Vol 4 Chapter 11

Cinder is in a large, empty room. Behind her is a darkened arched hallway. Suneel behind her leaning on the wall with a bored look on his face as he held a few black chess pieces, a pawn, a queen, and a king. On either side of the arch, the walls of the room have a low ledge the bears several burning white candles. Four Beowolves approach Cinder, moving in a semicircle formation. Cinder swings her left arm at them, sending another slash of fire. It cuts through the middle of all four Grimm, and they disintegrate away.

Cinder pants again, still upright yet taking a breather. She does not get long, as heavy footsteps approach from her left. She gasps and looks in their direction — a Beringel leaps into the air, ready to deliver a blow to her with its fist. Cinder, however, pulls back her right arm and pushes a ball of flame right at it. It, too, disintegrates. As its body disappears, Cinder falls to her knees, breathing heavily, "You're disappointing me, Cinder. You seem to compare yourself to my (Y/n), yet you are nowhere near what she is at her minimum." Cinder tunes and glares at Suneel on the palm of his hand he held the pawn piece and set it ablaze, "If she were able too, she would have been the fall maiden or all of them, Salem would be very pleased if that were the case. It's no wonder the gods chose her as their Saint, perfect in every way." Suneel had a light blush on his face, "Once (Y/n) returns to her original state; there won't be a need for any of us, Saint a holy name yet she was the one who was favored by the God of Darkness." Suneel stares at the queen piece.

"Enough." Salem walks forward while Cinder continues to struggle for normal breathing, "I thought you were the girl who wanted power. Did you lie to me?" Cinder winces on the force of Salem's question before looking upward. Turning to face Salem, Cinder shakes her head negatively, "Then stop holding back. If you wish to master your new powers, you must-" Salem is cut off by the sound of heavy doors opening. On the opposite end of the stone hall, a sobbing Tyrian enters. He falls to his knees once in the room, both hands flat on the floor, and his head bowed. "I'm sorry." Tyrian raises his hand to his chin, "She'll forgive me. Pleeeease." Suneel stood up correctly, "Well, our maniac is back."
"Forgive me..."
"Tyrian!" She stands before him. He raises his body but remains sitting on his legs while Cinder rises from the stone floor behind Salem. Salem holds out her arm, imperially, "Your task - were you successful?"

Tyrian bows his head, "N-no."
Suneel stepped forward, "You failed? How did you fail? One girl that is what we expected and you-" Suneel takes notice of Tyrian's cut tail. "A clean-cut? (Y/n) did this to you looks the same when Cinder had her arm cut off." Cinder's eye widens. Salem also looks surprised for a moment before narrowing her eyes and walking away. Cinder watches their leader for her further reaction without looking at Tyrian. Now begging and turning his body to remain facing Salem, "But-but hope is not lost! My tail, my stinger... I-I poisoned him, Qrow! He will not be a nuisance to you any longer, no... no longer! I've done that... have I done well? Have I pleased you?"

"The last eye is blinded... you disappoint me. Come along now, Suneel; it seems that your beloved is still a problem." Salem leaves, as Suneel smirked as Tyrian falls forward, wailing. A Beowolf approaches, all focused on Tyrian's negative emotions. It ignores Cinder and leaps upon him. Tyrian sends it away with a single blow, and it lands on its back. Still wailing, Tyrian opens his weapons and leaps atop the Beowolf. He slashes at it repeatedly, tears streaming down his face. His wails gradually turn into laughter as he vents his grief into the butchering of the Grimm. Cinder watches horrified.

Outside of her home on Patch, Yang spray paints her robotic arm and half of Ember Celica bright yellow. She goes into a tool shed and takes the tarp that had been covering her motorcycle, Bumblebee, off, "I don't remember saying that you were ready."

He is leaning against the frame of the open shed door, arms crossed. Yang spoke without turning around, "Oh yeah? You're gonna try and stop me?"

"No. I think I'm still too sore after our last fight. I just wanted a better goodbye than a letter. And I also have a question for you." Yang turns around.

"Where are you going?"
"What do you mean?"

Taiyang moves into the shed, "Well, despite asking him numerous times not to, I know that Qrow told you where your mother's been at these days (Y/n) never speaks of you mother since an incident a while back. I know how much you wanna see her. I've stopped you in the past, but I won't anymore. And we both read the note. We know your sister's headed to Mistral. So, where are you going?" Yang looks down as Taiyang makes his point. She remains gazing down for another couple of beats before looking up at her father. Her eyes narrow in determination, her decision made.

Weiss Schnee steps out of her bedroom, carrying a white suitcase and Myrtenaster. She looks around cautiously, her footsteps loudly resounding in the ornate hallway. She jumps and gasps when Klein appears right behind her. He puts his finger to his lips and shushes her before smiling, "Let's go." He whispers.

The two move quickly across the carpet, their footsteps muffled. Side by side, they go down the staircase and clickety-clack their way across the entrance hall. They are moving down another hallway when Klein's Scroll buzzes. They both look at it with squinty eyes, "Master Whitley! I... um... yes, of course. I'll be just a moment."
He clicks his Scroll off and tucks it away, whispering to Weiss, "Head to the first-floor library. I'll meet you there."

They separate, going in opposite directions. Weiss is soon creeping outside her father's study door when she hears a glass crash followed by the rising voice of James Ironwood. She crouches behind a cushioned chair against the wall, "You need to control yourself!"

"You're talking to me about control? Do you even hear what you're saying?"
"I am basing everything on my reports from your daughter."
"A daughter you and that woman stole!"

Weiss moves closer to the door to listen, "Oh, we are not getting into that again. You talked down on her for too long now."
"Oh, yes, we have far more pressing matters to discuss, starting with your apparent lunacy!"
"Jacques!"

Jacques is seated at his desk while Ironwood has both hands on it, leaning over him from the other side. Ironwood sighs heavily, "Winter is one of my best. If she's telling me there's a threat in Mistral, then I am not going to take that news lightly. She's been there for weeks; people are mobilizing, sudden spikes in weapons, and Dust trades. Someone is about to make a play, and I do not trust Leo to stop them."

Weiss is listening outside, "You've never trusted anyone other than Lieutenant (Y/n)! Even when she left Atlas for Vale, you still considered her opinion than those from our kingdom!"
Ironwood shouting back, "And for a good reason!"

Weiss covers her mouth with her hand as she gasps at the sound of Ironwood slamming his fist onto the desk, "If Oz had just listened to me from the start..."
"You need to get a grip."

"That's exactly what I'm doing. Our people need protection. By this time next week, the Kingdom of Atlas will be officially closing its borders. No one in; no one out. Without the council's permission."
"You mean, without your permission?"
"And if that becomes the case, I would think you'd want to be on my good side."

Ironwood walks away from the desk, leaving Jacques to sigh and fold his hands. Outside the door, Weiss hears him coming and uses Myrtenaster to cast a black Glyph onto the handle. When Ironwood tries to leave, the handle turns, but the door will not open, despite him shaking it. "It's locked."
"What are you talking about?"

Ironwood steps back and slams into the door, shoulder first. It does not budge. Weiss turns and makes her way down the hall across the carpet while a couple more bangs come from the door. She reaches the library, but it is empty, "Klein! Klein, where are you?"

A hidden door in the corner opens, revealing Klein red-eyed and with an accent, "Keep your voice down, I told you I'd be here."

Weiss rushes over, dropping both sword and suitcase to hug Klein with both arms. He returns the hug, and his eyes turn back to normal, "Are you sure Mistral is safe?" Weiss steps back and clasping her hands formally in front of her, "No, but it's where I'll find Winter, and maybe I can get in touch with (Y/n) on the way there."

Klein speaks with eyes that have turned light brown, "I suppose they'd be the only family you have left after tonight." Weiss puts her hand on his shoulder, "I'll always have you."
"You most certainly will." A loud bang from further in the house makes them both look. Ironwood has gotten finally out of Jacques' study, "Klein?! Klein, get down here this instant!" Jacques shouts from a distance.

Klein's shoulders slump, "Go, now."

Weiss grabs her things and goes through the secret passage in the corner of the library. She pauses to turn and look at the butler one more time. "Thank you, Klein." He nods and shuts the door.

Ren and Nora run through the abandoned Kuroyuri, "Not again, not again..." They come to a stop after passing under an arch leading to the center of town. Ren is panting, but Nora is hardly winded. Ren lifts his head, and his worried eyes change to ones smiling in relief. In front of them, Jaune and Ruby face the other way, but abruptly turn, Jaune putting his hand on his weapon. Qrow is propped up against the tree with you still next to him, "Ren, Nora are you two alright?" You stood up with concern.
"What are you guys doing here?"
"Did you hear that noise? What was that?!"

Ren's eyes grow wide, and he falls to his knees, clearly alarmed, "No..."
"Ren! What is it?!"

The sound of plodding footsteps can be heard coming closer. You slowly turn to what Ren was looking at; you could feel your heart pound heavily through your chest, "Wait, you guys hear that?"
"No..."
"Ren?"

The footsteps come to a stop. A bone horse head breathes loudly, exhaling black smoke. Within the bones are glowing red lights, and around it is the black flesh of a Grimm. Ren lifts his head, wide eyes. As did you, the creature you created decades ago, it contained your hatred and sadness; you could still feel the negative emotions from it.

Weapons stuck into its body that has bones sticking out perpendicular to its spine. Slowly, it's torso raises, a horned, humanoid Grimm. The horns and front part of the face are bone, while the mouth is merely thin strips of Grimm flesh stretching across an opening. The mouth, the bones, and the eyes all glow red. The Nuckelavee twitches its head and roars; you took a step forward, "Nuckelavee." You whisper, Ajin forms in front of you, black smoke emanating from his body. His stance almost as if he was protecting you from your creation.

End of Vol 4 Chapter 11
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I'm surprised that you guys still read this story. Hopefully, you guys liked this chapter.
One more chapter, No Safe Haven, will be out tomorrow!
See you guys soon!
Michaelis~