Not long after Emrys disappeared into the darkness, Wolf-bat, drenched and wounded, with rainwater running down his face, landed in front of the Great Chiming Clock. He looked at Klause's head and body lying on the ground.
"What have you done now," Wolf-bat muttered, listening to Klause's voice message echoing through the rain.
Hakera, witnessing the scene, fell to his knees, his hope shattered. He laughed bitterly. "It doesn't matter anymore. No action from our faction matters. We're done for... it's over."
Hector retracted his battle ax and vanished into the darkness as well.
Meanwhile, Veda, having gotten some distance from Hall Olympus, heard Klause's resonating voice message. He hurried back and sneaked in silently.
Terrified by the sight of so many unconscious bodies, he went straight to Fortis and dragged him out of the hostel to a hidden spot.
They sat in an abandoned post slightly close to the boarding gate, Veda resting against the wall, facing a Regeni hologram.
Hours passed, and at 6:23 am, Fortis awoke sharply. "Klause!" he exclaimed, springing up.
In front of him, the news headline on the Regeni hologram read: "Shocking news as the infamous Sleavetry suspectedly beheaded by Wolf-bat after a dragged-out battle at the clock tower."
"WHAM!" Fortis slammed the projector, destroying it.
"Listen to me, big oaf," Veda said, still sitting on the floor, looking down.
"Huh?!" Fortis glared at Veda.
"As you saw, big bro… has been defeated," Veda continued.
"Why are you repeating it, you damn bastard" Fortis rushed over and lifted Veda off the ground.
"It matters not what you do to me. It is what it is," Veda said calmly.
Releasing Veda, Fortis fell to his knees. "BAM!" he slammed the floor with his fist. "Damn it, what was I doing? I thought I had gotten stronger, and yet I couldn't carry out my duty… sleeping in a dire situation, what a joke I am!"
"It's not over," Veda said, his voice sober. "He broadcasted a message before he was beheaded, saying he has been acting under my command all this time."
Fortis stood up, facing the door. "Good for you. I'm out. I have business with big bro Klause, not you. I'm bringing him back, no matter the cost."
"You're not getting the point! You're doing exactly what he predicted you would. That's why he made that move. Trying to bring him back with brute force is futile, do you intend on fighting the law executives? Listen, there's a way to bring him back, and the first step is by preserving our faction."
Hearing this, Fortis paused, contemplating.
"I don't like this burden he put on me either, but it's what must be done if we want him back. I'm sure I won't do so bad with some help," Veda said, still looking down. "Fortis, please lend me your strength."
Veda stood up, looking into Fortis' eyes, extending his hand for a handshake.
Moved by Veda's words, Fortis responded to the handshake. "Very well then, I'll act as the spear and shield."
"Thank you… big oaf," Veda said.
"You..." Fortis gritted his teeth and grabbed Veda's hoodie close to his neck.
"Does a mere joke hurt you that much? Relax" Veda laughed bitterly.
This, Fortis let go Veda and asked; "You said there's a way to bring him back, how?"
Adjusting his collar and messy dark brown fades, Veda responded. "We strike a deal just like he did. But we must first takedown whoever defeated him as that's the most logical criteria to make a deal like that possible."
"Sounds logical, where do we start?" Fortis' eyes darkened under his furrowed brows.
…
An hour later, they went outside, the ambience, atmosphere and environment as clear as the sky, brought about by the rain. The beauty of the day bloomed as the sun began to rise.
The breaking news was everywhere. On every Regeni billboard and device, Veda's eyes shone. "It's being broadcasted!"
"What does that mean?" Fortis asked.
"People outside this world can see this," Veda replied, his mouth open.
"What does this boarding school's affairs have to do with the outside world?" Fortis raised his left brow.
'What's going on?' Veda wondered, looking at the Regeni billboard.
After a while, they headed back to hall Olympus. Upon arrival, they lowered their brows and clenched their fists.
Unconscious bodies of not only their faction members but also those from Echowood Retreat and Shadowmere Groove were dumped outside the fence. Their territory had been taken over.
"Why do you two still want to continue?" a voice asked from their far left. It was Hakera, sitting on a pavement, looking at the unconscious bodies.
"Yikes!" Veda shivered.
"Oh, Hakera... where have you been?!" Veda exclaimed.
"What benefits are there for you if you carry on? I've never fully understood you guys," Hakera said, still looking at the bodies.
"We have a plan to bring Klause back. Will you join us? We need your help," Veda said.
Hakera looked at them for a while, then got up. "I'm going anonymous for a while. Not sure when we'll meet again. Unlike you guys, I need time to clear my head."
He put on his tech boots, wore his mask and hoodie, and jumped far out of sight, towards the rising sun.