Anima

by Jae Choguk

to everyone else I was doing a B class mission with Mr. Zander, and wasn’t allowed to talk about it; which that part was at least true. It was more of an S class mission since most of it would be done by me, but Headmaster and Mr. Z were in on it so ‘technically’ it’s not.

  “Yeah it went well! I’m back at it today.” I said with as much enthusiasm as I could muster, which still wasn’t much.

  “Jeez, you’re gone almost every day, and for almost the whole day, I don’t understand what you could be doing.” Mai pouted and stared at my breaded shrimp. I rolled my eyes and shoved my plate at her.

  “Still have your appetite I see.” I mutter and turn to Alice, Lilly and Sophia who were on the other side of the table. They were trying not to seem too interested, but it didn’t really work out well. I told them all what I could, capturing the attention of everyone at the table. After we finished I would have to leave for my mission again. I grabbed my gym bag, and walked to where I would meet Mr. Zander. It’s been about a month since I started this mission, and they still didn’t seem to fully trust me, but I knew some final test would be coming up soon. The thought of it made me get really nervous, but whatever it was, I knew I would have to do it thoroughly.

  “Where have you been lately?” Jeremy’s voice said casually from behind me. I whipped around in surprise and saw him leaning up against a tree eating an apple. He tossed aside the core and strode towards me. I felt my pulse speed up, and my heart gave an unstoppable kick when he smiled.

  “So much for ice barrier...” I muttered to myself.

  “What ice barrier?” He asked and I imagined myself smacking my head against a tree. I always seemed to be forgetting that even whispers could be heard easily.

  “Nothing,” I mumbled then felt my phone vibrate and I froze. “I have to go, I’ll…see you later?” when in truth it had been a long time since I’ve seen him. It was mid-November, and all I wanted to do was wear a thick scarf, a chunky sweater, and curl up next to a fireplace. I know I sounded like a cat, but hell I was one after all. The sooner I accepted that, the easier it was for me to handle everything.

  “You think you can keep this up?” He asked and I felt my body tense up. There’s no way he could know about my mission, Mr. Z himself wouldn’t tell anyone. I hadn’t given anything away; I hadn’t even really seen Jeremy in a long time (not that it kept me from thinking about him).

  “Don’t worry,” I said flexing an arm “I’m tough.” I turned around before I gave him a reason to suspect me of anything. The thing I feared most I realized, was having him and everyone else at the Academy lose trust and faith in me. I was new, and they finally accepted me once I went on this mission.

  “She deserves to be here…She belongs here…How come she didn’t come sooner?” were all things I had heard around school, and I felt pride and confidence in my non-human self for the first time.

  “Did you hear the recent rumor that’s been going around?”

  I turned around with guarded curiosity, when I didn’t say anything he continued in his arrogant voice.

  “No, I suppose not since you are barely here to even hear it.” He shook his head in mock disappointment.

  “You mind getting to the point already?” I ask irritated that he might know something that I don’t.

  “They say that there’s an undercover Hunter here. Or I suppose you could call it a double agent or spy; in my words, a traitor.” His eyes burned into mine and I felt me pulse race uncontrollably. I tried to seem uninterested, but it he didn’t seem to buy it.

  He smiled dangerously. “Did you know that they’re saying you’re the main suspect?”

  Twelve

  I felt the winter coming early. A cold wind knocked me on my ass with a hard blow. I didn’t understand how everyone could have figured it out.

  I laughed and tried to seem careless. “And how did they make that conclusion?”

  “Think about it,” He started to circle me like a trapped animal. “A new kid shows up, which is unheard of in the first place and suddenly is on a B class mission?”

  “So-” I started, but got cut off.

  “Not only did you learn to fight quickly-”

  “That’s because of your Hitler methods!” I interjected and he held up his finger.

  “You also started off on a C class mission, and rose to a B faster than anyone else has before.”

  “I’m a fast learner. Where’s my credit?” I crossed my arms.

  “I still think it’s a little strange that you keep leaving almost every day, and don’t come back until late.”

  “Don’t like it? Then take it up with Mr. Z or Headmaster!”

  “But why would I do that when you are right here?” Jeremy taunted, still circling me making me want to defend myself.

  “I don’t have time for this.” I made a move to leave, but he blocked my way. He was acting like I was a criminal, like a Hunter. Although right now it seems like he’s the hunter, and I’m the prey.

  “I bet you don’t, what’s taking up all your time Lydia?

  “One, it’s none of your business, and two; since when do call me by my name?” I made another move to escape, but he kept right up with me.

  “Would you prefer I call you something else?” He made a move towards me and I stumbled backwards, tripping over the snow a little.

  I caught my balance and dropped my gym bag.

  “Like traitor?” He sneered and that’s when I snapped. I lunged at him, thinking of all the things I had learned from him. I didn’t want to use all the new techniques the Hunters taught me, because I felt dirty when I used them, but if it came to it…

  “What? Don’t you like that term? Does it hit too close to home?”

  “Would you want to be called that?” I snarled and plunged my shoulder into his stomach. Then I swung my leg around catching him in the side and made quick jabs anywhere I could reach. The last move was me pushing him down with all my might into the snow drift, knocking the breath out of him. I don’t know if I had seen him that stunned before in my life, and it would have been worth it if I hadn’t just given away my mission.

  I froze, and our eyes were locked in a burning moment. He swung his leg, catching me off guard, and I fell into the snow beside him. I quickly got on my knees and hovered over him, my hair hanging in my face. He then flipped me over onto my back, and pinned me there.

  I felt my teeth sharpen, and my claws were itching to unsheathe to protect myself from whatever seemed threatening.

  “That was a Hunter’s move.” Jeremy accused. I already knew I messed up, but I didn’t understand how I could use one of their moves subconsciously like that. It was like I forgot what Jeremy and the Academy had taught me, and only had the Hunters’ moves in my head.

  “So what if it was?” I snapped, frantic to get away. I started squirming, but he was just as strong as before, so I stopped trying.

  “Now how would little Lydia know a move like that?” He pretended to ponder that thought and I grew more and more anxious.

  “Simple observation.” Was my pathetic excuse that we both knew wouldn’t fool anyone, especially to someone who taught you everything you knew about fighting. I couldn’t top my frantic heartbeat, so I did the last desperate thing I could think of.

  I leaned upwards towards Jeremy and kissed him as well as I could with my arms still pinned to the ground. I felt him freeze up in shock and I pushed him off me as quick as I could. It was harder than I thought though, not because he was heavy or I wasn’t strong enough, but because I didn’t want to stop.

  Running away to where I would meet Mr. Z and go to the Hunters, I realized that getting caught wasn’t the only reason for my heart beating like it was; still is.

  “You’re late!” Mr. Z scolded as I reached the meeting spot, gasping for air. “And since when did you ever run out of breath just from running from your dorm to here?”

  “There’s a rumor around school that I’m the traitor.” I panted. “You didn’t hear about it?�
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  “I knew, but I didn’t particularly want you to know about it.” He replied with a scowl, and I glared at him.

  “How could you not tell me?” I demanded.

  “It would only affect you negatively.”

  “Damn right it would!”

  “Then you should understand that you need to do better if you don’t want to be suspected Lydia.”

  “But-” He looked at me meaningfully and I sighed heavily, my anger simmering down. He was right after all, like he usually was.

  “Always the voice of reason, you’re right, it’s my fault.”

  “Admitting that right there Lydia, shows you are ready to follow through with this mission ‘till the end.” Said Mr. Z in an approving voice, and I felt my resolve to do the best I could on the mission.

  “Yes sir.” I responded with a salute. We both smiled like father and daughter sharing some special moment all the way to enemy territory.

  “Are you ready?” Demetrius asked as he set down the practice mat.

  “Are we doing more hand-to-hand combat?” I complained wanting to learn something else.

  “Yes, until you can beat me you are going to keep doing this.” He got into his position and I grimaced.

  “I could knock you out in ten second flat if I wanted to.” I muttered.

  He put a hand to his ear. “What was that, why don’t you show me instead of telling me. Actions speak louder than words after all.”

  I rolled my eyes and darted forward, ducking and swerving around his fist, placing my fists in deliberate spots. He seemed taken aback as I