There was a knock on my door. "Who is it?" I asked, while getting up from my desk.

"Byleth," a familiar voice said. I opened the door. Sure enough, Byleth was standing outside. We stood there, at the doorway, for a minute, while I waited for Byleth to explain why he was here. "Can I come in?"

"Is that appropriate professor behavior?" I said, but stepped aside to make room for him. Byleth nodded. "If you say so, Professor." I closed the door behind him. It was the day after the Rite of Rebirth. I sat down at my desk chair and crossed my arms. "So, what do you want?"

"I need your help," Byleth said.

"Yes, you've said that before." I nodded. "What is it?"

"Do you know Flayn?"

Flayn… I shook my head. "Who's that? Not a student, right?"

Byleth nodded. "Green hair, Seteth's sister."

"Oh!" I'd seen someone like that. There were only two green-haired people around, and that was Seteth and that one girl. "I know who you're talking about, but I've never talked to her."

"Do you think you could keep an eye on her this month?"

"Like, follow her around?"

"Just near the end of the month will do," Byleth said, striking his thinking pose. "And Professor Manuela and Jeritza too."

"What's going on with these three people?" I asked.

Byleth dropped his arms back to his side and shook his head. "Just… if you could watch them a bit more than usual, at the end of this month."

"What do you think is going to happen?" I asked. He had to know. He knew. That was why he was asking me for help. He knew something was going to happen, but he wouldn't tell me what. Or why.

"I… don't know," he said. That was a lie. It had to be!

"Are you physic? Can you see the future?"

Byleth shook his head.

"Then, where are you getting all of this information?"

Byleth shook his head again. "I can't tell you."

I sighed and stared at the wall off to the side. Did I trust him enough to do this random favor? I turned back to Byleth. "Fine. I'll do it. I'll watch those three."

Byleth nodded. "Thank you."

"You really won't tell me what's going to happen?"

Byleth nodded. Then, he paused for a second and said, "Just be careful." He turned and opened the door. "Have a good day." Before I could respond, he'd left, and the door slid shut with a quiet thud.

We were briefed on this month's mission the next day. Since most of the Knights were taking care of the Western Church rebellion, we were going to help escort some priests to a church in Airmid. It wasn't too far from Garreg Mach, so we'd be back by the end of the day. We weren't expecting to run into anyone, but the Church wanted to be careful.

Byleth's class's mission was to retrieve a Hero's Relic back… from Sylvain's brother, Miklan.

As per Byleth's request, I kept my eye out for Flayn. Sometimes, I'd find her in the cathedral or in the cafeteria or by the pond. I wasn't sure if I should introduce myself to her or not. I'd heard Seteth was extremely protective of her.

Flayn was in the cafeteria again but she wasn't eating. She was reading. I went to check out the menu and order something for dinner. There was the sound of footsteps behind me.

"You're the Professor's twin, aren't you?"

I turned around. Flayn was standing behind me. She smiled. I nodded. "Yes. And you're Seteth's little sister."

Flayn chuckled. "You're right! I noticed you've been looking at me."

Oh. Well, I wasn't very good at being subtle or sneaky. The cafeteria lady pushed a tray of food over, and I picked it up. "Umm," I said. I wasn't sure what to say. Would Seteth have my head for staring at his sister too much?

Flayn giggled again. "It's okay. I've been looking at you too. Would you like to sit with me?"

I nodded. Why not? I joined her at her table. "What are you reading?"

"A book about fish!" Flayn held the book up to show me the cover. It had a blue cartoon fish on it, and the title was All About Fish.

"Very cool," I said, digging into my onion gratin stew.

Flayn set the book down and rested an elbow on it. "So why have you been looking at me lately?"

I blew on the hot soup before taking a sip. Sweet and savory. I had to come up with a reason, not "oh cause my twin brother asked me to." I cleared my throat and said, "Umm, well… I… think your hair is pretty."

Flayn smiled and clapped her hands together. "Really? Thank you!"

She bought that? I wasn't sure but kept drinking my stew anyway. "So, what about you?" I asked.

"Well, I think you and your brother look so cool," Flayn said. I suppose that was about as good of a reason as I'd given.

"Thanks…?" I said. "I don't think I'm that cool, but thanks." I laughed, but the sound came out forced and shaky.

Flayn smiled. She had a sweet smile that easily reached her eyes. "The new professor has garnered a lot of attention. Lady Rhea must see something special in your brother to appoint him as a professor."

I nodded. "I agree, especially considering how young he is." It was still a little strange to make the connection between "your brother" and Byleth. Most of my classmates referred to him as Professor, not as "your brother."

"Yes, isn't that fascinating?" Flayn said. "I don't really get to talk to too many people anyway. Most people here are busy, so I'm glad I got to speak with you for a bit."

"What do you do here then?" I asked.

Flayn laughed. "Not much. Sometimes, I help my brother or Lady Rhea out." Interesting. She stood up. "If you'll excuse me, I must be on my way."

I nodded. "Thanks for approaching me first," I said and smiled at her.

Flayn smiled back. "No problem, Byleth. See you around." She waved and walked off with her book.

There were rumors swirling about a Death Knight, someone dressed like a grim reaper of sorts, carrying a scythe and snatching people up. Even our class discussed it one morning.

"Did you hear? Apparently, people have seen something like a grim reaper, and people have been going missing," Annette said. "They call him the Death Knight."

"He's been seen in town," Ingrid said.

"I heard that too," Dimitri said with a nod.

"We better be careful then," Ashe said. "If we go into town, we should always go together."

"Ladies, you can always ask me," Sylvain said with a wink. Ingrid elbowed him.

"Then, I'll be sure to ask you to join me on the shopping errand next time," Dimitri said. Felix chuckled quietly to himself, while Sylvain frowned.

"Hm, Byleth, don't you have to do the shopping this week?" Mercedes said, thinking.

I nodded. She was right.

Sylvain was opening his mouth, but Dimitri spoke first, "I can go with you."

"That's okay," I said, holding a hand up. "I'll go in the morning, so there shouldn't be any Death Knights."

Dimitri shook his head. "You can never be too careful. I'll go with you." He crossed his arms. Well, I wasn't sure how else to politely say no to the Prince of Faerghus.

"Thanks," I said with a small smile.

Professor Manuela walked into the classroom, and we scrambled off to our seats. After class, though, Dimitri approached me again. "Where shall we meet?" he asked. There was a spark in his eyes, like we were planning some grand event.

"At the gates?"

Dimitri nodded. "Very well. What time?"

"Ten in the morning," I said. "Does that work for you?"

"Yes, sounds good."

Whether I liked it or not, I was going shopping with His Highness, Dimitri.

On Saturday, after eating a quick breakfast at the cafeteria, I went to the gates. Dimitri was already there, standing beside the gatekeeper. I had a list of what we needed to get: some bandages, writing ink, parchment, soap, pickled vegetables, and meat jerky.

We walked through the small merchant area before Garreg Mach towards town.

"Dedue told me," Dimitri said. "I believe he mentioned that I would like your assistance."

"Oh, right." I remembered the conversation after the mock battle, and then laughed. "That was great! Saved me from Claude."

Dimitri cleared his throat. "Well, he wasn't lying."

I glanced at him. "Oh. You do want my help? With what?"

"You could be a Knight, or better yet, an advisor," Dimitri said. That sounded rather similar to what Claude had said. "I've seen you fight, Byleth. You're incredible."

I shook my head. "No, I'm not. Your Highness is way stronger than me."

"It's not just that, though," Dimitri said. "You have a different life experience than most nobles. You were an orphan, right? With your help, we could change the way orphans are treated or the way orphanages are run."

We were passing by a few residential buildings. The large market was up ahead, and more and more people filled the streets. "You mean, I could suggest policy changes?"

Dimitri nodded. "Of course."

Tempting. I tapped my chin with a finger. "I'll think about it, but thank you for the offer, Your Highness."

Dimitri smiled. "I'm looking for trusted advisors who I can rely on once I take the throne."

I wasn't sure how or why he thought I could be trusted. But, the thought left me feeling warm inside. I smiled back at him. "Thank you. It's truly an honor."

We'd arrived at the marketplace. Considering how many people there were, we decided to split up. I purchased the infirmary and writing supplies, while Dimitri went to buy the kitchen ingredients. We met up at the little town square, where there was a fountain.

"Did you get everything?" I asked Dimitri. He nodded. "Great! Let's go back then. This was so much faster with your help. Thanks for coming with me." I smiled.

"I'm glad I was of help," Dimitri replied.

The weeks flew by, and soon we headed off for our mission. There were four priests with us, and one Knight. They led the way, and our group followed. It was a peaceful walk.

We encountered one group of bandits, who were harassing some villagers, and we took them out. Then we continued on our way. We bid the priests farewell at the church and walked back. Overall, it was an uneventful mission.

After we'd returned to the monastery, I decided to follow Professor Manuela, because I knew where she was. Trying to find Flayn or Professor Jeritza would probably take some time. It was the end of the month. If anything was going to happen, it'd be today.

Professor Manuela went to the infirmary to drop off some papers and books. I waited outside in the hallway. I wasn't sure how obvious I could make it. When she emerged from the infirmary, she was carrying something: a white mask.

"Oh, Byleth, what is it?" she asked me, when she saw me waiting outside.

"Uh, could I go with you?" I said. "Wherever you're going."

Manuela raised an eyebrow. "What's going on?"

I pointed at the mask. "What's that?"

Manuela held it up. "It looks like Professor Jeritza's mask. He must have left it in the infirmary by accident. I was going to return it."

"Could I go with you? I… uh… want to ask you something. Later."

Manuela looked at me again. "You can't ask me now?" I shook my head, then she shrugged. "All right. Do what you want."

Yes, success! The two of us walked down the stairs towards the Knights' quarters, which was where Jeritza's room was. Professor Manuela knocked on the wooden door. "Jeritza?" she said. "Are you in there? I have your mask."

It was quiet. I placed a hand on Professor Manuela's arm and nudged her aside. With my right hand on my sword hilt, I pushed the door open. I stepped inside, with Manuela trailing behind me.

Clank!

I almost didn't block the attack in time.

It was a terrible looking person. Someone wearing a dark skull mask and all black, carrying a scythe. The rumored Death Knight…

"You…" the Death Knight said.

My sword was barely out of its sheath, but just enough to block the scythe. I drew my sword out. "Professor, run!"

"Wh-What?" Manuela said.

"Go get help!" I said.

"R-Right, be careful, Byleth!" Manuela said, then she was gone.

I kept my eyes on the Death Knight. I inched towards the door. If I blocked his escape, then we'd be able to catch him.

The Knight's rooms were slightly larger than student's dorms, and they had their own private bathrooms, which was on the other side of the room from me. I was near Jeritza's bed and the door. In between us, against the wall, was a large bookshelf. Except, it was slightly askew, and some dark hole was behind it. What in the world?

Then, something else caught my eye. A body near the corner of the room. A girl. With green hair.

"Flayn?" I said.

The Death Knight swung at me, taking advantage of my momentary distraction. I leaped back. I'd barely dodged. I could feel the scythe cutting the air in front of me. Then the Death Knight was attacking again. This time, I blocked. I gritted my teeth as he pushed against my sword.

Then the pressure was gone, and the Death Knight was swinging again. He was fast, so much faster than Byeth. I tried to jump to the side, but his blade still hit my right arm.

"Ah!" My arm burned with pain. I almost dropped my sword. Quick, quick. I managed to block his next strike, but my sword arm was getting weak. Blood dripped from my arm.

The Death Knight knocked my sword out of my hands. Oh, Goddess. This was the end for me. I pulled my dagger out but it was useless against his scythe. The Death Knight jammed his blade into my stomach.

"Oof." I grunted. The searing hot pain. My arm flailed about, trying to hit the Death Knight with my dagger, but he was out of reach.

He drew his blade out from me, a wrenching, terrible pain in my gut. My knees were giving out from under. I was toppling to the floor. My vision was blurring. "N-No." My hand found the wound. I could feel the warm blood slipping out. I tried to stand, tried to move, but I could only fall onto my knees. Flayn was lying on the floor not too far from me.

Flayn… My vision was darkening. I stretched a hand out towards her. The Death Knight had his back to me. He was walking towards her. My head was spinning.

Yuri…

I didn't feel myself fall.

Thanks for reading!