Luminara's Shadow

A few days had passed since the incident in the classroom, where Eliott, pushed to the brink of his patience, had tried to stab Marc with a compass. The attempt had backfired. Marc had severely beaten him, going far beyond a simple act of physical retaliation. Since that confrontation, Eliott had disappeared from the school hallways, leaving Marc and his friends free to speculate and mock his absence.

The sun was beginning to set, casting long shadows over the city. At the end of the school day, Marc and his group gathered in a private boxing gym, a place they often frequented after class. The room echoed with the brutal punches Marc delivered to the hanging punching bag at the center. His fists struck with a rhythmic violence, each blow more forceful than the last. Beside him, his friends chatted carelessly, laughing among themselves. Their conversation quickly turned to Eliott and his noticeable absence. It had become a joke to them.

"Hey, did you notice?" started one of them, a tall boy with an imposing frame. "Eliott still hasn't shown up. How many days has it been now? Three? Four?"

Marc didn't stop punching, his movements precise and mechanical. "Yeah, he's probably crying somewhere, as usual," he replied with a smirk, his brows furrowed in exertion.

Another one, shorter but equally cruel, laughed heartily. "He's probably taken a few sick days at the hospital after the beating you gave him, Marc. Guess he can't take a hit as well as we thought!"

The tallest of the three, the one who loved to pitch the worst ideas, raised an eyebrow and turned to Marc with a sly grin. "What if we paid him a little visit? Just for fun. We could swing by his house or even the hospital, see if he's still alive."

Marc landed a final punch on the bag, harder than the rest, making it swing wildly. He stopped, catching his breath, but the smug expression never left his face. Wiping the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand, he glanced at his friend with a mocking smile.

"What's the point?" he said, shaking his head. "That kid's already a broken toy. No need to break him even more now. Let's just give him time to recover. He'll come back sooner or later, and that's when we'll really have some fun."

The group burst into laughter, their cruelty evident in their loud cackles. To them, Eliott was nothing more than a pastime, a target for their frustrations and malice. Marc, their undisputed leader, had always known how to dominate the weak, and Eliott was his favorite prey.

"True," said the tall one, crossing his arms. "No need to rush things. We'll have plenty of chances to mess with him later."

Marc nodded with a satisfied smile. "Exactly. We just need to be patient. The real fun is when he comes back on his own, thinking he can still survive in this world. That's when we show him again that he's worth nothing."

The group agreed in silence, understanding that Marc was the master of this cruel game. They knew he took pleasure in making Eliott suffer, not out of necessity but for the sheer joy of it. Eliott's absence was just a pause in their twisted entertainment. But they all knew it was only a matter of time before their victim resurfaced, more broken than ever.

To them, the hunt wasn't over yet.

The Next Day

Ms. Tanaka had started her day as usual, juggling classes and preparing lessons. That day, however, she found herself in a particularly exhausting situation: she had to carry a towering pile of textbooks from her classroom to the teachers' lounge. The weight of the books and her constant back-and-forth trips left a clear fatigue on her face.

She entered the hallway, the books stacked high in her arms, trying to avoid the students wandering aimlessly, oblivious to her burden. Her steps were heavy, and she struggled to move forward with the mountain of books. Each step protested against her tired muscles.

"Good morning, Ms. Tanaka! You seem to be doing quite well, but can I help you with those textbooks?" A pleasant and familiar voice caught her attention.

She looked up to see Kai, always smiling and immaculate in his uniform. His caring expression and charming smile were a welcome relief for Ms. Tanaka.

"Oh, Kai, you're a lifesaver! I'm struggling so much with these books; I can't seem to manage. I need to get them to the teachers' lounge, but it's just too heavy for me," she admitted with a sigh.

Without hesitation, Kai took the textbooks from her arms with ease. "Let me help you. There's no need for you to carry all this."

Relief washed over Ms. Tanaka as she finally rid herself of the burden. Kai, with an encouraging smile, made his way to the teachers' lounge with the books in hand. Ms. Tanaka followed, grateful.

Once inside, she watched as Kai placed the textbooks on a table and decided to engage him in conversation to express her thanks. "You're really such a helpful student, Kai. Thank you so much. You've always been so considerate."

Feigning casual curiosity, Kai seized the opportunity to ask a question. "You know, Ms. Tanaka, I was wondering how a student might report a phone number change to the school?"

Ms. Tanaka, eager to return the favor, responded enthusiastically. "Oh, it's quite simple. Just speak to one of the teachers to update the records. The files are kept in the lockers on the left side of the lounge."

She pointed to where the lockers were, taking a deep breath to relax. Kai nodded, mentally noting the location. The teacher, suddenly realizing how thirsty she was after all her work, offered, out of politeness, to fetch him a drink. "Would you like something to drink? There's a small kitchen next door."

Seizing the opportunity, Kai accepted graciously. "A glass of water would be perfect, thank you."

Ms. Tanaka headed to the kitchen with a glass in hand, leaving Kai alone in the lounge. As she organized the textbooks, she thought about how relieved she felt thanks to Kai's assistance. He had truly been a great help today.

Kai, taking advantage of her absence, discreetly approached the lockers. His movements were precise as he opened the locker containing the students' files, quickly finding the information he needed. He noted down details about five students with remarkable speed.

When Ms. Tanaka returned with the glass of water, Kai acted completely at ease. "Thank you so much, Ms. Tanaka. You're very kind."

The teacher, suspecting nothing, returned to her tasks. Kai, satisfied with the information he had acquired, headed toward the exit with a subtle smile. He now had everything he needed.

As Ms. Tanaka watched Kai leave, she felt more at ease and pleased with how things had turned out. She had managed to lighten her load and had received unexpected help, unaware that behind Kai's charming smile lay a well-orchestrated plan.