"Welp, I'm screwed," Reis said as he looked at the form in his hands, the names Jessica, Kieran, Roxanne, Brandon, and himself all written down.
The orange rays of light peeked through the window as students gathered outside, getting on buses or walking home. Reis sighed, one hand in his pocket as he walked to the clubroom.
"I could just write his name down anyway..." Reis thought, pondering whether or not to erase his own name and put Ezekiel's instead.
"...Nah, Jessica's too curious— she'd catch on to my bullshit immediately," he deduced, brows scrunched together in frustration.
"I guess this is happening then. Sorry, Kier—" Reis could barely finish before the sound of laughter echoed down the hallway, coming from the... clubroom?
"Huh?" Reis muttered, walking closer to the classroom. As he approached, he could hear more laughter, followed by two distinct voices talking.
"Aha... you're so adorable!" Jessica said, prompting Reis to slowly peek his head into the classroom.
"Hey kid, what'd you say your name was?" Roxanne chimed in. Reis looked inside and his eyes widened.
"E—Ezekiel..." the boy muttered nervously.
You're kidding... Reis thought, glancing at the form, a slow but smug smirk spreading across his face as he erased his name and replaced it with Ezekiel's.
He opened the door.
"Ah—Kieran, you came just in time. Meet Eze—" Jessica turned her head to speak, before her face twisted into mild disgust.
"Oh... it's the other one," Jessica said, glancing at Roxanne. Ezekiel looked away, a slight look of embarrassment crossing his face.
"Now hold on there, Maleficent. Before you two bash me with insults, I'll have you to know that I'm actually the reason this kid came to see your pathetic club," Reis smiled, holding up the slip and spreading his arms wide.
"Praise me," he said dramatically, closing his eyes and looking up—when a sudden flash blurred his vision as Jessica threw a metal container at his head.
"Your brother better come in here now, because I'm about to—"
"Jess," Roxanne said calmly, holding her back while pointing over to Ezekiel, who sat on the desk with a look of confusion and slight fear etched across his face.
"A-ah! I'm so sorry!" she stammered, attempting to apologize to the boy as Roxanne walked over to Reis—who was now lying on the floor—snatching the paper next to him and inspecting it.
"Hey—wasn't Kieran supposed to do this?" Roxanne asked as Reis sat up.
"I—uh, he did?" Reis replied nervously.
"You just said that you got Ezekiel to come, did you not...?" Roxanne asked. Reis facepalmed.
Shit... he thought to himself as Jessica promptly rose from hugging the boy.
"Where is Kieran, Reis?" Jessica asked, arms folded.
"H-He's sick. He has, uh... vitiligo?" Reis stammered.
"...Vitiligo," Roxanne repeated, making sure she heard him right.
"Er—yeah. He had to go to the hospital. Has to get surgery done on his... everything," he replied.
"Y'know, for the more rebellious brother, I'd expect you to be a better liar," Roxanne said, disappointed.
"...Rebellious----yet oblivious," Ezekiel joined in hesitantly, his input catching everyone off guard for a moment.
Jessica smiled, "Well, yeah--- he's the type to get caught before the crime even happens,"
Ezekiel let out a small chuckle, causing Roxanne and Jessica to laugh as well.
"Jesus..." Reis said, flustered, watching how quickly the boy had crossed over to the dark side.
"What does it even matter if my ill-ridden brother isn't here? You have five members now. You're welcome," Reis said.
"Because this wasn't your job to do. It was your brother's," Jessica said as Roxanne handed her the form. "I'd rather Brandon have recruited him than you— you aren't even part of the club—"
"Hah—that's ironic, considering Brandon's the one who—" Reis paused as he looked at Ezekiel's face, worry set across it, causing Reis to clench his hands.
"The one who what?" Jessica asked.
"Urm---- I mean, you know Brandon. The meathead probably would've forgotten he even had the paper to begin with!" Reis said, scratching the back of his head.
"The hell'd you say, Penrose?" a voice called from behind Reis as he slowly turned his head to see Brandon looming over him.
"Ah— I was just on my way out..." Reis said, slowly creeping toward the door.
"Who's the kid?" Brandon asked, causing Reis to stop at the door handle to listen.
"I-I---uh..." Ezekiel stammered.
"What? Spit it out already." Brandon said, slightly irritated as he moved closer to Ezekiel.
Roxanne stepped in-between them. "Back off Brandon, Ezekiel's a new member." She said, Jessica chimed in.
"Brandon where were you, I thought you were suspended but when I asked the Dean he just told me that you went home." Jessica admitted to which Brandon gritted his teeth.
"Why the hell does everyone keep saying I got suspended?!" Brandon says.
"Because Kieran and Reis told us what happened yesterday!" Jessica said to which Brandon turned his head only to notice Reis was gone, the door shut behind him.
I'm starting to think Brandon has dementia or something... Reis thought to himself as he made his way down the hallway.
Either way I can't be bothered... He suddenly paused, looking behind him.
...Should I have stayed?
I mean, I don't want the kid to get bullied his first day in there---
....
Yuck...I sound like Kieran... Reis smirked, before turning and continuing to walk.
Jess and Rox got him, he'll be fine... He walked out into the front of the school, looking up at the dimming sun, before checking the time on his phone.
"Now I just need to figure out how i'm going to get to you in time..." Reis muttered to himself.
"Yo, Reis." Kyle said, tapping him on the shoulders, startling him.
"You're in a club?" He asked.
"Uh, no, I'm not in a club I just had to..." Reis trailed on.
"You should've joined the basketball team dude, you could've been the Draymond Green to my Stephen Curry." Kyle winked.
"Dude you averaged 3 points per game this season..." Reis said,
"Hey! One of those was a 3 point shot that won us the game i'll have you know." He said, walking off, car keys jangling in his hand.
"Right---er, actually Kyle, can I ask you for something?" Reis said causing Kyle to stop walking momentarily.
"What's up?" He asked.
"Do you think you could bring me to the hospital?" Reis replied.
Kyle shrugged his shoulders, "You got gas money?"
**********
The warm air brushed against Principal Priscilla's coat as she stood on the balcony of Sydria Academy, her pale white hair lifting gently as the winds picked up. She took a slow drag from her cigarette, exhaling smoke as she stared out across the school campus.
"What is it, Keizer?" she asked, turning to face Kiezer, who had suddenly appeared, stepping out from the principal's office behind him. In his hands was a strange black and white canister, with Orpheum's logo printed at the top of it.
He knelt and held the canister up to her, a glowing yellow essence swirled inside like liquid light, before distorting briefly as if it were a looped video.
"This is a... rather interesting sample from the Ninth Wave, Lady Priscilla," he said, keeping his voice low.
Priscilla bent down slightly, picking up the canister before turning it over in her hands.
"I've never seen Arkhaios energy so... corrupted," Keizer admitted, Priscilla narrowed her eyes as she studied the reliquary.
"Eugh... Dispose of all canisters like this that were collected from the Wave, I find no value in selling rotten fruit." She muttered.
"Of course, my lady," Keizer said with a smile.
"In other news, order #1012 has been completed. The St. Ardent Memorial Hospital has received the package; Ms. Valentine's surgery should begin within the next hour."
"Good..." She said, raising her cigarette to take another drag.
She paused as her gaze drifted to the parking lot below.
Reis was seen walking with Kyle toward a nearby car, having a loud yet inaudible conversation.
"Eveline... how is she?" Priscilla asked rather abruptly.
"...Doctor Eveline Penrose remains in a comatose state--- however..." Keizer informed.
"As of recently, they have decided to make a cut in budget. At this moment she is being relocated to Facility 1A27-b in New Orleans, Louisiana."
The cigarette between her fingers suddenly frosted over entirely, brittle with ice. The cigar crumbled into dust before disappearing with the wind as a sharp gust of cold air swept the balcony.
The golden distorted light within the reliquary started to respond more violently, forming a shape that resembled a sharp jagged straight line.
"Who... authorized her relocation?" Priscilla asked, her once opal eyes now shining a bright blue. Her cold gaze pierced through Keizer, causing him to shudder as he spoke.
"L-Lady Sinclair." He stammered.
A flicker of disgust twisted across Priscilla's face. The temperature dropped further.
"What the hell does that woman think she's doing?" she muttered, the faint chiming of a bell ringing from within the canister.
"I-it would seem she's taken a personal interest in Doctor Eveline m--my lady... this is likely tied to the C.H.A.R.O.N. initiative she led back in 2014," Keizer assumed.
Priscilla's jaw tensed, trying to calm herself down. She sighed, turning back to the balcony as the light from her eyes slowly dimmed.
She rested the canister on the balcony's concrete railing.
"While we're on the topic of the Penrose's—" Keizer continued, tensing slightly.
"You were right to have me monitor the brothers. Kieran Penrose, he---- seems to have been gifted by last night's wave."
Priscilla stumbled back, her eyes widened with shock as she tried to catch herself.
"W—what?" she asked, stunned. "Are you positive?"
Keizer nodded, "I got into their house after finding the front door unlocked... again. That's when I snuck upstairs into the bathroom and found him lying unconscious on the floor."
Priscilla's voice lowered to a whisper, the revelation causing her to cover her mouth. "His soul--- what did it look like?"
Keizer shook his head slowly. "That's... hard to answer."
He stood upright, expression serious. "From what I saw, his soul seems to be highly unstable— one moment it was surging with Arkhaios energy--- then the next there was nothing..."
Priscilla frowned. "You're saying it's fluctuating?"
"Precisely, It was as if I were watching a candle being snuffed out and reignited over and over." He paused.
"Fascinating... and what about the younger brother?" She asked, reaching into her pocket for another cigarette. Grabbing a nearby lighter as she pulled one out, but her hands trembled as she tried to light it.
"Er-- Do you mind...?" She asked, glancing down at Keizer.
Without a word, he inched closer, taking the lighter away from her hand. Priscilla bent down to his level as Keizer flicked the lighter.
It's bright flame steady and calm. He reached forward, carefully lighting the tip as she drew smoke from the cigar.
"Reis... hasn't shown any signs of being marked. He didn't seem to have a reaction to the wave at all." Keizer confessed, handing back the lighter.
"That's not possible," Priscilla folded her arms. "Even normal humans experience a flare-up, even briefly."
"That's the thing, I couldn't even see so much as a spark in him, I--- was unsure if he even had a soul at all." Keizer mentioned.
"This morning--- I approached him like you instructed," He whispered, recalling the events.
"I tried using my Signature to wipe his memory… but he didn't even react. My abilities seem to not work on him to an extent..."
Priscilla exhaled slowly, an unreadable expression on her face, staring at the reliquary as her mind wandered.
"...So now we have two new anomalies," she scoffed, "Both are faltered, and they're both Eveline's sons, of all people…"
Keizer nodded. "It would seem that way, yes. Although—" he hesitated, then added, "With this new perspective, my lady... Wouldn't you agree that both are ideal candidates to undergo the procedure?"
Priscilla's head slowly began to hang low as Keizer spoke, hair covering most of her face.
"While Kieran's body seems to be more unstable, we might be able to get at least some kind of valuable information on what exactly is happening to his soul..."
Keizer smiled, slowly opening his eyes to watch the sunset. Squinting briefly as they tried to adjust to the sudden brightness.
"I'm... also kind of curious to study the type of Signature he develops. Reis, on the other hand..."
"His body's practically empty," Keizer gestured with his hand. "The kids hollow---- that makes him the perfect suitor for the operation. If we move quickly, we could—"
"No," Priscilla cut in, shaking her head. "It's too late to change our course now. Ezekiel will undergo the procedure. That decision is final."
Keizer lowered his head, the disappointment on his face barely hidden.
"Then… what are our next steps, Lady Priscilla?" Keizer asked.
Priscilla didn't answer right away, instead she watched as the sun slowly dipped below the sky, casting the distant town of Salem in both gold and shadow.
She slowly moved the cigarette towards her mouth, her hands shaking slightly.
"We will wait... until Friday night," She finally answered.
"While the festival is happening, Ezekiel's procedure will go as planned. After that, we will transfer him— along with Kieran and Reis Penrose to the Louisiana facility..."
Keizer gave a small nod. "Understood." He grinned, closing his eyes shut as he disappeared back into the darkness.
Priscilla drew from the cigarette one last time, staring at the sky as clouds of smoke swirled around her.
A small smile formed on her face, that smile became a giggle, and that giggle became an exasperated sigh.
"I guess you were right after all, Eve..." She smirked, turning as she hurried back into her office, closing the balcony doors behind her.
Although, she had completely forgotten about the canister left waiting on the railing. The sound of bells continuously ringing as it continued to distort.
An unsuspecting crow, lured in by the soothing sound of the bell, perched itself onto the railing next to it.
The crow inspected the canister briefly, pecking at it as if it were food.
Then suddenly--- a dark red bolt of lightning struck the bird in its chest the air whistling as the ionized light slowly faded.
The crow went limp, falling off of the balcony and onto the forest floor beneath, twitching as it tried to move---
twitching as it suddenly... grew.