The lounge was empty and Gavin struggled to get up in the morning. He expected his stay at the Academy to finally be a time where he could enjoy himself. He hadn't made a friend in the first week, but he did find Cormac after. He was the first ever friend Gavin had. But it seemed that brutality of life followed him even here.

The images of his friend in the blood pool appeared in his mind, along with the fierce look that bloodied Aviana flashed him. The fear he felt as he ran away and the guilt he couldn’t shake off. He had not helped his friend again. Left him to fend off his attacker by himself. Leaving him…dead.

Gavin's stomach upturned, but it was fortunately empty already. He had not gone for the breakfast today, unwilling to leave his chamber.

Still, he wanted to be at the announcement, so he had to bask in the grime of his life after.

Every student on the way was quiet, even when they walked in a group. Most would have no idea who Cormac was and they probably wouldn’t care, but the fact that something like this happened on the institute grounds. It was safe to say that none felt as carefree and safe as they did before.

Even the grand arena, where all the student life gathered as instructed, was near silent. People had no desire to joke, when they felt their future this uncertain.

There was no need to quiet down when a man in a uniform, adorned with numerous medals and insignia, came onto the main platform. His grey hair cut short and maintained, while his beard remained wild.

Gavin casted a simple spell, allowing him to see the man's expression as well as if he stood next to the man. He looked indifferent, though he did have a sizable bags under his eyes.

"Greetings to the student body of this institute. My name is captain Furden and I will inform you about the incident in more detail." the man started. His eyes unfocused. "I am sure you were made aware of the death of your instructor. As well as the disappearance of two of your fellow students. The students in question being Cormac La Bor, and Aviana Veron."

La Bor? Veron? Gavin repeated the names in his head. Aviana was a princess. The princess. And Cormac? Cormac was from one of the sacred? Suddenly, Gavin's memories of Cormac took on a different hue, all blurred by the reality of his heritage.

"As you must have realized, this makes this a high profile incident. One where information helpful to the case would be greatly compensated. I would ask all of you, who suspect they might have seen or heard something related to the incident, to report it to me. I will be located in the principal's office during my brief stay here. Additionally, I want to assure you and your families, that adequate defensive measures were put into place, to prevent an incident of this kind from reoccurring."

Gavin felt a need to shout all he knew then and there, but he stopped himself. The captain seemed to dodge the subject matter with grace and Gavin understood. But he knew he where he would go the moment that he was free.

The captain then took his leave, getting replaced by the principal.

The principal did have a speech himself, one to motivate the students and assure them that the school will do its utmost to not only protect them, but to use this situation to evolve its policies further. At least that's all that Gavin managed to make out.

His mind was preoccupied with the reveal of Cormac's family. It made sense that Cormac never bothered to tell him that. He must have thought Gavin underneath him. He must have thought so many things together.

But how could Gavin expect a frail, little boy to one of the sacred? Most of the families would pay for the services of blood mages, to repair the boys constitution. Make him taller, his muscles expand. No, Cormac must have kept this look on purpose. It was a disguise. Something he used just to fool Gavin.

Then he remembered. The multiple times Cormac had inquired about Aviana. All the times he thought of her randomly, longingly watching her locked door. How Gavin stupidly told him everything he knew. Of course the two with powerful lineage would bond together, of course they would care not for the life of others. They already did it once and they would do it again.

Gavin silently slid out from the arena. The speech was coming to a close anyway and he believed that there was a conversation waiting just for him.

Cormac and Aviana walked fast. Their steps quickening and quickening. The serene morning was replaced by the reality of their situation and it reflected. He had a singular goal in his mind. The peak of the hill.

Whatever was happening, the peak must have an answer for him to find, because he certainly didn’t have one now. He was lost in the possibilities, but none he thought off seemed to end well for him.

They were silent during the trip. Cormac was watching the path, his heart racing.

They were getting close, when he looked forward, he saw a part of the extensive view the hill offered, but he averted his eyes to the ground again. He wasn’t ready. Whatever was waiting for him on the top, he wasn’t ready.

He didn’t think of anything, he didn’t know what to do. He just felt like curling into a ball to cry.

But even when his steps slowed, Aviana marched on. The space between them growing bigger and bigger.

There would be no answer there, no path forward. Cormac stopped entirely.

What was he thinking? A hill is just a hill. An academy is just an academy. And he, is just what he is. He always just fails. What did he accomplish now? Two people were dead because of him and he got Aviana into this too. Someone was going after him and he was sure that neither Norman nor Carl were that person.

Cormac got an idea, something that might fix it. At least for her.

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Aviana stopped at the top now, looking around and he finished the last part of the hike. His heart still racing, but his mind made up.

The view was beautiful. Cormac wasn’t ever allowed to wonder about the rich forests and so the view was knew to him.

Everything in sight a luscious green. Everything pretty and full of life. A small tower could be seen in a distance and Cormac could see glimpses of roofs here and there. A settlement.

"I have an idea." he said and Aviana perked up at the mention. "They saw little of what happened and we could pretend…pretend that I kidnapped you." Cormac deliberately looked over to the view, so he would not see her face. "I had you by the neck and was going for the secret tunnel I knew of. When Norman and Carl saw what was happening, they wanted to help you. I managed to beat them by sheer luck and by using you as a body shield. We can say I drugged you so you had no way to resist. That way, even if they get me, you can go back to the Academy. They won't kill me, because of my bloodline and life in noble prison doesn’t seem that bad."

"What about the ones that want to kill you?" she asked, her face showing no emotion.

"I would be safer there, not everyone can access a prison. Maybe they would leave me alone. Let me be. I can't be a threat at that point, right?"

"Cormac, tell me…" Aviana started, her pause making Cormac look at her. She was angry, her brow deep and her eyes showing hints of disdain. "Are you always such a coward? Do you always just run and hide? Even now? Somebody tried to kill you and all you can think of, is this?"

"I-I just don’t want you to…to drag you down with me." he replied weakly. The familiar shame, guilt and self-loathing showing their presence.

"A teacher and that kid are dead. We couldn’t help that, but they are. And you want to run? You want to escape all the fucking responsibility you hold for this? For your life?" she started shouting at him. Cormac was cowering, he closed his eyes. The instinctive reaction he grew in him for the better part of his life took hold and just nodded.

"Do you not care for that? For their lives? You would let bygones be bygones and leave the person behind this to do whatever he wanted? To continue his onslaught, victims be dammed?"

Every her word bit into Cormac like a nail. He knew he was a coward, he knew for a long time, and for some reason, he thought that he might escape it. That maybe, just maybe he would leave that behind at his family's estate.

It was all he ever amounted to. It angered him, that what he was. It always did, but what use is there for anger in loathing?

"If you wish to leave this to someone else, you are welcome to do that Cormac. But I won't. I won't leave the person responsible for this to their devices. I will find them and I will make them pay for their crimes." she said, resolute.

"How?" Cormac yelled. "How can you say that with conviction? We don’t know who they are, or even if it is just one person. We know nothing of why they are going after me and we will probably be looked for by the whole kingdom!"

"I will need to find that out myself. Everyone leaves a trail somewhere and I will find it."

She was so sure. There wasn’t any space for questions in her mind. Cormac hated it. He hated how easily she trusted herself, he hated how she knew exactly what to do and that she would follow that. He hated how much better she was than him. He hated it all.

"But how can we…"

"We?" she asked.

Cormac just averted his eyes again, looking far into the view they had.

"Good luck…" was all that he managed to say, tears appearing on his face.

She said nothing. After looking at him for a few long moments, she turned around, walking away.

Cormac looked on into the view. Tears were streaming across his face. Tears of sadness, guilt, loathing? Not entirely. They were tears of all that Cormac wanted to be, but never was.

His eyes darted to the farmost point. Why would he even try to escape anymore. He knew what he would become. The dream might not have been a vision in all aspects of it, but it seemed to nail him down perfectly.

He was running from his family, from his own inadequacies, from responsibility.

As he repeated the dream in his mind. He reminded himself of what he felt there. The sadness, the regret that he did not fuel himself enough. That he did not follow what he wanted the most. He also remembered the cloud, the doom approaching. But that feeling almost seemed unimportant now. The world would end someday and that would be the end of it.

But something might end today, something he didn’t want to end at all.

He didn’t know why exactly, nor if it had a chance at all. All he knew, is that there was someone he had to catch up to.

"Come in." sounded from inside the room.

Gavin walked inside, nervous.

"Hello, mister...I mean sir."

"Don’t worry, you are neither a soldier nor at attention. You can relax, I don’t require any extremely formal measures. Sit." said the captain kindly.

"Okay, thank you. I-ah. I might know something about what happened."

"First things first, can you tell me your name? Just the first one will suffice."

"Gavin, sir."

"No need to call me sir." The captain lit a pipe. The scent pleasant. "Do go on, Gavin."

"I saw them, I mean Cormac and Aviana. I was looking for him, since we used to talk while he was here. I had no idea that this would happen. I swear, he never told me anything about this."

"Don’t worry boy. I understand and do not suspect you to play a part in this. You can continue freely, take your time."

"I was looking for Cormac, because he wasn’t coming to the lounge. We should have had lunch together. When I heard a someone call for help loudly. I ran as fast as I could, but when I got there…There was so much blood. Norman and Carl was lying on the ground, bleeding out. I saw…I saw Cormac, wield a dagger, he stood there. I didn’t see Aviana in the frenzy. I immediately ran to find anyone from the staff. But Cormac disappeared before they found him."

"Are you sure that you saw Cormac wield the dagger? From what I've heard, he wasn't especially talented in the physical department."

"Yes, I am." Gavin met the captains eyes, they studied him for a bit. Then the captain puffed out a circle of smoke and nodded.

"Thank you, Gavin. This does shine light one some of the intricacies of the case. Anything more you can add?"

"Just that, Carl and Cormac used to spar a lot during class. From what I have heard from Cormac. Carl beat him every time." Gavin stopped and inhaled slowly to his fullest, than exhaled in much the same way. The captain patiently waited. "Can I share my own personal opinion?"

"Yes, but I will take it as such."

"I think Cormac had no plans with the princess herself, I think that was just a convenient coincidence. Something he used to his advantage"

"Oh, and what do you think he was doing?"

"I think he wanted to kill Norman and Carl."