Know Pain and Accept Pain

"It's a Vampire!"

Tessa stood still for a moment, watching as Alex dashed toward the Weapon building in a blur. She sighed softly. "I guess that means the plan worked."

With a soft shake of her head, she turned and started walking toward the dorm building, her footsteps echoing in the quiet night. Though her pace was calm, her mind wasn't.

As Tessa continued to walk, she couldn't stop thinking about her earlier encounter with Alex. 'Should I have done it?' The thought gnawed at her.

Alex had trusted her completely, and in that moment, he'd been vulnerable. She'd had the chance… the chance to end him. But she hesitated. 'What if something had gone wrong?'

Alex's instincts were sharp—sharper than most. There was always a chance he would have sensed it, and if he had, everything could have fallen apart. But there was also a probability that she would have successfully done it, though she wasn't certain of it.

She exhaled slowly, her mother's words ringing in her ears. "Just like Mother always says, 'If you can't be certain of something, you must take the worst case scenario into account.'"

In this case, the worst case scenario was Alex realizing what she'd intended. That would have spoiled everything.

Tessa's pace quickened as she neared the girls' dorm. "I've done my part," she muttered, glancing back one last time.

**********

With blinding speed, Alex darted toward the Weapon building, the wind howling around him as his Wind Element Spell propelled him forward. His hair whipped back, and his eyes narrowed against the rushing air.

"Damn it… why didn't I notice this sooner?" He growled through clenched teeth.

He knew the answer, of course. He'd been too focused on Tessa—too caught up in her touch. He gritted his teeth. Though, he knew that the the Sound Barrier also caused this.

That spell didn't just block sound. It blocked Energy, too—at least partially. That's why he hadn't sensed the Vampire right away.

In a sharp, fluid motion, Alex rounded the corner. The Weapon building loomed ahead. "What the hell is a Vampire doing at the Academy?"

But none of that mattered. Not now. His mind was focused on one thing.

"Arthur."

His eyes narrowed as he felt a chill crawl down his spine. The Vampire's Energy was coming from the rooftop. That was where Arthur had said he'd wait. Which could only mean...

"Shit…"

Without another thought, Alex leaped into the air.

*BOOM!*

The ground beneath him exploded upward as an Earth Pillar shot out, serving as a foothold. He launched himself higher, soaring toward the rooftop.

In seconds, he landed with a heavy thud, scanning the area frantically. His heart pounded, and his pulse echoed in his ears.

And then he saw it.

Near the edge of the rooftop, a lone figure lay still.

For a moment, the world around Alex went completely silent. The wind stopped. His thoughts froze. Even his heartbeat seemed to still.

His throat tightened, and a wave of weakness washed over him.

"Uh… uh… uh…" He tried to speak, but his voice caught in his throat.

Finally, with trembling hands, he moved toward the figure. Each step felt like it took a lifetime.

When he reached the figure, he finally managed to mutter a single word, "Arthur....."

Alex dropped to his knees, his hand gently brushing Arthur's head. His vision blurred, and though tears filled his eyes, they refused to fall.

Arthur wasn't breathing. His face was stained with blood, but… he was smiling.

"Wh… what happened…? No… it can't… no…" Alex muttered, shaking his head in disbelief.

Arthur had been more than a friend. He was a brother. They'd grown up in the same village together, survived together. They'd promised to always have each other's backs.

But now…

Alex's gaze turned skyward as the tears he'd held back finally fell, landing softly on Arthur's still body.

"No… no…"

Then suddenly, the dam broke.

"ARTHUR!!!"

His scream ripped through the air, echoing into the night. The silence shattered, replaced by a roaring wind.

*WHOOSH!*

The gusts intensified, swirling wildly around him. The sky seemed to tremble.

*WHOOM!*

In a flash, Alex's right eye blazed bright blue, and his left eye glowed with a fierce green. A powerful bluish-green Aura erupted from his body, the force of it shaking the very air.

The wind raged, twisting around him like a storm, and the Aura pulsed with wild, untamed energy. It was as if nature itself was bending to his grief.

********

Across the Academy, Arin stood on the library rooftop, watching the spectacle unfold. The bluish-green light cut through the night, and Arin's expression remained cold, almost indifferent.

A message appeared before him.

[An Unwritten Event is happening.]

The wind tugged at his cloak, but his eyes remained fixed on the Weapon building.

He couldn't help but remember a certain phrase he had heard while he was still on Earth.

With his eyes behind his back, he muttered. "Know pain… and accept pain."

*********

Hector's eyes snapped open, groggy and irritated. "Who the hell is screaming at this hour?" He mumbled, rubbing his face.

Then he felt it. The wind—it was cold. Unnaturally cold.

He threw on a shirt and strode over to the window, but the moment he looked outside, his jaw dropped.

"What the hell is going on out there?!"

********

Hector wasn't the only one. All across the Academy, students woke to the sound of the wind howling and rushed to their windows. Even those whose rooms faced the wrong direction could sense it—something was happening.

Within minutes, students were pouring out of the dorms, racing toward the Weapon building. Word spread like wildfire, and soon, nearly the entire students in the Academy had gathered outside.

They stared up at the rooftop, watching in stunned silence.

"What happened here…?" Someone whispered.

Meanwhile...

[Quest Complete.]

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[A/N]

We'll soon know about Alex's background, including parents and other stuff. Thank you!!