Page 40 of Fractured Fate

While they kept the interior of the administration and staff building true to the original style from when the school was founded hundreds of years ago, the school renovated the dorms and the upper floor of the main building to bring it to contemporary standards to fulfil the needs and wants of university students of this century.

The front of the main building from top to bottom displayed arched windows and stonework covered in hanging ivy, but on the top floor at the back of the building overlooking the forest behind the academy, floor to ceiling windows all around the modern cafeteria allowed students to take in the Georgia sky and the lush greenery below.

While the bright cafeteria was nice to eat and socialize in on any other day, it felt like torture today. He needed to get away.

Walking down the hall through the shafts of diluted sunlight, beneath the warm amber glow of elaborate chandeliers hanging overhead every few feet, he made his way toward the front of the building where a set of large, heavy wooden doors stood between him and the bright courtyard on the other side.

“Hold up!”

At the sound of Seth’s voice, Aiden looked up toward the stairs that ran parallel to the hallway he exited into the main foyer. Seth hurried down the wide staircase, followed by Riley and his other friends, Lukas, Blaire, and Mera.

“What’s going on?” Seth asked when he reached the bottom.

“What do you mean?”

“I saw the text you sent Lukas.”

“Oh.” Aiden sighed. “I couldn’t tell you, man. I keep having a reoccurring headache and it lasts a lot longer than it should.” He opened the bottle of sports drink and took a gulp. “I can’t really stomach a lot of food either.”

“What about blood?”

“Nope.”

Riley stepped around Seth and propped her hands on her hips. “That’s dangerous. When’s the last time you had a packet?”

Aiden craned his neck from side to side, trying to recall. “Last night, after I got off the computer with Charlotte. Got one from the canteen.”

“That alone could be why you have a headache,” Riley said, sounding a lot like their mother.

“Possible early signs of sanguis manie,” Mera added, her expression neutral as she gave him a slow assessment with her eyes. She always unnerved him when she put on her medical hat.

“What the hell?” Riley snapped. “Sanguis manie, Aiden? Really?”

“Maybe.” He didn’t think so, but he didn’t want to risk it. He also didn’t want to upset his little sister. Especially when he often lectured her about the same thing. She too often forgot to eat or drink blood, and sanguis manie meant certain death if sustained for a long period.

No one, no matter how strong their willpower, could avoid blood mania.

“I’ll be right back.” Riley ran down the hallway Aiden exited, the buckles on the sides of her knee-high boots jangling with every stomp of her platforms.

“You know you’re gonna have to drink it now, right?” Lukas said leaning on the banister, a small grin bowing his lips.

Blaire peered up at him. “What do you mean?”

“Pretty sure she went to the canteen or cafeteria to get him a blood packet.”

“Riley is relentless,” Seth said. “I don’t think she’ll give up until he does.”

Blaire looked down the hall and hummed. She turned to Aiden. “Do you need to go to the health department?”

“Nah. I mean, if this keeps up, I will.”

She looked at Mera. “Does he need to go to the health department?”

“Why didn’t you ask her to start with if you weren’t going to take my word for it?” he asked with a chuckle.

His rapid healing should have kicked in and rid him of the headache sooner. Not only had healing been slow to take hold, it didn’t last long before his headache came roaring back. The logical conclusion sounded like the start of blood mania, as his sister suspected; but he didn’t feel any other symptoms, and he could go longer than this without blood. He’d done it before.

“If he doesn’t improve, yes,” Mera said, crossing her arms. “If it gets worse, absolutely.”