Demon's Reign

The next day came. After his previous confrontation with investigator Timothy Matsuhide, Zeke decided to lay low. He went straight from class to class, avoiding public gathering spots, making himself seen as little as possible. The only exception to this was when he went to the cafeteria. However, just as himself and Fredric approached their usual spot, they were greeted by a trio—Caleb, Michel, and Josh—standing next to their table.

Zeke was freaked out by this. For a moment, his mind went rampant, looking around for clues of their reasoning for being there. He stared at their hands, feet, and faces, trying to get a stable reading on the situation. Their presence—something about it—triggered within him the same feelings he felt over a year ago. He was once again a weak and fragile child about to be beaten to a bloody pulp by contractors. His pupils dilated as his body instinctively readied itself for combat. His breath gradually became more shallow, and before he could even notice it, he was already in a trance-like state; the cafeteria din dimmed to a thin metallic ring as old panic returned with fangs.

Fredric slammed Zeke on the shoulder, snapping him out of his state of panic.

"You alright?" he asked.

"Yeah," Zeke replied before taking a deep breath. "Why have you come," he asked the three.

"Zeke!" Caleb called out, "We're here to apologize," the three lowered their heads.

"After what happened we finally understood the way we treated you was unfair," Michel stated.

"We shouldn't have done it, and we will never do it again, to anyone," Josh stated.

"Is that all?" Zeke asked.

"Uh," Caleb raised his head in surprise. "Yes."

"Then leave," Zeke said, approaching his table.

The group left, all visibly uncomfortable because of what happened. Their steps were uneven, quick; they kept their eyes low, cutting through the crowd like men slipping into rain.

"Cold," Fredric remarked.

"Them apologizing now doesn't change what happened in the past," Zeke remarked.

"You stingy brat," Fredric sighed. "At least, they had the courage to apologize in the first place. Many people would just pretend nothing happened. But not these guys." He crossed his arms. "These kids went out of their way to approach you. You might as well pretend to hear them out."

"I owe them nothing," Zeke growled. "I don't owe anything to anybody."

Fredric scoffed. The overhead lights cast a sterile sheen across steel countertops; steam hissed from the espresso bar like a muted threat.
"Some time will pass, I'm sure you will continue to live your life believing what you said as the truth. But one day, something terrible will happen and then you will understand exactly what you owe to who." He said with a grim expression as his eyes pulsed with a certain golden glow.

"I didn't mean you," Zeke stated with a concerned expression. "You've done a lot for me. I tressure you deeply and would do the same for you."

"Well maybe, one day, you will get a chance to," Fredric stated, his face twisting into the most forced grimace of a smile possible—thin, brittle, and gone in a heartbeat, like a crack racing across glass.

After having their meal, the two once again split up. Fredric drifted back to their homeroom; he would often use his time alone to catch up on sleep. As of late, he had been leaving in the evening and coming home late at night, stating that he had taken in a stray puppy and was now teaching it to wag its tail. The story changed each time, but the yawn never did.

Zeke, on the other hand, headed for the library. He had yet to see Violet after the incident, and the silence between them had started to feel like a weight in his chest.

Inside the reading room's hush—paper breath, the soft ticking of a wall clock—he found Calvin posted by the window like a sentry. Zeke walked up and brought his index finger to his mouth, gesturing for quiet, then pointed upward toward the ceiling rafters. Calvin's broad mouth tugged into a grin; he flashed Zeke a thumbs-up and shifted aside, letting him approach Violet without her noticing.

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In a flash, Zeke dove in, sweeping Violet out of her wheelchair with a clean, practiced lift.

"What is this!?" Violet screamed.

But Zeke could not hear her. He vaulted through the open window, clutching her close, and scaled the exterior with spidering precision before leaping high into the cloudline. Below, countless knights stationed around the academy perimeter snapped their gazes skyward, lenses narrowing, hands racing to comms that suddenly seemed a beat behind the sky.

"What's going on?!" Violet screamed aggressively, attempting to flail her arms.

"Careful now princess," He laughed. "It's a long way down from here."

"Oh Zeke!" Violet said, overjoyed with hearing his voice. "You should have said it was you," she stated.

"I wanted it to be a surprise," Zeke set her down on the roof.

They settled on the ridge tiles, Zeke sitting beside her as wind braided through their hair. From up here the quad looked like a painted scroll: rows of red-maple crowns burning against a sweep of clean blue sky, paths stitching silver between lecture halls. The city beyond glimmered faintly, a rumor at the horizon.

"You sure are feisty," Zeke smiled.

"What did you expect. My father is one of the thirteen strongest knights after all," Violet stated, flexing her arm.

The two laughed, an easy, bright laughter that felt like sunlight after rain.

"It's been so long since we talked," Violet remarked.

"Only a little over two weeks," Zeke smiled.

"Yeah, maybe it wouldn't have felt like so long if a certain someone didn't go no contact with me," Violet remarked.

"Yeah, sorry about," I wanted to think things through.

"So what's new?" Violet wondered. "You seem a little different than before."

"Well, for starters. Me and Amy started dating a couple of days ago," Zeke smiled.

"I see…" Violet paused, her face appeared sad, despite her efforts to keep smiling. "I'm happy for the two of you. I wish you all the best."

"Thanks," Zeke replied, awkwardly paying no mind to her obvious signs of hurt.

He knew from the moment they started hanging out that Violet had feelings for him. Yet despite that, he also understood the two of them were not meant for each other. She was far too sweet and gentle—a fragile flower—while he led a life full of danger, and because of that he could not find it in himself to get romantically close to her. He did not allow his heart to waver. All he could do now was tell her the truth and hope that the pain she felt would one day subside.

"But honestly, I don't think that's quite it," Violet stated. "Your mana, it feels more gentle than before. Like a deep unbearable hunger had soothed and resolved itself," Violet explained.

Zeke turned pale.

"You can feel my mana?" he questioned.

"Yes," she nodded. "I… Have a special talent," she explained.

"If she were to see me acting as the prowler she would surely figure out it's me," Zeke thought. "I need to be really careful around her."

"I recently reached a new milestone while using magic," Zeke smiled.

"Yes!?" Violet asked, visibly excited. "Is that what you used to beat Ian?" she wondered.

"No," Zeke stated. "I used something else," Zeke said in a somber tone.

Truth be told, he still had doubts about whether what he did was correct or not. After what happened, Ian was detained by the knights and is still being detained. There is likely no future for him in the Babel Academy after what happened, nor will he ever be able to join the knights. The knowledge sat bitter on Zeke's tongue; he had manipulated Ian into the confrontation, and that stain did not wash out easily.

"Zeke, do you know how much the Academy changed in the last couple of weeks?" Violet asked.

"I'm not sure," Zeke replied.

"Well for starters the halls have become a lot calmer. I have not heard of any fights breaking out. The teachers are being pressed to conduct their evaluations more fairly regarding non-contractor students. But the biggest change is that there is no fear anymore. I no longer feel it. People are finally starting to feel free. And its all because of you," Violet explained.

"I only did what I thought was right." Zeke said. "It's only natural that people should be treated equally no matter it they're a contractor." He stated.

"What you just said remind me a lot of Richard Talve," Violet grabbed her chin.

"That politician?" Zeke asked. "I always thought he was a populist," he remarked.

"We'll it's true that he does his best to appeal to the masses. However, at his core, he is a man hu stands for the equality of all," Violet explained.

"You really like that guy, huh?" Zeke wondered.

"Not necessarily," Violet stated. "I just thought you two seemed alike." She explained. "I heard he's going to hold a public speaking event this Friday. Maybe you should attend, who knows you might just find someone close to your way of thinking."

Zeke looked toward the distance as the cold autumn breeze pulled back his hair. Below, the campus murmured—wheels on stone, a bell's mild chime, leaves rustling like low applause. He felt it, a strange sensation of adventure that he had longed for. He had last felt it before deciding to go to the Undercity. He felt that another path was uncoiling before his very eyes, and it was for him to decide if he would submit to it or let it slip away.

"Yeah, I think I might just go," he murmured, looking over at the cliff where he and Fredric first met.