Chapter 233: Denial

(Meanwhile, Stacy’s POV)

The atmosphere surrounding the four Houses had changed remarkably from when Black Week began, as with news of the tragedy spreading throughout the Imperial Academy, the rivalries that had consumed everyone only hours earlier seemed to have been temporarily forgotten.

Students who would ordinarily have been attacked the moment they entered another House’s territory could now be seen gathering inside rival castles, desperately exchanging whatever information they possessed as everyone tried to determine who had been involved in the disaster at Northwatch.

Inside House Aureate, Stacy sat silently among a large gathering of students while different names continued passing through the crowd.

"Cyrus was definitely there. Apparently, he’s one of the confirmed dead."

"Gary Ironveil survived. Dawnriver carried him all the way to the Medical Wing."

"I heard several of our Second Years were involved too, although nobody knows how many are actually dead yet."

Stacy listened carefully as the rumors continued spreading, although her expression barely changed upon hearing the names of the Aureate students involved.

She knew Cyrus and Gary by reputation, while some of the other seniors were familiar faces she occasionally encountered around the castle, yet she shared no meaningful relationship with any of them.

Their deaths were horrifying.

However, they still felt distant enough that Stacy could listen without truly understanding the magnitude of what their families were about to experience.

Then someone mentioned House Argent.

"They’re reporting several students missing from Argent too."

A nearby Second Year muttered, immediately drawing Stacy’s attention.

"Riven Dawnriver is apparently at the Medical Wing with Gary, while Jeff Zorat survived and is being taken there for treatment as well. But the others who usually follow Dawnriver are still unaccounted for."

Stacy unconsciously leaned closer.

"Batista, Randy, Flair and Matt haven’t returned to Argent, while there was apparently another student Cedric sent towards Northwatch earlier to help recall the Argent teams."

The Second Year paused while trying to remember the name.

"Mary. I think her name was Mary."

Stacy’s mind went completely blank.

For several seconds, the voices surrounding her seemed to become strangely distant as she stared at the student without properly understanding anything he said afterward.

’Mary?’

Stacy thought, as something uncomfortable tightened inside her chest.

’Big Sister is missing?’

Her body moved before her thoughts properly caught up.

Stacy abruptly pushed herself onto her feet and rushed towards the castle entrance, ignoring several confused voices calling after her as she shoved through the gathered students and burst outside into the rain.

"Mary...."

Stacy muttered beneath her breath, as she began running towards House Argent.

There had to be some misunderstanding.

Mary had probably returned through another route, or perhaps she had been injured somewhere and hadn’t reached the castle yet, because the alternative forming inside Stacy’s mind was something she refused to entertain.

Her sister couldn’t be dead..... She just couldn’t be.

By the time she arrived at the Argent castle, her breathing had become ragged, although she didn’t slow down as she rushed through the entrance without caring whether the Argent students guarding it attempted to stop her.

"MARY!"

Stacy screamed, as several students inside the entrance ground immediately turned towards her.

"MARY! WHERE ARE YOU?!"

She hurried farther inside while frantically searching every face around her.

"MARY!"

Nobody answered.

Several Argent students lowered their gazes instead, and although Stacy noticed the strange way they were looking at her, she refused to understand what those expressions meant.

"Where’s Mary?"

Stacy demanded, as she grabbed the arm of the nearest student.

"She’s from Ashfang! First Year! Military recruit! Where the fuck is she?"

The student hesitated.

"I-I don’t know."

"Then find someone who does!"

Stacy snapped, as her Frost Aether unconsciously stirred within her Soul Vessel.

"Mary!"

"Stacy?"

A woman’s voice finally called from farther inside the hall.

Stacy immediately turned and saw Gwen approaching her, although the pity already visible within the House Secretary’s eyes caused something inside Stacy’s stomach to twist painfully.

"Where is she?"

Stacy asked, as she hurried towards Gwen.

"Where’s my sister?"

Gwen stopped in front of her.

For a moment, the House Secretary seemed unable to decide how to answer, while Stacy stared desperately into her eyes and waited for her to say that Mary was injured somewhere.

Instead, Gwen’s expression softened.

"I hope the reports we’ve received are wrong."

Gwen said quietly, as Stacy’s breathing immediately stopped feeling natural.

"But several students who were near Northwatch before the grounds were sealed have reported that Mary might have been among those who didn’t survive."

Stacy stared at her.

The words entered her ears clearly enough, yet her mind refused to give them meaning.

"You’re her sister, aren’t you?"

Gwen asked softly.

Stacy didn’t answer.

"I’m so sorry."

Gwen muttered, as she extended one arm towards Stacy and attempted to pull the younger girl into an embrace.

SWAT!

Stacy violently slapped her hand away.

"You’re lying!"

She screamed, as Gwen recoiled slightly from the unexpected reaction.

"Mary can’t be dead! You bitch, don’t fucking say that!"

Stacy’s voice cracked beneath the final words, while something cold flickered between their hands for an instant before disappearing.

Gwen looked down.

A tiny crystal of ice had formed across the center of her palm where Stacy had struck her, although Stacy had already turned away without noticing it.

Her Frost Aether was responding to emotions she could no longer control.

Stacy rushed from the Argent castle and immediately began running towards the Northwatch Grounds, ignoring the temporary curfew that Principal Boseman had imposed across the Academy.

She knew violating it could result in serious disciplinary action.

However, right now, she just did not care.

If Mary was injured, Stacy needed to reach her, while if everyone had somehow mistaken another student for her sister, then she needed to see that mistake with her own eyes before the horrible pressure crushing against her chest became too much to bear.

’She can’t be dead.’

Stacy thought, as rain struck painfully against her face while her legs continued carrying her forward.

’No.... Big Sister can’t be dead.’

The thought became harder to believe the closer she came to Northwatch.

Stacy could already see professors surrounding the distant grounds, while figures moved among shapes lying motionless across the earth behind them.

Her stomach turned.

She forced herself to keep running.

"Stop right there!"

A deep voice suddenly called from ahead.

Professor Mike stepped into her path, his enormous frame completely blocking Stacy from continuing towards the secured grounds.

"You can’t go any farther, child. There’s a curfew underway, and Northwatch has been sealed until the investigation is complete."

"Move."

Stacy muttered, as she attempted to step around him.

Mike moved with her.

"Please return to your House."

"MY SISTER MIGHT BE OUT THERE."

Stacy replied, as she finally looked up into his eyes.

Mike’s expression changed slightly.

"Mary.... She’s my sister, and they’re saying she....."

Her voice trembled despite her attempt to keep it steady.

"I’m her blood relative, Professor. You can’t prevent me from searching for my own sister when nobody will even tell me whether she’s alive."

Mike’s jaw tightened.

"The crime scene can’t be contaminated."

He explained, although the apology in his expression made Stacy’s chest hurt even more.

"If we allow students to walk through these grounds, we could destroy something that helps us identify whoever did this."

"I don’t care."

Stacy replied, as tears finally began gathering within her eyes.

"If she’s hurt, then she might need me."

"Stacy—"

"I need to see my sister!"

She shouted, as she suddenly slipped around Mike and continued running.

Professor Mike instinctively turned to stop her before releasing a long, exhausted sigh.

His gaze shifted towards Principal Boseman in the distance.

Boseman had already noticed what was happening.

The Principal watched Stacy for several seconds before slowly raising one hand towards Mike, signaling for him to let the girl pass.

Mike reluctantly stepped aside, although Stacy never noticed the exchange between him and the Principal as she continued running deeper into Northwatch, her breathing growing increasingly frantic while her eyes desperately searched every motionless figure for the familiar face she had spent all her life following.

Her attention eventually shifted towards a large boulder stained with blood despite the continuing rain, where several professors stood with solemn expressions before one of them quietly moved aside upon noticing her approach.

Stacy’s hurried footsteps gradually slowed as something pale became visible upon the ground behind him, while her eyes settled upon a familiar patch of frizzy hair soaked by the rain and spread across the bloodied earth.

She immediately recognized that hair.

However, some desperate part of her mind continued refusing to understand what she was looking at until she moved closer and finally saw Mary’s face beneath it.

Stacy’s gaze slowly travelled towards the horrific wound across her sister’s throat before falling upon the mutilated remains of her body, and as the reality of what lay before her finally became impossible to deny, Stacy suddenly felt as though her lungs had forgotten how to draw another breath.

The denial that had carried her all the way from House Aureate collapsed beneath the sight of her sister’s corpse, while a cold, nauseating horror spread through her stomach as Stacy remained frozen in place, staring at what remained of her Big Sister.