Bloodwalker

Chapter 38: Ten Thousand Thundering Heartbeats

Trigger Warning/s: none

Pre-chapter notes: For fan-art today, we have a beautiful version of MC wrapping up her forearms with her bandages, drawn by Qrowi (https://i.quotev.com/wyan4zq7m3bq.jpg)! It's exactly how I envisioned it in my mind! I also really love how her blood is floating around too. She also drew this one of Inasa and MC's first hug, and I just think it looks so soft and gentle and it really warms my heart (https://i.quotev.com/r5cmbgzrwn4a.jpg).

Celeste has come back once again with another really lovely drawing of MC in the rain (https://i.quotev.com/rk7ka6wt2f6a.jpg). She looks so unbelievably happy and words cannot express how beautiful I find it. It's just such a wonderfully soft scene she's depicted. Finally, Ray has entered the fray, with their own beautiful interpretation of MC - with a beautiful layered haircut, and sparkling all around (https://i.quotev.com/anwkejugvn4a.jpg)! The bandages are also a really lovely touch. I hope you guys will be able to view these wonderful art pieces.

Thank you all for your lovely work! It really warms my heart to see that reading Bloodwalker is enough for you lovely artists to want to create something to do with it.

Art: Lorenzo Dragotto on ArtStation! He is a very passionate 3D artist who really makes modern environments come to life. I really encourage you to check out his works, because I don't know how to explain it, but my eyes feel blessed and soothed when I see the results of his tireless efforts. He's also available for freelance work or consultations! Definitely check him out!

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Ochako is still holding your hand when you enter the waiting room, and you're slightly perturbed by the way your classmates' heads all turn to look at you. The girls are quick to quell your feelings of apprehension, sending you comforting smiles and waves as your brown-haired classmate leads you over.

"So you found her," Momo says to Ochako, but smiles at you and takes your other hand. "Are you ready for today?"

Momo's hand slides easily into your own, clean, manicured nails a contrast to yours that are marred by the scratches of labour, evidence of great sorrow and travail. You marvel at the fact that she does not judge their state, but is perfectly content with associating herself with filth and grime - such like the likes of yourself.

To distract yourself from the miserable thought, you quickly answer her. "I... think so. I can feel the crowds."

"Feel?" Mina, who is listening in also, tilts her head for her lack of understanding.

"Their blood," you explain. "I can feel them."

And it is true. There are ten thousand thundering pulses, waiting for you outside. Ten thousand thundering pulses hammer at your consciousness as if doing so will unlock the door to your mind, as if they might be able to cement their rhythm into your memory - a conglomeration of sounds leaving an imprint, the way naughty children might try to do on freshly laid concrete pathways that are not yet hardened.

The crowd is ravenous. You can feel the rush of blood through many veins - they are so excited and roiling with such fervour that you can feel them even at the distance you are from them now. You are certain that when you step outside, you will be devoured.

A much better option would be to let yourself be devoured by the shadows of your classmates first, so that none might pay you any mind. Perhaps, you should start doing a better job at that. Everyone will be fighting their hardest to climb the leaderboard, but it's not simply enough to lag behind and hope you aren't noticed. There needs to be absolute certainty that people will gloss over you, and that can only happen if there are a few, extremely outstanding or extremely and comically bad participants. Hopefully the former.