C:SOD Chapter 26 (Update 1/2) (Patreon)

AT THE STUDENT COUNCIL PRESIDENT'S OFFICE,

The Masked Twin, Ray, was too desperate to let Hermes go. Too attached, once separated will rip flesh. It was too painful, and so, they gave in to Hermes' demand. Hermes Quinn was able to control the Masked Twins, a feat that only the man in the shadows can accomplish.

"He knows..." the man sitting on the student body president's chair felt intimidated for the first time ever. Frost reviews the CCTV footage with him.

"The King is moving," Frost comments, facing a chessboard and moving his King one step forward. "Your prize... is moving against you. Are you gonna take him, now?"

He didn't receive an answer. Frost looks at the man in his seat, hands clasped together next to his mouth who has the biggest smile ever. Teeth as white and pure as the darkness in his heart. With that, Frost is confused at his slow ascend to laughter.

"Hahahahaha! Brilliant! Hermes Quinn, a brilliant opponent! I've never been so intrigued by a person before! No one has ever been worthy to be my Queen! Not even Thena made me feel this way!"

His voice... his tone is different. Could it be he is genuinely infatuated with Hermes, and not just exacting revenge on Thena? Frost can't tell anymore.

"So you're taking him?" Frost falls concerned, and once again masks it with indifference.

"No, my dear... patience, patience..." The man chuckles amusingly, moving his black piece and eating one of Frost's pawn. "Hermes Quinn knows he can't stop the twins from killing for me... but he has weaponized their desire. I can still finish my mission even if he knows everything that's happening in Carvalle. This just... makes it interesting."

Frost looks away, scowling at his chess piece, the King. Hermes, what are you doing?! Seducing the twins like that...

Meanwhile, the one pulling the strings can't help but giggle behind his hands. In his thoughts, He has challenged the Equestrians. The four horsemen of the apocalypse! No one is worthy for me except you, Hermes. No one else but you!

Frost stares at him for quite some time, emotionless. Hermes is breaking the rules one by one so he, himself, will face him. The only downside is Hermes still thinking he has a chance against this insane madman who has a lot more power than him. While Frost is the King, here a mere teacher challenges a God.

PERFUME HEIRESS FELICITY SANDERS FOUND DEAD IN CATHOLIC SCHOOL!

OUR LADY OF CARNATIONS CATHOLIC SCHOOL CLAIMS ANOTHER VICTIM!

SUICIDE OR MURDER? WHAT IS BEHIND THE SEVERAL DEATHS IN OLCCS (CARVALLE)

FEMALE SUICIDE IN CARVALLE: WORK OF SYSTEMIC MISOGYNY?

"Shít! The press got involved!" Father Daniel slams his tablet on the kitchen counter as Hermes thinks deeply behind his coffee, the two now sitting in the priest's dorm room after classes got suspended. "Usually Frost would pay off any journalists who try to cover Carvalle incidents... especially the one we've gone through... but now..."

"He wants me to know," Hermes mumbles, mind filled with thoughts and heart filled with guilt. "He's rubbing it in my face. That was Felicity. The girl I saved."

A young heiress with her crown torn from her body lay helpless in the storage room where her legs bathed in a pool made by her severed halo. The crown, beautiful yet lifeless, is now ugly and powerless as it sits on her hands. Her body, sitting elegantly as a lady should. Graceful were her hands as they held her crown; her bloody, severed crown, cementing her last moments screaming with eyes rolled back and mouth open for the flies.

Her brother... he looked up to me. Now he lost a sister. Hermes is holding back tears. He failed. He failed to keep his student from losing a family. And he's rubbing it in his face.

"This isn't for you," Father Daniel sits beside him to comfort the depressed teacher. "The twins failed with her, got punished, and then finished the job."

That didn't make Hermes feel any better. He still feels like a failure, and now he feels like a disgrace.

"I'll ask the twins if he made them kill Felicity," Daniel adds.

Hermes starts to sniff, his throat getting tighter. He faces Daniel, "If Felicity had to die, what did she do? Surely she did something if... if she's..."

"Felicity Sanders framed one of her friends by planting a drug on her." Father Daniel accessed the school archives online and showed the incident before Hermes even got into the school. " 'Caused her to get expelled, disowned, and even jailed. This girl's boyfriend, not a Carvalle student, died from an overdose of antidepressants. She followed with suicide since she can't handle the poverty."

Father Daniel can still remember Felicity's confession. "She had it coming! I told her not to date that boy, so I showed her how bad that decision really was. Her killing herself is out of my hands, since that's what she decided to do. Stupid Anna."

Hermes' heart broke even further he has to stand up to gather his breath. Was Felicity really worth saving? He shook his head and rubbed his temples. I shouldn't be questioning that, of course she is! That's a student! I don't get to decide who lives and dies!

But she doomed her friend.

She didn't kill her friend, there's a difference— Father Daniel noticed his sudden distress and stands behind him, planting a soft kiss on his nape. All to tell him he's not alone anymore.

"Carvalle... clouds your mind. You'll find yourself a different person the more you stay here. You'll find yourself questioning right from wrong. Because Carvalle... removes the line. All I can say, Hermes... " Daniel pulls on him so they can face each other, "Don't lose yourself."

Hermes looks up at him, feeling the embrace of the man who he has always made him feel safe, even for a single moment. Now, he also feels safe, even for just a moment. Daniel reaches for Hermes' face, heart beating solely for him. He feels so dumb for hurting such a beautiful person, he feels so stupid for letting him slip away because of his own actions.

The more their lips get closer, the more Hermes desires to bring back the electrifying spark they once had. But, he gets flashbacks of the fear and hurt his ex-lover inflicted upon him, and he looks away reluctantly. "Daniel... I can't..."

The priest tenses because of his desire to snatch him back and claim those lips, and that body. But, no. He can't lose the chance Hermes gave.

"No, I'm sorry. I understand, we've barely gotten back together," Father Daniel sighs and goes to make the both of them coffee, coming back to refill Hermes' cup.

The teacher can't help but smile at Daniel respecting his space, despite their mutual desire for something intimate. The rejection brought awkwardness to their atmosphere, but it was a necessary measure for Daniel's small punishment.

"Uhm..." Hermes says while Daniel sits in front of him. Though guilt and sadness for Felicity still haunt his heart, he tries to stay strong as Daniel has said. "... if you change the more you stay at Carvalle... did you? D... did you change?"

Father Daniel gives him a reminiscing smile, hands twitching and eyes uncertain if he should revisit a memory. He might reveal some lies he told Hermes, but it must be said, for he made a promise.

"I was a faithful priest, in-training to someday be head of my community church. I dreamed of a world where sin is unnecessary, for it is all a product of human selfishness which we can avoid with the right guidance. I was pure, innocent... none of what I told you about sleeping around. I thought I could avoid human selfishness... but I gave into sin. Before the ceremony to make me an official Reverend... I slept with a fellow trainee. A male."

"B-but that's not one of the ten commandments. I thought homosexuality wasn't a sin?"

"Maybe," Father Daniel answers, "But I broke my own virtue of abstaining from selfishness... and I couldn't bring myself to stay in the church. I became a reverend, a priest... but I applied in Carvalle in hopes of staying away from the God I betrayed."

Daniel was a faithful and virtuous person...

"I thought Carvalle would be a place I can repent and fix myself. Find the guidance I need to get rid of sin. But... I found the truth within these walls. Students bullying each other... teachers having affairs, married or taken, to students overage or underaged. This place... is full of monsters. And these walls... tempted me even more. This place... has more deaths and crime than what is shown."

Hermes' guts churned at the mention of the many disgusting stuff happening at Carvalle. And he hasn't even seen the worst of it. He has only seen a glimpse from the victims of the culling.

"Is that why you agreed?" Hermes asks, "To him, I mean. Is that why you..."

Father Daniel nods. "Thou shalt not kill. I carry that rule over to everyone else. But... after I saw the sins here in Carvalle, well beyond the ten commandments... it changed me. I started to crave punishment for these people. I feel like Noah in Genesis."

"That's your change?"

"Entering Carvalle, I wanted to get rid of selfishness. Only for me to sleep with teachers, students... and turning numb to what everyone was doing. I started telling myself, it's Carvalle. As if this place is exempted from God's rules." Hermes' stomach dipped hearing that exact same phrase.

I haven't changed yet, have I?

Flashbacks to him sleeping with Mavis, submitting to Frost, keeping his affair with Au, sleeping with the freshly 18 twins, and all he really said during that was, It's Carvalle. Will he say the same for the students who died? Can he really stop that man's mission to cleanse the school?

His uneasiness and guilt caused him to consume all the hot coffee in his cup and he ignored the heat. "I can't handle all this bullshìt, I need something stronger..."

"You shouldn't get drunk at this hour," Father Daniel says, taking his cup. "I'll put extra shots of expresso instead."

"No, it's fine. I'm going home," Hermes corrects himself just as Father Daniel almost drops the cup. "To Mavis', I mean... I can't stay out late, that boy will freak out."

"Hermes." Father Daniel turns with a tense body and clenched teeth, eyes not at all happy.

Hermes is feeling a little uneasy now. Still, he wants to go home and get drunk. "Yes?"

That house is dangerous, he wants to say, but memories of the last time Hermes was here stopped him from taking him by the hand and keeping him somewhere safe.

"Nothing," Father Daniel says, "Stay safe."

"Thanks." Hermes quietly takes his bag to proceed to the door, with his former lover struggling to keep still while Hermes proceeds to imminent danger. But, he turns around to say, "By the way... I found out about Frost being a Russian mafia boss. Do you know about this?"

"I do. He'll be the most powerful if he inherits Carvalle and Mavis' empire soon. He could be the richest if he'd have Mavis' money," Father Daniel says while turning around to avoid looking at the person he wants so much to keep with him.

"What? Shouldn't he be the richest if he takes over? Russian military weapons, plus an entire empire of schools..."

"My dear, Mavis' family has money beyond what Frost's Mafia and Carvalle Empire has." Father Daniel quietly makes his coffee. "Mavis is still the richest student in school."

"Oh." Is the Levough family that powerful? "I get it, thanks for clarifying. See you at school tomorrow, and..." I'm actually happy we're friends again. Please don't mess this up. "... bye."

Once the door closed and Hermes made his leave, Father Daniel's knees gave up and he sinks to the floor, chanting to himself, "Don't mess this up... don't mess this up..."

I can't have you ending up like Thena.

later on,

Much to Hermes' surprise, when the driver opens the back door of the car assigned especially for him, there sits the White King, Frost, in a fashionable turtleneck and long coat, all white except for his sunglasses which are gold and black. A handsome young man holding a book, yet also holds great power as King.

"Frost? Why are you here?"

"Do I not have the right to?"

Hermes slowly gets into the car, sitting beside Frost with a small distance between them. "I'm just asking. Usually, you have your own car... and it's 8pm."

"I don't want a repeat of last night's incident. I should even forbid any teachers from taking overtime but you are stubborn," Frost scolds him as if he's the authority figure, but in fact, he truly is superior. "From now on, the car will be here from 5pm and will take you home by 6."

"What—"

"If you need something from your office, then move the entire thing to the mansion. I've had enough with your overtimes."

Hermes didn't like that, and Frost definitely doesn't like his reply. "Why, so I can't stop the twins from murdering students?"

Silence. Too silent, while the car exits Carvalle. Hermes counted 80 seconds of silence which is too long after someone asked a question. Frost may be ignoring him, but when he slumps to his seat, the man spoke, or whispered a response.

"How much do you know."

It didn't sound like a question, but Hermes answers anyway. "I know they get hurt when they fail a mission. I know you're not really in control. I know about Au's drug problem. And... I know that the only reason you're doing this for him is because he'll hurt Mavis."

Frost sighs and presses his fingers against his temple, "You know too much."

"Are you gonna kill me, then?"

"This isn't a spy movie, Hermes..."

"Then how much can I know?"

Frost bites his lips, his tongue, yet he cannot stop himself from saying, "If you know all that, you must know that there is no way for you to stop the murders without hurting us. If you don't care about us, then you'll save them by confronting the insane twins. But if you do care about us, then... your only chance of saving them is to go after him. And that is bullshìt, Hermes! You'll fùcking die!"

Frost is truly smart. He figured out everything from every angle.

"I'm not going after him," Hermes whispers. "I'm scared. I can't..."

Frost turns to face him. "Then, why are you being allies with Father Daniel?"

Allies... The twins told him. I don't want him, the second hand, to know about my mission. "We just got back together."

That made Frost scoff, sarcastically. "You really are a dumb housewife. After being thrown around and beaten up, you run back to your husband?"

"Shut up Frost, you can't understand grown-up affairs." I can't tell Frost or he'll hold me back like Father Daniel did a long time ago.

"You're barely four years older than me, you're barely a grown-up. What were you thinking?!"

"Frost, who I date is none of your business!" Hermes is getting pissed with him acting like a guardian.

"You could've just taken me if you want someone to date so bad." That sentence took Hermes by surprise and his breathing suddenly halts. Looking at Frost, the grumpy man is crossing his arms huffing with closed eyes, "Was it nothing to you when I said I was willing to get punished just to please you?"

"Frost?" The King's face is a little red, and he's stubbornly scowling and pouting a little. It was a little adorable, which is inappropriate for their previous topic. Hermes is starting to suspect that, "... are you jealous?"

This may not just be about my safety...

"No. Why would I be jealous of an insignificant teacher with a brain of a 1950's woman." Frost was clenching his teeth and puffing his cheeks the tiniest bit, not to mention the sudden blush in his neck and ears.

"Pft," Hermes finds it cute that he's masking his jealousy with safety concerns. The air between them completely changed the moment Frost displayed some blush.

"What are you laughing at, you insolent teacher?! This is a serious matter!"

"I'm not laughing, geez you overreact." Hermes scoots closer towards Frost and dares punch the King playfully in the arm. Frost panics because a mere peasant was able to do such a thing, but Hermes leans his chin on Frost's shoulder to tease him. This made the white King internally panic, this time because of his rapidly beating heart.

"Hey. I'm old enough to do what I want without your approval. And I'm young enough to be in whatever relationship I want. It's not that you're a bad fùck, but I can't see myself in a relationship with you because..." of the Mafia. "... I'm out of your league. A peasant, as you said. So don't be jealous, you have no chance with me anyway—"

Frost punishes him by grabbing his necktie and slamming their lips together, the blonde angrily gripping this article of clothing to keep him stuck here. Their kiss was purely a beautiful symbol of shutthefuckup and Frost made sure to relay that with how aggressive his tongue is demanding for Hermes' lips.

Once the King pulls away he sneers, "How dare you think I can't be a proper boyfriend. You are questioning my abilities as if I don't excel in everything? Do you still know who you're talking to?"

"What-"

"You will meet me at the Carvalle gates two days from now at 1pm. I will file a paid leave and assign an activity for the class, so no complaints, peasant. Be there." With that, Frost faces away from him and puts his attention to the many trees that they leave behind as they leave Carvalle.

Frost... being jealous... Hermes finds himself red with his heart fluttering, ...and sulking is so cute.

the day after,

During Lunch,

In Hermes' hands are freshly cooked pancakes boxed with insulators to keep heat in. A sachet of chocolate syrup, a sachet of butter... but Hermes made sure to open it up to draw the gopher student out.

"Au?" Hermes calls out on the 5th floor of the Johnson Building where there are mostly laboratories and libraries, all empty because the bell just rang two minutes ago. "Au... babe?"

Where is he, it's getting cold and I've been searching for him way before class ended...

"Au..." Hermes sighs. Lure and back-up... drugs. it's so difficult for him to imagine Au participating in such acts. Thinking of Au being a drug addict starts to put tears in Hermes' eyes. "Au, please... show yourself."

Nothing.

"I know you're isolating because you're hurting in there! I know there's a reason for you to do all that, but please... I just want to know. I just want to see you being alright... I... Au!" Hermes checks another library, each bookshelf in each Isle, but no 6'4 man staying inside. His heart, heavy with guilt and claustrophobia, can't help but sob out. "Au, I just care about you so much. Au, I love you."

Emptiness, silence... they accompany him but they're not his friends. He even doubts if Au was his friend. Does he, really, love the man? Or was it all pity and séx? With the men he has encountered in Carvalle, it's hard to differentiate between each feeling.

Carvalle removes the line.

Unless you draw one. At that moment, someone's large hands land on top of Hermes' shoulders and he gasps in shock, turning around to break his neck trying to look at the tall, dark, and handsome tower that is Au.

"Au! Au, I'm so happy to see you!" Hermes hugs the big guy, pressing himself tightly to gesture affection to someone who may be more scarred than he is. All the while Au's eyes and head are following the box Hermes is carrying. "Come here, I have something to show you..."

"Tada! Chocolate pancakes!" Hermes presents it to him on the library table. The silent giant didn't look like he could hear him. There, Hermes noticed the earbuds that the guy always wore. And now, they have a different meaning after what Hermes just learned. "Uhm... Au. Can you listen to me for a moment?"

Au didn't respond and instead focused on eating the pancakes. Hermes sits his head on his elbows, his other hand gently touching Au's face and hair like a doting parent. His hand trembles when his hand brushed the blue earphones attached, recalling how he heard Au had a terrible past enough for him to drown himself in music... and drugs.

"Au..." Hermes kisses the arm of a male who may have more scars than what he's seen. "I wish I can understand what happened to you. I wish... I want you to be okay..."

Drugs. What really happened for Au to be dependent on drugs? Hermes wants to free him. He wants Au's shackles to be taken off. And for that, he needs to know the truth about him. He needs to know the truth about the Equestrians, just as he needs to know the truth about his sister. If Au isn't gonna speak, he knows someone, or two, who does.