The scene, earlier in the last class, was low-key scary. However, Claude figured Len was joking. Dinner came, and no one dared to snatch him. Of course, Claude didn't believe Len would be that aggressive. Still, it paid to be sure.
Claude didn't lie about his plans. He did not go out for dinner, but his plan commenced later that night. With his violin on his shoulder, he ventured into the woods behind the school.
Saint Emilien rested on top of a tall hill. It was completely leveled to accommodate the school and the related buildings. However, the plateau extended far behind it. That space was covered in thick woods, creating a scary picture in total darkness. At the plateau's edge was a cliff that overlooked the placid sea. That was where Claude was headed.
"Why is campus security too lax? We have a literal forest behind the dorms." The violinist didn't have to keep himself low to avoid guards. They were virtually invisible to him, as if none were there. However, they saw campus security all over the school.
Claude escaped the Cavalry's dorm and headed behind the Inner Left Flank, the building to his dorm's left. Its length covered the entire side of Cavalry and General. Claude planned to sneak around this building to get to the woods. He needed to avoid the General's dorm at all costs. Whether it involved not seeing Len or anyone from the Psi Saint Alpha, only Claude knew.
Only a few rooms had their lights on around midnight. Claude figured those people were doing advance study or skipping their sleep to leave the school premises. Whatever they did, Claude wished those inside their rooms wouldn't look out their windows.
"I'm already in the woods. I still didn't see anyone…" Claude frowned at the absence of guards. Regardless, he would just be careful from thereon. He didn't know what kind of animal to encounter in these parts of the hill.
His eyes quickly adjusted to the low-light surroundings. The birds and small animals rustled the grass and leaves, letting Claude know a predator wasn't around. These woods were too loud tonight, and he liked it. That was better than a dead-silent place. He just needed to make sure he wouldn't get bitten by snakes on his way to the edge.
Claude arrived at his destination, seeing the dark sky and the bright full moon. The dark sky melded into the black waters of the sea. A smile curled his lips as he left the undergrowth.
"I'm here. I made it in time." Claude checked his watch. He still had a few minutes before midnight. He found a lone tree and brought his bag and violin case down. He took a swig of his bottled water and prepared his violin.
"It's midnight." Claude rose and propped the violin on his neck. He placed his fingers and bow at the starting points before taking a deep breath. "Moon Goddess, please take my offering."
The first note came, and Claude allowed himself to get lost in the music.
Living in a city dominated by humans was hard for a rogue like Claude. They couldn't just howl when they wanted to. That was why Claude's mother figured the violin would be a good alternative. Humans were drawn to music, and it was a safe song to play whenever he felt like it. His mother had a golden voice instead. He couldn't sing with her, so he played an instrument.
Years ago, he played the violin on rooftops and from their apartment's balcony. His mother sang with him, and his grandfather could only make the softest howls due to his age.
Howl! Claude was awakened from his trance. He heard a howl coming from the darkness behind him. It was soft and short, seemingly only there to take his attention. Claude could only stop playing and look behind him. From the darkness was a pair of bright red eyes moving closer. When the moon shone down on the creature, Claude's eyes widened. His hands even grew weak.
A big wolf sauntered toward him. It made a soft growl as if greeting him.
"Shit…!" Claude didn't want to get close to other wolves. His grandfather was forced out of a pack and left to fend for himself when he was younger. He warned Claude about others, especially the red-eyed ones. Now that one came to him…
Claude's weak grip dropped his violin and bow. He quickly grabbed his bag and ran off, avoiding the immediate reach of the big wolf. "Get away from me!"
The big wolf flinched at the reaction, but it didn't follow Claude. It just watched the other person leave before walking closer to the cliff's edge. The bow barely balanced itself, but the violin had long found its broken body among the rocks at the foot. The wolf snarled in annoyance and lightly pushed the bow off the edge. No one even heard the sound it made when it broke.
Howl! A loud howl echoed throughout the woods, perhaps even reaching the dorms. Claude was still in the woods when he heard it. He froze in his tracks. That howl was so loud and mighty, and he felt like the howler was complaining.
"…I have to be very careful. They won't be after me, right?" Claude sighed and paced his breathing. He trudged through the woods and clutched the strap of his bag.
…
Claude couldn't sleep the entire night. Another werewolf was in the school, and that person might start closing in on him. Then again, it could be that it tried to eat him. Claude was alone in the woods. He was the best kind of prey for a big wolf like that.
Regardless, the weekday was merciless to the weary. Claude could only concentrate on his classes the next day. However, even if he sat at the same desk, Len didn't show up. Even the whole strange entourage was absent during their two GE subjects. If Claude recalled it properly, only that strange, timid-looking person was in class today.
"Should I ask him…?" Claude didn't know why it bothered him. Seeing that werewolf on campus grounds made him sensitive to missing people. What if someone was already eaten?
"What do you want to know?" Eugene slid across the seat and slightly crashed against Claude. He hooked an arm around Claude's neck. "You can just ask me, Lavallee. I know everything… or that I can just ask people around, okay?"
Claude held the arm to keep it from choking him accidentally. He glanced at the two vacant spots beside him. "Len's not in class today."
Eugene moved his head to find the empty seat beside Claude. He then eyed his friend. "Hey, make up your mind. Do we like him or not? You don't want to have anything to do with the guy, but you're looking for him when he's gone."
"I'm just… curious." Claude scrunched his face and continued packing up. "I don't want to miss out on a seat in the cafeteria. We should leave."