C:SOD Chapter 21 (Patreon)

that afternoon, friday

Hermes Quinn wouldn't meet the eyes of the young Master in front of him as they journey to his place in a luxury car, as expected from a very rich student. Meanwhile, Frost is staring at him with predatory eyes, unintentionally intimidating because he's merely observing. Hermes is shivering a bit from the air conditioner, and he's clutching the blanket to himself but unable to hide his dirty face.

Frost sighs as if annoyed, throwing a box of tissues towards the teacher and telling the driver, "Turn the AC down, 26°. Hermes, clean yourself up."

Frost, legs crossed and ringed fingers tapping on his knee, once again watches a depressed Hermes wipe his dirty face. He can't help but ask, "What happened with Father Daniel, I thought you two were together?"

"..." Hermes looks up at him, really disliking the question. "We broke up."

"I assume it ended badly, since you really wanted to come with me instead of him. And I know for a fact you don't like me. What happened?"

"Why do you want to know, Frost?"

"You are in my care, my protection, and will soon live in my roof. I want to know what's going on with you," the King coldly says, masking his concern.

Hermes rolls his eyes and thinks it wouldn't hurt to tell him. "I'm scared of him, okay. He gets aggressive. And nothing in a way I can handle, even as a guy..."

Frost wasn't dumb to read between the lines. "He hit you?"

Hermes was silent, neither confirming nor denying it. Frost looks out the window, his thoughts spiraling into the abyss. "Hypocrite."

"What?"

"That bástard's a hypocrite. 'Told me to stay away from you because I 'abuse' you and he does this shìt?" Frost was still calm, but his words has extra venom and it was obvious he was pissed.

"You still blackmailed me, Frost," Hermes glares at him.

"But aside from screwing you, did I ever hurt you?" Frost's anger is slowly slipping away. "I blackmailed you with what, the students' respect? They never respect anyone in the first place, all I blackmailed you with was protection from them!"

Hermes went silent, staring at him in disbelief, also a little fearful because the calm King's veins on his neck are starting to show.

"You made me your little slave Frost, you're being a hypocrite right no—"

"I along with the students should've treated you more harshly so you'll leave Carvalle and never have to end up the same way as Thena!" Frost burst out, making Hermes flinch violently. The younger male noticed the offense he made towards  Hermes, so he leans back and looks outside the window, refusing to even apologize.

It took a while to sink in, but by the time they arrived, Hermes realized Frost's true intentions. "You made them bully me so I'll quit... so I won't have to..."

"We've arrived, young masters," said the driver. Hermes wasn't able to continue speaking with Frost because someone came running down the stairs with nurses chasing after him.

"Hermes! Mr. Quinn! Hermes!" Mavis cried, pulling the door open and helping Hermes out of the car. The young man was crying. "Your dorm?! Are you safe?! D-do you have any b-burns?!"

"I'm okay, Mavis... I’m fine, just… lost everything," Hermes assures the hysterical boy, but looks cautiously at Frost who exits the vehicle and proceeds inside the house without any additional words. Meanwhile, Mavis is commanding every servant to help Hermes and get him fresh clothes.

later on, Hermes was properly dressed in Mavis' old sweater and Frost's uniform pants while they're still buying basic clothes and necessities for him on such a short notice. The young Master Mavis takes him to the room nearest to the entrance, a grand staircase away. And when he entered, salmon pink wallpaper and feather pink pillows sitting on a matching pink bed, a light pink canopy covering on top.

This guest bedroom... is peculiar... Hermes thought upon entering.

However, his impression of the room changed when Mavis said, "This was Thena's room... when... ever she uhm... needed to stay over."

"What...?'

"Uhm, I'll t-tell them to uhm... take out the stuff and change the decor, it... it looks too girly—"

"No, Mavis..." Hermes gives him a sad smile, "This is fine. You didn't tell me about Thena's room the whole time I came over, though..."

"Oh, haha... th... that's because this isn't Thena's room... just a room any guests can... can stay in. Thena just likes to... stay in this room... and Frost decorated it b-because... well..."

Hermes got distracted with the desk, which had a lot of love storybooks that she would enjoy. One particular book sits on the table instead of standing on the shelves.

"This room is beautiful..." Hermes chooses to preserve the space Thena stayed in. "Thank you, Mavis. And thanks to Frost, too..."

"This... is where I got the uhm... the notebook," Mavis bites his lip, shyly looking at Hermes who is scanning his sister's belongings.

"Her diary... I lost it in the fire," Hermes sighs, sitting on the soft girly bed and hugging one of the pastel pink pillows dressed in cotton. "But at least I still have what's left of her in here. Please don't change this place..."

Mavis tucks his hair behind his ear and nervously mumbles, "You... are still mourning... it's... gonna be almost... a year. W-wow... you really love h-her... I wonder... if Frost will be the same... when I die soon..."

"Mavis? I don't think you're gonna die soon," Hermes says, "Please don't give up and keep surviving. If Frost really does care about you... though he doesn't really show it... don't you want him to not be as depressed as me?"

"Hmm... maybe... but... I can't really control stuff," Mavis sits beside him on the bed, back hunched and breath heavy as usual. "We can't control what happens... b-but, our actions create what happens. I'll do what I can... so I won't make Frost sad..."

"I'll be sad too if you give up," Hermes whispers. "I've been sad because of all these deaths, all these murders... I don't want you to end up dead too, Mavis."

"I won't--" Mavis sits up, but ends up coughing into his mouth which Hermes pats his back to ease. "Uhm... uhh... maybe for you and Frost."

Hermes smiles to lighten the mood, both of them now waiting for his clothes and printed schoolwork. He has nothing left to do but try to cope with the tragedy. I'm really grateful Mavis is here...

"Frost really does care about you, huh... I didn't expect that, he's such a goose," Hermes mumbles as he dusts off the pillows and the comforter while Mavis is helping by watering the little plants in the room.

"Frost cares a lot... he just shows it in uhh... really strange ways... like uhm... when we were kids, he didn't know how to... say Thank You since... he hates cheesy stuff. He thinks... the Thank Yous are ... hehe, cheesy. But," Mavis opens the pink curtains, "He m-made the lunchlady... give me... extra chocolate pudding. So sweet..."

Frost doesn't know how to express intentions properly, Hermes thinks. He allowed the bullying in a way to tell me to get out.

"He can be mean sometimes..." Mavis croaks out, "... but Frost is not... that bad. Just..."

"Mavis," a worried Hermes approaches him, holding a book which he read the synopsis and last pages of. "Frost gave this to Thena. To the Last Summer. It's an unrequited love story... a crime thriller. The main character... committed suicide."

"H-huh...?" Mavis turns around to face Hermes with a troubled look. "I've... never read that before..."

Hermes opens to the front page and read the handwriting, "Enjoy yourself Thena, from Frans... Mavis, this is getting weird. This book sounds too much like--"

"Young masters, we have gotten your clothes. Dinner is also ready, your presence is required," a servant announced from behind the door.

Mavis looks up at him saying, "Maybe... it's a coincidence. Lots of books... have dead main characters. We should go for dinner?"

"Alright, Mavis..." Hermes tucks the book into a drawer where he can hopefully scan it for any notes or clues soon.

Monday, after school hours

CARVALLE CLASS 3-A

Don't do anything bad to Mavis.

Don't confess to Father Daniel.

Don't look at the twins' faces,

Don't force Au to speak...

With that, he will stay away from you.

"What about Frost?" Hermes realized, staring at the seat in the back where the White King resides. Only the rain is accompanying him in this dark night. He had instructed the driver to pick him up at 8 pm. "... Frost must have no rules because he's King." Or he's intentionally keeping it from me.

So far, nothing strange except for their awkward conversations has went on. Frost barely eats with them and Mavis eats with Hermes all the time. The tutoring was very convenient because the teacher lives in the same house, and Hermes is in the process of finishing Thena's books all while taking a break from school on the weekends.

I have confessed to Father Daniel,

I have looked at the twins' faces.

However, Hermes did not force Au to speak, nor does he recall ever hurting Mavis. He recalls being attacked once, maybe because of Father Daniel... but something has yet to happen, especially when he knows about what happened with the twins.

Hermes can feel the small knife sitting under his belt, at the side of the hips where he won't hurt himself. The blazer is covering the weapon. He is taking those rules seriously after the attack and the burn. He may be jumping to conclusions, but he'd jump at the thought of the fire being on purpose.

A way to draw me out. But where? To Daniel's place? Hermes once again envisions Frost on that day. He doesn't seem to want Hermes to stay in the mansion in the first place. Or maybe it's to destroy Thena's diary... shìt, Thena's diar—

A door slammed amid the empty hallways, making the sole teacher jump at the massive sound. He froze for a bit, wondering where it came from. But then, footsteps start to run across the hall.

Hermes jumps to his feet upon hearing, "HELP!"

A female student. The teacher runs outside his door just in time for the student to crash onto him, sending both on the floor. The poor girl was crying, makeup smeared, and her shoulder has a lot of blood.

Upon seeing Mr. Quinn, she sobs in a panic, "Help, please help me, h-he's coming for me--!"

"Shh!" Hermes takes his blazer off and pulls the girl inside the classroom, locking it. He used the blazer to stop her bleeding, now respectfully pinning the girl against his desk for safety. Hermes whispers, "We're you stabbed? Is it deep? Who's doing this?"

"I--" the girl flinches and Hermes has to cover her mouth because another set of footsteps is being heard. Hermes stares at the bottom of his door, realizing the girl was bleeding before he pulled her inside.

A definite sign that this classroom is where she went.

"Listen," he whispers to her, one hand against her bleeding shoulder and the other tightly holding her head to calm her down. This young lady had really dark eyes that matched her skin, her hair in a messy updo, and a part of a broken plastic headband stuck into the curls. "I need you to go outside the window and hold on tight, stay within the ledges. I'll keep you safe, I promise..."

"N-n-no, I have a fear of heights—!" Her voice got uncontrollably louder because of panic, so Hermes has to cover her mouth to remind her to stay silent. She shivers, doing her best to stop crying. "... wh-why is this happening... I... I don't want to die...!"

Hermes stares at her, also very scared. But, he has no time to show emotion. A girl is in danger. He hands her his phone, "Go out the window, and hold onto the walls. Don't show yourself. I'm sure you can use one hand to call the police."

The door was suddenly kicked, a silhouette of shoes under the door and the man not aligned with the small glass to preview who it is.

"Go! Go!" Hermes pulls her to the window and opens it, holding her carefully as she climbs out to the dark, rainy night where the thick clouds selfishly cover the moon. She had already dialed the police, and is now slowly inching to the side of the window.

The door is once again kicked. Hermes took his knife and the meter stick and use them to prepare for defense. His hands are shaking, as he prepares to meet the man mercilessly killing Carvalle students for some sick fantasy of a perfect school.

"He wants to cleanse off the sins."

But is fùcking murdering people, why is he acting like a Saint?!

The door is once again kicked, Hermes getting closer towards him. Hopefully, the girl has called the police.

Then, silence.

Too silent.

No more shadow under the door.

This time, Hermes peaked in the hallways and found no one. Had he gone? Are they safe? He waited for two minutes, hearing nothing in the hallway. He doesn't want to risk going out as it may be a trap.

"Miss, did you call the cops?"

"H-huh?" She squeaks. "I... I did, is he gone...?"

"I think he is." Hermes walks towards the window to fetch her, "Come on, let's hide from room to room until we get to the fire exi—"

BAM, goes the light, shutting off their visions and triggering the girl so much, she unintentionally screamed at the sudden darkness. And in her panic, she slipped.

Fortunately, Hermes grabbed her uniform and pulled her inside the classroom.

At the expense of his phone, which fell from her hands when she had to hold onto him.

"Oh no... oh no, I'm sorry!" She cried, her heart beating so loudly, she's starting to hyperventilate. Hermes couldn't see her, but he made sure to hold her close. "I'm sorry... Sir, I don't want to die...! I don't..  want to..."

"Shh, shh breathe, breathe please! Shh," Hermes presses on her chest to force her to exhale whenever he applies pressure. "Nothing's gonna happen to you. I'll make sure of it, okay? Do you have a phone?"

"I-it's dead... I wanted to go home because it's dead..."

"Why were you here in the first place? It's late..."

"Rain invited me here, we were supposed to... uhm... uhh..."

Rain? Hermes' breath is stable ranks him holding it for a few seconds because of this information. "Alright, I understand... just stay with me until the cops come."

"I wanna go home... I wanna go home..."

"Shhh, shh... you'll get home soon..." Hermes squeezes her shoulder both to calm her down and to keep the blood in. Thena didn't come home... I'll make sure this one will. He subconsciously kisses her head for comfort, the tears in his eyes pooling in fear.

It was calm at first, and her panic attacks turned to tight sobs. Hermes' hold never faltered however, holding her just as tight as the first two minutes. He's gonna keep this girl safe no matter what she may have done. And if he faces him tonight...

... he will. BANG!

The door was shot open and the girl screamed in panic, but there was no use hiding because this guy knew exactly where they are, because he just hacked an axe into the nearest school table. The woman screamed as Hermes pushes her forward, his hand now holding onto her because he can't afford to lose this student. Not when the perpetrator has intentions of framing him. Other than the genuine concern he has for this girl's life, his innocence is on the line as well.

"Go, go! Don't let go of me!" Hermes did his best to kick the school tables away, hopefully hitting the man who could possibly even see them in the dark. Hermes opened his eyes so wide and curses his pupils to adjust faster, just so he can at least see silhouettes from the small moonlight that peeked through the heavy rain.

"My darling Hermes Quinn," said an unfamiliar voice, yet recognizable enough to send a chill down Hermes' spine. "Mr. Quinn... we finally meet."

He's in front of us.

"AHH!" The girl screams as the man 5 feet away swung the axe, but Hermes kicked the table right in front of them, effectively keeping the man away. Not only that, but Hermes landed a kick to his crotch which effectively held him back long enough for them to run to the door.

"Run, run!" Hermes pushes the young girl to the door and fortunately, she got out. Hermes, however, was caught by an axe to the leg, the bottom blade hooking him back and partially slicing his flesh. "ARGH!"

"Mr. Quinn—!"

"RUN, GET HELP!" Hermes endured the blade trying to pull him back and forced himself to close the door just so he won't go after the girl. Hermes faces the man in the dark, his eyes barely adjusting to the lack of any light but enough to sense where he is. "I'm not letting you kill her!"

"Oh, I won't be the one who kills her... I don't kill," the sinister man pulls the axe away and makes Hermes scream in pain, his injured leg bleeding profusely. Still, he leans against the door with a knife in his hand, arms outstretched yet trembling.

Shít, shít, shít! Hermes is losing a lot of blood, so he lifts his leg to tighten his pants and keep as much in. "I'll... I'll fúcking kill you for killing my sister!"

"Who killed your sister?" Hermes' wrist was grabbed and he gasps, refusing to let go of the knife. Instead, he spins until the man is right behind him, before he bends to flip him over with the remaining strength he has.

"Shít... more powerful than the Lady my áss..."

As the man tries getting up, Hermes aims to stab him in the back, but the guy pulls himself back and the knife merely stabbed the darkness. A smile can be heard from him.

"You wanna see why people say that, my darling?" That sinister deep voice mocks as Hermes stumbles in the dark classroom trying to cope with his bleeding leg and hopefully stab the predator. "You wanna know why?"

"What are you--"

"AHHHHH!"

He's not alone. "Leave her alone!" Hermes runs to the door since he knows his classroom enough to recognize the structure. The man took advantage of his blindness and pulls him back, throwing Hermes to one of the desks where he proceeds to kick his head to the floor.

"We could've been great together... you could've had everything if you were with me. But no... no, you..." The man kicks him right in the chest, but Hermes grabs his ankle and twists it enough for him to fall as well.

"Everything but my sanity, you piece of shìt?! Go fùcking die!" Hermes swings the knife intending to hurt the man, but unfortunately, he's not as blind as this teacher. When Hermes couldn't sense him anymore, he left it alone and ran out to where he heard the young lady scream. Using the hallways, he did his best to get away from that sick motherfùcker.

"Hermes..." The man sings, suddenly slamming the axe into one of the doors so it got destroyed. Hermes did not stop running with his hands against the walls. "Why don't you give me a kiss, maybe then I won't hack off one of your legs because of the lust for your students..."

"You sìck fùck, they were the ones who came onto me!"

"Ahh, so you'd rather have them killed? Au, the twins... Frost and Mavis?"

That made Hermes stop in his tracks, the fact that he just sold out the boys to this crazy maniac. He took three seconds to gather his thoughts and hopefully convince the man otherwise.

And in that three seconds, the handle of the axe was bashed onto his head, sending him to the floor.

The man grabs him by the hollows of his cheeks sneering, "You..." He then slams his lips onto Hermes' as a harsh punishment, before slamming his head onto the wall. "... are lucky you're mine. Or you wouldn't suffer the harshest punishment for seducing my boys."

He's wearing night-vision goggles... Hermes can feel some sort of device against his face during that kiss.

"Ahck—" Hermes can feel his blood vessels throb thanks to the collision between him and the wall. He doesn't know where he's looking but he spits out, "Show yourself, motherfùcker!"

"I don't fùck my mother, I'd rather fùck a dirty slùt like you!" Once again, he mercilessly punches Hermes as they brawl man-to-man. Hermes had lost enough blood, unable to pull himself away from the unhinged male's grip. He is about to deliver a deadly blow, "YOU BETTER LEARN YOUR FÙCKING LESSON AND ST—"

But the police take over Carvalle with their faint sounds in the distant and approaching sirens starting to light up the place. There were so many cars outside after the distressed call of a young heiress, and the more they light the campus the more his face is being shown.

For that, the angered male throws a bloody Hermes into the hallway and calmly walks away without a word. Hermes Quinn, with a face bludgeoned in blood and limbs barely moving, looks to the hallway stairs where he hopes someone will help him. But there he is, hands trembling while looking at a statue of the Lady of Carnations.

Thena... Hermes croaks out a cry for help, Then... na... "I'll... fù... fùcking kill h... h... him... for y..."

Hermes lost consciousness just before the police reaches his floor, finding a bloody teacher in Carvalle's hallway.