[center][h2]Fourth Bell, 19th Day of the Great Tree Moon[/h2][img]https://freepikpsd.com/media/2019/11/gold-page-divider-transparent-png-images-.png[/img][/center][indent]

[center][i]His heart thundered in his ears, the noise around him completely drowned out. The place was unfamiliar, dark, and frightening as he could barely make out his surroundings. Still, the red of blood was always an unmistakable one and had captured all of his attention first and foremost. It pooled out towards him, reaching his knees within a few seconds. He could see a variety of Crest symbols forming and fading all at once. Once he lifted his gaze, he watched Michail clutch at his chest. To his abject horror, the knight had only been the most recent tragedy as a variety of bodies surrounded them. Their faces were all too familiar, his heart dropping as he realized the same students he had gathered now laid about, lifeless. 

As despair came to claim him, he lifted his gaze and saw Her seat. For the second time in his life, a girl sat there, offering her hand to him. Even if he knew he couldn't possibly reach her, he found himself reaching for her anyway. If he could just talk to her, if he could just see her, he knew everything would be okay.

He didn't feel the sword through his chest, but the warmth of his own blood felt strangely comforting. His blood being spilled was the last thing anyone wanted, but it felt...liberating. No longer was he shackled to responsibilities he never asked for. There would always be the part of him that truly wished to fulfill Asclepius' wishes, but it was hard to deny his resentment at the moment. His only real regret was that he couldn't protect them. None of them deserved this. He should have tried harder to make sure that he was the only one that had to suffer. And as he looked back at the seat, he couldn't help himself from cursing her.

What was the point of a Goddess who would let blood spill like this and do nothing? [/i][/center]

[color=palegreen]"--up! Wake up!"[/color]

The sudden shift from nightmare to reality was enough to make Ioannis dizzy. The entire room spun, and he could barely make out what Kaira was saying. He was somehow cold and hot at the same time, his entire body shaking. After a few seconds, however, things started to clear up. He was surrounded by an assortment of people, all hurriedly attending to him. As his breathing settled, he waved them away and slowly sat up. There were about five or six protests, but he ignored them, wiping his brow. He was drenched, his lungs finding it difficult to breathe. 

Fortunately, the fussing lessened as Kaira came back into view, shooing away a few people. [color=palegreen]"You're going to suffocate him, give him some room!"[/color] She scolded them. [color=palegreen]"Theo, please escort everyone who isn't in nursing out of here."[/color]

The boy had been standing out of the way, though he complied immediately, slowly emptying out the room so that only Kaira, Sirius, and a pair of nurses were left. [color=yellowgreen]"I'll inform the rest of the clergy that the Archbishop is alright and have the guards return,"[/color] Theo offered, giving the room a bow before closing the door behind him. 

Kaira nodded in his direction, though she placed her hands on her hips and threw Sirius a look. [color=palegreen]"If you don't stop hovering, I'm going to have to ask you to leave as well,"[/color] She warned him.

Ioannis nearly jumped out of his skin as he had failed to notice the man right next to him, looking exceedingly worried. He clearly wanted to protest, but as he met the gaze of the green-haired girl, anything he could have said was not worth it, and he chose to take a step back. [color=olivedrab]"Are you feeling alright?"[/color] He asked.

[color=springgreen]"Yes,"[/color] Ioannis was a little surprised at how raspy his voice was. One nurse noticed as well and immediately brought him water. [color=springgreen]"Thank you. I'm sorry to have worried everyone."[/color]

[color=olivedrab]"There's no need to apologize,"[/color] Sirius insisted.

Kaira dismissed the nurses, waiting until she was sure they had left before turning back to Ioannis. [color=palegreen]"Did you have another dream?"[/color] She asked him.

The silence that followed was greatly uncomfortable for him. Brushing his hair off his forehead, Ioannis nodded. [color=springgreen]"The circumstances were unclear,"[/color] He admitted. [color=springgreen]"But Michail was...stabbed. Or at least, I [i]think [/i]it was him, and the students were all on the ground around me, and--"[/color]

[color=palegreen]"Easy,"[/color] Kaira tried to calm him down. [color=palegreen]"If you let it overwhelm you, you might not remember everything."[/color]

[color=springgreen]"I remember everything,"[/color] He clarified. [color=springgreen]"Everyone was dead. I joined them and cursed the Goddess, our blood was spilled somewhere, I could see the Crests but I don't know what it meant."[/color]

[color=olivedrab]"An ill omen..."[/color] Sirius muttered.

Kaira shook her head, kneeling down next to the bed. [color=palegreen]"For now, rest. I'm sure Lysander will want to hear about this--"[/color]

[color=springgreen]"Send for him,"[/color] Ioannis cut her off, shaking his head. [color=springgreen]"I need to see him immediately."[/color]

[color=palegreen]"But..."[/color]

[color=springgreen]"Please. He'll understand once he is here."[/color]

Despite her hesitance, Kaira nodded and stood. She lingered for a few seconds but ended up taking her leave. Ioannis listened for her footsteps, waiting for them to fade away before looking up at Sirius. [color=springgreen]"Request more guards from the Northern Church. I want there to be more protection here,"[/color] He said.

The older man hesitated for a moment, closing his eyes. He wouldn't leave Ioannis wondering for too long as he replied, [color=olivedrab]"I had come to find you for that very thing. There has been another disappearance."[/color]  

[/indent][hr][hr][center][h2]Third Bell, 19th Day of the Great Tree Moon[/h2][img]https://freepikpsd.com/media/2019/11/gold-page-divider-transparent-png-images-.png[/img][/center][indent]

Chionne stifled a yawn, leaning against the balcony as she stared over the courtyard. Maybe she should have listened to Kalliope and went on patrol instead of plain old guard duty. At least walking around would be good for her health, standing around here was just so dull. The church bells didn't ring until dawn, so it was difficult to keep track of time. Not that she would complain--she wouldn't be happy getting woken up every hour, so it was a good decision. Maybe next time she'd grab a candle clock and make sure the wind didn't blow out the flame.

As the thought crossed her mind, the clinking of armor let her know that she was just about to be relieved for the night. Unfortunately for her, they had decided to send the most annoying knight. Michail flashed the all-too-familiar grin at her, and she couldn't help but huff at him.

[color=mediumaquamarine]"No games tonight, Michail, I'm exhausted,"[/color] She stated.

Michail's jaw dropped. [color=00aeef]"And here I was, doing you a favor by coming early,"[/color] He feigned hurt. [color=00aeef]"This is what I get for opening my heart to others."[/color]

[color=mediumaquamarine]"I'd be flattered if it was kindness and not your desire to bed me that was your motivation,"[/color] She replied dryly, waving him away. [color=mediumaquamarine]"Come back when it's your time, I'd hate to be indebted to someone like you."[/color]

[color=00aeef]"Aww. Okay, that one stung, so I'll just stick around and let you know when to go,"[/color] He grinned again, looking down at the courtyard. [color=00aeef]"Or were you hoping to watch the couple on your own? That's pretty scandalous of you."[/color]

Chionne followed his gaze, spotting the pair underneath a tree. She had noticed them a while back, though all they seemed to do was talk. [color=mediumaquamarine]"I'm here to look out for any threats, not play babysitter,"[/color] She said.

Michail chuckled, though he shook his head. [color=00aeef]"Still, it's not good for them to be out so late,"[/color] He reminded her. [color=00aeef]"I'll go tell them to go back to bed."[/color]

[color=mediumaquamarine]"Oh?"[/color] Chionne was surprised. [color=mediumaquamarine]"Here I thought you'd overlook any degeneracy."[/color]

[color=00aeef]"I'm a professor now, I have to be responsible!"[/color] He boasted.

[color=mediumaquamarine]"Which I still can't believe. Or rather, why did you volunteer?"[/color]

Michail lost his smile, shaking his head. [color=00aeef]"I didn't volunteer. I was asked,"[/color] He corrected her, frowning. 

Chionne raised an eyebrow at him, though the pair's conversation came to a halt as a scream filled the air. The two nearly collided as they looked down to the courtyard, spotting the two students running. Before she could question what they were running from, she noticed the shadow underneath the tree stretching out. No, that wasn't right, it was a trick of the moonlight. Someone came out from the shadows, though they must have been wearing a cloak or something.

[color=00aeef]"Sound the alarm!"[/color] Michail called as he broke into a run.

[color=mediumaquamarine]"The alarm? No, we--wait!"[/color] Chionne followed suit.

The two ran down the steps, the corridors devoid of anyone until they descended two flights of stairs. Michail barked orders at them, though he skidded to a halt next to the window. Before she could question him, the idiot [i]jumped[/i] through. [color=mediumaquamarine]"Michail?!"[/color] Chionne sprinted to the window, watching as the knight broke into an impressively quick run. 

It didn't take long for Michail to close the gap between him and the cloaked man, though the same could be said about the unknown enemy. They had reached the two students faster than anticipated, their cloak billowing out. From Chionne's perspective, it looked like the cloak had swallowed the three of them. Michail threw his spear at them, though to both his and Chionne's surprise, it didn't hit anything. It, too, was swallowed, and once the shadow stopped, only one body remained.

Chionne hastily descended, meeting Michail at the courtyard, though she wasn't nearly as fast as he was. The student was male, clearly shaken up, but the girl he was with and the mysterious intruder were gone. [color=00aeef]"Was that magic?"[/color] Michail asked, staring at the ground. [color=00aeef]"The spear I grabbed is gone, too."[/color]

[color=mediumaquamarine]"Everything happened so quickly,"[/color] She couldn't help but mutter, though she knelt down beside the student. [color=mediumaquamarine]"Did you see their face?"[/color]

Despite his trembling, he shook his head. "There wasn't a face or a body...it was just darkness..." He managed to speak. "It swallowed up Suzanne...!"

Michail kicked the ground, turning to face the approaching guards. [color=00aeef]"An enemy has kidnapped a student. Inform Sirius at once!"[/color] He ordered. [color=00aeef]"Spread out and search for anything that could hint at where the student was taken!"[/color]

Standing up, Chionne crossed her arms. [color=mediumaquamarine]"Don't beat yourself up over it,"[/color] She told him.

[color=00aeef]"They're targeting female students,"[/color] Michail replied, looking at Chionne. [color=00aeef]"I have to go wake Tomai, that had to have been some magic of some sort. We saw an enemy use teleportation magic at Luin, if they're connected somehow, then..."[/color]

[color=mediumaquamarine]"Then?"[/color]

Taking in a deep breath, he calmed himself down. [color=00aeef]"Then we're dealing with the same enemy,"[/color] He replied bitterly, walking past Chionne.

[/indent][hr][hr][center][h2]Twelfth Bell, 21st Day of the Great Tree Moon[/h2][img]https://freepikpsd.com/media/2019/11/gold-page-divider-transparent-png-images-.png[/img][/center][indent]

The news of the disappearance had been successfully kept under wraps. While it pained him to think of such a thing as a success, Ioannis couldn't fight the dread in his chest. Lysander had agreed that they needed to move faster, and while he was in agreement, he didn't think someone would be taken in front of a Knight of Seiros who was powerless to do anything. If that information got out, he was sure there would be a panic. For now, they were forced to keep everything under wraps, though he supposed the introduction of a curfew and the increased guard would eventually have people wondering what was happening.

For now, he leaned back in his seat, staring up at the Goddess' image in the stained glass. He hoped the idea of having tea with Clarissa and Auberon would have lifted his spirits, but he couldn't help his somber mood. He had even made sure that the students would be dismissed early in his previous assignment, but all he could feel was dread. Not that he would dare reschedule--his free time was so limited as it was.

For now, he would wait.

[/indent][hr][hr][indent]

The bell rang throughout Garreg Mach, signaling the beginning of an early dismissal. Instead of letting everyone wander free, however, the students all gathered in the Cathedral. They had known ahead of time where to go, though not why. Once everyone filed into their seats, the Archbishop was ushered in. He kept himself relatively neutral, standing at the podium and looking over the student body. The various professors sat together in the front with the exception of the knight, though he put himself towards the entrance. For the better, Ioannis thought; Michail's grim expression perfectly mirrored how he felt.

Clearing his throat, he waited until the buzzing died down before he would start. [color=springgreen]"I apologize for the disruption of your day, but there is something that needs to be addressed,"[/color] He decided not to mince words. [color=springgreen]"While I want to thank everyone for a seamless transition from your usual lives to living here at Garreg Mach Monastery, I would also like to extend a word of caution. While the Church of Seiros has done everything in its power to prioritize your safety, there have been rumors of disappearances that cannot be ignored. I've requested assistance from the Northern Church to assure the best guards are around the clock. But until we can be sure that even the most formidable threat cannot breach our walls, I am implementing a strict curfew."[/color]

He tapped his fingers against the podium, collecting his thoughts. [color=springgreen]"This is not to say that there shouldn't be confidence in the Knight of Seiros. Captain Kalliope has worked effortlessly to ensure that both the Church and Monastery are well guarded. I simply wish to have extra caution,"[/color] He explained himself. [color=springgreen]"We will discourage anyone from walking outdoors after the tenth bell and urge people not to be alone. The doors to the Cathedral will always be open, of course. I thank you for your time, that will be all."[/color]

The entirety of the student body erupted into a buzz as Ioannis stepped down. Michail let out a small sigh, though he agreed with almost everything that was said. He supposed the kid was doing damage control at this point--no doubt there'd be a wave of panic if it was revealed that people were getting dragged into the shadows. As he looked over at Kalliope, he was surprised to see her calm. Well, she probably thought the same thing.

[/indent][hr][hr]