The next morning, sunlight streamed through the gaps in the blinds, casting patches of light and shadow across the room.
Edward stretched, feeling thoroughly refreshed.
The recovery his Pure Yang Body granted him was extraordinary. Yesterday's intimate "energy exchange" with Jennifer hadn't left him the least bit tired. If anything, his mental power seemed to have improved slightly.
As for his three "little sisters" at home, when he'd gone downstairs for water last night, he'd seen all three squeezed onto the couch, watching cartoons under the same blanket, looking every bit like loving sisters.
Edward slung his backpack over his shoulders and walked to school as usual.
"Hey, Edward!"
A familiar voice came from behind him. Frank hurried to catch up and threw an arm around his shoulders.
"Did you finish the homework? That last physics problem wasn't meant for humans. I think the teacher's trying to weed out everyone who won't make it to college." Frank looked utterly defeated.
"Yeah. I thought it was pretty easy." Edward shrugged.
"Quit humblebragging," Frank said flatly. "We get it. You're a genius."
As they laughed and chatted, a slightly bashful voice sounded beside them.
"Edward... Frank... good morning."
It was Carrie.
She wore a pale blue dress today and held several books against her chest. She looked much more confident than before, but her cheeks still flushed involuntarily whenever she faced Edward.
"Morning, Carrie." Edward greeted her with a smile.
Just then, a waft of perfume swept over them, and a fiery red convertible pulled up beside them with a flashy flourish.
Jennifer took off her sunglasses and gave Edward a flirtatious wink, her voice syrupy sweet. "Hi, Edward, and my little friends. Need a ride?"
Her best friend Nitty sat beside her. Nitty waggled her eyebrows at Frank, clearly interested in the handsome, highly intelligent boy.
"No, thanks. We'll walk and get some exercise." Edward declined with a smile.
"You're no fun." Jennifer pouted, but didn't insist. She stepped on the gas, and the sports car roared away, leaving only a trail of silvery laughter and a faint scent of perfume.
Frank adjusted his glasses and watched the car disappear. "What a... vibrant woman," he murmured.
The group soon reached the school gates.
Even from a distance, Edward spotted that familiar figure.
Maria stood beneath a tree by the gates, her head lowered as she nervously picked at her backpack strap.
Sensing someone approaching, she instinctively looked up and met Edward's gaze.
Her cheeks instantly turned as red as ripe apples, and even her neck flushed pink.
She hurriedly lowered her head and gave a tiny wave in greeting before fleeing into the school grounds.
Edward smiled helplessly. Apparently, Maria's shyness hadn't changed much.
After school, Edward stopped everyone before they could head home.
"No time like the present, guys. How about dinner together, my treat? Let's celebrate getting through another 'peaceful' break."
Everyone immediately agreed.
They went to a popular fried chicken place near the school and ordered a mountain of high-calorie food.
"Guess what? I flew a plane during break!" Frank gestured excitedly as he gnawed on a drumstick.
"I... I read a lot of books at home," Carrie said quietly.
"I got kidnapped by cultists to be sacrificed." Jennifer licked sauce off her fingers and casually swept back her hair.
Edward added, "I ran into Jason at summer camp. Then, on my motorcycle trip, I met cannibals, followed by a family of freaks who turned people into wax figures."
Nobody believed them. They thought Jennifer and Edward were joking.
Maria sat quietly to one side, taking small sips of Coke and listening attentively to everyone chat. When someone addressed her, she merely blushed and nodded.
The atmosphere was lively and friendly, brimming with youthful energy.
Edward leaned back in his chair, enjoying this rare moment of relaxation.
Friends and good food. Now this was what a normal high school student's life should be.
Just then, the door to the fried chicken shop opened, setting the wind chimes ringing.
Two young women walked in. They looked as though they'd just come from a party, their faces still wearing carefully applied makeup.
The dark-haired one was named Tara, and the blonde was named Dewen. They looked a little tired and were discussing where to continue their night.
Another figure followed them inside.
It was a man in a black-and-white clown costume.
He was tall, but his movements had an eerie stiffness to them. Thick white greasepaint covered his face, and an exaggerated, chilling smile had been painted around his mouth.
A tiny black top hat perched on his head. In one hand, he carried a black garbage bag that seemed to contain something heavy, swaying as he walked.
He said nothing. He simply sat down in a corner and stared fixedly toward Tara and Dewen, utterly devoid of emotion.
It was as though someone had hit the mute button on the shop's lively atmosphere.
Everyone felt the sudden strangeness and unease.
"That man... he's so strange." Carrie instinctively edged closer to Edward. She could sense the pure, undisguised malice emanating from the clown.
Jennifer's smile faded as well. As a newly born succubus, she was extremely sensitive to fluctuations in human emotions.
Yet she sensed no emotion from this clown, only deathly stillness, like an empty shell wearing human skin. That unknown quality made her feel threatened.
Maria was even more frightened. Her face went pale, and she nearly hid beneath the table.
Alan in the mirror seemed to sense something too, warning her to stay away from that thing.
The instant Edward saw the clown, his expression darkened completely.
The others merely found him unsettling, but Edward knew what he was.
That signature black-and-white outfit. That nauseating smile. That silent, oppressive presence.
Fuck. The Soul-Severing Clown, Art.
This lunatic wasn't an ordinary serial killer. He was a genuine monster who couldn't be killed by conventional means, an embodiment of pure evil who delighted in torture and sadistic slaughter.
Edward glanced at his friends. Frank had no supernatural powers, but he was frowning too, clearly sensing that something was wrong.
As for Carrie, Jennifer, and Maria, they had powers, but they were nowhere near ready to face a monster on Art's level.
"It's getting late, and I'm a little tired. Let's call it a day." Edward abruptly stood, his tone leaving no room for argument.
"Huh? Oh, sure." Frank was puzzled, but he immediately nodded when he saw Edward's serious expression.
The girls were even more eager to leave this suffocating place.
Edward quickly paid the bill and led everyone out of the fried chicken shop. He never once looked back at the clown, but he could feel that cold, inhuman "gaze" clinging to their backs.
He first drove Frank and the girls safely home, one by one, reminding the girls to lock their doors and windows that night and not go out.
Once his last friend disappeared through her doorway, the ease and warmth vanished from Edward's face, replaced by icy solemnity.
He took the Fenrir Heavy Motorcycle out of his system space.
The motorcycle gave a low growl that sounded especially clear on the empty street.
Edward didn't head home. Instead, he abruptly turned at an intersection and sped back toward the fried chicken shop.
Art, the Soul-Severing Clown?
A monster that couldn't die?
A cold smile curved Edward's lips.
Perfect. Let's put that so-called "Immortal Body" to the test!
Before you continue