It was as if the sun had fallen out of the sky and encapsulated the entire forest in a pitch-black fog. What once could be heard, the bustling rustles of leaves and birds had now completely disappeared. The world had stopped still, with the closest trees and bushes barely visible by the abyss that had cloaked the world.

THUMP, THUMP.

The only sound that he could hear was the deafening drumming sound that reverberated throughout his body. The still image of reality would have been calm and serene were it not for the anxiety-inducing drumming that seemed to only increase in intensity as time passed on.

THUMP, THUMP.

Jaune pressed a hand against his chest plate and realised that the drumming sound was not coming from the forest, but was instead the sound of his beating heart.

"…"

He opened his mouth and attempted to speak, but no sound would leave his lips. However, he felt the vibrations of his vocal cords and chest as he spoke. It was as if Jaune had suddenly become deaf.

THUMP, THUMP.

His sudden inability to hear only made the drumming sound increase in intensity. Jaune could feel goosebumps form on his skin and a shiver down his back. Whatever the Emerald Forest had transformed into, his body was instinctively horrified.

Jaune's eyes widened as he began looking around for Weiss and Ruby. He hoped they were not suffering the same horror he was feeling deep in his bones.

Looking down at the forest floor, Jaune felt his breath get caught.

THUMP, THUMP, THUMP.

Like puppets without strings, they lay down on the grass in unnatural mangled forms. Had Jaune been able to cry, he would have. But he could not. Blood spilt from every orifice, and lifeless eyes stared up into the dark void of the sky.

He could not move, could not stand, could not cry out for friends, his unending desire to take control was fruitless.

Even when he had already failed, even when his crimes were laid out to bear, he remained as useless as ever.

Why! Why were they dead!?

Jaune cried out from the depths of his mind.

YOU HAVE BROKEN THE ONE RULE.

A booming voice echoed throughout the forest as if in response to his unvoiced questions. No, it wasn't just a single voice, it was an intermingling of two deep voices. The tone was both emotionless yet emotional. Both happy and sad, both angry and delighted. An intermingling of opposites.

FROM THIS POINT ON, NEVER AGAIN SHALL YOU UTTER OUR SECRETS.

Every pore of Jaune's skin burned and he was forced to watch as the bodies of Weiss and Ruby crumbled and rot before his eyes. Not only the girls but also the world itself began to collapse into nothingness, before finally, the world had truly become the abyss.

Jaune screamed, but he found that he had no mouth to scream with.

It was then that he found that the sound of the beating drum had gone cold silent.


Jaune woke up with a start, gasping as he gripped his chest plate in a vain attempt to make sure his heart was still there. What he had experienced, was unforgettable. It was twisted, and most of all, it was incomprehensible.

What was that?

What had happened?

Why?

Why?

Was it a punishment? For not being quiet about his ability?

Tears began to form at the corner of his eyes.

Rather than being shot in the stomach, rather than being eaten by a Grimm, rather than being strangled, or tortured for hours on end, none of it could compare to knowing he had inadvertently caused the death of Ruby and Weiss.

"I didn't sign up for any of this!" he complained darkly.

Jaune ripped himself from the spear embedded in the tree and fell to the ground, landing on his feet.

Whatever he had just experienced, it wasn't leaving his mind anytime soon. He didn't want to see Ruby's or Weiss' still faces, to see their mangled rotting corpses, their beautiful forms twisted for the amusement of some kind of force of nature.

Not to mention the physical reminder of the claw surrounding his heart. Even if he managed to somehow forget the trauma he had seen, his body would still remember the horrible crushing feeling of an invisible hand encapsulating his heart. The memory would never let him utter about his ability ever again.

But now Jaune was once again left grasping for straws. If he couldn't get help from fellow initiates around him, he would have to try and get the teacher's attention again.

However, rather than attempting to stupidly send a message through some random security camera, this time Jaune would send the message personally.

Jaune brushed himself off and turned, looking through a clearing in the trees. There stood Beacon tower, the image still looking as awesome and as intimidating as when he had first seen it when he got off the bullhead.

His eyes narrowed in determination.

He didn't care how long or how many times it would take.

"I'll get the teachers to save you, Ruby, I promise," Jaune Arc whispered, "And kill Tyrian Callows while they're at it."