As it would later turn out the following week, Aurora was correct. The ‘economic turbulence’ had settled with Turkia like a right plane ride. Of course, the whole matter stank of forgery. Aurie even asked a friend she had in some school with a few scattered W grades whether they’d gotten any such announcement to no avail. We had no particular reason to worry about it though, and so we ended up dropping the whole case. Right when the commandant had just started to warm up to me too.

And so, not much happened for the rest of the while I was hospitalized. Apart from some memorable (embarrassing) visits by my grandparents, everything was slowly returning to normal.

While Tifon was enjoying apparently the swellest hospitalization of all time, everything was much different for our other hero.

Eion was becoming more unstable by the day.

Recently he’d started to not even glance in his servants’ direction when returning home. When I say return home however I don’t mean from school, not at all. These days Eion was way more likely to be found half drunk in the back alleys leading towards nightclubs. Only occasionally coming back home to sleep or to withdraw more money. No one had seen him for the past week, he had completely fallen off the grid. Arian’s distress was evident to everyone, if even he had no news of his whereabouts that must’ve meant that Eion didn’t want to be found. And surely enough, Eion had no desire to be helped. However, one fateful night, after having just returned home from another one of his routine benders, Eion saw the outline of a figure in his room.

(Is it the dinking that has me seeing visions?)

(Is that… Father? No it-it couldn’t be.)

Assuring himself that it was merely a delusion, Eion turned back to his objective. Although his father’s study was just on the second floor, it would be nothing less than a miracle if he made it up the stairs.

∫∫∫: “Are you going up to steal from me again, boy?”

Eion: “it’s all in your head, don’t mind it.”

∫∫∫: “I can assure you I’m no hallucination.”

Eion: “!!!... Father-! I mean… Lord Xuth… uh what are you-?”

Lord Xuth: “That’s enough. Don’t embarrass yourself by trying to act sober.”

The Lord made his way towards his son slowly, his eyes glued to him all the while.

Lord Xuth: “And if I allow you, then what?”

Eion: “I’m afraid I don’t… err I mean-” Eion fell to his knees before he could finish the sentence. He was fully incapable now of even holding himself upright.

The Lord didn’t break his slow stride, beholden to this, he merely lowered his gaze in pursuit of his son’s eyes.

Lord Xuth was a middle-aged man in his 40s. His neatly trimmed beard angled his otherwise circular face. The Lord was also incredibly tall, standing around 200cms, his shadow was already on Eion even though the Lord was still a ways from him.

Lord Xuth: “Will you then crawl your way back to whatever hole you’ve just come from? Drink all my fortune away?”

The Lord’s tone had no trace of indignation, rather, it sounded like the consoling of a priest.

His mighty voice echoed throughout the hallway, looking up at his Lord father, Eion was terrified. He felt as though in the presence of something Holy. Something greater than anything he’d seen before.

His father finally reached him, and Eion was at last able to see his face. He saw the burning fires in the Lord’s eyes.

(What is that … Does he care about me after all?)

The thought would have surely driven him out of his senses if the silence had lasted any longer.

Suddenly the Lord raised his left hand, seeing this Eion all but shriveled up in fear. But the Lord did not harm him, instead, he placed the hand on his son’s head.

Lord Xuth: “You suffer because you have given up your pride.”

Every word from the Lord’s mouth weighed on Eion.

Lord Xuth: “He thinks of himself as though a God. You must show him what true power looks like.”

Eion’s eyes widened at the end of his father’s sentence. In his immense panic, the young master fainted.

Eion woke up in the morning, incredibly hungover, but with a sense of purpose. He decided to rest for that day, and tomorrow everything would be set in motion.

The ringing of a phone can be heard coming from Tifon’s room.

(That’s… Definitely not the sound of my alarm… Gods. If only I could block out noise at will.)

While starting to regret my not being born deaf, I reached out for my phone.

“Hello? Who’s thi-?”

Aurora: “Where in Tartarus are you?!”

Tifon: “Well, morning to you too, Aurie.”

Aurora: “It is already 7 am, Tifon! Who’s supposed to help me set up the event hall?!”

Tifon: “Gods, I’m still an injured man you know!”

Aurora: “Be here in 5!”

Got hanged up on too… Why do the Gods hate me so much?

Wearing my uniform, I storm out into the hallway.

Granny Lia: “Sweetie what’re you doing? What about breakfast?”

Tifon: “Sorry gran, I can't I’m in a hurry. I overslept again.”

Granny Lia: “Awe, darling you have to take better care of yourself.”

Grandpa Radyon: “He seems a little different, doesn’t he?”

Gramps interposed with a laugh, but I was too focused on getting ready to pay any attention. Finally wearing my coat, I ran out of the house.

(Wait, I don’t even know where exactly the event is taking place! She didn’t even tell me!)

I made the gambit that it would at least be near the campus, and not let’s say, an entirely different stadium.

With the increased urgency of possibly having to run around the entire city if I were wrong, I rushed to school.

“What the actual fu-”

ΔΔΔ: “OUT OF MY WAY!”

“NO NO! SLOW DOW- AUGH!”

Almost as if fate intervening to say I’d been in enough car crashes for one lifetime, I was tackled out the way.

Just as painful mind you.

Mitsuno: “Hehe, aren’t you lucky I just happened to be passing through.”

Tifon: “Euh, could you maybe not gloat while you’re still on top of me?”

Mitsuno: “Ohp, sorry ‘bout that.”

After finally deigning to give me a hand up Mitsuno pats the dust off my shoulders.

Mitsuno: “Ahah, good as new!”

Tifon: “I’m fairly certain I can’t go a day without being concussed.”

Palae: “Looky who it is, designated shotgun himself!”

As if completely ignoring the fact that she almost committed vehicular manslaughter Palae came up to greet us.

Palae: “We’re all pitching in to place the folding chairs in the event hall, president’s orders.”

Tifon: “I’m guessing those orders extend onto me especially.”

Mitsuno: “Righto, they’re in the storage room, hurry up!”

Straining through a few groans and possibly a dislocated shoulder I make my way to the storage room.

!!!: “Sigh, still a hundred and fifty to go, if Palae can help us get through it in double time, I still might make It to...”

Hearing Aurie’s voice I quickened my pace into the storage room.

Tifon: “Hey there, boss lady.”

Aurora: “Eek! Hey, don’t sneak up on me like that!”

Tifon: “Huh, interesting. So that’s your thinking pose.”

Aurora: “It most certainly is not! I was merely practicing my parkour, sensei's orders.”

Aurie was lying on top of the desk with her legs stretched up to the ceiling. The document’s in hand too, very proficient.

Tifon: “Mhm, I see. Alright, I’m gonna take some chairs to the hall now, try not to flash anyone else okay?”

Aurora: “Just hurry it along!”

I could see her red ears sticking out even though she’d covered her face with those files. After a chuckle, I made my way to catch up with the others.

(What would I have done if he’d heard?)

Aurora grimaced. Perhaps until now, she hadn’t understood the extent of pain her plan would cause.

“It’s too late now.”

She sat upright. She had finally steeled her heart for the coming storm.

“Damn the Gods to Tartarus.”

A WEEK BEFORE, AFTER THE COMMANDANT LEFT

†††: “That is all I have to report on your son.”

∫∫∫: “Really? Quite a shame, although I can’t say I expected much to begin with.”

Two figures could be seen conversing in the shadows. The room they were in was the personal quarters of Lord Xuth Emazonian. It was located in the laboratory of his own founding: Fore Thought Inc.

Lord Xuth: “And what of your impressions on the other students, commandant? Namely the cursed one.”

Commandant Calli: “He is perhaps just as unstable as your son. But…”

Lord Xuth: “Yes commandant?”

After a bit of struggle, the commandant continued her thought.

Commandant Calli: “But his pride is righteous, he is what you’re looking for, sir.”

Lord Xuth: “You’ve done well, commandant. I thank you for your service.”

Commandant Calli: “… Will you cause him much grievance?”

Surprised by the commandant’s sudden question Lord Xuth stood up from his seat.

Lord Xuth: “You must already know yourself, commandant.”

The Lord sneered as he finished his sentence. “Warriors are forged through fire.”