Only after Silas' words sunk in, Christan immediately regretted it. He should have left for class like Ethan did. Why did he even stay? Just to see how well Logan could fight?
The students, who were eight, started following Silas as he led the way silently.
"Creeps you out?" Joshua whispered to Christan as they walked behind the rest.
Christan didn't reply, but the memories of what happened to Humphrey rushed back clearly. He couldn't believe himself. Not even a day had passed, and he had almost forgotten the madness of Goldleaf teachers.
From the look of it... He glanced at nonchalant Joshua. It was obvious he hadn't witnessed the same thing he did.
Soon, the teacher led them into the staff office and lit the empty room.
Silas walked directly to the cabinet, opened it, and came up with two long, steady wooden pointers.
He threw one of the sticks in front of them, and a couple of them flinched and stepped back.
Then he slammed the one in his hand on the floor. Christan's heart jumped with it.
"When I was your age..." Silas started, "I used to practice fencing." He waved the stick in the air, and it gave a whooshing sound. "I wonder if my skills have gone dull."
Christan gulped as he could see where this was going. Was there a chance to beg for forgiveness? He said it was a fight, but for someone like him, it would be a beating!
He gave a side glance to Joshua, who stared forward and pumped his hands with excitement.
"Rules are simple. You fight me one on one," Silas said, looking serious.
"I'm telling you, Chris… you don't even see this kind of madness in juvie."
"You think you can beat him?" Christan slowly asked.
Joshua scoffed and clicked his tongue as he turned to Silas. "As long as I don't get expelled for kicking a teacher's ass."
Joshua stepped forward to pick the pointer, but someone else did before him. Joshua cursed inwardly and returned to his line.
Christan took a deep breath. Honestly, he doubted if Joshua could beat Silas. He even doubted if anyone here could. He was a Goldleaf teacher, after all.
Jasper grabbed the stick and stepped forward, facing the teacher. His face didn't show that he believed he could win, but he didn't seem to be scared either.
Silas only watched as Jasper stopped at the center.
"I've seen you fight the second-years. If anyone knows your skill, it's me. So I won't hold back!"
Shouting that, Jasper charged forward. Getting a little closer, using both hands, he swung his stick downward.
Silas blocked it with his pointer effortlessly and instantly returned a slash, hitting Jasper's hands.
"Ah—!" Jasper shrieked and dropped the stick.
In the few seconds he felt the pain, Silas hit Jasper's calves and sent him to his knees. Then he slammed another strike on his back near his shoulder.
"Argh..." The moment he was down, thinking it was over, Silas added more hits to his back.
Jasper rolled aside and grabbed the pointer once again, his teeth gritting as his hands still burned.
Only to meet a brutal strike on his chin. He spat blood before he dropped to the floor, unconscious.
Christan stepped back.
"Shit," Joshua exclaimed. "Is he a butcher or something?"
While most stepped back, Logan was still where he was. Without saying anything, he went forward and bent on all fours.
Silas didn't even ask and immediately landed a strong strike on Logan's back. He went on, and when he reached five, Logan couldn't endure it and fell.
Logan remained on the floor, the pain too unbearable for him to stand up. Different from Jasper, he didn't want to fight a teacher.
He was wearing a sweater, so no one could see the damage underneath. But from the earlier fight between Logan and Jasper, it was obvious Logan had high endurance. Yet he fell from Silas's brutal strikes.
Who was to survive that?
One of the students ran and fell to his knees. "Sir, it's a mistake. I swear, I was just going to class! It was them!"
"Sir… can I go back to class?" Logan asked as he helped himself to his feet.
"As soon as possible, if you're able," Silas replied as he still faced the student who pleaded.
Logan slowly made his way to the exit.
Christan couldn't even perceive anything anymore. His mind raced as he kept telling himself that soon it would be him down there.
"Did he even land a hit?" Joshua asked in disbelief as he glanced at Logan's disappearing back. He turned to Christan, only to find even his breathing had changed. Added to his slender frame, Joshua shook his head. "That's just unfair."
Then for the next minutes, the room was filled with terrifying cries and smacks.
They were wearing sweaters, even Silas, due to the coldness around the school. But from the screams and the sound of the strikes, it was as if their bodies were bare, judging by how shivers ran through them.
Those who were beaten but able to stand helped themselves and went to class, also helping those who failed like Jasper.
And then, suddenly, there were only three of them left in that room, which now stank of blood.
Christan was stuck to the wall as if he were about to pass through it, scratching his hand nonstop, which was covered in blood.
Joshua stood at the front, never showing whether he was afraid or not, just regarding Silas.
Silas, his pointer stained red, glanced at the two of them. And if he remembered correctly, apart from those who were fighting, these two had been at the front cheering.
Joshua stepped forward and asked lightly, "Am I allowed to kill..."
He didn't get to take another step. He froze. Not now. Joshua shook his head as his vision turned blurry, and he dropped to the floor. His body remained still.
Silas glanced at Joshua's silhouette on the floor and sighed. Pretending to faint?
He walked forward to make sure of that, but he halted.
In that silent room, there was the sound of giggling, which soon turned into muffled laughter.
There were three of them. If not him, and not the one on the floor pretending to be dead, then what was left...
Silas looked at Christan, only to notice his shoulders moving up and down.