Green and Blue | Part 2

Anastasia was also taken aback by this sudden situation and numerous reports were said to her that many students had been sent to the Academy's clinic since the tree grew in the Garden.

The Academy was currently on lockdown and had mages of the Magic Committee cast a barrier around the tree so it would at least lessen the poison that it will spread. According to the Head Professor in charge of the Herbalist Division, the tree was man-made or most likely made by a nature spirit, as they are the only ones who can do this kind of phenomenon.

It has been 8 hours since the lockdown started and even the faculty heads were a force in lockdown as they discuss this situation in the meeting room.

After Miss Sapphire had calmed the girls down inside the Dormitory she cast a spell to teleport herself to the faculty room of the Academy. Emily was currently in Callista's room "Hey, are you okay?" she asked when she noticed Emily was having a hard time breathing "I'm getting suffocated. I don't like to be stuck in a room like this" she said.

That explains why Emily was always outside or it's because she's a herbalist?

She caressed her back "It will be okay. How about you walk around for a while?" she suggested "How? We're currently locked down," she asked in confusion "No problem," she said and casted a portal on the door to be able to pass through the other side "Thank you so much, Callista" she smiled "I'll just come to you before Miss Sapphire gets back," she said "Thank you again," Emily said and finally walked through the portal as it disappeared.

This is a chance for her to look into the situation more clearly and even understand it more.

She casts a portal and when she went through she was face to face with a big tree. Leaves with a color of blue and green fell to the ground from its branches as the familiar scent once again filled her nostrils. She was resistant to the poison so she can get near without collapsing to the ground.

"Callista?" she turned around to see a shocked Marin "What are you doing here? It's dangerous," she said and quickly came near her "I'm alright. I'm poison resistance" Callista smiled before tilting her head "How about you? How come you're here? Where's Caspian?" she asked.

"It's normal for water users to have poison resistance and that's the same with magic users who have strong mana cores. We're sent here to investigate and observe the behaviour of the tree. While Caspian is helping with the evacuation." she explained "I see. Then what are your conclusions?" she asked and looked up at the tree "I'm somehow confused" Callista's eyebrows furrowed at her words.

"Why would you?" she asked "As you know, I'm a siren. We elemental users are easily influenced by our emotions, thus we sometimes get out of control with our power. This tree is filled with negative emotions from its caster" she explained.

"And the caster is one of the few people that can get near their creation without suffering its consequences" a smile crept on her lips "Marin, do you wanna know who's behind this?" Marin was surprised "D-Do you know who it is? Seriously, you're someone scary" she said making her chuckle "So, who is it?" she asked so Callista motioned to the portal she made "Just follow me?" she said.

After their first encounter, Marin greatly trusts Callista, and it's the same with Caspian who would praise her now and then. Thus, she didn't hesitate in following her.

****

In the silent hallway, Emily stared out of the window her eyes landing on the tree miles away from where she stood. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" she was surprised to see Callista beside her and was also looking out the window.

"Yes, it is" she nodded "You just don't expect that something beautiful like that would be so dangerous," Callista said "Can't they just cut it?" Emily asked as she fiddled with her fingers "If only that was easy. I heard from Ivan that as they go near it, the stronger the poison becomes" Emily looked down at her fingers.

"I see. I hope we can get rid of that tree sooner" she said "Emily" she looked at her "Y-Yes?" she suddenly felt nervous when she saw the foreign expression on Callista's face "Aren't you being too shameful that you're putting all your hope to the people you are endangering?" she was taken aback that she subconsciously took a step back.

"Wha-What are you saying, Callista? You're scaring me" she said and forced a laugh "Emily, all those people who were sent to the clinic and are fighting for their lives. Aren't you too heartless to ignore them after growing that huge plant in the Academy?" Emily felt like she choked on her saliva as Callista's looked at her as if she was trash.

"I do not know what you're talking about," she said after taking deep breathes "You can't just accuse me like that without evidence," she said and faced her head on "I see. So you can also make that kind of face" she chuckled and tucked a strand of hair behind her hair as if she was an interesting object

"Emily, sweetheart" she took a step forward as Emily stood in place as she leaned towards her ear "I wonder what expression you would make next once I tell the Headmaster that a daughter of a Northern barbarian and a nature spirit was the root of this situation" Emily froze like she couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"What?" she blurted in surprise while Callista smirked at her horrified expression "Such a beautiful expression," she said and caressed her cheek like she was some kind of gem.

She stared at her, horrified.

The Callista she knew was not like this. This is not the person who would smile at her even in dangerous situations. She didn't want to believe it. The Callista that she had bonded with... was not her.

Callista frowned when tears pricked the corners of her eyes "You are boring" she said and the hands who were touching her cheek fell to her side "Please...Please don't tell him" Emily hiccuped while stopping her cries as she blankly stared at him. Callista was about to turn around to leave when she felt something in her surroundings, but it was too late.

The ice stabbed through Emily's stomach and she fell to the floor by the force of the sudden attack. Callista turned to the person who attacked and saw the girl Emily was talking to the other day, Hera.

Behind the woman, Sebastian appeared "Good job, Hera" he said and smiled wickedly at Callista "I had warned you, My Lady" making her glare at him "I did it. Give me what you promised!" Hera hurriedly said.

"Oh, my. Don't need to be in such a rush. The power you desire will belong to you" he said but before he could do anything, a light arrow flew towards Hera from the side and went through her head as she collapsed to the floor. Bloodstained Sebastian's shoes as he looked at her body with a frown before turning to Callista who casted the spell.

"It's rude to interrupt someone else's conversation," he said as if he was truly offended "Now you know how I feel" she sarcastically said "Callista!" she turned around to see Marin kneeling in front of Emily who was turning pale.

Marin had been listening to their conversation from the start and hurriedly went to Emily when she got stabbed. "Even how eager I want to fight you right now, I'm afraid you have more important matters to take care of," Sebastian said and bowed in farewell as he once again disappeared with the shadows.

Callista turned back to Marin "Marin, take Emily to the Student Council Office to meet Ana" she said "How about you?" she asked "I'll be hunting a prey" and before Marin could speak again she had already disappeared in thin air.