The Chronicles of Soraya Thenayu: Darkwood Academy

Chapter 18: The Demon

"It's good to test you occasionally..." the layered voices taunted while fading from her mind. "You have too much Etherian blood in you. I will have to fix that..."

The voices vanished completely, leaving Soraya panting and shaking violently. She stayed on her side and didn't move for a few minutes, just in case her right arm tried attacking her pet again.

Did that really just happen?

Soraya cautiously rolled herself off of her right arm and flexed her fingers. She was in complete control of herself again.

Too much Etherian blood in me...

She thought back to her father telling her that Adonia was Casmerahn, and shook her head. He's forgetting thirty years of his life, and it's genetically impossible for me to have blue eyes when mama's were red. Mama must have been something else, which means I'm half of whatever she was...

The girl sat up in bed and folded her hands together, as if she were about to pray.

What am I?

* * *

Soraya awoke to the sound of an alarm clock going off. The high-pitched noises blared across the room, causing other students to groan and mumble sleepily as their dreams came to an abrupt end. Even Yabo lifted his small, fluffy head and stared in annoyance.

"Oh, did I wake you all?" Jacquelle's prissy voice filled the air before she ceased the alarm's incessant wailing with a small click of a button.

"What time is it?" yawned Moiya from beneath Soraya's bunk bed. The other students in the room stretched their limbs, rubbing the sleep away from their drooping eyes before glaring at Jacquelle. The room was still dark and absent of the sun's rays.

"It's six in the morning," replied the blond in a condescending tone. "Unlike you losers who like to sleep in, I'm getting a good start on my weekend."

Jacquelle turned her attention to Emrose and Vamera. "Come on, get up already," she commanded. Both girls sighed before pushing the warm blankets covering them aside.

A twinge of pity built up within Soraya while she watched the tired and disheveled looking pair slide out of their beds and follow their leader out of the room. Upstairs was where their lockers, showers and bathrooms were located.

Was that all a dream, or did it actually happen?

Soraya mulled over the night's events as she rolled up the long sleeves of her pajamas and looked down at her right arm. Dark purple bruises spotted her wrist and forearm. She moved it and winced slightly when a small sting flared up her muscles.

It must have been real. Why else would it look and feel so beaten up?

"Hey, Soraya!" Moiya called from beneath her. "I'm not able to fall back asleep, did you want to start the day with me?"

"Yes, that sounds good," Soraya replied. She was grateful for the distraction from the demonic entity that had attempted to possess her the night before.

"I'll show you where all of your classes are," Moiya continued. "We're together for most of them, but I still want to make sure you're ready for next week."

"Thank you, I really appreciate your help."

Moiya rolled out of bed, while Soraya leapt nimbly to the floor from her top bunk. Yabo got up from the pillow, stretched his little legs and paws, jumped down onto the ladder perched next to the bunk bed, and landed gracefully onto the wooden floor with a light thud.