Damon didn't know how much time had passed but as soon as he regained consciousness, he felt morning sun flooding in through a nearby window.
Upon turning his head, he was nearly startled at the sight beside him.
Abel sat slumped in a wooden chair, his head tilted at an awkward angle. The bags under his eyes were pronounced and a book rested open in his lap, his fingers still loosely gripping the spine.
'They left him here to monitor my condition...?' Damon thought, a mixture of exasperation and fondness flickering through him.
As he sat up, he lifted the covers and noticed the once-bloodied sheets had been changed to a fresh linen dyed deep blue.
Similarly his clothing, the simple white shirt and the black trousers he had sported prior to becoming a Specter had also been replaced by a simple dark tunic and matching trousers.
'How many drugs did Keene use to keep me under for them to do all this without me waking...?'
Damon was dumbfounded when suddenly a dull ache spread through his jaw.
He moved his tongue, pressing it experimentally against his teeth and his eyes widened.
Surprisingly they were all there. Smooth and completely whole. His current molars were unblemished replacements yet strangely harder than original set.
'But teeth shouldn't regrow that quickly...'
The implications of this clawed at the edges of his thoughts, but before he could dwell on them, Abel's head began to droop dangerously.
The book slipped an inch in his lap.
'Idiot. You were supposed to be watching over me, not falling asleep.' Damon sighed inwardly as he caught it.
He then glanced at the title of the book in his hand and the words Reverend Melancholy stood out in bold.
Damon couldn't help the snort that escaped him.
"This series was canceled years ago. There's no point trying so hard to read a story that won't ever end."
At that moment Abel jerked awake suddenly. He sat up with a sharp inhale, nearly knocking over his chair as his eyes darted around the room.
"D—Damon! You're awake!" His voice cracked with relief as he shot up from the chair. "I should get the others next door. Vincent will want to—"
"Stop." Damon held up a hand. "I don't want to cause a stir."
"But—"
"It's fine. They're probably in class by now anyway." Damon said as he swung his legs over the side of the bed, planting his feet on the cool wooden floor.
"What time is it and what happened with Keene?"
"He left a few minutes ago after healing the last of your wounds. It's Wednesday morning." Abel blinked slowly and said.
He adjusted his glasses in a bid to keep his eyes open. "You were sleeping so peacefully he decided to head down the mountain for supplies with Kroche."
Damon paused mid-stretch. 'Keene is gone?'
A wave of relief washed through him, followed immediately by confusion. "Hmm Kroche...? Who's that?"
"You haven't spoken to her before but she's the girl with twin tails," Abel yawned. "The one always walking around with three other girls circling around her."
'Right. Her....'
Damon's memory sharpened as he recalled the fourteen year old girl. The one who raised her hand during Vincent's lesson on Phantesia Echo.
She had been the first to ask a sensible question.
'I didn't know those two were close..'
Although Kroche was always flocked by others, Damon couldn't imagine Keene as the type to be drawn by her mask of friendliness.
They were akin to water and oil, they just didn't mix... But then again he didn't know much about either of them besides these simple observations.
"Damon?" At that moment, Abel asked puzzled across him.
Damon shook his head as he shifted focus. "Where's Mother?"
"We didn't see her at breakfast." Abel frowned, his exhausted mind clearly struggling to keep up. "Mr. Salamnca said she was occupied with work in her office."
'So she was there...' Damon muttered inwardly.
Last night it had been faint due to his mind being assaulted by mania but he had definitely sensed an extraordinary pressure two floors above.
Naturally he was compelled to seek answers from the only person that came to mind.
As this new resolve settled in his chest, he stood to say, "I'm going to see her."
"I'll come with you—" Abel started, already moving toward him.
"Don't even think about it!" Damon scolded playfully, knocking the book onto his brother's head. "You've been awake long enough."
Looking down at Abel's stunned face he then added, "You need the rest and you would have skipped the combat lesson anyway. So just sleep."
".." Abel's mouth widened as he blinked. Finally his eyes flickered with gratitude he said a single word, "Okay."
"Good.." Damon said satisfied as Abel climbed into bed. With that taken care of he opened the door to the hallway, stepping outside.
As he shut the door behind him, he was met with a familiar figure leaning against the red wood paneling. Slightly disheveled, Vincent stood in a sweat soaked shirt with his arms crossed.
"How long have you been waiting?" Damon looked him straight in the eye and asked.
Vincent pushed off the wall with a casual shrug before saying slowly, "Coincidence, really. I was on my way to give Abel a break.."
'Then why do you look so worked up...' Damon found humor in his brother's appearance as he strode forward.
Vincent offered a charming smile.
"Might I tag along dear brother?"
"It's not like you'd listen even if I said no." Damon grumbled, his back turned. He then flipped open the book in his hand as Vincent followed.
Although he wasn't interested in its contents, it would aid in dodging any questions his brother planned to pose.
"I thought you didn't like that book?" Vincent noticed this obvious tactic.
'Why is this bastard always so perceptive...' Damon sighed inwardly as he tried his best to conceal his emotions.
"I decided to give it another try." He replied.
However shortly after he began the first chapter, they turned the corner past the library doors and he snuck a passing glance to the right.
The once unfamiliar door, the room with the dimensional gate was nowhere to be seen. Instead he was met with a simple wooden wall as if the door had never existed.
Damon's brows furrowed together slightly but he quickly caught on. He amplified his sight with spiritual energy and his eyes took on a subtle crimson.
The world sharpened, and golden symbols appeared on every surface of the wall, covering the ceiling and every groove carved into the wood.
'It's like that old pervert said I can't see what's hidden with just my physical eyes..' Damon reckoned.
'I still couldn't see the door... It also looks like those symbols make up some sort of spell in Latin. Maybe to hide it..?'
'I'll need to find Mr. Ying later for books on the language while observing other objects for similar symbols.'
Damon withdrew his gaze from the wall and scratched his chin, deep in thought. Then he carefully sized up Vincent and suddenly a small mist of dark blue colours formed around his head.
'This is different from the others... It's like spiritual energy but somehow more dense than the usual fog..' Damon wasn't sure what it was.
But as they reached the foot of the stairs a thought struck him.
Since the boy lacked spiritual energy the composition of his soul was laid bare!
"Something wrong brother?" Vincent asked, his tone light but his eyes sharp.
Before answering, Damon closed the book in his hand.
"How are you feeling?" He asked, keeping his voice casual.
Vincent blinked, then laughed. "Shouldn't I be asking you that? You're the one who just got out from the infirmary."
"Just answer the question."
"I'm fine. Better than fine." Vincent grinned. "Why? Worried about me?"
'If you don't want to answer I'll wait...' Damon fell silent for moment upon sensing his brother was reluctant. If something was bothering him he couldn't force him to discuss it.
Thus Damon shook his head and spoke reflectively.
"Could you humor me for a moment and recall any tales the people have spread about mother?"
"Why..?" Vincent looked at Damon furrowing his brow in confusion. "There isn't much besides the old war stories I've heard from a drunken Diana."
"There was also this one story about a powerful beast terrorising the residents below the mountain before mother came to this land."
"Their battle lasted three nights and on each one the people would have dreams of a hazy red fog and ravens devouring a large spider. In the mornings they would also discover that their sick had suddenly recovered."
"Then on the fourth morning the local shrine suddenly collapsed."
"Did any of the attendants see the battle take place?" Damon pressed.
"No but why does it even matter?" Vincent stared with bewilderment etched on his face. "Does this have something to do with the changes to your body..?"
"It's exactly why I need to speak with mother. I think she might know something about what happened." Damon simply stated. He then shot his brother an annoyed look that said: "I know you see where I'm going with this so stop asking!"
"Alright…" Vincent slowly relented but his eyes still held skepticism.
As they reached the third floor, they stepped lively to the administrative wing and were greeted by the sounds of something hitting wood.
'What is that..?' Damon wondered, spotting the office door ahead.
Just then the space between his brows suddenly began to spasm and two spiritual signatures condensed beyond the wood...
The first appeared human, though its colors were a dark green and the second was blended perfectly with darkness, making it nearly impossible to discern but he hadn't forgotten.
The cold sensation of those invisible fingers against his neck returned, ghosting across his skin.
Then at this moment the office door burst open.
A figure wearing cracked glasses stumbled out clutching a book against her chest.
"Ms. Windu?" Vincent mumbled in surprise.
Damon halted similarly taken aback.
A patch of crimson clung to her hair but it was certainly the teacher's assistant!
"...." The woman met their gaze for half a second before the book slipped from her grasp and her body leaned forward.
Bang!
Before the brothers could process what was happening, she fell face-first onto the wooden floor.
'It's here...But why is it in Mother's office?' Damon's pupils shook as a shadowy hand emerged from the open doorway and seized her by the ankle.
Its thin fingers then yanked her back toward the room!
"Help me! Please!"
Ms. Windu's hands shot out as her voice cracked. She grasped at the door frame and her nails dug into the wood.
Without hesitation Vincent rushed forward. He grabbed the woman's hands and pulled with all his strength.
However the unseen force exceeded what he expected. His feet skidded against the floorboards as it dragged them both towards the doorway.
"Dammit really why is that thing here?!" Damon complained as he sprang into action.
Doubts on whether he could even harm the ghost momentarily filled his mind, but he quickly grabbed Ms. Windu's right arm and hauled her body back towards them.
At this angle he gained a better view of the entity and his heart skipped a beat.
It was just a wrist, a disembodied hand with nothing visible below it!
"Vincent, take both her hands now!" Damon ordered.
"What? If I do that she'll..."
"Just do it! If this goes on we might break her spine!"
Following those words, Vincent snatched both of the woman's arms and Damon strode forward. He hadn't been wearing shoes when he had woken up but he didn't care.
Bang!
He decisively stomped down, barefooted on the severed wrist, shattering it like glass.
"Close it!" Vincent shouted.
Damon didn't need to be told twice.
He grabbed the door and slammed it shut, throwing his weight against the wood. His back pressed flat against the panels, his boots skidding as he braced himself.
Bang! Bang!
Bang!