"Rana, what are you doing?"
*
She closed the door and looked around for weapons.
"We got to get out of here." she said urgently and looked at Sabina, "Can you get up?"
She nodded, while still looking like Leon, and got up though she had a pained expression on her face. Viola went to her side to support her.
Melissa, who already healed Theseus's wounds, used a levitation charm on him.
The girls head out of the room.
"We need to get out of here." Sabina says imitating Leon to the guards, "Don't even try to stop us."
"I'm sorry, Your Highness but the queen instructed us to keep you safe here." a red-haired guard said.
Trying to keep her Leon persona she yelled, "Are you stupid? Unless you guys want to die here then let us pass!"
"You can kill me if you wish but-"
"He doesn't mean you!" Melissa interrupted, "Someone's coming!"
The women looked alarmed and ran inside the room to look out the window. The girls quickly left as soon as she went to check. It seems that it alerted everyone as that same woman came back with the same alarmed expression, "Ladies, there's an intruder approaching the building! Protect the-" then she collapsed and so did everyone else. The entire guard has collapsed.
Luckily, Violet is perceptive enough to know her instincts are right but now they have a whole squad full of ladies that collapsed.
"Hey! Wake up!" She tried to see what's wrong. Why is she and the others alright? The feel is getting stronger, and she is fearful.
Melissa checked them. "They're fine. They're just unconscious. We have to get out of here."
Wasting no time, they all left the building and head off hopefully without anyone noticing they are gone.
*
Amy looked at Taos through the cracked glass. He is unamused by her constant stream of questions that he knows is just her tactic to annoy him. But he suddenly flinched, and his expression suddenly changed.
He ran towards something and dropped the ball. She could see two unconscious figures and could tell that Rufus did this. After all, other than Theseus, Rufus is the only other person who still has their ability.
He left the ball behind to run and check. Irritated towards him for not taking the ball, she decides to check on Ramiro. Now that Viola is at the academy, that means Ramiro is around. He separated from her to fly around but he's been keeping his all-seeing eye on her. She and Melissa are carrying and supporting Theseus and Sabina respectively away from a pursuing intruder. Through Ramiro's sight, she could see who it is. She cannot recognize the first one, but she recognizes the second.
"Selim," she whispered before noticing Taos coming back. He has the same expression of anger he felt at Theseus except that it's directed towards her.
"Who did this?!" he growled.
Finally getting a rise out of him, she smirked condescendingly, "The place has been quiet for a while, hasn't it?"
Taos punched the wall, cracking it.
"Easy there boy. Use your words, not your fists."
"The ability user who controls this place is missing. Her guards are unconscious."
Amy's smile dropped, Rufus came here and took her? Amy wanted to slap herself in the face. She should've gone with the dogs, but she is too cautious. Now Rufus is at a level she can't reach.
"She might as well be dead." she said bluntly.
"What do you mean?"
"The person who took her would've already killed her by now"
"Now you tell me-"
"Rufus is the one who did this which means he now has control over this place but he will be suffering from it. Is there a weak spot or a side effect to this power?"
His expression darkens, "Whenever she uses this power, she loses energy and falls asleep. She recently lost her arm during her scuffle with your friends. Because they took so many of us out, she had no choice but to lure them away herself and take them to the Empty Space. Since this place is currently the safest she could be in, she stayed here while some of us protect her and keep them away from here."
Amy listened thoughtfully. He is honest with her. If what he says is true then he's probably resting somewhere.
"Well, Rana doesn't appear to have much magic in her compared to other students."
He turned to glare at her.
"You knew?"
"I know a couple of things but not everything. Rana is powerful, that I would acknowledge. She used so much of her powers already that Selim had done most of the planning but I'm guessing that everything else is your doing. Rana doesn't seem like the type to be good at it."
He remained quiet.
Rana's only contribution is the Empty Space. She must have used it too much to the point that she is severely weakened. Amy has seen her enough times to know that there is a reason why such a sickly person would be close to them.
*
Violet and the others went to an empty room in the infirmary and set the others down. Melissa and Violet quickly went to check for weapons and the confiscated closet to grab anything useful. Violet felt Ramiro's presence and let him inside the building. He was holding something of hers in his beak. A blue blade with a hollyhock flower. She borrowed from Amy and forgot to return it but is otherwise glad to see it. She took the blade and put it into a makeshift sheath.
Violet continues to check up on Sabina who is still dealing with remnants of the dark aura and continues purifying it. It has been too long now, and she is starting to get tired.
"You should rest up while you can." Melissa said while tending to Theseus.
"I can't. Right now, Theseus is unconscious, and Sabina is still injured and that person is looking for us." she then stared at Sabina, who is still disguised as Leon. "Turn yourself back."
"I can't." she said, "Leon's orders."
She groaned. Unlike most of them, Sabina usually listens to Leon and take his orders word for word. She can't tell if it is obedience to a higher authority or faith based on loyalty.
"Alright but that person is coming after you so at least we should get you into peak condition."
"How do you know that?"
"What else could it be?"
*
After failing to find the person he is looking for, he then left the area.