Avic groaned as he slowly picked himself up. He found himself in an underground cavern with small torches hanging from the walls. Carefully, he looked around. This was when he saw Eliisabet looking down at him with a deep sense of relief.
"Eliisabet..?" He muttered.
"Avic, you're finally awake!" She squealed, throwing her arms around him.
"Uh... You're a little happy to see me. Damn... My head hurts though... Where are we anyway?"
"We're currently inside our main hideout," answered Custos from behind.
Avic then slowly turned around to see both Custos and Chrono slumped against the cavern wall.
"Custos! And... Chrono..? Hey! Why are you two with this guy?! Is he supposed to be my replacement or something?!"
"He starts barking as soon as he wakes up. Typical for a loser," insulted Chrono.
"Who are you calling a loser?! If I didn't want to conserve my energy, I'd have kicked your ass already!"
Chrono ignored Avic's remark before closing his eyes and leaning back on the wall nonchalantly.
"Avic, he's a part of our team for now. It would be nice if you could get along while he's here," stated Eliisabet.
"Sigh... What a pain... But since you asked, fine."
"More importantly, we've been wanting to know how you're still alive! Custos and I were convinced you had died! I... I was so heartbroken!"
"I suddenly feel extremely tired. I think I should go back to sleep!"
"Avic, come on. We're serious about this," argued Custos.
"I'm serious too! I need to take a proper nap before I can process any complicated information."
"Avic."
"Sigh... Fine..."
A moment of silence then settled before Avic spoke.
"So back in the First Round, this chick called Delilah stabbed me in the back. And I mean literally! She betrayed me and left me to die. But before that, she did the weirdest thing... She kissed me on the lips and tasted my blood... She was one crazy chick!"
"Wait..? She kissed you..?" Questioned Eliisabet in shock.
"Yeah... It was strange. Anyway, I thought I was about to die. But right before I was crushed by a large slab of falling concrete, I was saved by Old Man Palem. He even used some strange Bloodline Art to speed up the healing process of my injuries which was what ultimately saved my life."
"So Chaz was right. He figured that Delilah had done something to you when you were alone together. But why did Principal Palem save you? Why was he even there, to begin with?" Questioned Eliisabet.
"Well, do you remember when I left you alone in the medical room on the first day? When I left, I ran into Old Man Palem and this other student called Agni. After taking us to his office, he shared some information with us and even proposed a deal. He told us that the school had been invaded by an organization called the Umbra. Among them were two half-vampires called Valves and Valkyrie who were disguised as students under the Sicarius Faction. He said that he needed two students like me and Agni to find out the identities of those students."
Custos pondered, bracing his fingers against his chin.
"So the school knew the entire time then... They just didn't know who to suspect."
"Exactly. It was best for him to use students who were already enrolled in the Sicarius Faction. It wouldn't harbor too much suspicion from others. That's why he gave me and Agni the choice to take on this role. If we were successful in our mission then he would make us Registered Sicarius, whether or not we passed the exams. Of course, I rejected the offer since I was too lazy to do it anyway."
"You can't be serious..."
"In any case, that old man was paying close attention to me, even though I rejected his offer. So, when I was about to die back in the First Round, he saved my life. I knew I owed him one for that so I ended up accepting his deal anyway."
"I see... It all makes sense now. But what did he want you to do once you found Valves or Valkyrie?"
"He gave me and Agni a strange bottle filled with Luna's Bane. He said that it was good for killing vampires. However, since Valves and Valkyrie were only half vampires, it would only cut their strength in half. Once we found them, we were supposed to use the Luna's Bane to cut their strength in half and then signal for backup."
"So that's why those students from the Knight's Faction showed up to help us..." Muttered Eliisabet.
"Probably. The operation seemed to be a big one and even the King Of Regnum is aware of it. I was able to do my part so hopefully, Agni and the others can do theirs and take down Valkyrie."
Custos and Eliisabet went silent as they continued to think. The more they thought about it, the more they felt the need to leave Discite and go back to Initium.
"Eliisabet, you're hurt. Don't tell me that Valves was the one who did that to you?" Questioned Avic sternly.
"No! No! Honestly, he didn't lay a finger on me... Custos already took care of the ones that hurt me... Thanks for your concern though!"
"By the way, Avic," interjected Custos. "I've been meaning to tell you something for a while now. I don't know if I should tell you all the details yet but I spoke with Principal Palem on our first day at this school. He said some strange stuff and even gave some insight on the GSD."
Avic's eyes broadened as soon as he heard this. He was willing to find out whatever he could about the GSD.
"What do you mean?"
"It seems that Principal Palem was there 10 years ago when the GSD happened. He's one of the few survivors like you and... and Mister Amon..."
"Does he know something?!"
"Well, have you ever thought about what caused the GSD all those years ago?"
"...I've always wanted to know... I mean, that's what changed my life and took my family away from me."
"Well, I'm sure you'll want to hear this then. Principal Palem said that the Umbra had something to do with the GSD. To be precise, the Umbra's leader, Dolor, was part of the reason it happened."
Avic clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. He couldn't believe it. After what had been 10 years without a single clue as to what had caused the GSD, he had finally gotten some intel. Avic's rage boiled like a kettle. He finally had someone he could direct all his hatred and revenge at. He finally knew who had ruined his life.