AYANDA BORN OF THE STORM

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐰𝐨

Outside Crestview's gates and bougainvillaea fence, a peanut butter truffle skin toned woman staggered in a deranged manner. To passers-by she looked like a homeless person due to her tattered dress and untidy afro hair. But in reality she was a monster.

A form that was perfectly concealed by the mist. A magical veil that concealed certain beings, structures, events and even words from all human senses- including the mind.

Nobody would notice that her skin was sparsely covered in grey fur or that she had two holes in her face where her nose should've been. Nor would they notice her predator-like teeth or her cat-like eyes. And certainly, no one would notice the twin blades that could suddenly protrude from her wrists at a moment's notice.

Nakai was a monster, but she was classified as Xunkalo. And nobody- even fellow monsters- knew her real name.

After all, names are not only part of your identity. They were a weapon. Even the strongest of Gods weren't daring enough to reveal their true names.

Nakai was here for one reason and one reason only. Since the crack of dawn she could smell the unmistakable scent of a demigod, so she traced it here; to Crestview Secondary. The scent was also visible and looked like a thick searing white trail of smoke. Due to its nature, she figured that the scent belonged to an atmospheric type of demigod which explained why it smelled like rain. The scent was strong, so undeniably strong, she could practically taste it.

However she immediately realised that there wasn't only one, but two distinct demigod scents. The second one was yellow and not only did it smell foreign, but it was seductively intoxicating. However it was overpowered by the former scent which explained why she hadn't detected it earlier.

Who would've thought? Two demigods in one day? And the best discovery of all, one of them was a higher tier demigod.

Nakai could barely contain herself, but she quickly realised that she would've had to act soon and swiftly. Surely other monsters and even the Corrupted Ones would've caught onto their scents by now.

A mixed range of negative emotions coursed through her at the thought of the Corrupted Ones.

Nobody knew exactly where they came from, but rumours stated that it was due to a virus that affected all living beings: humans, animals and even monsters. However, others claimed that it wasn't a virus.

But a curse.

But the question that lays in front of us is, which deity would've been responsible for creating something so horrendous? Something so cunning that Nakai couldn't even find the proper words to express herself.

The Corrupted ones weren't like anything she had ever seen before. No, they were something totally unseen and unheard-of. They destroyed everything in their path and consumed anything they deemed prey.

Even monsters.

Monsters never before had to worry about being on the lower bar of the food chain, but now with the existence of the Corrupted Ones the balance had dramatically shifted, and the Corrupted were at the top of the food chain.

Nakai immediately snapped out of her thoughts and peered through the iron gates, hoping to spot the two demigods. The school guards saw her and hurled insults at her in an attempt to scare her off, but without any luck.

She unsheathed her blades soon after she spotted the yellow scented demigod who was soon approached by two other girls, one of which was the white scented one.

Nakai had successfully spotted her mark, but she bore her fangs and hissed when one of the guards finally stood up with a taser in his right hand. The buzzing of electricity can be heard as blue light flickers from the device. Reluctantly, she scurried a few metres away, just before a grey nondescript Sedan drove through the gates. Not before long the vehicle drove out the other gate, which was further down the road.

She needed to follow them, was her initial instinct. But how?

Surely she was fast but not as fast as a car. Then a brilliant idea came to mind as a small white delivery truck drove past her. She quickly caught up to it and leaped into the back of the truck before proceeding to the driver's cabin. Nakai forcefully ripped the door wide open with amazing strength and tossed it aside, into the street where it flew into the traffic. The driver noticed her with fear and shock etched into his features.

Without a moment's thought and with a simple flick of her hand. A black metal blade shot from her wrist and into the man's forehead. Earning him an instant but painless death.

The truck momentarily lost control, but Nakai hurriedly crawled to the driver's seat and pushed the corpse aside, out of the vehicle just as she regained control of the vehicle. She heard the screeching of tires and earned several hoots from the cars around her but paid no attention whatsoever to them. Her mind was focused on one thing only, the Sedan three vehicles ahead of her.

Nakai made it her mission to consume those demigods. Now that she thought about it she hadn't consumed a demigod in a very long time and was practically salivating at the thought of it.

If Nakai hadn't been so focused on her prey, her enhanced senses would've picked up on a drone high up in the sky stalking their every move.