66 A Scheme Covered in Blood

Lydis quickly made her way into the lounge area. From the upper floors she saw Bianca dragging the brat from her room as well as Owen and Bennox with her. Crill was hiding at the edge of the lounge area but his people would have the perimeter secured.

Clearing her throat, Lydis stepped up on a small leg chair.

"Listen up kids, I was just told that we have a killer on the loose at school!"

There was a pause before panic. The ones smart enough to understand Lydis's words started to shout and push each other. The ones who didn't understand got angry at the others for pushing.

"Stop, stop. We mustn't panic, that will only draw it here. All the grown-ups are gone too."

No one seemed to care about Lydis trying to direct them. The pushing and shouting soon spread to all of the kids in the lounge and to the kids hiding in their rooms. Crill pressed himself against the wall in order to avoid the elbows and falling bodies of kids trying to leave the lounge. At this moment Bianca appeared with Owen, Senri, and Bennox.

"Lydis, what's going on?" Bianca released Senri's ear and moved toward Lydis. Like magic, the frantic children parted for Bianca's group. Their white uniforms subconsciously formed a better image in the children's minds than Lydis's black uniform.

"Bianca, Dorm Head Hal left to capture a killer inside the academy. I felt that the students should know in case they saw the killer or meet it in the future."

Bianca's eyes twitched.

"You have to know that this would cause a panic. Kids barely ten are bound to freak out. Not everyone is as calm and composed as the elites."

"Yes, I know. That is why I've asked you to come." Lydis turned away from Bianca and addressed the buzzing crowd.

"Children, now that Bianca and her group are here, we can be safe! The Horoscope of Cancer, the Horoscope of Aries, and the Horoscopes of Gemini!" Lydis made a grand sweeping motion and stepped aside for Bianca to face the crowd of kids.

"Ly-"

Before Bianca could grab her, Lydis did a quick spin, almost as if It was a natural thing to do, and continued to move away from Bianca's group. The moment Bianca turned her back to go after Lydis, the crowd of anxious kids swooped in on Bianca's group.

"Hey! What's going to happen to us?"

"Are we going to die!"

"I don't want to die."

"Mommy!"

"Do you know what going on?"

"I'm scared!"

All at once Bianca became surrounded. Unable to push them aside nor ignore them, Bianca gave up on trying to finding Lydis in the crowd.

"N-now now, calm down first then I'll answer your questions…"

Owen pressed himself against Bennox's back. Now that they were the center of attention it wouldn't be good to get separated. Senri involuntarily found herself clutching to Bianca's jacket. Some of the smaller kids had grabbed her and tried to pull Senri towards them so she needed to hold onto something or someone.

Lydis looked back at her work and smirked slightly.

"Now what?" Crill had flopped onto one of the many chairs in the lounge and was staring at Lydis.

"Now we open the doors, all of them."

"Wait what? Isn't what you said true? About the killer?"

"Yes, and?"

"We can't just let the killer inside! Are you crazy?"

"Maybe, are you willing to trust me?"

"This isn't about trust Lydis, it's about the safety of my people. My brothers and sisters, do you understand that?"

"You seem like a good leader, well, maybe not a very smart one but one that cares nonetheless. So, do you trust me or not?"

Crill wanted to continue his protest but he held his tongue. Lydis had had a different air about her ever since he met her but now, some part of Lydis felt threatening. Something dangerous. Something he didn't want to wake, not then nor in the future.

Taking in a deep breath, Crill placed one hand over his face.

"… Fine, I'll ask them to open the doors but if they're too scared they might not. You can't blame me or them, got it?"

"As long as most of the doors are open, it's more than enough."

"Qian…" Crill motioned for Qian to come over and whispered into his ear. Qian reacted negatively but eventually Qian took a few kids to go open the doors.

"Lydis, what are you planning?" Crill's eyes were hard but Lydis could see the worry and slight fear behind them.

"Nothing you need to worry over. Just let me run this game for a bit."

Crill opened his mouth but Lydis was already walking away, her hands clasped behind her back. Crill felt hopeless against Lydis. Yes, they were both ten but something about Lydis led him to believe that she held the power to move the world. Crill sat up and reached for the note in his pocket. It was the note from their caretaker for him after Crill's group went into the academy. They had said that if there was ever a time he felt lost, doubted his decision, and felt extremely conflicted, to open the letter and then decide.

Lydis walked around the edge of the lounge area, keeping one eye on Bianca's group and the other on the kids surrounding them. On purpose, Lydis bumped into a small child walking past her.

"Ah!"

Lydis caught the child by their arm and gently helped them up.

"T-thank you…" The girl's mumbled voice trailed off as she hung her head. She turned around to leave but Lydis touched her shoulder.

"Can I ask you for a favor?"

For once, the girl looked up and saw Lydis's warm smile, the beauty in her red hair against the black uniform and the clear shine of Lydis's sky colored eyes.

"A-ah…"

Lydis turned the child to face her, both of her hands on either shoulder.

"Can I?"

The girl hadn't heard the question at first but she nodded furiously at Lydis's second question.

"Thank you, I, I just couldn't find out how to tell them…"

"Tell who what?"

Lydis looked left and right before pulling the girl closer.

"I saw a strange man outside the windows and he saw me too. I think I saw blood but I-I'm not sure…" Lydis pulled the girl into a hug. "I'm too scared to be out in the open, can you tell the Horoscopes for me? They'll have an answer, they're Horoscopes after all." Lydis gave a weak smile.

"I'll do it! I'll do it!"

"Thank you, I can feel a bit more at ease now…" Lydis smiled again before walking away from the girl. The girl looked at Lydis's receding back and to the four people dressed in white.

"Okay, I just need to tell them…"

Lydis saw the girl move towards Bianca and found Crill again.

"Back so soon?"

Lydis didn't know what happened but somehow Crill seemed less anxious. Like he was more at ease than a few moments ago. She didn't care enough to ask what but Lydis still needed Crill's people.

"Can you start spreading rumors of the killer?"

"Sure."

Lydis was a bit surprised at Crill's quick response. There had been no hesitation in his decision. Lydis eyed him but just nodded in approval.

"Great, the contents can be a bit different but they should all center on the killer being seen around here."

"Got it. Hey, Marr, come over here…"

Lydis watched Crill work and felt that his attitude change towards her was too drastic in such a short amount of time.

"Crill,"

"Yeah?"

"… Are you up to something?"

"No. Why?"

"It's nothing…"

"Okay."

The kid called Marr grabbed a few and started to mingle with the other students. Talking about the killer out loud on purpose. Calling it a secret is the best way for it to spread. Soon the children were calling shadows killers, some claimed to have seen the killer. Lydis spotted a familiar girl and watched as she made her way to Bianca through the chattering kids. Bianca bent down to listen to the child and her face went pale. Lydis knew that it was time.

"Crill, the doors if you will. Also, windows are fine too."

Crill nodded and made a few hand motions. Slum kids scattered around on the far side of the lounge area disappeared.

Suddenly the alarms on the building began to blare loudly. A high pitched whine that beeped continuously with a louder siren going off in intervals. Panic quickly took hold of everyone and all the kids began to scatter. Many chose to stick to Bianca's group while the ones unable to squeeze together ran off. The heavy shutters on the doors to the rooms fell and sealed the kids inside the room inside and kept the ones outside out.

"Ahh!" The kids saw that the windows and side doors of building were wide open. Some jumped through them but too many were scared to leave.

"The killer's here!"

No one knows who started it but Lydis recognized it as the girl she asked a favor of earlier.

"The killer's here, he's going to kill us all!"

Terror, panic, confusion.

Now, no one wanted to stay in the building. Everyone rushed to the doors and open windows, no one noticed when a tall silhouette quietly took a child away in the chaos.