Chapter 36 Frenzied State

A sudden crack filled the air as Liam grabbed the mopping stick and snapped it cleanly into two as if it was nothing more than a twig. The sound echoed through the now silent hallway, making several students flinch. The jagged edges of the broken stick looked sharp, dangerous—almost like a weapon.

But Liam wasn’t looking at the stick. His eyes were locked onto Kane.

His expression was eerily calm, but that was what made it so terrifying.

Liam slowly tightened his grip around the lower half of the broken stick, his knuckles turning white. Then, without a word, he took a step forward.

Kane, who had been standing there, frozen in place, suddenly felt the overwhelming urge to move. His body acted on instinct, taking an unsteady step back. His smirk had long since disappeared, and his confidence had shattered into a million pieces. His voice came out broken, weak, filled with uncertainty as he stammered,

"W-What are you trying to do...?"

Nobody answered him.

Nobody even moved.

Every student in the hallway had already backed away, forming a wide circle around the scene, their faces filled with both horror and anticipation. They knew Kane was done for. There was no escaping this.

Liam didn’t speak.

Didn’t warn him.

Didn’t even give him a second to breathe.

The moment Liam reached Kane, he moved so fast that Kane didn’t even have time to react. Liam’s hand shot out and grabbed the front of Kane’s shirt, yanking him forward. The force made Kane stumble, his balance completely thrown off. And then—

WHAM!

A sharp cry tore through the air as Liam drove the broken stick directly into Kane’s stomach.

The impact was brutal.

Kane’s entire body jerked forward as if he had just been struck by a sledgehammer. His mouth opened, but no sound came out at first—only a strangled, gasping wheeze. The pain was immediate, searing through his abdomen like fire. His legs almost gave out beneath him, but Liam didn’t let go.

The hallway was completely silent except for the sharp, ragged breaths escaping Kane’s lips. Every student watching had the same expression—a mixture of disbelief and terror.

They had expected Liam to retaliate, sure. Maybe throw a punch, maybe shove Kane to the ground. But this—this was on a completely different level.

And then, before anyone could even process what had just happened—

WHAM!

Liam struck Kane again.

A fresh wave of pain exploded through Kane’s body as another choked cry escaped his throat. His legs trembled, his hands weakly gripping Liam’s arm as if trying to push him away, but there was no strength left in him.

Then again.

And again.

And again.

Liam’s strikes were relentless, each one landing with the same brutal force, the same precision. He wasn’t just hitting Kane—he was punishing him.

The mopping stick finally gave out, splintering further, but Liam wasn’t done.

Not even close.

Without hesitation, he tossed the broken stick aside and clenched his fists.

Then he started all over again.

The first punch landed straight into Kane’s ribs, making an ugly crack sound that sent chills down everyone’s spine. Kane’s body jerked violently as blood spilled from his lips. His breathing was shallow, erratic—like a fish pulled out of water, desperately gasping for air.

"L-Liam..." Kane whimpered, his voice barely a whisper now, his eyes filled with nothing but terror.

Liam ignored him.

Another punch.

Then another.

The sound of bone meeting flesh was sickening. Kane wasn’t even fighting back anymore. He couldn’t. His body was completely limp, unable to defend itself against the sheer force of Liam’s assault.

"Someone—Someone go get a teacher!" A girl finally screamed, her voice shaking with panic.

That was all it took for the spell to break.

Students scrambled in every direction, some running towards the faculty rooms, others just trying to get as far away from the scene as possible. Everyone knew if this continued, Kane wouldn’t just end up in the hospital—he might not even survive.

But Liam didn’t care.

The only thing he saw was Kane.

The only thing he felt was rage.

The moment Kane had opened his mouth about his mother, he had already sealed his fate.

Kane had crossed a line that should never have been crossed.

And Liam wasn’t about to let it go.

Then—

BANG!

A loud noise filled the hallway as Liam landed one last brutal punch.

Blood splattered onto the floor, staining the once-clean hallway he had just mopped. Kane’s body slumped further, his consciousness barely hanging on.

The students who had stayed to watch could barely breathe.

And then, finally—

"Liam, STOP!"

A voice boomed across the hallway, cutting through the chaos like a blade.

The disciplinary officer.

Liam didn’t move at first. His fist was still raised, his breathing heavy, his knuckles coated in Kane’s blood. He didn’t even seem to register the presence of the teacher.

But then—

"Liam, if you throw one more punch, you’re going to regret it for the rest of your life!"

That voice.

It wasn’t just the disciplinary officer anymore.

The principal had arrived.

The moment the principal stepped onto the scene, his face twisted into pure disbelief.

The hallway was a mess. Blood smeared across the floor. Kane lay motionless, his condition uncertain, his body barely recognizable from the brutal beating he had just endured. Students stood frozen in shock, whispering among themselves, their faces pale with fear.

And in the center of it all was Liam.

"Liam!" The principal’s voice rang out, deep and authoritative, cutting through the silence. "Enough!"

But Liam didn’t stop.

It was as if he hadn’t heard him at all.

His fists were still clenched, his breathing ragged, his mind clouded with nothing but rage. The blood on his knuckles was still warm, still fresh, and Kane—Kane was still breathing. That wasn’t enough.

"LIAM, STAND DOWN!" The principal commanded again, his voice sharper this time.

Still, Liam didn’t listen.

Seeing this, the disciplinary officer, despite the pain in his arm, stepped forward, his expression filled with anger. He wasn’t about to let a student—no matter how dangerous—completely disregard school authority. Without hesitation, he reached out and grabbed Liam’s arm, intending to pull him away by force.

It was a mistake.

A terrible, terrible mistake.

Liam’s body reacted before his mind even processed the action.

With a sharp, instinctive movement, he yanked his arm free with such force that the disciplinary officer was sent flying backward. His body crashed into the wall behind him with a sickening thud.

The impact was brutal.

A collective gasp filled the hallway as students watched in absolute horror.

The disciplinary officer groaned in pain, his face contorted as he clutched his arm, which now hung at an unnatural angle. His wrist was bent awkwardly, and the way he gritted his teeth in pain made it clear—his arm was broken.

The principal’s eyes widened in shock.

"Jesus Christ..." someone whispered.

Liam had just assaulted a school official.

This was beyond trouble.

This was expulsion.

This was possibly jail.

"Liam, stop!" Another voice suddenly cried out—softer, feminine.

A voice that made every student in the hallway freeze.

Miss Amanda.

She had just arrived.

The moment she saw the scene before her, her breath hitched. The usually composed teacher found herself paralyzed for a second, unable to process the chaos that had unfolded in front of her. She had heard from the other students that Liam had lost control, but seeing it with her own eyes—seeing the blood, seeing Kane’s barely moving body, seeing the broken disciplinary officer—made her stomach churn.

This wasn’t the Liam she knew.

This wasn’t the quiet, cocky, occasionally mischievous student she had spent so much time teaching.

This was someone else.

This was an animal.

Without thinking, she rushed forward, pushing through the students, her heart pounding against her ribs. She had to stop him. If this went on any longer, there was no coming back for him.

"Liam, enough!" she shouted, grabbing his arm.

A sharp inhale swept through the crowd.

Everyone flinched.

They had just seen what happened to the disciplinary officer. What if Liam reacted the same way? What if he shoved Miss Amanda away, or worse—hit her?

But he didn’t.

The moment Liam felt her touch, everything... stopped.

His entire body stiffened, his fists loosening, his breath catching in his throat. His head snapped toward her, and for the first time since the fight began, there was something other than rage in his eyes.

Shock.

Confusion.

Regret.

His eyes flickered to the blood on his hands, then to the terrified expression on Amanda’s face.

Slowly, as if waking from a nightmare, Liam’s grip on Kane’s shirt weakened. Kane’s limp body dropped to the floor with a dull thud. He didn’t move.

The students who had been frozen in fear immediately sprang into action. A few of them rushed forward, lifting Kane’s motionless body and carefully carrying him away. His head lolled to the side, blood dripping down his face. No one knew if he was even conscious anymore.

Miss Amanda’s grip on Liam’s arm tightened.

She wasn’t saying anything.

She was just staring at him.

And for some reason, Liam felt something sink deep in his chest—something heavier than anger, heavier than guilt.

Disappointment.

Amanda’s lips parted, but no words came out at first. She was speechless.

This... this wasn’t something she could just brush off.

She had never seen this side of him before.

She knew Liam had a temper. She knew he was reckless, impulsive, prone to making bad decisions—but this? This was something else entirely.

"Liam," she finally said, her voice barely above a whisper. "What did you do...?"

Liam opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

How could he even explain?

How could he tell her that he lost control?

That the moment Kane opened his mouth about his mother, something inside him snapped?

That in that moment, all he could think about was making sure Kane never spoke again?

He couldn’t.

Because no excuse would be enough.

Amanda’s eyes flickered to the blood on his knuckles.

Then to the disciplinary officer, who was still on the ground, clutching his arm in pain.

Then back to Kane, who was being carried away, his life possibly hanging by a thread.

Her expression darkened.

"This... this is bad, Liam," she murmured, shaking her head. "Really bad."

Liam swallowed, his throat dry. He knew she was right.

He was in trouble now.

Serious trouble.

Not just for attacking Kane, but for what he had done to the disciplinary officer. He had just crossed a line that couldn’t be ignored. There was no way the school would let this slide.

The punishment wouldn’t be a simple detention.

There would be serious consequences.

Expulsion.

Police involvement.

Lawsuits.

And the worst part?

Amanda wasn’t looking at him with concern anymore.

She was looking at him with disgust.

That realization hit Liam harder than any punch he had thrown.

She didn’t even know what had happened. Didn’t know what Kane had said, didn’t know the reason behind his outburst—but it didn’t matter.

Because in her eyes, Liam wasn’t just a student who lost his temper.

He was a violent, uncontrollable thug.

And she hated that.

More than anything, she hated that kind of man.

Liam’s hands trembled slightly.

He lowered his gaze, unable to look at her anymore.

For the first time since the fight started, he didn’t feel angry.

He didn’t feel powerful.

He just felt... empty.