The Order of the Obsidian [2] - Almost Midnight

It was still a couple of hours before midnight as Silas pummeled the robotic punching bag.

With each strike, the module hardened itself, increasing resistance the longer he targeted a specific spot. 

This machine was designed to train the endurance and durability of its user, but Silas had a secondary intention: he needed to let off some steam.

It had been days since he had seen Weiss, let alone spoken to her.

They weren't particularly close anymore; those days were long gone.

However, they had once shared the same determination—or perhaps Silas once did.

Quill's words kept swirling through his mind.

Quill Nocturne was a bastard in his own right, but as a former member of the biggest crime syndicate, Silas couldn't shake the feeling that a third party might be involved.

If that were true, then everything he and Weiss had done would be pointless, mere mindless actions.

Rage was a terrible thing.

It had blinded him, preventing him from considering the most basic rule of the underworld: profit is the priority.

Why would someone help Weiss without wanting anything in return?

She was wealthy, yet no one sought her money. She was talented, yet no alliances were pursued. She was beautiful, yet no proposals were made.

Silas felt foolish for needing Quill, of all people, to make him realize this.

Normally, he wouldn't have given it a second thought, but Quill had shown him a video. A video Weiss wouldn't just share with anyone.

For a brief moment, Silas doubted whether Weiss even knew about the video.

Someone could have hidden a camera in her clothes; the angle would fit that.

How else could someone else have the video? There was no way Weiss would have provided it to anyone.

*Bam* *Bam* *Bam*

His fists hammered against the bag.

It seemed like people had information they shouldn't have, including Quill.

One moment Quill seemed oblivious to his own past, the next he knew intimate details about someone else's.

"Just how in the hell...!" Silas muttered through gritted teeth.

*Bam* *Bam* *Bam*

His fists continued to follow his mounting frustration, each punch a futile attempt to beat the confusion out of his mind. 

*Bzzt* *Bzzt*

Silas stopped his punches, glancing at his scroll lying on the bench. Quill was calling. He declined the call.

*Bzzt* *Bzzt* *Bzzt*

The scroll buzzed again almost immediately.

"Haaah," he sighed, exasperated.

He knew he had to follow Quill's lead since Quill held the key to the destruction of his dream. Silas would kneel if it meant Quill wouldn't reveal his secret; it was that important to him.

Silas was already suspicious of Quill's behavior.

The Quill Nocturne he knew would have taken massive advantage of the situation, making him do all sorts of humiliating acts. But so far, Quill seemed mild, even friendly.

"Maybe his soul got cleansed or something..." Silas muttered sarcastically, accepting the call.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"If you call me, then speak, dammit!" Silas finally snapped, irritation bubbling over at the prolonged silence.

"Hello," Quill's voice came through, calm and measured.

Silas bit his lip, swallowing a string of insults.

"You're not affiliated with the Order of the Obsidian, are you?" Quill's sudden question took him by surprise. Once again, Quill managed to pull something unexpected out of nowhere.

"...No. No, I am not. I suppose you know what that order is? If so, couldn't you answer your question yourself?"

Neither Silas Edel nor his real name Silas Jihan Viper came from a highly regarded family, meaning he wouldn't even be considered as a member.

"I get it. But you seem to know about them, considering I didn't need to explain what the Order is."

"...I only know the basics. A cult, so to speak, fixating on a hierarchical order, in preference for bloodline."

"I already know that. Don't you have anything more useful?" Quill's tone was dismissive, as if Silas had just stated the obvious.

Silas's irritation grew further. He clenched his fist and took a deep breath. "No, Quill, no I don't. I'm sorry, but I've never been interested in other people's concepts of the world."

"So you didn't know there was an existing cell here in Sentinel?" Quill's voice had a hint of amusement, like he was enjoying this.

"...They're even here?" Silas's eyes widened, and he glanced around the gym as if expecting to see members of the Order lurking in the shadows.

"I suppose now you know." Quill's tone was annoyingly smug.

"...What do you even want in the first place?" Silas snapped, his patience wearing thin.

"Tonight there's going to be a gathering of the Order. Don't be too surprised," Quill said sarcastically, "but I've been invited too."

"What a shocker... Why are you telling me?" Silas's voice dripped with sarcasm as he rolled his eyes.

"Ensure that nobody enters the library after midnight." Quill's voice was firm, and Silas could almost see him leaning back confidently.

"...So I assume the gathering is happening in the library," Silas muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Why are you worried, though? The professors have already told us it's occupied after sunset."

"Just to be safe. Look, it's only for a little while. Also, make sure you're concealed. Drink a stealth or invisibility potion."

"...How do you even know I ha-" Silas started, but Quill cut him off.

"It's settled then. Just make sure you hold up your end. Goodbye." Quill ended the call abruptly, leaving Silas staring at his scroll in disbelief.

"You son of a-"

/||\

"I- I'm invisible...?" Quill murmured, staring at the empty space where his reflection should have been.

Draped in a long dark robe and a featureless gray mask, he was both there and not.

The mask, despite having no visible holes for eyes or breathing, felt almost weightless, merging seamlessly with his perception. 

His vision was unobstructed, as if a holographic illusion hid his face while the mask itself remained tangibly real.

The robe enveloped him entirely, concealing even his dark black hair.

The Order of The Obsidian was uncompromising about their secrecy. 

In a world where familial ties could be discerned from a glance at hair color or eyes, it was logical to obscure those features, even among themselves. 

Still, Quill knew it would take time to acclimate to this new level of concealment.

He pressed a slim button on the mask, hearing a faint "zzt" sound, and his reflection reappeared.

Setting the mask aside, Quill collapsed onto his bed and opened his scroll to text Silas.

Despite their earlier conversation, some details still needed clarification.

'Meet me in my room, C-32, at 10 pm,' he typed and sent, before closing the scroll with a sigh.

"Open system..." he commanded.

A familiar blue window materialized before him:

[ Age: 18

Character: Quill Nocturne

Ability: Master of Thread Grade 1

= You are able to control cotton thread to your will, earning the title of Master of Thread.

Traits:

= The Intellectual One, Workaholic, Insight, Easy Minded

Gift Traits:

= Camouflage, Glaciate

Affinity:

= As cold as your soul is, so too is your hand. Ice will be your companion. ]

This interface had last appeared during the Night of the Reaper, a pivotal moment when the system's guidance had proven invaluable.

The system only seemed to activate during significant events.

The first activation had coincided with the announcement of Erisa Nocturne joining a field trip, triggering a series of events that culminated in her saving him and assisting in the defeat of the Desolator.

The second had come after the incident with Weiss, offering additional support.

It felt as though the system observed Quill silently, rewarding him based on his choices. It was an enigmatic presence, to say the least.

"Grade 1, huh..." he mused.

In the time since, he had faced and defeated several Reaper Spawns, hoping it would elevate his grade.

Yet, the path to leveling up remained unclear, as the original novel provided no guidelines for the system's mechanics.

Characters simply grew stronger, honing new techniques through experience.

Since a System didn't exist in the original novel, there was no guideline on leveling up.

Dismissing the blue window, a sudden idea sparked in Quill's mind, curling his lips into a devilish grin.

He could turn himself practically invisible, allowing him to get into all sorts of shenanigans.

Was it childish thinking? Absolutely, yes. But it was something Elias wanted—to be childish.

It was something he was denied in his own life; the only times he could be were with his sister, until even that was taken from him.

So just being childish once in a while... that's all he wanted right now.

/||\

Silas had never been the best at studying, his mind always wandering elsewhere.

Every second he devoted to it was precious, time he could ill afford to waste.

Yet Quill had not merely asked—he had demanded—that Silas sacrifice both his evening and his night to meet him. 

Now, standing before the door to C-32, Silas knocked. The door creaked open, its slow, ominous movement adding to his growing irritation.

He sighed, shaking his head in frustration, which only intensified as he stepped into Quill's seemingly empty room.

"Hello?" Silas called out, his voice echoing through the combined bedroom and living room. "You honestly brought me here just for a childish prank?"

Taking one last glance around, he decided this wasn't worth his time or patience.

Just as he turned to leave, a sudden tap on his shoulder made him flinch. Instinctively, he swung a punch at the empty space behind him.

"7 days..." The voice resonated with a deep, almost mechanical tone.

"What the hell! Who's there? ...Quill!" he shouted.

"Keep it down, you idiot! Do you want to wake the whole dorm?" the mechanical voice snapped from the shadows, followed by a sharp slap to the back of Silas's head.

That was the final straw. Silas pulled out one of his tubes threateningly.

"I swear, if you don't show yourself, Quill, I will pour this on the floor," he smirked, brandishing the tube. "It's a failed potion, but its stench will take weeks to go away."

"Alright, alright, calm down," Quill's voice conceded as blue particles slowly revealed his form.

Silas stared at the young man, now visible and clad in a black cloak with a gray, featureless mask.

"..."

"..."

"What?" Quill said defensively. "You should recognize this attire."

"I do. It just looks ridiculous on you."

Quill resisted the urge to go invisible again and smack Silas but kept his composure.

"Anyway, we need to go over tonight's plan. Do you have anything to disguise yourself?"

"Yes," Silas sighed. "I prepared two invisibility potions. They each last five minutes. I assumed I'd only need them for specific situations."

"Perfect. Let's adjust the timing. Use invisibility when you arrive, in case anyone's around. We can't have them seeing you. After that, just keep watch for any unexpected visitors. I don't think it will take long. If too many students are seen with sleeping bags in the morning, it would arouse suspicion."

"Fine, fine. But why choose me? Why not one of your 'Brothers' or 'Sisters'?"

"I don't belong to the Order. I'm just trying to gather information and perhaps find a lead on who sent me that video."

Silas frowned. Again, this didn't fit with the Quill Nocturne he knew.

Either Quill was playing a deep game, hinting at something sinister, or he had genuinely changed.

Silas shook his head. People didn't change that quickly.

"What's on your mind?" Quill asked, noticing Silas's contemplative expression.

"Nothing. Just wondering why you're so worried about anyone showing up. I can't see the Order, even if it's just a cell, not being able to cover their tracks.

"...It's complicated. Just follow my instructions."

Silas didn't argue further. He knew that when information was withheld, it was usually best not to pry. It often led to sleepless nights.

As Silas made his way to the door, Quill paused briefly, his expression serious. "I'll see you then," he said, his voice low and distant.

Without another word, Quill closed the door behind him.