After getting discharged from the hospital, Leo and the two went to have lunch.
Under the stupefied gaze of Grey and Sasha, Leo stuffed food into his mouth at an insane speed. As he consumed, he sent to the waiter to bring seconds.
After about ten minutes, Leo finally ended. Sets of plate lay devoid of any food on his table. Noticing that the two had yet to finish their meals, he offered a hand.
"If you guys aren't hungry, I still have room." His gaze did not leave their plates as he spoke.
"Hell no."
"Not happening."
Leo was down cast when he heard thier response, his body had used up all his reserve to provide him energy. If he had stayed unconscious for longer, he would have lost weight.
"So are we going to find your crush or not." Grey played with his fork as he asked Leo.
"She probably went back to her home, also I want to check on an old friend who studies in a neighboring town. So I'll probably go."
"Then I am coming with you." Grey declared living no room for discussion.
"I guess I'll tag along, my parents are on a journey, and I don't want to meet my siblings."
Leo decided not to pry into why she said this, and simply noded.
After lunch, they each went to their rooms to get a few things. Later they met up at the school gate.
Leo was having a mixture of emotions, he never thought he would go back to his home, but it seemed fate had destined it.
They boarded a super speed train. They would be in the city within two hours.
On the train, a sudden news came through the screens of the train.
{Another alliance academy has been struck by the nefarious organization, SHADOW. The students who had chosen to stay on campus encountered a terrible happening, as a hoard of terrors attacked the academy. The school managed to stop it after some time, but five students were killed. Names of this students are. Mathias Sheldon, Chloe Peter, Sarah James
Leo heard the third name, and a switch flipped in his head, turning everything black. His mind fell into disarray, was it the Sarah he knew it was it another girl. He summoned courage to look at the screen, but at that point like glass against a rock, his mind fell apart, as he saw the picture of Sarah on the screen.
[Host is on the edge of mental break down, going into emergency mode, putting host to sleep]
Leo immediately fell unconscious. Grey managed to catch him before he hit the ground.
***
Waking up, Leo felt his head ache. He sat up on the bed he was on, it was another hospital room. When his vision cleared up, he saw Grey and Sasha looking at him.
He suddenly remembered the reason he went unconscious, and like a flood breaking a dam, crystal drops of liquid poured from his eyes, as the muscles of his body trembled, his fingers dug into his palm drawing fresh blood.
Grey and Sasha felt their heart ache, as the saw Leo, but they couldn't do anything, they barely knew Sarah, so any consolation the gave him would be pointless. They could never understand the pain he was going through, so they decided to let him cry his heart out.
For minutes, Leo stayed in that position, underneath his palms where bed sheets that has transformed fed, the color vivid and fresh. After a while the look in Leo's eyes change from sadness into one of rage. A single word left his mouth.
"Shadow."
***
The Alliance was in turbulence, as the public had entered a state of unrest. Burglary and theft rose to an unprecedented level, people had lost their trust in the Alliance, they believed that a terror war was about to ensue, so they stole and burgle, to save for the rainy day.
To regain the trust of the people, the Alliance sent out all Metas all over the entire alliance, from 1 star all the way to 4 stars. The 5 stars and arcane Metas were kept as Trump cards in case.
All academies were put on indefinite lockdown, the students were vacated. Since the history of terror, this was the first time something like this had happened. They death toll was just 23, but that was not the reason for this lockdown. The reason was the shadows ability to control terror, and the fact that there were insiders giving the shadow information.