More than a small portion of Iraleth's psyche wasn't willing to forgive Ciara for her deeds, and the paladin's fingers twitched ever so slightly as the girl murmured delirious apologies. Chunji's words passed through the curtain, and she briefly mused what his reaction would be if he was aware that the paladin was looming over the witch right this second, contemplating murder.

It would be so easy, and yet, despite all Ciara had done and had the potential to do, would still be wrong. Oh, Iraleth was more than certain of Ciara's guilt. At this point, even if she somehow wasn't an Umbralist, Ciara was an uncontrolled, ravenous beast that was a danger to everyone around her. If Iraleth had defeated her in the field, she would have put her down without question.

But this wasn't a battlefield. They had the luxury of higher-ups and proper judgement. Someone experienced who could actually come to a reasoned conclusion. But Iraleth doubted Ciara wouldn't be condemned in some way. Whether it be confinement or execution, letting Ciara go free would be horrendously, irresponsibly dangerous.

...She still wanted to be done with it now. Hildegunde's draining could have been prevented if Iraleth hadn't placed any measure of hope in Ciara, if she had just gone full burn from the start and felled Ciara with the Inheritor's light. Everything that had happened since the end of the duel was her responsibility to own up to: for hesitating to eradicate the scourge of darkness.

Iraleth raised one hand, staring down into her palm as Ciara continued to lie in her hospital bed.

"I'm such a damned fool..."

Chunji nodded, but the problem was where to start. Otis provided him with the Doctor's insight and seemed to have an idea of how to proceed. As much as he wanted to protest, they needed to take a risk to ensure Davil's survival. First, Davil required to be examined further to gain an understanding of what exactly happened to him.

Otis was fitting that it wasn't a curse. Chunji had checked for any obvious ones and checked to see if there were other wounds. The only source of injury was the wound in question. "They're no traces of a curse," Chunji confirmed with Otis. His newly gloved hand became bloodied as he tried to prevent any more of Davil's body from escaping.

It seemed that Otis didn't have a spell that scanned a person's body. Otherwise, he would have already cast it by now. That left to use Ethos to identify the root cause, the problem...

I am nearing my limit.

Essence Rebound was imminent. Judging from the amount of essence he used today, Chunji had a rough estimate that he had a few seconds before entering rebound.

His eyes cried out in pain as he closed them. "I will use my Ethos for the remaining time I have left today. If the situation devolves, I won't hesitate to enter rebound." With a simple briefing, Chunji channeled his soul's spoken words.

"透过现象看本质"

In the blink of an eye, the world flickered. The gaze was lowered onto his peer's body. In the next, the world returned to normal.

There was a soft grunt from Chunji as he breached the edges of rebound. What he had seen was troubling. "Otis, I have identified the source of the Stagnation." The gloves were removed from Davil and Chunji's hands and dug into his pockets. Retrieving a small vial, he applied it to his new gloves and began applying it to Davil's body. The small was particularly acrid.

What was he exactly applying to Davil's body?

Snake Oil.

Sacrifice was one of the core principles that Chunji had been taught as an occultist. In a land where the fear of Death had been alleviated, people from lands far from the sea worshiped the concept of Death.

Death had a purpose. To give back what was taken, to start anew with a blank slate, to weep for what was lost.

The Great Lotus Serpent had died for the sins of its followers and returned to a more powerful state. Gone was the Divine Beast and returned to as a Guardian Spirit. The recipe created was in honor of their Guardian Serpent and a reenactment of their first sin.

The Snake Oil would inflame Davil's body, but what it did was needed for the moment. It'd eat away at the concept of Stagnation and weaken it. While not as good as a potion, it would allow Otis and him leeway to restore their classmate. There was one additional factor that was a benefit of this potion.

Luck.

Chunji believed that the snake oil brought luck when used. It was the one key factor that they needed to preserve the unknown. Life and Death were decided by skill, but luck was the unknowing factor influencing such situations.

"There's an unknown, purple substance in Davil's bloodstream. It is slowly approaching Davil's heart as we speak. As for the second, the Umbralist's blade had left fragments within the wound. The most reasonable conclusion is that the substance and fragments originated from Umbralist's blade."

The question was, how would they deal with it? If Chunji had any spare essence, there was a chance that he could have flushed out the substance and fragments from Davil's body. But he didn't. He would need to use tools from the clinic to do what his lack of essence cannot.

"Otis, if you have a procedure, please tell me. Error is unacceptable." They both needed coordination on this unknown, complex problem they found themselves in. It was a test with the thinnest of nets that could hardly be called safe. Chunji looked at Otis with his reddened retinas to hear confirmation.

"Did I stutter?"

There was an edge of irritation in Otis's tone as Chunji decided to completely ignore what he had said. What was so difficult about keeping Davil stable? Did essence exhaustion affect the bespectacled idiot's ears as well as his eyes? But what was done was done. Even though the Strigidae had prepared to begin running tests to test his hypothesis, he had to admit that Chunji's Ethos was faster. It was some form of poison after all, one that was traveling from the stomach to the heart at a rate that was nevertheless much slower than the flow of blood. It wasn't spreading or diffusing in the way that Otis himself would have expected; the manner in which it traveled was unnatural.

In which case, even the stagnation of blood-intake and essence-recovery were just side-effects meant to distract from the real issue: the stagnation of the heart lead to reduced heart rate, which would ultimately cause a cardiac arrest. Fatal, certainly. Or, if it could corrode metal, perhaps it would melt through the heart upon arrival, after having suppressed its 'corrosion' essence up to that point?

Hmph.

That was the problem with cultists. They spent too much time on theatrics without considering practicality. Otis himself could probably concoct a faster-acting poison that was just as lethal. As for coming up with an antidote for one though...

"I don't have a procedure. I'm not a doctor." His tone was flat. "Go find Doctor Kann and let him know what we found. I'll look into the foreign substance further."

It was no longer a needle in a haystack. Now that Otis was aware of exactly what and generally where the unnatural substance was, he could do a refined search. Murmured incantations clarified the nature of the world around him as he dove into the sea of essence that comprised a human being. The world was made of essence, and everything contained essence, but if that substance was only partially melded into Davil's blood, then it should still have a distinct outline. Two human beings hugging each other did not become a singular entity when viewed through a mage's eyes. A spear became a stick and a steel piece, if one changed their perspective.

They needed to learn more.

And Otis loved learning.

...

That being said, he did have at least one procedure in mind.

They could exsanguinate Davil until that poison was drawn out. Worldly problems were answered with worldly solutions, after all.

---

Wingram Clinic
_{@Nanaya, @Psyker Landshark}

---

"That is no excuse. You've done nothing more other than debase yourself,"

"I'm such a damned fool…”

Ciara glanced blerily in either direction - towards the curtain where Chunji's voice emanated, and up at Iraleth. Darkness clouded her face. Heaviness that would be too much to bear settled on her chest, mixing with the euphoria. The firing of serotonin in her skull offset the roughest parts of it, soon easing and disposing of whatever semblance of depression had overcome her.

There was a long silence as Ciara's thoughts scattered and unraveled again.

“It was the right thing to do-

“Little Hunger, we are so proud of you-

“You listen so well-

“The darkness will win-

“The blood on your hands will never be washed away- You can never disappear- You will never be rid of it- The Darkness calls you- Succumb and die-”

A low, pained groan left Ciara's lips.

“I… I want the Principal.”

She tried to lift her head. There was crazed eagerness in her eyes. She was wholly unaware of what she was saying.

“She has to know- It's the Voices-”

She only managed a half of a centimeter before her head flopped back down and her muscles relaxed, deadened. Her eyes blinked slowly, groggily, and she mumbled slurred incoherents under her breath. Her eyes tried to focus on Iraleth, but continued to unfocus, unravel, and drift away…

Iraleth's thoughts were interrupted by yet more crazed ranting. The principal? She sneered. What good would that do Ciara now?

"Does it even matter, in the end?" Iraleth murmured out loud. "Perhaps you do hear voices in your head that turn you into an insane mummer. All that proves is that you're a danger to those around you." She continued to gaze down at the delirious witch.

"What do you think would have happened if you'd dueled someone that couldn't have fended you off? Bronsteel would have crumpled the second you laid hands upon him. And then he would be dead, Ciara. Because you couldn't control yourself."

She eyed the pillow Ciara was laying on. The madness could all end here, before anyone could actually be seriously hurt or killed. It would be so easy...

But was that right? Did Ciara even deserve trial at this point? Her actions were almost guaranteed guilty. Would it be a mercy to simply snuff her out here and save her a humiliating trial and most probable execution...?

Iraleth froze. What the hell was she doing? This wasn't the field. Ciara was a prisoner at this point. Had she really been so personally affected by the duel that she'd been legitimately contemplating playing judge, jury, and executioner all on her lonesome? It wasn't as if she believed that Ciara wouldn't be killed for this. The duel in the Record was damning. But it wasn't her decision, her authority to uphold.

The paladin forced herself away from Ciara's bedframe, brushing past the curtains to emerge out into the rest of the infirmary room. And she set out into the hall, intent on finding someone that had Adapa access to Raja.

"No you did not. You were quite concise, though it still does not answer my question." There was little else Chunji could do now. It seemed whatever Otis had planned, he wouldn't divulge it. Stepping back from Davil, he'd follow Otis's advice. "Then I will retrieve, Dr. Kann." Chunji gave Davil a glance before leaving the bedside.

It was clear that Otis did not appreciate his presence, nor did he respect him as a peer. The subtleties of social interaction were not lost on Chunji as he could tell from Otis's words and actions. Some part of Chunji wanted to retort, but there wasn't much a point. Otis's character had been profiled. There was no point of anymore interaction if this was the result.

Iraleth stomped away from Ciara's bed was a befuddling sight. Why was she at Ciara's bedside and what was that look on her face? A flash of Otis's words reminded him there wasn't a point in asking such a thing. Everyone had their own goals and desires, Chunji shouldn't be the one to question them. Ciara seemed to have finally slept into her unconscious, so perhaps that was something going right today.

Chunji followed Iraleth out of the ward and entered the lobby. The Paladin was off to elsewhere. Dr. Kann needed to be located. Chunji would walk up to the closest person and asked around for Dr. Kann. He'd tell them what he had discovered within Davil's body.

@AThousandCurses@Psyker Landshark

WINGRAM CLINIC, HALLS

The halls of the clinic were oddly quiet - presumably due to whatever remained unresolved within the tower, and the injured had not yet reached this place as a result. Mannekin patrolled primarily, though the additional flesh-and-blood staff did walk through as well. The doctors, nurses and aides of the facility would almost definitely have no direct access to Raja's Adapa for the purpose of contact, and thus for Iraleth, the most likely inquiry within a brisk pace would be the receptionist out front in the waiting room. As for Chunji, he would quickly find a mousy-looking ratfolk with a thick folder nestled between his scrawny arms. He would measure at merely half the boy's height, and looked up at him with an anxious nod. Summoning an Adapa and conjuring forth a holographic layout of the clinic, he would point a finger towards a beeping red dot further away from the front of the building. "T-The doctor's signature appears to be in room S-120... a special care room, if you will. A-A few bends and turns, as you can see, and you'll be good and there, sir," he would sputter out. With a nod, the ratboy would timidly murmur, adjust his glasses, and shuffle past Chunji, heading the opposite direction.

Were Iraleth to head towards the receptionist, she would open the doors to the waiting room to what might be an unexpected sight. There, storming through the front doors on the opposite side, was Raja. In one hand, gnarled nails dug into the shadow imp who dangled there, limp. In the other, a staff brimming with flame, ice and lightning. Her eyes would lock with Iraleth, furious - not at her, but certainly furious. With a lump in her throat and an inferno dancing in her eyes, she would coldly exhale, "I know she rests here. Bring me to the Umbralist."

---

@Estylwen@ERode

WINGRAM CLINIC, ROOM 106

Apart from Otis' tinkering, Ciara's utterances and the gargoyle's chuckles, all was quiet in the room. That was until Davil's lips shifted slowly back and forth, before parting. By all accounts, the boy was clearly unconscious, but a weak exhale escaped him, followed by a sickly groan. "It's not right... it's just not right..."

A faint wind blew around him, as if for a brief moment, a Personal Barrier assembly was attempted. A paper thin disc of wind gathered around his slashed open abdomen - weak enough that even a regular punch could break it - and with a cough, it dissipated. In that brief moment, were Otis still observing Davil's essence makeup, he would have seen a split second shift. The boy's prime essence, though dimming, had pulsed as if in defiance, sending a ripple throughout his body. This halted the advance of the poison, though only for a few seconds.

"Need it... the shield..."

The Wund boy's ramblings would trail off after that, and the poison would again proceed at its usual pace; though it almost appeared as if a portion of it had disappeared when the pulse shook through his body. Wind in the area would once more come to a calm, and any trace of essence manipulation had dispersed as well. From the other side of the room, growling could be heard emitting from the gargoyle, and its eyes were firmly locked on Davil now.

Chunji, for a moment, stared at the rat boy in front of him. There was an odd air to Chunji as he stopped moving, his pupils dilating. Though he finally spoke, "Thank you." With directions to where Dr. Kann was, Chunji was about to head there to inform him until he felt a dangerous presence behind him.

Headmaster Raja was right behind him and was directly staring holes into Iraleth.

If Iraleth's zealous wrath was a forest fire, then Headmaster Raja was the sun, waiting to explode and consume the world. Little imagination needed to be done on why she was angry. An Umbralist attack on the Iris Record under her watch? Chunji felt a sense of preservation to head into room S-120 before being caught in the Headmaster's rage.

Quickly heading into the room, Chunji peaked in before fully opening the door. "My apologies for the interruption. This is Chunji Yi," Chunji said as he entered the room. "Dr. Kann, we've uncovered the source of Davil's plight. The remnants of the umbralist's blades were left inside Davil, along with a strange liquid currently encroaching on Davil's heart. I would implore you to hurry before Otis gets an idea on how to solve it."

Considering his facial expression, he was unfamiliar with the other face in the room, but it was either Dr Kann's coworker or superior. However, what caught his eye was Steeler's presence in the room. "Hello, Ms. Steeler." It was odd that two doctors were in her room, but Chunji decided he didn't need to know it. It was best not to know about circumstances beyond his concern.

---

Wingram Clinic
_@Nanaya

---

Sleep brought a sense of calmness, but peace would not find Ciara. Not now.

Delirious-ness brought on hyper-vivid dreams, and Ciara found herself sitting in a chair with her back against the wall, staring at her mother and father preparing breakfast. A blanket was wrapped around her, and she felt so tired.

Eggs and potatoes were fried, milk placed in cups. The aroma was heavenly, heavy with the smell of comfort. But was most comforting were the small smiles her mother would shoot Ciara's way every so often, or the look of warmth from her father.

She was tiny. The chair felt massive under her. She must have been young. But this was her life, wasn't it? Living with her parents. Eating normal food, feeling full…

The hunger in her stomach brought her to the table, shrugging off her blanket. But no matter how many eggs and potatoes she ate, or milk she drank, it wasn't enough. The gnawing hunger in her belly was still there, begging- no, demanding for more food.

She ate, and ate, tears beginning to fall down her face. Before she noticed her parents had froze entirely. Both were looking at her with side glances, faces dark. Suspicious.

The tinkle of glass falling, and the drip of spilled milk as Ciara felt hands around her neck, falling back in her chair. From the floor, she struggled weakly, looking up at her parents, who had wrapped their hands around her throat.

She coughed and choked, but it wasn't enough to wake her. Instead, Ciara's breathing in the hospital bed became quick and shallow, indicating some kind of nightmare…

Little did she know this would be just the beginning…

Well, well. Wasn't this convenient? And here she'd thought it would be something of a task to get in contact with the Headmaster. Regardless, this was exactly what Iraleth wanted in the first place. And so she simply nodded to Raja, motioning for her to come along.

"She's still unconscious. And delirious. If you would follow me, Headmaster."

Iraleth led Raja back to where Ciara was, stopping just before opening the curtains that would reveal her. Facing away from Raja and towards the bed that the witch laid in, Iraleth bit her lip briefly before turning around.

"Headmaster. Before you enact any final judgement, a word, if you would?" Really, what was she doing? This was a foolish idea. But she owed it to everyone involved that Ciara was condemned on her own lack of merit, rather than association with the other one.

"What happened to the other Umbralist? The one that we fought before the Undermage stepped in? If nothing else, Ciara and that one weren't working together. She actively helped to save Davil from him. Numerous though her faults may be, she at least didn't seem to be affiliated with the greater threat."

It was a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment, but Otis wasn’t the type to blink.

Alright, then they’d advance in that direction.

With Chunji still gone and Davil proving that his own ability to manipulate essence hadn’t been completely lost, the Strigidae moved with purpose. The plan was clear then: restore Davil’s consciousness and mental faculties and have him use this as an opportunity to pause the poison’s progress until professionals could be bothered to take a look at it. Separation from the world, separation from exterior influences. That would be the stopgap measure to take.

Stepping off towards the cabinets, Otis raided it with impunity, coming across various potions and concoctions ranging from ‘numbs sensation’ to ‘staunches blood’ to ‘smells really bad’. He applied the staunching salves first upon the wound, then found a syringe with which to push the numbing agent into Davil’s bloodstream. Finally, with a quick spell, he cast a lick of flame on the bottom of the smelling salts, intensifying its pungent aroma within the glass container, before popping it open right in front of Davil’s nose. The stench was tidal, and even Otis grimaced at the unpleasant scent (even as he tried to analyze the individual components of the odor). If Davil woke up, enough to drink a potion, Otis would proceed to jam one that sharpened and steadied the mind (usually taken by surgeons rather than patients) down his roommates throat.

Davil otherwise should know what to do from there: learn how to manifest a Personal Barrier or die trying.

Which left Otis free to attend to the other problem in the room.

That rat, Iraleth, had brought the Principal here, of all things.

Without turning away from Davil, Otis spoke up to address her.

“Leave Ciara for now, Principal. Davil here was specifically targeted by an Umbralist. I recommend you assisting in removing the poison from his blood if you want proper answers, or at least to disrupt the schemes of that cult.”

@AThousandCurses

WINGRAM CLINIC, ROOM S-120

"It weakens, Kann. It cannot go on like this, and even she is aware."

These were the words that Chunji would walk in on before his interruption, spoken sternly by the woman. The energy in the room was down, to say the least, and was only shifted in the form of a brief distraction through the boy's words. Chloe avoided eye contact and seemed paler than usual, her body language tight and stiff as she crossed her arms. Kann would sweat somewhat at the breakdown of Davil's condition, gritting his teeth and seeming to be reflecting on what he'd just heard.

"Uhhh... r-right, yeah, totallyyy, I can work with that. J-Just-"

Clack.

The woman stepped forward and nudged Kann away, gesturing towards Chunji and then the door. "I am Dr. Sylv, the overseer of emergency care. My colleague appears to be overburdened with tasks as they are, and so I will step in to assist. Dr. Kann, I entrust you with current matters in here," she would bluntly state before moving towards the hallway without hesitation. It was a few blinks before Kann could break out of his own stuttering, and nodded gingerly. "Of course, yeah, you got it," was all he would mutter.

Chloe would briefly look towards Chunji as they left, a certain kind of twinkle in her eye. "Please make sure Davil turns out alright in there. Please?"

---

@Estylwen@ERode@Psyker Landshark@AThousandCurses

WINGRAM CLINIC, ROOM 106

"GRAHHHHHH-"

Davil inhaled as his eyes shot open, but he had no time to take in the world around him. He was numb and so, so very confused, but Otis' reactions to his waking were so precise that it wasn't long after consciousness that liquid was crammed down his gullet. After taking it in, what was at first panic very quickly became hazy eyes and slow breathing. Each breath was conscious, and the overwhelming mixture of horrid, ghastly scents with what could only be described as the concept of 'mint' brought him into a state of realization. He could not bring himself to vocalize such things, but it was as if everything could be perceived all at once. The combination of various chemicals, scents and potions, alongside a near death experience that even now sought to fully claim him, brought about a state of inner enlightenment that only he could understand. He mouthed words, but no sound emerged.

Raja shook her head and shrugged as Iraleth questioned her. "The matter of Ms. Malthruse's battle with the Umbralist is still being looked into by tower security. Those who have entered the location of the battle - the supposed cathedral - have yet to return, and can't be contacted after entering. If it hasn't been sorted and resolved by the time things here have concluded, I will enter myself."

The principal's nails gripped tighter to the shadow imp that continued to remain lifeless in her grasp, piercing it. Her staff was trained on the area that Ciara rested, clearly seeing curtains as no object towards a well-placed evocation blast. Conflict painted the sorceress' face, fluctuations of hot wind gathering and receding like invisible tides, taking in the words of both Iraleth and Otis. It wouldn't take much, surely, to eradicate a sleeping insect. To swat a fly already on its last legs was trivial, something Raja could do without guilt or remorse. And yet...

Thunk.

Raja's staff rooted itself to the ground as she stepped away from it. She pointed towards Ciara's bed as she walked past it, giving Iraleth no further gaze. "That one will be dealt with soon, though it's not wholly my place to do so. That's a discussion for a less chaotic environment."

Moving near Davil's bedside, there was the slightest change in the boy's status. Faint, near invisible winds circled his wounds, forming more of those thin barriers. For a moment, the principal's brow furrowed at this, but she composed herself after a half-second. "I'm not a medical practitioner, nor a cleric, so my contributions in situations like these are limited. Let me try one thing."

Raising out a hand near Davil, a small sphere of wind gathered in her palm. "Cleanse."

The wind gently shifted towards Davil's wound and scattered throughout him. However, upon reaching the poison - which, for the moment, had slowed drastically due to the barriers - essence brought about by Raja's cleansing spell seemed to burn away on contact. She would shrug, take a step backwards, and regrettably mutter, "That's all I've got for the practical applications. If we're to discuss theoreticals, no mundane poison would completely reject a Cleanse spell, weak though it may be. Which means-"

"Magical poison, essence manipulation, or an Ethos," Dr. Sylv would conclude as she entered the room. She would step to Davil's bedside, glancing at Otis as she did so.

"I presume this has been your work up to now? It is acceptable."

Sighing, she would withdraw a series of flasks and set them by the nightstand. "After having reviewed the boy's condition, he can indeed be saved, but by a thin margin. What will soon follow in the next five minutes and thirty seconds will be visceral and ancient, but which will also require my undivided attention. I ask that once I begin, any squabbles be muted and cast aside. Those not confident in their restraint, or the faint of heart, leave now. Aspiring assistants may stay to aid, but must obey procedure without question."

Sighing, Raja would retrieve her staff and move towards the exit of the room without another word.

It seemed the complexity that ailed Steeler was worsening based on what was overheard. That was concerning, but it seemed that the information shouldn't have been privy to his ears. Pretending not to hear it would be best, if an event related to this happened, he would at least used this tidbit for understanding.

Though the one that took priority was Davil first and foremost. Based on the looks on both doctors, this was not ordinary case as Chunji expected. Dr Kann in particular seemed stressed at the thought of treating it, but the overseer, Dr Sylv, would take his place in stead. "Understood," Chunji bowed with his head. Before he followed the overseer out of the room, Chloe spoke up.

It was truly an oddity that Chloe showed concern over Davil's situation rather than her own. Didn't they only know each other for two days? However, such behavior was not unusual based on the training at Professor Alto's class. "I will inform you through the Adapa about Davil's condition. If the Overseer permits, I will inform you on the step by step process on it." With that he turned he followed after the Overseer.

When he came in after Dr Sylv, the situation was tense as he had expected. Principal Raja loomed over Davil to what he presumed was she an attempt to cast a spell on to him. It didn't work judging on his facial features. Though with the Overseer here, that expression would most likely not change, but he'll be better.

Thankfully, what Otis had tried didn't turn out badly. Chunji walked up and took his side of the bed. "I will provide assistance. Please proceed with the instructions." If helping the Overseer would improve Davil's condition, then staying still wasn't an option.

Looked into? The Undermage was missing, then? Iraleth frowned. As for Ciara, she'd been hoping for a more definite judgement one way or the other, but she supposed the headmaster was waiting to place her on trial.

The subject switched to Davos, and Iraleth simply nodded resolutely as she remained in the room.

"My stamina reserves are low, but I'll do what I can." She owed Davil that much after labeling him as a lesser priority during all the chaos and commotion earlier. It wasn't something she was exactly proud of, but looking back, Iraleth would still defend it as the correct decision at the time.

Still, that only meant that the least she could do was to make it up to Davil by assisting in his recovery here. With that in mind, she stayed standing, awaiting further instructions.

@Estylwen@ERode@Psyker Landshark@AThousandCurses

WINGRAM CLINIC, ROOM 106

Withdrawing a vial of bubbling liquid silver from her coat, Sylv would look around the room at those who seemed to remain as assistants, and then to the scowling Raja turning the corner and walking out into the halls, before turning back towards Davil's bedside. "Once this vial is consumed, time will be of the essence as mentioned prior. It can be done with my efforts alone, but any contributors will reduce the strain. Breaking the stagnant rupa is the goal, and once that is accomplished, the rest is simple."

The doctor would summon forth her Adapa and prepare a timer with one hand while uncorking the bubbling vial with the other. "Those willing to assist may do so by holding tight to the patient. He will require a vast offering of nama and rupa the very moment the stagnancy is broken, and you must all be ready to give a minor donation. There will be no long term side effects of this procedure affecting you all, other than a minor day-long bout of migraines and depression at worst. With that being said, we must begin."

After ensuring that those who wished to aid the process were making contact with Davil, the stoic overseer tapped her Adapa to start the timer, and simultaneously downed the syrupy silver. "As fair warning, the visions may be disorienting."

Sylv's right arm would seem to rapidly calcify, before overgrowing with dark, hardened scales. Pointed claws would overtake her hands, but with the same neutral expression she had carried this whole time, it was business as usual for her. To the observant, there may have been the slightest wince of pain for but a moment as the transformation of her arm completed, but it was only for a flicker before her stoicism returned. With no further delay, she would raise her clawed arm and plunge it towards Davil's stomach without hesitation - at which point, the vision of those assisting in the procedure would short out briefly as a pulse of essence range through them.

Apart from Sylv, all who participated would find themselves in front of a sprawling lake. The moon shone above in such a way that gave the water a crystalline shine, and trees surrounded them on all sides. Two figures of small size sat on the grass by the lakeside, dipping their legs in and out of the water. One of them was wreathed in a patchy cloak, gaze downcast at the water, attempting to shut themselves out from the world, but the other was clearly Davil - younger, scrawnier, but clearly the same boy. His gaze was focused up at the stars, resolute despite the bandages, bruises and scratches dotted across his body. Neither of them seemed to acknowledge the presence of newcomers, nor could those newcomers seem to interact with this environment in a conventional sense.

"If your house no longer has knights, I'll become the only one you'll need."

With a weak smile forming across his face, he stood and raised a stray twig to the sky. His arm shook such that even gripping it proved to be laborious.

"I won't be the best, and it won't be for long. But I'll throw my life away for that purpose!"

The obscured figure would slowly begin to raise their head towards Davil, and everything would fade away. The rest, from the perspective of the visitors looking in, was nowhere near as clear. It would bring about a similar feeling to the shifting from Castalia to Ascendia, with the same mile-a-minute sensation. It would feel as if it were a battle of wills, maintaining individuality and perception of the self amidst a blizzard of emotions and experiences. Glimpses of select moments of Davil's life would impact one after another - the boy sparring in the same courtyard time and again against various warriors, never once claiming victory. His will to go on wavered, weakening and strengthening as weeks passed into months and years, and yet he came no closer to what he could consider the power he needed. Even as a vision of crimson passed, no sense of fulfillment was felt. A recurring sparring partner lay dead in the courtyard at midnight, blood on Davil's curved blade, shuddering, and more importantly, the wails of concern from far off - from the one he loved unconditionally, so far away as to be meaningless. The man had ill intentions, perhaps? Or not? The boy could no longer remember, that night or any after, even as guilt gnawed at him. He was not good at dueling, in that moment of scarlet blur, as a knight was. There could never be a world where Davil Wund could fight.

He was good at killing.

As guards surrounded him with spears from all angles across the courtyard of the estate, his life over as they barked for him to drop the blade, his last thoughts were not selfless.

"I couldn't win, even once."

Thunk...

Thump.

CRACK.

All at once, the echoing thrums of a cracked shell exploded in the ears of the visitors. Reality had returned, and all were back in room 106 of the clinic to the sounds of the doctor's alarm droning on. Sylv's clawed arm was plunged into Davil's torso, and small tendrils prodded about him. Blood left him like he were a human faucet, but she persisted without remorse. "Stagnation has broken. Donate what nama and rupa you can, step back, and if you require it, compose yourselves and sit down."

After others had cleared the bedside, Sylv would all at once tear the scaled arm out of Davil and, in that same instant, use the tendrils shrouding it to grasp at the flasks she had placed, uncorking and dumping the contents of all three of them into the boy's open torso. Still maintaining a blank expression as it happened, Sylv's scaled arm would seem to flake and break off entirely, thudding to the floor of the clinic and smashing into a fine dust on the ground. A petrified stub remained where her right arm formerly was, though she regarded it with no particular interest. She would look across her assistants to gauge their physical and mental states, and state, "Mr. Wund will require constant bed rest for at least a week, but the worst has been tended to. Do any of you require medical attention?"

As she inquired, Davil's torso could be seen visibly sealing itself up. Ciara, for her part, would feel the jolt of an Umbralist’s presence near her. For the faintest moment in her mind, even in her dreamscape, she would hear the meek whine of the shadow imp exclaiming, “She’s going to kill me, she is… death of us all, that Raja! Death of us bloody all!”

At Dr Sylv's instructions, Chunji wordlessly held down Davil to the overseer's instruction. He could feel Davil struggling as Dr. Sylv proceeded with the operation. From the brief respite they were given, Chunji was unsure how much essence Iraleth, and he could provide, but it was a given that they would stake any amount of sacrifice for Davil's sake. However, what was more concerning was Dr. Sylv's calcifying hand. A brief look of surprise washed over Chunji. It was as if she had grown a claw of dragon in place of her arm. However, he recovered and focused back on Davil.

Dr. Sylv plunged her calcified arm into Davil's torso-

And then the world became undone. In its place was an unfamiliar scenery that held a serene beauty. The moon reflected off the lake's surface, leading to Chunji's eyes landing on two prospecting figures. A person he had never seen before and a Davil Chunji had never seen before. It was clear what they were spectating. A close, intimate memory that was held in the heart of his peer. Davil's purest feelings at its origin.

Then, like a crashing wave, everything changed. Images of Davil's life streamed through and rushed past. The multitude of sparring partners, the endless grit to train, and the insurmountable mountain that could not be scaled. Chunji almost felt sympathy until the blood-soaked moment appeared. "Ah, you weren't so different after all." Chunji thought to himself. He had underestimated the Davil, who could only win through murder. Before Chunji could ponder further, reality came back into shape.

Chunji nodded and began providing nama and rupa into Davil's body. Specific essences were selected as donating the Great Lotus Serpent's essence would have proved detrimental to Davil's body. Sweat grew on Chunji as he strained himself to do so. His body felt like it was burning as he provided essence. Then, once they were done, Chunji backed off and took composed breaths.

"...I will be fine," Chunji stated after he regained himself. "Rest would be enough to remedy the exhaustion. If I face complications, I'll make an appointment with the receptionist." Then, just like he had entered, Chunji turned to leave the room. There wasn't a need to inform others of his plans.

Standing in front of Room S-120, he knocked on the door. If the room was busy, he'd summon Dayin to compile a message to Steeler. Regardless, he'd inform Steeler about the events transpiring.

"Davil's stable. Dr. Sylv has said that he only needs a week's rest to fully recover, but he's alright."

---

Wingram Clinic
_@Nanaya

---

Ciara's eyes shot open.

She could feel the reverberation of the shadow imp still echoing in her mind, startling her from her light and troubled sleep. But for the life of her, she couldn't remember what the shadow imp had said. She could only recall it was important.

So instead, her mind reeled back, and brought a resurfacing memory of the shadow imp surrendered, looking at her as she stood in between it and Iraleth. The fear in its eyes when it eventually was handed over to Principal Raja from Iraleth, and the pit in Ciara's stomach at witnessing the exchange.

It made her sick.

”I would have saved you.” She thought numbly. ”I would have let you bind your shadow to me, and we could have been free.”

Ciara's eyes pinched open, staring at the white ceiling, and the curtain surrounding her bed. Already, whatever logic and cohesion her thoughts had gathered at the appearance of the shadow imp in her mind was slipping. The waters of the drugs in her system lapped at the shores of her consciousness, washing everything away.

So, Ciara found herself staring at the ceiling, feeling as though she had forgotten something important once again. But it didn't matter, as the euphoria in her system eased any worry she could ever feel.

She could hear motion and voices on the other side of the curtain. It took a long moment of ruminating on the voices for it to occur to her that Davil was somewhere around here.

Had he been saved?

What was that?

It was beyond anything that Otis had experienced before, certainly. A potion that caused a limb to take on a reptilian, nay, draconic visage? One that could apparently destroy rupa, but one that simultaneously drove those in the vicinity into the mindscape of the one being targeted? Davil’s memories, his aspirations, ran past Otis like streams of light, like beams of rain, the Strigidae opening his hands up as if to catch this sublime moment, so much like shifting to another plane, and yet completely different still. His own Adapa took it all in, memorializing this perhaps once-in-a-lifetime happenstance.

And perhaps therein laid Davil’s incompetencies, the clash between what he was and what he wished. A natural-born killer, but even a child could kill. Otis was no romanticist, but even he could recognize the difference between a knight and a swordsman. A Personal Barrier could not be formed if one had delusions about what one truly was. An Ethos would malfunction still, if one knew the keywords but did not comprehend the prime essence.

The world re-emerged, as if a young man’s history and tragedy was nothing more than a daydream. Otis stared at the calcified limb, listened to the doctor’s prognosis, and sighed. A week of bedrest meant the postponing of the studies in Davil’s Ethos, no doubt. And with all the chaos that transpired within just two days at Wingram Academy, would there even a school by the time seven days was up?

He brushed aside those thoughts at the moment, and instead, turned to address the imp that remained in Raja’s clutches.

“So, are you related to the Umbralist? I distinctly recall a few of your attacks possessing a similar corrosive effect.” It was only a passing question though, one more to encourage some curiosity from others, as Otis’s gaze found itself upon Dr. Sylv. “Doctor, if you could explain what that potion was and what you had just done, that would be absolutely wonderful.”

Iraleth held onto Davil as she was bid to. Her nama and rupa were contributed. Visions passed by. One thing became clear:

She'd misjudged Davil. He still wasn't a warrior, no matter his impressive resolve. But a killer? Clearly, Davil had been born in the wrong era. Perhaps he would have done well on a real battlefield.

But if anyone claimed they'd seen that twist of fate coming, they were a damn liar. Of course, the visions hadn't been clear on whether it was self-defense, provoked, or any other justification that could have mitigated the crime. And judging by the fact that Davil was still...well, standing was a poor choice of words. Able to arrive at and attend Wingram, someone had evidently seen fit to let him go.

Regardless, it seemed all would be well with their peer over the course of the next week. Physically, at least. Spiritually, he would require watching.

Iraleth shook her head in the doctor's direction, turning away now that their role in this was finished.

"Will the arm be an issue, Doctor?"

Of course, that left a piece of business or two left in the room. One of which remained in Raja's clutches.

"Principal," Iraleth turned to Raja, though her gaze didn't leave the shadow imp. "What do you intend to do with it?"

@Estylwen@ERode@Psyker Landshark

WINGRAM CLINIC, ROOM 106

The imp would continue to dangle tightly in the principal's grip, motionless apart from the swaying movements of its captor guiding it along. There was no recognition in its eyes, no light - it was an empty doll, and no response would emerge from it when prodded. Raising it up, Raja would shake her head, crushing it further as she looked to Otis and Iraleth. "It hasn't been conscious since right before the Umbralist infiltrated. I've taken the liberty of placing a curse of paralysis upon it, such that much fun will await it should it come to and realize it can do nothing. I wished for more answers than what I received in my brief time with it, but should it not awaken by first light tomorrow, I'll end its life; though its true controller likely won't mourn it, wherever they are."

Taking a seat near the exit, the principal let the full force of her body lean against the back of the chair, exhaling deeply to relieve the stress from an unnecessarily long day. Her eyes closed, and she took in silence for the mere moment that she had it. Doctor Sylv would take this time to address Otis' question, continuing to look rather emptily at her petrified stub that was once an arm. "The extract was of my own making, as an attempt of my youth to counteract and cure a rare yet debilitating ailment named null disease, by applying and subverting it. It did not work, but in that failure, I discovered that the resulting serum would nevertheless allow one to temporarily gain essence removal and transference on a level greater than a dedicated eradicator," she would explain, looking to the floor where her arm was now a dust pile. "Though in exchange, the essence would need to go somewhere. An eradicator simply lives with days of sickness and weakness after a job from undesirable intake. In this case, my arm alone paid the full price for what an entire body normally would, integrating null disease's essence-ignoring properties to allow for a higher upper limit of intake. Yet because the diseased arm could not give any substantial output of nama or rupa, more effort would have been required on my end to make contact with the patient with my other arm, thus ensuring it would be more difficult to imprison the stagnancy into the arm I wished it to be in. Doable, but unnecessarily difficult with help nearby. And, as for the arm..."

Once again, Sylv reviewed her body with the same coldness and emotional distance she had always spoken with, prodding at her petrified shoulder. "I will simply acquire a new one, later. Efficiency requires sacrifice."

Near Raja, a small wind shifted, her eyes still closed. It wasn't something perceivable to a normal person, but one like her didn't rise to a place this far in the hierarchy through normalcy. It would be the slightest change in breathing nearby, the silent and subtle shifting of bed sheets and body weight - but not so silent as to escape her senses, as imperceptible as it would normally be - that caused her to twirl the tip of her staff in a small circular pattern before making a swiping motion with it. "Hand," she would mutter, eyes still closed, too exhausted to worry about meeting her opponent face to face that very second.

As Raja's utterance finished, a phantasmal hand would briefly appear near the curtains around Ciara's bed, before firmly pulling them aside in the same direction that the principal had swiped. In that same instant, all traces of fatigue had left the crimson sorceress - she kicked off the ground and had appeared by Ciara's bedside in a single step, her staff of swirling elements already charging mere inches from the shadow mage's face. Her expression could only be described as alive, so fiery with seething anger and murder, and... a small hint of pain, perhaps, were one to look deeply enough.

"Don't run. I know that's what your cult does best, but do not try to flee. An attempt to run now will seal your fate - I will find you, catch you, and kill you. You have brought enough damage to the innocent, Umbralist or no. Blood is on your hands," Raja would declare bluntly, unable to hide the resentment in her voice even as she tried to compose herself. "You will be dealt judgment by the Star Court and High Bishop Verne on the 6th of March, 9:00 AM sharp, in the Grand Cathedral of Nero. You may request an aide to take your side, though they must be faculty or attendees of Wingram itself."

If there were no immediate signs of hostility or sudden movements to indicate an escape attempt, Raja would lower her staff, the magics within the core dissipating. "All students of Compact 3 will also be required to attend. Partially under suspicion, but also that it was the High Bishop's own request to, 'get a gauge on the situation from the perspective of not just the culprit, but also her peers,' or something," the principal would state, looking towards Otis and Iraleth. "The church bigwigs just want to cover all their bases. Don't take it personally."'

---

@AThousandCurses

WINGRAM CLINIC, ROOM S-120

As Chunji delivered the news, he could see water welling at the corners of her eyes, but she quickly looked away, sniffling and rubbing her eyes. With a nod and a weak smile by her bedside, it was genuine gratitude that was painted clear as day on her features. Whatever talk had happened prior clearly weighed heavily on her mind, and it wouldn't take a master of perception to realize that, but the news of Davil's recovery had dashed away those fears for the moment. "I know it might not really mean a whole lot with how short a time the two of us have been acquainted, but genuinely, thank you for whatever part you played in helping. I am in your debt, as well as the debt of all at this clinic."

The girl stumbled out of bed and did the briefest curtsy she could in her gown, somewhat recoiling from pain of some kind but determined to ensure the gesture was completed with the grace she was proud of. "It wouldn't do to ignore this, after all. Nobility repays the commonfolk, you know? It's what we're good at."

A cheeky smirk would form on Chloe's expression as if to assure Chunji she was joking, though it faltered with physical pain she was only barely holding back. It was clear that a brave face was all she could put on right now, counting down the seconds of how long she'd need to maintain the act. Doctor Kann was nowhere to be seen, nor were any other assistants nearby.

"If... that is all for now, I'd like to get some rest. I heard some brief details of the attack, but I would like to hear more from you and the rest tomorrow, if that's acceptable."