AThousandCurses

Iris Ascendis

Rio's bold assertion wouldn't yield a response from Chunji. While it was true Ciara deserved some sort of punishment in reparation for those she hurt, Chunji couldn't see anything good out of this. Even if she did come out of this alive, her victim complex would no doubt worsen from the entire ordeal. By the time Otis chimed into the conversation, Chunji stopped paying to the attention in the entirety. The end result of Ciara's trial mattered little to Chunji anyway. If she was let free, then so be it. If she incarcerated, then so be it. There little at personal stake for Chunji. He wasn't close with Ciara and he was only grateful for helping him rescue Davil. Though that was also a can of worms.

What Chunji was more concerned about was something else entirely. His personal health. There was a faint irritation in his eyes along with the burning sensation that permeated his skin throughout the night. His body felt as if it was on fire, but he had already performed a basic examination on himself. Everything was fine, his body didn't have any symptoms to conclude that he obtained an illness. That only led him to only rational conclusion.

A burning house. A forgotten duty. A sin bared in blood.

"Urk..." Violent coughs erupted from Chunji as he covered his mouth. Each incrementally more hurtful than the last. After the coughing fit had passed, Chunji was granted some reprieve. "My apologizes, it seems that I have caught something." A quick excuse and a swift retrieval of a mask. All he needed to do was pass through the week and it'll all be over. He could do this, he's been through worse.

Iris Ascendis

Expect a late response from me. I have two exams this week.

Iris Ascendis

"You said you were a part of nobility, correct? Buying seven carriages, one for each day of the week, that are customized by master artisans, along with hiring the chauffeur, gathering the finest horses, and more, should equate to less than 1% of your total wealth. Do not worry; you may think that it is too little. I've considered it, and the total cost will be what I said earlier but multiplied by six." A faint smug look appeared on Chunji's face as he presented the information to Steeler. He had heard brief tales about the wealth of the nobility from his peers when he passed by. Some say that they can buy houses that are as big as mountains, some say they ride a different carriage depending on their mood, and they eat the finest foods. By his estimates, Steeler should be foot whatever he had put on his list.

Wiping the sweat off his neck, that smug look disappeared as he looked at Davil. "You shouldn't thank me. Ventaura and Kyrios did most of the work. I'm sure Arillo had a hand in it as well." There was little to take pride in his part. Ciara and Iraleth fought off the Umbralist while Otis used his usual backstage tactics. That was all the credit that Chunji could give to them. Though speaking of Ciara, the topic of her soured the mood of the group.

Hildegrunde was comatose. Dayin had informed him when his peer had arrived in the makeshift treatment room. Chunji could only infer that she was incapacitated but comatose. "I'll have to pay a visit to Ms. Nachtnebel when the trial is over." It was regretful that Hildegrunde had been put into her current condition by their own classmate. He knew Ciara was aggressive when provoked, but he thought she would go this far.

"Understood." With that, Chunji would go up the carriage with Davil and their respective mannequins. Davil was still an injured person, after all, and it'd probably be comforting to be in the company of someone that wasn't an autonomous object of wood. He took his seat and waited for the travel to start. It would be an agonizing wait until they arrived.

Iris Ascendis

Ngl, I think Ciara needs a mega lawyer.

Iris Ascendis

The dread underneath his skin persisted through the escapes of sleep. Small dark bags started below Chunji's eyes, and he seemed sluggish. The mannequin had brought Rio and himself out the moment they were both awake and ready. It was a quiet morning, given their unamiable relationship. Aside from that, the entire Compact 3 seemed to arrive on time. Even the ones were confined to the clinic. Though Chloe received a gaze of acknowledgment, Davil didn't receive the same treatment.

Chunji's eyes locked on his almost-killed classmate from yesterday in a most intense stare. There were answers that Chunji desired, and who better to ask than the prime victim of the incident yesterday? "Davil. Steeler." A greeting was issued to both of them as they were wheeled up to the group. They seemed better than before, but Chunji knew better than to judge the book by its cover.

"I see you are both looking better than the last time we saw each other. That is good." He needed to figure out how to get rid of the mannekins, so that he could talk in privacy. Without his magic or Ethos, he'd need to find a course of action. "Also, Steeler, I have compiled a list of demands as you requested. As of right now, there are fifty items I have decided on. Additionally, the list may become larger as time goes on." It was a mixture of basic necessities or outlandish desires that Chunji came up with as he awaited for sleep to take him.

For now, he was intent on staying close by to Steeler and Davil. He didn't want to particularly associate himself with his other classmates more than necessary. That goal had already burned to ash when everything fell apart yesterday.

There was one other person that would join with them, but Chunji paid him no mind. The man already state his purpose of being here and if the rest of the faculty agreed, then Chunji found no will to argue about it either.

Iris Ascendis

The way back to the dormitory was met with complete silence. Otis and himself didn't exchange any words as they were escorted into the respective rooms. Unlike Otis, Chunji was greeted with a familiar yet unfriendly face. Rio, as expected, didn't seem entirely happy that Alto managed to catch up on his return trip. Where Rio went was not Chunji's concern; he didn't get involved in a perilous situation like Davil or Steeler.

"Soft drinks are ill-advised to be consumed prior to rest," Chunji began. Yes, Chunji was more concerned about Rio's diet than he was about where he went. "It is common knowledge that soft drinks tend to contain high concentrations of caffeine and sugar..." For the next ten minutes, Chunji elaborated on the health issues related to consuming soft drinks before bed. Connecting the fact that most soft drinks, including 'Feemie's Fizzyfun', have around 40% of sugar for daily consumption to the body's reception of sugars and caffeine. In conclusion, Rio will have a harder time sleeping.

For the past ten minutes, Rio was forced to listen to the elaborate explanation of why sugary drinks are bad before sleep. If Rio was intuitive enough, he could detect ill intent, but Chunji didn't display any in his tone or expression.

"I would suggest consuming water or any substitute that doesn't have amounts of sugar in it." Finally, the obvious conclusion came. Chunji finally decided to lie down on his bed and closed his eyes. However, the act of resting didn't mean the immediate state of unconsciousness. There were a few minutes of silence before Chunji spoke up again.

"Steeler and Davil were stable the last time I saw them. I will not question your whereabouts as they aren't my concern. What is my concern is the wellbeing of individuals I am aware of. With two students being attacked, another being held under suspicion of being an Umbralist, and another incapacitated for the foreseeable future, I thought being prudent was the best course of action. That is all." With that, Chunji spoke no more. Rio didn't care for reasoning, but reasonings were all Chunji could provide. The only reason Chunji explained himself was to alleviate the sense of stress he now endured.

While he could no longer use essence, the feeling of snakes slithering through his skin became more prominent. No matter how much time has passed, no matter what obstacles sealed them away, they were always with him. Thicker than blood, the covenant that was made at conception was eternal.

His blood boiled, yet his skin felt as if it was cold as a corpse. Nausea swept through his stomach, and his eyes began straining from a non-existent light source. Although Chunji was impassive, there was a certain feeling in his heart. Fear. Fear for not being able to fulfill his life-long contract, fear for the loss of connection, and fear of failure.

His breaths evened out as he calmed himself. It was only seven days. At the end of those seven days, the nullification ring would come off, and everything would return to normal. Then, he'd find himself a routine to immerse himself in. Talk to Professor Lumyr, study at the library, and attend classes. That is all he had to do once everything returned to normal.

Iris Ascendis

Birds of a feather flock together.

Iris Ascendis

I think I'll skip as well.

I don't think Chunji has any interesting thought to share, so he'll probably put on the ring.

Iris Ascendis

I'm gonna edit my post a bit.

Iris Ascendis

"For all the protectiveness, you don't even show up at your friend's side." There was bitterness in his words. It was as if somebody had told him an obvious solution to a complex equation. All the evidence from this point suggested that Rio and Steeler held a close bond with each other. Why was he not here when she needed him the most? It only leads him to two conclusions. The first was that Rio only cared about himself. That conclusion wasn't surprising considering the track record of the Compact 3. The second was that it was entirely for Steeler, which didn't make sense to him either.

It didn't make sense for Rio to suddenly walk up to the fountain and teleport himself to who knows where.

Teleporting himself to an unknown location...

Chunji's eyes narrowed in suspicion. The last time he saw his peer was a little before orientation, and then he sucked himself inside the fountain with that strange coin. This happened during Steeler's incident, during which he didn't show up to her aid. Then, after or during orientation, Davil got into an altercation and was taken into the domain. During this time slot, everyone was gathered to spectate the duel, but Chunji decided to check on the status of both Steeler and Davil.

This timing...

"Dayin-" Before Chunji could issue a command, as a voice interrupted his thoughts. His head was a blur as Dr Kann appeared out of nowhere. "Yes?" Chunji couldn't mask his surprise as the dwarf came up to him. The aspiring doctor nodded at Dr Kann's informative yet blundering reveal of Steeler's information. "I understand; I will ensure this information will not be divulged to anyone else." Admittedly, it was a little obvious judging by what he knew about Steeler and her current state.

Chunji thought that would be the end of it. Of course, much like everything that happened today, Dr Kann continued talking. The lack of context and information that Dr Kann had for the situation was as apparent as the expression on his face. How could care be given when one person within the compact was going to be potentially sentenced to death? "Of course, I understand. I will keep it in mind for future cases." Watching as Dr Kann disappeared back into Steeler's room, Chunji brought back his original chain of thought.

From what Chunji understood, someone must have manipulated the leylines.

Based on what he knew about leylines, the set locations were often places that held an abundance of people and the concentration of the land's essence. Furthermore, someone could overcharge the leyline and take control of it.

But there was a problem. The location that Davil was in lacked the first two requirements. Not to mention that the leyline stretched out of its range to reach the alley. An Ethos, while capable, seemed too unlikely as his investigation didn't divulge that information. Something else must have facilitated its change and acted as an intermediate.

Something like the coin that Rio used at the fountain?

There was a pause before Chunji shook his head. It was a coincidence, but he'd have to confirm it later when he next saw Rio. Chunji wasn't familiar with teleportation, but Rio couldn't have been an expert. He needed more evidence before continuing this theory. There were still too many mysteries of today.

Though with Dayin reporting back of the whereabouts of Rio's Adapa, it seemd that was more or less a coincidence.

How did the Umbralist with the leyline network? Who was the third person in the alley that Davil attacked? Where did Rio go and his association with Steeler? Why did Otis and Iraleth ignore his initial message? What was Ciara's problem?

Regardless, he needed to inform someone of Rio's absence.

Hello, Professor Alto
Currently, the entire Compact 3 is under watch if you haven't heard of it already. All of us, except for Rio, are here, which brings me to the subject of this message. Can you locate where Rio is? He hasn't responded to my message. The last I saw him was at the Plaza, where the fountain was.