'Snow…
Who is it that named these crystals such a word, I wonder? These frozen droplets are not ones I ever gazed upon with my mortal eyes. But now? Now, it seems I must endure the sight of them every day. Just as I must endure the sight of this filth rummaging through my new kingdom.
Kukuku…
Those fools have no idea of what I have lying in wait for them. Instead, they run amok with their friends and dream of grasping true greatness.
Pathetic.
They don't know that greatness lies in the eye of the beholder. And soon, very soon indeed, it is I who shall behold this world.'
"P-Principal Mackenzie, sir!" a young man called from the entrance. "T-The Board is waiting for you. The meeting started thirty minutes ago!"
His lips curled upward.
"Very good, Mr. Grimley. You are dismissed."
The figure bowed and ran away from the office as the principal rose to his feet.
Straightening his tie with an air of detachment, Mackenzie watched the boy leave. A shimmer of darkness rippled across his eyes as he considered ending them right there. He could see it now, a single tendril could trip the boy where he stood, sending him careening down the frozen staircase located at the end of the hall.
But no. Such a death was too easy. And Grimley feared him so much. The boy's presence was a faucet of fear that Mackenzie couldn't help but love to drink in. And so, he decided to let the boy go. To let him live another day. Instead, he'd focus his efforts on the fools currently invading his castle.
Walking down the hall, Mackenzie regarded the large oak door to the meeting. Behind it lay the Board, an assembly of naive mortals who believed themselves to be in control.
How laughable.
No one controlled him. Much less his grip over North Academy. To consider otherwise was to lie to themselves, to believe the impossible could be grasped.
He stepped forward, the air around him growing colder with every step. It was as if the very essence of his dark being was leeching the warmth from the room. As he reached the door, his shadow grew unnaturally tall behind him, flickering in the darkness to reveal the ancient eldritch beast housed within.
He paused, hovering his hand over the handle.
'Perhaps I should make them wait longer,' he thought. 'To let them feel the sting of my presence before they even lay eyes upon me.'
He eyed the clock.
5:45
He was now forty-five minutes late. They had waited enough. He had waited enough. The time to feast was at hand.
With a slow, deliberate motion, he pushed the door to the Boardroom open. The room fell silent as the members of the Board turned to face him, their expressions enraged. Instead of yelling at him as many had no doubt intended to do, however, their words stopped mid-way, as if they had sensed his might, but could not comprehend it.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Mackenzie greeted, smiling at them as he entered. "I trust you all have been...patient?"
"Yes, Principal Mackenzie," they intoned.
His eyes scanned the room, savoring the flickers of unease that crossed their droll faces.
His smile grew. It seemed the last demonstration he'd given remained etched in their minds.
"Principal Mackenzie," one of the members began, "there have been some… concerns. The recent changes to the curriculum… The parents—"
He stopped them with a raise of his hand. The temperature in the room seemed to drop another few degrees as he turned to the speaker, his voice layered with a cruel tone that sent shivers down even the best of their spines.
"Concerns, you say?" he sneered. "Should I be concerned about those weak-minded fools? Rest assured, my curriculum is being altered for the greater good. The children of North Academy shall be prepared for the Dueling World that is to come. A world where only the strong shall survive. A world where weaklings… will perish."
He leaned forward slightly, his eyes boring into the member who had dared to speak. "Should there be any further… concerns," he continued, drinking in their fear, "then I will deal with the parents personally. It's quicker that way."
The Board members exchanged uneasy glances, clearly unsettled by the tone of his voice. Mackenzie's gaze swept across the room, committing each of their faces to memory.
"In the meantime," he said, adjusting his tie once more with a smile, "I have other matters that require attention. I trust you can see yourselves out."
END
TAG FORCE ALTERNATIVE TWO
TWISTING THE TALE
Chapter Two out now!
