BEEP BEEP BEEP
I pressed the snooze on the alarm clock. I turned to see that it was 6:30am. I pulled myself up to a sitting position. I felt like crap. After that nightmare, I didn't go back to sleep. I tried to sleep but thoughts just kept rushing through my head about Kur. The feeling of defeat started to sink in. Not only was I able to build my life back up from the War of the Cryptids, but so has my entire family. All of them work so hard, the thought of going through the whole ordeal again just pushed me down into a desolated state. As much as I wanted to hide under my blankets and pretend none of this was happening, I still had to try and function the best that I could. My days may be numbered, but I could at least try to make the best of them.
I got dressed in the standard school uniform, a charcoal suit with the school logo on the left breast pocket. I checked the body length mirror before heading out of the room for breakfast. I had changed a lot in appearance since I last had my Kur powers. I was as tall as my father. Not quite muscular yet. I let my hair grow out to shoulder length. The white framed my face while the black was pushed behind the ears. As I was turning away from the mirror, I really saw what this Kur mess was doing to me. I looked like an utter mess. My eyes were sunken in from the lack of sleep, and no matter how hard I smiled I looked upset.
I got into the cafeteria a little after 7:30. Breakfast started a half hour ago but there were still students like myself that were coming in. I grabbed a simple breakfast, toast and a piece of fruit. Once I got out of the line for food, I heard my name being called.
"Hey Zak!" I looked over to see my friend Oliver calling me over from our table in the cafeteria. A small smile appeared on my face. Along at the table with Oliver, was his other friends Lizzie Bara and Peter Wilson. These three have been with me since I started at the school.
Lizzie did a quick look over me and gave a worried look. "You look like you've seen better days. Rough night again?"
"Yeah." I set my tray down on the table and began to pick at my food.
"Did you hear what's going on? Dr. Beeman is coming to speak to the astronomy class."
"I would think that the Secret Scientists have better things to do that," I replied bitterly. No matter what I still feel nothing but content for the man.
"Well, my father came to speak in a few classes last semester," Lizzie relied "You just don't like Dr. Beeman."
I sat back and watched my friends talking and joking about life. Though I wasn't joining them, I felt better just watching them. I felt a peg of pain run through me. Once Kur's powers fully come back, I won't be able to be with them anymore. I stood up. As much as I wanted to be around them, it reminds me of what I'm going to lose soon.
"I'm going to head off to my first class."
"I'll join you," Oliver said as he stood up.
"It's fine, Oliver."
"I'm done eating and my class is near you."
"Fine then."
The two of us got up with our trays and headed out. Once we got to the halls and it appeared that no one was around us, Oliver stop and broke the silence between us.
"Zak you know that were friends, right?"
"Yeah." I stopped and turned to face him.
"And if you ever need help, I would be there for you, right?"
"What's this about, Oliver?" Where was he going with this?
"Well, we've noticed that for the last few weeks that you've been a little distant with us."
"I just have a lot on my mind right now." I can't let them know. I don't want them to get dragged into this mess.
"You're also not eating very much anymore. Then from what Victor said, you're not sleeping much either."
"You talked to Victor about me!" Now I felt my anger rising. I turned to walk away but Oliver grabbed my shoulder.
"Look Zak, I'm worried about you, so I asked him if he noticed anything since you weren't saying anything to us! We are your friends. We just want to help you."
"There's nothing wrong. Just leave it alone!" With that I pulled away from Oliver and headed to class.
The morning classed seemed to drag on. I kept zoning in and out of the lectures, even got yelled at in my mythology class for the lack of focus.
I headed for the library. I knew that no anyone would bother me there. The last thing I wanted right now was another confrontation with Oliver. I found a small area hidden away from view and took out my advance physics book. If I was going to hind in the library, I might as well get some studying in. I got half way through the chapter when I felt my eye start to shut. There was no energy really left in me to fight off sleep. Maybe a quick nap won't hurt. I don't think I'll sleep long enough for a nightmare.
"Zak."
Weird. I could hear Kur's voice but not see anything like last night's dream.
"Zak." Kur's voice rang out again, sounding more urgent than the last.
"What do you want this time, Kur?" I yelled out and tried to sound as angry as possible.
"Such disrespect. I wish to tell you that our enemies are near."
"Our enemies?" That's the last clear thought I had before everything went black.
Victoria was strolling down the halls on her way to get lunch, tired from the late nights doing her part of the plan, then going to class and maintaining her image around the school for student related to a Secret Scientist. Aside from her nighttime actives, she kind of enjoyed the school and the students in it. Maybe once this Kur mess was dealt with, she might stay at the school to become a Secret Scientist. Victor on the other hand might drop out once they're in the clear, which she didn't have a problem with. This might be their last life, and they might as well enjoy it much as they could.
Just as she was passing the library, Victoria felt something faint evil aura, not very strong. Could it be a Naga? No. It would be a lot stronger and there is no way it could have gotten past her barrier. Crap! It's those power spikes Victor was talking about. Victoria frantically looked around, trying to figure out where it was coming from. It was strong enough for her to sense but not strong enough to find the location. She took a deep breath and focused. The library. That's where he was.
Victoria was quickly trying to figure out a course of action for the situation. She didn't know if it was him when he slept or if it was really Kur trying to take control. There was two options. Option one was to find Victor to confront Zak, but for the time to find him and get back here would take too long. The second option was to check on Zak herself, it would be the fastest solution but also the riskiest. Victoria had her spells and tones which made for amazing defense but horrible for any close combat, that was more Victor style.
Victoria felt another surge in Kur power, but this time it was stronger. She make up her mind and took a deep breath before running in Zak's direction. She may not be as physically strong as her twin but she had an idea that might work.
Once in the library, she slowed to a fast pace, glancing down the aisle of bookshelves. She spotted him towards the back. It looked like Zak fell asleep at the desk. Victoria slowly approached him, trying to be as quiet as possible.
"Zak, are you ok?" Victoria slowly approached Zak's sleeping body. Once she was about a few feet away from him, she could see a faint orange glow from his eyes. Victoria remained calm. There was an orange glow from his closed eyes.
Next thing she knew, Zak had taken the book that was on the desk and slammed it into her head and the world went black for a moment. Before she can recollect herself, Zak had her by the neck, pinned to the wall. She felt a trickle of blood coming down from her forehead. Her eyes cracked out only to see Zak inches from her face. His eyes that were once brown that's now orange are staring at her.
"Inanna… It's been awhile" The voice came from Zak but it didn't sound like him. "You and Ishtar thought that you could hide from me."
Victoria cocked a smirk. Even if he had the upper hand at the moment, she was going to act like it. "We never were hiding. Only waiting for the prefect moment to strike you down."
"Heh, as if you two could take me down."
"Really? Who took you down the last three times?"
Zak's grip on her neck tightened and Victoria gasp for air. He laughed at her struggle. "Seeing how I'm still here is a testament to how good you two really are."
In that moment, Kur's strength grew stronger. But little to Kur's knowledge, so did Victoria's strength. She was about to use her surge in power to pull him off of her but next thing she knew, she hit the ground with a thug. Victoria looked up from the ground to see Oliver had tackled Zak down to the ground.
"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU, ZAK?!" Oliver had him pinned at his shoulder. He turned to Victoria who still had blood coming down the side of her face. "Are you ok?"
Kur didn't bother to respond. Instead he threw Oliver off of him like it was nothing. Oliver hit one of the bookshelves, nearly knocking them over. While still on the ground, Oliver saw his friend get up and finally got a good look at him. Oliver's expression changed from anger to horror. He saw Zak's eyes turn orange and a menacing look covering his face.
Victoria took that opportunity while Kur was distracted to showcase her powers that she had not had in the last few thousand years. She force pushed him into a wall and held him there before starting to chant the words "Septem dæmonia multa in divinis ad repellendum."
Kur tried to fight it but after a few time his eyes rolled back into head. Victoria let go and watched the body slump down to the floor, really unsure who was in charge of it right now.
Oliver's mouth was left hanging. He wanted to say something but he couldn't find his voice. It was probably because he was still trying to make an attempt to understand what the hell just happened. What the hell were those two?
He watched Victoria walk over to Zak. She crouched then put her hand on his stomach and closed her eyes. A few moments later she opened them and turned around to look at Oliver. He finally found his voice to speak. It sound so quiet that he was surprised she heard him.
"What are you two?"
Victoria calmly walked over to him and extend her hand to him to help him up "Trust me, you probably wouldn't believe me if I told you. Are you ok?"
"A little shaken up but fine. What about you? You're bleeding. I can go find a nurse or one of the guards to help you."
"No, no. Why are you here?"
"I came looking for Zak. I was worried about him."
"You're a good friend, but pretend that you saw nothing and let me handle him."
"Seriously?! I think we should tell someone. We should tell his parents. This could be connected to how he's been acting for the last few weeks."
"NO! Especially not them. Look, I know what you just saw scared you, but trust me when I say that everything is under control." Victoria was trying to use her powers to convince Oliver that everything was fine. But with him in a distraught state and the fact that her power was weakened, it was kind of hard to get him to do as she said. "Now go back to lunch. I'll make sure Zak is ok."
Oliver looked at her for a moment "Ok. I'll leave it alone for now."
Oliver started to head for the door. Before he exited the library he turned and gave her a scared look then turned around to leave.
Victoria went back to Zak, who was still on the ground. He was slowly coming through. Kur taking over Zak's body really came out of nowhere. Victor did say he felt small surges, but nothing like this. They also didn't know what to expect. Kur never had reincarnated into a human form before. She realized that Victor and She might be in trouble.
A/N Sorry It's been awhile since I updated this story but hopefully I will be able to add a few more chapters before the summers over. I would also like to give credit to Annabeth and Percy Jackson for helping with editing this chapter.
