Mike's eyes were fixed on Christina's falling figure, his mind racing with memories of the past. He recalled Anita's fall from thirteen years ago, a traumatic experience that had left him scarred and helpless.
The pain and guilt still lingered, and now, as Christina fell, Mike felt the weight of history repeating itself. His thoughts swirled in a maelstrom of despair.
Will I be able to bear the pain if something happens to Christina? he wondered.
The memory of Anita's fall flooded his mind, and Mike's resolve hardened. I couldn't save Anita then; shouldn't I at least be able to save Christina now?
Overwhelming sadness threatened to consume him. "I can't let that happen; I won't lose the people I love anymore!" he declared.
As Mike's vow echoed through the air, a searing energy coursed through his veins. He had felt this before at the hospital—except this was entirely on another level.
His body began to shift, his cells rearranging with a painful, tingling sensation. His spine stretched and arched backward as his muscles contorted. A blinding, bone-cracking illumination enveloped him, casting an eerie glow on the surrounding buildings.
Mike's vision blurred, and his hearing became muffled by the cacophony of cracking bones and tearing flesh. His scream was lost in the chaos, drowned out by the pounding of his heart.
Then, the pain subsided, replaced by an intense, burning sensation in his back. Mike looked back and beheld the source: two magnificent bat wings, unfurled and trembling as if awakening from a deep slumber.
Their leathery texture and dark veins pulsed with life, radiating an otherworldly power. Mike's human form had merged with this creature, its presence coursing through him like liquid fire.
Fear clawed at his mind. What's happening to me? he thought.
Suddenly, a strange sense of belonging washed over him, as if he had finally discovered a part of himself. Yet, self-doubt crept in: Was he still human?
The world around him seemed to ripple as if reality itself was shifting. However, amidst this chaos, nothing else mattered; only Christina.
Tons of energy flowed through the veins in his wings, and with a sudden, instinctive motion, he flapped his massive bat wings.
To his amazement, he levitated effortlessly, as though winged flight were second nature.
Mike's gaze swept across his transformed body, marveling at the unfamiliar yet strangely comforting sight.
This was his first transformation, and instead of fear, Mike felt a deep connection to his new form. His eyes gleamed with a fierce inner light, illuminating the darkening sky.
With Christina still suspended in mid-air, Mike's wings beat powerfully, propelling him toward her. His heart pounded with a mix of fear and determination, but one thought dominated all others:
He would save her.
He fluttered toward her, his bat wings beating relentlessly as he enveloped her floating form. Cradling her safely, he dove back down gently, setting her on the ground.
Only then did Mike realize that time had been frozen, manipulated by an unseen force. The world around him was suspended like a painting.
His gaze swept across the faces of Stefan and the other students, their expressions locked in shock and dread.
Rachael stood a short distance away, her eyes fixed on the spot where Mike had last stood before his transformation.
Her gaze seemed to hold a mix of expectation and concern as if she had anticipated Mike's actions.
Mike narrowed his eyes, searching for the force behind the temporal manipulation. His gaze drifted toward the rooftop, and his heart skipped a beat.
A gigantic creature, identical to his current form, stood atop the rooftop. Its massive wings spread wide, and with a swift leap, it took to the skies, flapping toward the woods.
Without hesitation, Mike launched himself into the air, his wings beating clumsily as he gave chase. The creature vanished into the treeline, and Mike pursued, driven by a primal urge.
As Mike disappeared into the distance, time unfroze, and the world sprang back to life.
Christina stood up from the ground, rubbing her temples in confusion. She scanned the area, searching for Mike.
The students around her were abuzz with murmurs and gasps.
"How did she…?"
"She was falling, and then—"
"What just happened?"
"Did she just fall without getting hurt?"
"Not even a bruise or a fracture? This is utterly impossible!"
Many students continued to observe Christina for any visible injuries.
Stefan's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the spot where Mike had last been seen.
Rachael mirrored his expression, her eyes still fixed on the distance, as if tracking Mike's flight.
"Mike! Where's Mike?" Christina's voice cut through the chatter as she whirled around.
But Mike was already long gone, lost in the woods, chasing the mysterious creature.
Christina rushed toward Rachael, who had just approached Stefan. "Where is your brother?" she demanded.
Rachael shrugged. "I just arrived. How do you expect me to know where he is?"
Christina turned away from Rachael and Stefan, trying to collect her thoughts and recollect the blurred events.
Rachael edged toward Stefan. "Did you see what just happened?" she whispered.
Stefan continued to stare at the rooftop, looking lost in thought.
"Mike saved her, right?" he whispered. "I can't believe he actually has wings like he claimed before."
His eyes snapped back to life, and his gaze dropped to the ground. Mike's torn uniform lay crumpled on the pavement.
Without hesitation, he picked up the uniform, but before he could hide it, Christina turned around and spotted the familiar fabric.
"Isn't that Mike's uniform? How's it..." Her sentence was cut off as she connected the dots. Her eyes widened, and her breath caught. The implications were staggering.
Stefan shook his head frantically, attempting to deflect Christina's suspicion.
"No, it's not his," he insisted, hastily concealing the uniform behind his back.
Rachael watched the exchange, unsure of what to say.
"Something is not right. Did Mike actually..." Christina paused, her eyes scanning the area again. Her gaze landed on Mike's abandoned bag, and her thoughts clicked into place.
She pivoted, her feet carrying her toward the woods.
"Where are you going? Christina!?" Rachael called out.
"To find out!" Christina shouted over her shoulder, not breaking stride.
"Find out what!?" Stefan asked.
"What I saw!" Christina's reply faded into the distance as she vanished from sight.
Rachael and Stefan exchanged concerned glances, their faces mirroring each other's worries.
"What!? There's no way she could've figured it out, could she?" Stefan whispered urgently.
"Dammit! Let's go now!" Rachael said as she sprinted after Christina.
Stefan didn't hesitate, joining the chase with equal urgency.
The woods loomed ahead, their dense foliage swallowing Christina's fleeing form.
As Rachael and Stefan pursued her, the silence between them was filled with unspoken questions:
What had Christina seen?
How much did she know?
And what would happen when she uncovered the truth?
Meanwhile, Mike, in his Anthropter form, hovered above the woods, his enhanced vision scanning the terrain below for the creature.
The trees blurred together, but his sharp eyes picked out the creature's massive frame.
As he dove downward, his vision became even clearer, and his perceptive abilities heightened. Mike landed softly behind the creature.
"Who are you?" he demanded, his confidence bolstered by his new form. "Did you freeze time earlier?"
The gigantic creature turned around, its movements fluid as it bowed slightly. "Finally, I found you, my Jyuran!" it exclaimed. "I am Djumara, a witch, and I'm here to accompany you back to Perebia."
Mike's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Ju… Ju… what!? Perebia?"