Becoming a Monster-Chapter 60: Playing Chess with Words

Neal didn’t bother to match his expression to the rest of his dramatic acting. The expressions on the faces of those around him spoke volumes, The look on the others’ faces showed how much the people there feared Noah, supporting that Neal’s claim was most likely true.

As Neal spoke, disbelief washed over those who were familiar with Noah’s character. Their gaze shifted towards Fenrir, where the evidence of Noah’s alleged actions lay; a puddle of blood near the steps and traces of wet blood around Fenrir’s mouth.

"No that’s impossible...Noah wouldn’t...He’s not someone who would do that unless he was pro-"

"I fucking knew it!" Mark interrupted Ailetta’s attempt to defend Noah, his intense gaze fixing over to Jasmine. "Jas, I’ve been telling you since he killed those people here before what kind of person he truly was. Do you see what he did to my hand!? And how he stood by watching people die when the zombies broke through? Not to mention that he didn’t bother to tell us about those spiders! The man is a murderer! Will you still continue to stick up for him?"

With Noah’s track record, hearing his actions being discussed really did make him out to be the worst kind of human there was. A sense of unease settled in Jasmine’s stomach, she was conflicted. She found herself being swayed by her brother’s words, but then her attention shifted towards Ailetta, who was clearly emotionally frustrated by the accusations. It was clear that the situation was taking its toll on her.

Jasmine recalled her past misjudgment concerning Noah, and seeing Ailetta so adamant about Noah’s innocence, she was determined to support her friend in her time of need when she couldn’t before. Reflecting on her previous interactions with Noah, Jasmine processed the events carefully, drawing her own conclusions about his character. After weighing all the evidence and considering her own experiences, Jasmine’s gaze hardened with resolve.

"First I want to hear what happened and then we can wait for Noah to hear his side."

Mark, as well as the people in the lobby were astonished by Jasmine’s decision to wait for Noah’s return. ’What else did she need to hear?’ To them, it seemed unnecessary to hear Noah’s side of the story. They all silently agreed that Noah was in the wrong, the blood was there for all to see, clearly Noah killed someone!

"What do you mean, wait for him to return? He’s in the room right behind us, let’s kill him now!" Regina raged, she didn’t care if Noah was guilty or innocent, she simply wanted him dead so she could feel at ease again.

The bickering between the two sides continued as the tension rises. There were only a few people, like Bailey, Isabelle and Ailetta, who remained firm in their belief that Noah was innocent. Then you had people like Paul who didn’t care if Noah was innocent, they simply didn’t want to incur his wrath. Everyone else was either undecided or was in favor of taking Noah’s head.

As the discussion continued, it became increasingly clear that emotions were running high amongst the group. What had started as an attempt to understand the events of the chaotic day had devolved into a platform for venting frustrations, fears, and anger.

Noah had become the focal point for everyone’s emotions, serving as a convenient target for their collective frustrations. Each member of the group sought validation for their own feelings, using Noah’s actions as a means to justify their own reactions. The accusatory discussions would’ve continued if not for Jasmine’s timely interruption.

"If you feel so strongly for it, then what do you suggest we should do? We aren’t capable of fighting Noah’s creature, and as you can see, we aren’t in the best of shape either." Jasmine cut to the heart of the issue, prompting the group to confront the difficult truth. She didn’t really want to fight Noah if she could help it. Her thoughts aligned with Paul’s; Noah was already a significant threat in his own right. She looked over to the monster, recalling how they fought just to survive its onslaught, a beast that never stopped no matter how much you hit it. She didn’t want to experience it again.

To her question, the people obviously wanted to say for everyone to attack the beast at once, but from what Jasmine suggested, their plan didn’t seem feasible. The people who had yet to fully experience the terror of battling against Fenrir felt that Jasmine and her group were just too afraid, making excuses to hide their cowardice. However there was still one person who had a suggestion, a suggestion that surprisingly, people began to consider.

"What about her?" Regina pointed towards Ailetta, who stood beside Bailey and her small group. From the distance, everyone else couldn’t tell who she was referring to, it gradually became apparent when the look of worry began to show on Ailetta’s face.

"I remember her, she’s friends with that maniac! If we use her, then maybe we can force Noah to give up without having to fight him. See? Even now she defends him, I’m sure that using her would work." Regina proposed, her eyes flickered with malice as her gaze attempted to bore into Ailetta. She would do anything if it meant being able to kill Noah, in Regina’s view, Ailetta was only a tool to accomplish that, a tool that should be proud that is being used by her.

No one was certain when the murmuring began, but as people took the time to listen to the hushed discussions, it became apparent that they were considering Regina’s suggestion. The attention shifted towards Ailetta, and she couldn’t help but feel uneasy under the weight of their stares. Initially uncomfortable, her apprehension soon turned to fear as the implications of Regina’s proposal sank in.

"Do you hear yourselves? You guys sound worse than what you make Noah out to be! I won’t let you put one hand on her." Bailey screamed as she placed herself closer to Ailetta’s side, ready to defend her at any notice. However, since the group that was defending her was small, her threat only amounted to so much.

Meanwhile, Jasmine internally struggled with the escalating situation, feeling the weight of responsibility bearing down on her. As she weighed the potential consequences of each option, a deep seeded fear began to form, she couldn’t allow this to escalate further. ’At this rate, ’he’ may try to kill us all!’

"Everyone, wait! If that’s your plan, then why don’t we wait for Noah to come out? If it’s as you say, then I will try to convince Ailetta to cooperate, but you can’t expect us to agree just because you said so." Jasmine suggested, her voice filled with urgency as she hoped to buy as much time as possible to prevent a bloodbath.

The room fell silent as the crowd turned their attention towards Neal, awaiting his response. She wasn’t totally against their idea so now what?

Even though she meant well, Neal couldn’t shake off his apprehension. If Noah were to reveal the truth about the situation, their own actions might be exposed as well.

’Smart move...’ Neal silently commended Jasmine for her quick thinking, he couldn’t help but acknowledge her intellectual prowess. Her mature aura and resonating reasoning set her apart, giving her a clear advantage in the current situation. While Jasmine had the high ground on a moral basis, Neal remained confident in his own abilities when it came to a verbal chess game.

"That’s not something we can do sadly." Neal said while shaking his head, showing his disagreement with what Jasmine said in the form of disappointment.

"How so?" Jasmine pressed, an unsettling feeling began to rise within her, leaving her with a sense of foreboding.

"Well, it’ll just be his words against ours. You would rather believe one person when all of us here witnessed him killing two people unjustly? It kind of makes me wonder if you’re bringing in your own personal feelings into the matter." He paused to give a dramatic effect while he made his way to the top of the stairs.

"We can’t wait any longer, but if you adamantly insist on hearing his side then do so now. He’s just inside the room there, I’m afraid we don’t have much time..." freewebnøvel_com

Inwardly, Neal was feeling regret at having to resort to such a drastic option. He couldn’t bear watching someone he fancied meeting their demise, but he also couldn’t allow Noah to live. Noah’s presence alone posed a threat to the leadership he had worked hard to establish, and Neal knew that dealing with Noah wouldn’t be as straightforward as it once was.

He watched Jasmine and the others in anticipation. His words to the public meant well, but he was only aiming for the beast to take another life. And if that person just so happened to be Jasmine, he was certain that Mark would do everything in his power possible to avenge her.

However, Neal hadn’t accounted for the possibility of Jasmine’s group refusing to approach Fenrir either. Jasmine herself showed a look of embarrassment; she wasn’t foolish enough to try to pass Fenrir, yet she also knew that if she didn’t, the group would likely revert to the idea of using Ailetta. She was at a loss for words, and everyone could see it.

Unlike Noah’s situation, words have power, but when compared to a fist, then it’s better to keep the mouth shut. Jasmine on the other hand didn’t have the power to control the conversation through force.

"Fools..." Ailetta’s soft voice cut through the silence that enveloped the room, her words carrying a weight that betrayed her vulnerable appearance.

She had a small smile on face that said ’I have nothing to lose’, as she addressed everyone in the room with a steady gaze.

"You don’t know him as well as I do. If you think you can use me in any way you please to get to him, you will only regret it later, by then, it’ll be too late."

Then to everyone’s surprise, Ailetta began to walk towards the steps, still being guarded by Fenrir. The beast’s ears perked up as he noticed the woman approaching, rising on all fours in response for his next meal.

"Nooo! Ailetta! Come back, we don’t have to stay here. Let’s just go!" Bailey yelled. She wasn’t like Mark and Jasmine, she didn’t care about having a large group to lead; she valued trust above all else. Ever since Ailetta sacrificed her safety to save Paul, Bailey had come to see her as one of those trustworthy people.

Jasmine, overcome with shock and disbelief, fell to her knees, starstruck by what was occurring. ’How did it come to this?’ She asked herself over and over. She wanted to call out to Ailetta, to rush to her side and be the friend she had always been, but she found herself paralyzed by conflicting thoughts and emotions.

’It’s my fault...’ Jasmine’s self-blame spiraled into negative self-criticism. She believed that if she had defended her friend better, Ailetta wouldn’t feel compelled to throw her life away. That’s what Jasmine and everyone else thought Ailetta was doing, committing suicide by approaching the beast that saw everything as prey.

Neal’s eyes widened in horror when he saw what Ailetta was about to do. ’If she gets herself killed, our plan is doomed, and even worse! He’ll unleash those beasts to kill us all!’

"Idiots, why are you standing there watching? STOP HER!" Neal yelled at the top of his voice. Not everyone understood Ailetta’s intentions, but when they heard Neal’s cry, those who could react quickly began to sprint toward her.

Boom Boom!* "Aawwhhhooooo!"

Fenrir saw everyone approaching and took the incoming individuals as a form of challenge. When at first he stood on all fours so he could properly eat the woman approaching him, he instead raised his upper body and planted both legs into the ground, claws extended, ready to defend himself.

The shift in Fenrir’s weight caused cracks to appear beneath him, and his roar rumbled through the room, asserting his dominance. He may be a mindless beast for now, but his pride as a Werewolf was never lost.

His imposing presence halted everyone rushing toward Ailetta, sending them scrambling back to where they had come from.

Ailetta also stopped where she was, tilting her small frame upwards to observe the beast bearing its jaws towards her with heavy anticipating breaths. Tears began to flow down her face as she thought about how she was about to die if she took a few more steps. She wanted to run away, part of her wished that she had died when they fought against the beast in the gym. She didn’t want to be the reason Noah would be forced to kill everyone, or even worse, she didn’t want to be the reason that he dies.

Muffled sounds of crying emanated from Ailetta as she pressed her hand against her mouth, attempting to stifle her sobs. Closing her eyes, she summoned her courage and took another step forward.

"Screw this! Kim, Larry, Phong! We need to get her out of there. Try to avoid a long out fight with that thing as much as possible. The goal is only to retrieve her. Kim, you and me will start the attack, hit him with everything you’ve got. Everyone else who has a bow, attack him when we cast our spells!"

Kim and Neal positioned themselves by the ledge to gain a clear view and prepare their spells. Meanwhile, the others got into position, ready to act. Neal watched with mounting anxiety as Ailetta took another step toward the looming beast.

"Now!"

Neal unleashed a purple gas from his hand, sending it hurtling toward Fenrir at the speed of a paper airplane. Meanwhile, Kim’s spell, a powerful gust of wind in the form of an arc, reached Fenrir first, striking him on the side of the face.

The impact caused Fenrir to turn slightly, emitting a menacing growl as he searched for the source of the attack.

Whoosh!

A barrage of arrows rained down upon him, prompting Fenrir to instinctively raise his oversized paw to shield his face. Snarling, he braced himself against the onslaught of arrows, thankfully remaining stationary and thus unintentionally preventing harm to Ailetta from the rain of projectiles.

Bang!

The other two under Neal’s lead were about to descend the stairs when a sudden collision sounded from behind them. Startled, they swiftly turned around to investigate the source of the sound. Neal and the others on the ledge were the first to catch sight of the newcomer, and they knew it could only be one person.

Noah stood at the entrance, but to their surprise, he didn’t appear angry as they might have expected. Instead, he looked amused, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

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