The sepulchral silence of the classroom was torn apart by a scream that didn't sound human. Hailey stumbled back until she hit the chalkboard, her fingernails scratching against the wood with a jarring, screeching sound. Something in her mind—under the unbearable pressure of the rumors and Ethan's suffocating presence—finally fractured.
"What are you waiting for!?" she shrieked, her voice breaking into a hysterical pitch. "Do you think I'm just a trophy!? An object you can claim after throwing out the trash!? You're a beast! I've heard what they say about you—you're a monster that devours everyone and doesn't even leave the bones!"
Her classmates cowered in their seats, barely daring to breathe. No one ventured to intervene as Hailey spiraled into a psychotic break, her eyes bloodshot and her face twisted in terror.
"I'd rather die!" she howled, pointing a trembling finger at Ethan. "Do you think your power makes you a god? You're nothing! You're just a plague!"
