After the others entered her ring, she pondered for a long time before hearing a knock on the door. She raised a brow and opened the door to find Yuu and Grim at the other side.
"Yuu? Grim?"
"Hey, you feeling okay?" Grim questioned curiously, "You've been pretty out of it for a while."
"Yeah." Lotus nodded, "I've just been pretty busy all day. Now that I've taken a break. I've just been spending my time thinking."
"I see..." Yuu responded rather disappointed before responding, "If there's anything we can help with, just let us know."
"Okay." She responded with a smile.
"Then... We're going to take out leave..." Yuu said hesitantly before repeating cautiously, "Let us know if there's anything."
"Okay, okay! Don't worry, I'll let you know if there's anything I need help with." Lotus responded with a hurried tone and pushed the two out.
However, Yuu can't help but feel that the smile only brought a sense of worry over him once again. It was the same as when she returned with a broken vase in hand and a large cut on her shin. During that time, he certainly didn't notice it then, but can he really not notice the large amounts of used bandages he'd find in the trash outside? She was lucky that the one who took out the trash had been him and not the ghosts or the ghosts would've reported this to the other staffs. If she was so adamant of keeping it a secret, there was really nothing he could do but wait. But, wait till when?
.....
That night Lotus had spent merely two nights in her ring cultivating when she felt a strange wave of fluctuation outside. With a look of confusion, she hurried out cautiously before feelinga growing powerful and dark energy in the air and her eyes widen in horror as she gasped, "Demonic energy... Grim!"
She hurred out the door only to find that the dorm was completely empty of living people. That was when her butterflies brought the message back to her that she rushed out the door. The streets were empty of people.
"Master, why is there nobody around? Not even a ghost?" Ying Hui questioned in confusion.
"That is definitely suspicious." Lotus responded with a frown.
"Do you think that those guys have a hand in this?"
"That shouldn't have been the case, but we already saw that woman leave the space." Lotus frowned.
It wouldn't surprise to her if those guys also tried to do something while she weakened the array back then. She followed the energy as quickly as she could. It wasn't long before she found herself at the stadium. Xiao Li muttered, "That cat is really simple minded to eat it on the spot. At least, we should be thankful that he is so simple minded."
"Xiao Li, prepare the bandages and recovery pills." Lotus responded as she rushed into the stadium.
She hurried through the door and quickly rushed through. If only she could act outside of her restraints. If only she could kill as she please. Then, everyone else she cared about wouldn't have to be hurt again! How was this any different to the past?!
"Brother Yuu!"
She finally made it to the stadium to find a fercious looking Grim with a snarling look on his face as he glared at Yuu. Grim lunged out for Yuu's neck, but Lotus was quick with her array and lept towards the stadium fast enough to tackle Yuu away!
Yuu looked up in a daze before Lotus quickly pulled up and snapped him out of it, "Pull yourself together!"
"B-But, Grim, he's..."
Lotus glanced over at Grim. The formerly cute and ambitious cat was no longer self-conscious enough to recognize them as he bared his sharp teeth and glowing blue eyes glaring at them. The sight of his condition ached her painfully inside as she grimaced. Lotus could see his sharp claws being longer than normal and decided to pull Yuu away from the place, "Worry about yourself for now!"
"Grim, he's-!"
She pulled him out of the stadium with the cat chasing after them before Lotus shouted, "With the way he is, there's no way he would get hurt. However, we can't say the same for ourselves. Come on!"
She pulled Yuu away and through the forest until they lost him. Though Yuu was out of breath, She urged him to keep running as she pulled him back to Ramshackle dorm. Lotus watched as the ghosts came rushing out at the sight of them suddenly appearing at the door with a loud burst.
The lean ghost floated over with a surprised expression, "You guys! What's all the commotion for? We were just about to start our shift-"
"Go call the headmaster! Please hurry!" Yuu cried out desperately.
"Eh?!"
"Yuu, if we do that, then Grim will-" Lotus frowned.
Yuu shook his head, "There's nothing we can do right now. We don't even have magic to save him..."
Lotus hesitated for a bit before she nodded her head reluctantly, "All right, then... But, there's something I want to do before you call for the headmaster."
"Yes?"
"Call Ace and Deuce over first before getting the headmaster. I'll bring the ghosts with me and take a look at Grim one more time before everyone goes looking for him, but I don't want you to tell the headmaster about this. I promise that I'll be back with the ghosts too."
"You-!" Yuu hesitated with a grimace. He had just lost control of Grim and Lotus is the only one left he can depend on. What if he loses her too?!
"The ghosts aren't weak. Even if they can't fight Grim in his current state, they can still help me escape."
Hearing this, Yuu knew that it was impossible to force her to listen again. He sighed shaking his head in defeat as he slumped onto the sofa and muttered, "All right... But you have to be very careful too. Grim won't be happy if he hurts you too."
Seeing the long gash on the back of Yuu's palm, Lotus nodded her head solemnly as the other ghosts gasped in disbelief. Without waiting, she took out the disinfect and bandage before dressing the wound and had one of the smaller ghosts send him back to his room to rest up. Once done, she went into her room and brought the ghosts with her before handing them something. She snapped her fingers and allowed the artifacts to wrap around the ghost's arm.
"This?!" The big ghost's eyes widen in horror when he saw this, "What's the meaning of this, Lotus?!"
The smaller ghost cried out in disbelief, "Y-Yeah! What are you doing?!"
As the other ghosts cried out in complaints, the lean ghost was flabberghasted before pointing out the contradiction, "You... can use magic?"
His words snapped the other two from their rants as they stared at her in disbelief.
"I'll have to apologize the seniors in advance to what is to come. If not for the current situation, I would not have taken such drastic measures."
"Lotus..." The fat ghost shook his head calmly with a look of confusion written over it, "It's not like you to act like this. Can you explain to us what's going on first?"
"Ah, these wrist bands too!" The smaller ghost cried out, "It's too strange that these things won't come off our bodies!"
Lotus frowned, "I can't explain every thing in detail, but my circumstances are special in the Land of Thorns. So, I cannot share the details about why I'm hiding the fact that I can use magic. You just need to know that if I do, my life would be in danger and my condition is too special to go into deep details, but I'm able to manipulate mana around me and inside my without the need of a magic crystal or create blot."
"No way!" The fat ghost's eyes widen upon disbelief, "That's too amazing!"
Lotus shook her head and sighed, "This comes with a cost though. Naturally, I'm strong, but my situation is dire and I had to risk my life everytime I want to grow stronger. It's been almost ten years now since I started practicing this art and it naturally comes with it's risks. These bands are my creation and for this I have to apologize the seniors for doing this, but it must be done."
"Explain to us about them first, then. They won't harm us would it?" The lean ghost assumed nervously though surprised to hear that she was able to create something like this.
Lotus shook her head, "You won't dissipate or disappear from this tool, but this tool will erase everything that I've told you tonight once it hits dawn. After doing its job, it will naturally break apart on its own. Ghosts, beasts, humans. It all works the same. If not for Grim's delicate situation, I would not have to use this tonight. So, I have to apologize to my seniors in advance for what is about to happen."