Disrumpam

Snap

(Part 2)

His strength and valor renewed by this unlikely visitor, Draven turned back to the other two with his chin held up, proudly.

- We should get going. - He gave Hoseok a determined nod.

Hoseok sighed and nodded as well.

- Then, Garrett... help me pack what I need while I send the message. -

Garrett nodded and entered the room with him, closing the door behind him to muffle the sound but not locking it while Draven stayed outside and walked closer to the stairs to listen to what was happening beneath.

Suddenly, he felt a rumbling in his upper abdomen that had nothing to do with hunger, and his body temperature rose alarmingly. Hastily, he took hold of the railing and looked intently at the wall in front of him, trying desperately to hold back the mounting desire to fight, to run, to scream in battle.

Slowly, it all came back down again, leaving him gently with a frightening feeling in his chest.

He had no idea what just happened. And he honestly hoped it never happened again.

Draven gave a shaky sigh and threw what just happened in the back of his head to think about later and tried to pay close attention to what was happening outside. He was still severely shaken, but even so, he managed to hear whispering and murmuring two floors below. And although the guy from before seemed to have kept his promise and told no one he was one of the fighters, there was no sound of someone using their phones.

No one was calling the police on him.

Once the door was closed, Hoseok sat on his computer and clicked away. Turning off what he had forgotten to turn off before to finally send a message with the notice and a note to tell them to wait until further notice. All the while Garrett was taking from his drawers everything health-related and putting it over the bed, then doing the same with two changes of clothes and coats, and then -after Hoseok told him where to look- he grabbed a big backpack for the rain and put everything inside, as neatly as he could while also being fast.

Watching him working as he waited for the message to leave, Hoseok couldn't stop moving his knees up and down. Garrett was heavily injured and he couldn't go to the Hospital wing, meaning that he'll have to take care of it all by himself. He'll have to leave him phone numbers and email addresses and instructions because he'll be the only contact left inside Evanthe. He'll have to work on the field, protecting The Rose in secret and keeping up the act of a student, without having finished his Warrior or Shadow training. They'll be leaving an injured guy who barely had any field training to do the job of two men right after a traumatizing, near-death experience.

4:40 pm

Hoseok began shaking his head as he wrote on a piece of paper everything Garrett will need.

- I know what you're thinking. Stop it. - Garrett muttered as he moved to stand beside him and began to take off the antennas of each television.

Antennas Hoseok himself helped to make because he had been told -with years ahead- of the task he would have to undergo.

- You're not qualified to do this, Garrett. - He muttered back and heard him sigh right when the message was finally sent. Immediately, he turned off his laptop and closed it as he stood.

- Qualified or not, I still have to. -

Hoseok turned and pushed him sharply by the shoulder to make him look at him, hands holding three antennas each.

- What if something happens to you, huh? - He couldn't keep the poker face, his feelings were rising again. - You're ready to stay for the sake of Jungkook's trust and our warrior's answers, but what about you? What about your injuries, the darkness that went in when you were dying... - A little gasp made him stop. And a tear fell from his eye.

Garrett looked at him with a mixture of determination and sorrow and left the antennas over the desk to hug him tight. Hoseok hugged him back tightly; wholeheartedly. He was surprised to find his body heat so high, like a fever. But what he cared about most of all was him, and how he looked laying on the floor, pale as a sheet, as his brother performed CPR on him. Hoseok will never forget how it felt to think he would die.

- I can't lose you, Garrett. - He whispered, trying with all his might not to sob.

- I promise that you won't. - His soft voice reassured him.

Then the taste of honeyed milk appeared on Hoseok's tongue. And he chuckled, shaking his head.

- You're a helpless helper, aren't you? You give, forgetting that you deserve to receive. -

- I am receiving this hug. -

- A grain of salt. You deserve way more. -

But instead of answering, Garrett pulled him back by his shoulders. And tried to walk around the desk to the other tellys.

Hoseok stopped him, grabbing his wrist. And pulled him in gently by the back of his head.

But before he could kiss him, Garrett placed both fists against his chest, stopping him short.

Hoseok saw it right there in his eyes. He saw the sudden fear, the panic; feelings that weren't there before, not even when Hoseok had tried to do the same a couple of years ago.

Then he remembered, Alex had claimed him. And claiming only happens when one of the two has not given full consent.

Hoseok felt appalled with himself. How could he have forgotten so quickly? Swiftly, he let go of Garrett's head and lowered his own, not knowing how to apologize. Then, he felt a fast little kiss on his cheek before Garrett took back a step and kept on working. Hoseok was left feeling even worse after that little kiss. He knew Garrett hadn't wanted to do it but still did it because he didn't want to hurt his feelings. Because that's how Garrett was.

Just then, Draven opened the door, startling them.

- The police arrived at this corridor. -

They knew he meant the main corridor downstairs, so they ran. Draven went outside again, Garrett kept unplugging the televisions to leave them unusable, and Hoseok -after pocketing his laptop and chargers- began to take every important possession he had out of their hiding spot to pocket them in his bag. His father's notebook, his mother's favorite book, the pebble in the shape of a fish his youngest brother gave him, the hunting knives Yoongi forced him to buy, and a little quartz he found of a honey-brown color. This last, he put in his pocket while putting two of the knives (each with their sheath) between his pants and his back. He wasn't much of a fighter, but he knew how to defend himself well. And he didn't change clothes because there wasn't time and because it was still raining.

Once he was ready with the bag over his shoulders and tightly tied to his body around his torso, Garrett stood from the ground, finally wearing his shoes. And a commotion started downstairs.

4:50 pm

Draven came back, opening the door.

- We must go now. - He hurried Hoseok. All three of them walked out.

- What's happening? - He asked as he gave Garrett the folded paper with final instructions and the key to his room. The noise came from downstairs in the lobby and it terribly sounded like a fight.

- Come on, they're not on the floor below, we can jump from one of the windows to the side of the building. - He told them as they ran down the stars.

Hoseok looked down the middle of the spiral staircase and saw that indeed there were people running towards the glass doors to help. But before they stepped into the first floor of the rooms where the people in the lobby could see them, Draven stopped and took out his warrior mask. But Hoseok panicked.

- What are you doing? - He whispered close to him. - They'll know you're one of the fighters if you put that on. -

- I know. - And he put it on, locking it behind his head. - I don't know what's going on, but... - He turned around and they could only see his yellow eyes. - The students downstairs are blocking the doors so the police can't get in. -

The three of them looked at each other in wonder.

The Rose's plan was working.

- Come on. - Draven nodded and jumped the last three steps to land right where everyone could see him while Hoseok and Garrett stayed hidden.

They heard silence and many gasps. And then a male voice shouted from the other side of the doors,

- ¡STOP HIM! -

Glass shattered. And the three of them ran.

It was uproar downstairs and getting nearer even as they turned the corner and ran to the end of this corridor right to the last window.

Draven slid the window open, sat on the edge, and let himself fall expertly two floors down. Then Hoseok was next. He could feel his heart beating in his dry throat but still, with shaking hands, he swiftly sat on the edge and–

Right before he let himself fall, the door of the room to his left opened, and when he saw who it was, he remembered who this room belonged to.

It was Jungkook's room.

But the one looking at him was now Jungkook. It was Tyr. His eyes opened wide as he looked from Garrett to him and stopped with a frown when he saw what he was about to do.

Another glass shattered downstairs and even more screams reverberated through the building, making Hoseok jolt. Finally, he looked away from Tyr and, without thinking of the fall, he let himself go.

He felt the void in his stomach before landing on his feet and rolling forwards, (his bag protecting his back from any pebble and his clothes protecting his computer). Then he stood at once and ran to meet Draven at the edge of the wood. Right when he turned to look, Garrett closed the window and hid inside Jungkook's room with Tyr and Jimin.

- Ugh, goddammit. - Draven cursed and Hoseok saw, right before they started running, that he'd begun to cry.

Hoseok didn't question him for it. He knew.

Garrett closed the door shut behind him and fell backward against the wood, but then he hissed terribly at the awful pain it brought and instead turned to his side to lean against his shoulder. It hurt less than his back.

- What happened? - Tyr asked, tentatively. Perhaps they've been locked in here since the police arrived. Perhaps all classes had been stopped and all the students were brought here when the police arrived. Or perhaps the ones who didn't have any classes told the rest and they were all simply waiting to see what would happen; speculating downstairs where all the students from all three buildings could be comfortable.

But Garrett stopped his wonderings. At once, he jumped away from the door and got to Jungkook's chest of drawers. He took off the wet hoodie, guessing it would look too suspicious, and, after rummaging, found a black one he could use.

The moment he had revealed the bloody bandage on his neck, a cool, frightening feeling started emanating from the onlookers at his back.

He put the hoodie on, mildly grateful that Jungkook had bought a bigger size, and folded his own hoodie to hide it under the clothes.

He could hear tiny gasps coming from Jimin as he cried and felt how the usual cold emanating from him had turned even colder, but he couldn't let his own feelings rise just yet. He had to remain focused.

- Umm... - Tyr tried to speak again, but something else stopped him.

Whistle blasts came from downstairs and Garrett knew reinforcements had arrived. Maybe they've been waiting just outside the main entrance and that's why they didn't see any on their way inside the grounds as they had entered through the side.

Then, as another whistle blasted, Garrett got to the door. And he looked over past Tyr right at Jimin sitting on the floor between the nightstands with his head between his knees.

- Jimin. - The latter snapped his head up to look at him, a hand covering his mouth. - Where's Jungkook? - He couldn't hear nor sense anyone else in the room aside from the three of them and the Police had managed to run up the stairs. He needed to know where his protected was.

But Jimin shook his head, tears falling down his eyes.

- Jimin told me he only saw him in Taehyung's class. Never again after that. - Tyr answered in a murmur.

For some reason, he looked guilty. But Garrett knew it had nothing to do with where Jungkook was but more to do with the fact that Tyr hadn't stopped looking at his neck even after it was all covered.

Garrett frowned at what he'd been told. Then, hearing men running up the corridor outside, he opened the door wide, still wearing that same frown.

Every single movement hurt like the devil. Every single cold breath felt like sharp knives cutting down his throat. And every single second he had to force himself away from feeling any emotion at all felt like minutes of torture.

But he had work to do.

- Hey, you! - A man in uniform, skinny and tall but with a bushy brown mustache, stopped and looked at him right after watching intently through the open door. - Move aside. - With a gun in his hands pointing down, he walked past Garrett once he stepped to let him in and looked all around the room, stopping to frown at Jimin who was hiding behind his knees. - What happened to him? - He demanded of the other two.

Garrett stepped closer to Jimin and Tyr to protect them with his body as he answered; men running up and down the building.

- All this commotion frightened him. - He said simply, and the officer pursed his lips before bending down to look beneath the beds.

Then, he went straight to look in the bathroom as another officer -short, chubby, and out of breath- stepped over the threshold to look around the room as well.

Garrett, having had a sudden idea, turned around and gave his back to the officer so he couldn't remember him later. But it was once he'd turned that he noticed Jimin shaking on the floor and his chest tightened with pain at the sight. He swallowed down the pain and stepped closer, past Tyr, to rest one knee on the floor in front of him.

- Jimin... - He whispered, hearing the other officer walking out of the bathroom to talk to the one at the door. - Just stay with me and you'll be fine. - He whispered again and received a tiny nod. But he must say, it was harder to console someone without giving them calming energy.

- Boy. - The taller officer called him and he pursed his lips, standing up to look at them as he hid Jimin with his legs. - You and your friends have to go with the other students to Auditorium One. - And then he stepped aside for them to leave first without any other explanation.

The fact that the police were telling them where to go now, told him that his previous suspicion had been right and it had been the students themselves who left their classes and bedrooms to round up downstairs. It nearly brought a defiant grin to his face.

Garrett took in a deep, stabilizing breath before kneeling down again.

- Come on. - He said softly to Jimin. - We have to go. -

The worst part was watching Jimin lift his head and seeing him pale and weak and not being able to help him stand.

With the help of the wall behind him, Jimin stood on weak legs and put on his hood just like Garrett before stepping in to stand beside him. Then Garrett realized he was looking at his feet so he would follow them, and so he started to walk ahead, knowing the pair of them were following behind.

5:00 pm

There were dog barks somewhere far behind them, and Hoseok ran in full panic.

When they came in sight of the fence surrounding Evanthe, he let out a relieved breath, nodding to himself. His legs and lungs were burning so terribly, that he had the impression that he would start coughing blood soon.

Once they were close enough, Draven ran faster and leaped over the two-meter-long fence then waited. But once Hoseok was close enough and it was his turn, the leap he made was so pathetic and the strength in his arms was so burned out that he simply slid off to the floor.

With wide eyes, he snapped his head behind him and looked around. There were barks coming, there were men running towards them, he was sure even if he couldn't see them. He panted, panic-stricken, and turned back to look at him with his heart in his throat.

- Throw your bag, I'll catch it. - Draven said at once, just as frightened, and lifted his arms.

Hoseok fumbled a little with the buckle around his torso, but he managed to take it off and, with a huge effort, he threw it. But yet again, his arms failed him, so it clashed against the fence and he had to leap in to catch it again. He felt like crying out in frustration and exhaustion.

He's been running all day, hasn't eaten anything, not even breakfast, the whole Garrett situation left him deeply scarred, he'd made a terrible mistake at work by throwing away their cover and signaling the police his exact location, tears were literally just about to burst out of his eyes.

Suddenly, Draven climbed over, told him to put the bag back on, and helped Hoseok cross by letting him step onto his shoulders. Hoseok crossed by falling painfully on his side, but at least they were now free from Evanthe and the rain. So, still out of breath as they ran on and Draven carried his bag for him, he took out his phone, swallowing down the tears.

- I'll signal Yoongi–... to pick us up in the–... nearest city. - He muttered between breaths. And Draven nodded in agreement.

As they ran through the darkening wood, many distant sirens were nearing Evanthe.

5:05 pm

5:20 pm

Garrett, Jimin, and Tyr arrived at Auditorium One, where all of the students had been taken. All the seats and tables they had used Sunday night a week ago to welcome them, had been stored away. So they would either have to stand or sit on the marble floor.

There were many who were nursing small to worrying injuries, some were bleeding more than others, and some had handcuffs even without being held by any officers, but the general murmuring in the air was different than the one Garrett had heard when the three of them had arrived at the rooms. That time, there was a general sense of fright and uncertainty, but now, it felt more like anger and rebellion.

But not all of them had defiant frowns on their faces as they murmured with their friends. As Garrett walked closer to the center of the room to have a better view of his surroundings, he heard some crying silently, saw some shaking with fright, and saw friends hugging (always male and woman) as they said over and over how they just wanted to go home.

This must be terrifying for newcomers with their homes all the way in London. There was danger both here and there. And, if their houses were close to the palace, it was very likely that they wouldn't even be able to call their families because there was no signal there.

If he were to permeate his aura right now, he would feel exactly what each of the hundreds of students was feeling and maybe even help them... but he wasn't in any state to do it. He could barely focus on something other than his own pain.

He snapped his head up again once he realized this last fact. He's been so focused on focusing that he forgot to look for Jungkook.

Making sure Jimin and Tyr were still by his side, he kept on walking straight to the side of the stage. He needed a better view that wasn't on the second floor since that one was filled with officers.

Finally, there, he found the side steps to go up and stepped up casually to then lean against the wall separating the edge of the stage and the wings while Jimin sat on the first step, hiding behind the low wall there and Tyr sat on the same one but against the wall opposite, leaving a place for only one person between.

Garrett looked up from beneath his hood and scanned the place as minutely as he could. Another reason for choosing this place was that Jungkook could see him and get closer to him. But he didn't seem to be here at all.

The most common injuries were cuts made by the shattered glass. There were cut arms, sides of torsos, hands, and cheekbones, and not one of them called for medical aid, not even the guy with bright orange hair who had begged Draven to let him fight by his side and whose state looked to be on the worrying side. He had to cut part of his shirt so he could press it against his left arm to stop the bleeding. Garrett also saw a boy with a bandaged foot sitting against the wall next to another one. They sat frowning silently at the floor with a pair of crutches between them and looked hardly ruffled as if they hadn't fought. There was a girl who caught his attention, her blond hair disappearing as she went up the stairs to talk directly to the officers. It wasn't until she arrived on the second floor that he noticed it was "Barbie". She looked pristine and angry as she spoke to an officer, but about what, he couldn't know. His eyes darted back down and saw small discussions flaring up; discussions between the ones who fought and the ones who didn't.

There was no denying it. Jungkook wasn't here.

And he needed to make sure he was still in Evanthe.

As if summoned by his thoughts, he noticed three people avoiding contact with others as they walked straight toward him, and he didn't know whether to be relieved or not. It was Jungkook's friends; Emily, Leo, and Finn. And this last one looked like he had received a hell of a punch on his face, but it didn't seem like it was made recently.

Once they reached the stage and walked to the side steps, he walked down, gave them a meaningful look, and then sat smugly between Tyr and Jimin. Right then, the three others arrived in front of him and Finn was the first to sit cross-legged on the floor.

- Oh, Jimin... - Emily sighed with old tears on the corners of her eyes and shakily sat by Jimin's feet.

Imperceptibly, Garrett shifted his own feet away from her.

Then Leo knelt on the floor. And Garrett recognized the fire in his eyes to be a Warrior's.

He was ready to fight.

- And Jungkook? - Garrett asked, innocently.

And Leo clicked his tongue, disapprovingly.

- With Taehyung, wouldn't he? -

- The teacher? - Garrett raised his eyebrows as if he didn't know, speaking low. The other nodded. - If he wasn't with him, though, where would he be, you reckon? -

They thought for a moment.

- With his parents? - Emily suggested, rubbing her eye.

- If he's there, he's in trouble. - Leo shook his head.

- You're forgetting something. - Finn said gently to Leo before speaking directly to Garrett. - Jungkook received a letter during breakfast that summoned him to his parents' office at four-thirty. -

Garrett looked thoughtfully at the floor.

- You think he would still be there? - He asked them, feeling Jimin starting to shake like a kitten again.

- Why would he? There would be no one in that office. - Emily said thoughtfully. And when Garrett looked at her questioningly, she added, - His father was with the police at the glass doors and his mother was outside, talking with other officers. Didn't you see them on your way out? -

He shook his head. He hadn't noticed in the mayhem, he'd been too preoccupied with not losing his calm.

Garrett didn't voice it out, but judging the fact that Jungkook had a mirror around his aura, the pain he must've suffered might've started at home. So it wasn't too far off to think that his parents could've left him locked in the office so he wouldn't go anywhere until they were back.

He would have to start there.

5: 30 pm

Garrett hadn't noticed, but the three of them were talking about something. It was after he knew where to look first once he was out of here that he looked up to hear what Finn was saying.

- It can't be. - He said to Emily. - They got here because someone with a computer was helping the ones fighting in the capital. That's why they got to the Students' Living Area. If it had only been for him, they would've just taken him and left. -

Had she suggested that the police were here for Jungkook?

Leo sighed heavily.

- They'll have a job trying to find the computer that did it, judging that the majority of students and teachers have at least one of their own without including the ones from the university itself and that we now know many here would be with the fighters if they were in the capital right now. What would they be doing right now, I wonder. - He muttered the last part, looking down at the floor.

- Breaking private property, no doubt. - Emily muttered, sulkily.

It surprised Garrett the difference between these two reactions. He thought Emily was more open-minded than Leo. But it looks to be the opposite.

- Hey, umm... - Leo tried to call his attention but stopped with a frown.

- Garrett. - Finn whispered to him even though they could all hear and see him doing it.

And Leo snapped his eyes open as if he had been the one who'd remembered.

- Garrett! Yes. I was wondering, where's the rest of your gang? Where's my roommate? I haven't seen him here. - He folded his arms, looking over at the rest of the students. -

- Where's Alex, Garrett? - Emily asked him.

He jolted terribly, his neck tensing over in a small jump as he snapped his head to look at her with wide, terrified eyes.

She looked back at him, her confused frown increasing into worry. His heart had begun to beat faster, making his breathing get deeper, dizzying him. His neck had begun to itch as well as his back and he'd begun to salivate more as if he was about to be sick. His legs pushed in tighter against one another on their own and he suddenly felt so... disgusted by everything that he pushed himself up one more step to be away from Jimin and Tyr, not wanting to be touched.

He knew the five of them were all looking at him and he was trying with all his might to get a hold of his body like he'd been doing all this time but his pants were still wet after being thrown into that freezing river and he could vividly remember the thud in his ears when she had slammed his head so hard he'd lost consciousness. He could feel her teeth under his skin, feel the squelching of his flesh against her fangs, feel the warm liquid of life leaving his body and being replaced by her saliva.

- I need a moment. - He whispered to the floor and stood, walking off up the stairs and into the wing of the stage.

He could feel his breathing shaking as hard as his hands, feel his eyes burning with tears. He held himself up with his hands on his knees, trying to breathe deeply, but he just wanted to clean himself, to rub his skin raw, to rip away the feeling of her.

No. He couldn't think of himself, he had to think of Jungkook, The Rose, the mission, the reason he was left in this place. He couldn't think of how lonely he felt or how lost he was on what to say to strangers to begin living a double life like the rest of the Warriors on the field, he only had to do it, to force himself to come up with something and do it well. He had to calm down, he had to stop crying, he had to breathe and snap out of it. He had to snap out of it.

He had to get out of here.

Garrett snapped his head up and slapped away his tears. There had to be a room behind the stage for the artists to get ready and there had to be an Exit in that room.

He had to get to Jungkook.

Breathing fast and hard, he sneaked onto the opening concealed behind another wall ahead of him as he tried to make his legs stop shaking. Staying in the shadows, he managed to get to that opening and enter it quickly, stopping when he saw the black double doors that led behind the stage just like he thought. He walked down the few steps to that door and, with a shaky hand, tried turning the knob.

And it was unlocked.

He took a sharp breath to fill himself with a bit more strength before opening it and entering the back room, closing the door behind him in case anyone came to look. But it was all pitch black and he began to panic. It was strange, this fear, he'd never feared darkness before, but now he was sliding his hands against the wall beside the door, desperate to find a light switch or something. Once he found it, he immediately turned it on, lighting up three yellow lights on the high ceiling. He turned around and saw that this looked more like a wide corridor than a room, with stations for hair and makeup and hanged costumes; to each side of this corridor were another pair of black doors that he assumed were bathrooms or places to get changed, but what caught his attention was just the thing he needed. An emergency Exit.

Clenching his teeth to steel himself, he walked on. Once at the door, he slowly pushed the long handle to see if the corridor outside was clear. But it wasn't. He closed it again hastily and stepped back, breathing fast with fear. As far as he saw, none of the officers stationed outside had seen him, but it was small comfort.

He turned and took a step closer to the black doors, but stopped again. He had no real plan, just one purpose that had proven hard to do already; all the doors leading out of this Auditorium were guarded, there were police everywhere, and he hadn't yet mastered his Shadow Core which means that he can't keep himself invisible for long periods of time. How will he get out of here? How will he get to the Headmaster's office? Where was the Headmaster's office? How would he make sure Jungkook was in there if the door was locked and guarded?

Garrett pressed both hands over his head as it began to hurt with all the questions that left plainly obvious that he was, in fact, not qualified for this job just like Hoseok had said. He hadn't left the clan because he wanted to, he left because Alex told him to come with her.

His heart began to palpitate painfully and he ran to the nearest desk to hide in the darkness beneath it, holding onto his legs for dear life as he tried to calm himself down from the mounting anxiety that was taking the breath from his lungs.

How had he thought that just because it was his job that he would be able to do it right? He'd received no training for this particular job, what had he been thinking?

Was he actually crying? He had no time to cry, he should be looking for Jungkook! He was the only E.V.I left in Evanthe! He was all alone!

He gasped for breath and clutched at the fabric on his chest which was getting tighter and tighter, pushing the air out of his lungs.

Maybe he should've just died, then he wouldn't be a burden. Then Hoseok wouldn't have left his computer on and he could still be here, doing his job as well as he always did. Not like him. He who nearly rejected his own Healer Core more than once after every time he'd had to see something sad or scary. He who never told Alex the truth and instead hid and lied with another...

Luz...

The pain between his shoulder blades shot through him like a knife. He arched his back as he shouted in agony and reached up a hand to hold the edge of the table to keep himself steady as he clasped a hand over his mouth to shut himself up. But the pain had been blinding, the pain had been scorching, it had been carving, it had been as if a harpoon had pierced him and something was trying to rip out his heart from behind him.

Luz, Luz, something was happening to him, something was wrong at home, he should be with him at home–...

But he couldn't.

He couldn't.

He had to stay here. He had to protect Jungkook. He was the last E.V.I on Evanthe, he couldn't leave without him when it was so hard to get in right now.

He couldn't get to Aureoluz until he got Jungkook out of here with him.

The pain never lessened, he merely learned how to breathe again so his shoulders wouldn't move as much and forced himself to clench his jaw whenever he wanted to scream.

5: 40 pm

5:44 pm

With a numb expression, he slowly got out from under the table and stood up painfully. He had no idea how long he'd been down there and had the impression it had been ten to twenty minutes. But he hoped he was wrong. The last thing he wanted was to draw attention to himself.

He walked back to the black doors leading out the room into the back of the stage and walked up the few steps leading to the shadow of the side wing. He hoped it wasn't obvious that he'd been crying, he didn't want Emily to get closer to him as she did with Jimin. Judging by the noise and by how everyone was still arguing over the same subject, he shouldn't have been gone for more than ten minutes. The others should still be there, thinking he'd never left the side wing. So, he took deep breaths, calmed his breathing, and made sure the hoodie still hid his neck. Then, he rounded the wall -getting blinded by the light- to walk back down the steps and sit between Jimin and Tyr again.

He let the air out in a deep sigh looking straight down, deeply regretting having to lie and realizing he hated this double-life agent kind of thing.

- ...Garrett...? - Emily whispered tentatively when he wouldn't look up.

But instead of answering, he pursed his lips.

- J was the owner of the computer, wasn't he? - Leo asked low, but not shocked. Garrett looked up at him with a small frown and he shrugged a little. - We just came to that conclusion because he's not here and the police are looking for someone who's not here and he was always with a computer... - He trailed away, waiting for Garrett to say something.

And Garrett shook his head softly.

- I don't know. He was gone before I knew what was happening. I went to Jimin's to see if Jungkook knew where they were and Tom gave me J's room key because apparently, they had left to chase after–... To chase after her. - He finished in a whisper, not wanting to mention her at all. He glanced tentatively over at Emily and couldn't help but hug his legs closer to his chest as he continued. - I don't know if J and August were helping the fighters or not, they never told me anything. But... I do know she... was part of something... and she began to run when she knew J and August knew about it. Again, I don't know what it was or why it had to be them chasing her without calling the police, I just know it was bad... and I don't want to talk about her anymore, alright? - He muttered the last part to Emily alone and she nodded, looking very worried.

She tried to place a comforting hand on his knee. But Garrett moved it away and she took it back.

He realized then that it wasn't that he didn't want to be touched, he just didn't feel as comfortable with women anymore.

But enough about him.

Garrett took a deep breath, straightening up to look over Jimin's head and the low wall to see lazily at the state of the other students. But then his eyes focused on someone, and he frowned.

The orange-haired guy was sitting limply against the wall looking pale. His roughly-made bandage was soaked through with dark, red blood.

He snapped his head back at them.

- That guy over there needs to go to the Hospital Wing. He's about to faint. - He whispered frantically and looked up again as he slid closer to the edge of the step, getting ready to go stand up.

Emily gasped behind her hands once she saw him.

- He's lost too much blood. - Finn gasped as well, looking at the bandage around his upper arm. - How many more students are about to faint? - He asked as he stood and started to look around.

Garrett stood as well, walking down the step to look around once to see if he could catch anybody else about to faint. His own pain had been temporarily forgotten in the presence of his duty as a Healer.

- The police will do nothing, they're too busy. - Garrett muttered, then shook his head with a quick sigh. - I'll take him myself if I have to. You guys make sure no one else is in any immediate danger; if anyone is bleeding, make sure they put pressure on it until it stops. - And he was off, walking quilly and ignoring Emily's warning.

Once he got to the guy, he crouched down next to him and placed a hand on his good shoulder, shaking him a bit.

- Hey. Hey, are you alright? - He spoke low but urgently, following the protocol. Always ask if they're alright to make sure they hear, understand, and can talk back before doing anything else.

His hurried question caught the attention of others close by, making them gasp when they realized.

The guy opened his eyes wide with a huge effort, he looked pale and his lips were chapped, but he recognized him and spoke back.

- No... -

Garrett nodded once and wrapped the guy's good arm around his neck to help him stand, then he, holding his hand with one of his and around his waist with the other, walked straight to the door.

- Move aside! Let us thru! - He was in full Healer Core mode.

More and more people looked over at them, gasping before jumping aside, looking terrified when they saw the near-limp body he carried. After a few seconds, a couple of people began to walk ahead of him, moving people aside to let them pass, until finally they reached the double doors in between the stairs to go up and were stopped by an officer.

- You can't get out of here. - He said, resolutely. - They're already three students missing, we don't need to add another. -

But before the others could begin a fight, Garrett walked over to be right in front of him and whispered very clearly for him to hear.

- You're bound by your own laws. If he dies after you denied him medical assistance, you'll end up in a jail cell for murder. -

Threateningly, the officer gave one step closer to him.

- I'll pass the word of where you two are going. This whole place is surrounded. Don't try anything funny or it'll be you who ends up in jail, boy. - He spat the last word at him, thinking him nothing but dirt on his overly polished shoes. But finally, he turned around and opened one of the doors for him to pass through.

5:50 pm

Garrett walked out, dragging the guy with him, and turned left to get to the corridor beside the main garden in front of the library, then went straight ahead to the other side. Faintly, he could hear distant radios receiving the message.

- Come on orange guy, you can't fall asleep just yet. - Garrett gasped a little at the added weight in his already sore body, but he marched on.

And the guy chuckled tiredly, having so little energy that he could barely move his feet; Garrett was quite literally dragging him along.

- Orange guy... - His words slurred a bit and he chuckled. - Who... are you? -

- My name's Garrett White. I'm a first-year, first semester. And you? -

They rounded the corner and he used his back to open the glass doors leading to the open corridor beside the main garden. Officers here and there looked straight at the pair of them, not helping at all.

The rain made his words a bit hard to hear, but Garrett was able to catch what he said.

- I'm... - He chuckled a little again. - I'm Viktor... Alf... Magne... Bakke. Bakke is my surname... I have three strange names... My friends call me Alf. I'm... I'm in the first semester of my second year... studying Medieval and Modern Languages. -

- Huh. A career well suited for your name. -

- Yes. - He laughed weekly. - Yes, I've been told. -

Once again, Garrett used his back to open the glass doors to a closed corridor beside the library and gritted his teeth, trying not to hiss.

- You... What are you studying? - Alf asked him, his feet failing him entirely.

But Garrett was able to catch him around the knees and, holding him around the back with his other arm, hoisted him up, even if his back protested terribly.

- Literature and Philosophy. - For now. Everything's looking too serious to know anything for sure.

6:00 pm

He had given only two steps forward when the glass doors to the east entrance of the library opened up. For a moment, he thought a couple of officers had walked out. However, once he did a double-take, he realized it was a man he didn't know and Namjoon. Once the latter recognized him, he widened his eyes and froze on the spot.

Even if Garrett knew that stopping in his tracks would make it harder to walk again later, that was scarcely the reason why he continued on as if his heart hadn't nearly jumped out of his chest. There were a couple of officers stationed in this corridor who no doubt knew or would be informed that Namjoon was not a student and instead worked in the library; he would've had to help the officers inside to look in between every shelf and tell them where the trap doors lead to. It would be very inconvenient for the police to know that the guy who threatened an officer when he wouldn't let him out of the auditorium was in close contact with the guy who knew all the hiding places in the university. And what was worse, if they actually stop him and tell him to take off his hoodie, they'll not only see the injuries of a bloody fight but also the same "tattoos" of the ones in the capital.

He gave one quick glance over to the officers and was immediately grateful that Namjoon understood and started walking again.

As Garrett passed the other pair, he tightened his grip on the one he carried and avoided looking at the ones in uniform as he marched on. He didn't know if it was good luck to have at least one other person who knew what his job here was or not. He wasn't even sure it would be wise to drag someone on the outside to this mess; looking at Alf on his hands was hard enough and that was only because he knew he was on their side, if something were to happen to Namjoon because he put him by his side, he might lose all courage.

Right when his thoughts were draining him of strength, Alf spoke softly, saying something that caught his attention at once. It appears he had been in a moment of frozen shock before this.

- If it wasn't for the pain... I would've thought I had died. - His head fell gently over Garrett's shoulder and sighed. He was as tall as Garrett and had been determined to fight all along, but right now, he looked just like Garrett felt. In need of comfort. - No one else would've done this, Garrett. No one. - His voice thickened as he began to cry. - All my friends thought of was to bring me toilet paper. I was waiting for them when you got to me. I don't know... why they fought with me if it wasn't for the same things. Or is it... that I was fighting for something so absurd that I deserved a greater injury...? What is light? What is the Hyena fighting for exactly? - His questions were nearly as desperate as his wish to fight.

It wasn't like he wanted to put a reason to his fire but that he wanted to put all his fire to good use and so wished to be told if he was; if fighting for "Light" was worth the pain.

They left the library to their right and Garrett looked over at Taehyung's classroom on the left as they passed it. Then, after taking a deep breath, he answered.

- Where we come from, we believe in light and darkness. - He began telling him softly as he marched on. - We believe that we're all born with light in us, but the darkness outside can damage it and... "turn it off" if you will. But as long as you're aware of your own light and how much you must take care of it, no darkness could touch it. Even after losing a fight, we know we haven't lost the battle. Because, as long there's light, darkness will never win. Don't let darkness win inside you, Alf. Don't let anyone turn your light off, most importantly yourself. -

He knows his own words will come back to bite him in the ass, but for now, he only felt better when Alf sighed deeply and cried a bit more into his shoulder.

As they passed the Professor's living area by their right (leaving behind a small group of officers talking with frowns and shaking their heads as if something odd had happened) and the cafeteria passed by their left, Alf chuckled again.

- You're my new best friend, understood? -

Garrett grinned a little.

- Yes, sir. -

And marched on.

6:10 pm

He could feel himself on the edge of tears once more, but this time the emotional pain was nothing compared to the one on his body. It was agony. He could feel every single scratch on his body as if it had been made anew. He could feel his legs burning, his back about to break. He could feel the strain on his neck as his arms began to tremble and he clenched his teeth, not even able to keep talking so Alf wouldn't fall asleep.

They passed the cafeteria and went further in, no longer going straight but still following the main, big corridor. They passed the gym, passed classrooms, laboratories, and amphitheaters, all abandoned, until finally, finally, right when he was about to scream and his arms were going to give out, they reached the corridor leading to the hospital wing.

Renewed by the feeling of victory, he speeded up to get to the door that two officers guarded. Such was the adrenaline that he didn't feel pain when he pushed it open with his back after none of them helped him and merely stepped aside.

He turned around and saw two people inside as he walked straight to the nearest bed to the left; one man laying down on the bed by the right and one woman wearing a doctor's robe beside him.

- What's been going on? What happened to him? - The woman asked him worriedly as she got near.

Garrett gently lay Alf down on the bed and turned to her, his previous energy fainting dangerously fast.

- Cut by a shard of glass on the left upper arm. About twenty centimeters long and one to two centimeters deep. He's lost about twenty percent... - He got breathless midway and nearly lost balance. But before the doctor could touch him, he pulled his arm away and tried to continue. - He's lost about twenty percent of blood. Lost the strength in his legs mid-way getting here. He will need... - But again, the air left his lungs too quickly and his body leaned backward. His feet tried to walk a step back to stabilize him, but then he felt like he would fall so he ended up running back a little until his back hit the wall and he shouted at the pain.

- Lily-Anne, take care of that one for a moment. - The doctor spoke to someone he couldn't see as his eyes had shut tightly.

He was trying to straighten himself by pushing his hands against the wall behind him when he felt a hand gently grasping his shoulder, making him freeze.

- You did well in bringing him here, but you also need to be taken care of. Come with me. - She spoke softly and kindly, almost like a mother.

But Garrett reacted as if she had put a knife against his throat.

His eyes snapped open and, feeling cornered against the wall, he reached up a hand and slapped her's off his shoulder to then jolt away from the wall and from her, never giving his back to her as he walked back to where the door was.

She did look taken aback as she rubbed the hand he had slapped, but then, the more she saw his frightened expression, it was as if she had realized something when she raised her eyebrows. Swiftly, she took off her robe and let it fall to the floor beside her before trying to reach him again.

This was such an odd behavior that Garrett stopped walking to frown at her as she neared him cautiously.

- My name's Poppy. You don't have to put your guard up with me, dear, I only want to clean your wounds, I don't want them to get infected. It'll be over before you know it, I promise. You can calm down here. - She spoke as if trying to console him while reaching up both hands to hold his shoulders as gently as before.

But where once was a deep love for a woman's feminine gentleness there was only the memory of a woman being a monster.

Right before she could touch him, he took a step back. His eyes looked over at Alf who was frowning at him with deep concern while the other doctor cleaned his wound (which had stopped bleeding), then he looked at the other side of the room towards the man laying with his feet raised, and found that, between the man and this female, he was the one looking at him with more sadness in his eyes. He looked back at her as she retreated her hands and thought that it very much looked like this had happened before with another student.

Another student... Jungkook!

6:20 pm

This was his chance, he could get to Taehyung's apartment to make sure he was there or not.

But he didn't have a card key, and no teacher would be walking out of there, letting him through as it had happened before.

But this man couldn't be working at one of the offices with that clothing.

Garrett walked over to the man lying down who continued to look at him with deep sadness, and, once he was beside him, he spoke low so only he could hear while doctor Poppy helped Alf as well.

- Are you a teacher? - He's never seen the man before, so he had to ask.

- Yes, my boy. What do you need? - His voice was a bit rough as he spoke, but his gentleness was real.

Maybe he could use his sadness to his advantage, even if he would feel foul doing it.

- Can I perhaps borrow your key card? I would like a place to hide for a second. I don't want to go back to the auditorium. -

The man took in a deep breath and let it out slowly before nodding.

- Of course, my boy. Take it. - He agreed while he took it out of one of the front pockets of his jeans. - You can stay in my apartment, it's on the second floor to the left. I think the door's already open. Feel free to feel at home. -

Garrett frowned. He never expected any of what he'd just been offered. He'd even expected a refusal.

His frown was very deep on his forehead as he took the key card to the Professors' Living Area and his bewilderment was such that he had to ask,

- Why did you accept so easily? And be so... generous? -

The man gave him a sad smile and folded his hands over his stomach.

- I learned pretty recently not to force a response out of someone. If you promise you will be respectful of my possessions and not take advantage of my generosity then what's mine is yours. You don't need to tell me why you don't want to go back to the auditorium if you don't want to. But I'll always be available if you ever do want to talk anything out. -

As Garrett walked back the corridor, making sure no one spotted him, he thought back on the owner of the key card he had in his pocket and it was all because he'd so deeply reminded him of the people at home that he almost wanted to cry. But he kept himself focused.

Focus. Focus. Focus.

On his way back, he tried to be as invisible as he could as long as he could by using his Shadow Core. He focused the hardest when an Officer was nearest and forced himself not to feel proud when the man would simply look everywhere but at him, only breathing against when he was out of sight, letting the illusion fall. With this tedious and complicated job that made the palms of his hands and the nape of his sore neck feel clammy, the way to the black glass doors felt way longer than the way to the hospital wing, but finally, he managed it.

6:30 pm

It was terribly frightening to find that small group of officers standing as they were before. But just before he held his breath and ran over to the door, they seemed to have been called; they all looked down to their hips, where their radios were, and it wasn't a moment later when they started running away.

Garrett frowned, thinking of the auditorium and of Jungkook's friends; thinking of Jimin and how he told him that he would be safe as long as he was there.

This wasn't the first time he wished he could be everywhere at once.

Holding back tears and swallowing down the tightness in his throat, Garrett held his breath and ran to the black glass doors. Hastily, he pressed the card against the door, heard the faint click when it unlocked, and quickly opened it the tiniest bit to squish himself inside before closing it again. Finally dropping the huge weight that was using a certain ability that didn't come to him easily.

But then he noticed, and the sigh of relief died in his throat.

The silence that engulfed him was eerie. There was no one either on the lounge by the left or in the room by the right as if they'd all been told to stay locked in their apartments. But there was something else happening in here. He could feel it. He could sense it. Even with his aura locked away, he could feel a cold running down his spine that had nothing to do with his damp shirt or his injuries. It felt ominous. Dangerous.

It felt like he just walked in on the house of a killer.

He had done it before, for work as a Healer and classes as a Warrior and Shadow, but the places in question had been suburban houses or nearly abandoned apartments, never in a place as clean, prestigious, and occupied as this one. Not when, as far as he knows, this university doesn't operate a mafia behind the scenes. And not only that but the fact that the last time he'd been here with Hoseok and Yoongi, he hadn't felt anything like this at all.

Not only that... he was catching another type of energy entirely, but just as strong.

This second one was fiery, blazing hatred and anger. A loathing so deep it made him grimace.

What was hiding here aside from him?

Knowing he was at a disadvantage due to his injuries and tiredness, he tried to summon up his Shadow energy again to remain as undetected as possible as he walked straight to the elevator, but it was harder to do this time. As he waited for it to arrive, he looked anxiously from left to right, waiting to see a monster hiding behind a corner, looking at him with one eye open widely. Because the worst thing wasn't that the cold energy came from a monster, no, it was that this energy came from someone that... likes to be a monster. This ominous feeling came with a rush of excitement, of happiness. As if it was killing right now as Garrett entered the elevator and pressed the number two.

Darkness must be giving energy and luck to this monster, helping it to take a feast.

And the hot energy, the angry one... came with a taste of loathing because it loathed being angry. And sadness.

Has someone truly died here?

But that couldn't be. How could it? How could a teacher–...

Garrett shook his head, biting his lip inside his mouth. He just wanted to make sure Jungkook was here with Taehyung or, if not, that he'd been locked in his father's office. Then he could perhaps lay down for a second. Maybe he could lay down on that teacher's couch, so as to not get his bed dirty. Yes, he will make sure where Jungkook was, take a quick nap or even a shower and then go back to the auditorium, maybe stopping by the hospital wing to check on Alf before he went back to Jimin.

The elevator opened and he walked out. That's when the blazing hot energy of hatred hit him squarely in the face.

That teacher's door was indeed open and vacant. But Taehyung's...

Garrett realized how his energy could be so abundant in his anger. This was the anger of countless lifetimes blazing up.

...was Jungkook... not with him...?

Tentatively and shaking with fear, Garrett walked closer, feeling his own aura being affected by this fire as he knocked twice.

- ...it's Garrett. - He announced out of habit.

And then it came.

Taehyung thundered to the door, wrenched it open, and Garrett had only a second to see the tears of utmost rage on his usually beautiful face before Taehyung grabbed fistfuls of his clothes by the neck and pulled him in. He'd pulled so incredibly hard that Garrett fell to the floor and slid a few paces as Taehyund snapped the door shut.

Garrett's eyes were wide open, his breathing erratic, his body shaking with fear, pain, and exhaustion as he turned around and tried to sit up with the help of his elbows while Taehyung walked closer to him. Looking ready to kill him.

- Taehyung, no! - Namjoon appeared out of Garrett's vision to stop Taehyung with both hands over his chest.

- ¡YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO KEEP HIM SAFE! -

Another chill ran down Garrett's back.

And he knew... Jungkook was not here.

The Rose was in danger.

6:40 pm

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🌼Thank you for reading Chapter 72 <3<3<3

Your devoted writer,

Ela Shadow Rose 🥀

Go ahead with the next Chapter ->->->