Chapter Text
Another Olitiaous successfully eliminated by those people from Zeno army. For Sonetto It was not so unusual sight to see at least for these past few weeks. After the incident the number of Olitiaous passed by around the Campus area have growing and the number of guards from Zeno here and there has been increasing also to guard the school and encounter this creature.
She thought maybe they did that after what happened with her friends before.
Every staff her trying to protect them. Including all of those friends that are now locked in the guardhouse.
That at least what she wanted to belief
Listen to us
That memory of her desk mate and the other, and also the strong feelings they were bring to her still lingered vividly both in her head and heart.
They are all Arcanist just like her. She cannot help but feel bad for them, imagining that they must be hungry staying in that place without any food for few days. That thought alone what was making her to bring some food when trying to visit them however when she reach the Guardhouse an Instructor turned her away.
With that she cannot do anything but to follow their order.
She heard chuckle nearby stopping her train of thought.
She remembered her. Lilya is her name. she speaks in a very distinguished Russian accent while drinking something from peculiar bottle she carried on her neck. she knew this person after the school’s staff introduced her this morning.
she saw her several times encountered the Olitiaous around the Central Square area.
“oh, this one lab rat here is looking so obedient”
“What is that food for?”
She ignored her commentary
“They turned you down, huh?”
“That what compulsory malpractice does to them”
She wasn’t wrong for that but she did sound like someone who found amusement from simply watching other being punished for breaking the rules.
She continued to ignored and walked pass her.
After she placed the food to her room, her thought now occupied with Vertin. She clearly worried about her condition.
“next lesson will begin in 30 minutes” She clearly still had plenty of times. Didn’t want worry to keep washing over her, she decided to visit her desk mate who currently fell into coma.
She saw Ms. Toothfairy, the school clinic doctor who work there.
“oh, you are Sonetto. ” tooth fairy noticed her existence and calling her out.
“Yes Ms. ”
“Are you her for dental check up?”
“no, I’m here to visit someo- my classmate”
“… Vertin? She is right over there” Tooth fairy pointing out towards one of the beds with closed curtain.
There lies Vertin, her desk mate on the bed. Some vivid memories of how tear gas blasted that said desk mate struck her but she immediately brushed that thought off.
Her desk mate looked like someone who fell in her deep sleep. If that what needed in achieving her fast recovery. She saw some old bruises aside the tear gas one in her body. She wondered if that was some bruises left after catching another tree frog or perhaps something else.
She saw a bunch of toffees she usually brings in her pocket on the table beside her bed. Maybe someone put them in there.
At that moment she feels sorry towards her.
“She is fine. She is tougher than any other naughty kids I’ve encounter in this school.”
She was not sure if that was a compliment or something else judging by the tone. She realized she was not yet familiar with this one school staff despite already meeting the said person for dental purposes few times. She always had some weird creatures locked in her big jar. Sometimes she wonders how they even get there or where are they even coming from.
Must be an outside world thing.
Outside world
Those words kept ringing in her ears
“But even if it was an accident, I don’t think she deserved that kind of treatment”
Sonetto startled from her though but she just stood there while bowing her heads down.
Noticing some changed on Sonetto, Tooth fairy tried to comfort her.
“I think she will wake up soon. Maybe you want to give her something after that?”
“Uh?
“I think I can give her my notebook…
And to everyone-…“
She stopped there
Tooth fairy who noticed this just gave her a smile and pat her
“I will leave her for now miss. Thank you for taking care of my friend.”
“Not at all.”
And then she walked out of the clinic to get ready to her next classes
Few days later Vertin eventually got discharged from the clinic.
As for someone who barely seen in the class, Sonetto’s wonder if her desk mate was really paying attention to the instructor lesson because her face telling her something. It was slightly different from her usual daydreaming expression.
Then, she tried passing her notebook to her said desk mate
“Vertin here is my note book”
“Thank you”
Sonetto noticed slightly surprises expression from her desk mate. She clearly felt sorry for ignoring Vertin’s true intention all this time.
“you’re welcome. Are you feeling better now? I heard you were in a coma for two days”
“I’m fine, it doesn’t hurt so much now. It hurt more when the tear gas burned me”
Somehow, she felt her desk mate pain by just hearing her tone alone. Sonetto dropped her head. Seems out of words.
“the song was beautiful”
That was unexpected praise coming out of the top student mouth
That one caught the silver haired girl off guard too.
There was no hint of insincere on that praise
She was honest
And at that times she could see how amazed her desk mate were by such response.
That was indeed an unexpected reaction coming from the top student. Of course. It’s been a while they haven’t been chatting like this since she was the one who tried to avoid Vertin most of the times.
“Glad to hear you say so. but we will not sing them anymore. I think other students still locked in the guard house”
“Yes. I heard it was dreadful in there… I went visit with some food but was turned away with the instructor. They will be out next week…”
They both fell silent.
“they are welcome to borrow my notes” Sonetto broke the silent. Trying to comfort Vertin in her own way.
“thank you for your kindness. I hope they have a chance to use them”
With that responds Sonetto’s wonder if her desk mate was just being polite to her but she continued to brushed off that thought.
After that their little rare conversation halted where Sonetto continue taking notes as usual.
Somehow, she can’t force herself to focus on taking notes.
The air drop from the Olitiaous getting more frequent.
one package landed in front of her. She picked that what supposed to be a map from outside world she recognized. After all, she once went for parade outside the school. One of her Instructor has informed her to hand all those air drop to them. She remembered that the revised song that were sung by her friends were also came from the pamphlet that were dropped by those Olitiaous. Realized by this fact she immediately remembered Vertin.
That night still in her thought while she walked to her dormitory after finishing today’s duty, she watched a gleam of Matilda holding her divination ball coming from peculiar place nearby the girl’s dormitory.
After Matilda went to her room Sonetto’s became very curious about where she was before because it was kinda late for students to roaming around. She and some of the others that now freed from the guardhouse were also involved in that chaos too.
Sonetto worried if Vertin is planning something again.
She found there is a basement below unexplored path in the girl’s dormitory. She herself surprised by this discovery and immediately pushed the gate open slowly and found underground tunnel. it seems following her friend activity always leads her to new things like this uncanny place.
When she arrived there, she can hear Vertin and the other kid voice. She decided to observed them for now. She worried with whatever Vertin and the other is trying to do next.
“Vertin…”
She holds something in her chest. Vertin is very persistent and she would never listen to her.
After getting hurt like that she still wanted to see the outside world.
If it come to this
Then, there is nothing she can do to stop them.
To stop Vertin.
That night there is an unusual shift of staff happening. Something she never experiences before.
The instructor even asked her to rest for today’s night duty because of that sudden shift but she insisted on keeping her duty still. The instructor think it was just Sonetto’s usual enthusiasm so they gave her permission to resume her duty. But for Sonetto it was different.
She insisted because she feels that she was responsible after learning what Vertin and her friend was planning. She didn’t want something bad happen again to them, Especially to Vertin. Those reasons that of course she cannot utter to the instructor.
Rare occasions for her to be lying like this.
Vertin really did influence her. She thought.
During her night duty walking through classes corridor, she saw Lilya flying low with her broom heading towards the library. She immediately followed her. She wondered what zeno member even doing because it was not within her job specification to watches over students. She knows something bad is going to happened if they got caught by Lilya of all people.
When arrived at the underground tunnel she heard a very big noise coming from outside the school. It was clearly the sound of thunder. She ignored it and continue rushing on following the sound of footstep nearby.
there she can heard several people are currently in distressed
And someone with a mocking tone mumbling something inappropriate, addressing them with “lab rats”
Without much thinking she soon cut off Lilya
“Please be mindful of your language, Lilya
Your duty is to eliminate the Olitiaous in the campus, not attacking the students!”
“Sonetto, why are you here?” looks like her firm voice and unexpected existence managed to surprise her desk mate.
She walked towards Vertin ignoring her questions. There is no time to answer that question. Eventho she knew that assertive move alone might have spook Vertin a little bit judging by her expressions.
At that moment she knows in her heart she needs to protect her desk mate and everyone.
Lilya who sees this acted becoming more excited. Readying herself for the exciting combat. She has been waiting for this moment for some times.
It's been a few days there were no more Olitiaous roaming around the Campus. She craved to tear something.
Even if that means to tear some students.
Sonetto grab her wand and prepare her posture to attack.
“Stono Swift”
One last attack managed to paralyzed Lilya.
That was indeed a furious battle. To think Zeno member can be defeated like this very easily by the Top student of the Foundation was amazing. The said student looked so calmed after that battle and immediately placed the unconscious Liliya against the wall.
After that she just stood there silently making the scenery and atmosphere somehow awkward both for her and her desk mate and the others. at that moment she saw Vertin confused expression, cravings for bunch of explanations.
At that moment, deep down she was hoping she could change Vertin’s mind.
But she knew it won’t happen.
And this place was going to be their parting place.
“We are leaving, Sonetto
Thank you for your Assistance, goodbye”
After hearing her desk mate final goodbye, she was also trying to put final warning to them. Making sure they know what they were doing.
Even though, she cannot yet comprehend their motive, but if it is what they wanted, there is nothing she can do to changed them, especially her desk mate persistent mind.
“We choose different future, but future has no right or wrong, Sonetto”
She knew that final words going to lingered in her mind for sometime.
The gate slowly closed.
In that dreadful scenery,
More sounds of thunder blasted outside.
She heard the sound of rain falling not long after and awoken another uneasy feeling inside of her.
