Ferain did not forget the events of that night. She doubted that would ever be possible. Just the mere thought of it brought back the fear she felt in those everlasting moments, the short few minutes that to her, felt like an eternity. It hadn’t been long since that night, only a week or so. To be honest, things within the school did not change much. For the first day back, people talked about how grateful they were that the killer was finally caught. Other folks discussed their confusion over Yarin being the culprit. He was a quiet, secluded sort, but nobody expected him to do something so grievous. Some more people talked loudly and boldly about how they knew it from the very start, but they were threatened to keep their mouths shut, or something like that.
Ferain didn’t pay any of it any mind, which meant that the only real changes to her daily routine was that Yarin was no longer around, for obvious reasons, and Lilipa had not been present since. It worried her, if she was being honest. The only person present from that trio was Kiko, and he didn’t appear to be adamant about sharing his company with her or Anita. That was all well and good, seeing as Anita was never fond of his presence to begin with, and after that bizarre encounter in the dorm lobby, Ferain found herself sharing that opinion. She didn’t hate him, but Kiko made her feel… uneasy, to put it lightly. There was a mystery about him, a side that he was clearly hiding, and she couldn’t look past that after that night. Also, Kiko didn’t exactly seem to be in a friendly mood since Yarin got arrested, perhaps for obvious reasons. His partner confessed to killing around a dozen people since the year started, that had to be a heavy weight on his mind currently.
Ferain was in her usual seat in Mr. Haris’s class, and as expected, Maple and Victor were seated around her. Ferain paid them little mind as her eyes stared through the pane of glass beside her. It was what she typically did whenever something was on her mind, and unfortunately, that was quite frequently as of late. In the week since Yarin’s confession, it was still hard to believe. Partially, it was because of little things she was starting to pick up on as she replayed that night back in her mind. That person, the one that almost killed her, didn't feel like Yarin. Of course, this could be because he was hiding what he truly was, making the ‘real’ Yarin unrecognizable when compared to the person she thought she knew. But, there was a sliver of doubt within her, one that was born from the honesty she’d heard in his voice when he promised her of his innocence.
This doubt made her think it was a different person entirely that had attacked her, but she didn’t know how that could be possible. Even if somebody was able to change into Yarin, how could they copy his powers perfectly? And, if they could copy his powers, how could they also change into him? These were all different abilities, and while wielders could have multiple, this would be one hell of a coincidence for a person to be born with these specific skills. Of course, it’s possible, but in her mind, not likely. This just led to more questions without answers. It was like a dog chasing its tail in a way, one that was almost comedic whenever she realized it. Her pondering always went in a circle, and when it came back around, the chasing started again, always looking for answers that she simply couldn’t find. There was too much she didn’t know, or perhaps, just maybe, the only answer was the one she was given. As hard as it was to believe, as impossible as it was to accept it, maybe Yarin really did do it.
This brought back some words she’d heard from Cross Key some time ago, words that she hadn’t given a second thought once she’d been cleared as a suspect. “Sometimes, when a man is shot, it really is just the person with the gun that did it.” he had told her, and despite the pain she felt while recalling these words, she had to accept the fact that they are true. The world was hardly ever that simple, she’d learned that from her own past, but when everything points to Yarin, and Yarin even confessed to the crimes, who was she to deny the reality of it all? Still, even with all of this, even when everything was pointing to him, there was still one question that she asked herself more than any other, and still hadn’t managed to find a suitable answer for it.
“Why turn yourself in?” she wondered, watching the field outside as other students went about their day, unhindered by these burdens and contemplations. They didn’t know Yarin… and they didn’t care what happened to him. All of them, every last person in this school except for a select handful, would just go through their remaining days here feeling relieved that the killer had been caught. They wouldn't feel torn by the fact that it was Yarin who’d done it, and they wouldn’t even think about it much after another week or two passed and everything returned to a real sort of normalcy. If she had to be honest with herself, even Anita might eventually start distancing herself from this matter. The only people who might forever deal with this weight would be herself and Lilipa.
“Ferain?” asked Maple.
“I just don’t get it.” Ferain muttered, ignoring her friend’s call.
“Ferain!” This time, Maple shouted as she slammed a hand on her desk. Fera jumped and glanced over while holding a hand over her racing heart. Her eyes went wide in terror and for a second, she thought she saw glowing crimson eyes staring at her. It only lasted half a second before the illusion reformed into reality. Instead of crimson irises, she was met with round orbs that were the same comforting color as honey. They were eyes that quickly softened with an expression of deep concern as she must have noticed the brief flash of terror on her friend’s face. “You… You were thinking out loud again.” Maple softly pointed out.
“O-oh… I’m sorry.” Fera murmured, trying to catch her breath. “Sorry. I… I was a bit lost in thought.”
“You’ve been lost in thought a lot lately, Lightning Bug.” came Victor from her right. His mature features also had a consoling radiance about them. He really did look more like a young man than a teenager in his first year of high school. As for his dark eyes, they always had a warmth in them, like actual coal, but it wasn’t a warmth that would burn you, it was one that enveloped you and kept you safe in the terrors that dwelled in a freezing abyss. For Ferain, she saw strength in them, and she always felt comforted whenever they found her. “You haven’t talked about it.” said Victor.
“Yeah, like, not at all. I guess for you, that’s not really uncharacteristic, but still, maybe talking about it can help.”
“Talk about what?” asked Ferain, trying to collect herself. She rested her chin in her palm and turned towards the window again, but this time, her eyes did not focus on the world outside. Instead, they darted between the reflections of her friends in the glass.
“We’re not stupid, Ferain.” Maple said angrily. “It’s about that friend of yours, obviously. Keep trying to play dumb and I might just hit you.”
“Minus the hitting part, I’m sort of on her side.” Victor chimed in. “If it’s bothering you that badly, speak up a bit. You’ve been pushing us to the wayside all week. We’re your friends, we want to help if we can.”
Ferain sighed and shook her head. It wasn’t because of their actions that she did this, but her own. “There’s not much you can really do, Victor, that’s why I’ve been keeping quiet. I know that I should talk about it, at least with you two, but… what’s done is done. What good would talking about it do?”
“It could help clear your mind a bit.” Maple suggested. “Keeping all of that swimming around in there, it’s not healthy. Trust me, it could drive a person mad.”
“Speaking from experience?” asked Ferain, grinning as she glanced sideways at her.
“Maybe.” Maple teased, leaning forward against the back of her seat, and resting her arms on Fera’s desk. “So, you gonna talk with us?”
Fera’s gaze darted to the window again before she closed her eyes tight. A deep inhale, followed by a long, steady exhale, made her feel more comfortable with what she knew she had to do. Or, maybe not ‘had’ to do, but perhaps ‘wanted’ was the better word for this situation. She’d talked to Anita about it ad nauseam but maybe two more heads to bounce things off of wouldn't be a bad way to sort things out in her mind. Maple was right about one thing, keeping everything in the way she was now was driving her mental. It was all tangling up with everything else, distracting her and turning her mind into a complete wreck. Just as she was about to start, however, she realized one minute problem.
“I don’t really know where to start.” she said, chuckling grimly as she scratched her cheek lightly with a finger.
“For starters, how do you feel about it?” asked Victor.
“I don’t know… confused, mostly. I just… I can’t fully believe it was him, despite everything. But also, how could it be anybody else?”
“If you had more knowledge, you might find an answer to that,” said Victor.
“I think that’s an obvious thing, big guy.” said a disappointed Maple. “I mean, you could say that about anything but it won’t change nothing. Obviously, if somebody knew all sides of the story, they could figure everything out, but we don’t have that luxury here.”
“Do we not?” Victor questioned, turning from Maple to Ferain again. “What I mean is the school’s registry. If you could look through that, you might find people with the powers required to maybe copy another person’s abilities or perhaps change into them altogether. I know that those sorts of things might be missing details, like second abilities and things like that, but it might be a good place to start looking.”
“The school registry?” Ferain asked, rising from her leaning posture and staring intently at her large companion. “But… only the teachers and the headmaster have access to it. I can’t go digging around in school files without permission.”
Maple then hit herself on the forehead lightly with a fist. “Duh! Ferain, you’re like best friends with the headmaster, aren’t ya? All you have to do is ask him and I’m sure he’ll—”
“That’s stupid, Maple.” Victor interrupted, cutting her short. “If there’s any person she can't ask, it’s Headmaster Hakamura. He’s in charge of the school, how could anybody expect him to break such an important rule for the sake of a student?”
“Besides just that, we’re not best friends. He just… looks out for me from time to time, nothing more. I hardly know anything about him. I can’t request to see the registry, and he wouldn't show me even if I could.”
“Then we’ll have to come up with another idea.” Maple said, putting a finger to her temple and closing her eyes in concentration. They quickly shot open, as if a light bulb burst to life above her head. “We could break into the headmaster’s office and steal the registry.” she put forth. A smug expression filled her features, as if she thought she was the smartest person in the school for even coming up with such a fantastic idea. Unfortunately for her, Ferain was not able to agree with this sentiment.
“I don’t think that’s a go—”
“That’s what I was thinking,” said Victor, easily drowning out Ferain’s protest. “To some extent, I believe you have the right of it.”
“I really don’t think it's a good idea.” Ferain said, giving both of them a disconcerted leer. “You’re talking about doing something that could get all of us expelled. Worst case, we wind up in a cell right next to Yarin if they’re feeling particularly ruthless.” Ferain pointed out.
“That’s why you and Maple won’t get caught.”
“Us? Not you?” Maple put in.
Victor pointed at his own body and glowered. “Do you honestly think I can sneak around at all? I’m easily the largest student in the school. You can’t possibly expect me to go creeping into the office like some sort of ninja.”
“Oh, but you expect the pair of us to do that so easily because we’re small. I think there’s some sort of prejudice going on here.”
“If we really can’t think of another way, I can try. Sometimes, when I’m in his office, he leaves me alone so he can go take care of a task for a teacher.” said Ferain. “Maybe I can grab them while he’s gone.”
“That may work, but there’s one problem with that.” Victor stated. “I doubt the files are actually physical nowadays. They might have some on hand but it will probably be better to get them digitally, that way nobody could find out they’re missing… you know, because they technically won't be.”
“First we’re ninjas and now we’re hackers?” said Maple. “I don’t know what’s wrong with you today, Vic, but I think you hit your head or something when you woke up.”
“You’re the one that brought up sneaking around in the first place.” he quickly argued. “Besides, it’s as simple as plugging in a portable drive and hitting the download button. You’ll just need enough time to find them on his computer.”
“I don’t know, Victor, it sounds really risky.” Ferain said. “Plus, what if it leads to nothing? What if all of this is pointless? Yarin might be the actual killer… I mean, he did come clean.”
“Maybe it is all pointless.” said Victor, leaning forward and sending a serious glare her way. “But… I know you won’t be able to put this aside unless you know. If you never find out the truth, you’ll beat yourself up over it forever.”
“He’s right.” Maple interjected. “It might be risky, but I’m stupid enough to try it if it has a chance of helping you out. I owe you a lot, Ferain, so I need to start repaying some of that.”
“How do you figure that?” Fera questioned, eyeing her curiously.
“You sat next to me on your first day in class. You became my friend. Not a lot of people offer even that much. I know I’m probably not your first pick for support, not with a person like Anita in your life, but I’ll do this to the best of my ability, no matter the outcome.”
Ferain looked between her two friends and shook her head wearily. Finally, after several seconds of deep thought, she looked up and smiled. “Fine. I’ll go there during lunch today and you two can cause a distraction or something. You just have to do something to make him leave his office for a while so I can get the files. I’ve never seen a computer in there but maybe he has a laptop somewhere behind his desk. I’ll need a bit of time to look around.”
“I’m sure we can think of something.” Maple said, grinning her way. “I’m a massive troublemaker and Victor is too big for the hallways. We’ll get it done.”
“I’m not that big.” Victor said, sounding hurt. He eyed Ferain next but he didn’t smile, nor did his lips show any signs of ever coming close to even the slightest of grins. It was an expression of dead seriousness, as if life or death was what hung on the success of this mission. “When it’s done, we’ll meet up after school and sort through it together, yeah? We’ll be there for you, no matter how it turns out in the end.”
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“Before I fully agree with this, I have one condition. If we get caught, I am taking all of the responsibility.” said Ferain, with a tone that left no room for protests or arguments. “I planned it, I asked for your help, I did it all. Guji might be lenient with me, and even if he isn’t and I get expelled, at least you two should be left alone.”
“It seems like we have no choice but to accept that.” said Maple, holding a fist up in front of her.
Victor then leaned forward and tapped his fist against hers. “I agree.”
“Okay, then.” Ferain said, touching her own balled up hand against the others.
“You know, that is a good question you had earlier.” Maple said, after they separated. “Why did he turn himself in?”
“Hm?”
“As I said, Ferain, you were speaking out loud, and I agree. I can’t understand why he would do it. I mean, even if his identity got out, I imagine he would have fought until the very end, not just given up because one thing didn’t go as he planned it. That’s what I would've done anyway. It makes it all seem… fruitless, you know? Why go through all of that trouble and kill all of those people just to turn yourself in when one person got away?”
“Maybe fighting Ferain made him feel guilty?” offered Victor.
“Not at all.” Fera murmured, remembering the heat of his hand as it clenched around her throat, and the pleasure he had in his voice as he tore away what little remained of her strength and willpower. “He… definitely didn’t feel remorseful. He enjoyed it… I think.”
“Which doesn’t sound like Yarin Olira to me.” Victor mentioned. “I didn’t know him well, but every word I heard about him didn’t make him out to be that kind of person. A little strange, a bit distant even, but there was never a hint of a sadistic nature.”
“Plus, he was the strongest kid in the school. I think even some of the teachers might’ve been afraid of him. If he really got pleasure out of hurting and killing, he could have gone on some wild rampage before going out.”
“All of this is what creates my doubts.” Ferain muttered. “The person I saw that night was not the person I knew.” She then thought back to her encounter with Kiko in the lobby and pondered for a moment. “But… neither was he.” she realized. “If I was so easily fooled by him, what makes it so hard to believe Yarin could do the same?” Ferain ran a hand through her hair in frustration and growled under her breath. “I’ll figure this out. I have to.”
“And we’ll help as much as we’re able.” offered Victor, putting a hand on her shoulder.
They didn’t talk much throughout the remainder of class, and when the lunch bell chimed its melody through the vacant halls of the academy, they briefly split apart. Ferain headed for the cafeteria first to let Anita know about her upcoming visit to the headmaster’s office, but she left out her intentions for arranging it. Anita, as ashamed as it made Ferain feel, believed her wholeheartedly. She didn’t question anything, and instead, kissed her on the cheek.
“I’ll see you later, then. Love you.” she said.
“Love you too.” Fera said awkwardly while turning around to leave. She came across Victor and Maple along the exterior passage between the main school and the cafeteria and nodded her head and said, “Just give me ten or so minutes before you make your mess.”
“Got it, Lightning Bug.” Victor said before pulling Maple behind him, muttering something Ferain couldn't hear.
It didn’t take her long to reach the headmaster’s office on the top floor, but after knocking on the door and hearing the voice that welcomed her inside, she instantly regretted this trip, and felt terribly guilty for her reasons for coming here.
“Come in.” said a hoarse, almost pained voice from the other side. It was a stranger’s voice that sounded only somewhat similar to Guji’s normally chipper, fatherly tone. “Ah, Ms. Hirigaya.” said the tall, dark haired man as she pushed one of the doors open.
“Headmaster.” she said softly, and with the utmost caution. She wasn’t afraid of him, but at this moment, it felt like she was tiptoeing around scattered shards of glass. One wrong step and something horrible might happen. Either way, she knew she was not going to feel good about this later, no matter how it turned out.
Guji was leaning on the outer edge of his desk, facing Ferain. His black hair with its unusual white streak was slicked back, like always, and his black suit was in pristine condition. It was really only his expression that seemed off about him, at least in a physical manner. His hurt voice, while steadying, still made Ferain feel uneasy when he welcomed her.
“Umm… I’m s-sorry, sir, I didn’t mean… I’ll head out if—”
“Nonsense.” Guji said softly. “My ears are always open for students in need. But… are you sure you wish to spend your lunch with an old man such as myself? I’m sure your companions would be bored to death without you around.”
“They’ll manage.” Ferain replied, forcing a grin on her face. “Besides, you’re not that old, sir, and you really are a great listener.”
“Quite. I’m glad to hear it.” He gave a final look down at the picture and waved it nonchalantly when he took in his fill. “I was just reliving an old memory. Would you like to see?”
“Are you sure?” Ferain asked.
“Of course, or I wouldn't have offered. Here, take it.”
He held it out and Ferain gingerly accepted the small rectangular frame. In its borders was a photo of four kids, all a little older than herself, and all donning the uniform of Olirian Academy. In fact, even the location of the photograph was a place she recognized, having walked through it for several months now to get to the school. It wasn’t just the main courtyard in front of the school that was recognizable either. One of the students in the photo looked exactly like her, as if she was staring into a mirror. Even the crystal necklace she always wore beneath her shirt was hanging over the girl’s flat chest, and it was surrounded by falling tangles of dark brown hair that were every bit as wild as Ferain’s.
“This is…” she started, but paused briefly as she vaguely found some familiarity with another student in the picture. Standing beside the brown haired student was a taller boy with a bulky figure. He had black hair and a wide smile as he draped one arm behind the girl’s head and over her shoulder, pulling her close. Then came the clarity of who the other two students were. It was impossible to not know that face and more specifically, the black hair that fell around it, not when by one side of his face hung a white streak intermingled with all of the darker strands.
“This is a photo of your parents, Autumn Willow, and myself. It was taken during our graduating year. The last week of it, to be exact. It was the last photo we all took together. I’m surprised you recognized us.” he said with a cheerful laugh, something she’d thought to be impossible after hearing his voice only moments earlier.
“Well, the first one that caught my eye was Mom.”
“To be expected. You two do look astonishingly similar.”
“I’ve never seen any pictures of her when she was younger. She was so pretty.”
“Yes, she was.” Guji agreed with almost a whisper.
“I like her smile.” Ferain said. “I always loved it. It is kind of comforting to know that she was always like that.”
“She wasn’t, actually.” said Guji. “There were a lot of times Harriet couldn't muster up that beautiful expression of hers. She never showed it to anybody, but we knew.”
“Sir?” Ferain asked, noticing a small break in Guji’s voice as he finished. She looked at him and saw him pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger. He sucked in a breath and wiped his eyes with the same digits.
“Sorry, Ms. Hirigaya, sometimes I can’t help it when I think about her. She was… very close to me.”
“No, I’m sorry. If not for me…”
“If not for your father.” Guji corrected, and for once, she heard an intense hatred in his voice. It shook his usual calm demeanor and flipped it on its head. He wiped his face with his hand and shook his head shortly. “I don’t blame you, Ferain, I’ve told you this. I don’t think Harriet would either. But, nevermind that.” he said, reaching out for the picture again. She relinquished the wooden frame and he sat it gently back atop his desk. “You didn’t come here to talk about your mother, I presume. How can I help you?”
“Yarin.” Ferain muttered.
“Ah, I should have known. Here, take a seat and we can discuss the matter to your heart’s content.” he said, rising from his desk and gesturing for her to take the chair that was in front of it. He walked around the piece of furniture until he was on the other side and eased himself into his leather-backed seat. “Go on.”
“Well, sir, I was just thinking. I…” She paused momentarily to collect her thoughts and then quickly found a question that she truly did want answered. “Do you think he is guilty?”
To this, Guji gave her a long break of silence. Her eyes watched him closely as he seemingly searched for either his feelings on the matter, or the correct words to say in this situation. Finally, when he found whatever he was looking for, she was shocked by the answer she received.
“Yes, I do.” He sounded hesitant, and in a way, regretful that this was his conclusion.
“But…” Ferain was about to protest but he held up his hand to silence her before continuing himself.
“Ms. Hiri… Ferain, he confessed to the crimes. I know it’s hard to accept this fact, but that is exactly what it is… fact. Mr. Olira gave an account for his actions, told us how and why he did everything, and offered himself up to whatever punishment that awaited him. I hate to say it, but the thought of an innocent man condemning himself to such a fate is simply… preposterous. He is giving up his freedom and more than likely… his life. It’s very possible that he will be… Anyway, a man that is innocent would not do such a thing, no matter how insane they might be.”
“But…” Ferain started again but was once more silenced.
“There is no other possibility. I am forced to believe that Mr. Olira finally found some shred of humanity and felt remorse for his actions. I don’t know why, but for some reason, he found it in himself to turn himself in. Perhaps it was to repent for his crimes, to try to make things right as much as he can, I do not know. What I do know is that I am firm in my belief that he is in fact the killer we’ve been searching for. I’m sorry it’s not what you want to hear, but I feel as though I don’t have to lie to you in order to keep you safe or happy. I would rather believe that you can handle the truth of the situation. I apologize if you came here looking for solace and an agreeing opinion, but I am afraid I can’t offer it this time.” Guji leaned back in his chair, offering a dreary curve of his lips. “I truly am sorry to not be of more help. I want nothing more than to ease your pain, Ferain.”
Fera heard a loud crack as the desk beneath Guji’s fist cracked and caved in. He let out a quiet curse while taking his hand away from the splintered surface.
“Sir, are you okay?” she asked. “You’re always helping me. The least I can do is listen to anything you have to say.”
“No.” Guji said plainly. “I’m afraid I cannot allow that, Ms. Hirigaya. You’re a student and me… I’m a teacher. I’m the headmaster of the academy. No, I’m afraid that I couldn’t put a student in the position of listening to my woes, it’s not their place. It’s my job to make sure my students are safe and happy. It’s my duty to teach them the lessons they need to make it through this life.”
“Does that mean you can’t ask for help?” Ferain asked without thinking. “I know it’s odd coming from me, but you’ve always done so much for me. I—”
A loud knock cut Ferain’s words short, and it was quickly followed by Autumn hurrying into the office. “Headmaster, there’s a situation. A fight broke out in the cafeteria and it’s gotten pretty intense.”
“A fight?” gasped Ferain, turning her head to the entrance of the room, where she saw an extremely distressed Professor Willow.
“Who’s involved?” Guji said, rising from his seat and straightening his jacket.
“Maple Asani and Raven Emming.” answered Autumn.
“What?” Ferain gasped again, hurriedly rocketing from her chair. She started for the door but Guji put a hand on her shoulder before she had the chance to take three steps. He was surprisingly fast getting around the desk, or maybe that was just how distracted she was from the news. She was expecting a distraction but for it to come in the way of a fight with Raven, that wasn’t part of the plan. “Sir, I…” She stopped at the serious look in his golden eyes, and decided that listening for a change might be better at the moment.
“Wait here. I’ll have this taken care of and we can get back to the subject of Yarin, understood?”
“Yes, sir.”
Ferain backed away and watched as he and Autumn left, closing the door on their way out to leave her in complete solitude. To some extent, this was an ideal circumstance. She was alone in his office and had free reign to look around and grab whatever it was she could find. On the other hand, however, it was at the cost of a friend fighting one of her worst nuisances. Fera gave a concerned glance in the doors’ direction but in the end, as reluctant as she was to ignore the fight, she hurried around to the other side of Guji’s now broken desk. Victor had given her a portable storage drive, which in this case, was a small, flat card that was so tiny, it was completely hidden beneath her thumb and index finger, had she been holding it there.
What she removed from her bag was not the miniature drive itself, but a minuscule black case that housed it within. Frantically, as her nerves were starting to tingle and her courage was swiftly giving way to impatience and recklessness, she searched the drawers and cubbies she found. What felt like a dozen minutes went by, though it was probably just two or three, and she hadn’t managed to locate anything that resembled a computer of any kind. In frustration, she slammed a hand on the desk, right next to the broken portion the headmaster had split apart earlier. An electrified current flooded in and around the surface, and after a second, a digital keyboard flickered atop the still intact portions of the furniture.
It wasn’t uncommon for wealthier people to have desks like this, where they had projected monitors and keyboards integrated within the design. She never had one before, but it was no surprise that one of the three primary wielder academies would spare no expense to make sure they had the highest quality tech around. A blue screen flickered to life in front of the keyboard, though all of it was a bit… fuzzy. Ferain assumed it was the spontaneous amperage it had just consumed that caused this so with a bit of a struggle, she reeled in her powers the best she could.
“Welcome, Guji Hakamura.” the screen read, and after the welcome screen, she saw the desktop with files upon files organized perfectly on the screen. To her surprise, the background of the desktop was a picture she didn’t recognize, though she knew the people in it. It was her mother standing beside Guji. Both were dressed sharply, with Guji wearing his usual black suit, and Harriet donning a sleek, form-fitting dress that was as white as snow. In her arms was a young baby, still an infant, and apparently sleeping.
“It looks like a wedding dress.” Ferain murmured, taking note of the image.
This was not a tangent she could let her brain go down at the moment, however, and she quickly broke that line of wondering. Instead, she began hovering her fingers over the screen and noticed that the cursor moved wherever her index finger pointed. As she hovered over any given file, its name appeared, so she continued this until ‘School Registry’ showed up. With a tap of her finger, it opened and revealed a list of names, student IDs, and their listed powers. A quick glance showed her that it was in alphabetical order, but she didn’t have time to fully examine it now. Hastily, Ferain removed the frail drive from its protective casing and felt around the desk for a place to insert it. The underside was where she found an attached bump which had several ports, most of which were empty. She plugged in her drive, found the copy and download prompts, and let the tech do the rest of the work.
Her hands were shaking as she twiddled her fingers impatiently, knowing that Guji could return any minute. She couldn't help but imagine the look of disappointment he would undoubtedly have when he inevitably caught her. Then came the image of her expulsion, and the pain on his face as he was forced to enact it.
“I’m sorry.” she muttered, silently praying for forgiveness as the bar on the screen steadily rose. “Eep!” she suddenly squeaked, as she heard Autumn’s voice on the other side of the doors.
Guji’s aggravated tones accompanied the stern woman’s duller ones, and both served to nearly give Ferain a heart attack. Paying no mind to the status of the download, she reached below the table and scrambled to eject the drive. In her haste, her powers lost control and the tiny device shot out onto the floor as blue currents danced randomly around the table, leaving small scorch marks in various places as it traveled. Even the screen and keyboard combo shorted out as the entire system began to spit out smoke. Fera ducked low and scooped up the card before leaping over the desk and tripping over the chair clumsily as she landed on the other side.
“Waahh!” she howled, falling face first and crashing to the ground, just as the doors swung open.
“Ms. Hirigaya?” Guji gasped, while from his right came a shriek from his long-time partner. “What is happening here?”
“The table, sir.” she spat hurriedly as she scampered to her feet. She put as much distance between herself and the desk, acting terrified of the smoking tech that appeared to be on the edge of exploding. It wasn’t hard to make it seem convincing, seeing as she was presently concerned about the table’s readiness to spontaneously combust. “It just started smoking like that and it shocked me.” she lied, feeling guilty for every word and action she’d put into the world during the last several minutes.
Five minutes later, Ferain was back in the hallways of the academy, leaving the office and the possibly volatile desk behind her. Guji chased her off at Autumn’s suggestion, and promised her a discussion later. Nervously, feeling as if she’d just done something irreparably damning, she continued onto her next class, tucking the drive’s protective case into her bag with shaky hands.