GRYD Season 02 Prologue - Where Did It All Go Wrong?

At Beacon Academy, Headmaster Kendall Night stared out the window behind his desk, his face nearly unreadable, his eyes slowly scrolling the grounds of his school. He observed as his students roamed the grounds, peacefully unaware that things around them were going to change. At the thought of this, he hung his head in sadness and shame.

A knocking on the door broke him out of his state, and he turned to the door, "Come in, Glyph."

The door opened, and Glyph entered, he was in his standard attire, complete with his escrima. Like Headmaster Night before him, his expression was unreadable.

"Headmaster, you wanted to see me?" he noted politely.

"I did, I wanted to check on you, it's been a week since the Grimm attack on Vale. Are you all healed?"

"More-or-less, my team still isn't happy with what I did."

Night smirked at this, "I know the feeling. Tell me, was what they saw the full truth?"

This time, Glyph smirked, "No."

"Hmm...but, if you had the choice, you still would've made it?"

"Yes."

"Noble."

"No, loyal."

Night laughed at this, and again turned to the window, "Loyal. What a word."

"SIr?"

"Sorry, musing about things..."

Glyph noticed Night tense up at this sentence, he became that himself, "What aren't you telling me, sir?"

"A lot. Some I won't tell you, some I can't. Some wouldn't do any good anyway."

"What can you tell me?"

"The attack? It was the Heralds of Purity's doing."

"What?" shouted Glyph outraged, "How could they do that? Why would they do that?"

Night shrugged, "I don't know the first answer, the second is likely revenge for losing the shipment. Probably figured out your teams were from Beacon, and decided to strike while you thought we had won a battle against them."

"They would destroy a whole city? Thousands of people? Just to get back at eight kids?"

This statement seemed to really strike Night. His composure crumpled, and again he hung his head in shame and sorrow. Glyph saw this and got worried.

"Sir?" he said softly

"Where did it all go wrong, Glyph? When did it all start to fall apart?"

"I don't understand."

He motioned to the window, "I love looking out this window, I have a great view of the school grounds. I see my students, and the joy on their faces as they rest and relax. Yet, I know that this school, for all its faults, is a sanctuary, and that I'm preparing them to leave it, preparing them to die in a world filled with hate and violence."

"No."

Night turned and smiled wryly, "Oh?"

Glyph shook his head, "No. You're not preparing us to die. You're helping us so that we can live. To be better, be wiser, be more."

"I'd like to think that. And yet...there are terrors out there that would consume us all whole. Cults, monsters, and...even friends."

"What friend scares you that badly?"

"Sorry, that's one of the things I can't tell you. Not yet. Not yet..." Night smiled sadly at Glyph, then turned back to the window, "What are we to do in this world, Glyph? What can we do to make it better?"

"Survive."

"So simple an answer."

"A truthful one though. Every day we survive in Remnant, we have a chance to do good. One day can make all the difference, you taught me that."

"I did?" asked Night with some disbelief.

"Yes, you made my team fight PRME for that mission. We weren't a team before then, we are now."

"Even after your "loyal act"?"

Glyph laughed and nodded his head at the irony, "Yeah, even after that. They hate what I did, but they respect why I did it. Or at least, I think they do."

"Maybe that's enough. Glyph? What do you know about my team? My...former team, KGHT?"

"Only the stories, and many of those came from Macro telling me them."

Night nodded at this, a small smile on his face, "Yes, the stories. The legends. The tales of the Huntsman who banded together to save a town...hmm..."

He turned and looked to Glyph, who was curious as to the statement Night had just made.

"Hold onto those stories, and if your story is told in a similar way, know the importance of the story, know the power it has over people. It's important to...it's...important to..."

"What aren't you telling me sir?" he asked again.

"So much. So much. But for now, all I can give is a warning. Things...are much worse than you think. You must be ready. Your team, must be ready. Your friends, must be ready. Anyone you think can help? They must be ready."

"For what?"

"For what's coming. Can I count on you, Glyph? And your team? And your friends?"

Glyph glared into the eyes of Night, who didn't flinch as he did, he looked for the meaning behind what was going on, why this conversation was taking place, but he found no answers. Rather, he found a plea. A plea for help.

He sighed and nodded, "Yes sir, you can count on us. Whatever happens, you have at least two teams on your side."

Night laughed joyfully at this, "Then I am better off than when we started this conversation. Thank you Glyph."

"My pleasure, headmaster. May I go?"

"Of course, of course. Enjoy your classes today, and don't push yourself too hard if you're not fully healed."

"Thank you sir."

Glyph made to leave, and got as far as the door before Night stepped forward, "Glyph?"

He stopped and turned to Night, "Yes?"

"Make sure...make sure you're good with your team, ok? Don't let them...don't let them judge you for what you did. Don't let the feelings...fester..."

Something about how Night said that seemed to tip Glyph off, "Speaking from experience sir?"

"Yes, sadly, yes. Good day."

Night smiled and returned to looking out his window. Glyph watched him keenly for a few seconds, then slowly exited.

*credits*

GRYD is back! The first chapter of Season 02 arrives soon!