Nyx didn't speak much when we first met. I thought she was plotting out her escape at the time— turned out I was wrong. The lady talks up a typhoon when Val isn't creeping around me. The weird shit she said when we first met was her depraved way of "sorting out intolerables." She's not that bad once I got to know her, except that she's a pervert, through and through, and that's how we bonded.

I leaned back into the chair, gazing up at the rustic chandelier above. The back of the chair made my neck uncomfortable, yet I didn't want to face reality. I only had to look to my right to see the White Hand standing right beside me. Her arms were crossed and she had a stern expression, which only made her cute, just a little, not enough for me not to kill her.

I couldn't go sneaking into the forbidden section of the library, not when she was around. I tried losing her by running around the bookshelves, but the woman was vigilant. A book was sitting in front of me, one that she had pulled out of the shelves and set in front of me. Ordering me to study. Who did she think she was? My Mother?

I didn't have a mother, never met her, nor did I care. I was raised by a father. He was the quiet and intelligent sort. Ne never reprimanded me for mistakes and was fair. I was rather proud I hadn't turned out into an arrogant prick. I was self-aware that I did have rather… intense moments, but those were passing.

"Are you going to read or will you continue wasting my time?"

"Yes," I smirked.

Valerie scowled. She walked over to the seat adjacent to me and sat. I lifted myself up into an upright position, meeting her eyes.

"For a tower three abmian, you don't study a lot."

"Thanks," I replied curtly.

She appeared a lot more annoyed. Keep stabbing her with the needle, poke poke, Heh.

"How long are you going to be following me around?"

"Until we know you're innocent." No rest for the accomplice.

"Hey, do you hear that?" I tap the open book in front of me, "She thinks I'm a murderer! Me!" I yell in at a volume appropriate for a library.

She rolls her eyes.

"Little does she know," I whisper so that she has to strain to hear me, "the only killing I do is monetary."

"You think you're witty, but you aren't."

"Please," I held a hand out, "You'll make me cry."

Last night had been a much-deserved break from the drama. I had slept like a corpse being stripped of its meat by carrion. Not managing to have a private chat with Nyx either, my fear of her subsided since I was in arms reach of her. I was in a good mood, actually no, I felt fantastic.

She pulled a book from the stack on the table and began thumbing through it pretending to be occupied.

It was strange having someone you didn't know and didn't like stalking you around, guess this is how some women feel out in the streets. I couldn't do anything with her. Going for a walk meant having to talk to her, eating meant I had to hold a conversation, even class yesterday was awkward. Everyone wasn't able to keep their gazes off of us, and apparently, a certain someone heard that I was the suspect in the recent murders— somebody with access to a stream of listeners, hot food, and watered-down drink.

What I would've liked doing is asking Nyx to actually teach me something, Our hands were tapping against the table impatiently. My promise of vengeance was just that, a promise. She hadn't said a word in an entire day, I assumed she was the silent type with the occasional bad humor injection. If I was going to betray her, I would have to befriend her, which meant I had to talk with an unstable and brooding sorceress.

I was ecstatic.

There was going to be a long talk at the end of this tunnel, and I hoped it wouldn't result in the loss of my other arm. I still couldn't figure out how she had murdered the two, and that itself was a whole other conversation. Rade and Lips were dead, I saw them myself. Yet, my denial of the bonds that grew was an improvised defense. I'm not sure if I can make myself cry over them, we genuinely hadn't been close. It didn't make me feel weird for not feeling grief, but it was interesting seeing how my mind reacted to the loss. I was rather surprised, and a little bit too pleased that there wasn't a hole in me, as some people described it. I was emotionally cold, except when the pain was directed purely at me, then that made me flare up. The only reason I didn't light up my bedroom was that I didn't want to ruin the only place I could sleep. I could've ended up on the streets, or worse, staying at Mira's place.

The blonde Saint coughs grabbing my attention.

"Are you feeling ill? You cough a lot." I said with a smile threatening to overtake my face. "Do you need to see an alchemist? It's alright if you go, I'll be fine." I drew out the last word with extra emphasis.

"I'm here to protect you from the woman that you claimed to be hunting you."

Too late, lady.

Wait, didn't she say that she was here to determine my innocnese? By following me around? Why the change in story?

A giggle emanates from my coat

"What was that?" She peers at me suspiciously. I had a feeling that she knew that I knew that she knew I was hiding something from her. Wait, so that too many 'knews?' I knew that she knew, that-

"That didn't come from you, Mr. Faust."

I turn around in my seat, "Yeah, you're right," I said bobbing my head, "it's the books. They're alive!" I was playing this dangerously, she knew that, I knew that the other she knew that I knew that, I knew that she knew that she didn't know-

I rubbed my eyes, enough of that.

"It's nothing, really," I waved my hand with finality.

"It's not nothing." She stood up and walked around the table to me. "Show me what's in your coat."

Nyx's hand withdrew the book and held it out. Valerie smirked, "You're hiding a book?" She opens it up and disdainfully hands it back. "Still doesn't answer my question."

I shrug, "I laughed, don't know why you think It was me."

"Let's go, if you're not going to read, I haven't eaten breakfast."

Welp, there goes the battle of attrition.

Closing the book I stood up, "Fine, let's go."

Valerie and I stepped into sight of the Market, and it was packed. No stalls were step up, a barren square. I followed the sight of the people to the crier standing before them. The man's eyes were puffy and red, he kept glancing at the paper but wasn't able to repeat what he had said. The mass of humanity were talking among themselves, a small portion crying for some reason. Did somebody of prominence die? I glanced at the White Hand beside me, but she didn't seem to know what was going on.

"Excuse me, what happened?" I asked the nearest person, a man covered in dirt and mortar.

"Tanrha's begun."

My eyes widen. The Panacea was beginning the ritual at Gruus. The Saint didn't seem to understand completely.

"Where is It?" She said stoutly.

"Gruus." I replied.

She stood up straighter, I saw her hand grip the pommel of the sword at her hip. The Saint reacted tensely even to the name of an Owari, interesting. Their hate for them was a red bestial rage. No one really knew what the Owari were for they did not speak, but they were beings of sorcery, made from the very essence of echera; Making them diametric to the Saints.

The reason why the Panacea was at Gruus was obvious once you opened up a history book. It was where the Edifice was located, the center of the Saints. There was no documentation of Owari communicating, they only spoke words of rituals, and those that heard them went mad. Which was absolute horseshit, hearing an incantation did not make people go mad. There was no proof— mainly because the witnesses were diagnosed with a thorough case of dead.

"Saves me work, then," I stroked my chin, "Maybe I should get Tanrha a gift? What would something like that enjoy?"

The Saint glared at me.

"I'm thinking a cake, with tea, and— of course," I smiled, "The entrails of children." I sweep my coat out, letting it catch a breeze.

The Saint kept glaring, her eyes gone dark.

"But where am I supposed to get a cake?"

"You do not like the Saints?" She queried in an oddly neutral tone.

"Tsh. Yeah."

"Why?" She queried raising an eyebrow.

I looked at her uniform and then back up at her, "The eradication of magic."

She crossed her arms, "We aren't getting rid of it, we're storing it safely in archives."

"And when it gets cold you have an archives worth of kindling."

She ignored me and directed her attention to the crier.

Guess that answers that?

"A new string of murders last night, eight agents of the Saints were found dead in their homes. The loyal men and women that served the people of this city were brutally murdered, their burnt-"

Did Nyx kill the first two? Old Scruffy said that somebody teleported, or used some power to travel over the city to Rade's home. But another eight dead? All of them found burnt too, more lines connecting me.

I didn't have the strongest alibi. Valerie moved in into the room next door to mine, but I could've snuck out. My stomach churned with anxiety, I hoped that the lack of connection between myself and the eight was proof I didn't kill them.

Valerie, the White Hand had an indifferent scowl on her face, but I knew that she was worried. Sure, the Saints could arrest me and hold court, but there was no evidence. You know, besides Valerie as a witness of my discontent with the Saints, and my heated debates with teachers and students. She, on the other hand, could be dead by sunrise. Not that I would miss her, it would make me look like the culprit, but, oh shit. It'd make me look guilty. The burnt corpses of the victims were also… proof… oh dear.

Fire sorcery is the most difficult of the basic pillars in the Abmian Tower. The sheer force of will is necessary to not fry yourself, but lighting requires more finesse. What makes flames challenging to use was how draining it is. I studied it because it was the most difficult of the basic pillars, I enjoyed the challenge— and the ego boost. My skill in lighting was shown in my ability to create Dwannon's Spark, a simple mote of power that could contain a current depending on the amount of echera poured into it. After learning it, my drive to continue learning that pillar dissolved, having been satisfied with my work with the single spell.

So basically, I looked guilty to anyone that knew me, especially if they cherry-picked the facts, which isn't good. Mainly because I'm not well liked by anyone that did know me. Guess that's what friends are for, making sure you didn't go swinging in the breeze.

"Burnt bodies," Valerie said, her eyes were looking at me expecting a reaction.

"This is as much," My voice was gruff, I coughed into my hand clearing my throat, "as a surprise for myself as it is to you."

She placed a hand on Nyx's arm and began directing us away.

Oh no, oh no, now she thought I was guilty. The stupid woman,"Just because my voice just got thick doesn't mean-"

"Shut up."

"I was in my room last night it's impossible that it's me!"

She said nothing and I didn't dare turn around to scrutinize her.

"Valerie-"

"Stop talking."

A snowball flew at my face, I saw it inch closer to me in slow motion. Then it struck, some of it falling into my shirt. The children around the corner laughed and threw another, "evil sorcerer!"

Such well-mannered children.

"Look a saint!" The kids laughed, with bright little naive smiles. They ran up to the White hand, streaming around me as if I was a stone in the rapids.

"Hey Miss Saint, whatcha doin' with that sorcerer?" One of the boys asked.

There were in total six children, four boys, and two girls. They surrounded her, wolves to a carcass.

Valerie smiled with a large toothy grin, "How did you know he was a sorcerer?"

"Only Saints handle sorcerers, Ma'am." A polite girl said, standing off to my left.

We were starting to attract attention from people. Heads were turning, people staring, and we were in sight of the crowd of the forum.

If people started thinking that I was the one responsible, I might get a lynch mob after me.

"Are you going to kill the sorcerer?" A tubby boy asked, the other girl, an urchin, elbowed him in the side, "Ma'am."

"Just Custody."

"Is that the murderer!" A woman cried out from the crowd in the square.

Her cry of outrage sparked more angry yelling.

"I saw him yesterday! They say murderers always come back to the scene!"

"My friend is dead!"

The screaming blurred together, a cesspit of malevolence.

"Get away from him, children." Several adults came and pulled the rascals away.

We were being surrounded. Well, I was surrounded. They weren't going to tear apart a White Hand, but a sorcerer? Free game. Once people knew that you were a sorcerer, you might as well become a hermit.

"We're going to verify his guilt."

What? Was she assuming I did do it? "I didn't do this, I was home the entire time you idiot!" I tried pushing off her hand but she held firm. "Dammit, look I have no idea what's going on. But I promise that-"

I was drowned out by their yelling. Fucking monkeys can't listen to reason. They've lost their sense of individualism. You could punish a man, but not a city, I griped.

"I am escorting him, please clear the way." The sea of people parted.

Ten murders. Two the first night, another eight on the second. Was it Nyx? My earlier dive into the library was an attempt to go through history books, but with the Saint watching my every move, it could've brought up questions.

As we walked down the streets towards the Saints' base, people followed us, glaring angrily. Seems that the eight that died were some well-liked people?

I needed to move after this, people would recognize me. If the real killer wasn't found I would become a scapegoat.

Bahh.

I chuckled to myself, aware that it would seem like I'm insane.

The White Hand shoved me roughly. Perhaps acting. I hoped she was acting.

My eyes glazed over the people. This was her fault. Pushing me around as if I was guilty, admitting it to everybody. Even if I was judged innocent my life was ruined. Soon artists would start illustrating and spreading my image across the Yara. Fuck.

Maybe Nyx might save me, that'd be neat. I should change into a princess costume and scream for my dashing hero. Nyx ex machina.

Odd how my life was now over, from a simple walk in the metaphorical park.

I stumbled on the uneven cobblestone street as I was pushed not-too-gently by the Saint.

I looked down, avoiding myself from being seen. I was saving face, hah.

"We meet again, Mr. Faust."

I looked up to see the scruffy White Hand from before.

Well shit.

"We're going to headquarters."

"You're a terrible liar, Miss Valerie," He reprimanded. "HQ is up that street, he pointed over her right shoulder.

So she was trying to help?

"There's zero evidence that he's responsible. I was with him last night. I'll be taking him there."

Gruffy Scruffy shook his head, "Why don't we all go?" He smirked.

"Bara, he's just a student."

I sighed.

"A student who got access to tower three abmian spells."

I laughed, I couldn't help myself. The tension was just building up with nowhere to go. Tears began streaming down my face as I howled at the insanity of the situation.

The Bara regarded me silently. "An innocent man would scream about the injustice, yet you laugh."

I kept laughing hysterically, aware, but uncaring of what the Saint had said. I took a breath, "It's just ridiculous," I giggled, "I wouldn't hurt a fly."

"You teleported over the city, murdered two of my agents, and claim innocence, whilst beguiling my naive partner and convincing her that you are in fact innocent. Then," He stepped closer, our chests inches apart, his breath coming out foggy, "You kill another eight without leaving a detectable trail. You are stupid. Fixing your mistake, only to make another."

"I didn't kill anyone."

"You kill another eight agents, those that have zero ties to you. Your mistake was killing more agents."

"There's no proof I did any of that!"

"There's no proof you didn't."

That didn't make sense! "You can't prosecute me without any evidence! That's not how this works!"

"I can't?" He left the question hanging.

Valerie walked to stand next to me, thank Echid, maybe she might convince him. "Only minutes ago he was considering giving Tanrha a gift for wiping out the Edifice."

No no no, what the hell? "I was joking!" Wasn't she on my side?

I looked at her, but her eyes, they were resigned.

Bara face turned to stone, "You run, and it's guaranteed that you'll be exec-"

I ran.