By the time the Battlefront Combat division had reached classroom E7, their feeling of unease had grown exponentially. Though they'd kept their weapons at hand during their entire journey, it had been pointless; there was no sign of the shadows. The school looked as peaceful as ever.
Emm peered through the classroom window. "He's in there all right. But what the hell is he doing? Who feels the need to attend classes after they regenerate?"
Mike took advantage of the halt in motion to turn to Emily. He'd pulled her along with them; he had to talk to her.
"Why didn't you tell me?" he hissed. He rubbed his temples, his mind was still in free fall. But, well, this changed everything! "Why didn't you tell me you were a human?"
"But, I did tell you," Emily replied. "Don't you remember when we first met? You asked me if I was an angel. And I told you, 'I'm not any kind of angel.' "
She blinked, and her gaze fell to the ground. "It's true, you know. I'm nowhere near an angel."
The words died in Mike's throat. "Uh, I mean… Well… being a human is great! We've got free will, and thumbs, and, and, what am I saying you know what a human is."
He returned to rubbing his temples, trying to massage away the wrinkles in his thoughts. "It's just, well, in the time that I've known you, you don't always seem like you're that familiar with how humans usually work."
"You're right," she said in a small voice. "I wish I did, but I never got the opportunity. I spent my life in intensive care, ever since I was a few years old. I never learned how to interact with other people."
Yet again, Angel managed to throw Mike of his rails. "Oh. Believe it or not, I'm familiar with that kind of thing."
Fred stamped her foot, glaring in the classroom window. "Aw, that's it. No way I'm waiting for them to be done. Let's go." She all but rammed the classroom door open, and the Battlefront streamed in.
The class blinked up at them, dazed. At the front, a mustached professor's statistics lecture crashed to a halt. But the delinquents only had eyes for one figure, sitting calmly in a desk.
"Elly, what the hay are you doing?" Harry cried, grabbing Elliot's shoulders in a hug. "We were really worried about you, man. What are you doing here?"
Elliot stiffened under the embrace, and turned to the intruders coolly. "What kind of question is that… It's third period. I'm here for classes."
Emmanuel chuckled, nudging against Elliot's desk. "Very funny, man. Is this some kind of prank?"
Elliot carefully put his books back into their proper positions. "I really don't know what you all are talking about. I'm only doing what I'm supposed to. Could you just leave me alone?"
Mike's skin crawled. Every word Elly said sounded wrong, like he was reading them backwards.
"Elly," Mike asked suddenly. "What happened after the shadow ate you? Where did you regenerate?"
Around their group, the normal students cocked their heads, as if Mike had spoken if a foreign language. Elliot looked just as confused.
"…What did you say? I didn't understand it." Elliot rolled his eyes, and suddenly, Mike felt something in him plummet. Elly's eyes. They were the same as ever, the same shade of oak tree grey. But they, they weren't, it wasn't…
"Look, who are you people anyway?" Elly crossed his arms, staring fixatedly at the blackboard. "And could you just hurry it up? You're interrupting class."
Luke teeth began to chatter. Emily briefly stepped forward, and touched Elliot's hand. Next to her, Harry's jaw dropped. "…What? Elly, are you okay? Do you need help-"
"That's enough," Fred spoke up, her voice hollow. "I've heard enough. Come on guys; let's leave him to his work."
"What?" Harry protested. "Are you crazy? We can't just leave him here, he's obviously sick! We-"
Fred grabbed his elbow. Gesturing furiously, she herded them out back into the hall. The moment they succeeded in dragging Luke through the door, she slammed it shut. They were still for a moment, leaning against the walls. The school closed in around them, the white walls and grey ceiling creating a blinding tunnel.
"Okay," Jake spoke up, cracking his knuckles. "What the hell is going on?"
"He didn't recognize us," Luke whispered.
Harry ran a hand through his hair. "Not only that… it was weird. It was Elly… but not Elly. He seemed different then he usually is, more restrained, less flexible."
"I felt his hand," Emily said after a moment of silence. They turned to her in surprise. "I am sorry, but… that being only bears a resemblance to your friend. His form was composed of data. He is a programmed construct."
The others flinched like they'd been hit. Fred's jaw tightened. "An NPC. They've turned him into an NPC."
Emily nodded. "Yes. It seemed like some traces of the original remained, but the being we saw was a construct of the system."
"But… but what's happened to him?"
"He's gone," Fred said shortly. "Elly's gone. The shadow destroyed his soul."
"And when they come back," Hannah began softly, her eyes half shut, "they could destroy many more."
The radio burst to life.
"Fred, we need you guys!" Bridget yelled, voice echoing in the hall. "The guild came up to deliver supplies to the others, but they've all been attacked. The shadows are everywhere."