Chapter 34

They were speechless, minding their own business, sitting where was considered most convenient; from the outside, distant metallic noises and thunderous voices interrupted the silence, also by the drumming of Kou and Laito's fingers on the table.

- What will happen now? - Yui asked, after what seemed like an eternity, anxious and her fingers intertwined very tightly; Ayato was sitting on the sofa next to her, his head resting on her shoulder with a bored expression, and Kanato was sitting next to him, interested only in exchanging a few words with Teddy.

Anna sighed, brushing her hair without undoing the braid; she glanced around at everyone in the hall, annoyed that the tall guy and the sleepy one were absent.

- Until we receive new orders, I can't say anything for sure but that we were most likely attacked – she summed up, knowing that it was something far more complex – I'm not sure, but it's very likely that it's not over yet - she added, answering Reiji's question.

Her stone-coloured eyes fell on her junior, curled up against the tables around the kitchen, sitting in a very uncomfortable position; rather than wondering how she could keep her balance and be comfortable, the blonde wondered if she should have suggested her to retire to her bedroom: she well knew what kind of unpleasant and disheartening thoughts were going through little Isa's mind.

Subaru himself was looking at her, surprised that the vivacity with which he had got to know her had been suppressed by that event; n-not that I-I care about it, eh, he thought, looking away before Kou and Laito could have caught him in the act and mocked him.

Azusa sat with Finn and Ruki on another sofa, letting the witch venting her restlessness by squeezing his hands, stared at by the other frowning vampire: the four witches seemed rather troubled, compared to the two female vampires who had sat with Reiji in the computer area to stay in touch with Morten and keep up-to-date on the situation.

Claire particularly showed the most irritated grimace that none of them had ever seen on her face: she was nibbling on a fingernail, gritting her teeth, rolling a lock of hair around her finger with irritation, and moreover ignored Laito's sulking face, eager for attention, since he was getting bored at doing nothing.

Kou, seated on a step of the stairs leading to the bedrooms, was holding his head in his hands, elbows resting on his knees and his lips curled to the thousand questions infesting his head, wondering where Yuuma and Shuu were; he wondered, a little to his surprise, if Lucy was safe.

- Everyone, I advise you to retire to your rooms - Lily suddenly announced, approaching them with Martha and Reiji - They have established that everyone must stay in their own house, except for the night patrols chosen by them; and this applies also for the next few days: as soon as the sun has set until dawn.

- What about senpai? - Anna snorted, her arms crossed, as some were already getting up.

- They should be back any time soon with Yuuma-san and Shuu-san, don't worry - the vampire smiled, urging the boys and the witches to leave; she nodded to Reiji, not without exchanging a knowing look, and turned to ask Martha to wait out for the others.

She stood still to watch the triplets talking to each other and protesting something against Reiji, inflexible, and chuckled at hearing Anna mutter repeatedly that she wasn't worried; Claire didn't react jokingly as usual to the blonde's complaints and Lily deduced that she had gone straight into bed, coldly, and would have fallen asleep before the other girls, which instead would have struggled to sleep, especially Finn and Yui.

At last, her eyes fell on Subaru, who had stopped to look at Isa, still motionless at the tables around the kitchen.

The vampire turned her attention to the little witch and sighed, thinking that she couldn't do much for her: she knew that it was a very delicate situation especially for them; however, since she had moved with her sister only after that incident, she didn't know exactly what had happened, so she had never dared nor demanded to know about it, nor did she intervene whenever they would remember the incident in some way.

Lily disappeared, reaching Martha outside that house, and left Isa alone, leaving a light on to light up only that portion of the large covered space, with the albino.


- Oi.

Isa jumped on the spot and her tired eyes rested on Subaru's serious face, who had just sat in the chair next to her; she quickly glanced at the clock hanging on the wall and was startled by the fact that midnight had already passed since quite a while.

I stayed here all this time...?

She was distracted by the vampire's noisy sigh and turned to him, a little confused: why hadn't he gone to sleep with others yet? Had he stayed with her the whole time? Meanwhile, the young man was staring at her with stern eyes, though veiled with concern, and frowning eyebrows also betrayed a certain irritation.

- It's been hours since those two sisters have recommended us going to bed, and you're still here! - he mumbled, without raising his voice too much.

The witch blinked and stifled a tender laugh that made him blush and snapped out of embarrassment disguised as anger, demanding explanations for that reaction.

But at least she smiled, Subaru thought unconsciously.

- I didn't think you cared so much, Subaru-kun! You usually look so indifferent! – the girl admitted while giggling, gently watching his cheeks become redder and redder and listening to his vain attempts to justify this behaviour.

At last, the albino simply looked away, grinding his teeth.

- What's gotten into you? – he mumbled after a few minutes of silence.

Isa was silent for a while before answering, a little hesitant.

- It's not the first time this happens. You've probably heard about it before, a year ago, in April we were attacked – she took a deep breath, before going on with a bitter grimace - I had been brought with all the students till sixteen years old, and at the time I was fifteen, in a safe place, specially designed for any offensive or natural disaster. There were also some wounded with us, including Rose-oneesan. However…

The witch's voice cracked and Subaru turned to her, questioningly, then widened his eyes, shocked: Isa was trembling, holding her head in her hands.

- When I went to see her in the infirmary, she wasn't there... so I sneaked out to look for her, following the traces of blood she had left... - she said between sobs.

And Mary-senpai followed me. She had seen me...


What had gotten into her kohai, she would have asked her once back safely to the shelter, Mary thought, as she had stealthily moved in the dark, towards where she had seen Isa go. There wasn't just a traitor to find and the reason that had brought him or her to plan those attacks: the unexpected had happened too!

Why had she left? Such an act could have caused unnecessary suspicions towards her, and from the worried expression on her face, Mary had excluded that hypothesis without a doubt; what could have worried her so much to leave at such a dangerous moment?

She had arrived near the school, one of the places at greatest risk of danger; she had mentally thanked Isa for her brilliant idea and, tightening the tail with which she had tied her shoulder-length hair, snuck inside the building, murmuring to her butterflies to inspect the place carefully and to remove any obstacles.

She had closed her mind to the twin as soon as she had heard him call her, apologizing, and had reached the first floor, hearing familiar voices in the distance, incomprehensible.

Carefully approaching, her ears had recognized Ryan's strangled and suffering voice, and her heart had started racing, causing her to risk losing her cold calm and rushing impulsively to his aid; however, when she had heard the gloomy tone and the sadistic laugh of a second person, she had stopped, feeling herself stiffen like a statue.

Rose... senpai...?

For a few moments, she hadn't heard any words more or sounds; her eyes, from behind the corner separating her from the hallway, had seen bloodstains suddenly stain the wall.

She just killed an enemy. Right...?

She had heard a scream which she had recognized belonging to Isa and her hurried footsteps rushing up the stairs leading to the second floor; next, other slow and creepy steps had followed her, accompanied by a hoarse laugh.

Mary had slid against the wall after leaning against it with her back, until she had touched the cold floor; her heart had been pounding slowly, and the agonizing moans of the wounded person had echoed in her ears.

It's not Ryan. It's not Ryan. It's not Ryan.

She had felt her cheeks getting wet; unknowingly tears had slid along her pale, trembling skin.

Finally, after closing her eyes and swallowing, the half-witch had tried to get up, in vain: her legs had become like jelly; frustrated, she had dragged herself on the ground by pulling her body weight with her arms, turning the corner and wincing at the sight of who had been laying on the ground, in a spreading scarlet pool, pierced by numerous and lethal short blades.

Almost falling on him, she had settled down so that her chest had been bending over him: she had looked at him, sobbing, and had approached her hand, staggering, to stroke his face, stammering; Ryan had looked at her with almost vitreous eyes, gasping, and had tried to smile, moaning, and raised his hand to her face, gasping.

- Ma... ry... - he had said in a muffled, feeble voice; streaks of blood had leaked from the corners of his mouth.

- Ryan... senpai... Ryan...! – she had called him in a pained voice; her hands had risen to his, but it had fallen down with a soft thud, slipping from her still absent grip, and the wizard had exhaled his last breath:

- Lov... ou...

The girl had begun to see all the colours swirling furiously before her; inside her, she had sensed something bubbling and sending electric shocks all over her body, which had moved without her realizing it.

She had gone through steps and hallways.

And then she had seen Isa's amber eyes watching her sister about to stab her, wounded by that unforgivable betrayal.

Mary's sudden red eyes had narrowed on Rose who had noticed her presence, full of hatred, resentment, and spite; before the traitor could have attacked her...


- Hey? OI! – Subaru shouted, gripping Isa's shoulders as she was convulsing.

- My fault... my fault... my fault my fault my fault my fault my fault my fault my fault my fault my fault...

The albino bit his lip: the sharp and uncontrolled movements, the endless and gloomy mantra, the little witch's empty and tormented eyes reminded him too much of his mother and all those moments he had endured living with her; he swallowed and clenched his teeth, searching within himself for the strength to bear with the terrible emotions that were resurfacing and trying to drown him.

Why could he break walls but not stand against that agony?

- Rose... ROSE... always so close... why... WHY - Isa screamed, banging her hands against the table with so much violence she got bruises on her palms - she's my sister I should have noticed earlier why why why didn't I notice she was betraying us oh my God it's my fault I shouldn't have followed her that night Mary-senpai wouldn't have destroyed the school she wouldn't have suffered so much NO ONE WOULD HAVE SUFFERED! - she continued to shout, now no longer conscious.

He was about to go on, and Subaru was on the verge of a breakdown, when two gloved hands reached her from behind and settled on her eyes, covering them; the albino, ignoring the voices of those who had woken up and the presence of other people around them, jumped and turned his gaze to the girl who had just arrived, widening his eyes.

The uniform was dirty and ragged, her silver eyes tired and sad, her hair white but dull; Mary leaned her forehead against Isa's head.

- Calm down, Isacchi - she murmured in a firm but warm voice.

- M-Mary... se-senpai... - the witch stammered in a trembling and weeping voice, while raising her cold hands on those on her eyes, squeezing them.

- Shhh, Isa. Everything is alright. Sleep - the half-witch motherly kissed her head and promptly supported the girl's body, which collapsed against her, exhausted.

- We'll take her to the bedroom - Lily whispered, taking her in her arms, and with Martha she teleported in the girls' bedroom, suggesting that Yui and Anna returned to sleep, the two of them who had been woken up by those screams and had worried over them.

- Subaru - the albino turned to Shuu, staring at him a little dumbfounded - Go to bed, little brother – he gave him a pat on the head, grinning, perhaps to lighten the mood; the other vampire nodded, disappearing.

Yuuma opened his mouth to yawn loudly and scratched his head, mumbling his goodnight and feigning nonchalantly as he walked to the room shared with Theo and Morten, who followed him after casting a silent glance at his friend, still standing there.

Mark slowly approached her, resting his head on her shoulder, stared at by a little jealous vampire's ocean-coloured eyes.

- Ah - sighed Ryan, sitting on the couch - Come on! Go to sleep, everyone, tomorrow will be a rough day...! – he advised cheerfully, even if his face expressed something else.

The twin and Shuu exchanged a knowing look and, taking her arm in arm on both sides, they accompanied Mary into the bedroom: Mark crouched in his hammock, forgetting to take off his headphones; the blond laid down next to the girl after helping her relax, and stroked her hair, trying to do his best to murmur words of comfort to her.

Mary hugged him, biting her lips and holding back sobs.

In the hall, alone, Ryan thought; and so he would have done for the rest of the long night that awaited him, as it had always been since he had been exhumed.


Isa, following Rose's gaze, had turned towards her senpai, widening her eyes and holding her breath of relief, mixed with tension; then she felt assaulted by fear: Mary's expression was so intense and full of negative emotions that hardly a person wouldn't have felt intimidated by her presence.

After wearing golden-spectacled glasses, grinning, Rose had moved like a cat, ready to attack: the butterflies, with silver sharp wings, but still invisible, had flown against her to defend their princess; however, they had been immediately rejected, as if the girl had managed to see them.

Mary in the meantime had already moved just as quickly, taking advantage of her distraction, and had reached the younger sister, standing in front of her; the enemy had again turned towards them, determined to destroy them, but her eyes had leaked confusion as strange bright lines had appeared around the two girls, getting more and more vibrant and taking on the shape of letters in several languages; a strange wind had come in and wrapped them, becoming increasingly strong enough to bother Rose, and abnormal dark halos had closed around them like large leaves or petals with large irregular edges, like a flower that had returned to a bud instead of blossoming.

The writings had settled down on its surface, widening to cover it completely, and began to shine with a light that had spread widely, blinding Rose.

From a distance, those who had been outside had seen this light spread from the windows of the school; then, it had become a huge white sphere and a thunderous roar had broken glass and made the earth tremble, and the light had swallowed everything.

And when people regained consciousness, the following morning, only a crescent of the school ruin had remained; the trees had lost so many leaves and the branches dangled half-broken; the sea had been calm and the sky limpid, like after storm.

On the floor, among the building ruins, Isa and Mary were found unconscious; farther away, there were the torn apart and charred corpses of a young woman and a young man.


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