"Things seem… a little bit better." John leaned on the railing from the second floor, getting a clear sight of the movements below.
The hall was bustling with students, all roaming freely after the end of classes for the day. Having permission to do what they saw better for them, within the rules of the school.
By his side, Hope also observed the hall from the top. "Were they that bad before?" She questioned her boyfriend.
John shook his head. "I was afraid their bad emotions could affect each other and worse things. Before, they were anxious. Well, they still are, as you can see…" He pointed out.
Taking a look downwards, Hope understood what he meant.
Feet repeatedly, unrhythmically bumped on the wooden floor. Creating a subtle, background noise that unconsciously bothered those of higher senses, even if they themselves were responsible for part of the sound.
Eyes flickered constantly, trying to catch every movement. Be the raise of a finger or someone leaving or entering the hall. And ears twitched at even the sound of the wind hustling against the cloth of uniforms.
Everyone down there was on high alert.
"…but now, it doesn't seem like a bubble inflating. Even if the rate was slow, who knows what it would be till the next few hours." John explained.
And Hope, even if finding the explanation slightly strange, still nodded in understanding.
"I am just surprised Mrs. Forbes can have such a soothing impact on everyone." He added, making the topic they were talking about wholly.
"For you maybe. You are new. The rest, however, is another talk." Hope said, retreating her eyes from the crowd for a moment. "Most of them were brought here by her, convinced by her to study here. Taught and led by her through the years. Myself included."
"So it's not strange for you all to have a certain trust in her." John concluded.
"Yeah." Hope nodded, returning her gaze downwards. At a specific group, this time. "She is greatly seen by the vampires, since she was of great help for them to manage their enhanced senses and… cope with their new perspectives of life."
"I see." A hint of understanding made its way to John's eyes, the esteem the students held for Caroline making more sense the more he learned. "I guess your trust can easily be gained if someone can help you when you can't even trust your senses." John's tone of voice was very low, only Hope listened to him.
"I guess some people are just not as gifted as they need to deal with such problems." Hope sideglanced John.
The boy laughed very lightly. "Sorry if I'm built differently."
"Humph, you are just a show off." Hope joined him in the smile, shaking her head slightly.
After the short joyful moment, John's ears twitched, then he spoke up. "I wanna go down there, to meet Mrs. Forbes. Will you tag along?" John asked.
"Better later, no? Lizzie and Josie must be having a moment with her." Hope said, denying the idea temporarily.
But John readily responded to her words. "I suggested it now mostly because I am hearing the twins are leaving Dr. Saltzman's office. So there won't be any problem, I think."
Listening to it, Hope thought for a second. "Okay, then. We can welcome her from her trip."
"Let's go." John said, reaching out his hand to Hope.
The girl joyfully took his hand, following him down the chair's steps.
The sound of their steps echoed throughout the hall, overlapping itself with the murmurs and conversations going on.
But as the seconds passed, the steps, instead of flowing together with the other sounds, appeared to ignite a reversal effect, the whispers getting quieter and quieter.
Eyes flickered, the most aware ones noticing the descent of the owner of the steps, their voices naturally and unconsciously growing quieter.
The others, not blessed with such enhanced senses and less aware of their surroundings, started to notice the slight shift in their friends and colleagues behavior. They followed their line of vision to understand what was happening, though an idea was already forming in the back of their mind.
And when their eyes landed, with everyone realizing why things seemed to flow ever so strangely, an unsettling quiet took place in the hall.
For the split of a second, the only sound reverberating were two steps and the breathing of those present, but this small fraction of time was long for most of those present.
Hope, through the corner of her eye, looked at her boyfriend, but retreated her sight when seeing his expression.
Idiot. She muttered inwardly.
Even if for only a moment, she was able to see the slight curl of her boyfriend's lips.
As a wave crashing into the sands, the water becoming absolutely silent for a moment, the hall was found in this state. Till the retreat of the waves. Slowly, the murmurs and talks receded. Breaking the silence that lasted for an almost unnoticeable time.
You liked it, didn't you? Hope thought "outloud". Enough for John to capture her mindwave.
…Quite a bit. John almost had an idiotic smile sprouting on his lips.
Seeing him like this, a thought surged in Hope's mind. And even if she already pronounced these thoughts earlier, her worry wouldn't settle if she didn't ask again.
Do you really not care if people see you differently? Hope asked, passing under the archway to leave the hall.
The boy looked at his girlfriend through a side-glance for a moment, before retreating his eyes to look forward.
They are just awed by my feats. Yeah, some are frightened, others admire what I did a little. A few understand what my existence can mean to the world and just try to keep their distance from me. But in the end, I don't feel any malice from any of them. And it's not some looks that will make me tip on my feet. John calmly replied, following the corridors' path. "The reason behind why they look at me do not make uncomfortable. So it helps to not be bothered by it."
"…I see." Hope muttered, talking as well when noticing probably no one was probably listening to them if he was okay talking out.
"What do you see?" A voice asked them.
From behind the corner of the turn the couple was ready to take, walked out the twins. Their arms interlocked, both seemingly in a happy mood.
"Trivial things." John quickly replied, looking between the two girls. "How was the talk with Mrs. Forbes?" He quickly changed topics,
"Normal." Josie replied to the young man. Though, through her answer, her eyes darted downwards for a split moment.
"Just a few questions regarding the events of the past few days." She added.
The words worked as a trigger for Lizzie to speak. Her forehead frowning.
"I still think Mom is exaggeratedly worried. I don't see any need to temporarily close the school." Lizzie's tone was clear to show her mild annoyance. The sentiment surging abruptly. "Everything is fine, right? There hasn't been no harm till now."
"Till now." Josie emphasized the words.
Listening to their words, John chimed in. "It seems Mrs. Forbes has chosen what to do."
"Unfortunately." Lizzie said, dryly. Thinking her mother's choice was rather rushed and nonsensical in her opinion.
Feeling an involuntary squeeze on his hand, John calmly caressed the hand that held his. "I will see if I can help with anything. I have an idea that most probably will convince your mother and father to not temporarily close the school."
"That would be welcoming, John." Josie smiled at him, thanking him for his words of offering help.
He nodded back. "Then I will talk with her. Take advantage the meeting still hasn't started." He said, taking a step further. "See you two later."
Making way for both to pass, Lizzie and Josie observed as their two colleagues passed by them, going to their mother's direction.
…
Knock! Knock!
"Come in." A voice replied to the knock on the door.
At the opening of the door, two figures were revealed to Caroline.
"Mrs. Forbes? Good afternoon." John greeted the woman, stepping into the room.
"Good afternoon." Hope tagged along, eyeing the woman.
"Oh, Hope, John. Hello." Caroline, sitting on one of the chairs reserved for those visiting the office, greeted them in return. "It's good to see you two. Come in. How've you been?" She gestured her hand, indicating for them to get closer. to her.
Hope approached the remaining vacant chair, the one nearest to the door. "Nothing to complain about." She thought for a little, a teasing smile blooming on her. "Maybe the fact my boyfriend making me worried sick every time he leaves the building."
"Hahaha! Very understandable." Caroline said.
Approaching them after closing the door, John stopped the urge to roll his eyes. "Very funny." He dryly said.
"Hehe." Hope laughed, taking a peek at her boyfriend's dry expression.
Not having a place to sit down besides the one behind the desk or the floor, John approached Hope, standing behind her. His hands rested on her shoulders.
"Do you want to-"
"Don't need, Mrs. Forbes." John cut Caroline's words before she could mutter them completely in her attempt to offer him her seat. "I prefer here, where I can mess with Hope all I want." He said, messing with Hope's hair a little.
"Hey." Hope weakly protested.
"As you can see, we are good. Mrs. Forbes." John said, retreating his hand.
Caroline, meanwhile, observed the couple's interaction with a light of interest in her eyes.
"You sure are." Caroline nodded, calmly. She changed her posture to face them, the right side of her body leaning on the chair. "Did you come to see Alaric? He is occupied right now talking with a few of the school's professors, so-"
"We know." John spoke amidst Caroline's words, refraining her from continuing her phrase. "I can hear him talking to other Professors. We came for you. See how your trip was and if you were well after… everything, you know."
"Oh." Caroline understood. "Thanks, children. I appreciate that."
Both teenagers just casually smiled in response, but Caroline wasn't finished.
"Since I'm already thanking you, I should extend it a little more." Caroline said, her tone taking a more formal tone. "Thus, I should thank you two. For the help you both provided through the bad moment the school has been going lately." At the end of her words, a gentle and thankful smile bloomed on the Headmistress' face, her head bowing ever so slightly to express her gratitude.
"It's okay, Mrs. Forbes. It wasn't much anyway." John said. "Besides, I enjoyed brawling a dragon."
"Just as John said, Professor Forbes." Hope followed along. Although, there was a small smile on her lips. "It was just the right thing for us to do. The only problem was the headache of witnessing my boyfriend doing something stupid. But that is far from your fault."
"Hey…"
"Haha! I see, I see…" Caroline nodded, laughing at Hope's comment. A small thought crossed her mind when she witnessed the young man messing with Hope's hair at her comment.
I guess even Hope can be a little mischievous when in a happy mood. She thought, seeing the girl trying to push away John's hand.
Observing the couple having their moment, Caroline enjoyed seeing it. Making use of the short break on her part to recount in her mind the memories of her trip.
"Sorry, Mrs. Forbes." John apologized for their actions. "Please, tell us a little of your trip."
Taking a moment of silence, Caroline went through a last check on her mind before recounting her past days. "The trip, as a whole, was extremely fruitful. My first time in the African continent was great, to say the least."
"It seems you enjoyed it." Hope commented.
"Yes. My stay in Johannesburg was wonderful." Carolines nodded. "Not gonna lie, though. I expected them to be reluctant to meet me initially. As we all know, South Africa does not have the best of relations with… my kind."
A soft, short silence lingered for a moment.
"… Fair enough." John muttered.
Hope remained silent, but she demonstrated through her expression her understanding.
But as both teenagers came to a comprehension of her words, a smirk made its way to Caroline's expression. "The first circles I tried to approach were reluctant in meeting me, vehemently so. Though they were far from being disrespectful. However, it seemed luck smiled upon me when I visited a specific circle at the borders of the city. The moment I set foot into their lands, they welcomed me. Warmly, even. Almost like they expected my arrival and the reasons behind it…"
"Did they foresee your visit?" Hope asked.
"Seemingly so." Caroline nodded.
Looking between both women, John naturally understood Caroline's words. "Cool." He commented, a weak light twinkling in his eyes. "Did your presence trigger their visions of you or did they foresee the future purposefully?" At the mention of an action as glimpsing into the future, John's curiosity immediately resurfaced.
His eyes dwelled on Caroline, waiting for a response.
Unfortunately for him, the Headmistress gave him a shy smile.
"Sorry, I don't know." Caroline had her lips retreating shortly. "They just welcomed and didn't dwell much on that topic. And I also didn't pry more."
"No problem. It was just my curiosity." John said, but there was a bit of disappointment in his eyes.
"When they received me…" Calmly, Caroline diverted from the previous topic. "We exchanged a few words of greetings, with them readily welcoming me into their homes, telling me of their histories and beliefs along the way."
Hope raised her eyebrow. "They seemed… very open." Her tone was strained, her expression a reflection of the skepticism she felt about what she heard.
"I can say I shared the same skepticism you have now." Caroline replied. "Spent too much time in this world. Enough to actually raise my guard instead of lowering it when in face of someone projecting goodwill towards me." She actually scoffed at the idea.
"After what you went through, it's normal to think like that." John said, his words a little reassuring. Not everyone can have such a life and not be a little skeptical. A little bit of pity almost appeared in the boy's eyes, if not pulled back by him.
But even without the emotion in his eyes, his face was enough to transmit a bit of his thoughts.
"Those damn books…" Caroline muttered, even if she knew everyone in the room could hear her clearly. "Sometimes I wonder if we should've permitted Alaric to publish them for the students. Even if it's for the best for them."
"Bothered with everyone knowing too much about your life?" Hope asked.
"Believe me. Not even half of the story is in those books. We kept a few personal things out. Well, everyone but Alaric. Those books can basically recount almost every single of his steps in the last 20 years." A sigh of mild annoyance escaped Caroline's lips. "Only after we saw how compromised he was did we permit him to add more parts about us and publish it for the students and Professor only."
John casually raised his hand. "When you say us, you mean the Bennett witch, Damon Salvatore…"
"The former doppelganger, the sheriff. And a few others." Caroline nodded. "Yes, everyone who survived to tell the story."
"… Cool." John said.
Caroline then eyed Hope. "We also got permission from your family. Since, you know, they are part of this place's story."
"I never heard about this from them." Hope said, a little intrigued.
"Maybe they didn't give it much importance. They said we could work around the information as we wish. They only provided help with some knowledge a few times by request of Alaric." Caroline replied.
"I see…" Hope said in understanding.
"Returning to our previous topic," Caroline declared, forcefully altering the course of the conversation.
Hope and John didn't bother with it and followed along.
"I kept my guard high throughout almost the entirety of my first visit. From the moment I stepped into their houses, I was guided to where their matriarch was, where she took the lead to guide me around their lands." Caroline continued. "Although a little nervous due to the nature of my encounter with them, our talk couldn't be easier. She knew who I am, guessed the reason for my visit. Everything ran extremely smoothly. Thankfully." Her last word was almost a whisper. "Only at next day, when I woke up in my hotel, did I find myself believing everything ran smoothly."
"I guess one point goes to Magic for facilitating such encounters." John commented.
"Sure. We can say that." Caroline agreed. "Unfortunately, it was also the only succeeding one. As I basically bared my way through the Airport of Johannesburg and compelled just enough people to get a flight authorized from there to Atlanta. And still had to get a flight from there to the nearest airport before renting a car and driving here like a crazy person in order to arrive as early as possible."
"You sure doing things so fast didn't leave any loose end?" John asked.
"Relax. I have been doing this for a long time, I know how to not mess up." Caroline assured him, her lips curling lightly. "The good part is that nothing happened here during my travel, and I still arrived in time to have my presence at this meeting of tonight." She added.
At the mention of the meeting, John took advantage and readily said his question. "What do you think will be the result of it?"
Caroline held her eyes at him, only for her to shake her head. "I don't know." She adjusted her posture on the chair. "It's not a simple case anymore of closing the school or not."
Listening to these words, both teenagers had different reactions.
John, the one who thought of every single possibility at every single moment, had a grim expression.
Hope, however, had a more simplistic thought due to the desire of the school remaining operative. This tunned her mind, resulting in her seeing only the outcomes that directly affected the school: Closing it, or keeping it operative.
So, when Caroline muttered those words, she got wondering what her professor meant.
"Alaric made his intention clear. Whatever was happening, it was the school's responsibility to deal with. Only the school had the tools to deal with the supernatural threats that are assaulting us."
"So the school would need to be closed until this situation was dealt with, correct?" Hope asked, expecting an affirmation despite not desiring for such an answer.
Caroline, however, broke her expectations by shaking her head in denial.
"I didn't say that." The headmistress said. "At the same time Alaric said these words, he emphasized something else. How it is his work, as Headmaster, to secure the students' well-being. That includes their future, their studies and their home."
Caroline's words ignited a light in Hope's eyes. The girl was aware these words meant the school would remain open.
Lost in her mind for a moment, Hope returned her attention to Caroline.
"Alaric came with a… solution. If we can even call it that way." Caroline muttered, her words lacking a sense of trust. "He wasn't completely open about all the small details, but Alaric told a few of us, professors, about the nature of the attacks and the reasons behind it. And he volunteered himself to take a temporary leave from the school to solve the problem."
… Dude, you are not in your prime anymore. Chill down and try not to die before your daughters go to college. Was John's thoughts when listening to Caroline's words.
And when he noticed the silence that followed, he knew he wasn't the only one having these thoughts.
"Hum… and what you thought of the idea when he said it, Professor Forbes?" Hope asked.
"I told to his face he isn't a Van Helsing anymore, much less a Saint George to go out slaying with dragons." Caroline's tone lacked any harshness, but the words themselves were enough to transmit the sentiment.
"Sigh… but he listened to me? Not much. Had to resort to the Father Card for him to reconsider his decision." Caroline rubbed her forehead, thinking of how the father of her daughters was apparently the one giving her the most trouble. "Anyways, although Alaric offered a decent, though irresponsible option considering the candidate, himself. The choice to be made is still open."
Good. "And what path are you inclined to choose, Mrs. Forbes?" John asked.
"The one which guarantees the safety of the students. And since it seems our options aren't many, I will make the choice that I believe to be the right one even if it means closing the school for an undetermined time." Caroline's reply was straight. "Alaric is right about at least one thing, we are the ones most, if not the only ones prepared to deal with this kind of problem. The school must take the responsibility of dealing with it."
Through the speech, Caroline didn't wave or stutter in any moment; a reflection of how resolute the vampire was in her words.
"Are you confident?" John abruptly asked, not even a second later after Caroline's words escaped her lips. "If it comes to this decision, how confident are you to deal with a situation of this level?"
Caroline stared at the boy for a second. "Don't believe we can take care of it without your help?"
"Sorry if my words are harsh, but as I see, the individuals who once worked together to stop the most dangerous beings this world has ever witnessed are far from their prime. Some of you aren't even here." John's expression was casual, though his words were harsh regardless of how he initiated his phrase.
Towards his words, Caroline didn't display any anger. "Even if some are far away or are now 'retired', we have others to rely on."
"You refer to the other professors?"
"Not only them."
"If you are not including the Bennett witch in that group, then I hardly think this group may have the power to contend with the beings coming our way."
"Power is not everything."
"When facing a breath of fire that can engulf this entire building or vines that consume an entire forest, power is an aspect that can't be ignored." John kept his impassive expression, not losing the staring he was having with Caroline right now. "As I see, this option is a ticket to take you all to your destruction."
"John!"
"I am just saying what I have in my mind." John looked downwards on Hope, at her reprimanding eyes.
Lifting his head slightly, his eyes once again met Caroline's. "So I apologize for my words, but it doesn't seem the school has the means to solve this problem."
"You really don't think we can deal with it?"
"Unfortunately."
"Then I hope you have something in mind to solve this situation." Caroline said, still keeping her serene stance.
Even after John's words, she didn't seem irritated by it.
"I think I have." John nodded, pushing his arms away from the chair's back, straightening himself. "I have a lead, and I am the one who probably understands the intricacies of the situation the most, considering I am the one who discovered most of them. Not to mention, I consider reasonable to say I have the strength to keep myself safe. My suggestion is for me to take a temporary leave from the school whilst solving this-"
"Absolutely not!"
A low scream reverberated through the room, with a figure shooting out of the chair.
Hope, turning on her heels, faced John head on. Her expression was severe.
"What are you thinking?! What do you have in your mind? Taking the dagger with you and simply walk away to fight some fucking monsters we don't even know about?! Are you crazy?!" She pushed the chair between them aside, almost throwing it away if a bit more strength was added.
John spoke calmly. "I know what I am saying may sound a little stupid, but-"
"Stupid?! You are talking about setting out of the school alone! It is more than stupid, it's idiotic!"
Inwardly, John sighed. Sigh… this is going to be complicated.