The wind whistled across the room, the windows swaying a bit towards their direction.
It was still day, but even the sun's rays shared the somber atmosphere that draped over the group of thirteen students. The group sat across each other, given time to reflect on their actions from the previous night.
Elias was relaxed at the back, barely bothered by the grim look on everyone's face. His fingers constantly scratched the surface of the table.
Cordis was sitting just beside him, very close to the window which was closed. As a means of distraction, she turned towards the window only to meet her own reflection.
But she wasn't exactly looking out in appreciation of nature, so it worked too—anything to help her mind state.
As her thoughts drifted away, she found herself invested in what Elias was doing. He was just beside him and though it wasn't anything too out of place, she found his repeated action of slowly running his hands through the edge of the desk oddly relaxing.
Laying her head down, she relaxed her shoulders a little, a smile creeping up her face.
Elias turned too and stared at the windows and too late to look away, they made eye contact.
It was weird to be caught stealing glances from a guy... through his reflection!
It didn't look like the said guy minded, though, as he simply smiled at her, both of them communicating through the window's mirror surface.
Returning his smile with an awkward one of hers, Cordis lifted her head a little so she could wave too.
Just then...
Then her hand froze in place.
Something was extremely wrong.
Snapping her head to the side to stare at Elias she found him still playing with the desk, his gaze on it.
"What the—?" She mumbled.
Back at the window, she saw a different view.
The Elias in the mirror was still waving back, his smile stretching from ear to ear, it seemed unnatural.
Too creepy and yet she couldn't tear her gaze.
What was happening?!
His hand slowed down, his head tilting slightly to the right. And right before her eyes, his index finger snapped, taking a right angle form. She shut her eyes in immense pain, holding her hand as she hit her head severally in the locker, still managing not to make much noiss.
She bit down on her lips, her Mirror Touch Synesthesia acting as searing pain shot up her finger.
Something was in Elias and that thing knew her secret.
Her one among many things she didn't want anyone to know because it made her vulnerable and weak—oversensitive.
Cordis was more clairsentient than anyone would have guessed. She could mirror other people's emotions including pain.
Most especially pain!
Her friends and team members were too engrossed; only a few around cared to spare her a glance.
The conclusion? She was just handling the situation a little worse than they were. She was facing the floor this time feeling their gaze on her lessen. She was thankful they didn't act.
She wasn't going to let anyone know. Not about her condition nor the identity of the Judas among them.
There was a thin line between her ability and condition. She believes that she wouldn't have one without the other. They wouldn't get it so she wouldn't put herself in a position to even explain.
Something more was on their plate...
There was an ominous feeling and it swirled around the group, latching to their minds. Some of them could all hear the distant hum from the garden, hear the soft, calculated steps on the floorboard and dry grass, others know the movements across the hallway, in each corner around the whole school.
Therefore...
Their detention was the least of their problems at the moment. Their actual worry was how they could correct their mistake and find a new lead to stop the Dancing Phantom, which was evolving.
---
Mr. Master walked into their detention room, red with anger.
"Just one mission and you almost burnt the whole school down..." Their master, a man Seven just realized was a priest, and equally their vice principal scolded them.
It was the calmest display of anger he had ever seen, but he didn't need to do much...
They felt just as disappointed in themselves or even more than he'll ever be in them.
"All those training for nothing! Have you all not learned anything in the past year?!" He boomed and turned without another word. He slammed the door shut behind him, leaving them with more guilt to feel.
"What happened there?" Someone muttered, more of a rhetorical question than a question directed to everyone.
It scared them...
There was no reasonable explanation, and the thought of having an insider sabotage their plans made it tougher.
The case was already hard enough as it was; they didn't need these complications and distrust.
Seven fiddled with his bracelet realizing a fact he would have to deal with soon...
Because of this incident, as a new member, he was most likely the first suspect.
It was an unreasonable guess, given he was right there with them, studying the yearbook, but since when have humans been open to rational thinking and logic?
No one has pointed a finger, YET!
Lifting his head as he glanced around, he found the others searching with their eyes too - nothing too obvious.
Drip. Drip.
Seven's ears caught onto a subtle sound behind him. And narrowing his eyes, he saw blood dripping behind him. Shocked, he raised his head and saw Cordis sitting still, facing downwards.
"Cordis..." He called out. Gasping, he saw her slowly raise her head... a line of blood flowing from the side of her mouth and dripping onto the floor. She turned slowly towards the window and before he could conceive another thought...
He saw her fall from her seat. Rushing towards her, he saw her trembling on the floor, her eyes rolling backward.
Elias, who was closer, got to her first and held her up, and Seven reached out, unsure of what to do.
"Cordis..." He called out again.
As his hands brushed over Elias, he felt a chilling cold—too biting with a frost feel. He was going to ignore it had he not seen a cross-shaped rash on Cordis' hand where Elias held her.
"Oh God..."
He muttered, the sounds of footsteps of their fellow team members scampering for help. They were panicking and the noise drowned out his voice.
Even with the noise, there was an unmistakable jingling noise like that of a key coming from Elias's direction.
While his eyes burned Elias's figure as he tried to carry Cordis up, which he did effortlessly, Seven's jaws clenched angrily.
'That cross was upside down! W-why?'
"What are you posing as, Elias?"
---
Everyone had huge bags under their eyes as they waited outside the clinic to hear from the nurse. No one was willing to talk, nor did they have anything to say.
The same couldn't be said for Elias though.
Seven has his eyes locked on him, and it wasn't hard to keep an eye on him since he was strangely always trying to get closer to him.
It was a mind game and one he wasn't sure he wanted to win. Wetting his lips, he prayed silently that he was mistaken.
"Could Cordis be possessed?" He asked, his voice drenched in fake fear and care.
Seven's breath hitched and so did the rest of the team have the same reaction.
It was the least suitable thing to say at a time like this but clearly, Elias was ready to risk it all. And no matter how skeptical they might be of the notion, the truth was that a seed of doubt had been planted.
Seven clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"Either way, just like other times, we will be able to overcome this..." He added, adjusting his glasses.
"No sweat guys, for real. The name wasn't going to be of much use anyway since we didn't know what or where this spirit resides. So everyone should calm..."
"What do you mean by that? It obviously stays at that dead tree in the garden!"
Lexis interjected, rubbing her palm.
"Lexis is right, remember? I moved with grace...betrayed, I was silenced in a flash...where I fell, the..."
Creak!
The door to the clinic opened and the nurse came out, her face betraying no emotions.
Staring at their expectant faces, she said flatly:
"There's nothing you should be worried about. She's fine and will wake up very soon." She stated watching as their tensed face relaxed.
---
Meanwhile, back in the clinic, lying straight up, Cordis's tears flowed ceaselessly as the words, though muffled, reached her ears from a chip planted in earrings.
"Verbum sanctum est, audi illud a sacro imperio."
Trans - The word is sacred, hear it from the sacred empire.
"Ita..." She responded in a whisper, holding back her sobs.
"You must persevere. Share no word about Elias to anyone especially the chosen. For the greater good, they must remain in the dark. The Lord strengthens you Cordis, ipse est tecum!"
"Et cum spiritu tuo..."
And with a beep, signifying the end of transmission, she laid back, blinking rapidly to stop the tears.
Her other secret, that no one can know about.