Ventus awoke with a start, darting up from his position on the bed to hunch over in an upright status. He gasped for breath as his lungs practically burned and yearned for it. A few moments were taken to do just that, regain what he’d supposedly lost to his family’s pool.

“What was that?” A female voice asked. It was inquisitive. Confident even in its questioning. Invi perhaps.

“Who was that girl more importantly.” Ira.

“Or those masked villains.” Aced.

“They’re not still in the backyard are they?” Ava pondered, “Ven, you should go check. Make sure it was nothing but a dream.”

Steadying himself, Ven was finally able to look at all who crowded around his room. Everyone huh. Save for Corvus it seemed. Thank god. Oh fuck wait, nope, he was in the corner by himself, giving that creepy glass eyed look with his dead eyes that rivaled Ven’s blue.

“Why why why is everyone here?” Ventus practically pleaded to himself, sleeved hands clenched to shield his eyes from those that crowded him.

No one seemed to have an answer for him. Of course not, they were him, they only knew as much as him.

“Who’s all here, Ven?” That time it was Aqua. A nice, real face that Ven couldn’t help but reach for and squish her cheeks together. Pulling Aqua down, he leaned in close to her and hissed

“Everyone…”

She chuckled. “Well you did go to bed early last night. Did you take your medicine or did you forget to?”

He thought about it a moment, trying rather hard to come up with an answer. The previous day was such a daze though, leaving him to shrug.

“Honestly, I have no idea.”

“Well breakfast is ready so how about you take your pill now and hopefully it clears the room for you.” Aqua was always so nice. So soft and nurturing. It was hard not to be relieved in her presence, even if the world seemed to crumble around him.

“Oh right! Aqua!” That’s right, the dream he had! “Do you know anyone by Strelitzia?!”

“Strelitzia? You mean Lauriam’s little sister? She’s a classmate of yours isn’t she? Do you like her?” That brought a knowing smile to her lips, one that left Ven red, but he tried to fight through it for more serious orders of business.

“N-no! I saw her drown in our backyard! She’s not there right?! Or those masked guys right?!”

Placing a hand on his head, she felt for a fever. It was a bit needless though as they’d already figured he forgot his medication. “No one’s in the backyard, Ven. Me and Terra were just out there and it was fine.”

“You’re sure?!”

“Positive. If it’ll help, I can give Lauriam a call, or you can look at Strelitzia’s page online. She usually posts about food so I’m sure she mentioned her breakfast by now. It’s always so cute.”

That actually sounded like a good plan.

“Make the call, Aqua, I’ll check her page.”

He already moved for his laptop while she looked rather dumbstruck. “You’re serious?”

“As serious as the illness that killed my mom.”

“And your humour never ceases to amaze me, Ven.” Aqua remarked. “How about we just see them at school. They’re always there early since Lauriam’s a teacher. So how about we just get there early and you can see them for yourself. You’ll be more assured if you see it with your own eyes rather than online or over the phone anyway.”

He halted in his efforts. That was...a really good point. He would still doubt the genuinity of the situation if he went through technology, especially if he was off his meds. Hell, he might still think seeing her in person would be fake, but he had to hope for the best.

Placing his laptop to the side, he bounced on his bed. “Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go!”

“Yeah, you definitely missed your pills.” She chuckled. “Make sure to take them at the breakfast you will be having so get dressed and come downstairs.”

Easy. Well eating wasn’t. Eating was always hard to manage without throwing it up. Especially scarfing it down to be done faster. He managed though, or kinda. He was a bit nauseous for the car ride to school. Having the window open and being in the front seat after kicking Terra to the back helped. Terra complained, but details really.

Once they got to school, Ventus practically darted from the car, dashing to the entrance and soon through the halls. Where could she be? Where could Lauriam be, he might know.

“Probably his classroom.”

“I hate you so much, Gula.” He remarked back just as dully and spitefully. Though the leopard had a good point. Unfortunately. Know it all asshole.

“Lauriam!” Ventus practically shouted as he turned into the room, grappling on the doorframe to swing himself in.

“Oh, so you’re alive today. Should I expect that for my class later or will you be asleep again?”

“Probably dead if my meds have anything to say about it when they kick in, but that’s besides the point. Where’s your sister?”

Lauriam raised a brow then pointed to the back of the room. Ven’s attention fell to the back where he noted Pyrrha working with the girl of the hour on a pie. “Hello, Ventus.” The red hand waved.

“Pyrrha!” Ventus beamed. He scuttled over to the pair to take in more what they were up to as well as be able to hear them. Pyrrha was at work while Strelitzia was positioning her phone to take a picture of the cat decorated pie. “Aww, that looks adorable. Does it taste as good as it looks?”

“Aren’t you anorexic, Ventus.” Lauriam asked, annunciating so Ven could hear him. “Why are you even in home ec?”

“I have a lot of questions. First off how do you know about that exactly? Also, eating disorder, not anorexia.”

“Elrena leaked your medical records and had a ball making fun of you to her class so it spread. It said you couldn’t decide whether you were anorexic or bulimic.”

“Come to think of it, you bought food yesterday for lunch, but you barely ate any of it. Are you afraid to, Ventus?” Pyrrha asked.

“Don’t make me eat.” He insisted a bit harshly. “I just don’t like eating.”

“But you were just interested in our pie so you must like food.” Strelitzia this time.

“Maybe the aesthetic of it, but not the taste.”

“You just said taste though.” Pyrrha again.

“It’s okay if you got bullied for eating before, Ven.” Strel assured. “We won’t harass you about it, so you should eat.”

Grumbling and slouching, “And how exactly do you know about that part?”

“That part was Terra ranting and raving about your grandfather in my class all the time.” Lauriam admitted.

“Terra took home ec?”

“Yes.” The pink haired teacher nodded. “He always insisted on making you something irresistible so you’d eat. He was never any good though. Worst student in my class really.”

Ventus couldn’t help but laugh at that. Terra trying to cook was something rare to see, but even at home, he usually set off the smoke alarms so typically Aqua was in charge of cooking and baking. He never knew his brother actually tried to get better though.

“Now why is it that you were asking for my sister. Did you need her notes because you slept through all your classes?”

“What makes you think I slept through all of them?”

“She’s in all of them.”

“Oh.” Ven looked back at her. “You are?”

“Me and Jaune are also in all of your classes, Ventus.” Pyrrha mused.

“Wait, really?” He asked and she nodded.

“So what’d you need me for, Ven? You seemed pretty panicked when you came in.”

“Oh! I saw you get drowned by a group of guys in my backyard so I wanted to make sure you were okay.” He said almost too casually. All three occupants of the room stopped what they were doing to process what he’d just said.

“Please keep my sister out of your hallucinations, Ventus.” Lauriam just about growled.

Ven’s attention turned down for him to fiddle with his sleeves. He brought one up to chew on rather nervously.

“So you eat when you’re nervous.” Pyrrha remarked. “I think I see now.”

“You see? See what?” Ven asked, ceasing his gnawing if only for a moment.

“You eat when you’re nervous, you’re schizophrenic so you’re always nervous. Terra said you were bullied for your weight and eating and now you don’t eat but instead chew on your sleeves and fingers as I’ve heard.”

Ven groaned then. “Who told you about the gnawing on fingers part?”

“That was spread around school so probably Elrena.”

Again, a frustrated groan escaped him. Before he could make any further remark about it however, Strelitzia spoke up.

“Should I be worried that you saw me be drowned?”

“It’s probably just the ravings of a lunatic, Strel, don’t mind him.” The teacher huffed.

“It felt so real though!”

“Ventus.” He was warned. “Keep talking about this and I’ll blackmail you into getting expelled.”

“Laury, don’t be mean, he was just concerned.” Strelitzia smiled, taking Ven’s sleeved hands into her own. They were slimy and gross from saliva, but she tried to get past that by pushing his sleeves up. The moment skin was shown, he panicked, pushing her away.

“Hey!” Lauriam shouted at him. Ven’s attention was on his now revealed flesh however. He could already see it now. The porcelain coating his skin. Scary. So scary. Where was Corvus then? He couldn’t see past the others. He had to be here though, he was doing this. He knew it. He always did it.

“I’m s-sorry, but I have to go.” Ven tried to excuse himself. Tears stung at his eyes and his breath quickened as he began to move away from the pair and passed the teacher. Said teacher moved to intercept him however, standing in his path of the door. “Please get out of the way, I need to go to the bathroom.” He pleaded, fingers being gnawed on ever so vigorously.

“I see, so you missed your medication then. That explains a lot” He stated bluntly. “Pyrrha, Strel, help me take him to the office.” The pair came up to Ventus alongside Lauriam and hesitantly grabbed either arms as Lauriam began to guide them.

“N-No, I just need to go to the bathroom. Please!”

“Sorry, Ven, but we can’t let you cut yourself up in the bathroom.”

“So you really do hurt yourself then?” Pyrrha asked mournfully.

As they moved him, he only panicked more and more as he was being denied his true sense of solace.

“Please, I’m not going to hurt myself! I swear I just have to go. That’s all, really!”

“You’re going to hurt someone.” His mother’s voice insisted. Through the haze of illusions and people, a new one stood out. One dressed in blue feathered robes and baggy blue pants, finished with brown snow boots. Actually, they looked ready for winter overall. To really top it off, was the fox skull they wore over their visage, the top half covered their eyes while the bottom was hung by the hinged jaw just over their chin. Along with that, they were hooded so he didn’t get a good look at their visage, but they seemed so familiar. Actually, they looked kinda like Ava if Ava was older and more...naturey.

The newcomer that no one else seemed to see, another hallucination perhaps, pressed a hand to Ventus’ head. It was calming to say the least.

“You have to remember for now.”

There was clarity, and the panic stopped if only to give way to a surge of anger.

The next thing Ven knew, he was waking up in an office in a chair across from a scarred yet handsome blond man. The nameplate on the desk claimed his name was Constantin D’orsay. So familiar just like the man before him.

That aside, his wrists hurt behind him, leading him to try and rub at them and be rid of the source of discomfort. He couldn’t, instead finding his hands linked together. Handcuffs?

Panicked, he looked to the man before him for answers.

“Ventus, my dear friend, are you alright?” He asked.

“Am I handcuffed?”

“Well you were proclaiming that you’d kill everyone, or every renaigse as you put it. Do you remember any of that?”

Shaking his head, Ven stared wide eyed at the other as if thirsting for more information.

“Don’t worry, you didn’t harm anyone. You merely scared people and made them uncomfortable so to give them peace of mind, we’re going to keep you here for the day until your siblings can bring you home.

“But what about class? And what about Strelitzia?! What if she’s still in danger?!”

“You’re meant to be nothing more than an observer, Ventus. You shouldn’t be trying to change anything.”

“But-!”

“But given I know who’s behind it as I’ve been tracking them, I’ll allow you to step in if you’d like.” Constantin offered a warm smile “Do show me your the you I remember will you.”

“The me you remember?” Ven asked with a tilted head of confusion. Wait, that’s not important right now. “You know who those masked people are? Did I tell you while I was blacked out and threatening everyone apparently?”

“I was told, yes. And I’m aware of their group because I have eyes everywhere.”

Giddy at the idea, Ventus practically beamed. “Are you also a hacker with your own network of cameras?!”

“Heavens no.” Constantin waved off. “I listen to nature. I’m not good with technology in the slightest.”

“Oh.” Ventus dimmed. “Well want me to teach you since I’m apparently gonna be here a while? I’m pretty good at computers and stuff, but I’m not sure how well I can do from here and without my hands”

“The cuffs aren’t coming off, dear friend. Forgive me, but they’ll have my head if I release you now.”

“Well that’s disappointing, but I’ll try to teach from here.” Very much so, but he’d attempt anyway. Where to start though.

Actually.

“So what all do you know about computers?” Ven decided on.

“I have to admit, not very much.” Constantin replied. He looked at the closed laptop sitting on his desk. “This was just part of the job. I’m not even accustomed with using it. I’m afraid I won’t fair well with trying. I’m not overly aware of technology to begin with.”

“Just like you’re not aware of how common people talk it seems.” Ven observed, tilting his head to the side. “How old are you exactly.”

“Only four years older than you, my dear friend.” He stood then, walking to the window of the room. It was shielded, draped over by dark curtains. With the sun bearing down on them, Ven couldn’t quite make out the colour. His eyes didn’t stay on them long enough anyway as Constantin threw them open with such grandeur. His hands cupped one another behind his back, and Ventus could’ve sworn that he saw a fancy red and blue coat with golden trim adorning the man’s shoulders. It felt so familiar. Even the scenery seemed to change from the drab office to one of a grand hall in front of a large open and shining window.

Tears stung at the younger blond’s eyes as he took the familiar sight in. With a bit of difficulty, he stood from a seat he couldn’t quite tell whether was comfortable or not. Probably would have been better had it not been for the handcuffs. Even those seemed to fade in favour of the illusion before him. Something still felt off though. What? He couldn’t seem to figure it out.

“What is it you see, my adorable friend?”

Ventus hesitated a moment. Talking about hallucinations never boded well for him so maybe he shouldn’t say. He got called a lunatic and treated poorly for just warning Strelitzia after all. And somehow, he felt anger towards the pair well inside him for it. It felt sticky, like hot tar. His head burned at the mere thought, practically boiling him alive.

Ventus grunted, hunching forward and gasping for breath.

“Ventus?” Constantin asked, concern clear in his tone. He moved to the paling and sweating child only for Ventus to collapse against him.

It burned.