behind him and Maya found herself surrounded by the group of curious guys. She saw Chris was making an okay sign and threading it with the index finger from the other hand. He did it for giggles from guys, but Maya's disturbed face gave Elena an idea of what it could be.

"Ten. You're holding all your fingers behind your back," she said in a snarky tone.

Chris gave her an annoyed look for ruining the fun with logic.

"What? You're too much of a coward to play fair even a silly game like this?" His bitterness was showing through.

"I'm not interested in childish games."

"Has she just dumped this on you because she didn't feel like playing?" Leo criticized Elena.

"We're having fun and you can't even play along. If it's not dirty, you won't participate?"

Their arguing was clearly about more than just this silly game.

"I'm not the one who decided to play dirty. I just… how did you put it?" she scratched her chin, pretending to think. "Played along."

"Bitch, you broke my tooth on the concrete floor!" Chris yelled.

"Okay. Let's not get carried away," Boss intervened noticing things could escalate from here.

Elena and Chris were giving each other threatening glares.

"And now your face looks more symmetrical. You're welcome," she sneered.

This drove him over the edge. He jumped after Elena, but the guys caught him before he could reach her. Elena didn't even flinch.

"Calm down, Chris. What got into you? You're only embarrassing yourself by going after a freshman girl."

"Good thing you stopped him," Elena snickered. "It would be worse having his ass kicked again. This time in front of the whole school."

"I'm going to break your every bone, you, fucking bitch!" he was spouting declamations.

"Come on, Elena. Don't provoke him. Let's just go," Keith said, justifiably worried.

Maya joined Keith in trying to get Elena away, while the rest of the guys held Chris down. People began to turn their attention. Maya was truly afraid for Elena. Chris was a big guy, and he could break her in half if he got loose. There was no doubt that the lucky outcome from before wouldn't play again.

"Don't worry. He's just playing tough. He doesn't have the balls for doing shit," Elena claimed.

Elena allowed them to lead her away. But she didn't believe Chris would actually do anything to her in front of all these people.

"You better not show up on the next practice or I will kill you!" Chris threatened, yelling after them.

"You can try. But it's more likely you're going to have the rest of your teeth for dinner," Elena daringly winked at him.

They haven't gotten very far from where Chris was being healed back by the rest of the warrior guys. Being the biggest one amongst them, he was allowing them to stop him. Perhaps that is why they weren't making a serious effort, never expecting he would seriously go for a girl in front of so many people.

In their wrongful assumption, Chris managed to get loose from their grip. There was no stopping him. The ones who tried only ended up dragged along as he charged.

In his blind rage, Maya was the first one Chris reached. He pulled on her furiously to get her out of his way, toppling her to the hard marble floor. The world awkwardly tilted on its axis and her head rebounded off the floor, sending a sudden shockwave of pain.

Her vision blurred. Suddenly, everything loomed above her and people's feet dominated her field of view. One pair of shoes separated from the rest as the group of guys lost control of Chris from shock and surprise.

Barely able to make out the screams and gasps of the bystanders from her head ringing, Maya felt the floor shake. Then there was Elena, face-to-face with Maya as she too was knocked to the ground. Their eyes met for a brief moment and Elena's lip curled into a snarl as her head whipped back to the target of her ire—Chris.

A fist sprung toward Elena's face, but she was no longer there, aptly sliding out of the way.

Maya could barely comprehend what was happening, but she recognized the glister that shined through her foggy vision as one from a knife Elena had just pulled out of her boot.

Barely coming to her senses to sit up as bystanders, alongside Keith, came to pull Maya to her feet, she forced her vision to focus. Shouts and commotion were filling her ears. She couldn't follow. While being pulled to safety, feet dragged along the floor, Maya could finally see clearly.

Elena, atop Chris, knife in her hand, barely stopped by the joined efforts of multiple warrior trainees, just inches short from cutting his face.

Maya gasped.

Things have escalated beyond reason. The only fortune being warrior students brave enough to jump in before there could be bloodshed. Keith and Maya could only stare in disbelief as authorities showed up to apprehend them.

"She really made a mess of things," Keith muttered as he held his head in his hands.

Maya glanced at him. He didn't seem physically hurt.

Keith's usual composure had crumbled, leaving him visibly shaken. His eyes darted between Maya and the unfolding chaos, torn between concern for her wellbeing and disbelief at his girlfriend's actions.

"Honestly, I don't know what to do," he confessed, his voice barely above a whisper, as their gazes were on the spectacle before them.

Elena—who had seemed untouchable and always ready with a witty comeback—had now flipped, resembling a wild animal consumed by madness. She thrashed against the grip of those restraining her, her face contorted with rage as she hurled Russian expletives at Chris. The faculty members struggled to drag her away, her fierce resistance making their progress slow and difficult.

As Maya watched the scene unfold, a chill ran down her spine. The realization hit Maya like a ton of bricks: Elena was… dangerous. Potentially lethal, even.

Maya began to question whether should she really continue trying to be her friend.