[IC] BlackBrick Academy [CatMint and Winds of Fate] - {Mature}

[WindsOfFate]

Everyone was gathered in the bunker except Caleb and Ambrose. They had yet to arrive and Sam was more curious than concerned as to what was taking those two so long. Eventually, they returned her text and she smirked. Ariana sat in the far end reading about alternate universes and trying to understand the rules when entering a parallel world. Sam had given her the task and she hadn't stopped studying. Alex was standing, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed and Sam was trailing her fingers along a row of books. When the door opened they all looked up at Caleb and Ambrose as they entered in together. Was something funny? It had to be the way he chuckled as they entered in. Sam took note of their behavior immediately and a grin appeared on her face.

"Well well what do we have here?" she questioned moving towards them.

Caleb looked at Sam and shook his head. "What are you talking about?" he asked a sly grin on his face.

"Don't think I don't see it Caleb Juan Anderson!"

Whenever Sam used his full name she was trying to get him to spill any information he had and he didn't like his middle name so it ended up with him spilling, but today he looked at her and shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know what you mean Sam," Caleb said looking over at Ambrose and smiling. Sam gave him the eye and smirked.

"Well I'm glad you two worked it out, but we have a job to finish remember?" she said messing up Caleb's hair before returning to the middle of the room. Ambrose asked if they had a plan and Sam shook her head. "Honestly we don't. We've tried to come up with one but the alternate universe is different than ours and the only thing we can think of is to just go in, be careful and do what we have to do. The problem is we can't get in."

"What do you mean?"

"The spell required is complex," Alex said chiming in.

"It's very complex like I've never seen anything like this," Ariana added looking at Caleb and Ambrose. "Unless someone knows how to walk through worlds we're stuck. Maybe we should ask the headmaster."

Caleb grew silent. He used to be a world walker. He used to visit worlds when he was a consumer, but he'd changed. Still, if he revealed this part of himself to them, would they judge him. He gave one look in Ambrose's direction as if wondering what he would say before speaking. "I... I know of a way."

Sam gave Caleb a look as if she was looking at him for the first time. "You know a way?"

"Yes, but if I show you it doesn't leave this room, no one brings it up later in conversation, no one asks me how to do it, are we clear?"

Sam, Ariana, Jeremy, and Alex nodded and Caleb stood up moving to the center of the room. He exhaled slowly and concentrated. He moved as if dancing extending his hands, arms, legs, and feet in a beautiful array of movement while arcane energy flowed into the room. It began to swirl around Caleb's hand as he spoke in the ancient language, his voice echoing softly in the room. A pentagram appeared just as he made a circle with his hands. The center began to open up slowly and wind blew viciously into the room.

"Once we go in, we're in. It will close, but it can be reopened. Just remember it takes time. So, who's first?"

[catmint]

Ambrose felt a wave of embarrassment wash over him as soon as Samantha caught on. Caleb couldn't fool her with something like that, and Ambrose should have expected this but his cheeks still burned hot. He shifted restlessly in his seat, pretending not to listen to Samantha drilling Caleb with questions. Though the young man couldn't help but snort when he heard Caleb's middle name. He especially avoided the good-humored gazes of Alex and Jeremy, though he was glad Ariana was too absorbed in her studying.

Relief washed over him when the topic of the conversation turned to business. Though that feeling didn't last long when Ariana delivered the bad news. Ambrose suppressed a groan of frustration, everything just had to be so damn complicated right? Ambrose tapped his foot impatiently as the group conversed, figuring out a way to get into another dimension would usually take intense concentration and energy.

Ambrose straightened up, eyes snapping to Caleb's when he volunteered. He was afraid he was going to reveal his true nature right then and there. "Caleb don't-" He started and stopped himself, both Alex and Jeremy cast him curious glances after his reaction. But Ambrose remained silent and his gaze locked on Caleb as he performed the spell. He had to admit the movements were beautiful, and naturally commanded power.

Caleb drew open a portal, and there was a awed silence as they all stared at it for a moment. Ambrose stood up, and shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly "I'm ready to get this over with." He grumbled and approached the opening. It felt like he was being pulled in, and Ambrose gave into the feeling.

Stepping through, Ambrose instantly felt the change. Cool air washed over him and shivers were sent down his spine. Ambrose scanned his surroundings carefully, surprised to find an almost identical room to the one he was just in. Except everything had a blue tint, as if he was peering through sunglasses. The most disturbing part was the deafening silence. Ambrose was completely alone, at least until Ariana followed after him. Then Sam, Alex, and Jeremy clamored after. Ambrose moved to make room for them, though he was still taking just how strange it felt here.

"I... I-uh-, guess we need to make our way to the tunnels." Ambrose struggled to refocus on the mission, the effect of this dimension weighed heavily on the curly-haired male.

[WindsOfFate]

Caleb had noticed Ambrose tense when he had stepped forward to get them to the alternate world. Caleb didn’t know if he was ready to show everyone what he’d shown Ambrose regarding the inner beast that he had to keep satiated. Nonetheless, he watched as Ambrose stepped through first. He was actually quite shocked that he went first but he understood that his boyfriend wanted to get this over and done with. He chuckled at the thought of calling Ambrose boyfriend. He never would have thought.

Youre just going to hurt him, you know it’s wrong to lead people on right?

Caleb shook the thought away as he realized he was the last one to go through. Stepping through he felt the portal close and looked at the others as they seemed to be getting a feel for the world they’d just walked into. Caleb moved to stand beside Ambrose as he spoke of starting at the tunnels.

“Sounds like a plan, but we need to be careful. We don’t know what this alternate world has in store for us. Stick together and remember the communication spell.”

It was deathly silent and it made Caleb nervous. What was awaiting them in the tunnels? He didn’t realize until his finger touched Ambrose’s hand that he was close to him. Caleb softly smile and looked down realizing now wasn’t the time and that he needed to focus.

Sam looked over at Alexand Jeremy, “You two were in charge of mapping out this place. You ready?”

Alex sighed and took a step towards the exit. “I guess so,” he replied, “just stay close and try to blend in.”

He opened the door and walked out with everyone in tow. It was like their school the students running around having fun. It would be easy to blend in right? Something was off though as they made their way towards the tunnel system underneath the school.

[catmint]

Ambrose looked pretty grim, brows furrow and dark curls hanging in front of his tired eyes. But his expression instantly softened as Caleb's fingers brushed over his, and the young man felt a surge of comfort. At least the entire group was together now, hopefully they would be ready for whatever they had to face here.

He nodded and got a move on as Alex started to lead the way. Jeremy tagged along by Sam, he almost looked as if he was her bodyguard or something. Caleb and Ambrose moved at the back of the group, keeping an eye on their flank. Ambrose was shocked when they emerged from the bunker, seeing the students living normally Ambrose thought for a split second that the spell didn't work. But there was something so distinctly off about the scene, and that blue tint still remained.

Their group was tightly knit as they made their way across campus, avoiding any interactions with the other people there. Alex led them pretty well, he was familiar with where they were going and how to get there. Though no one was excited, Ambrose was surprised it was going so well. They reached the headmaster's building, which they would have to descend into the basement to access the tunnels from there.

[WindsOfFate]

Caleb felt slightly uncomfortable being in this mirror dimension to their home world. He was thankful everyone was there but that could be both a blessing and a curse. There were now four more bodies to keep track of in addition to him and Ambrose. He had to make sure that everyone got out of this realm ALIVE. It was a lot to think about as they made their way through campus. He was glad they hadn't triggered any suspicions yet, but he couldn't help but feel that it was almost too easy. He noticed the alternate form of himself approaching. The deafening silence and the blue tint to this world were off-putting, and even his alternate had a different look, but it was him. His alternate wasn't paying attention to where he was going, and Caleb was focused on making sure they all made it to the tunnels, but when the collision happened, Caleb mentally cursed himself for not paying enough attention.

The alternate form looked at Caleb, its eyes becoming venomous, dangerous, and when it opened its mouth a loud hissing alarm rang out. It became extremely hostile lashing out at Caleb who managed to push his alternate form away.

"GO!" he yelled to the others as Alex, Sam, Ariana, and Jeremy rushed into the building. Caleb grabbed Ambrose's hand and hurried into the building, but by now a group was amassing due to the alarm that had spread through the campus. Caleb looked at the others. "The tunnels, get to the tunnels." He turned to Ambrose and sighed. "I'm right behind you," he added, "we have plans after this, remember. I'm not going to leave you."

[catmint]

Ambrose barely noticed the figure approaching behind them, it was only when Caleb colliaded with a mirror image of himself did he notice the other man. It was incredibly disorienting to see two versions of Caleb, and he half expected the other one to laugh it off. His heart sank though when he instead eerily opened his jaw and let out a sort of verbal alarm. "Jesus fuck-" Ambrose cursed, stumbling back from the two.

Everyone was standing in shock until their Caleb screamed at them to go. They scurried inside, though Ambrose lagged behind, eyes darting between the identical pair. He wanted to plead with his partner to hurry up, but it seemed as if Caleb already knew what he was going to say. There wasn't time to argue so Ambrose just nodded vigorously and spun on his heel. At this point he just had to trust Caleb to be able to catch up.

The group all huddled into the building, panting as they dodged other mirror people coming out of offices down the hallway. Alex screamed out to them, "Come on, the basement is this way!" They all chased after Alex, Jeremy had latched onto Sam, pulling her along. Ariana and Ambrose stumbled over each other, Ambrose yelped as they tumbled and crashed down the stairs together. Ariana cried out in pain, "I think I broke something!" Ambrose was too busy untangling their limbs, he couldn't even feel pain from the fall because of the adrenline pumping through him. "Come on Ariana, we have to catch up with the others," Ambrose replied desperately, pulling her up and forcing her to run with him. They rounded a corner in the basement, halting to a stop when they saw the other three stopped in their tracks.

Alex was staring at a metal door, his fingers running up and down it. "Fuck! I didn't think it would be locked!" He glanced back at the group, "Quick, someone!" Ambrose could hear hissing alarms getting louder.

[WindsOfFate]

He was tackled to the ground and hit in the head. Struggling against his assailant, he managed to break free after knocking him unconscious. He looked down at his doppelganger for a moment wondering if they shared any similarities if there was something in the alternate that wasn't in him. He shook his head as the sound of hissing alarms grew louder and he ducked into the office heading the way he hoped the others had gone. When he closed the door, he struck it with two fingers and a seal appeared.

"That should keep them out for a bit," he said making his way towards the basement. Caleb fought his way towards the basement, leaving a trail of unconscious bodies as he eventually came on his team, his friends, and his boyfriend. The word made him work harder to keep them protected. Caleb slid to a halt just as the mob was approaching Sam, Ariana, Alex, Jeremy, and Ambrose. Creating a seal, he produced it swiftly blocking the way for the oncoming mob of vicious alternates.

Sam approached the door and looked at it for a moment. "Give me five minutes," she said. She didn't have the perfect history like she put on daily, but she would never tell unless it was pulled out of her. Alex stepped back and Sam went to work. Caleb looked back at them.

"Hurry up," he said causing Ariana to turn around. She hadn't even noticed Caleb had arrived, none of them did, but she was glad he was there except she could see blood slowly falling down his face. Nonetheless, he kept the seal up as Sam worked as fast as she could. Just as she managed to open the door, she turned around only to see Caleb tackled to the ground, the alternate who had tackled him was her. She watched as the girl bit into Caleb's shoulder causing him to scream out. Alex was there in a second punching the girl and grabbing Caleb.

"Go Go Go!," Ariana yelled as she moved to help Caleb feel in pain from her leg as Ambrose held her. The seal broke and the mob rushed towards them, but the door slammed behind them. They had made it, they were safe for now.

"Illumose," Sam said softly creating a large ball of light. Pounding could be heard on the other side of the door, but Jeremy quickly created a seal with Ariana's help while Alex sat Caleb down on the ground.

"I'm fine," Caleb said.

"That bitch took a chunk out of your shoulder Caleb, you're not fine, you're losing blood."

"Just close it," Caleb said as Sam turned to him.

"Are you sure?"

"If you don't he will bleed to death," Alex said.

"I'm fine, stop overreacting," Caleb said as he went to stand but a wave of dizziness overcame him and he stumbled.

"You're not fine, you're stubborn as hell, sit here," Sam said as she examined the bite. "That's very strange, there's some type of coagulant around the bite area, it's causing him to bleed more."

"Great, fucking GREAT!" Alex said. "Can you heal it?"

"I can try, if not we will have to wrap it and continue on."

The entire time Caleb was looking at Ambrose wanting to apologize. He hadn't expected to get injured so soon into the mission, and he was sure it wasn't over yet. "You guys I'll be fine, try to heal it and if not wrap it and let's get moving."

Sam nodded and began trying to heal the wound. The more she tried the more the coagulant seemed to resist the healing. "It's not working," Sam said sighing as she ran a hand through her hair and cursed.

"Then wrap it, I'll be alright. Let's find this fucking blade." Caleb said as Alex stepped up and ripped his shirt wrapping it around Caleb's shoulder to at least slow the flow of blood. When he was done he looked into Caleb's eyes.

"If you feel faint don't overdo it, we will figure out how to get back, somehow."

[catmint]

Ambrose breathed heavily, holding Ariana's shaking limbs against him as they waited for Sam to pick her way through the lock. Ambrose personally wasn't surprised she had that skill, but he was infinitely grateful for it in this moment. They were all huddled in this corridor, shifting restlessly when Caleb finally rounded the corner.

Ambrose breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank god," He wanted to continue but just then Sam managed to get the door open. She hustled the group in, and Ambrose heard the sound of crashing bodies. When he saw how Caleb was fending off an alternate of their Sam, his first instinct was to drop Ariana and help out. Though he was grateful he didn't listen to that instinct, time and time again proved Caleb could handle himself even in desperate situations like this.

Panting and sighs of relief flooded through them after they got the seal on the door. Ambrose's shoulders slumped and he let down Ariana. He could see her wince when she put any weight on her bad ankle. Ambrose's eyes darted between her and Caleb. "While they're figuring that out, I think I can help you out." Ambrose murmured to Ariana, who nodded and forced a shaky smile. Ambrose took a deep breath to focus and then got to work, fingers dancing in intricate patterns until a small wave of energy was released. "There. That should hold you over until we get out of here." Ambrose turned back to Caleb and Sam to see that they unfortunately they weren't as successful with their healing magic.

Ambrose approached, putting a hand on Caleb's uninjured shoulder. "He's right Caleb, try and take it easy." He squeezed his partner's shoulder, showing he cared without getting too emotional. "No self-sacrificing this mission." Ambrose said, chuckling lightly as he made an attempt at humor. Alex didn't seem to be in the mood though, and instead spun on his heel to get back to his job to leading their way through the tunnels.

Him and Jeremy talked over for a few moments, trying to decide the most direct way to the knife. "Alright, let's go." Alex called out over his shoulder and preceded further down into the darkness. After another staircase the group were greeted with a chilly and dank environment. They were fully in the tunnels now, and the silence down there was nearly deafening. The only light came from Sam's spell, causing Jeremy and others to stumble every so often.

"It actually shouldn't be too far..." Alex mumbled, mostly to himself, looking down at a paper in his hands.

"I remember that after another set of stairs deeper down, we should find a large room with that knife." Jeremy chimed in.

[WindsOfFate]

He managed a smile when he felt Ambrose’s hand on his shoulder. He gave it a soft squeeze to indicated he cared and that simple gesture meant a lot to Caleb in that moment. They had to keep moving, it was in their best interest to find the blade before something found them and Caleb wanted to get them back home before he became too weak to do it. He hadn’t realized Ariana was injured until she hopped over to him being careful not to put too much pressure on her leg. Ambrose had made a joke about Caleb being the type to sacrifice himself for them and Caleb chuckled lightly shaking his head as he looked down at his hands. They shook slightly and it was odd to him. He wasn't nervous, but he was thinking about actually facing the Leviathan when the time came.

“You okay?” She asked softly noticing how distant he was.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” he replied warmly looking up when the others informed them that it was time to move. Everyone wanted him to take it easy but he wanted them to be safe and cautious. Silently he moved along with them showing strength rather than weakness. They were discussing the location of the blade and Caleb sighed. They seemed to be nearing the location of the last blade. Caleb could feel the pull, he could feel the energy the weapon gave off just like it's six counterparts.

“Be cautious everyone. Normally these blades aren't kept unguarded.”

Caleb looked at Alex and Jeremy before turning to face Ambrose.

“Do you remember the spell I used in the temple?”

Always trying to teach someone something. Caleb knew if they needed a trump up their sleeve, that spell would be it. The thing was Ambrose would have to change one movement to make it destructive. One single movement and he wondered if Ambrose had taken note of the spell when he used it to trap the great beast in the temple. By alternate where the hand punctured the pentagram, the spell would change from a shield to a powerful blast.

[catmint]

Ambrose walked by Caleb, making sure to keep close to him. Though he had quipped earlier, he was serious with keeping Caleb from self-sacrificing. He had to admit, it often saved the day, but Ambrose had a feeling this time Caleb wouldn't be able to get by the skin of his teeth like usual.

"What-? Oh, yeah I remember." Ambrose was shaken from his thoughts by Caleb's question. "Why, what's up?" Ambrose asked with a slight tilt of his head. As they spoke, the group descended yet another staircase together. The atmosphere of the tunnels grew moer and more oppressive with each step they took.

Alex halted suddenly, causing Jeremy to stumble to avoid crashing into the other male. "Okay, we're basically just a few feet away from where the knife should be." Alex said as he turned to face everyone. "Go over whatever we need to before we even go inside the room." He made eye contact with everyone, making sure they can be prepared as possible for whatever happened next.

Ariana shifted uncomfortably, "I think I'm as good I'll ever be personally." She said with a weak shrug. Jeremy on the other hand was looking Sam up and down to make sure she was in good shape. Ambrose and Caleb were a few feet behind from the group, Ambrose waiting patiently for Caleb's explanation.

[WindsOfFate]

How do you teach someone a spell if they've only seen it once? During that point in time, how do you remember every detail, every specific motion? During a time in which your life is on the line do you remember such precise details? Caleb hoped and prayed that Ambrose possessed that gift. He hoped that Ambrose had noticed and had paid attention. High-level magic was hard, but he believed in his partner, he understood that Ambrose was different. The atmosphere in the tunnels grew darker, almost ominous as they continued on. The entire time Caleb was trying to explain how the spell worked. He showed Ambrose that if he did something a certain way, he could end up destroying the entire tunnel system. It was a lot to place on him, but judging from the way he was feeling, Caleb wanted at least one of them to be able to do what needed to be done.

Alex turned to look at them as they finally arrived. They were a few feet away. Caleb could feel the pull of the blade. It was here. Turning slightly, he looked at Ambrose.

"You got this," he assured him throwing a playful wink as he returned his gaze to Alex. "Let's do this. Everyone stay close and remember your spells. We go in, get the blade and we come out TOGETHER! Jeremy, produce another orb of light to give us more sight," Caleb said watching as Jeremy performed the movements to produce a single orb of light that helped illuminate with the help of Sam's. Sam turned to Caleb and smiled.

"There's the Caleb I know. We're going to get out of here, I know it," she said looking at Alex and nodding. Caleb felted fatigue washing over him, but he wasn't going to let them down, this was their chance to get rid of a bigger problem that he himself possibly caused, not to mention he had plans with Ambrose when this was all over.

[catmint]

Ambrose listened as closely he could to Caleb's explanation. He wasn't used to that level of magic, especially as a first year. But at this point they were grasping at straws anyways. He smiled weakly at Caleb's encouragement and tried to shake off that sinking feeling in his stomach. He could see his boyfriend was hanging on by threads, yet still had the power to push through and put on a strong face for the group.

The group came upon large double doors, and were met with a wall of energy. Though they passed through it easily, the atmosphere got intensely heavy as they did. For some it even hurt to draw breath. Ambrose winced but was able to continue on relatively easy. Ambrose waited until everyone seemed ready then turned to open the doors. They swung open with only a creak, he entered hesitantly, his steps echoing. The darkness in the room was unnerving, even with the help of the orbs of light, it was hard to make anything out. Luckily the knife was quietly hovering in the middle of the room, emitting a soft blue glow.

"Okay, let's go." Ambrose whispered, yet it felt intensely loud in the silent room. They approached together as quietly as they could, as if they were afraid they would wake something up. Every noise they made echoed unnaturally, and it got progressively colder as they approached the knife. Ambrose took a moment to admire the blade, which hovered effortlessly in the air. His hand shook slightly as he reached out to grab it. Ambrose grasped it tightly and spun on his heel as soon as he did. "Okay, let's go, don't wait around for whatever shows up." He said, but Jeremy was already staring at something over his shoulder.

Emerging from the darkness was an unfathomable creature, reality looked as if it was warping around it. It had no face.

[WindsOfFate]

It was getting increasingly heavy in the tunnels. The last blade would prove to be the most difficult. Caleb struggled to breathe, but he pressed on because he had a duty to his friends and his school to protect, and he wouldn't let that damn Leviathan stay at large. As they neared it, his mind flashed to all the things he wanted to do when this was over. All the moments he wanted to make reality, but first, he needed to make sure they retrieved the blade and returned safely. He had to stay awake regardless of how heavy his chest was, regardless of how light-headed he felt, he owed them, they were his friends and one day he would have to tell them the truth of his origins.

Ambrose had moved into the room and Caleb had stepped up watching and ready to step in if necessary. It was cold. Why was it so cold? Caleb's mind started piecing things together. It was unnaturally quiet in this place and unnaturally cold. When Ambrose grabbed the blade, Caleb's eyes widened. From the shadows, a creature with no face emerged. Reality warped around it to the point that it was hard to look at it, but he did.

"AMBROSE!" Caleb yelled indicating for him to move. "EVERYONE BACK THE WAY WE CAME!"

"Oh God, what is that?" Sam asked.

"Omnisis, a creature of dark intent. Legends surround it but I have never seen one until now," Caleb said as he ushered everyone into the tunnel. The creature's deafening screech made him clutch his ears. "Keep going," he said knowing how fast the creature of legend could be. "Ambrose, do you have it?" Caleb asked making sure Ambrose was still holding the blade as they all ran down the tunnels.

[catmint]

Ambrose barely had time to register what Caleb had screamed until Jeremy jerked him forward. The whole group took off sprinting to the exit. The doors slammed behind them, but everyone knew that wouldn't do much against that kind of creature. Ambrose panted as they took off down the tunnels, this time they didn't worry about finding their way around. Top prioty right was putting as much distance as possible between themselves and whatever Caleb had called it. Ambrose nodded in response to Caleb's question, waving the knife slightly.

"Listen-" Ambrose panted, "Get ready to take us back, we can't stay here any longer- and god, the pressure on my chest." Ambrose winced, it was getting steadily worse the longer they stayed.

They slowed to a jog, keeping on the move, but slow enough to catch their breath for at least a moment. Ambrose clutched his chest, as well as a few others of their group. Everyone was feeling the effect of this dimension on their body. Screeches echoed through the tunnels, making it impossible to tell if the Omnisis was on their trail or not.

"I remember the spell you taught me Caleb, just hurry, whatever happens, this knife needs to get back." Ambrose flinched when he realized other hissing sounds were audible now. Sam cursed under her breath, realizing the seal on the door must have been broken. "Just keep running down the tunnels and get ready to jump through Caleb's portal." Everyone flinched when the screeches resumed, and now even the tapping of feet. "Oh god-"

[WindsOfFate]

It was bad. They had trouble in all directions. The seal that kept the alternates at bay had broken, and the Omnisis was shortening the distance between them. Caleb felt the heaviness in his chest get heavier and he could hardly breathe. His vision was blurred and he shook his head as they ran down the tunnels, the hissing and footsteps deafening in the once silent realm. He could hear them talking, he could hear Ambrose telling them to be ready. He could hear Alex objecting to everything and trying to figure out how they would make it, and he could hear Sam panicking while hoping they'd make it out of this alive. She had so much to do, so much to live for

Caleb slid to a halt his hands ablaze with magical energy. They had no choice, he had to perform it now or they'd be eaten alive or consumed by the Omnisis. He moved swiftly even though his vision was blurred and pain coursed through his body. As soon as he produced the portal, his body shook visibly and he collapsed, but Alex caught him just in time.

"Everyone get through NOW!" Alex yelled as he pushed Ariana through and looked at Ambrose who held the knife. Just as the portal was produced, the alternates came into view and were scurrying towards them, their faces deformed like vile creatures ready to consume them. Sam looked at Jeremy and sighed as she produced a shield that created a barrier between them and the alternates. The Omnisis was close at hand and Alex glared. "COME ON SAM, JEREMY!" he yelled holding Caleb in his arms. He beckoned for Ambrose to go through.

"Go I got this," Sam said to Jeremy as she continued to hold the barrier as the alternates clawed and screeched. The Omnisis screech grew louder and Sam's eyes widened. Alex looked at Sam and shook his head. He wanted to object, to tell her to go through. He shoved Caleb into Jeremy's arms and pushed both Jeremy and Ambrose through the portal. Grabbing Sam he lunged with her in his arms just as the portal closed and the Omnisis came into view. Alex was panting and Sam shivered. They'd come so close to death it was unbelievable.

Alex quickly stood up grabbing Sam to help her up and Ariana. "Get Caleb to the infirmary."

[catmint]

He really thought they were gonna die there. Ambrose was almost ready to perform the spell Caleb had tried teaching him, but he was infinitely grateful he didn't have to. He memorized it the best he could, but he wasn't certain he could do it on the spot. Ambrose shook on the gronud, still trying to regain his composure. Jeremy had scrambled underneath from him, panting as well. He instantly went to Sam's side, questioning her to see if she was unscathed.

Ambrose found the strength to push himself up when Alex mentioned Caleb. He nodded, "I'll take care of it. Here take the knife and keep it safe until we're ready." Ambrose pushed the knife into Alex's hands. He took a quick moment to thank Sam and make sure Ariana was alright. Ambrose took Caleb's arm and put it over his own shoulder, making it so he was able to take most of Caleb's weight.

"Here, I can help." Jeremy said, taking Caleb's other arm to support him. Ambrose nodded in relief and the two hauled Caleb off to the infirmary. The nurse ushered them into an empty room as soon as she spotted them.

She shook her head in disapproval, "Somehow I knew he would end up back here soon." She sighed, obviously worried for his wellbeing. She turned to Ambrose and Jeremy, who were standing awkwardly in the doorway of Caleb's infirmary room. "We'll do everything we can for his wound, but right now the best thing he can do is get rest."

"You can go back to Sam and them... I'll keep an eye on Caleb." Ambrose said to Jeremy, who clapped a hand on his shoulder before leaving. Ambrose's shoulders sagged once he had a moment alone and he took a seat by the window of the room.

[WindsOfFate]

He remembered passing out but he for sure thought that they'd die, that he wouldn't wake up, but as his eyes slowly opened, he noticed Ambrose standing by the window. Groaning, he turned and immediately passed out from the medication they had him under. An IV was hooked to him and it was pumping him full of antibiotics to fight whatever traces of bacteria the bite may have had along with the anticoagulant. Thankfully he would live, at least that is what the nurse told Ambrose every time she came in to check on him. She had advised the young man that he could go back to his room to get some rest and that she would notify him if Caleb woke up.

Sam, Ariana, Jeremy, and Alex took the knife to place it with the others and as they looked at them they could see why such blades could kill any creature. They could feel an aura of power surrounding each blade. Now came the task of finding the demon who'd been very quiet over the course of everything happening. Sam was still traumatized regarding the near-death experience. Whenever she closed her eyes she could hear the gnashing of teeth and the screeching. However, the school tried to return to normal even with a demon on the loose. After healing up, Caleb received an earful from the nurse. She exclaimed to him that she was tired of seeing him in the infirmary and that she would rather not see any of them any time soon. She meant it jokingly and Caleb understood what she meant. He had spent a lot of time in the infirmary against his own wishes, but when you throw yourself into different scenarios there's bound to be consequences. Nonetheless, Caleb kept his promise to Ambrose and found time to take him on a date. He took him to a museum and bought him beautiful flowers and a painting that Ambrose picked out reluctantly. Caleb did his best not to make Ambrose uncomfortable.

Another body was eventually found two days after they'd collected the blades. The headmaster knew it to be one of the janitors this time whose death was sudden and unnerved most of the school.

"Have you heard from Caleb?" Ariana asked Sam as they sat in their usual meeting spot in the library.

"I went to check on him. He's alright," Sam said looking over at Alex who smirked.

"Of course he's alright, as soon as he got out of the infirmary he took Ambrose on a date."

"Really?" Sam asked.

"Yep, a friend of mine saw them together at an art museum in town."

"Well at least they're happy," Sam said.

Caleb rolled over in bed groaning from the fact that he'd overslept and missed his classes. His phone was full of notifications. Running a hand through his hair, he yawned and sat up in bed.

[catmint]

After a while Ambrose was ushered from the room, which he was willing to let happen. He was so exhausted from the near death experience, he thought he was gonna pass right onto the sidewalk. But he was able to stagger back to the dorm and find his bed. Ambrose rested as best he could, and when Caleb was finally out of the infirmary, he was happy to spend time with him. It was strange, going on a normal date with someone he really liked. But it was nice to take a breath from allt he craziness of the school.

Ambrose stretched in his seat, packing up his things into his backpack before leaving the empty classroom. It was his last class of the day, he was infinitely thankful for it. The group of course needed to meet up, discuss their next course of action, especially with the janitor that was found dead in a especially gruesome way. But Ambrose wanted to stay away from the library bunker for a bit, just a bit longer until they had to face this thing again.

He strolled across campus leisurely, breathing in the clean air. Ambrose stopped outside the dorm building and made his way up to Caleb's dorm room. He wasn't sure if Caleb was there, or even awake, but he figured this was the best place to find him. Ambrose rapped on the door three times, waited a couple moments and then knocked again.

[WindsOfFate]

He had barely stretched when a new message came through his phone, then another, followed by one more. He groaned as he flipped through them on his phone reading each. Sam. Ariana. Alex. They had each text him asking if he was alright. It wasn't like him to miss class and he knew they were probably worried sick, especially Sam. He spent the most time replying to the messages. He knew Ambrose had to be in class, but he figured he'd be asleep at some point. He had to admit, he was glad he opened up to the possibilities of a relationship with Ambrose and even though they still had work to do, he was glad that Ambrose had given it a chance with him. He thought about the date, the time they'd spent together and he smiled warmly as he removed the blankets from his body. Sweat covered his body and he moaned not wanting to get up but definitely not wanting to stay in bed sweaty.

Sliding out of bed he made his way to the bathroom to shower and shave his normal daily routine. The shower helped him clear his mind as he thought on how best to approach the situation of defeating a demon. It would take them all to find the damned thing and then they'd have to use the blades to actually kill it. What was he getting himself into? He ran a wet hand through his hair and let the water cascade over him. Grabbing a towel, he dried off and wrapped the towel around his waist, low on his waist. He was in the middle of applying facial cleanser when a knock came at his room door. He moved towards it, not paying attention to the fact that he was half naked, body glistening due to the beads of water that he'd missed. He opened the door and smiled when he saw Ambrose standing there.

"Hey what's up?" he said beckoning Ambrose in. "I'm just finishing up, make yourself at home," he added as he leaned forward and kissed Ambrose first on the cheek, but then on the lips as if gauging how he'd react. A soft blush had formed on Caleb's face as he rushed off to get dressed. "Give me ten minutes," he called from the bathroom.

[catmint]

Ambrose was about to leave, thinking Caleb wasn't even there. But at the last moment, the door opened to reveal a half-naked Caleb, glistening and grinning. Ambrose might have stared longer if he hadn't been ushered in. Ambrose leaned into Caleb's kisses, giving a soft sound of encouragement.

"Oh, I thought I could meet you here and walk to the bunker together, if you want..." Ambrose trailed off, wondering around Caleb's large room. It was still just as spectacular as when he first saw it. "Or at least hang for a little bit... Before we try and figure out our plan." Ambrose resisted the urge to Snoop around while Caleb got dressed.

Ambrose found a seat on a plush couch, reclining back with a relieved sigh. "You dressed yet?" He called out, running a hand through his curls.