'I would have never guessed in a century that you have the All-Eye'
'During the middle of Fetuary, when the Spark Lizards come out from hibernation, they quickly search for a mate.' The professor glanced around, making sure his students were paying attention.
The Year II class of Ecology has just commenced, and Edith hid in her usual place - The far corner of the room.
She swiftly noted what the professor taught, grabbing every word like a valuable treasure. She wished Antonio were there with her, making her giggle and pout.
That was one of the few things under heaven that made her happy.
A large earth turtle sat patiently in front of the class. With skin as brown as rich soil, with eyes that spoke of earthly wisdom, the gargantuan turtle was too "adorable" for Edith to ignore.
On the shell were several sprouts of plants, illuminated by a dim green light. The lights swayed and shifted, taking the shape of various organisms, like the Spark Lizard her professor was talking about.
'So cute,' Edith mumbled as she continued to jot down points.
'I wonder how Leo is doing, ' Edith thought deeply.
Her sister never truly saw her as family, but as a burden.
'Go find your true father, and leave mine alone!!!!' Leo would say.
A searing pain of anxiety and shame stung Edith. She got dizzy, and her heart ached. She always wanted to be a good sibling to Leo, but she understood that Leo didn't wish that.
'Where were you when my father was nothing?' Leo gritted her teeth. 'But when he is somebody, you and your slutty mom are now flocking him.'
Take that back, now!! Edith's eyes spoke of fury.
Leo chuckled. 'Your mom... IS A SLUT!!'
A Few moments later, Leo's spine was lodged in Edith's mouth, her warm green blood flooding her stomach. It was rage, then madness, then blood.
Her Father hated her, her mother was too confused to say anything, and Leo never saw her as a sister, or even a normal titan.
Edith couldn't keep it in any longer. The memory was just too painful. Her breath sped up, her nails dug into her thighs, and her mind raced with nothing but negative thoughts - She will never accept me!!!
Edith always prayed that it was a hallucination; she wished that it was a dream. But no, Edith ripped out one of her stepsister's spines.
Edith closed her eyes, pressed her temples, and started counting from 20 to 1. As she murmured the number 7, her body calmed down.
'I hope she's fine,' Edith thought. 'What could she be doing, fighting a villain right now?'
Edith chuckled lightly, oblivious of hell knocking on her door.
'Two spark Lizards will climb to the top of a taigar mountain, pleased with the hot weath-'
Before the teacher could finish, a large object flew into the classroom. The domed ceiling ruptured, as a black but obscured figure fell onto the classroom floor. Students shrieked, Edith stood up in fear, but the Turtle stared lightly, as if it had seen it plenty of times.
As dust filled the room, students were confused and intrigued, wondering if this was a test or a drill.
The professor, a middle-aged goblin woman, walked cautiously to the crater, a purple sword in her green-tinted hand. The dust slowly parted, like phantoms hiding their secrets, revealing a sight that left the teacher confused.
'A-a raven?' The teacher tilted her head.
Edith's eyes adjusted to the dust, and she gasped. In the middle of the crater was a human-sized slaver-beak raven, with black wings stained with blood, and its talons broken in different joints.
The raven suddenly jerked, spreading fear throughout the classroom. Its feather quivered, with its six crimson eyes - no, it was unexpectedly green, studying the class with unnatural intelligence.
'A really big raven.' Edith spoke out, and she quickly covered her mouth.
A student looked back and covered her mouth. 'Edith?!!'
Students stared back in awe, with girls jumping excitedly, and boys suiting themselves up.
Edith's anxiety stepped in, as she hid it with a smile.
'What the hell?' A male student looked annoyed, pounding his chest. 'What is this? I bet its a slave or a puny citizen.'
A warm hand rested on the boy's shoulder. 'Brother, you shouldn't call citizens of Zion slaves just because they aren't born in nobility, no, no, no.
The hand belonged to a girl, staring at her brother with a hard but concerning look.
The boy moved his shoulder away. 'Why not? They are nothing but trash. I'm gonna smash the head of the person that-'
Karma, weaponized, hates the pride.
A sharp sound was heard, splitting the air, or something more transcendental.
Instantly, the student's head imploded with a splash of red blood. Edith's warm smile was replaced with a scalding scream, as the blood painted the classroom wall.
...
Elsewhere, where hell was let loose, Ravens swooped, divinity fired, blood spewed.
It was a massacre.
Leo limped slowly through the battlefield, her eardrums shattered. Across, she saw Izobel buried under rubble, blood gushing from her side. Leo winced, frowning at her left hand that lacked a forearm.
Izobel tried desperately to heal everyone, allowing for The Figure to pull out her left ribcage.
Leo's heart stopped in fear.
As she limped slowly to Izobel, her green blood marking the ground, her body felt numb, and she could barely breathe.
'Must...save...Izzy.'
With little distance before her destination, a large raven dug its claws into Leo's back, causing her to scream. The bird of prey lifted her off the ground while plucking out her skin with its metal beak.
'No, you don't, ' Leo's nails grew. With a struggling swing, she connected her claws to the bird's chest. 'I'm nobody's meal.'
The raven cried out, and Leo smiled, oblivious of the bird's wrath. The raven dived towards the ground and slammed Leo brutally. The Raven flew up again and dived, using Leo as a landing mat.
The bird repeated his process, and Leo's hold on her consciousness thinned. The Raven slammed her, dug its beak into her back, its feathers flaying her skin, its talons gnashing her bones .... Leo was feeling unimaginable pain.
Satisfied with its revenge, the raven dropped Leo. Her body landed with a terrifying thump, right next to Izobel.
Leo couldn't move or speak, and she could barely think.
' I'm sorry, Izzy,' Leo thought bitterly. 'I wanted to save us.'
As a warm tear fell down Leo's cheek, she could feel her soul exiting her body. The last thought that came to her mind shocked her - Edith.
Leo made a weak smile, hating herself even more.
Through the turmoil and sibling battles, Leo never told Edith how she truly felt. She wanted to hug Edith right now, go back in time, and fix everything, apologizing for her selfish and immature acts.
'I just want us to be sisters.' Edith screamed.
Leo was just too hateful to see how amazing her stepsister was. She remembered 4 years ago, when Edith saved her from a stalker. In between the dark and cold alleyway of Shawnforth, she was cornered by a crazy stalker, desperate to leave with Leo's eyes - and her virginity.
But she was rescued by Edith, who tried desperately to defeat the stalker.
But Leo was blinded by envy, jealousy, and pure malice. She saw an opportunity to get rid of her burden.
So she ran away, ignoring Edith's cry for help. Leo's thirst for revenge grew.
What an Irony, Leo thought.
But was it too late? Leo suspected Edith's hatred of her after that day. Even though they weren't blood sisters, she saw her as something closer than that.
But she was blinded... blinded by foolishness, anger, and - her.
'Le-o?' A soft voice said.
Leo forced her eyes to open, and she saw Izobel's pink eyes staring at her.
Leo wanted to say something, a lot of things, but her predicament refused that privilege.
Izobel slowly scanned her environment. Blood and organs filled the battleground, ravens flocked around sinisterly, and The Figure ... was walking straight towards her.
The figure's sorrowful eyes were replaced with eyes of... annoyance? disappointment? Leo and Izoble weren't sure.
The Figure leapt slightly, hovering over the blood-stained floor, before landing on the rubble that buried Izobel. The Figure stared at her with disdain, and Izobel returned the gesture.
'Given up yet?' The Figure said.
Izobel cuhed up more blood. 'You really need to stop underestimat-'
An invincible blunt force smacked Izobel, her malicious intention damaging her.
'Disgusting.' The figure frowned.
Izobel gathered back her consciousness, dazed and tired to breathe properly.
'Something's wrong,' Izobel thought. 'I accidentally thought of punching his head off, but I only got a smack on the skull.'
In a split second, a shimmer of hope glinted in Izobel's hearts.
'Is the barrier...WEAKENING?'
'Leave her alone!!' Leo screamed, gathering her last bit of life and willpower.
The Figure stared blankly at her, unimpressed. He brought his finger to his lips, and a flock of ravens drove Leo back into the destroyed class.
Izobel wanted to scream, but she couldn't.
'Yet?' the figure asked, more determined.
Izobel spat on the figure, but it got reflected on her face. 'Does that answer your question?'
The Figure turned his back. 'Caesar is dead.'
Izobel's heart dropped, and her blood turned cold. Caesar? Dead?
Izobel took a painful breath, her mouth slightly opened to speak.
'You...are lying. He promised ... he promised he won't die.' Izobel shouted. 'HE PROMISED'
The figure frowned, and Leo's instinct screamed.
Before she could do anything, the Figure grabbed Izobel's neck, pulling her from the rubble and flying away. Izobel's lungs were empty of air, and her head spun.
She felt the figure stop, and she closed her eyes shut. What if Caesar was really dead? Izobel refused to see his dead body.
But she was confident that Caesar would never die until they became knights. Various scenarios played in her mind, and none of them were pleasant. Izobel's body shivered, afraid of what was in front of her.
BUT SHE GAMBLED.
Izobel slowly opened her eyes, expecting to see Caesar's charming smile, or her Father's warm hands, or Zeus, or Fenrir, or Chalybe - She wished to see them looking perfect and fine.
But as her eyes opened, stung by light, her mind, body, and soul shattered like a mirror.
Atop the broken statue of a knight, skin pale and drowned in blood - Caesar lay there...dead.
Izobel felt hopeless as she screamed, but it was drowned out by the screams of the dying students.