I Became a Kindergarten Teacher for Monster Babies!-Chapter 381 A necessary cleansing

"Strike."

The single word left Dante’s lips with the softness of a sigh, yet the shadows moved as if thunder had been unleashed.

They surged forward in a violent wave, swallowing Riccardo’s entire body in one merciless sweep. His scream was cut off instantly, devoured by the darkness as if it had never existed.

Dante did not blink. His face remained calm, almost serene, as the shadows curled back into the void, dragging Riccardo into depths where no light or mercy existed.

They would tear at him, break him, shatter him piece by fragile piece, again and again, for as long as their anger needed to be fed. Twenty-four hours a day, no pause, no breath, no escape. Dante’s shadows were loyal, and when enraged, they were thorough.

This man had dared to hurt Alina. He had dared to stain her name, to twist her reputation for his own satisfaction, and if Dante had not discovered what he was planning now, Miss Alina would have been devastated beyond words. The things he had already done to her in the past were unforgivable. A person capable of causing that much pain did not deserve comfort, did not deserve forgiveness, did not deserve the simple luxury of breathing in the same world she lived in.

Dante’s eyes lowered, the faint crimson glow turning darker.

After Riccardo’s end, his shadows would turn toward the woman who had stood by and watched Miss Alina suffer. Dante could not understand how any woman could witness another being harassed and choose to record it instead of helping. Even the fiercest Nightshade demons were not capable of such cruelty. His court lived for power and ambition, yet they followed one rule with discipline: no woman was ever to be forced, cornered, or humiliated. That boundary was sacred. He had carved it into their laws from the very first day he took the throne. And now, seeing what these humans had done to Alina, he found them filthier and more heartless than any creature born of darkness.

Such a disgusting pair. And now both Celeste and Riccardo would soon be erased from the world, after every piece of torture was completed.

"They will leave this world," Dante murmured, his voice calm and almost meditative. "A necessary cleansing."

A slight breeze stirred the darkness behind him, as if the shadows bowed in loyalty.

He turned away from the fading void with the composed grace of a ruler passing judgment, his expression unreadable.

Harming him was tolerable.

Harming the Nightshade Court was survivable.

But harming Alina?

That was unforgivable.

****

Two days later

Alina stared at her phone, her fingers trembling so hard she almost dropped it. The headline glared back at her, each word sharp and cold like ice pressed against her skin.

"Couple found dead inside car... returning from date... huge fight... crashed near bridge... fell into water... bodies unrecognisable... packets of drugs found..."

She read it again.

And again.

The room seemed to tilt around her.

Celeste.

Riccardo.

Gone.

Really gone.

She pressed a hand over her mouth, her breath breaking in a small, startled gasp. Aaron had sent her the link with a short message, but even he seemed unsure how to react. And Alina simply sat there in her living room, staring at the screen as if the letters would rearrange into something less horrifying.

"This can’t be real," she whispered to the empty room. "How is this possible..."

Her heartbeat thudded painfully against her ribs. A cold shiver ran down her spine, forcing her to rub her arms for warmth.

Her thoughts spiraled.

When they were alive, Celeste and Riccardo had already made her life miserable. Humiliating her, tormenting her, poisoning her peace. They were ruthless when breathing, unrestrained in their cruelty.

Now that they were dead...

Would their souls trouble her even more?

A tiny whimper escaped her as the thought struck her heart. She wrapped her arms around herself, suddenly feeling cold everywhere.

"What if they come here?" she whispered, trembling. "What if they haunt me? What if they are angry... what if they trouble me..."

Her gaze drifted nervously around the room. Every corner seemed darker than it should have been, shadows stretching a little too far. The soft sound of the refrigerator, the ticking of the clock... all of it sounded louder, sharper, almost distorted. The ordinary noises of her home suddenly felt foreign. She could hear her own breathing, quick and uneven, as if fear itself had wrapped around her ribs and refused to let go.

What if they were watching her right now?

What if their souls followed her home? 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

What if they were already here?

She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head as if she could physically push the thoughts out.

"No... stop," she whispered. But the fear wouldn’t stop climbing up her spine.

Her phone buzzed again, but she didn’t dare pick it up. She curled her knees to her chest on the sofa, trembling, wishing someone was here with her.

Ringggggg.

The sound sliced through the silence. Alina jumped, fumbling for her phone with shaking hands. Her heart hammered as she checked the caller ID.

Principal’s number.

Dante.

She swallowed hard and answered, the phone trembling against her ear.

"Hello," she whispered.

His voice came through immediately, cold, deep, and calm. "Miss Alina, are you able to send me the file I requested? Forgive me for calling so late, but I need it urgently."

But Alina could not breathe properly. Her chest tightened.

"S-sir..." she stammered, her voice barely more than a breath. She could not force the words out. Her fear sat heavy in her throat.

Dante fell silent for a moment. She could almost imagine his eyes narrowing.

"What is wrong?" he asked, his tone shifting instantly. The formal coldness vanished. In its place came a low, focused voice sharpened with concern.

Alina pressed a trembling hand to her forehead. "I... I..." she tried again, but her breath shook. She did not know how to explain the dread curling through her right now.

Dante rose from his seat without hesitation. His voice lowered, firm and gentle, the kind of tone that made even storms listen.

"Miss Alina," he said calmly, "speak to me. What happened?"

Alina squeezed her eyes shut and gripped the phone tighter. "Sir... I read something... in the news... and I can’t... I feel so scared," she whispered, her voice cracking.

Dante’s breath stilled for a single second.

"What did you read?" he asked softly.