*Whoosh*
Sleek silver modern buses parked outside of Caelbridge Academy, students murmuring about their design and chic look.
...
"I appreciate your cooperation Jarren Velros." Timothy mused, his smile thin as the two walked out of the training hall. For the past three days, Jarren had been explaining the basics of his glyph before poking at his core thought or rebellion against the new world. "I can sense the hatred beneath that face of yours."
"However I don't mind it, if it makes the game interesting then go for it." The glyph Timothy had mastered wasn't the same as Callista's. His burnt through his sanity and in a matter of time fall into madness and ruin. "A price for those who lacked malcore." Jarren had briefed him but that was a lie.
The more people used them, the more they would prostrate their souls to him to be devoured. A rule of the game he switched to his favor. "I'm sure that you will put it to great use." Jarren finalized his thoughts as the two walked through the empty halls. "Of course and thank you once more for this... ability."
Timothy's words hinted more than just a simple gesture of gratitude. Jarren merely smiled at what was to come as he finally stepped outside of the hall. "Oh Jarren, I'm sure that you should make your way to the auditorium for the briefing." Timothy urged to which Jarren blankly nodded and left the premise.
With him gone, Timothy could already see the scene of the uprising and rebellion. The fallen earth rising up before reflecting back to Jarren. 'He's extremely cautious with his source of this glyph but it will be a matter of time before I figure it out.' He chuckled evilly and straighting his coat made his way back to the professor lounge.
...
"Timothy, it's an honor to meet you." Rhydian spoke, his voice gravel as he extended his hand to his guest. For the entirety of the tournament, he had remained in seclusion refusing to interfere. Some of the professors cited recuperation for his ill state, others baffled unable to piece it together .
"An honor as always Rhydian, it definitely has been a pleasant tournament however it's a shame that your weren't there to overlook it." Timothy sighed, pulling back from the handshake. "You've been in seclusion with Jarren, is it not?" Rhydian's voice grew grim, his eyes blindfolded.
"That is true. After all I grew rather interested with the boy's glyph." He stated, his words drawing eyes of suspicion. It was hard for them to get their hands on Jarren and have him spill his secrets but with Timothy, who represented the royal court had an advantage over them.
"Well I'm sure that the insight was worthwhile however we have a meeting to get to." Rhydian ended the conversation as he made his way towards the auditorium. Some of the professors were stumped seeing his actions as they had anticipated for him to ask about Timothy's findings.
'Is it because he represents the royal court that eve Rhydian can't force him to confide?' Esdora couldn't help but wonder however her mind was brought back to reality as they made their way to the auditorium.
Filled to the brim with students of all years and Vorthmere students, a professor took the stage. "I'm sure that you all had a great time and learnt from the tournament." His words felt like mockery to the fourth year students. They learnt that they had monsters lurking amongst them and the academy couldn't do anything to stop them.
"However we have come to the end of the tournament and the results will be presented to you all. I'm sure that you all gave it your all." The screen flickered behind him and much to no one's surprise Jarren was ranked first. With a flawless execution with the theory in the first trial, highest in the second and victory in the third, it was expected.
Below him was Callista who lagged behind because of the second trial then Brose in third. From there the list went on. Kaelin was fifth, Ingrid fell sixth and so forth. "Damn it!" Such grumbles echoed through the room, however they could only watch.
"I'm sure that you all gave it your best however we have to thank our victors." The claps and cheers ringing through half hearted, most still sour with the results. "Well moving on, I would like to introduce you all to Timothy sent by the royal court." Welcoming Timothy, the professor stepped aside.
Timothy took the stage, his eyes landing on the sea of students who looked at him with disinterest and apathy, ready to get the event out of the way. "I'm sure that you all gave it your best but reality is often harsh so you have to bear it." His words shape further annoying most present. "However for our top five students, thanks to the royal court they will be taken to a haven to further sharpen their skills! They will be given all the resources they need to further advance their ranks."
'As if it wasn't bad enough!' Some cursed in their minds, already dreading what would become of the pair of given room to grow stronger. "I appreciate you all for giving it your all and participating in the tournament. I hope that next year the tournament will be even greater!"
And with that, the speech dragged on however most had their minds elsewhere and realizing this the professor brought ended the speech much quicker. Their reactions were to be expected and to some extent felt sorry for them however there was nothing that he could do.
Rhydian faced in Jarren's direction, his lips curving into a light frown as he recalled that day. He rose to his feet, the professors around him astounded with his actions as he marched to the stage. The dead atmosphere was reignited, students baffled as to why Rhydian would make his appearance.
Some whispered about the fold on his face. "My dear students, my purpose here is not to thank you for your efforts but let one of you to let go of their facade. Jarren Velros, may you come here to the stage and explain your relation with demons?" Looks of bewilderment plastered on the students, some descending into rage and others suspicion.
"I knew that there was something wrong with Jarren the moment those deaths surfaced." Some claimed, now eyeing Jarren with hatred and rage. The target of the conversation merely smiled as he rose to his feet, Callista kept her cool, her head supported with her hand as she readied herself for the play that was to come.
Jarren stood next to Rhydian, his smile still present. "Rhydian, it would seem that you're slowly losing your mind with age, as for the accusations of my ties with demons, do you have proof for this?" His voice calm as his eyes landed on Rhydian. The seal he had placed on Rhydian har shattered, his doing out of curiosity.
Whether Rhydian would fall silent or call him out. "Why do I need proof for such a claim? Your glyphs alone are evidence enough. On behalf of the kingdom of Reuthar I will have your life extinguished!" Rhydian shouted, his voice losing his cool as malcore started to flare violently.
"Rhydian, don't do anything foolish here. You can't have the life of a student extinguished with no actual evidence. I'm sure you know the consequences for your rash actions." Timothy shouted, hoping to calm Rhydian down. 'If Jarren happens to die then the court will have me lynched!' He cursed in his mind.
'Not to mention with his strange glyph, he will be a key factor for me to free our own kind. I can't let him die but then again, I can't use the glyph, not yet at least.' As much as he wanted to intervene, direct intervention would complicate things later on.
"Have you sided with this abomination for power?" Rhydian kept on taunting, his words growing sharper as malcore kept on flaring. By now most of the professors has guided most of the students out of the auditorium, a select few still present. Brose grew intrigued, puzzled as to why Rhydian fell into such a stupor.
For a person of his age, he lacked the professionalism of his age as his face grew more unsightly. He grabbed his fold and yanked it off revealing his orbits. Hollow and uncanny projecting through the entire auditorium. Callista's brow furrowed, take aback not by the graphic sight but by the feat itself.
She hadn't thought that Jarren would make such a brazen attack on Rhydian of all people. "Oh my god!" Jarren kept his mask, two other people seeing through it. Jarren's face showed genuine fear further adding insult to Rhydian's injury. "Rhydian, you have to calm down!"
Esdora chimed in, her tone soothing as own malcore began to flare as well. With a few ranks beneath him, she knew that even with the aid of other professors that it would be difficult to hold him down. As for Jarren, he stood without a care on the stage.
*Snap*
The screams of the students slurred before coming to a complete halt, turbulent malcore ceased as everyone's motions slowed. Time had been stopped completely and the perpetrator kept on donning his smile without a care.
The only people who remained unaffected from the effects were Jarren and Rhydian who now grew unease with what had transpired. "I gave you the ability to talk as you wished and yet you seemed to court death." Jarren sighed, removing his hands from his pockets as he drew closer to Rhydian.
The old man's face grew grim as his mind was wrapped with fear he couldn't quite comprehend. His body froze, his motions halted akin to a mannequin as he saw Jarren draw closer. "I'll leave you two to it." He heard another individual talk, Callista who wore her indifference like armour and left the auditorium.
Now the two remained alone, one with fear and the other with a chilling smile capable of making concepts bleed. Jarren wasn't subtle as his fingers dug into the old man's blank orbits making him yelp. "It's such a shame that I have to do this." His tone voiced disappointment like a parent and yet his actions held no warmth of one.
*Rip*
Rhydian's skull was ripped open, begining with his nose before exposing his upper jaw. The old man clutched his face, baffled with the pain that coursed through his body as if not his as he witnessed the chunk of flesh in Jarren's hand.
*Thump*
Callously throwing his face to the side, Jarren watched Rhydian stagger to the side, his body twitching from the pain as a fountain of blood splurted from his face. Capillaries, veins and flesh were exposed to the naked eye and the only one capable of witnessing it merely shot his serpentine smile.
Pointing his finger at Rhydian, a pillar of red flame engulfed the head professor as he began to cry in anguish. His malcore stagnant thanks to Jarren, his body burning to ash as the world around him remained in a standstill. "Arghh! Argghh!!!" The screams of Rhydian filled the air before unceremoniously falling to the floor.
Jarren made his way to him, crouching above his figure as his eyes perused the old man's scorched body. His flesh sizzled, his skull exposed as bits of his jaw jutted in unnatural ways to the viewer. Still even in this state Rhydian had yet to lose his life. He could feel Jarren's figure tower over him, a shadow swallowing him whole.
"You'll be fitting for another test in purgatory." Another snap of Jarren's fingers followed before the old man's body was swallowed by the ground, his body and soul removed from the plane of reality and into Jarren's maze of purgatory in his mind.
The perpetrator sighed lightly before looking around, tilting his head slightly he waved it all away before resuming the flow of time. The professors on the scene seemed perplexed with the violent malcore lingering in the air, their faces painting their bewilderment as they took their leave. 'The human mind is so easy to manipulate.'
Jarren smirked maliciously as he too took his leave from the auditorium and prepped himself for the next act. His work was simple, eradicate the concept of Rhydian from everyone's minds. Flaws were present with this but he preferred the chaos that would follow, a fitting scene for his sadistic entertainment.