Most of the students were now located in the cafeteria. The most popular destination of choice for lunch, dinner and breakfast, the vast majority liked it for its busy school atmosphere and large space. Normally the outdoors would have been a strong contender, but given the season, it had died in favour of warmer conditions.

While he preferred the outside even during extreme conditions, Tommy was also aware that most of his ‘compatriots’ did not.

Wanting to eat, he went into the cafeteria and sat himself down on an empty table.

Without needing to speak, an underling of his brought forth a tray of food. As the selection of cuisine is mostly the same, it was easy to interpret the desires and will of their so-called ‘leader’. One of them, merely another face among the dozen that were there, asked Tommy if he was alright.

A fortnight into the school, they knew that the lack of response meant that he did not wish to speak. Even so, as servile, as they were, they surrounded him with conversation and company.

It was odd, really. To those outside his clique, they regarded his assemble with inquisitive eyes. That being said, only a few stared with volatile intent. The rest, at worst, held a reluctant if not accepting sense of respect.

On the field trip a few weeks prior, it was Tommy and Jaiga who had defended the students to their last breath. Faced against a demonic mass of eyes and darkness, they had managed to succeed without so much as a single casualty. Or so they had been told.

Most of the students had been split up in the event, and the vast majority hadn't actually witnessed the ordeal. Still, the sincerity of their manners and emotions that they had seen after felt far too authentic to be faked. Either a case of mass paranoia or the truth, it seemed that the latter was more plausible.

"You heard about the new students coming tomorrow?" One asked. All the subject of conversation as of late, the news of students had spread like wildfire. As they were halfway through their meal already, the strange part was that the topic did not come up earlier.

"Dude, who hasn't? It's been brought up like hundreds of times already."

“Hey you never know dude, you’ve got the hearing and cognition of a grandpa with dementia.”

Their discussion carried on—the usual sorts with the sophistication and elegance expected of teenagers.

“Yeah, Lucius Mortius, I’ve heard of him!”

When Tommy heard the mention of that name, he felt as if his consciousness ceased to be. As if undergoing the birth of a new soul, his mind underwent a metamorphosis.

Horrific memories and flashbacks took weight within seconds.

His head was on fire. His jaw stiffened to the point where his bones would shatter.

Throb.

Tommy felt as if a nail was being driven into his brain.

.suitroM ,suitroM ,suitroM ,suitroM ,suitroM ,suitroM ,suitroM

No matter how much he tried, that name cannot leave his mind.

.eman taht ekops reveohw llik ot tnaw tsuj I

The longer he held onto his unstoppable desire, the heavier it became.

.trapa mih ekat dna mih wollof ot tnaw I

Seeing that the boy who mentioned Lucius had gotten up, Tommy understood that something had to be done.

Despite how weird it seemed for Tommy to immediately follow, he did so anyway.

There was a moment of panic as he was uncertain of where he was going. Tommy didn’t want to ▅▅▅▅ him in front of everyone, but at the same time, it didn’t really matter. The obsession eventually took him to the bathroom.

His mind cannot think any longer. Only one word dominated his mind.

There was no reason why he had to say it right? No one needed to say his name to understand who it was. Why would they do something as redundant as that? Completely vile. Tommy knew the boy wanted to destroy him, to make him recall memories of that day, the day he lost everything.

The name brought him great pain. A pain that would not exist, if that stupid bastard didn’t say it.

Mortius. Truly a disgusting name. Mortius. Mortius.

Mortius.

Mortius.

Mortius.

Mortius. Mortius. Mortius. Mortius. Mortius. Mortius. Mortius. Mortius. Mortius. Mortius.

Tommy, a step away from the boy, raised his arms. Because his head was down and eyes casted towards his hands, he did not see him.

Tommy suspected that he would not even realize until it was too late. Looking at him one more time, his hands began to move toward his shoulders. With a tremble, Tommy is a second away from squeezing the life out of him.

The boy, who had now finished washing his hand, looked toward him. He stared Tommy up and down, and noticed his expression. His eyes tight and uneased, he patted Tommy on the back.

“Dude, if you ever need someone to speak to, I’m here.”

For a second, Tommy does not move. His breathing, which no longer felt like intaking death, was relatively calm, albeit shaken.

“I know you’ve been pretty uh, uncomfortable recently, but just so you know, we do care about you.”

Tommy then retracted his hands and left the bathroom. Though his delicious mango chutney was not yet finished, his legs took him to his room regardless.

He pressed on the buzzer, remembered it was his own room, then entered before pressing the buzzer again. Before he did anything else, he went to stare at the snow outside. Before he knew it, someone he didn't really know showed themselves. It was a thing that is as equally familiar as it is strange.

The boy reflected in the mirror seemed to be having the time of their life.

Though he could not explain why he felt that the boy was not alone in this sentiment.

Laughter attempted to escape from his lungs but was stopped. Trapped within his mortal shell of a body, his pathways of air prevented it. It felt as if his nasal and adjacent tissues had swelled with an excess of snot. But it was possible that it wasn't snot. Maybe it was something else. In the darkness where all seemed to mix together, however, all he saw was a white eye peering from inside his mouth.

The sun no longer shone its usual colour. As it is the afternoon, the light that peered through the windows is more of an orange hue than anything else. Having attended the rest of his lessons like a good student, Tommy now stood outside the school building.

In retrospect, besides class, his day was spent relatively unoccupied. Besides the occasional desire to maul something and eyes he spotted in the dark, he was, both mentally and physically, largely intact.

"Thy knightess in shining armour has arrived!"

With a wave of her arm, Tommy saw that Jaiga had returned from her duties and approached her.

“Did everything go alright?” As he continued his path toward her, he flashed an affectionate smile.

“If you mean to infer alright as in terribly banal but ultimately fruitful, then yes.”

In other words, the usual reaction to the attendance of these meetings. Unfortunately, though Althaiez Academy was granted much leeway, boring and tedious documentation was not something even its inhabitants could escape from.

Over the last few days, even if a week had already passed, the nonstop bureaucracy of the government agents demanded Jaiga return. All for the purpose of documenting the demon the two had slain, she had been instructed to divulge into the most insignificant of details possible.

Whether it be the demon's origin, abilities, size, or diameter of their nostrils, nothing seemed to satisfy them.

“On the bright side, the quicker you’ve dealt with these administrative fools, the quicker you’ll get the satisfaction of knowing it’s over.

As he said this, Jaiga noticed something most quaint. Her eyebrows furrowed, she waited for some clarification over Tommy’s choice of garment. Whether it be a new fashion trend or the result of some untimely accident, clarification nonetheless would have been appreciated.

Tommy smiled, stood and made no comment whatsoever.

Silence ushered in. The two stared at each other for a few brief moments before Jaiga marched onward. With a snap of her wrist, she pulled Tommy inside the school building and pressed her hand against his forehead.

Disconcerted by this sudden shift in action as the warm hand of the knightess made contact with his face, Tommy felt the need to protest, then decided otherwise. Odd and needless as it were, he would have been lying if he said he didn’t enjoy it.

Releasing her hand, she gave Tommy a final inspection.

“Well, you seem to be in appropriate condition.”

With that, her desire to verify his health was satiated.

Neither of them then, from that point onward, had any reason to worry themselves over it.

The rest of the night, which continued, as usual, was spent in each other's proximity. Savouring their last day of school before the arrival of the new students, the two made no effort or attempt to discuss it.

Ultimately, the simple resounding answer as to why Jaiga didn’t was a matter of irritation at the subject matter. And the reason for Tommy was simply a matter of savouring the inevitable death of his target until his arrival.