C:SOD Chapter 4 (Patreon)

"My children, weeps the Lady of Carnations, for her hands are full"

"Hermes?! Herme- call the authorities! Gather the students to the courtyard! Watch out for the ones with trauma responses!" While rushing to aid an unconscious teacher, Father Daniel still barks out orders in this disturbing event. "Hermes? Can you hear me? Dear Lady..."

Father Daniel lifts Hermes like a bride and rushes inside of school where the students frantically call the cops and the paramedics. The gates are also closed for an immediate lockdown, in order to avoid more students coming in or out to witness such a horrific scene.

Everyone was shaken, and the Father starts reciting a prayer to the Lady of Carnations under his breath. He sets Hermes by the wall, not leaving his side. "Glory to the Lady of Carnations whose tears weep over the pure and the sinful. Guide your children from danger be it pure or sinful. O, merciful Lady..."

When that body mercilessly descended onto the ground, Hermes can only hear the crashing of glass and the breaking of a phone from the other line over.

"Thena?! THENA." His knees felt weak and he screams at his phone, needing to hold onto a railing as his trembling fingers desperately call Carvalle's number. The second the tone changed he yells in the middle of his dormitory stairs, "My sister! Something happened! HELP HER!"

"Sir? I-"

"Thena! Thena..." He cried so heavily, the first and last time he ever yelled his emotions out. It felt terrible, it was terrible to become emotional after years of taking it in like a man. He rests against the railing, breaking down into sobs when the call ends and the fate of his sister are unknown.

That was the last time he ever acted that way. For when he received the call informing him of his sister's passing...

"Hello? Mmm yes, I'm here watching over students injured by the glass or having panic attacks." Father Daniel reports to the Principal on the phone, "The police are looking into it, and so far nobody else is severely hurt. We shall wait for their official reports on the incident."

Hermes wakes up in a strange yet familiar room, the medical clinic of Carvalle. There were around 7 beds in this particular clinic, and there are people in them getting examined by doctors. Some had to be supported by oxygen tanks because of panic. And Hermes spots Father Daniel pacing on the side of his bed, extremely worried and troubled.

"..." Hermes uses his elbows to push himself to sit, feeling his arm got sore from landing on it when he passed out.

"Mr. Quinn!" Father Daniel calls for a medic to examine the newly awakened Hermes who then inspects his blood pressure, eye coordination, and temperature. "Are you alright?"

"What... how long did I...? What just happened?" Hermes presses his wrist against his eyes after being flashed by a light.

Father Daniel is relieved that he is fine, but the same cannot be said for that poor girl earlier. "Right in front of the Lady's eyes, a poor girl died on the 3rd-floor laboratory. Hung by the neck... until it..."

Hermes visibly cringed and looked away, "Oh god, that really happened... oh my god, that really..." He barfed air, covering his mouth as a sense of dread filled his stomach. No head... blood everywhere... her body was torn off her head...

Hermes starts to tear up in disgust and sadness over the student's gruesome death. He tries to be calm and composed as possible, but his voice was trembling. "Y... you don't believe she did that to herself, right?"

"I don't believe it as well," says Father Daniel, head buried in thoughts for a moment. "A person cannot simply saw their own neck, a rope cannot maim it too deeply. There must be something at play here..."

They weren't alone in the clinic, it was full of students who passed out or had a panic attack at the sight of that body, some still crying and hyperventilating which the paramedics are trying to take care of.

Among those students was Mavis, who is being treated with an oxygen tank. His weak, sleepless eyes spotted Hermes sitting on the bed by the Priest, and his heart beats faster at the sight of him. I hope he's okay... that was so scary... but... I... I wish I can go near him...

Hermes was questioned by the police for a moment, and his testimony was the same as everyone else who witnessed it. The window broke, the girl hung, and her body dropped low. It was traumatizing for a lot of the students, but Hermes does his best to stay calm despite his panic. He is a teacher, after all.

"Thank you, Sirs," the officer says before radioing his companions.

Students and teachers are to be sent to their dormitories and classes are suspended until the crime scene is recorded and cleaned. Mavis abandoned his oxygen machine and rushed to Hermes before he can exit the clinic.

"Mr. Quinn!" He calls out, almost tripping if not for Hermes catching him by the shoulders. Being this close to such a pretty individual made Mavis' heart skip enough for him to cough for a bit. "Haha... uhm... I'm glad you're okay...! I saw you laying there... I... I thought something bad happened..."

He always sounds so out of breath. Hermes, though concerned, emotionlessly says out of obligation, "Don't worry about me, Mavis. Are you okay? Breathe properly for me..."

For you? Mavis smiles shyly, his smile making his eyes close because they're too shy to look at Hermes, too. "I'm fine... mm... that was scary... I couldn't breathe for a second... but I'm fine! C-can I walk with you, pleas-"

"Mavis." His name was clear and sternly called out by a man wearing an all-white suit standing feet in front of them, glaring at how Hermes is hugging the student.

"Oh... hi, Frost... d-did you see what happened earlier? I-"

"Don't get close to the teachers, if he dies too you'll become a suspect and will get jailed!" Frost angrily scolds the guy and snatched him away from Hermes by the hand, Mavis crying out at the tight hold of his wrist.

"Excuse me, why are you hurting him like that," Hermes steps forward to reprimand Frost by grabbing onto his arm, but the taller blonde shook him away.

"Stay away from Mavis," he spits at Hermes, with all the disrespect he can muster. "I don't want him to starve himself again when another favorite teacher of his dies."

What? Hermes stares in horror as Frost drags a crying Mavis by the wrist. The teacher can do nothing, for he is stunned and powerless against Frost. Mavis... starved himself when Thena died... ?

Frost is cruel to him, maybe because he cannot replace Thena, or because he may replace her. Could it be both? Maybe Frost does have some kind of connection with Mavis, after all. The guy is harsh, but it's all for the sake of 'protecting' this sickly guy.

Alright, Thena's death affected the weird twins and Mavis, they don't look like they could do something bad to her... Mavis is weak enough to have trouble with a spoon, but Hermes is still suspicious of the twins, especially the one who smelled him too much. He has to know the people close to Thena, or against her.

Maybe Mavis can help with that, since he was Thena's pupil. And maybe... maybe Frost knows something as well.

the next three days,

ATTENTION

FRIDAY MASS will be dedicated to the unfortunate loss of Evelyn Constantino, a beloved student from Class 3-B.

May the Lady of Carnations guide her soul as it rests in peace.

Hermes can hear some of the girls' friends sob at as they read the announcement on the bulletin board. His heart is darkened and he can't be bothered to smile, as does everyone in school. He wonders if she has a brother too. A family she left behind... after her suicide.

Indeed, the school marked it as a suicide again. After all those witness testimonies and the forensic department noting that she couldn't have done that herself, the school refused to open up the investigation after a heavy clean-up.

Even a rich student? No justice for her? What is going on in this school?

Hermes feels a gentle tap on his shoulder, so he turns around to see a shy bandaged Mavis waving his hand. "Hello... Mr. Quinn..."

"Mavis, shouldn't you get to class?" Hermes bluntly says, proceeding to walk to the hallways. He is aware of how cold he sounds, but his mood is anything but kind right now.

"Uhm!" Mavis catches up to him, his words now a little breathy after a fast walk. "You... didn't get to come over... to get Miss Quinn's belonging..."

Hermes pauses for a bit, allowing Mavis to catch his breath because his auto-immune diseases don't allow him to walk as fast as others without getting tired. Hermes asks him, "Why don't you just bring it here?"

Mavis then blushed, kind of a weird reaction to a logical question. "Uhm... I... I was planning to uhm.... maybe I can ask you... when you come over... to uhm... b-be..."

Hermes patiently waits as the guy fidgets with his bandages, a little scared of what he's about to ask.

"... be my tutor... ? Like... like Miss Quinn... I... I need one..." He finally breathes out.

Hermes sighs in relief that it's not anything weird at all. "A tutor. Hmm... I'm a little bit busy-"

"I can pay! Uhm... a lot... l-like... maybe... f-five thousand every session...?"

Five what?! Can he even afford—wait, this is a Carvalle student... Mavis really doesn't look that rich because of his sometimes dirty bandages and unironed clothes. He doesn't wear a tie, so Hermes assumed he can't get a new one. His hair is messy too, like he can't afford a proper haircut. So when he said that number, Hermes was more than shocked. Mavis is still a Carvalle student... ugh, I really judged by looks.

"Every weekend, I'll do it," Hermes says, patting Mavis' neck which made the boy happy.

"Would that be good for you?"

"Yay!" His celebratory voice trembled a bit, as he is still very prone to voice cracks even after puberty. "Uhm... I know I'm too weak... to protect you... b-but, I will... still protect you... Mr. Quinn...!"

Hermes has to admit, Mavis is pretty cute. Beyond that unhealthy look on his face, his personality is admirable. He doesn't let his conditions get in the way of his normal life, like studying and interacting with people he likes. Maybe being friends with him isn't all bad.

that morning,

Hermes Quinn came in looking forward to a fresh day. However, upon opening the door, a huge bucket fell and doused him in water.

What.

As laughter erupts all around him, he can feel his hair increase in weight and hear the proud laughter of the students. He feels embarrassed, but most likely irritated about the water.

He looks at the class, who are now holding back their laughs. But not the blonde at the back, who has his legs up on his desk and obnoxious head propped by his fist. Frost. Hermes spots Mavis at the front, his face looking pitiful and fists trembling as the boy feels so bad for being unable to stop his classmates from setting up the trap.

"He looks like Carrie but straight to DVD..."

"Pft, his clothes are see-through now... how cheap."

"He's looking kinda sexy, you know... like he's not wearing a bra..."

"Males don't wear bras, moron."

"I do, what's wrong with that?"

"Is this how you treat your teachers?" Hermes says with a normal voice, severely disappointed in them.

"No, we just hate you," Frost answers from the back, with the smuggest of looks and making the other make fun of Hermes even more. He raises his eyebrow as if making a point that, you should've agreed to my proposal...

It's as if the Lady of Carnations opened up their minds. Like I'll ever be your bítch, Frost.

Mavis in the front looks very upset, but he can only stay in his seat and Hermes could not blame him for that. Seeing this, and everyone's prideful smirks, Hermes is a little hurt and embarrassed. "Hm. Class will continue. However, I will not dismiss you until the floor is all clean..."

"June will clean that would you, buddy?" Frost says, which the class smirks at. Mavis looks very scared in the front and it doesn't look like he'll go against Frost this time.

"What-"

Frost raises an eyebrow, "Is this special treatment for a student you're interested in, Mr. Quinn?"

"That is false, and I do not have any relationship with Mavis-"

"Good, then he'll clean it," the white king then relaxes on his desk. Then he nonchalantly says, "Don't you need to get dressed? Teaching us with wet clothes, how unprofessional."

Once again, an argument Hermes can't debunk, or else he'll prove Frost's conspiracy.

This fúcking brat. Too embarrassed to function, he excuses himself to go to the gym to change.

the following days, Hermes Quinn has tasted the power of the White King of Carvalle, when Frost vowed that one in Carvalle would respect Hermes.

Classes where nobody listened to him, except an attentive Mavis. Hermes kept telling everyone to listen up, but even though they all pretended he doesn't exist, some students answered a call loudly while he's lecturing, the teacher still goes on with his lesson because he's not giving up. He's not giving them the satisfaction of another classless day.

I'm not giving them the satisfaction of me quitting.

Class 3-A, another class that barely participated, all exit at the sound of the bell. Since half the class pass by the teacher's table, pieces of crumpled-up paper always get thrown to Hermes' face. This is all Frost's doing.

Hermes sighs, finding Mavis once again the only one left in his classroom. He looks at Hermes with a sorry look on his face.

"They... won't listen to me..." The boy says between weak breaths, "I'm sorry, Mr. Quinn..."

"It's alright. I'm still not quitting," Hermes optimistically smiles as he gets up and packs his things, "They can throw whatever they wa- AHH!"

"Mr. Hermes...!" Mavis gets up once the teacher slips on a heavily lubricated floor, spilled by a student on their way out of the door. Mavis tries helping him up, but barely has the strength and almost gets pulled down.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Hermes apologizes, rejecting his help. "No, I'm fine! Don't... don't worry about me, I can..." my áss hurts...

"Please be careful..." Mavis looks like he wants to cry now. "Frost... Frost won't stop until... he gets what he wants... and... he'll hurt you... if you don't quit..."

Until he gets what he wants huh... "Don't worry, Mavis..." Hermes gets up and frustratingly sighs at his ruined pants. "I'm spiteful. Doing such terrible things will only make me want to stay in Carvalle even more."

once, he sat down on a chair suddenly electrocuted because of a button the other students glued onto there.

then, his desk got vandalized with death threats and scribbles of insults, with a large "QUIT" in the middle of it. Hermes didn't give up, and skipped lunch just to paint over those.

more classes later, Hermes avoided rat traps that are put under his desk meant to harm his feet. The more classes that play pranks on Hermes, the more Mavis wants to cry for not being able to do something about it especially when it's the lower years. However, he makes sure to accompany the teacher after class to make sure nobody approaches to prank the teacher.

"He's not quitting?" They would whisper among themselves.

"Frost! Do something!"

"Should we ask the twins for hel-"

"No," Frost says to himself, but not loud enough for the teacher up front to hear. Frost has his head lowered and menacingly looks up at Hermes saying, "That teacher is mine."

finally, the weekend,

And Hermes can finally sigh in relief with paint all over his clothes because some 2nd-year students threw a paint bomb on him in the Gym. He goes straight to his dorm where he awkwardly meets teachers who are concerned about his appearance.

Only one seemed to not be afraid to talk to him or join him in the elevator.

"Mr. Quinn, what nice design to your uniform. P.E class is very fun for the kids," the handsome young Father Daniel greets him as the elevator door closes.

Yeah, fúcking grown áss kids who follow a blonde spoiled brat like a bunch of mindless zombies. Hermes just laughs while rolling his eyes before saying with a dead face, "Haha, yes. Fun."

Father Daniel's beauty reflected from the surface of the elevator doors distracts Hermes a lot, especially when he looks very good in a casual suit that seemed too fitting for someone very muscular like him. A rather sexy outfit, or is Hermes just sexualizing a dámn Priest?

"You are preparing for Friday's mass this afternoon?" Nah, it's just a normal black clergy suit that looks good on him. Tight doesn't mean séxy...

Hermes glances at him with a stoic face. Shít, he's really attractive and it's not the clothes.

"Yes, the tribute to the late Miss Constantine," Father Daniel answered, which soured the other male's mood. "Will you be attending?"

Ahh... can't believe I got distracted by his appearance. I'm still in the school of devils, school of demons... Even though her death is still the talk of the school, it's like the students never learned and continued bullying. Or is it because of Frost's influence? At that thought, Hermes has a little lightbulb on his head. Is Frost powerful enough to convince students to kill and remain silent?

Shít. He is one of the top suspects now. For both the student and my sister's death. That pretentious brat.

"If I can get paint off my hair, I can," Hermes smiles up at him, a smile stiff and cold as his usual self. The elevator opens, and he steps out. But, in order to be a little polite, he faces the priest and waves goodbye.

However, Father Daniel steps forward to block the sensors and prevent the door from closing, then proceeds to reach out to tear a softly dried piece of paint off Hermes' dark hair, quite close to his face enough to feel the heat from a different man.

"I will look forward to the day those lips show me a genuine smile," he says, before stepping away to allow the door to close.

Hermes' eyebrows have never risen so high before and his cheeks warm-up against his will. Fúck, this man... What if he thought differently and, Fúck this man...

Hermes you slút, he turns around to proceed to his dorm. A girl just died, his Sister's killer is out there killing again, and here he is flirting with a priest. How shameful.

Saturday,

"Mr. Quinn!" A young man excitedly calls out to the teacher from the back of a fancy car, here to pick up his new tutor.

Oh... Mavis has a driver... and a... limousine, Hermes did not expect this. Again, he assumed that Mavis is not at all as rich as everyone else with how he acts or looks. Hermes smiles and enters the fancy car with his bookbag, sitting by the door a distance away from Mavis.

"Good morning Mavis, how are you?" He asks as the car start to move. The student is now in a thin casual button-up and above the knee short slacks, revealing the bandages he also wears at the legs. Hermes couldn't help but stare at those bandages in pity, hoping that Mavis isn't in too much pain.

"I'm alright, haha... you look so handsome today," he says in a light tone, his speech being carried by his breath. He looks a little better with a headband keeping his hair around his face and... hmm, is he wearing a little bit of concealer and lip tint? He doesn't look as pale as before...

Mavis looks really cute. And they enjoy talking with each other on their way to his house.

His house, which left Hermes' mouth open in fúcking shock. This is his house?! This... this is a castle! What-?!

"You live here?!" Hermes gasps when the car entered a villa with an old-fashioned multi-million mansion slightly renovated to contain some glass and modern greenery. Hermes can see the lobby's chandelier from the outside, all the fancy interior decorations all because the entrance has a huge window that displays the wealth of this private estate.

"Haha yes, I'm sorry it's... it's not as colorful..." Mavis never invited anyone to his house before so he doesn't know how to respond to that.

"Colorfu-this is like an old Hollywood movie star's house!" Hermes whispers in both shock and excitement, both of the sides of their cars now being opened by the employees.

"It's lonely," Mavis sadly says as he walks beside Hermes to enter the huge house. The teacher is still in shock, because the place is the size of a Mall.

Mavis is really something... He follows the boy into the place where he eagerly tells him about how excited he is having a friend come over. Hermes wants to correct him that he came here as a tutor, but he doesn't want to disrupt Mavis' excited ramblings.

"I can't wait for you to see the dog! He's so cute and fluffy, oh! We have cats too, and three parrots, maybe you'd like to see the Bobcat and the rescued tigers we adopted-"

Hermes wasn't able to react at them having tigers because they heard a very familiar voice from the top of the stairs as they walk up.

"Mavis?" Says a voice of class and arrogance, Hermes once again shocked at the presence of the one and only White King, Frost. "What's a peasant doing here?"

Frost is here? What-