Teito slowly came back into consciousness. He hurt. His ribs especially, on the left side, and they were throbbing a steady beat. He recalled the events of yesterday and suppressed a groan. Fucking bastard probably broke one…Teito wasn't too surprised that Ayanami found him. He knew he would eventually.

Teito slowly sat up, an arm around his ribs.

"Mornin, sunshine." He jerked his head up to see Frau in a chair next to the bed, legs crossed and a book open in his hand. Teito frowned.

"How long was I out?" His voice came out raspy so he cleared his throat, regarding Frau warily. Normally, one would be happy to have someone waiting next to them, but it made Teito feel caged.

"About sixteen hours." Teito's eyebrows rose. Sixteen hours?!Frau snapped his book closed and leaned forwards, uncrossing his legs. "How do you feel, brat?" Teito finally broke eye contact and carefully lifted the hem of his shirt. His stomach dropped and he could feel the blood drain out of his face. His ribs were bandaged, meaning they now knew about the mark. Teito cautiously looked up at Frau again, keeping his face blank. Frau raised an eyebrow and folded his arms across his knees, leaning forwards even more.

"I feel like shit. How bad is it?" Maybe he doesn't know, maybe a nun bandaged them and kept silent, maybe…

"Two cracked ribs on your left side and bruising everywhere else."

"Wonderful." Frau narrowed his gaze at Teito, scrutinizing him in a way that reminded him of Castor.

"You are a bundle of mystery, Teito Klein." Teito stiffened at his name, belatedly remembering Ayanami using it in his threat. "Attacked by a kor on church grounds and a slave no less." Teito glared at him.

"Ex."

"What?"

"Ex-slave." Luckily the mark for a slave and a sklave are the same, and it seems Frau didn't figure it out. But Castor… He's smart enough to draw the conclusion.Deciding to try and change the topic he asked, "And what is a kor?" The word was both strange yet familiar in his mouth. Frau finally leaned back, not looking at Teito so closely anymore. He re-crossed his legs and pondered the question for a bit.

"A kor, k-o-r, is a messenger of the God of Death, who continuously wages a war against the Chief of Heaven. The kor forms contracts with humans by granting three wishes; three wishes at the cost of a soul."

"A small price, huh." Teito muttered, recalling the old man's words.

"What?" Frau asked, not hearing him. Teito shook his head.

"Nothing." Frau regarded him for a moment and then continued.

"The kor takes the soul and then inhabits the body, killing the host." Teito looked up, brows furrowed.

"Then, the old man, he's dead?"

"No. By destroying one of the wings we can kill the kor and give life back to the host. But only if the last wish was granted recently, by then a small part of the host is still alive, enough for us to save them." Teito pulled his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them.

"So, the old man is alive?"

"Yup."

"He said he had no family." Teito said to himself.

"The kor was talking the entire time, it is possible that it was a lie." Frau softly said, looking at Teito with a strange look in his eyes. Teito recalled the conversation and frowned.

"Then again, there is no need to. He isn't quite dead you see."The old man's, No, kor's, echoed in his head.What did he mean by that? I watched Mikage die, his heart stopped. He wasn't breathing. I fucking buried his body.Teito was disturbed from his thoughts by a flick on his forehead. He jerked his head around to glare at Frau, who was pulling his arm back with a smirk on face.

"What the fuck was that for?!"

"You were spacing out, brat." Teito rubbed his forehead, maintaining his glare. "What were you thinking about?"
"None of your business." Frau sighed and stood.

"Alright, kid."

"I'm not a kid!" He snapped, looking up at Frau.

"No…" He paused, a thoughtful expression on his face. "You're Teito Klein, right?"

"Shut up." Frau chuckled and bent down, grabbing something and throwing it at Teito's face.

"Hurry and get changed, I'm hungry." Teito picked up the clothes which were now on his lap.

"I'm not hungry." Frau paused by the door, looking back at him.

"Let me rephrase that. I will drag your sorry ass to get food whether you want to or not." He smirked at another one of Teito's glares. "You have ten minutes." He stepped out and shut the door behind him.

Teito sighed and slowly got out of bed, seeing how much he could move without hurting his ribs. He regarded the clothes and sighed again. I swear, if I sigh anymore I'm going to suffocate myself..Grumbling he set the items on the bed. There was another pair of black jeans, a clean pair of boxers, and a purple shirt that said, "I'm not small, I'm fun size!" His eyebrow twitched as he held up the shirt. Fucking bastard.He threw the offending piece of clothing across the room and changed into the other clothes. He pulled on his grey tank from yesterday. The black jacket was covered in dirt and torn in several places, one sleeve practically falling off. Shrugging he tossed the jacket with the horrendous purple shirt and warily looked at the door. To go, or not to go. Be dragged or not to be dragged. Recalling the giant scythe, Teito decided to go willingly. Plus, hereallyneeded to make a stop to a bathroom. He stepped out into the hall to see a laughing Frau.

"That shirt is a bit dirty, are you sure you don't want to wear a clean one?" Teito just flipped him off. "To breakfast!" Frau pumped a fist in the air and took off down the corridor.

"Hey, wait you prick. Where's a bathroom?" Frau didn't even pause, just waved at Teito over his shoulder.

"This way, brat. Hurry up, I'm hungry!" Teito shook his head and trailed after the tall man.

Once he finished his business, Teito washed his face and ran damp fingers through slightly greasy hair. He cringed, thinking of what he would have to go through again when he needed to bathe. He regarded his reflection in the mirror above the sink. He hadn't looked at himself since he left the academy, there wasn't an opportunity or a need to do so.

His eyes were pinched and hollow, his cheekbones prominent in a thin and undernourished face. His hair was getting really long, it reached past his ears. He fingered the strands. I need to cut this soon…There was a sudden pounding on the door.

"Come on brat! Stop jerking off, I'm hungry! If we don't eat now we'll have to wait until dinner!" Frau whined, pounding the door harder. Teito cursed under his breath and tore the door open, jabbing a sharp elbow into Frau's stomach. Frau doubled over with a soft "oof".

"I was not jerking off, you pervert." Teito crossed his arms and waited for Frau to regain his breath.

"Yea yea, that's what they all say." He wheezed out and then started down the hall again. "Come on!" He reminds of a fucking golden retriever begging for a bone.Teito followed him to what was apparently the "dining hall". He paused in the doorway, surprised. The clergymen, nuns, and everyone else were eating together, no table different than the other, no evident hierarchy at all.

"Not what you expected?" Frau had paused next to Teito and was watching him out of the corner of his eye. "Everyone eats equal here." Teito said nothing. The hall was gigantic with more than a dozen long tables lined up. There was a sudden storm of squeals that made Teito stiffen.

"Oh god." The nuns rushed at him, grabbing his arms and dragging him to the nearest table. He could hear Frau cracking up behind him.

"Little lamb, there you are!"

"Eat with us, lost lamb!" They shoved him down into a seat at a massively long table. They shoved a bowl in front of him and a chunk of bread. Frau seated himself across from him as Teito's stomach growled a bit. But he soon lost his appetite as he saw a pair of eyeballs floating in the soup.

"Ugh!" He nearly shouted and leaned so far back it was a miracle he didn't fall out. Frau busted out laughing again.

"What's wrong, little lamb?" Teito put his hands over his mouth, slightly nauseous. Fuck slightly. He was really fucking nauseous.

"Is there anything else?" He managed to choke out over the concerned questions. Frau finally sputtered to a stop, heaving in a giant breath.

"Everyone eats the same thing, kid." Teito looked up at Frau incredulously.

"Eyeballs? Really?" Frau swallowed down another chuckle, his eyes still crinkled and a grin hovering on his lips.

"They're fish actually. We don't eat meat, but these fish are special, not exactly meat." Teito cautiously regarded the eyes again. Fish. Really.

"If they're not meat, then what are they?"

"Fish."

"But not meat." Frau leaned over the table.

"Look, brat. If you're not going to eat them then I will." He speared one of the eyeballs on his fork. Teito suddenly lunged forwards, eating the eye off Frau's fork as he glared at Frau. The look on Frau's face was priceless though, enough it almost made Teito smile. Almost. Frau was so surprised he was frozen, his eyes wide, mouth slightly open, and fork still hovering across the table. The nuns broke out into giggles around them, patting Teito on the back.

"That's the spirit, lost lamb!" Teito smirked at Frau.

"I never said that I wasn't going to eat it. Hands off." Frau shook his head and snickered, digging into his own bowl. The eye was surprisingly good. Ever since he was homeless Teito never turned down the opportunity to eat something because he never knew when he would eat next. The habit still stuck with him. Before he met Mikage he didn't care about food, only eating vitamins and the essentials to make his body as durable and as strong as possible. Mikage changed that. When he saw Teito's sparse diet he dragged him to the cafeteria, forcing him to eat something, saying he was too thin. Teito paused eating for a moment, his mouth twitching upwards into a smile for a second. He enjoyed food after that. No… it wasn't really the food. It was eating with Mikage.And every time he ate, even if he was alone, it would remind him of Mikage, and the food would taste delicious. When Teito ran and became homeless he reversed back to before, just eating to live. Teito resumed eating, not noticing a pair of eyes on him.

Castor POV

"Teito Klein." Castor sat at his desk in his office, his hands folded in front of him. Labrador was seated across from him.

"That's what the kor said?" Labrador asked.

"Yes. But it was strange, it had an odd presence around it, and it was cloaked. Which is why it was hard to find it and not even realize it was a kor." Labrador shifted in his seat, his gaze off to the side, thinking. "Not only that, but its voice was different as a kor." Labrador looked at Castor.

"Their voices shouldn't be different. This is the first time I have heard of that happening." Castor sighed, leaning back into his seat.

"I was worried about that."

"It has begun, then." Castor jerked his eyes to Labradors.

"The chain of events? Because of a kor?" Labrador shook his head.

"That wasn't a normal kor. The activity of kors around the church has increased as well."

"If it wasn't a normal kor, then what was it?"

"I do not know." Castor leaned forwards again, propping his elbows on the desk, a frown on his face.

"And to make matters worse, the military has increased surveillance and forces around church grounds. They say they are looking for a traitor in the city." Which is just an excuse. They think the traitor is here.

"You think it's Teito?"

"Probably. They haven't set foot on the grounds, following the law. But that probably won't last long, depending on how bad they want him."

"They won't. Not yet. There is still something that must happen first." Labrador stated softly, eyes slightly unfocused.

"Have you seen something, Lab?"

"Not really, it is unclear. And it is something we cannot prevent. It will shatter Teito's world." Just fantastic.Castor tiredly rubbed his eyes.

"Frau and my dolls are always with him. Considering how the kor got in with us barely noticing it presents a problem."

"We cannot stop it."

"I know, Lab. But we can help how much it breaks him." Labrador nodded after a moment. He regarded Castor with soft eyes.

"Come, let us get breakfast." He stood. "I heard it's fish eye stew again." Castor stood as well, following Labrador out of the office.

"Lab, you told me that when you bandaged him you saw a tattoo." Labrador hummed in agreement. "The tattoo of a slave." He glanced over at Castor.

"Yes. Do you think it's something else?"

"Teito could have been a sklave." Labrador paused.

"You really think so? But a sklave knows how to fight."

"And use zaiphon." Labrador tilted his head to the side.

"He was injured by the kor. Did you see him use zaiphon?" Castor shook his head.

"No. But he lasted an impressive amount of time before Frau arrived. He also had his hands up and out to the side, with a strange buzz in the air." They resumed walking, both lost in thought.

"You think he was about to use zaiphon." Labrador said, more of a statement instead of a question. Castor said nothing. "He also saw Frau's scythe…" Labrador muttered quietly to himself.

When they reached the dining hall they scanned for a spot to sit. Labrador pointed to a table. Frau and Teito were already there, surrounded by sisters. If the nuns moved over a bit both Castor and Labrador would be able to fit. Labrador giggled at Teito's reaction to the soup. Castor himself chuckled a moment later when Teito snatched his food back from Frau. Castor glanced over to his companion.

"He's just a boy."

"No…" Labrador said thoughtfully. "He may be the age of one, but he grew up a long time ago." Castor looked at Labrador quizzically. Labrador began to make his way over to the table with Castor close behind.

Teito POV

Teito was still pondering over the soup and its questionable contents when Castor and Labrador joined them at the table. They sat next to Frau and began to eat without hesitation.

"How are you feeling today, Teito?" Teito frowned at the use of his name. With Castor, it wasn't a casually snide remark like Frau's was. It was a jab, he was basically saying, "I know your name now" and left a feeling that he knew more than that as well.

"A little sore." Castor nodded and Labrador looked up.

"I'll send the nuns over tonight with some medicine to speed up the healing and take away the pain. And some vitamins wouldn't hurt…" Teito glanced over at Labrador, a bit confused. Castor saw the look at answered the unspoken question.

"Labrador is in charge of the hospital here. He runs it by himself mostly, the nuns help with the small things."Ah. So he was the one who bandaged me. So Castor definitely knows about the tattoo."We don't get a lot of patients. People come for mental healing more than physical." They fell into a semi comfortable silence as they finished eating.

When everyone was finished the clergymen stood up and deposited their dishes onto a conveyer belt in the back of the room. The belt disappeared through the wall and presumably into a kitchen of some sort. Some nuns hauled out buckets and rags and began washing the tables while the others went through a door that was next to the conveyer belt.

Teito looked curiously at Castor who promptly answered.

"We, the clergymen, need to go hold mass. The nuns are in charge of cleaning up." So this literally is a church…

"Come and watch us adults work, brat." Frau had a smug look on his face. Teito merely raised an eye brow. Castor sighed and dragged a complaining Frau behind him. A nun next to him went to grab his empty dishes but Teito stopped her.

"No, I've got it." The nun beamed at him and walked over to help someone else. Teito stood and carried his dishes to the conveyer belt. He paused. Should I help? What else would I do?Debating between watching Frau's smug face again or the possibility of a guilty conscious, Teito chose to walk through the door nearby. His suspicions were correct, there was indeed a kitchen back here. And it was huge. It was split in half, on one side there were multiple ovens, tables, and large fridges scattered throughout the room. It was almost half the size of the dining hall. On the other half were sinks and more conveyer belts. There was the belt that carried the dishes from the dining hall outside. Nuns blasted off any leftover food with a hose that drained into a filtered sink. The dishes were then placed on a different belt that carried them into a squarish machine that rumbled and shook. Teito guessed that it blasted the dishes with even more water but at a much harder pressure. Even cleaner dishes came out, steaming, where nuns looked them over. After the inspection the dishes were hand passed to other nuns were scurried around, putting them away in multiple cupboards.
The whole place was alive and crowded with nuns. Teito turned around and left, not seeing how he could help. Back in the dining hall, he grabbed a spare bucket and started scrubbing down a table, positioning himself next to a sister. She looked up at him in surprise.

"Little lamb, you do not need to help! You are a guest!"

"I don't mind, it gives me something to do." The nun had a doubtful look on her face. "It helps me clear my mind and relax." He assured her. She smiled and nodded, returning to her work. With so many nuns around the work was completed in about an hour. That left Teito with most of the day.

With nothing better to do Teito retraced his steps to the courtyard. It was a completely different scene from the night before. There were people everywhere, but it wasn't overly crowded. The sound of the water was lost over the soft sound of conversation. The gate on top of the steps was wide open, people coming and leaving. Teito gazed at the open doors, tempted. Can I really just leave?He made his way over to the fountain. Ayanami knows I'm here. The second I step out the military will jump on me…Unless he found a way to avoid them. He made a mental note to find another way out.

Teito sat on the lip of the fountain, crossing his legs and looking down into the water. He watched the reflection of clouds passing overhead and ignored his own image. He let his thoughts wander.

Unsurprisingly his thoughts went to Mikage. What did the kor mean when he wasn't exactly dead? Did someone wish him back?If someone wished him back he would be alive, because the person wishing would have their soul taken, not Mikage. Teito squished the tiny flare of hope in his chest. Mikage is dead, he told himself. Even if someone brought him back he probably wouldn't be himself. Would only his body regain life? Would his soul be brought back to, with all his memories?

Even so, Teito had buried his body. He buried it at the base of a weeping willow, far from the academy. Only Teito knew where it was. It had been at least two months, setting the body far into decomposition. Teito's stomach twisted just thinking of it. No. He would not think of what Mikage would look like as a zombie.

Teito suddenly found himself staring at his face. At it definitely was NOT his own reflection. He yelled and fell backwards, landing on the hard marble. People gave him odd looks, which he ignored, as he slowly peered over the lip. Again, he found his face staring back at him. It wasn't him, though. He knew that beyond a doubt. That face had a large grin and sparkling eyes.

"That is Razette." Castor came up to the fountain, his hand held out. Razette looked over to him and smiled even more, if that was even possible. Razette swam over and held his hand, her tail lifting out of the water. Wait. Her tail?Teito gawked as he watched his own face fade to be replaced with a girls. She had a soft face, crinkles around her eyes and dimples on her cheeks. Her eyes and hair was pink. Teito stood and sat on the edge once more, his mouth remaining slightly open.

"She is a mermaid. I have known her for a long while." Castor looked down at Razette. "Come, it's time for mass." He glanced at Teito. "She is our organ player." He pulled her out of the water, her tail transforming into legs. Castor swung a black robe around her shoulders, similar to the nuns attire. She stepped over the lip of the fountain, her feet webbed. She turned to Teito with a gentle smile. She sang softly, no words, and stretched her webbed hands to him. He cautiously stood up and she stepped forwards to give him a hug. Teito returned it awkwardly wondering what the hell was going on. He glanced up at Castor and gave a slight gasp. This was the first (and probably only) time that Castors mask was gone. He looked genuinely surprised at Razettes actions. His face became guarded once more almost instantaneously.

"She likes you. Razette is usually very shy around strangers." Upon hearing her name, Razette released Teito and joined Castor once more. They left with Castor throwing Teito one more confused look. Teito dropped back down onto the lip of the fountain. A mermaid. An actual fucking mermaid.He shook his head. Do I even want to know what else is out there?

The rest of the day passed dreadfully slow. After the mass the bishops helped anyone who asked. One woman brought in an unconscious child bearing a strange mark on his chest.

Frau joined him again, but kept his distance. Like a guard dog. No… a guard retriever.Teito thought wryly to himself.

Teito was tempted to go back to the music room, but he didn't want to encounter anyone else. Playing was very personal to him and no one but Mikage has ever heard him play.

Teito spent his time exploring the church. The grounds were huge, he guessed probably close to thirty acres, if not more. He found the library, which he made a note to visit later, a housing complex for bishop trainees, another housing complex for the clergymen, and an outdoor pool.

Teito became tired pretty fast, his body still weak from malnutrition, as well as sore from the fight. He found his way back to his room and crawled into bed. As promised, the nuns brought him medicine and vitamins. The medicine was strange, a gas like substance with odd colors. Too tired to argue he opened the lid, breathing it in. He felt the effects immediately. His body became a bit numb and he felt drowsy.

However, a few hours later he found himself wide awake with his thoughts. He was still troubled over the kors comment. Is it really okay to hide here? Ayanami won't wait forever, even if the military isn't allowed.He was putting everyone here in danger by staying. He didn't want anyone to die for him ever again. No more.I don't think Mikage is alive. He can't be.His thoughts circled and circled until he gave up on sleeping. Teito came to a decision. He endangered people here with his presence, therefore he will leave. He would visit Mikages grave to make sure it is undisturbed. Teito had taken off his jeans to sleep, but he put them back on when he got up. He had nothing else with him so he just made the bed and silently slipped out of the door. Seeing no one around he made his way to the courtyard for the last time. He went up the steps and fast and as quiet as he could. The gate loomed in front of him, dark and menacing. Teito looked around once more, assuring that he was alone, before examining the large doors. They were unlocked. Wow. Are they really confident that the military just won't waltz in here?Teito opened it wide enough to slip through before shutting it behind him once more. He paused. There were no handles or anyway to open the door from the outside. Now he saw why they didn't lock it. It could only be opened from the inside. Teito turned to leave.

Frau POV

Since it was after hours Frau was in more casual clothes. Jeans and a tee covered by a leather jacket. He was still on guard duty for a bit, only long enough to make sure the kid was deep asleep. But no, the kid had other plans apparently. Frau watched as Teito left his room, sneaking through the corridors. Damn brat. Where does he think he's off to?

"Castor, the kid's on the move." He spoke to the empty air, assuming that one of Glasses dolls were close by. The dolls would go and relay his message. Frau followed Teito, keeping to the shadows and a distance back. He watched Teito climb the stairs. Frau clicked his tongue, recalling Castors words. Don't let him leave, Frau. Lab says things need to happen first.Shitty Glasses. Frau sighed and launched himself into the air and over the wall, on his way to cut Teito off. Being me has its perks.Like doing things normal humans can't.

Frau positioned himself in the boys path. Teito had his head down and didn't notice him at first. When he did he glared.

"I'm leaving, Frau." Frau put his hands on his hips.

"I don't think so."

"I thought I was free to leave?"

"You are. But not yet." Teito raised his brows.

"Oh really? I'm still leaving." Frau sighed.

"I'm not letting you leave." Teito fell back into a defensive position, his hands raised and unfisted. Frau smirked.
"What are you gonna do, fight me?" Teito didn't answer. Just charged.

Castor POV

Castor came back from the library very late. He was researching more about the military. He found an interesting tidbit: Unknown to the students, the military classified some of them into a special group. They pulled potential students who might be compatible with the Eye of Mikhail. Once a compatible wielder is found, the eye merges with their right hand and grants them access to an incredible amount of power; the power of Mikhail.

Lore says that the eye fell from the heavens to seal Pandoras box. Only a few people actually know what resides inside the box. The body of the God of Death. Verloren. Castor shivered just thinking about him.
However, the eye hasn't been seen in hundreds of years. If the military has it, the power they would wield would be devastating. The countries they could conquer.If the military was looking for students who would be the eyes wielder then the chance that they had it was high. But if it has been this long without someone being found… Castors thoughts were interrupted by one of his dolls. The dolls didn't speak, but Castor could access their minds and what they have seen or heard.

"Castor, the kid's on the move." Damn. He's trying to leave, isn't he?Castor sighed and looked longingly at his bed before turning and leaving his room. He quickly made his way to the courtyard and up the stairs, assuming that Teito would leave this way. Castor opened the door and paused.

"What are you gonna do, fight me?" Castor watched as Teito charged forwards, a light blue zaiphon suddenly swirling around his hands. I knew it.He smiled grimly and stayed back. Frau can handle Teito on his own without any trouble.Castor watched as Teito threw bursts of zaiphon at Frau who nimbly dodged each one with ease.

"Come on, brat. You can't fight me in your current condition." That just made Teito even more angry. His hands curled and symbols appeared within the blue light.

Zaiphon is a power that some humans possess. It's the ability to convert life force into a physical attack. The life energy can be used to attack, to heal, or to move objects. It materializes into a symbol language that can be translated into words of whatever emotions the zaiphon user is feeling. Castor, of course, knows the language, but the symbols were spinning too fast for him to decipher.

Teito's attacks became stronger and did more damage, taking chunks out of the bridge that separated the gates from the city and crossed over a river. Castor could see Teito getting tired, his body was able to keep up with the energy he was throwing around. However, his skill was exceedingly advanced for one his age. That also might confirm my suspicions of him being a sklave…Teito was talented, but Frau was far better. Castor could see Frau having fun dodging and playing with Teito. Frau hasn't had an opponent this skilled in a long time. Castor was actually glad, for once, that Frau didn't finish Teito off right away. Castor was able to see what Teito was capable off and guess what he could do if he was at his best.

Both paused for a bit, at a standstill. Teito was panting.

"Come on kid. Give it up." Teito growled and flexed his hands, his zaiphon shrinking. Castor narrowed his eyes. Even though the zaiphon was smaller, the buzz in the air was increasing. By a lot. Teito shifted forwards.

"I am not a kid!" He charged once more, his zaiphon exploding from him. Teito released the incredible amount of power with a yell. A large section of the bridge was shattered, lines cracking outwards from all around. Dust and debris filled the place where Frau was. It was silent as the dust slowly cleared. Teito swayed on his feet.
Frau appeared suddenly behind him. Teito jerked around at the last second, a look of astonishment on his face.
"Not bad." Frau said quietly before he swung a fist into Teito's stomach, causing him to grunt and fall over, unconscious. Frau caught the boy before he could hit the ground and swung him up in his arms.

"That was too much, Frau!" His ribs are cracked for goodness sake!Frau just shouldered his way past.

"I stopped him, didn't I? And you got to analyze him, right?" Castor scrutinized Frau as he passed. He wore a serious expression and all playfulness was gone from his eyes. He's taking this personally, isn't he?Castor shook his head and let the door swing closed. They kept Teito from leaving. Hopefully it was the right thing to do.