There's no need to elaborate further; Ms. Aikins' fate was sealed.
The flames targeting the soul burned it away, leaving behind only an empty shell.
And the final destination of this shell? Lex's secret laboratory. There, research would be conducted to advance human biology.
The second day of school.
"Nothing represents the spirit of this school better than a Puff Daddy-style ring."
In the bustling hallway, Chloe showed off the gold ring on her right middle finger to Lana.
"Wow, it's really pretty."
"That's assuming it doesn't break before graduation."
Pete popped up from somewhere, grinning and teasing, "A bunch of graduates made it with glass shards, and you guys treat it like it's precious."
Chloe glared at Pete. "If you shut your mouth, no one would think you're mute."
Pete raised his hands. "I surrender."
"What are you all talking about?"
Clark's voice came from the crowd. The tall and burly Clark squeezed through the people and came to the side of the few people.
His hair was messy, and his eyes were bloodshot, looking like he was hungover.
The moment he saw Clark, Pete and Troy turned and left without a word. They were still in conflict and couldn't resolve it for a while.
Clark rubbed his eyes, noticing the ring on Chloe's hand.
Chloe frowned, catching a strong whiff of alcohol from Clark's blue shirt. "You look terrible. Did you drink?"
"Something like that," Clark mumbled, but deep down, he actually liked the feeling of a hangover. There weren't too many worries or troubles.
So, after Gino left, Clark didn't dump out the alcohol from the barrel; he hid it away.
"Alright, but what's going on with you and Lana? Did you two have a fight?" Chloe blinked, looking curious.
"Uh, nothing much."
Clark was evasive.
"Yo, there are a lot of people here?"
A familiar voice called out from behind Chloe. The girl stiffened, but then quickly walked away.
"Did they have a fight?"
Clark looked at his friend, who had walked over to him, and then at Chloe's retreating figure, a look of curiosity on his face.
"She's not my girlfriend, so why would we have a fight?"
Gino shrugged, his attitude casual.
He pointed at the student booth not far away, where a long line had already formed, and asked, "What's going on there?"
"They're selling graduation rings. It's a tradition at Smallville High School." Clark looked excited and asked Gino for his opinion, "Do you think if I bought a pair and gave one to Lana, it would help smooth things over between us?"
Gino raised an eyebrow and smiled, "That's a good idea. You could try it."
"So what are we waiting for?" Clark, still reeling from his hangover, was clearly excited. He slung an arm around Gino's shoulders like a close buddy, and the two of them headed towards the crowd, intending to buy a necklace.
"Are you sure?"
Gino looked at the sales counter. There were rows of colorful rings in the glass display case, each with a "350" sticker on it. The rings were obviously not cheap.
If Clark carelessly spent his money on a flashy ring, he might face Jonathan's criticism.
Clark sneered and puffed out his chest. "It's my money, I have the right to decide how to spend it."
The wait in line wasn't too long; after all, $350 was a considerable expense for most American high school students.
When it was Gino and Clark's turn, only a green gemstone ring and a deep red ring remained in the display case.
"I'll take the red one."
Clark fingered the red ring. Green was the color he hated most in his life; it always brought back unpleasant memories.
The student in charge of the sale quickly made the registration and handed the red ring to Clark.
Lana, the former cheerleading captain and an excellent student, always received the teachers' favor.
"I know the first day at a new school can be tough. Feel free to ask if you have any questions."
Lana was walking in the school corridor, talking to a girl with blonde hair but wearing a non-mainstream black miniskirt and heavy eye makeup.
"So."
The non-mainstream girl chewed gum, sizing up her surroundings with disdain.
"Besides tractors and old-fashioned dancing, what else does your school have?"
As a girl who had moved to the small town from a big city, she clearly couldn't adapt to the poor educational facilities and local customs of Smallville High School.
Her gaze swept over the crowd, and in an instant, she was drawn to Gino and Clark at the front of the line.
The girl stopped, gazing at Gino with some admiration: "Who's that handsome guy in the white shirt?"
Lana followed the girl's finger and looked in the direction she indicated. When she realized the girl was referring to Gino, a helpless, wry smile appeared on her face.
That guy was always like this. Wherever he went, he was popular with the girls. It seemed that wherever he appeared, he would be the center of attention.
"Wow, you have good taste."
Lana felt a little envious, but still maintained a proper smile: "However, he's a campus celebrity."
"Why?"
"Because his last name is Luther, Gino Luther."
"Well, the famous Luthor family. The rice cooker in my house is made by them." The girl shrugged; she knew her own abilities and assets. This kind of rich second-generation kid was out of her league.
"And the guy next to him? The one in the cheap blue shirt, with the goofy grin."
Hearing the woman's words, Lana felt a little nervous.
"He, he..."
"Hmm?"
"Ahem, his name is Clark Kent," Lana said casually, "But I heard he has someone he likes."
Just kidding, it was one thing for her and Clark to have a falling out, but she absolutely couldn't let a third party steal Clark away.
"Interesting." The girl took a long look at Clark.
Meanwhile, the Clark Lana and Chloe were just discussing picked up the ring in his hand.
A deep red gemstone adorned the silver band. It wasn't heavy, but it felt substantial.
"It looks cool," Clark said.
He slid it onto his middle finger.
Rotating his left hand, Clark nodded in satisfaction, "Fits perfectly～"
However, a hidden, blood-red energy snaked its way up Clark's finger, along his veins, and spread rapidly throughout his entire body.
The young man couldn't help but tremble, giving a violent shiver.
The next instant, a strange emotion welled up within Clark's heart.
He couldn't describe the feeling, but if he had to put it into words, it was like winning ten million dollars in the lottery, or like a starving traveler finally tasting delicious food.
Every cell in his body was shouting freedom.
Those worries that had been suppressed in his heart also melted away like snow and ice.
Clark just wanted to shout out loud at this moment, venting the inexplicable pleasure in his heart.
Clark clenched his fist, a strange smile on his face: "I can do whatever I want!"
-----------------------
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(End of Chapter)