"AWW MAN!" Zell's voice can actually be heard from the outdoor fields. Quistis, who was walking through the outdoor front lobby halted in her steps as soon as she clearly heard him rant to gods know who. She stretched her neck as she scanned the fields to find the annoying SeeD like an ostrich but failed as he was now surrounded by numerous students whom was also intrigued at what was happening. She quickly turned to his direction, approaching him irritably.

Zell carried on with his whining when the blonde instructor forced her way from the increasing crowd. "Just what is going on here?" She raised her voice in a controlled manner.

The fighter was standing in front of a huge boulder, thrice the size of him which is actually a part of the outdoor field's landscape. He sogged his shoulders in what seemed like a defeat. "I can usually crush it with just a quick jab you know?"

"Crush what?" And then she noticed the boulder behind him. "How many times do I have to tell you to not destroy a single rock ever again in this landscape? This will be the eighth time our gardener had trouble of replacing it do you know that?" She also started ranting.

"Quisty, I'm not doing anything yet. I mean…I can't. I can't do it!" And then he kneeled as he forcefully landed his fist on the grassy ground. "Ow, ow, ow! That hurt!" He groaned while clutching his fist.

The blonde instructor furrowed her eyebrows in curiosity. He always has a habit of punching the ground especially when he's upset but never have I saw him in this pain whenever he does that. And that boulder should've been crushed into bits of pieces by now like he usually does when he felt like showing off. But he cannot even crack it. Is he sick?

Zell sighed. "I think I'm getting rusty. Maybe I'm just lacking in practice. I'll just…head to the training center later and fight some monsters. Maybe that will do the trick." He convinced more to himself. He tried to stand up, leaning his right palm to support his weight but he immediately clutched it again as he winced.

She hurriedly approached him. "Let me see." She removed his heavy glove and checked his hand. "Probably a sprained wrist. Let me take you to Dr. Kadowaki." She guided him as he stood up.

At the infirmary...

"Kid always visits the infirmary for gastric problems caused by overeating. This will be the first that I treated him for any cases like this. He's like a man of steel." Dr. Kadowaki started as she sat on her desk.

"I know this is the first time." Quistis also agreed. "Either he injured himself from punching the boulder or the ground. I find it strange for him to hurt himself. Those things are usually easy for him." They both looked at the now snoring SeeD.

"Hmm let's see." The doctor scanned the contents written on the paper. "Vital signs says he's okay. Not sick. Hmm… Xray results shows no problem though he sprained his wrist. That's good news. I also did an intensive test using a special machine to scan his overall power and muscle strength and… well it shows that his have decreased by almost..." She moved the paper closer in her face to make sure what she's reading are all accurate."Seventy percent."

"What?!" She leaned in to see the results herself and then paused in shock.

"If this will continue to decrease, his strength will be no more greater than an average person outside the military." The old woman added.

"You mean, like a normal human being?" She worriedly asked.

"Correct. Like a normal human being. But the question that haunts me is that… What caused him to weaken this much? That's what I needed to find out." She laid the paper down on her table.

Quistis gripped the bridge of her nose and shut her eyes tightly. "This only means he can't be of any much help out there on the field." She raised her head and looked at the old woman. "Thank you Dr. Kadowaki. Please do what you can to help him. I needed to talk to Squall." And then she left.

Squall furrowed his brows. "But he's perfectly fine?" He asked for assurance as he intently stared at the woman standing in front of his desk.

"Yes, he is. Though he is still at the infirmary recovering from an injured wrist." The blonde instructor replied.

"That was strange." Selphie who happens to be at the headmaster's office that moment and intentionally eavesdropping reacted which gained her two pairs of curious eyes staring at her. She gawked as soon as she noticed it. "Well I suddenly remembered what happened weeks ago when I was in Dollet. Someone tried to rob me but thanks to Claire the culprit failed and ran."

"And what does that have to do with Zell's condition?" Quistis asked.

"I'm experiencing the same thing! Well for one I should be capable of cracking open his skull and spill his brains out right at that moment. But all I can do is just stood there. Strange. I didn't even know what to do." She explained. "It's like I cannot do anything. It felt like I'm not in my usual self. I even let him snatch my parcel when I should've easily dodged him the moment I sensed his movement. Problem is I didn't even know he's there. It confuses me for days honestly. I feel so fragile and weak. It's sooo weird!"

Quistis shifted her look, back at the commander, her eyes with a clear expression of Something's odd!

The brunet leaned his back on his chair. "We cannot jump on anything yet. Can be a coincidence or you two just getting out of shape."

"You very well know how Zell is obsessed…I mean dedicated in his training. He spends a lot of time at the training center aside from the cafeteria." The instructor insisted. He remained silent, deep in thought.

"Gosh, why have I not thought about this!" Quistis blurted as she exited the room quickly. The two confusingly stared at her retreating figure.

"Squall, I'm telling you this is weird!" Selphie insisted.

"As weird as it seems it just doesn't make any sense to panic about it. Let's just rest this case for now. In the mean time I will talk to Dr. Kadowaki later. I'll see what I can do." He dismissed.

The brunette sighed as she held her hands on her back. "You're right." She turned towards the door. "I'm exhausted. If you need me I'll just be in my room." And with that, she left.

It's Monday at eight o'clock in the morning. The start of the new semester and just in time for Claire's first scheduled homeroom. She sat at her designated seat reading on her desk screen.

I haven't seen Hope since the last time we spoke. She thought. She pulled her mobile phone from her pocket and pressed the home button. A message appeared on her screen. It was from Serah saying "Good luck on your first day sis! Have fun! Xoxo"

I wonder when will I be seeing you again, Serah. Too bad my schedule won't allow me to go any further than the town of Balamb. She sighed, feeling a bit sad.

"Hey wake up! Our instructor will be here any minute!" She overheard from a girl behind her.

"Give me five minutes. I'm still sleepy." Another girl replied.

Not a moment passed and the blonde instructor emerged from the automatic door.

"Good morning, class!" She greeted with enthusiasm to liven up the room. She proceeded on the instructor's desk.

"Good morning, Instructor Trepe." The students replied though the energy of their voice obviously didn't matched hers.

She adjusted her spectacles and stared at them. Suspicions brewing inside her as she examined the children who seemed to be depleted with energy.

"First homeroom in your first day of semester and you already look worn out. Have you guys eaten your breakfast before going here?" She asked, making sure she delivered the question in a normal way.

" I did, instructor. I actually slept early last night but I still feel tired." A young man on the front seat answered.

Weak murmurs and whispers immediately filled the classroom.

Overhearing the other students, Claire is assessing her own self. She was doing good the first few days that she started her training, but lately she really felt a little slow and rusty. She recalled a moment when she was on the fields of Accauld Plains when a bite bug nearly bore its sharp fangs on her arm because she failed to sense it behind her. It was a weak bird monster and moved really slow and yet she did a mistake of not acknowledging its presence. Aside from that, there are several occurrences that she finds very odd. Something's not right. She thought.

"Silence. Everyone." The blonde instructor gently waved her hand. "If you truly wanted to be a SeeD, and for your information it is a long and tough road ahead, I say you better start practicing of being more responsible to yourselves. Stay on your dorms, do your homework and sleep early rather than sneaking out and do your teenage businesses even after hours." She preached. Although inside, she felt more worried as more of the students complain about the same thing. She had a hunch, and she needs to prove that it is true. She suddenly felt the urge to investigate.

The class went on and after the homeroom, which lasted for a good four hours, everybody headed to the cafeteria to grab their lunch. Everyone except Claire, who is standing in front of Trepe's desk, who in the other hand is busy arranging the papers she used during the lecture.

"Is there anything we should know, Instructor?" She started. The blonde immediately raised her head, her eyes slightly widened in mild surprise. Though the woman speaks so casual around her, she was much caught off guard at her question.

"Nothing. Of course." She replied. "Why don't you follow your classmates at the cafeteria? It's past twelve already." She calmly attempted to change the topic.

"With all due respect Instructor, you wanted us to take responsibility to ourselves, I understand that. But would it be fair if you at least tell us what is going on right now. I know you lectured us earlier for us not to worry but I won't buy it. I'm already hearing some people around experiencing the same thing. And I'm not a skeptic person." She pushed on. Her eyes glued to the woman in front of her.

Quistis let out a deep sigh. This student has an untrusting nature, like Squall. And she have the feeling that she won't cease until she spoke the truth. She removed her spectacles and leaned her hands on her desk. "Fine. To tell you the truth, I didn't know either. I learned about this just few days ago. Zell, a friend of mine was rushed at the infirmary because he sprained his wrist while in training. And he is a SeeD who specializes with this knuckles. Last thing I knew, almost everybody is talking about it. You see, I have the same question but I didn't know where to start to find the answer." She confessed.

"Isn't this some kind of a disease?" Claire asked, clearly confused.

"I have no idea. This is the first time something like this happened in this school." She replied with a hint of defeat in her voice. "Listen, since you're being too much nosy on this case, can you be so kind and do me a favor?"

And thank you for making me regret it. The ex soldier mentally cursed before finally speaking. "What is it?"

"I know this is kind of out of nowhere but…If you ever hear or see anything, anything that is kind of unusual going on within the borders of the garden, can you please report it to me?"She paused. "And another thing, please keep this as a secret. You can only talk about this matter to me okay?" She said it more like a request.

"Why me?" She asked in confusion. "You have a bunch of administrators and SeeDs all over the premises right? Isn't it about time that they do something about it?"

"Last time I held my back to those god forsaken administrators it didn't turned out any good trust me. I also thought of asking my friends but they already have some important tasks going on and I cannot bother them because of some trivial matters. Anyway, all those things I heard you did I think…you are somehow trustworthy." She added.

The ex soldier internally flinched. Trust? I bet you won't if you knew the truth about me. But she only let her eyes widened a bit to hide her thoughts. Instead, she returned to her usual stoic expression.

"Alright. From what I'm seeing at this situation, this could be a serious problem not only for me and you, but for everyone. Let's say we are doing it for our school." The instructor continued.

Claire raised an eyebrow. "Speak your mind out, Instructor. Or I will never understand you." She pushed again.

"Okay, okay. Fine. I have a hunch. Like there's a foul play going on. I mean, why only here? I've spent few nights watching the news, searching the internet and no one seems to report about these things outside. I've read the newspaper first thing this morning and still nothing has been reported. Strange, I know. That's why I wanted to put myself into this and investigate." She confessed again, this time in detail.

"And you didn't seek the help from the commander?" She asked.

Quistis shook her head. "He has enough matters to worry about. I mentioned this to him but he remained neutral due to lack of substance, much more of proof. I didn't pushed this through to him since then. I'm planning to inform him once we have gathered enough information."

"I see." Completely satisfied, the pink haired woman agreed to do the favor. You won't come up with some weird idea of spying if you're not holding unto some suspicions. She thought.

Instructor Trepe puts on her spectacles. "So, are we good?"

"I'll see what information I can get out there. I'm leaving." Claire nodded and saluted before she left.

On her way to the cafeteria, Claire is already absorbed in thinking when she heard a commotion coming from afar. She speed walked to check what was happening.

"Call Dr. Kadowaki! Quick!" A female senior student in a crawling position shouted to everyone. In front of her is another female student sprawled on the floor, lying unconscious.

Remembering the little errand she was asked to do by Quistis, she decided to force her way through the crowd of students gathered around the scene. "What happened?" She asked as she kneeled to observe the woman. Her skin is pale as white and dark circles can be clearly seen around her eyes. As if she deprived herself of sleep for nights. In general, you can clearly see grave exhaustion at the students appearance.

"We just finished our lunch and we are just about to head to our next class and then Helga, she…she just fainted. I didn't know what happened!" The panicking student answered.

"Stay calm. The medics are probably on their way now." She consoled.

Just a couple of minutes had passed and several medical staffs arrived. They checked the unconscious woman for some injuries and placed her on a stretcher. They left the scene as fast as they could.

On the other hand, Claire paced again to the main lobby towards the elevator. But seeing a lot of students waiting for their turn to use it, she had no other choice but to use the emergency exit.

"Seriously!" She mouthed in between heavy breaths. "Just a flight of stairs and I already feel like I'm dying!" She greeted her teeth while quickly making her way upstairs, towards Quistis Trepe's office. She panted as she knocked on the wooden door.

The blonde woman immediately opened the door and gestured for her to enter.

"Are you alright?" She asked which the valkyrie only answered with a nod.

She let out a deep sigh and spoke. "A student fainted at the cafeteria. From what I see, she doesn't look good. You should check on her at the infirmary."

Trepe jolted upon hearing it. "Come with me." She ordered as she stormed out of the room in just a matter of seconds.

"Right." She muttered weakly as she pursued the blonde woman.

At the infirmary, Quistis is now in a deep conversation with Dr. Kadowaki, with Claire hanging out in a pillar not far from them. Both women seemed to be agitated about the situation.

First a soldier, then a warrior goddess. After being a savior of a world now becoming a teacher's puppet. Good job, Lightning. She shook her head in disbelief.

"So she's not in any way taking any medication?" Trepe can be heard from where she is standing.

"Nothing. The only thing she consumed was the food coming from the cafeteria. That is, according to her best friend and roommate whom she was with before she lost her consciousness." The old doctor confirmed. "And based by the tests that I made, results are somewhat similar to what I found with Mr. Dincht."

"And what is that?" The blonde instructor asked in anticipation.

"I was about to talk to you about it today. The decrease in power and strength, though Dincht's is greater is similar. They gradually decrease. I also took some blood samples from Mr. Dincht before he left the infirmary and found some trace of some unknown chemical in his system. Unknown because I have yet to examine it further." Worry can be heard from the old woman's voice.

Quistis' eyes widened behind her spectacles but she remained silent.

"I also took some blood from Ms. Pollock and those chemicals are somehow identical. I'll examine those samples first and get back to you asap. But just by seeing at these substance through the microscope, I have a bad feeling." She added.

"What do you mean? Like, some kind of poison? Is that what you're saying?" The SeeD furrowed her eyebrows.

Dr. Kadowaki waved her hand. "It's hard to answer that now. Let me run some tests and we'll have the answer soon. For now, seemed like the antidote that I gave to Ms. Pollock somehow halted the weakening of her system. At least for now."

"Please let me know as soon as the results came out, okay?" Trepe pleaded. They exchanged goodbyes and she left with the pink haired woman on her trail.

"Well, that sounds really odd." Claire started after hearing the conversation earlier.

Quistis gritted her teeth in annoyance. "I knew it! I knew something is happening!"

They climbed the marble stairs and was about to enter the elevator when students from the outdoor lobby screamed in horror followed by a deafening explosion that made the ground shake. They crawled on the floor and alarmingly looked for any attackers.

"GALBADIAN SOLDIERS! GALBADIAN SOLDIERS!"