It is morning now. A sleepless night passed by much slower than anticipated.
Major Uriel Xanthias. The Major stationed at the Crydwell fort and currently in charge of keeping order at it.
Suffice to say, she was more than surprised when 3 trainees woke her up in the middle of the night to report the murder of one of her men.
We took her to the scene as she looked at the scene in stone cold fury, we took Orsie to the medical area to keep watch on her current state but…..
Who could have committed this?
Could it be someone from within or someone from the outside? Who could this Assassin be?
And…. could it be one of us?
Me, Yuro, Orsie and Winsley are clear. That's 4 out of 16.
I am pretty sure I can clear Joyce as well…. But we can never be too sure
"Cato, you're thinking too hard." Winsley said to me, still somehow keeping her composure despite the tense situation.
As soon as the clock hit 5, all trainees and personnel in the fort were woken. Brought together and told of what had occurred at night.
To say everyone was shocked would be an understatement.
"Oh my… he was so young…" Helga said, tears in her eyes as everyone looked at her incredulously
Horven was around 50 years of age. Not say what happened wasn't a tragedy but honestly Helga really?
"The fact that this happened under our nose is horrible would be an understatement. It's not just horrible. It's spitting on the face of the entirety of the Crydwell fort. To kill a member of our staff and attempt to murder one of our trainees…. It cannot be forgiven. We shall find this person and MOUNT THEIR HEAD ON A PIKE" The Major said with utter rage as the whole mass of people yelled out in their cries of fury
I stayed quiet as I simply thought about it. Could the murderer truly only be within the trainees? What if the murderer was someone who had a grudge against Winsley's family?
Nobility sees family….. Not just the individual
"Cato. Calm down already. We cannot do anything at the moment so just relax." Winsley said to me, looking at me apathetically
She was shaken too, I could feel it. She didn't want to show it but she was in danger and she knew it.
"Winsley I promise you, we will make sure you are safe." I say as she nodded slowly
"I know… Besides, I can take care of myself, can't I?" Winsley said as I smiled and nodded
"You can…" I said, trailing off at the end as I just look up at the Major who was still giving her speech
As the speech came to an end and everyone dispersed, on high alert for the murderer. Major Uriel came down and met me and Winsley
"Miss Gelum, can you tell me anything else about the perpetrator?" she asked as Winsley shook her head
"Nothing else Major, the person who attacked me had the face of Joyce Verning. However I strongly believe that Joyce could not be the person who attacked me due to major skill gap within Joyce and the attacker. I do however think the person who attacked me is within the trainees as they knew that Joyce's face was one that would get a reaction from us. They knew of what happened between Joyce and me." Winsley went off as the Major nodded
Giving out an order for the questioning of all the trainees….
Which came out with no results.
After a few days of investigation. The case was kept on the back burner. There was no evidence, nothing left, not even a trace of the perpetrator having been there to attack Winsley.
It was frustrating, Winsley's life could be in danger and I couldn't do anything about it.
"Cato, I'll be fine, you're treating me as if I can't defend myself." Winsley said to me, narrowing her eyes as I looked at her pleadingly
"Winsley I just…. I am scared, okay? If I wasn't coincidentally awake that day….." I trailed off, my voice choking as Winsley looked down at me, almost pitingly this time as she sighed
"I understand but we cannot do anything. I can set a trip wire on the door and window to alert me of any intruders but I physically cannot do anything else at the moment. Leaving isnt an option, it would stain my family reputation." Winsley commented as I looked at her weird
"Reputation? GIRL YOUR FAMILY WOULD LOSE MORE REPUTATION IF YOU-" I looked at her with my eyes watering as I couldn't get the last word out of my mouth, she looked at me with emotion, but not an emotion I wanted to be the first I see from her
She looked at me with sadness, she was sad how this was turning out, how it was affecting me.
I barely slept at night, either sleeping 1 or 2 hours at night and sleeping whenever I could in the day or just not sleeping at all. Patrolling the halls of the fort like some night guard even though the Major had begun night duty within the fort.
"Cato. Trust me." Winsley said, holding onto my arms as she looked me straight in the eyes as I looked down at the ground
After a few seconds I choked out with a sob
"Okay…" I choked out through my sobs as Winsley awkwardly hugged me
It was a rigid and almost stone like hug
But it mattered more than I could have ever imagined.
It was my first hug ever afterall
"Thanks….. Winsley" I said, a small smile on my face as she nodded
"You two are gonna give me diabetes with that teenage romance." Somnia said to us, looking at us with that monotonous tone
Both of us snap toward them as we separate, looking at each other awkwardly as I ask Somnia
"Still Somnia, geez. Didn't take you for an eavesdropper" I said flustered as Somnia narrowed their eyes at me
"Eavesdropper? Child you both were doing this in public." Somnia said monotonously as I took my defeat in stride and accepted it
Winsley looked at me, her eyes having a glint of amusement
"Either way, read up a bit more on dew control. Being able to make dew travel without making it take form is a very valuable skill." Winsley explained to me as I nodded
She took her books and left the library as it was only me and Somnia left
I quietly read for a few minutes before Somnia spoke up
"Child, have you ever wondered why you woke up in the middle of the night?" Somnia said monotonously as my spine went slack as they spoke
I felt a shiver go across my body as I cautiously turn toward Somnia
"How do you know." I ask them, looking at me them straight in their visible eye
"Because It was me, the one who woke you up." Somnia said as I looked at them in disbelief, my blood running cold
My lips quivered as I asked them
"How…?" My gaze lingered at them in disbelief as they simply raised up the hair that covering their other eye
A beautiful eye, one that had a clock within it. A blue one matching their other one but this one had a clock. A clock.
"You see. I can see the future, many of them at that." Somnia explained to me, as if they were simply telling me about their day
"Somnia. Do you know who attacked Winsley?" i asked, my legs shaking as Somnia closed their book
And nodded.
"I do." Somnia simply said as I rushed toward them and stared them in the eye
"THEN WHY THE HELL ARE YOU NOT HELPING, CAN YOU NOT TELL US!?" I ask them, furious of the situation as Somnia nodded
"I cannot, the cost of knowing is that I must keep what I know to myself. I cannot even influence people to save them, I have long ago given up on preventing the future I originally saw." Somnia said, apathetically.
Somnia and Winsley both were cold. But in different ways. Winsley was cold in a superior sense, she was better and simply didn't know how to talk to people properly due to lack of social contact
Somnia seemed defeated. Seemingly having lost everything they had ever cared about.
"But wait, you awoke me. You influenced me. How does that make sense!?" I said loudly, questioning them as Somnia smiled.
Fucking smiled
"Because you were never meant to be in this world, were you?" Somnia said to me as I felt my body lock up
She knew.
"Yes. I guess not." I said as she nodded and continued
"You were never in any future I saw, you are the only hope I have." Somnia said as I felt the weight of it fall on me.
It felt overwhelming.
"Hope... for what?" I ask her as she simply said
"A secret. Just know, stick by Winsley no matter what." Somnia said, their eyes suddenly bleeding as they cough up blood
"Seriously? Even mysterious hints are too much?" Somnia complains to no one as they fall onto the ground
"Somnia!?" I get down and try to help them as Somnia stops me
"Leave me be for now, it can only get better with time. Get stronger alright" Somnia said with a smile as I slowly nodded
Walking out the library, leaving the injured Somnia as I am simply left in shock
What the fuck could I even do….
I am not strong enough for this.
I need to get stronger…. I need to don't I?
I can't lose Winsley, I really can't.
She's the first person who chose me.
I will do it, I will do anything I can.
To stay by your side.