Headmaster Rykell Joss is in his office, trying to sort out the fiasco of a mess from last night. He’s preparing himself in anticipation of receiving an avalanche of complaint letters from angry parents, launching an investigation into the alleged meat scandal, and coming up with a new guideline for the preparations and handling of food in the north hall. Normally, two of those three things would fall under Mistress Kana Rayze’s responsibility. But Headmaster Joss found a note slipped under the door to his office when he entered there first thing in the morning.

It was a notification requesting for a leave of absence from Mistress Rayze for an unspecified amount of time, citing overwork and a stressful working environment. The woman has one hell of a perfect timing to pull something like this, snorts the headmaster. Now he has to add finding a substitute to replace the fencing teacher onto the growing list of things that are giving him a headache. And the thing that is on very top of the list is definitely and unquestionably: the boy.

The boy… Headmaster Joss recalls the moment he stormed in the hall like a hurricane and tore up their world without a warning, without mercy. The moment the boy began talking, the headmaster and the rest of the teachers were entranced, not with awe, not with wonder, but something more akin to… Headmaster Joss couldn't find the proper word for it, but if he had to choose one, it would be… “fear”. It’s unexplainable, the boy has a presence, a certain gravitational insanity, that pulls you to him if you let it. Which is why the adults (with the exception of Master Wes who wanted to pummel the boy) in the north hall had let the boy talked for as long as he did. They were trying to decide if the boy was a friendly or an enemy.

Looks like Master Haithur jumped the gun a little too early and turned the boy into a foe, smiles the headmaster at the memory of the snake being put down by the boy. I don't know how, but the boy managed to get under the smug bastard's skin. In all the time the headmaster had the displeasure of knowing Master Haithur, last night was the first time he had seen the forked/silver-tongued bastard to be so… tongue-tied.

Finally met someone who can get you to shut up, huh? snorts Headmaster Joss as he recalls the look on Master Haithur’s face as he slammed himself backwards into his own chair. That was fucking priceless. The headmaster wishes someone had invented a device that could record that moment so he could watch it again and again as he falls asleep every night.

As for the other things the boy had said, Headmaster Joss is so tempted to chalk it up as the combination of an over imaginative mind and some impressive parlor tricks. But there was one thing the boy mentioned that had him intrigued. Which was why the headmaster had quietly told his deputy to take the boy down (not by kicking the boy and send him flying off the table mind you), and put teachers, people he could trust, outside the infirmary to guard the boy while he sleeps.

Ouroboros… the name that was fearlessly said by the boy. The name that may or may not be connected to a suicide of a student that Headmaster Joss had investigated earlier and failed to come up with a satisfying conclusion. An organization of shadows. No one knows who they are, what their aims or objectives, or what they have accomplished. But Headmaster Joss has a gut feeling that even if just a fraction of the rumors surrounding Ouroboros is true, the boy’s life could be in danger.

Nevertheless, Headmaster Joss has another gut feeling that the boy knows a lot more about Ouroboros than he’s letting on. That there are some hidden agendas he’s playing, telling half-truths where it suits his purpose, and concealing the other half to be used for later. Like playing a card game where you don’t show your hand too early to your opponents, as well as having an extra something hidden up your sleeves.

Headmaster Joss resisted the temptation of having a drink(s). He needs his mind to be perfectly clear when he confronts the boy. Which is why he told the teachers guarding the boy to bring him straight to his office after he had woken up and had his breakfast. Headmaster Joss also left strict instructions to the teachers not to let anyone enter the infirmary, especially Master Haithur (of course the headmaster didn't mentioned his name directly, he just said “Don’t let that slimy son of a bitch in here”, but the teachers understood who he meant perfectly).

Just as Headmaster Joss is about to pick up a pen to get some paperwork done, there is a knock on a door. And not a polite knock mind you, but more like a barrage of fists banging on the door before Master Ecah Hanson bursts into the room whiles out of breath.

Headmaster Joss is instantly alarmed. Master Hanson is one of the few person he trusted in the Whiteford Academy, and also one of the three people he entrusted to guard the boy at the infirmary. Did something happen to the boy, the headmaster wonders? Did Master Haithur get to him?

“Headmaster Joss… the boy…”

“What is it? Is he dead? Did someone kill him?”

“No, he… got into a fight with some students…”

“What? How could he do that? I specifically told you not to let him go anywhere else and to bring him straight here after he woke up and had his breakfast.”

“Well… he didn't use the door get out of the infirmary, sir.”

“What?”

“The boy... went out the window.”

“He went out the wi- Then why the hell wasn't anyone guarding the windows?”

“Because the infirmary is located on the second floor, sir. And I don’t know if you've noticed, but it’s pretty high.”

“Then how the hell did the boy managed to get out the window safely and start a fight with some students?”

“A ladder, sir.”

“A ladder?”

“If you have a high enough ladder, you can get in and out of the infirmary. Of course you would need an accomplice working on the outside. That’s how I would have done it.”

“Accomplice? I… I don’t even…”

“Ooooh, if you have a rope, you can get out of the infirmary too. Maybe with some bed sheets tied tightly together, it’s doable. Of course, I didn't find any evidence of a normal rope or a rope made from bed sheets at the scene. Must have taken it with him.”

“The students…”

“Students? It was just one boy, sir. Oh, you mean the accomplice who could be helping hi-”

“I mean the fucking students who got into a fucking fight with the fucking boy!”

“No need to use harsh language, sir. I’m just trying to help. What about the students?”

“Did they win the fight with the boy? Or did the boy won?”

“The boy won, sir. Worked them over pretty good too from what I heard.”

“Are they sons of anyone important?*”

*prays: pleasedon’tbethesonsofanyoneimportantpleasedon’tbethesonsofanyoneimportantplease

“5 sons of wealthy merchant family, 4 sons of palace officials, 3 sons of nobles, 2 sons of viscounts, and a sole heir to a distinguished war general. Although I don’t think that heir isn't going to produce an heir of his own anytime soon by the amount of kicks I heard the boy delivered to his family jewels.”

“FUCKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!”

********************************************************************************************

Sorry for the late updates. I’m tired from travelling and battling an ear infection. “Demon Hero Reaper Savior” will be back after a two days break because I’m getting engaged to my girlfriend. Yay me.