Liam catches up with Islyl in the dorm, cornering him against his bunk. Islyl looks at him with a mix of surprise and irritation.
"Max entered the infirmary and was attended to by the school nurse. He was even given painkillers and ice packs to help with the… pain. He's been told to rest for a few days."
"That was intense," Liam says, looking at Islyl.
"You really let him have it."
"What do you want?" Islyl asks, crossing his arms defensively.
Liam takes a step closer to Islyl, his eyes narrowed.
"I want to talk to you about what happened with Max," he says firmly.
"You can't just go around attacking people like that, Islyl." Liam sighs.
…
"Thud!
Islyl's fist connects with Liam's stomach, causing him to let out a gasp of pain. He stumbles backwards, clutching his stomach and struggling to catch his breath.
Islyl doesn't look back as he walks away, leaving Liam alone in the hallway.
***
Liam is stunned by Islyl's sudden viciousness. He takes a few deep breaths, trying to recover from the punch.
Lifting his shirt, Liam looks down at his stomach, where a bruise is already starting to form.
He can feel tears welling up in his eyes, but he tries to hold them back.
Liam stands there for a few moments, trying to process what just happened. He can still feel the pain in his stomach, and he knows that he's going to have a hard time training.
He looks around, but Islyl is already gone.
He feels a sense of loneliness and betrayal wash over him.
'Even if I try to be a good roommate, it seems like Islyl doesn't care about me at all.' Liam says internally, feeling dejected.
Liam finally manages to collect himself and starts walking towards the infirmary.
He needs to get some ice for his stomach, and he needs to talk to someone about what just happened.
*
As Liam enters the infirmary, he sees Max sitting on one of the beds, holding an ice pack to his crotch. Max looks up and sees Liam, and a look of surprise crosses his face.
"What happened to you?" Max asks, wincing as he shifts in his seat.
Liam walks over to Max and sits down next to him, still holding his stomach. He doesn't say anything for a few moments, trying to find the right words.
"Islyl punched me," he finally says, his voice quiet and shaky.
Max bursts out laughing as soon as Liam tells him what happened. He can't help but find the situation hilarious, especially considering that Islyl is Liam's roommate.
"You deserved it," Max says, still laughing. "You shouldn't have gotten involved."
Liam feels embarrassed as Max laughs at him. He knows that Max has always been a bit of a jerk, but he has always ignored him.
Max continues to taunt Liam, enjoying the chance to take his anger out on someone.
"You're useless, Liam," he says with a sneer. "You're always trying to be the peacemaker, but it never works. Just stay out of it next time, okay? You're just making things worse."
***
The dorm room is quiet and dark, the only sound is the soft breathing of the boys as they sleep. Liam looks around, his eyes adjusting to the darkness. The clock on the wall reads 3:00 AM. Liam glances over at Zach, who is snoring loudly in his bed. He then looks at the other Kira and Islyl, who are both fast asleep. The room is still and peaceful, but Liam can't help the feeling that something is off. Shaking off the taut nerves, Liam closes his eyes, attempting to sleep.
***
A small tendril of a shadow caresses Islyls cheek, zapping him awake.
Sigma: 'the Dean is calling you, Host.'
Islyl groggily opens his eyes, his body heavy with the need the sleep.
He moves silently through the room, careful not to wake anyone up. He opens the door slowly, wincing as it creaks slightly. He slips out into the common area, and closes the door behind him, making sure to latch it softly. He glances around, making sure no one is watching, before leaving the dorm and heading towards the dean's office.
'The life of a spy is sure hard,' Islyl grumbles, vocalizing his protests to the system.
As Islyl walks through the darkened hallway, he suddenly feels a strange sensation. It's as if someone is watching him, but he can't see anyone.
He stops in his tracks, looking around nervously. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he sees a shadowy figure appear in front of him.
Islyl's heart races as he sees the shadowy figure. It's the dean, his essence manifesting in the form of a shadow. The dean speaks to him telepathically, his voice echoing in Islyl's mind.
"Office."
Islyl nods, still feeling a bit uneasy. He follows the dean's shadow down the hallway, his footsteps echoing softly on the stone floor. He can't help but wonder what the dean wants to talk to him about, and why it had to be in the middle of the night.
Islyl finally arrives at the dean's office. The dean's shadow leads him to the door, and then disappears. Islyl takes a deep breath and opens the door, stepping inside.
The dean's office is dimly lit, with only a few candles flickering on the walls. The dean is sitting behind his desk, looking up at Islyl with a serious expression on his face.
"Sit down, Islyl," he says, gesturing to the chair in front of the desk.
Islyl takes a seat, feeling a bit nervous. He wonders what the dean is going to say to him. The dean leans forward, steepling his fingers together.
"I have something important to discuss with you," he says. "It's about your recent behavior."
The dean's expression grows stern as he continues to speak.
"Islyl, I've been watching you closely, and I'm not happy with what I've seen. You've been drawing too much attention to yourself, and it's becoming a problem. You need to blend in, not stand out. You're here to serve me, not cause trouble."
The dean raises his hand, and a tendril of blood shoots out from his palm, wrapping around Islyl's body. Islyl gasps in shock as he's lifted into the air and slammed onto the desk in front of the dean. The tendril continues to wrap around him, holding him in place.
"You need to learn some discipline," the dean says coldly. "And I'm going to make sure you do."
Sigma:' this great system has shielded your pain, la!'
'You're really only a spectator, aren't you? You don't help, you just watch!!!'
…
The dean's tendril tightens around Islyl's arm, causing him to wince in pain. The dean's hand glows red as he begins to extract blood from Islyl's body. The blood flows into the dean's hand, swirling around in a hypnotic pattern.
Islyl feels weak and dizzy as the dean continues to extract his blood. He tries to struggle against the tendril, but it's no use. He's completely helpless, and the dean is in control.
"You need to understand the consequences of your actions," the dean says, his voice cold and emotionless. "You're not invincible, Islyl. You're just a fake student, and you need to follow the rules."
The dean finally stops extracting blood from Islyl, and the tendril loosens its grip on him. Islyl slumps forward, feeling drained and weak. The dean looks at him with a mixture of disappointment and disdain.
"You're dismissed," the dean says curtly. "And remember, if you step out of line again, there will be consequences."
Islyl stumbles out of the dean's office, feeling weak and shaky. He's still reeling from the punishment he just received, and he can't shake the feeling that he's being watched.
As he walks down the hallway, he hears a voice in his head.
"Don't forget what happened here tonight, Islyl. I'll be watching you."
***
Liam follows Islyl at a safe distance, keeping a close eye on him.
Liam follows Islyl using his own stealth skills. He's careful not to make any noise or attract attention to himself, and he makes sure to stay far enough away from Islyl so that he doesn't get caught.
As Liam follows Islyl, he sees him approach the dean's office. Liam's eyes widen in surprise, wondering what Islyl is doing there.
He watches as Islyl enters the office and shuts the door behind him. Liam hesitates for a moment, unsure of what to do next.
He knows that it's against the rules to eavesdrop on the dean, but his curiosity gets the better of him. He creeps closer to the door, trying to hear what's going on inside.
Liam wonders what Islyl could possibly be doing, and why he's being so secretive about it. He feels a sense of unease, as if he's stumbled upon something he shouldn't have.
…
30 minutes later:
Liam's eyes widen in shock as he sees Islyl stumbling out of the dean's office. His clothes are scattered, and his skin is pale and clammy. Liam can tell that something is seriously wrong. He feels a pang of concern for him, but he must stay hidden.
Liam waits until Islyl is out of sight before he steps out of the shadows. He's torn between wanting to follow Islyl and wanting to go back to his room. He knows that he should tell what he saw to someone, but he's also afraid of what might happen if he does.
He decides to follow Islyl, just to make sure that he's okay.
Liam follows Islyl at a distance, keeping an eye on him as he stumbles through the school. He can tell that Islyl is weak and disoriented, and he wonders what the dean did to him. Liam's suspicions grow with every step he takes.
As they approach the dormitory, Islyl suddenly collapses.
Islyl gets back up, dragging his body to the bed. He never looked at the empty bunk of Liam, instead immediately falling into sleep.
Liam watches as Islyl falls asleep, his breathing shallow and ragged. He can't shake the feeling that something is very wrong. He sits on his own bed, unable to sleep, and watches over Islyl throughout the night.
***
Islyl wakes up with a groan, his head pounding and his body feeling weak. He slowly sits up in bed, rubbing his eyes as he tries to remember what happened the night before. As he looks around the room, he sees Liam sitting on his own bed, watching him with a concerned expression.
Islyl looks at Liam, confusion and fear in his eyes. He can tell that something is off, but he doesn't know what. He tries to speak, but his voice comes out as a hoarse whisper.
"What... what happened?"
"Nothing, class is in an hour. You sat up so wearily, are you okay?" Liam questions, an unreadable look in his eyes.
Islyl nods weakly, still trying to piece together what happened. He gets out of bed and starts getting ready for class, his movements slow and sluggish. Liam watches him carefully, unknown emotions shifting through his eyes.
As Islyl is getting dressed, he notices that his clothes are in disarray. He looks down at himself and frowns, trying to remember how he ended up like this. He glances at Liam, not realizing when he pulled his clothes he revealed the marks from the deans tendrils.
Liam sees the marks on Islyl's skin and his eyes widen in shock. He takes a step closer to Islyl, trying to get a better look at the marks.
"Islyl... what are those?"
The marks look like small, red welts that are scattered across Islyl's skin. They look like they were made by some kind of whip or tentacle.
Islyl looks at Liam and tries to come up with an excuse for the marks on his skin.
"Oh, these? They're just sleeping marks. They'll fade in a few, no need to worry."
Liam is unconvinced, but he doesn't press the issue. He knows that something is wrong, but he also knows that Islyl won't tell him the truth.
He decides to let it go, getting ready for class. Liam follows Islyl out the door he leaves to walk to class.
Intending to keep a watchful eye on Islyl, Liam notices that Islyl is still moving slowly, and that he's having trouble keeping up. He's worried that Islyl might collapse again at any moment.
…
Entering the classroom, Islyl slumps down in his seat, his head resting on the desk. He looks exhausted and drained, as if he hasn't slept in days.
Liam sits next to him, watching him closely. He can tell that Islyl is struggling.
But with what??
***
The classroom starts to fill up with other students, and Liam notices some of them casting curious glances at Islyl. He can hear them whispering amongst themselves, no doubt wondering why Islyl looks so exhausted and why he's sleeping in class.
Islyl shifts in his seat, turning slightly to the side. As he does so, his sleeve rides up, revealing the marks on his arm.
Liam's gaze is drawn to the marks, and he can't help but gasp softly as he sees them. They look even worse up close, and he can tell that they're not just sleeping marks.
They look like the dean used some kind of whip or tool to inflict pain on Islyl. Liam's heart sinks as he realizes the extent of what Islyl must have gone through.
Liam quickly looks away, not wanting to stare at Islyl's arm. He tries to compose himself, but his mind is racing with questions and concerns.