Actuation

(Continuous apologies for delays. More health issues and I'm leaving for a vacation tomorrow, which is why I'm posting tonight. There won't be a new chapter next week, but stick with me. Trust me. The next one is to die for.)

William made it back to his dorm and stood in the empty living room. He called Odette's name but there was no response. It was dim and quiet and the couch honestly looked very inviting but instead he went to his bedroom to go ahead and pile up in his bed. He was so tired. But even as his head found the perfect spot on his pillow, he couldn't help but think that this really was all his fault. If it was true that Carvalho was rioting against the DWMA because of William being taken from him, then everyone had him to thank for the attacks that had been going on since last month. Maybe longer than that. He closed his eyes and thought of Giriko walking away. The next time he saw him would probably be the last—if this time wasn't. Something in him quietly protested this thought. Not that he ever thought of Giriko as his friend. Probably something closer to a buddy. A hangout pal. Someone to get wasted with and talk about scandalous, slutty things. They never had any problems with each other. But it was clear their paths had diverged and would not reconvene again. William wasn't sure how or why this transition in him had come about. But he was still starting to second guess it all even though a sense of morality had finally taken a tentative root somewhere in the pits of his soul.

He heard the door sling open and Odette's panicked voice. "William?"

"… Here."

She hurried into his room and crawled on his bed next to him. "Are you all right?" He could tell she was biting back a lot of words and a lot of noise he didn't want to hear right now.

He closed his eyes. "I don't know."

Odette shuffled closer on her knees and put her hand in his hair. "The madness is affecting you and Dr. Stein through resonating."

William nodded. "And… worse. The academy may very well be in danger because of me. I saw someone this morning. Someone I used to know, I guess… There's going to be a war here and it's my fault." He let out a sickly sigh. "Maybe I should… start thinking of a plan. To go back to Carvalho for a little while and find a way to escape again or something."

Odette watched him with her mouth open a little. "… No. This isn't your fault. Carvalho would have attacked eventually anyway. He would have found some other excuse. He hates Lord Death. You can't blame yourself. And you definitely shouldn't go back." She petted his chest softly.

He rubbed his face roughly. "Odette…"

She lowered her voice. "What? Talk to me, please."

His breath kept getting louder. The longer his eyes were closed the more things he could see. Though he was exhausted he opened his eyes to look at her. "I really think I should go… Leave here."

Her expression harbored pain now. "Why?" she squeaked.

"I don't want people to get hurt because of me. Not anymore." He lowered his head but she forced his chin up again.

"They won't. We're all going to fight. This would have happened anyway—"

"I mean—that's not what I mean. I mean… You… Odette, I don't want to hurt you." He looked in her eyes and shook his head tiredly. "I can't stay here and hope this thing goes away and hope that it doesn't put you in more danger. You, and Kian, and Christian, Rachele… our friends."

She kept her eyes on his and maybe hers started to shine a little.

He blinked in realization. "This… is why I never had friends. This is why I shouldn't—I'm gonna end up hurting you and I don't want that. I have to go. I can't stay."

Odette put her hands on either side of his face. "You do not have to go anywhere. And you're not going to hurt us. We're all resilient meisters and weapons. If you're referring to the chance that the madness will make you snap again, everything will be all right. We can handle ourselves. So far you've only come close to laying a hand on Kian. And he's a Ghost. Even if you killed him he would be back tomorrow." She gave half a chuckle. "We love you. And you love us. No one is going to do damage to anyone. We're too strong for that and you're too strong for that. And we all want you to stay." He sighed and closed his eyes for only a moment this time. She leaned forward and wrapped him in a loose hug. "Please don't go. We need you."

He kept his head leaned back and stared at the ceiling with her wrapped around his front. Finally he released a sigh of defeat and put a hand on her back. "All right."

"Everything's going to be okay." The redhead planted a soft kiss on his cheek. For a while they lay like this. When William closed his eyes he didn't see unwanted things as much. He even started to doze off but she spoke again. "It's time for the next round of our game."

He didn't open his eyes and let her continue lean against his chest. "You go first."

She brushed her straight choppy hair over one shoulder. "Mama and Papa wanted me to be a real scholar. Make a difference academically. Win an award or something. They constantly praised me about how smart I was but they also pushed me to try harder. Which was nice. But it just wasn't what I wanted. Honestly… it doesn't have to be academic, but I really do want to make a difference. Do something—one thing that people talk about for a few years. Maybe forever." A small smile shone on her face before it dissipated. "But those aren't career plans."

By now William had opened his eyes to look at her. "No career plan sounds like a better plan to me."

Her smile came back for him. "Your turn."

He inhaled deeply and her hand elevated with his chest. "You're the first real friend I've ever had. And… I think I'd do anything for you. On the pure… foundation of I know you would do the same for me."

Odette's smile grew. "Wow. How did that feel to say?"

He stared in her blue eyes and didn't move. "Kinda scary."

She giggled and pushed her fingers back through his hair and gave his forehead a kiss. "Thank you. And you're right. I would absolutely do anything for you. And we're gonna get this worked out."

"… I'm getting a blood transfusion tomorrow."

Odette met his eyes again. "This was Dr. Stein's plan?"

"Yeah. He said it would take a while to replace it all but… said it would buy us some time. If I did it regularly. You and I should be able to resonate safely until we figure out something else that will work."

Though her eyes looked a little nervous, she nodded all the same. "All right. I'll be there with you tomorrow. Right after my exam."

He nodded. "I would like that."

That evening, Katy entered the main lobby of the castle with Rachele, consistently checking her phone. "He hasn't answered me in two hours. This is… very unlike him."

The ginger kept sipping her container of coffee and spoke around the straw. "Have you tried Nikki?"

"Yeah, I called her twice. No answer." Sighs in what she knew was beginning and bubbling anxiety welling up in her belly. They both quickly looked up when they saw students rushing towards the door hastily. The friends exchanged a look before following after them. They joined a group of students outside the castle on the giant stoop as they peered off the edge of the balcony and pointed to the trees.

"What's going on?" Rachele asked anyone who was willing to answer as she ran up to an open space at the edge.

"There's a student fighting a Kishin monster just over there!" said a girl as she pointed to the tree line. A boy beside her piped up. "What's a Kishin doing so close to the academy?"

Katy leaned over the stone railing and squinted her eyes to see. Sure enough there were horrible growling sounds coming from the woods. The leaves trembled and the trunks of the trees rattled and shuddered. When she could finally see movement—and so could everyone else, judging from their gasps—Katy leaned even closer. The monster's shoulder pierced the tree line and tumbled out into the yard of the school with a guttural cry of anguish. It rolled once and when it stopped a meister and his weapon were visible on top of its chest. Tim and Nikki. Katy's heart stalled in her chest as his name escaped her lips in a mere breath. The monster's limbs went limp and a black tongue flopped out on the grass. She watched him jerk Nikki's blade out of the thing's throat with noticeable effort. He was panting hard and Katy's pupils constricted as he fell backwards off the demon and onto his back where he tried to drag a hand to his face. In a blink Katy had vaulted over the railing and broke into a sprint towards him, calling his name. Rachele was following close behind. She reached his side where Nikki had already positioned herself in her human form, her fair hands cradling his jaws. "Tim!" Katy slid to a stop next to him and dropped to her knees and touched his head. "Tim! Where are you hurt?"

"Just—my leg, it got my leg," he said through his teeth before holding back a moan around his tight grimace.

The girls huddled around his leg to find a sizable gash on his left calf. There was a unison cringe among them before Katy gently got under his shoulders. "Don't worry, that can be fixed. Rachele, run ahead. Go tell Stein. Nikki and I will get him there."

Rachele nodded and took off as Katy helped him up to his feet and supported one arm while Nikki supported the other. Katy spoke at both of them. "Did you end up barreling this way? Where was that thing?"

"Right in the damn woods," Nikki said irritably. "It was practically on campus."

"We—were on our way to another mission when we ran into it," Tim grunted.

Katy helped him limp back to the castle and stared ahead with her heart still pounding loudly in her ears. "Why the hell was it so close? What is going on?"