Crestfall: Darkness Unveiled

The trio sprinted through the hallways, their footsteps quick and purposeful, each stride driven by the weight of their discovery. Sosuke took the lead, his focus sharp, glancing back only once to make sure Rin and Ren were close behind. Rin kept pace, her breath steady but quick, her eyes flicking around the corridor as if expecting someone to jump out and stop them. Ren's usual smirk was replaced with a look of determination, his long legs carrying him smoothly alongside the others. They didn't speak—there was no time—but the urgency in their pace said everything. Every second felt like it mattered, and the distant classroom where Professor Aleron waited couldn't come fast enough.

Sosuke pushed the door open, his steps quick and purposeful as the trio entered the room. Professor Aleron glanced up from his desk, his expression shifting from curiosity to concern. "What's going on? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"It's not a ghost," Sosuke said, stopping in front of the desk. His tone was sharp, almost too sharp, but he didn't care. "We found something in the staff building. You need to come see it—right now."

Aleron frowned, leaning back in his chair. "The staff building? That place is abandoned. Whatever you think you found—"

"It's not just some abandoned space!" Ren cut in, his voice a little louder than it needed to be. "There's a basement. It's… bad. Really bad."

The professor raised a skeptical eyebrow, crossing his arms. "What exactly are you claiming to have seen? Because this is starting to sound like a wild story."

"It's not a story!" Sosuke said, his voice shaking slightly as he tried to stay calm. "There were creatures—people locked up. And we know who's involved."

Aleron tilted his head, his tone cooling. "Let me guess. You're about to accuse Principal Caldus?"

"We're not guessing!" Rin spoke up, her voice breaking through the tension. "We're telling you the truth. We saw it. Please, just trust us enough to look."

Aleron sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Do you realize how serious this sounds? If you're wrong—"

"We're not," Sosuke interrupted, his gaze steady now. "You don't have to believe us yet. Just come see for yourself."

The professor hesitated, his eyes flicking between them. Finally, he stood, grabbing his coat. "Alright. But if this turns out to be some overactive imagination, we're going to have a very different conversation."

"It won't," Sosuke said firmly. "You'll understand when you see it."

Aleron moved at a regular pace toward the courtyard, the three urging him to move quicker.

"I will not run in these halls! You do not order me around." Aleron's brow furrowed, his mind racing as well. Is this a joke, or are these kids serious? He moved quicker, now curious to lay his eyes on this basement.

The group exited the main building and made their way across the courtyard. Aleron, still maintaining his composed stride, glanced back at the trio hurrying behind him. "You're lucky I'm entertaining this at all. If this is some kind of prank—"

"It's not," Sosuke said quickly, stepping ahead to lead the way. "You'll see. Just keep going."

Aleron's skepticism was clear, but the tension in their voices was enough to keep him moving. As they neared the staff building, its darkened windows and looming structure seemed to take on a more ominous presence in the moonlight. Aleron slowed his steps as they reached the door.

Sosuke pushed it open without hesitation, holding it for the others. "This way," he said, his voice steady but urgent. Ren and Rin followed closely, their footsteps echoing in the abandoned halls.

Aleron paused as they reached the basement stairs, his hand grazing the banister. "I've been here before," he said, his voice low. "This place is supposed to be condemned."

"Then ask yourself why it isn't," Ren said. "Just keep going."

The professor hesitated, then began descending the stairs, his footsteps slow and deliberate. The air grew colder as they reached the bottom, the dim light from above fading into darkness. Sosuke pulled out a flashlight, the beam cutting through the gloom.

When they turned the corner, the sight stopped Aleron in his tracks.

The basement stretched out before him, dimly illuminated by faint, unnatural glows. Cages lined the walls, their occupants shifting in shadow. Some figures moved weakly, while others sat in eerie stillness. The scent of damp earth and something fouler hung thick in the air.

Aleron's breath caught, and for a moment, he said nothing. His eyes darted across the room, taking in every grotesque detail. The sounds of faint groans and whispered words began to creep in, adding to the oppressive atmosphere.

"What… is this?" he finally managed, his voice barely above a whisper.

Any other time of day could've worked." A voice echoed from the shadows. A figure darted out, slamming Aleron against the wall with bone-jarring force. He crumpled to the ground, unconscious, a thin trail of blood trickling from his temple.

The figure turned, waving a hand to shut the door behind them. Sosuke's heart sank. "Caldus…" he whispered in disbelief. "We were right."

Principal Seraphina Caldus stepped into the dim light, her features twisting into a mockery of their usual composure. "You know what they say, don't you? Curiosity killed the fucking cat." She gestured dismissively toward Aleron's motionless form. "And all you three did was bring me my next subject. No one will ever believe you."

Her voice sharpened as she stepped closer, each word like a dagger. "I knew I shouldn't have put off soundproofing the place. Did you think I didn't know you snuck in last time? I have cameras everywhere. I figured, they'll let it go. That's all you had to do—let it go—and none of this would've happened."

Ren raised his hand swiftly. "Ice Vol—"

Caldus disappeared in a flash and reappeared in front of him, gripping his throat and lifting him off the ground. He clawed at her hand, gasping for air. "You should've thought twice before testing me," she hissed. "I'm not the principal for my intellect alone."

Black tendrils erupted from her back, winding themselves around Ren like serpents. They constricted, forcing the air from his lungs with crushing force. He struggled violently, tearing at the tendrils, but their grip only tightened. Rin and Sosuke stood frozen, unable to move, their horror palpable.

Then, without warning, a blade pierced her chest from behind.

Caldus's eyes widened in shock, her grip faltering. She staggered forward, releasing Ren, who fell to the ground in a coughing heap. The tendrils dissolved as the blade twisted sharply, forcing a pained gasp from her lips.

From the shadows stepped Gabriel Aurelius, his expression calm but his eyes filled with quiet fury. He pulled the blade free and stepped back as she collapsed to her knees.

Sosuke's voice trembled. "Aurelius…?"

Gabriel's gaze flicked to the trio briefly before returning to Caldus. "I never left this school. I've been watching, waiting. And now…" He crouched down, staring into her fading, furious eyes. "…it ends." Gabriel gazed back to the trio, analyzing their expressions. "I'm sorry you three needed to see all of this. Get out of here. Call for help!"

Ren and Sosuke didn't hesitate and were already rushing up the stairs, but Rin stood. He expression filled of pure horror. She witnessed a living human being, die.

Gabriel stepped forward and knelt in front of her. He placed his hands on her shoulders and looked into her eyes. "Rin, it's okay. These people are okay now. Caldus was broken, an evil person. That doesn't make her death okay, but it means that she can't harm anyone any longer. You realize that, right?" Gabriel scanned her eyes for any shift in emotion, but there wasn't one. The reality of the world is starting to click.

Magic isn't a force of good to remove evil. It's a dangerous power that is used just to kill, kill anything. Rin thought.

"Rin!" Gabriel cried out. "I need you to focus and stay strong. Go out there with your friends, it better than being in here!"

There was another long moment of silence before a nod. She slowly walked up the steps, the past two days rapidly flowing through her mind.

Gabriel rushed to Aleron's side, healing him. That's when he turned around and spotted something. The crystal, the crystal he had given her. "What does it do?" He muttered to himself. Gabriel fixed Aleron's few injuries and walked toward the source of the bright blue light. He lifted the crystal from its container, it powered something. Wires scattered throughout the ground, leading to god knows what. Gabriel took the crystal and stored it on himself.

Sosuke, Rin, and Ren, all sat in their respective rooms. They didn't want to speak to each other, they wanted to wash their memories away like it never happened. Rin stared at the ceiling while laying in bed, her thoughts continued to swirl. It had affected her drastically more than the others.