Keys to Eternity [IC/Accepting]

[GreyCat]

[center][center][u]Keys of Eternity[/u]
[size=3][url="http://forum.yugiohcardmaker.net/topic/262982-keys-to-eternity-oocaccepting/"]OOC[/url][/size]



[i][size=4][font=Old English Text MT]Original Lock: Key of Beginnings[/font][/size][/i]
[i][size=3]Ages Long Past, Time forever Gone[/size][/i]
[i]Ear splitting screechings surged from the opening like a tactile force. A chaotic mix of sounds; like the peal of thunder, the crash of waves, the howl of the wind, wild laughter, tortured screaming, pained yells, angry ravings, and many more that could not be identified, that were too alien to understand, to strange to describe. Five robed figures stood at key points of a strange arcane circle, carved into the floor. As one, they made strange motions like a choreographed dance that changed midway through the act, spitting into individual movements; sweeping, firm, fierce, flowing, and smooth. With vast rumblings, and blinding lights, the massive double doors of the great opening slammed shut, cutting off the sound with solemn finality, filling the room with haunting silence. For a moment, they stood still; a second, a minute, hours, days, years, one could not be sure how time moved in that place. But one spoke when the time was right. "It has been done."[/i]

[size=5][font=Baskerville Old Face]First Lock: Key to Discovery[/font][/size]
[size=2]Present Day[/size]
The death of James Edwards was easily comparable to the death of a president. His untimely demise left many in the community grieving and saddened. Not only was he a powerful and well recognized figure, he was also kind and down to earth, well involved in the daily lives of those around him. But his importance in the magical world was even greater. He was the last Grand Master, the last of a rapidly fading age, the last to hold knowledge of the truth, the last to know the true nature of magic and the door that closed it away. His death not only left a power vacuum, but also heralded truly troubling times. The way to achieve the full power of magic was to be revealed at his funeral, only a few days from now. And already, those with intentions both good and bad have made their plans.


~~~~~
To Lavi, it was just another morning. He didn't have any grand plans about the funeral, though he was planning to see if the rumours were true. If they were... well, it was high time that magic stopped being for the elite. But aside from that, he was only prepared to take the day as it came. Currently, he was at the high school. His morning lesson was with the group of mages that attended classes there. An hour and a half long practical Basic Magical Theory class. He sorted through his lesson plans, a bit peeved that the main professor hadn't turned up again. Mr. Turner always was lax when it came to his classes.[/center][/center]

[Murar Bonefang]

[font=times new roman,times,serif][i]Akira got up late, only because his overprotective sis would make him go to school. His initial reaction was a "mmhtm, in a minute sis." bui he was rudely awakened within seconds with his comfy blanket yanked out. As he strolled into school, there seems to be an air of depression all around. That was when he remembered it was the chance to say final goodbye to Edward sama. The person who was known to be the last bastion in protecting magic. [/i][/font]

[font=times new roman,times,serif][i]Lately, he was taking magic classes, rather coaxed into taking these classes once some of the professors came to know to the "event" downtown. He hurried into the classroom, almost 5 minutes late, and preparing for the rebuke from his teacher, and that too it was his first day in History of Magic; "this is a bad beginning, starting the day with history and late in class" he mumbled to himself . As he was in front of the class, it suddenly dawned on him that all these people might have been able magicians as well, and there was a good chance that he might be bullied even more. "Never again, will i be bullied" Akira resolved to himself.

a weighty hand landed on his shoulder, surprising warm to touch, "Well laddie, i was wondering how i could welcome you into my class. You must be Gorou,lets go inside, and talk about old times" said a old man, with specs that must have been a couple of inches thick, with a strong English accent. The other guys in the class were hastily taking their places as Akira and Grand Mage Chester walked inside.[/i][/font]

[TwinSeed]

As the light shown through Eliza's room, purple curtains glistening in the newfound day, she sat at her desk, studying. As if in a trance, she'd accumulated most of the herbology books from the school's library, studying vigorously morning by morning, night by night, no time for luxury. This morning was only a tad different; her mood was sullen by the dainty clouds outside, and even her mini rose garden seemed less lively, less welcoming.

As she flipped through the book, skimming each page for something new, she felt a strange sense telling her to look into a different book that she'd checked out; a sense telling her that it's time to finally read her book on Earth magic. Normally, she would've jumped at this urge, been crazy to read the book, but it had an eerie feel to it; a foggy, unclear, unforeseen horrid use within. That wasn't something to usually stop her though, in fact, this type of feeling usually encouraged her to pick up the book and start studying. So why didn't she just do that? Several seconds passed of her just staring at the book, only a few feet away, lying in the middle of her stack.

Just then her alarm rang, and out the door she went, dressed snugly in a pink, cotton tank top, blue pants, yet not jeans, and her favorite polka dot flip flops. A girly girl? You could say that she is at times, definitely, but then there's the tomboy lurking deep down. She walked calmly, her shoulder bag by her side, into her Basic Magical Theory class, and took her seat next to Akira's.

"Hey Akira," she sighed with a tired smile, "how are you this morning?"

[Thar]

[i]Seems just like any ordinary day. The sun is shining without the obstruction of clouds or smoke. The grass greets my tired eyes with dazzling flowers of the most diverse colors. My garden speaks in greeting of my waking with pleasing sights of delicious vegetables that will soon be eaten. My, is that tea I smell in the kitchen? Oh wait, that's mine. It's ready.[/i]

The thoughts of a good morning rang through Syfer's head as he stretched out of his chair which sat in the middle of the room. The room was not very big, but being the only man in it, it felt like a mansion. A sharp whistling noise stabbed at his ears, but that spear was no match for Syfer, the Just! Protector of chaos and bringer of justice! His bare hand made contact with the piping hot handle of the tea pot, tipping it over and pouring the tea out as he took joy in seeing the mug fill up with steaming goodness. Cupping the mug, he nuzzled in the warmth of the liquid and the aroma that it summoned to his nostrils as he took a sip.

Wiping his lips, it would seem that one movement would be described as his actions for getting dressed. It was all put together before him as if the day belonged to him and to him alone. But it was not, for the day belonged to the halls of Gregory Matthews Academy, school of magic. It was his duty to watch over those precious halls for any sign of evil and bring them to justice! That was his purpo-

[i]Bah, who am I kidding. Those halls are narrow, anyway. What are the odds of thievery or such happening at a [/i]magic [i]school. Odds of retaliation to such crimes are high, for magic often cannot be controlled as well as one might hope. Whatever; I'm still dedicated to duty on that campus.[/i]

In minutes, Syfer Bukton the Just was before the grounds on Gregory Matthews Academy, the most honorable school of magic in history. He, the chosen one to bring balance to this school of unbalanced chaos, shall bring the unjust to justice through liberty and-

[i]For God's sake, Syfer, snap out of it! Your a security guard, not a warlord. Now get in character.[/i]

Making no further remarks, he marched across the halls of the academy, emotionless and on his guard.

[Murar Bonefang]

[font="'times new roman"][i]A pretty lady walked upto him and greeted Akira in a cheery voice. That is not something he gets often, and all he could do was a temporary wave and a constricted smile with a vague "hey there " trailing off carefully so as not to reveal that he didn't know her name.[/i][/font]
[font="'times new roman"][i] "who is this girl ? and how does she know my name ?" were the first things that struck him. [/i][/font]

[i]Then the unthinkable happened - the pretty girl sat next to him. Akira was puzzled, "It must be that i am cool in the magic world" thought Akira with confidence;[/i] [i]"snap out of it Batman, get real" said the other voice in his mind, that the courage to start a conversation was instantly gone. [/i]

[i]Akira looked straight where the teacher was supposed to be. never had he awaited so eagerly for a teacher to come. [/i]

[TwinSeed]

"So, um.." Eliza noted the uncomfortable scene that Akira was going through, but pressed on with the conversation, "did you sleep well last night?" Her large, green eyes prodded him, studying his emotions, "I can make you some herbal soup later if you'd like; you look a little pale."

Hesitantly, yet instinctively, she reached her hand towards his face to feel his temperature. All seemed normal, only a little below average. Eliza gave him a warmer smile and gently stroked his hair back.

[Asriel Dreemurr]

Thaddeus was deeply saddened by the loss of the Grand Master. He had not known the man well or personally, but he knew that Mister Edwards was responsible for the safety which the academy had provided when he was young and as such had a deep respect for the man. Currently, though, he was waiting through the current class period to end so that he could teach the Application of Magical Technique class for which he was usually just a Teacher's Assistant. Professor Verhast had called in sick that day and he was to give the lecture and perform the demonstration on that day. They weren't far into the semester, so he was merely teaching and As such the lesson he was giving was merely one of the fundamental application classes. As he waited for the bell to ring that would signal the end of the first and beginning of the second class periods, he picked up a small black book with crimson pages. It was entitled "Art in Chaos" and as the title suggested, it was one of several rare grimoires having to do with the knowledge required to utilize the mostly forgotten art of chaos magic.

He passed his hands over the pages, turning again and again to long lost articles in a language which had never been spoken or intended to be spoken. It was simple enough to learn, but due to the lack of interest in chaos magic very few bothered to do so, and as such he was likely the only one on campus or in the city who could read the grimoire if they wanted to. It was a portion he had read through already, but which he read often to help maintain control of his internal magics.

[i][font=times new roman,times,serif]It is through the strength of ones will that they gain mastery over the chaos within and without. By the strength of their will, the chaotic energies which one shall come to wield are prevented from overwhelming them, and through the will that one controls the outcome of any usage of chaos. Never forget that in its basic and pure form, chaos is totally unpredictable unless the will is imposed upon it. Never allow yourself to unleash pure chaos without regard for the outcome, for to rely upon fate to decide any outcome is to invite defeat. Take these teachings to heart and come to understand them.[/font][/i]

This was what Thaddeus read so that he could never forget and never allow himself to give in. This particular book also held within it the most basic principle of magic. "Always be certain that magic serves you, and you do not serve it." Thaddeus spoke aloud to no one at all, before simply returning to his reading. He intended to read and memorize every teaching in it, so that he might never forget, and perhaps some day pass them on to another so that they need not teach themselves from the books as he had.

[Murar Bonefang]

[font=times new roman,times,serif][i]As soon as the pretty girl touched his forehead it seemed as if this girl is someone who Akira knows from a long time. and Bam!! there it was, she was called Eliza. It came fleeting.[/i][/font]

[font=times new roman,times,serif][i]Akira still had problems talking with the girl, but blurted some thing in the lines of "Errmm, no , yes, i am fine"[/i][/font]
[font=times new roman,times,serif][i]Akira finally managed to talk back to her. "Are you a magicians too ? are all these people magicians as well ?"[/i][/font]

[TwinSeed]

"Magicians?" She was shocked to hear the term, not familiar with labeling herself as one. After pondering the question for a moment, "I can't speak for everyone, but I don't consider myself a 'magician' as you put it; I do have magic though.. well, so they say, but I don't think so.." She sheepishly looked down, somewhat embarrassed by her answer. Then her mind cleared, "why do you ask?"

[Murar Bonefang]

[i][font=times new roman,times,serif]Akira's face brightened up listening that there could be others who could do things most could not. [/font][/i]
[i][font=times new roman,times,serif]"Please show me. please please" he begged of her. He was very excited, he continued, "you know sometimes, there is a animal that charges out of hands and he chases away the bad people. I can not control it properly yet, but i wish to learn how to. Can you teach me ? oh, but first show me your magic .I will give you my lunch in exchange." Blurted out Akira [/font][/i]

[TwinSeed]

She was taken aback by his sudden change in mood and pleading, then looked at him strangely; crookedly. A few quiet seconds passed. Finally, she whispered "I guess... So, um, a monster? Out of your.. hands? ...Are you certified; y'know, insane?" She giggled lightly, then patted his head.

[Murar Bonefang]

[font=times new roman,times,serif][i]"No, believe me, an animal thingy comes out, it has horns too you know" defended Akira, "and it's not a monster, its a very good spirit that protects the good people". "Now tell me about your's" demanded Akira. I wish people were not embarrassed about something about themselves. If we have it, then we have it. Hiding something from the world only makes them more inquisitive about these things.[/i][/font]

[font=times new roman,times,serif][i]"oh, so rude of me, I am called Gorou Kenji, my friends call me Akira. I live with my parents and siblings in the town. I love the school's drama clun and i am also in the crafts section. My favorite food is ramen" akira blurted out all these information in a single breath [/i][/font]

[TwinSeed]

Eliza clutched his shoulders and shook her head, looking down and laughing, "settle down dude, you're gonna hurt yourself." Then she suddenly became serious, staring into his eyes for one long second. "I can show you my magic right now," she stated reluctantly, "but I'm not allowed to. Not without a supervisor. But what do you say?" She kept her sweet, alluring, welcoming smile, but took on a different tone. "Oh, and here's a little about me: I have no family except my friends here at the academy, and.." she pulled the locket around on her necklace, opening it and showing Akira, "well, this is a picture of my parents, though it's old and a little worn out... it, and my magic, are the only memorabilia I have of them." She turned sullen again, slouching back into her seat.

Mumbling to herself, she thought aloud, "I wonder if class will start soon..."

[GreyCat]

“Good morning students,” Lavi announced as he strolled into the class room, closing the door behind him, a binder with his notes and sheets under his arm. He dropped it on the desk and plucked a stick of chalk from the tray, and wrote in precise characters, [i]World Mythology 101, TA: Lavi Lenard.[/i] “Welcome to World Mythology 101,” he said as he wrote. He turned to faced them, his hands held like claws, palms facing and pointing opposite directions. Faint gold sparks jumped between his rings and he turned them to point outwards with one smooth, practiced motion. The walls of the room fell back a good ten feet from the seats, making the room much more expansive. “Also known as Magical Theory. For beginners.”

“Sorry for the late start, but your teacher decided to react to recent events by taking a spiritual pilgrimage. And didn’t think to tell me,” Lavi added with a weary look. Turner was one of the few mages that Lavi considered to be more of a mystic. He frequently got weird premonitions or visions and went off on random meditations at the least opportune time. Considering he was also one of the most powerful physics he knew, he was will to let it slide.

“Anyway, for some of you, this will be your first officially sanctioned magic lesson. To start off with, let’s get to know about each other. I’m Lavi Lenard, your TA turned part time teacher. I’m the Leo, from the 5[sup]th[/sup] house and use light and fire magic.” He held up his hands, conjuring a glowing aura over one and a strange flame that seemed more like plasma on the other. “Feel free to call me Lavi.”

[TwinSeed]

Eliza had lost all interest in Mr Lavi's monologue, pulling yet another herbology book from her bag and jotting down notes of desert lilies and tundra snapes. "Let's see..." Pulling out another sheet of paper, she constructed a few diagrams and many equations, but, oddly, found no results within her mind. Burying her face in her hands, she looked in her mind's eye, conjuring scenes and focusing on more intense equations.

"No, no.. maybe if I.. no, that won't work either... n- wait, I got it..." She closed her eyes tightly, searching her database of a brain, "rabbi dugroot and desert lilies?" She opened her eyes wide, staring down, and yanked out another piece of notebook paper. Immediately, without even giving time for her eyes to adjust to the light, she had drawn two perfect circles, two comparison circles, and began comparing the two flowers. But then, she lost it; her mind lost its grasp. All the endless studying, thinking, practicing, perfecting; it all caught up to her. Eliza fainted, her unconscious head falling onto the papers as her body relaxed.

[GreyCat]

"It's too early in the year to have students fainting from over work," Lavi muttered to himself as students rose from their seats in surprise as well as to see what was happening. He waved them aside as he swept the desk clear. "Move back people, give her some room to breath." He carefully lifted her from the chair and lay her on the desk. "Breathing steady, no since of an injury or swelling, slight fever." He murmured, placing a hand on her forehead. He sighed and took up the chalk he used early. "[size=2]I hate this spell[/size] Alright, let's not waste a learning opportunity. Healing arts can be done in different ways, herbs, medicines, rituals, etc. This is a symbol ritual spell for basic diagnosis and emergency treatment. You may eventually learn something similar in Magical Application class, but this one is unique to my magic system."

He carefully inscribed an oval around her, marking the wide and the narrow diameters with symbols and swirling drawings. He scribbled the sun symbol on her forehead and nodded. Setting aside the chalk, he clapped his hands together, and slowly separated them, a golden flame like he made before suspended between his palms. He blow it gently over her, and the flame engulfed her, gently flickering as it burned away the symbols, save for the one on her forehead. He sighed as it faded away and her body glowed slightly before fading back to normal.

"Just fatigue and magical strain. Good, good." He scooped her up. "Okay class, I'm taking Eliza to the nurses office. Read up on magical overuse and it's symptoms. I believe it's page 678 in your book, chapter 35 I think. Check the index. There'll be a quiz on it next class." He headed out the door and off to the nurses station.

[TwinSeed]

Eliza half-limped, half-dead-weighted herself alongside Lavi, drifting in and out of existence, reality, consciousness; drifting in and out of sanity it seemed, to her. "La-" she trailed off, trying to speak. "Lav..." Her head was hung low and she watched her arms swinging smoothly from side to side, noted her legs moving mechanically. "Hmm..." She fell back to an unconscious state, purposefully succumbing to the darkness; welcoming the solitude, welcoming the familiar experience.

Then she awoke, bright lights blinding her eyes. Fear stricken and unable to scream for help, she closed her eyes tightly shut and threw herself upright. "What's going on...?" she managed through unregulated breaths.

[Thar]

Syfer noticed a spec of dirt on his uniform. Nothing too severe, he thought. He only needed a little swipe, but that might spread it even more. He cupped his fingers, his palm facing up towards his face, and focused his mind on the medallion. His hand started to glow faintly where the medallion with the rose carved in it was gently pressed against his palm with the help of two red ribbons wrapped around his hand. The glow of his hand gradually moved to only one of his fingers, where what would seem to be a light sparked on the tip. He moved this light towards the dirt, careful not to touch his uniform for it might ruin it. It was not less than an inch from the spec before the spec disappeared in an instant, reappearing in a pot of flowers sitting on one of the window sills next to the nurse's office.

"It's just one spec of dirt," he said to himself, "but one spec can turn into a whole pile if not attended to properly... and that is why I'm here-"

He noticed movement from down the hall. A man was carrying a young girl, walking curiously quick. His eyes were set on the door adjacent to him, then he knew. Asking what the matter was would be disrespectful to the situation at hand, but by the time they went through the doorway, he could not help but glance into the room, seeing the young girl's conscience regain just vaguely.

"Everything all right, Mr. Lavi, sir?" he took merely a step inside the doorway, a look of curiosity wiped the place clean, "Anything I can help with? Or is the situation under control?" He looked back through the doorway, prepared to exit as soon as he was told otherwise.

[GreyCat]

"Settle down," Lavi instructed as he brewed a pot of tea. He poured out a cup of the mix and pressed it into her hands. "Drink this. It's a mix of lemon balm, hyssop and lavender." He took a clipboard from the side table. "You collapsed in class, and interrupted the lesson, I might add. The nurse says you've been overworking yourself." He poured a cup for himself and sipped it lightly then grimaced. "Needs ice. But you need to rest. Your prescription says an hour or two of bed rest before returning to classes."

He turned as Syfer came in. He smiled lightly. "Good morning Bukton. A student of mine passed out in class. I'm spending a few minutes to watch her since the nurse had to run out for a moment. Something about a mishap in the chemistry lab. You're welcome to a cup of tea if you like."

[TwinSeed]

Eliza grabbed her own cup of warm tea and sipped it, taking in the different types of herbs used in it. "Mmm... Hm?" Noticing an anomaly in the taste, she took a larger drink of it, pondering it with a confused expression. "Hmmm..." Obeying Lavi's orders, and feeling ill, she drank more of the sweet, warm tea, savoring it. Then she realized the extra ingredient. Sugar. She'd only ever tasted sugarless tea, because her mom had always told her that the sugars lowered the taste of the plants.

She cupped the mug with both hands and looked over to Lavi, her eyes finally adjusted. "Lavi... Do you know what can be mixed with desert lilies?" Her mind was reeling again, curious for answers. "I was thinking about it earlier, in class, and can't think of a single thing that can be mixed with them."

[GreyCat]

"Tea? Sorry herbology isn't my strong point." Lavi admitted. "My healing is based around using the energy of flames to fuel the bodies natural regenerative abilities. I just know a couple teas that ease headaches, help you focus and calm the mind, for when I research." He shrugged. Mulling it over. He'd never even heard of desert lily tea. "I could lend you some books on medicinal herbs and culinary herbs. It could help." He thought about it. That would be interesting research, maybe comparing the chemical composition of extracts from different plants, and cross reverencing the information with a list compiled with different ceremonial herbs of different cultures.

"But not now," he instructed, putting some force behind the statement. "You need to rest. Either you stop focusing on work and settle down, or the nurse will have to put you under. It's not good for students to have stress break downs so early in the year."

[TwinSeed]

"I wasn't talking about tea, just the plant itself." She sat there, silent for a moment, "but I'll rest."

She layed down across the bed again, closing her eyes and drifting off.

----------

Everything was still, until another student walked in. "Eliza?"

The voice was unfamiliar to her, so she took a long sip of tea before responding, considering possible answers and names. "Yes, I'm Eliza. May I help you?"

He walked forward and handed her a vase filled with a single flower, a white rose. "The nurse asked me to give this to you; we all know how much you like plants." He just stood there, saying no more, and awkward smile hanging on his face.

"Thank you very much, it's lovely!" She exclaimed, grabbing for the vase. A violent coughing fit seized her though, causing her to drop the vase. Glass splattered across the floor, but she didn't notice. The fit continued, and she eventually started coughing up blood. Holding tightly onto her key, she squeezed her eyes shut. "Lavi!" She screamed, but her voice was muffled.

---------

She woke herself, screaming and thrashing, calling for Lavi. Nothing was happening though; all was fine. No glass on the floor. Her tea had been taken. She was alone in the nurse's office.

[Jake the Sage]

[b]TIME SKIP:[/b] Night of the Funeral

The full moon hung low in the sky the night sky, as if bowing it's head to show respect for the passing of such a great man. The private burial had been changed, due to the hype of his final wish, to a televised events which was being broadcast over the entire campus on all the channels. Though James Edwards had wanted a peaceful, quite funeral, it was not to be. Trumpets sounded through the chilled air as the campus' chancellors and high ranking members walked up to honor the passing of such a great man. Even normal students had gathered, whether they knew it or not, by fate to honor the man and take witness to the historical events to unfold . . .

The events culminating to their climax, the lowering of the casket, many people wept and very few jeered at his passing; though the majority simply held their place in somber poise and grace. The casket laying now at the bottom of the School Monument a man walked out with a large scroll and placed it on the pedestal while cameras zoomed in on his face and the crowd grew hush. Beginning to read the scroll he was cut off by the sound of a single gunshot before he toppled over.

The gunshot was immediately followed by the mass panic of the crowd as black circles appeared on the ground and what appeared to be sludge seep out form them. The sludge rose and rose until ht gained the shape of man and beast like, horrid creatures with disfigured features and a more horrid smell. Each bellowed out and took a swing at the nearest thing to them; man, woman, child, living or not it didn't matter to them. Many who watched this, live or else where, could not believe what their own eyes were witnessing. Creatures . . . no . . . demons being summoned out of nothingness and causing havoc as a lone figure watched over from their perch. The demons were searching for something, killing people and tearing them apart in an attempt to find what they sought. It was apparent that if they weren't stopped they would keep killing mindlessly until they obtained the object/person of their mission.

[Asriel Dreemurr]

Thadeus stood there in the crowd, resting his weight upon the upper portion of his crystal staff whilst he silently watched the procession. He was dressed, as always, in his brown robe with an open, high-collared white coat which only covered the upper portion of his torso when closed and bore decorative iron plating around the ends of the sleeves. His favored accompaniment to this was also worn, a plated iron belt from which hung a plain white cloth kilt of sorts which was open at the front and also bore decorative iron plating, though only along the insides of the forward opening, and a pair of talismans which hung down from either corner at the front. His expression was one of somber respect, and he was patiently waiting as the speaker came to the forefront to say the Eulogy. When the gunshot rang out, he immediately knew that something was up and raised his staff from the ground, gripping it just down from the center in his black gloved right hand while the black iron gauntlet on his left hand was curled into a fist.

As the demons began to appear from the shadows, the chaotic symbols upon his gauntlet were already aglow in red. He focused on the demon nearest him, briefly acknowledging that none had appeared within appropriate range to engage him in close-combat, and selected one of a few techniques which he knew very well. A moment later he threw his armored left hand forward, opening it completely and altering its position so that fingers and thumb were pointed directly at it. A thin, almost wire-like triangular stream of alternating black and red energy shot forth from the center of his palm and pierced the demon through the head, before flying about through the air and turning about to hurtle back through the demon's body. The stream had taken on an almost solid form, and was razor sharp along the three edges it bore. It continually entered, exited, and re-entered the demon's body over and over again as if it were a demented needle and thread sewing the beast together. This occurred for around twenty seconds until the beast was appropriately struck down before it hurtled back towards Thaddeus, wrapping around the upper portion of his crystal staff mere centimeters from the surface as he slowly began advancing towards where the speaker had stood.

"The murderer must be nearby, and with any luck they'll be trying to get the scroll." He said to no one in particular, continuing his advance. A group of demons, three of them, presented themselves to him as if to bar his way. He simply aimed his stave at them and sent the stream hurling in a perfect line towards the head of the central one. It entered and did not exit for a few seconds, before boring its way out of the side and curling about the throat the one to its right. The stream then hurtled around back through the head of the first demon and harmlessly entered the body of the third through its nose, closing about and severing the neck of the second in the process. The demon seemed to think this was a joke and moved to strike Thaddeus, only to have the thread detonate inside of it and send chunks hurtling out in all directions just as the first two hit the ground. Stepping over the corpses and the mess, Thaddeus continued on his path towards the speaker; though he was now no longer maintaining the thread.

[TwinSeed]

Eliza sat in her room, observing the funeral process on her TV with a friend, Joey, and practicing her magic on a pile of soil. Only half paying attention to the service, she attempted to sculpt the loose dirt; rising, lowering, and indenting certain parts. Her concentration was broken, however, when James burst through the door and forced them to watch what was happening.

The three of them stared at the screen in awe and horror as the first few demons rose from the ground. Though disgusted by their rampant nature and malformed figures, none of them could bare to miss a second of what the cameras, despite being unmanned captured. When Eliza went to look out her window, all seemed calm; they hadn't made it this far yet, and they were safe for the time being.

Joey was the next to speak. "W-what's happening out there?" He's naturally timid, and an instance like this would have anyone shaken up, but he was shivering, not from cold, from fear.

"Isn't it obvious!?" James blared after noticing that I didn't have an answer myself, "someone's trying to destroy the magic here, the students!"

They both looked at him oddly, wondering how he came to such a conclusion. Regardless, it was the only thing we had to go on. "So what do we do about it? None of us our nearly strong enough to kill even one of those things!"

"We hide", he said matter-of-factly. On that note, they all found a place in the room to hide. Eliza made herself comfortable under the bed, assuming that the monsters wouldn't notice her. Joey claimed a space in the pantry. James wandered into and took ahold of the restroom, curling into the shower.