Ripple

A leaf, shaken by the cold wind, fell down from a great tree onto the wooden floor of the platform. Peryton was still speaking on the raised wooden platform.

"His contribution to the Institution shall always be remembered. Anyone who wants to pay their respects do so at the memorials." It was the first time Selis had seen Peryton with a dejected expression not having taken the head of the Institution to be someone who expressed sadness so openly. He really did look sad as he turned and walked down the platform. He was followed by the Spectres, the latter’s emotions covered by the mask.

The crowd was still whispering.

Selis looked at the others not knowing what to feel. All she felt was confusion and disbelief that Cyress had passed from a cold. She felt like she didn't belong here with those truly grieving. Her gaze turned to look at the others as if trying to find out what she was supposed to feel.

Sunne had grasped the plant tighter and his other hand had tightened in a fist. He looked like he was frozen in place.

Selis watched the precious leaves from the herb which could've saved Cyress had they arrived early, falling to the ground.

She felt frustrated at the Spectres and at Peryton for sending them out on a mission at such a crucial time. But it turned to hopelessness as she realised that Sunne would probably never have found the herb had they not been sent to the forest as a mission.

"Let's pay our respects." Skadi spoke, her voice even quieter than usual. Sora was weeping softly, her face covered with her hands. Skald's jaw was tight shut as if he was holding back from showing any emotion. Selis didn't want to speak as she knew that her emotions weren't as strong as them. She had only met Cyress once before. Her mind decided to turn her into a shadow as she followed after the group quietly.

They headed towards where a stretcher was placed on the temporary wooden platform. It was the same one on which Peryton had announced Cyress' death. Cyress or what was remaining of him lay on the stretcher with his pale, bone-thin face, and his mouth slightly open. A horrifying thought crossed her mind upon seeing the heart wrenching sight.

Was his last breath also a cough?

A wail emanated from beside the stretcher where the deceased's younger brothers, Quil and Rimme were crouched next to him. The soundless crying along with occasional sudden ear piercing wails, indicated that Quil must have been crying for a long time and his throat must have started to hurt. Rimme still looked shocked, his gaze fixed on Cyress' face as if unable to understand that he would never awaken again. Skald clenched his hands into a fist.

Selis realised that it must have been a long while since Cyress had rested soundlessly. She was in no position to believe, but she did believe that death had set him free.

You have suffered a lot in this life. May you find peace beyond.

Some sat in silence, some wept while some wailed.

The five sat in a circle on the fresh grass of The Grounds. The stretcher had been taken away by the Spectres who did such kinds of work around the Institution. The body was then set alight to send his soul to the heavens above.

“The last one of the previous generation is gone too.” Skald looked up at the flaming sky.

Selis looked up at him. She didn't want to push him to continue but thankfully Skald did elaborate.

“The previous generation, the ones right before us were the ones who changed how things were around the Institution.” He sighed.

Skadi took over, “The Institution used to be worse back in the days. The Neophytes to be precise. People ranging from toddlers to adolescents with no adults keeping an eye on them. What do you think would happen?”

“Although we didn't live through the Institution as it was back in the day, everyone knows the stories.” Sora added.

“The previous generation took it upon themselves to establish rules among the Neophytes instead of simply pushing the weaker and younger Neophytes around. They punish those who hurt others and labelled ‘crime’, based on books of morals and justice in the library, playing cops.” Skald said, wincing.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

“Skald also was caught thieving as a kid once." Skadi chuckled. “Luckily, his punishment wasn't too severe.”

“Oh I now I remember! YOU were the one who was tied to the tree.” Sora chuckled in a raspy voice, her eyes now having dried.

“You sure were lucky. The punishments weren't all good though. Our generation did see clashes between wrongdoers and the punishers and those got very ugly at times. I couldn't even look at the fight at times. Neophytes were gravely injured at times…” Sora trailed off.

Surprised, Selis asked another question quietly, “What if someone was falsely accused?”

No one answered her which seemed to her an answer in itself. It seemed it had happened before and all of the others had a haze fallen on their eyes. As if they were replaying something. Sensing the tension in the air, no further questions were asked.

-*-_-_-_—*-_

The moon was high overhead and it was quite a clear moonlit night as the breeze gently blew over the plateau as if to carry Cyress’ soul into heaven. Deaths in the Institution always shook every Neophyte and fear spread among the Neophytes. Nobody knew who the next one to go would be. They could be the next. Or even worse, the ones they cherished. And they had no way to stop it.

Sunne was sitting on the grass, staring at the herb which he'd planted before him a while ago. He figured he may as well plant it as it might be of some use. The soil was still disturbed.

"How can you not feel even an ounce of guilt?" A voice spoke from behind Sunne.

Sunne quickly stood up and turned around, staring at the one who spoke. It was Skald.

Sunne didn't reply.

The one before him had his jaw shut tight and was gritting his teeth.

"If you'd only agreed to help before, Cyress would've been alive now. You knew he was sick! Everyone did! You knew the remedy and yet you did nothing but watch!" Skald spoke again, his voice shaking in frustration.

"You never put in your efforts did you?" Skald spat.

For Sunne, Cyress had always been a nobody. A nobody that he heard and saw when he passed by Dormitory 2 which was very rare in itself. However when the four had come to The Nursery asking for help, he wasn't sure what he was thinking when he decided to help. It was the first time someone had come to him for help. So he had actually put in efforts to use what he knew and could manage, aside from his work at the Institution. And the result was failure. He dreaded the feeling that he was feeling now. The guilt that someone had died because he was too late. He had done it again. The mistake of putting in effort.

Sunne watched Skald with an expressionless face, unsure of what to do.

“Scared? Not going to defend yourselves?” Skald taunted.

He's trying to pick a fight.

Sunne knew Skald just wanted a punch bag and he had no intention to fill in that role. Skald was only a bit shorter than him. However Skald was extremely athletic, was built well and had the reputation of getting into fights often. Sunne wasn't going to start a fight which he knew he was going to lose.

Sunne took a few steps back trying to disengage from the fight but Skald stepped ahead and crushed the plant with his foot.

A shrill ringing sound rang in his head like a distorted scream which deeply unsettled Sunne.

Suddenly he felt a strong surge of emotion overcome him. He couldn't label the emotion but it felt like…helplessness followed by nothingness. It felt like floating in a sea with only one ray of light but then getting suddenly swallowed by a giant whale and left with nothing but darkness around. The similarity of the helplessness emotion to what he was just feeling was too startling. However he was sure it wasn't his feelings as he felt it from somewhere else and it was too intense… Like a dying moment.

Overcome by the intensity of the emotion, which had morphed into anger now, Without thinking, he ran at Skald.

Sunne rammed into Skald from his shoulder, however in one swift move, the world turned and Sunne couldn't see Skald anymore but his arm was tightly wrapped around Sunne's neck. Sunne’s head was locked in a hold.

As Sunne tried to struggle against it, he realised where the emotions had invaded his mind from.

He looked at the crushed plant.

Surely not from the plant?

Puzzled, he forgot his frustration momentarily.

“Knock it off Skald.” A soft yet sharp voice slit through the air. It was Skadi. She hit Skald hard at the base of his neck.

Skald quickly let go and rubbed the base of his own neck,”Ow! What are you doing here?”

“I should be the one asking that considering the beautiful scene I walked to. You should really work on your habit of picking on people whenever you can't deal with yourself.” She replied, her words cold and attacking. She sighed and stopped firing words. “I just came to have a walk because I couldn't sleep.”

“Yeah sure. You couldn't sleep? Pfft-” Skald rolled his eyes, trying to get on her wrong side as well.

However, something else had caught Skadi's eye, which made her completely ignore Skald.

“Hey…wait what's that-'' Skadi stepped closer to Sunne and looked down at him. Skald let go of Sunne, puzzled, trying to see what Skadi was looking at. As soon as Sunne was released, he dropped to the ground, relieved, trying to catch his breath.

He looked up and stared at Skadi,“What?”

“You have a strange green strand on your head.”