I hope this isn't too much of an information overload.

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Draeyer Academy
Drae Skyland
Northeastern Space

Gael scanned the shelves for a Year 3 Weapons book, planning to use it as material for his lessons. After running his hand over the different colored hardbound covers, he found the one he was looking for. He tucked the red book under his right arm before rounding the next corner to leave. However, he paused before he could collide with a familiar someone carrying a pile of books.

"What are you still doing here?" he asked.

Kreis leaned his head to prevent the books from obscuring his face. His friend gave him a grin. "I'm on vacation, Gael. Don't tell me you forgot?"

"I know you're on vacation," Gael said with crossed arms. "What I don't get is―"

"Kreis do you have the books I asked you to get?" a woman's voice said. A moment later, Meolie emerged from behind Kreis' large form. She froze on where she stood, before giving Gael a small smile.

He smiled and sighed. "Never mind. I can't believe I forgot," he said with a shake of his head. "That's a lot of books Meolie. Are you using them as reference materials?"

Meolie bounced her head up and down as she released a tired sigh. She reached out and took a few books from the stack in Kreis' arms. "It's my first time to teach for the second years, and I need these for my next history lesson about rituals. I don't get why the headmaster likes giving me such loads."

"Because you're great, simple as that," Krei said. A crimson hue covered Meolie's face at once and her gaze fell on the red carpeting.

A grin fought itself out of Gael's mouth, and he did all he could to not let it show. He shot a look at Kreis to find him watching Meolie from the corner of his brown eyes. I never thought he'd ever act like this, he thought with amusement.

Meolie straightened. She avoided looking at Kreis and focused on her gaze on Gael. Her face was still a light shade pink as she spoke.

"We could use your help. That is if you're not busy."

"I'm not busy, but are you sure?" he asked. He shot a glance at Kreis who was looking at him with an exasperated look in his eyes. "Someone might get angry if I intrude."

"Oh come on Gael. I know I'm childish sometimes, but I'm not that childish to get angry at people who are only helping Meo," Kreis interjected with a glare. Gael covered his mouth to suppress his laughter, not quite forgetting they were in the library. He nodded, before following the pair who went ahead to the reading area.

When Meolie was some distance away, he slipped next to Kreis. "So, have you asked her out for dinner...for the millionth time?"

"Yes, and she agreed," Kreis whispered with a smug smile.

"Took you three years, K," Gael said with a chuckled. "I can only imagine how many more years would pass before she agrees to marry you."

He wasn't able to stop the holler of laughter which escaped his mouth when Kreis tried to punch him. He failed miserably with all the books in his hands which almost fell on the floor. Kreis began cursing him. At the same moment Meolie turned to look back, a raspy voice caused them to jump.

"Quiet!" They turned around to find Granny Ressa pushing a cart of books. Her black eyes narrowed at them in a stoning glare when she stood next to them. She craned her neck up to look at their towering figures as she spoke in harsh whispers. "You two never change! And if you don't keep it down, I'll kick you out like all the times back then, do you understand?"

They nodded with vigor, and bowed their heads. "Sorry, Granny," they whispered. And as the old woman left, they could hear Meolie's chuckles, causing them turn and glare at her.

―――

Gael massaged his forehead as he flipped page after page of the book Meolie gave him. In his right hand, he held a pen which used to take notes on a yellow journal. He had already finished looking through four books and stacked them to one side along with the ones they've already read.

"I'll just go get something from my classroom," Meolie whispered. She stood, stretching her arms, before making her way to the large doors. Gael shook his head at Kreis when he caught him looking at the woman with love-struck look in his eyes.

"You're hopeless."

"Shut up."

He chuckled, before finishing his fifth book. He took another one, and judging by the worn leather and the fading letters, it was old. His hand ran over the title on the black cover. "Rituals Volume VI: Dark Arts," he said. He flipped it open, and readied his pen. For the next a couple of minutes, all he did was glance at the names and definitions of the rituals, before paraphrasing them as he wrote on the journal.

However when he was half-way finished, he paused. He knit his brows as his fingers touched the remnants of a few missing pages. If Granny Ressa would find out about it she would...he didn't want to think about it. The books were one of Draeyer Academy's greatest treasures and ruining them would not be taken lightly. He wondered who in their right minds would tore out pages from an antique book.

He glanced back at where the missing pages were supposed to be, before his green eyes fell on the following leaf. He arched a brow at the content when he saw it was most probably a continuation of the missing pages. Whoever ripped them out must have been in a hurry to leave one behind, he thought.

"Once the sacrifices have drunk the blood, the Pagcabuhi would initiate. The process would take some time, about a day, before the results could be seen. Death of the sacrifices would ensure its success.

"However, there will be sacrifices who would survive the one-day ordeal. As mentioned, all of them must die to complete the Pagcabuhi. The surviving sacrifices must only be killed in either one of the two conditions.

"First is when the original Eimion King's symbol appears," he read. A faded drawing could be seen below the paragraph. Despite the lightened image, he could make out a simple eight-sided figure. "This period will be short but the sacrifices would die even when the chosen blade would draw a drop of blood from them."

He paused from reading when he felt a kick on his right shin. He looked under the table and saw that it was Kreis' leg. Once his gaze returned to his friend, he glared.

"What was that for?" he hissed.

"What are you reading to look so absorbed?"

He huffed and shook his head. With a swish of his hand, he motioned Kreis to his side of the table. The Ryder stood and made his way behind him. He peered over his shoulder as Gael pointed at the book.

"Something about a Pagcabuhi ritual, whatever that is," he said. "There are missing pages, but I can tell it's a really dark kind of ceremony."

"We didn't learn rituals before right?"

"Things change to match the level of intelligence the new generations have. They seek too much knowledge nowadays."

Kreis shrugged before he pulled out a chair next to him. Once seated, he slid the book over the table so it was between them. Gael watched him as he read over the contents. His head tilted to the right when Kreis visibly paused with widening eyes.

"Gael," he said. He looked up with his brows knit lightly. He pointed at the paragraph he hasn't read yet. "I think you'd want to read this."

With curiosity gnawing at him, he took the book and started where he stopped. His eyes darted from each word carefully, as the information sunk in and aroused numerous questions in his mind.

"In the last condition, the sacrifices could be killed anytime. However, scars, or more correctly called Mark of Jutone, must be present on their backs."

"Jutone? Isn't that a name from the Old Scriptures of the First God?" Kreis said. "If I remember correctly, that was the creature who served the Eimion Kings mentioned in the Scriptures, right?"

"Scars on their backs..." Kreis trailed with a frown. He looked up at Kreis and his green eyes locked with his chocolate brown ones. Kreis reeled and pointed a finger at him.

"Whatever it is your thinking in that over perceptive mind of yours, it's crazy!" he whispered. Gael gave him a blank look before closing the book. "It's absolutely crazy. You can't be thinking that this ritual has something to do with the scars on Alec's back!"

"Didn't you read it?" Gael said with his voice calm. "Death of the sacrifices would ensure its success. Even if it sounds absurd, this might..." he looked around with wary eyes. When he saw no one was near, he leaned in close to Kreis. "This might be a reason as to why Alec is being hunted down. And if it is true, then his life won't be the only one in danger. There's Areisha's and probably a few more.

"And besides, since when did you dislike crazy things? You can't fool me Kreis. I know that you're exhibiting a lot of effort right now to not yell out in excitement."

Kreis sat there staring at him. Gael firmed his gaze, and not once looked away. A smile of satisfaction flew to his face when Kreis broke a grin. The Head Ryder shook his head and he leaned back on his chair. He sighed.

"You really know me well. No wonder you're my best friend," Kreis said. He stood and faced him. "You're right. I'm getting excited with the way things are getting crazy and complicated.

"I'll go ask Granny Ressa if there is still a copy of the Old Scriptures. Maybe then, we can finally see what this Mark of Jutone really looks like." He walked away, only to turn back when Gael called him. His voice reflected the expression on his face. Hard as stone.

"We can't tell Alec any of this for now," he said. Kreis' brows furrowed before giving him a stiff nod. He turned back and continued his way to the librarian's desk.

Meanwhile, Gael sighed as he leaned back on his chair. He placed his hand on the Rituals book and spoke in whispers. "If this is true, how is this thief connected? Why does he know Alec? What is the Pagcabuhi?"

His elbows landed on the table as he pulled at his hair and groaned. With his mind being over perceptive, as Kreis said, he couldn't help but wonder if the theft which occurred was somehow related or not.

If only the headmaster would tell him what was stolen. It just might be a crucial clue to the growing puzzle.

Things were getting complicated indeed.