Tap! Tap! Tap!
A rhythmic tapping hitting the windows was fiercely heard. Rain, like a storm started pouring dagger-sharp drops of water that drowned out every sound when colliding with the cobblestone, walls and windows.
Fiend was walking through the Corridor, looking at the courtyard outside, his eyes that reflected the abyss in them scanning for any humanoid monster.
He had been repeating this action for a few days, ever since Cale told him to. Occasionally he would circle back and go back to Cale to see what he was doing.
He was exercising, barely any rest and drenched completely by sweat, his ragged breathing was heard as he continuously took In deep breaths while doing weird exercises. Fiend found himself Imitating Cale's breathing, he stared Intently at him. His mouth salivating as his thoughts ran wild.
Fiend didn't care much about what Cale asked for, he simply wanted to be around him. Of course It didn't mean that he didn't take It seriously, he did. It was just that there was no one In the courtyard that matched Cale's description these past few days.
To Fiend's Eyes, this was a golden opportunity for him. Because just a few days ago he had befriended Cale.
Fiend was someone who yearned for friendship, however he never had one throughout the 15 years he lived as someone Ignored and insignificant, he never was someone worth remembering. If he had dropped dead tomorrow no one would care, they wouldn't weep for him, they wouldn't spare him a single tear as even that was too precious to give to someone like him, not even his own family would care for him if he suddenly died.
It wasn't that he coveted friendship In order for him to be comforted by the warm embrace of someone, it wasn't that in the slightest.
He coveted it for different, trivial reasons. Reasons that bordered on obsession.
Being comforted by someone was simply a bonus, an extra reward he didn't expect.
"..."
His eyes lingered at Cale for a little while longer before he started moving his legs swiftly towards the staircase, that looked so cleaned you could see one's reflection clearly In it. Gardenia as a whole was after all truly beautiful and visually pleasing.
As he started walking the stairs, he thought of his parents. Fiend had grown up alone. Not merely alone, but utterly invisible to others.
His family had ignored him unless he served some purpose and even then they would still hesitate and try another way, they dismissed his thoughts which were right, his opinions which were forged through his knowledge, even his hard won achievements didn't matter to them.
The only one who truly cared for him like a son and like family was his Uncle, who was the only one that never Ignored him and saw his feeble existence.
To Fiend, his uncle was the only person whom he could call his rightful father. No one else was fit for that spot but him.
he reached the next floor, the clean marble floor he stepped Into, subtly reminded him of the Hospital he went to.
'It had been that clean there as well...'
His uncle was hit by a drunk driver on the road who swerved the car after which he claimed that 'he had been on the middle of theroad' even though his uncle wasn't and was on the side of the road leisurely walking back home without a care in the world.
He was sent to the hospital and is still in a coma till this day.
"Haaah"
From his blossom, a necklace rested at his hand, It was a gift from his uncle on his birthday and perhaps the last he'll ever get.
Fiend led a seemingly normal and ordinary life with his energetic uncle before coming to Gardenia, This of course entailed that he took the Trial.
"It wasn't that hard..."
He passed the trial with almost no difficulty, this type of trial would only work on toddlers... He made such thoughts while turning his head to look outside the Courtyard.
"still nothing"
Nobody could be seen out in the courtyard, not only that but the heavy rain had also obscured his vision.
"...?"
His steps stopped echoing through the corridor as he made a realization.
'wait.... can't I just?'
"ask the teachers about the Humanoid monsters location?"
It wouldn't hurt to ask and even if they didn't know, Fiend could still ask the teacher about them and get Information that way.
"Let's go to the Cafeteria then"
He mumbled under his breath, wanting to improvise with the festering desire to help Cale.
***
"Phew~"
I finished what I was doing and walked softly to the window.
"It's raining?"
A ferocious downpour met my eyes. It had been a few days since I started exercising and trying my best to get fit as fast as possible.
I knew that I wouldn't gain much from exercising, but it was better to gain something rather than not gain anything at all.
"sometimes even small gains can save you or something along those lines?"
If I didn't do these exercises, my body would grow duller and most likely die to something I should have been able to easily avoid by simply staying fit.
"I wonder what Fiend Is doing right now..."
Almost two weeks have passed with Fiend still not finding anything about what I asked him to do.
"this isn't going to be one of those things that take a long time to do, right?"
I stare out of the window once again and stood closer to it.
'It had been so hot these past few days and it's all of a sudden raining'
The cold bit into my skin, sweat trickled down my cold cheek which caused me to shiver.
The difference in temperature was day and night, I put my hands close to my mouth and exhaled to warm them.
"The water is not warm either..."
This place essentially did not produce any heat, the water was also colder in Gardenia than the tap water in my house and School, which was good at first but as the days got colder and colder I started hating it quickly.
I look up into the ceiling and close my eyes, my body shivering in the cold. I was...not okay.
Not in the slightest, how could I stay calm, composed and of sound mind when seeing multiple scenes that were straight from Hell itself back to back?
How could I not have nightmares when a damned monster was enjoying making me suffer by crushing my left arm?
Tearing my right arm so quickly I couldn't even realize It had been torn off, shoving Its hand straight through my stomach and out of it, my body became paralyzed before I could even tell it was.
An utter hopelessness and despair was felt and I had some delusion that I could actually just walk it off like it was nothing?
That was not just arrogance, It was genuine stupidity and a soaring delusion that'd make even the gods gasp at the sheer ridiculousness that a human being could house such thoughts as stupid as this.
Not a single god would blame me for being scared and a coward, or at least that's what I wanted to believe dearly In my fast beating heart.
"should I go to the Cafeteria?"
When feeling scared or traumatized, doing something like eating can serve as a good distraction.
"Well maybe that was a lie since I found it on the Internet~"
I made a joke to myself to try and cheer up, but it served to be a fruitless endeavor.
***
Beep.. Beep.. Beep..
A faint rhythmic beeping was heard, It was ringing Inside Fiends mind constantly, not a single second passed without it being heard.
The cold metal of the necklace turned warm as Fiend held it fiercely In his hand, refusing to let go of it.
He soon reached the cafeteria, spotting a teacher just about to leave the cafeteria. It was Bringam
Bringam stopped walking and tilted his head to the student blocking his way
[What's this?]
"I want to ask something"
[Oh? and what that might be?]
"do you know where those humanoid monsters are?"
[It's rude to call them that, they are much more than that]
"so? what should I call them?"
[Geniuses]
Fiend's eyes slightly widened and shook, clutching onto the necklace harder than before.
"those things...?"
[Yes, but do refrain from calling something as primitive as that]
"so where are these so called 'geniuses'?"
He asked the question once again
[That I do not know]
"..."
It was alright, he hadn't expected it to be so easy after all.
"then what do you know about them?"
This was the question he wanted to ask, which was sure would land an answer.
[I can't tell you]
"..?"
'He couldn't tellhim' also indirectly meant that he knew but wouldn't tell him.
His eyes turned cold at the indifference shown to him.
"why?"
[I would have loved to tell you, but if I recklessly told you, chances are, you might drop dead or even worse, become an 'echo']
"what's an echo then?"
Bringam's lips curled into a smile full of mischief.
[That I definitely can't tell you]
he chuckled, his smile growing wider and wider. Wide enough to reach his ears.
"...fine, I'm sorry for disturbing you"
Fiend knew there was nothing he could do to make the teacher tell him forcibly, he couldn't simply fight him after all since he would die before he did anything.
Bringam walked past him, his tail swerving to right and left, Fiend stayed rooted at his spot, he clenched his jaw hard before walking in to the cafeteria, recess would end anyway so it wouldn't matter if he walked aimlessly.
"...?"
He then saw him, the monster deprived of all color from his body, Cale Dice. Sitting alone in the cafeteria.