image [https://i.imgur.com/2b0r7hf.png]
As the late morning hours arrived, Carmen limped her way into the LaVeda infirmary. Her body was still plagued with a multitude of wounds from her fights at Dead Haven. The nurses had several questions about her injuries, but Carmen made sure to keep her responses as vague as possible.
When they finished tending to her cuts and bruises, Carmen exited the room and swiftly made her way down the hall. However, after a short walk, she saw Bridgette leaning against the wall with some of her friends. Their eyes briefly met as Carmen quickened her pace, hoping Bridgette would just ignore her.
“I heard you tucked your tail and ran like a frightened little girl the other day. Nowhere to be seen.” Bridgette said as Carmen walked by, letting out a hefty chuckle.
Carmen paused and stood there silently. Bridgette stopped leaning and stepped forward, her attention now fully on Carmen.
“You aren’t denying it, so I guess it’s true. I know you’re weak, but c’mon, you could’ve at least done something to help your fellow students.”
Bridgette's condescending tone echoed in the hall as her smirk grew with each passing second. Carmen continued to stand still, not giving any kind of response.
“Pfft, who am I kidding. You couldn’t even protect a piece of paper if your life depended on it. I’d hate to have my life in your hands.”
She began to belly laugh, prompting her friends to join in on the laughter. However, this moment of joy didn’t last long at all. In an absolute instant, Carmen dashed towards Bridgette and gripped her neck tightly. She slammed Bridgette into the wall, cracking and breaking it from the incredible force.
The ground beneath them shook violently as Bridgette made impact, holding her firmly against the wall. Bridgette tried her absolute hardest to get Carmen to let go, but all of her efforts were useless. She gasped for air and kicked her legs around as Carmen continued to squeeze and lift Bridgette higher.
“Say something else you insufferable little bitch.” Carmen muttered, her voice now sounding deep and sinister.
As Bridgette continued to struggle, she noticed that Carmen’s eyes were no longer red, but were a dull gray color instead. The mere sight of them sent shivers down Bridgette’s spine. Seconds raced by until the lack of oxygen eventually caused Bridgette to lose all bladder control. The severe strangulation had Bridgette on the brink of death, her movements slowing as Carmen’s vice grip continued. However, a familiar voice loudly interjected.
“Carmen! Let go of her right now!” Tiaran said with great authority.
Carmen slowly looked over her shoulder and glared, her gray eyes almost daring Tiaran to try and stop her. Tiaran stepped forward and exerted her Core Energy, not backing down for even a second.
Carmen turned her head and briefly stared at Bridgette as fluids trickled down her legs. She then opened her hand and let go of Bridgette’s neck. She dropped to the floor, splashing in her juices as she gasped for air and coughed loudly.
“Pfft, looks like you pissed yourself. Disgusting…” Carmen said with a dark chuckle.
She stepped back and turned around, bumping her shoulder into Tiaran as she walked away. However, when Carmen passed her, Tiaran noticed the D.H. mark on her lower neck. Tiaran was shocked by what she had just caught a glimpse of, prompting her to immediately grab Carmen’s arm. Carmen looked back with an annoyed and confused expression, wondering what was up with her.
“Where did you get that mark!? Tell me!” Tiaran loudly asked with a panicked cadence.
Carmen gave no response, she simply shot another gray eyed glare as she snatched her arm away. Carmen continued silently down the hall, not even remotely interested in entertaining the question she was just asked.
Tiaran wanted to chase after her, but she noticed that Bridgette was still struggling to get her breath back and the nearby students were pleading for help. With slight hesitation, she decided to stay behind and got Bridgette the necessary help she needed. However, her mind was tormented by the thought that Carmen had been down to Dead Haven somehow.
image [https://i.imgur.com/d60vRFl.png]
On the third floor of Crane Manor, the home of King Darius Crane III, a meeting was about to take place. Jonn Ravenfell, King of Melspire, had come to Olunas City to have a few discussions with King Crane about various diplomatic topics. However, before Jonn entered the room, one of his aides announced the sudden arrival of his son.
“Hm? Caleb is here? Did he say why?” Jonn asked as the aide whispered in his ear.
“The young master says he needs to speak with you about an urgent matter. I can tell him to wait until your meeting has concluded.” His aide replied.
“No need, my meeting can wait. Take me to him.”
The aide nodded and motioned his hand to the side, guiding King Ravenfell down the hall to the room where Caleb was. When he arrived, Caleb quickly rushed over and greeted his father as the aide closed the door.
“I didn’t expect to see you here today. Is everything alright, my boy?” Jonn said as he placed his hand firmly on Caleb's shoulder.
“Sorry to drop by unannounced, but this couldn’t wait. It’s about LaVeda and what really went on over there.”
“LaVeda? Did something else happen?”
Caleb proceeded to tell him about everything Carmen said, not missing a single detail. With each piece of new information, Jonn’s face grew more frustrated and shocked at what he heard.
“Are you serious!? To think this school would do something so heinous and disgusting! I’m taking you out of LaVeda and enrolling you at DuneVeil Academy as soon as my meeting is finished!” Jonn said with an angered tone, clenching his fist tightly.
“Wait, what? No, you don’t need to do that. The people involved seem to be gone now, so LaVeda should be fine. I just wanted you to tell King Crane about this so they could do a proper investigation.” Caleb replied, trying his best to quell his father’s anger.
“Are you sure? I have no problems with you changing schools.”
“Yes, I’m sure. Don’t worry about me.”
“I see… Well, I’ll be sure to discuss this with King Crane during my meeting. I will not stand for such injustice taking place so close to our borders.” Jonn said with a determined nod.
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Caleb let out a sigh of relief upon hearing this. The two continued to converse, catching up with one another for a brief moment. However, before Jonn took his leave, Caleb remembered something that he forgot to mention.
“Oh, and Carmen said she came in contact with some guy wearing a white mask named Watcher Delandy. Have you met anyone like him before?” Caleb asked, hoping to get some answers.
Upon hearing this question, Jonn’s demeanor changed completely. The look in his eye was filled with fear and great concern.
“Uh, Father? Is everything alright?” He asked, noticing the sudden shift in his behavior.
“Never speak of this to anyone else…” Jonn demanded with an incredibly serious tone.
“Huh? But why? We need to get-”
“Enough, Caleb.”
All it took was a single glare from Jonn to completely silence Caleb. The room remained quiet until Jonn stepped forward, placing his hands on Caleb’s shoulders and bringing him in closer.
“This conversation never happened, got it?” He loudly whispered, still staring deeply into his son’s eyes.
Caleb slowly nodded his head, understanding that whatever had his father spooked was enough to heed this request.
Jonn removed his hands and walked towards the door, slightly opening it before looking back at his son.
“Stay by Carmen’s side and keep her safe at that school. She’s going to need all the support she can get…”
With that final, grave statement, Jonn closed the door and walked down the hall. As the sound of his footsteps faded away, Caleb stood there in disbelief.
‘I’ve never seen father that on edge before. Just who are these ‘Watcher’ people?’
Caleb couldn’t help but feel that there was something bigger going on, something he would never be privy to.
image [https://i.imgur.com/d60vRFl.png]
The dimly lit and hazy pathways of Dead Haven, usually teeming with life, were eerily quiet as the people watched a familiar figure traverse the streets. The crowds parted and separated, looking on with great surprise and wonder. It was as though a deity was within their midst and they dared not block their path.
The individual arrived at the DHCL arena and walked around towards a secret back entrance. They masterfully navigated the maze-like hallways and eventually found themselves at Murdoc’s office. The sound of heavy footsteps climbing the steps prompted Murdoc to speak up.
“Leave me, I’m busy…” She said as she continued to look down at her documents, not paying attention to whoever just entered her room.
Murdoc started writing on some paper until a shadow draped over her. She looked up and her eyes went wide, the cigarette almost dropping out of her mouth.
“T-Tiaran?! You’re back!?” Murdoc exclaimed, leaning back in her chair from the shock.
Tiaran glared silently as she waited for Murdoc to pull herself together.
“Ahem, sorry, I didn’t expect to see you here. Been awhile.” Murdoc added with a fairly pleasant tone.
“Don’t act so surprised to see me. You know exactly why I’m here…” Tiaran replied with an annoyed cadence, crossing her arms in the process.
“Hmmm, no, don’t think I do. Care to enlighten me as to why you’ve shown up after all these years?”
Murdoc’s voice began to grow deeper as she glared at Tiaran, no longer feeling excited to see her.
“Carmen… Why was she down here?”
“...Did she tell you? I thought she’d be smarter than that.” Murdoc muttered, groaning over the fact that Carmen might’ve leaked details about their current arrangement.
“No, she didn’t have to. The Dead Haven mark on her neck spoke for itself. Now answer my question…”
“It’s honestly none of your business what the girl decides to do, Tiaran. She will do as she pleases and nothing you do can change that.” Murdoc said with a soft chuckle, her lips curling in delight as she blew more smoke into Tiaran’s face.
In a swift fit of rage, Tiaran forcefully kicked the edge of Murdoc’s desk, knocking it completely off of it's supports. The desk went flying into the wall behind Murdoc, shattering into multiple pieces from the impact. As the debris settled down, Tiaran stepped forward and got directly in Murdoc’s face.
“If I find out that you're forcing her into this vile world, I’ll destroy this entire establishment with my bare hands.”
Tiaran’s tone and glare was serious enough to kill a man. Murdoc simply shrugged her shoulders and rolled her eyes as she stood her ground.
“Bullshit, you’ll do nothing of the sort. You’re strong, I’ll give you that, but to think you could single-handedly take down this world of mine is naive on your part. You know first hand how things work down here, this isn’t a fight you want….” Murdoc replied, not moving her face even an inch away from Tiaran’s.
The two glared at each other for what felt like an eternity, their Core Energy permeating the air with immense pressure. Eventually Murdoc smirked and backed away as she tossed her cigarette to the ground, stomping it out under her boot. Tiaran remained silent, pondering her next move after Murdoc’s statement.
“Ya know, this really could’ve been such a beautiful reunion between us. Would’ve been nice to catch up, but instead you come down here asking bullshit questions that you know I won’t answer. Seems you’ve forgotten the rules after all this time.” Murdoc added as she crouched down to pick up some of the papers that were strewn from her desk.
“Reunion? Why the hell would I want to reunite with you?”
“Dunno, maybe the guilt from abandoning me was too much for you to bear. Thought you'd wanted to apologize or something. It’d make sense to me if you think about it.”
“Abandoned you? Apologize?? I see you’re still just as delusional and self centered as before. I left because you were running everything into the ground with your greed and nonsensical decisions. Nothing was ever enough for you and I wasn’t about to be some kind of pawn helping you fall even further.” Tiaran responded with a rare, animated tone filled with confusion and anger.
“The world doesn’t revolve around you, Murdoc. Stop blaming others for your failures-”
Tiaran nonchalantly added before being swiftly cut off by Murdoc’s furious scowl.
“Dead Haven is the only world I care about and in case you forgot, it does revolve around me!! I built this world, cultivated it, nurtured it! And just as I was about to hit a new peak, you left me high and dry with nothing to fall back on! You’ve no idea what I had to do to get Dead Haven in the position it’s in now. NO IDEA!” Murdoc exclaimed in an absolute rage, her face housing an incredibly dark expression.
“If you seriously think having half the underworld after us, wanting us dead and gone is a ‘new peak’ then you really have lost your mind. Still to this day, your idea of success makes absolutely no sense.” Tiaran calmly replied, not matching Murdoc’s emotional outburst at all.
“I had to stir the pot before the stew was ready, you know that! And no, I’d say my idea of success makes perfect sense because look around you, Tiaran. Those same people that were after us now bow beneath my feet and work tirelessly to further my influence. I’d say I was pretty successful.”
“Well congratulations, looks like you didn’t need me to accomplish whatever this is after all. So proud of you for doing it on your own, Murdoc…”
Tiaran’s calm and sarcastic tone did nothing but irritate Murdoc even further, causing her to exert her Core Energy outward.
“I’ll kill you, I swe-”
She growled but was quickly slammed against the wall by Tiaran, her otherworldly speed catching Murdoc completely off guard.
“No, you won’t. For one, you can’t fight for shit and two, there isn’t a soul down here that you can call on that would even hope of beating me.” Tiaran said with a dark glare as she pinned Murdoc further into the wall, only needing one arm to completely subdue her small frame.
“Tch, I have other ways, like that damn little sister of yours.”
Despite Murdoc’s statement, Tiaran let out a rare snicker.
“I don’t think you realize the mess you’ve gotten yourself into by bringing in Carmen. If you harm even a hair on her, you’ll not only have to deal with me but also Azhane. She’s not something you’re prepared to handle at all, that much I promise.”
Once Tiaran mentioned the Queen of Volaire, Murdoc’s entire demeanor switched up. Her heart sank as she realized just how incredibly dangerous an altercation between them would be. Before she could reply, Tiaran released her grip and stepped back.
“Well, I’m done wasting my time with you. Hopefully this is the last time we ever have to see each other…” Tiaran said while walking away, her short silver hair sparkling in the light with each step.
Murdoc remained silent as she curled her fist, clenching tighter with each passing second.
“Damn her…” She muttered under her breath, still reeling from her conversation with Tiaran. After a few moments, she made her way to the door and slammed it.