9 Blue is the color. #9p1

[ Headmaster's Office ]

[ 9h48 ] February 29

Alaric's small, well-stocked office boils with a rare intensity, facing each other, Hope glares menacingly at Alec but he easily manages to support it, he refuses to show an ounce of fragility in his armor, a sturdy barrier against the world he started to built at 8 when he found himself alone, abandoned in a frightening and sauvage jungle largely unknown to him.

Inching into a defensive posture, Alaric standing aside Hope is much more preoccupied by the proximity of his daughter wirh the young man who clearly proved could take care of a monster, permanently.

" Uh.. Guys ? What's happening ? " Lizzie asks perplexedly, her tone is hesitant, their behaviors raising red flags in her head.

" Liz' move ! Come here ! " Alaric says authoritatively, his measured voice still carrying the urgency as he holds out his arm to her.

" I thinks there is a big misunderstanding here, you offered me a place here Hope, you even insisted. So... Why the sudden cold welcome ? " Alec asks tentatively, his face carefully shifting to a more neutral expression while he glance to his right and sees Lizzie fold under the protective and watchful gaze of her father. She slowly gets to their side then the worried parent hastily pushes her behind his and Hope's back.

" Oh, I don't know. It may have to do with the smashing of the sheriff's head to the point that he died ! " Hope answers aggressively while Alaric slightly relax with his daughter safely tucked behind him.

" Sorry, I didn't know I had... Hurt him that much. I was only trying to get rid of him, he was asking questions and all, he was downright on my back so i thought he was a hunter or something worse. I decided to preemptively defend myself. " Alec says calmly, his hands raised above his waist as well opened as a show of goodwill and to appears unthreatening.

" Is it supposed to excuse your act ? You killed someone, it's not something that gets erased magically. " Hope retorts, a knowing look in her expressive eyes. She killed too and it is an indelible smear that she cannot get rid of. Nightmares are still coming to her some nights when she's feeling down.

" He's not dead. " Alaric says, he does not elaborate, judging that Alec isn't entitled to an explanation. " It's a good point in your favor despite everything, just like your the intervention the other day. However if you really wishes to join this school we'll need more. " He adds, his mistrust and apprehension somewhat reduced but not gone.

" What ? No- " Hope disagrees with him but she's silenced by Alaric's pleading look. She gives up her intention to go against it but it doesn't stops her from considering and calculating ways to prove Alec's dangerosity.

" Lizzie, Hope, would you give us the room please. Alec and I must talk before any decision can be made. " Alaric says in the same authoritative tone he used on his daughter. The two young women leaves reluctantly the room, letting them alone.

Alaric observes Alec grey eyes with rapt attention, waiting to see if his gaze will stay unnecessarily long on the knife encased under an armored glass box protected moreover by a spell casted by Hope.

" What if we started from the beginning... Who are you Alec ? " Alaric asks directly while seating comfortably on the seat behind his desk.

" A complicated question Headmaster Alaric. Am I obligated to reveal my origin to be accepted ? I was thinking that a lot of, how should I phrase it, particular students, abnormal teens or maybe simply students ? " Alec begins to answer, clearly he is not amiable to the discussion. " Anyway, I would bet I'm not the only uncomfortable about sharing my past, am I ? " He finishes on a rhetorical note, his eyebrow raised.

" Indeed and any other day I would have done things differently but as you had the chance to see we're all a little worried, for different reasons... " Alaric makes a pause, a troubled expression flashing across his face for a second as he thinks of the predestined event his girls are unawarely running headfirst towards. As he spaces out, Alec reaches for one of the seat installed in front of the desk. He's had a rough night, otherwise he would have stand, purely for the strategical advantage.

" You are a mystery amd nobodies like mystery, certainly not me. It's scary and always present risks. I'm not asking you to give me a detailed account of your whole life, we all have the right to own a secret garden but there are some things I need to know if you want to stay within these walls. " Alaric continues where he left off, his tone harsh as he looks at Alec straight in the eyes. " Otherwise you get out, simply as that. " He adds, making it clear he won't compromise, in any way.

" Loywerc, Alec Loywerc. " Alec says, gloating inside at the childish word play, his lips unconsciously raising an inch with misplaced satisfaction.

" Parents ? " Alaric asks while interlacing his fingers, an habit shared by his daughter Elizabeth.

" Non-existant father and a mother who died too soon. " Alec answers, raw emotions passing through him, a sentiment of loss but also anger, so much anger.

" So... How did you.. how did you survive until now ? Who too- " Alaric hesitantly starts, fumbling with his words.

" Alone. I took care of myself. " Alec interrupts him, abruptly closing the subject. His right hand tapping his leg to the rhythm of the drums of that night.

Alaric stay silent, debating on whether he should offer a compassionate sorry.

" I have a last question, maybe the most complicated, at least for most.. " Alaric says, delibaretly using Alec's earlier words. Not understanding what he's implying, Alec wait for him to finish.

" What are you, precisely. I know that for the majority it isn't easy to speak about but if you want to successfully integrate in the Salvatore Boarding School then you must tell me. I'm pretty sure I know but a confirmation would be appreciated. " Alaric explains as he ask.

" I am a warlock. " Alec responds without divulging any more informations. It greatly disappointed Alaric who was expecting him to open a bit more after their discussion.

" Good, very good. There's still a lot you we need to talk about, now that this is part is done it's time for me to expose fully the rules and conditions to attend. " Alaric says enthusiastically.

[ 10h13 ]

[ School's Garden ]

" So this is where you disappear to recently, your new place ? " Josie's high-pitched voice reaches Lizzie.

" It's calm, peaceful. " She answers then turns around to face her sister who's standing on the stairs leading inside the and to the garden in reverse.

" Are you okay ? You only want to be alone when you're thoughtful, angry or... Sad. " Josie respond in a gentle manner while descending and walking towards her. She stops besides Lizzie, after a fast appreciating glance to the flowers she waits patiently for an answer.

" It's just.. These last days have been fucking chaos, and, and with all this I- " Lizzie is interrupts after finding the courage to speak up.

A roar resonates all across the school's ground, it makes the eardrums of the ones closest burst and shatters as well the windows.

" Whatever that was I don't think it bodes well for us ! " Lizzie says, already siphoning the magic from her bracelet and running in direction of the danger, the origin of the monstrous roar.

" Lizzie wait ! " Josie shouts back, following her sister but much less eager to face the enemy.

[ Hope's Bedroom ]

[ At the same time ]

Putting back the paintbrush, Hope steps back quickly. She heard it, maybe better than anyone in this school when her physical sense are coupled with her magical's. She heard it as much as she felt it, a strange pulse of magic, it felt artificial, apathetic.

She stares at her unfinished painting, bright grey eyes with green in them perfectly retranscrit, there is a face with blurry outlines that seems to melt with a strange translucent emanation barely remarquable enveloping the bust of the painted Alec, like when gase is leaking. The aura looks tainted with small strings of red, yellow and green like strands transplanted in his aura.

Hope manages to takes off her eyes from her surprisingly eerie painting, she leaves her room to hunt down the source.

[ Entrance Hall ]

[ Seconds Later ]

The three young witches, Hope, Josie and Lizzie meets in the hall, shards of glass litter the floor, each of their steps produce annoying cracking and creaking sounds.

" What could have done this ?! All the doors leading outside have been protected by spells, the whole school is under a massive cloaking spell. How could it even find us ? " Josie is the first to address the blown up doors giving on the small road leading to the gate.

" We don't know Jo', and it's not the time to ask questions. " Lizzie answers dryly, her limited experiences with these situations making her think she's better equipped to face anything than Josie.

" Girls t's already inside ! We need to find it now. " Hope adds determinedly, her face furrows with worry.

" AH ! Help ! " A scream of horror echoes around them, it's a voice that has not matured, that of a little boy.

As she hears it, a pit start to grow in Lizzie, an uncomfortable and unwanted feeling invading her as she recognize to whom belongs the scream. As if they were one body, the three rushes back inside, Hope naturally taking the front place of their running group.

[ Outside the Headmaster office ]

" What is it this time... Do you know ? " Alaric says, he marks a pause before asking Alec explicitly if he's aware of more than he shared.

" No, however it's evident it isn't human. " Alec answers then switch back on the immediate problem.

" Let's go then, the girls may need our helps. We don't have to worry about the classes, there is a protocol in case something like that happens. " Alaric suggests and starts to walks out of the hallway, he takes the stairs leading down 2 by 2 with Alec on his heels.

" A monster attack ? " Alec quizzes him, he didn't ask how he can be so sure the girls are already there because he saw himself how reckless they could be, brave or definitely reckless ? The uncertainty between the two remains in his mind.

" Well not precisely for a monster, but an attack.. Whatever it is. Now hurry up. " Alaric responds but also urge him to quicken.

" I guess it's another positive argument for joining the Salvatore Boarding School, here we are protected, secure from the world. " Alec adds rather sarcastically, the ends of his phrase sounds like it have more than one meaning for Alaric. He stays silent but he isn't going to forget it soon.

" Pedro !! Pedro ! " The anguish of Lizzie reaches the ears of her father and Alec, both wordlessly rushing as soon as their hear her.

[ School's library, ground floor ]

Elizabeth, Hope and Josie are horrified, their blood freezes and their guts clench with fear at the grim, the truly gruesome sight of a child. Pedro, an arm torn off by a powerful jaw and teeth as sharp as wood chisels judging by the bite marks left on the thin shoulder of the not yet pubescent boy whose mauled body lay on the wooden floor, his blood still fresh dripping agonizingly slow from the open wound.

After she screamed a heavy silence settled among the three shocked girls, Hope and Josie are the first to gets out of this lethargic state, an instinctive survival response from the brain. Unfortunately, Lizzie in her shaken turmoil can't look away from Pedro, more precisely his eyes, lifeless, glassy, dead. This terrible image like the happiest one is now inscribed forever in the eternal trap, the ever changing tortuous labyrinth that is the mind.

" Lizzie ! Hope ! " Alaric powerful voice breaks her out of her trance, without meaning it, he once again puts his other daughter Josie aside.

" Dad... He's-" Lizzie says in a trembling voice, incapable to say dead out loud, her gaze finally leaves the corpse of Pedro. Alec briefly senses her stare, she seems to seek comfort or a tender and supportive attention but she doesn't gets any. Fortunately her father and sister are here for her, they both goes closer to her in order to reassure her.

Hope also looks at him, with a lot clearer mind than the other's distraught, she can see it, the fascinated eerie glint shining in his eyes as he observes the remains of the young boy however she neglects or misses his hungry eyes wandering over the hundreds of books arranged methodically on the shelves surrounding them. Alec catches himself quickly and readjust his expression as he notices the curious eyes on him.

" Do you know what did this ? " Hope asks him and he could swear her tone is extremely familiar to him.

" There's not enough to guess, a lot of creatures can inflict these kind of wounds. " Alec answers and realize what he recognized in her voice, anger.

" We need to find it right now ! " Alaric says urgently while looking at four powerful young people around him. " Hope, Alec you goes to the kitchens, Lizzie, Josie and I we'll look at the sports hall. " He adds and they all spring into action, separating in two groups.

Running side by side towards the kitchens, Alec and Hope zigzags between the tables and chairs of the refectory then they enters in the kitchens through a forbidden door except for the school staff.

" Nothing here. Damn it ! " Hope says and violently pushes the clean dishes piled up near the door on the floor.

" Obviously. " Alec retorts, getting an unamused look in answer. " I think this thing... this monster like the one in Seattle is not devoid of intelligence. " He explains then adopt a pensive pose which threaten to annoy her in the next second. "

" Uh, hmm, haha..." Alec starts to chuckle at the revelation he just got.

" What's funny ? " Hope cuts him in his tracks with a cold voice because of his unwelcome laughter, the situation is absolutely not an occasion to smile or joke in her opinion.

" It's the simplicity. Like with everyone there is only one question worthy to be asked.. What does it want. " Alec answers and have the privilege to see the understanding blossom on Hope's graceful visage.

" The knife ! " She exclaims and hurriedly grabs his hand. " Let's go ! " Hope says as she pulls him towards her and she rushes backwards to the stairs leading up.

The pace is such that Alec has trouble keeping up despite his impressive athletic physique, in addition to the surprising speed he can also feel the strength of her grip.

Hope Marshall, a mystery that thickens the more he is around her and contrary to what Alaric said he loves mystery, Alec thinks as they reach the end of the stairs giving on the hallway leading to different rooms however the only one of interest to them is the farthest, the Headmaster's Office.

" It's there. " Hope says, looking at him with certainty while she releases his hand. The red marks of Hope's slender fingers on his hand dissipates within seconds. A peculiarity Hope takes notes of.

" You can feel it too ? " Alec asks, without mentioning exactly what she should feel .

" Yeah, dark magic is leaking from all the pores of this thing. " Her answer disappoint him, he should have known.

" So how do you want to proceed ? " Alec asks, he keep the details of what he perceives through magic and his deductions on the monster that emerges from his unmeasurable talent in reading currents and sources of magical energy.

" We destroy it. Simple as that. " Hope responds then takes a step her blue eyes focused and her fists clenched. She feels confident, unconsciously Alec's presence reassures her, it gives her an edge she usually doesn't have.