That night, all the students were fast asleep, including Larry. He had forgotten all his worries, snoring away his predicament.
But someone else was finding it hard to sleep. The discussion between Bred and Larry kept replaying in his head, making it impossible for him to stay still. He sprang up from his bed.
The individual was none other than Larry's third roommate, Eric. The room was pitch dark, but that didn't bother him. He climbed down from his bed, grabbed a hood, and quietly made his way to the door.
He stole a glance at his sleeping roommates, still lost in their dreams, then slipped out into the hallway.
"Damn, it's almost curfew. I've got twenty minutes to pull this off," he muttered, glancing at the watch on his left wrist. The time disappeared, replaced by the glowing number "4."
Eric moved down the hallway as quietly as possible. His hood concealed his face, making it hard for anyone to recognize him as he snuck through the labyrinth of corridors. Eventually, he stopped in front of a door marked with the number "6." A smirk curled on his lips.
Suddenly, the sound of footsteps echoed in the hallway. Eric darted into a corner, hiding in the shadows. He watched as a student approached the dorm and knocked lightly.
The door opened, revealing Zach, with the light from the room reflecting on the visitor's face. It was none other than David Crez.
"Perfect," Eric muttered as they pulled David inside and shut the door. He crept over to the corner of the door, waiting patiently.
He checked his watch again. Ten minutes left. "Damn, I don't have all day."
Just as he raised his hand to knock, the door swung open, and Eric's blue eyes locked with David's, who froze in shock.
Before David could react, Eric's fist crashed into his chin, sending him flying back into the room. Zach was about to close the door when Eric shoved his way inside and slammed it shut.
Zach stood in the corner, stunned, while David lay sprawled on the bed. Peter emerged from the bathroom, unaware of the chaos unfolding.
"Let's get this over with," Eric declared, launching a punch at Zach. Zach raised his arms to block, thinking it was just a regular blow. But as soon as the punch connected, he heard the sickening crack of bones breaking.
Zach winced in pain. That's when Peter realized the intruder meant business. He conjured a fireball in his hand and hurled it at Eric, but Eric was too fast.
Leaping onto the bed, Eric dodged the attack and delivered a swift kick to David's chin as he tried to rise, then vaulted into the air, aiming a punch at Peter. But before the blow could land, Zach tackled him into the wall.
Zach was also a Gaia Core user, able to harden almost every part of his body, unlike David, who could only fortify one part at a time. With firm hands, Zach pinned Eric against the wall, trying to figure out who he was and why he was attacking them. But before Zach could reach a conclusion, Eric headbutted him in the nose. Blood streamed down Zach's face as he staggered back, clutching his broken nose.
"How is that possible?" Zach cried, struggling to suppress the pain. Eric scoffed.
"I'm not some weakling, Zach."
With a swift kick, Eric sent Zach flying across the room. He crashed into the wall and passed out, leaving only Peter standing.
David had already passed out after coughing up blood. The impact of Eric's kick had been too much for him.
"Why are you doing this? Is it for the units?" Peter asked, trying to defuse the situation. He had seen Eric's raw strength and knew he couldn't match it unless he used his fire. But he didn't know what Eric's ability was, and that left him panicked.
"I don't need your units, Peter Crez. Your karma's here."
Eric's deep voice filled the room as he closed the distance between himself and Peter. This was bad for Peter; his fire abilities worked best at long range. He couldn't throw fireballs in such close quarters, and he knew Eric was aware of that.
Peter was an Infernal Core user, able to manipulate fire with his energy. After rigorous training, he'd become a Level 4 user, able to create fire without a source. But before Peter could think of his next move, Eric grabbed him and shoved him into the wall, unleashing a barrage of punches.
Each punch sounded like metal striking the floor. Peter screamed in agony as blood poured from his mouth, but the room was soundproof. No one could hear him.
When Eric finally released his grip, Peter collapsed to the floor, writhing in pain. Eric spat on him before glancing at his watch.
"Damn, curfew." He cursed under his breath and quickly left the room, abandoning the destruction he had caused.
"Holy motherfucking Christ," Bred couldn't believe his ears as Eric recounted the incident to him and Larry. Bred was still trying to process the fact that all this had happened while they were asleep.
Eric spoke with regret, knowing that his attempt at payback had only backfired on the person he was trying to protect. Bred, still shocked, shifted his gaze from Eric to Larry, who had a smile on his face.
"Why is he smiling? Has his blindness affected his hearing?" Bred wondered.
"I'm sorry, Larry. I didn't mean to cause trouble for you. I just wanted to put them in their place," Eric apologized, glancing up at Larry, who was still smiling.
"They deserved it. Those scallywags deserved worse," Larry said, shocking Bred even more.
"Has he gone mad?"
"What's the next step? Everyone knows you're the only one without an ability, Larry. The Cruz family won't overlook that. You're the prime suspect," Bred pointed out, causing Larry to sigh.
He recalled Silver's words. Bred was right. He had cleared his name, but not entirely. Silver had told him to find the culprit, and now the culprit had come to him. His own roommate, who had ignored him for so long, had done this in his name.
Bred and Eric waited for Larry's decision, but he found it hard to think. He couldn't turn in someone who had risked their life for him, but his own life was on the line.
"You don't have to—"
"But why now, Eric? You've always kept to yourself. Why help me now?" Larry interrupted, causing Eric's expression to change.
Bred suddenly realized something. "It was you, wasn't it! You stopped those bullies. You threatened that hydro girl. You saved me from those seniors. How did I never figure it out?"
The revelation shifted the atmosphere. Eric had been protecting them all along, and now they finally understood.
Larry dropped to his knees, but before he could bow to Eric, the latter stopped him. "That's not necessary."
"I owe you so much, Eric. I've made my decision. Whatever happens, I'm not turning you in," Larry said as Eric helped him up.
Both Eric and Bred were stunned by Larry's risky decision. Bred couldn't let his friend endanger himself for a hero they'd just met.
"We have no choice but to report this, Larry. Your life's at stake," Bred urged.
"No, we can't. He did it for us," Larry argued.
"No, he didn't. If he really wanted to help, he wouldn't have done it in secret," Bred shot back.
"Bred's right, Larry. This is my cross to bear," Eric said.
"No, you must have had a reason for hiding your strength. None of this is your fault, it's mine. If I weren't blind, I wouldn't have anything to worry about. I wouldn't—"
[Attention! Attention! All first-year students must gather at the second hall in the next two minutes.]
The broadcast interrupted Larry's speech, and panic surged through the trio's hearts.
"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" Larry muttered, reaching for his brown stick.