Following the principal’s arrival, everything went smoothly. Alexander was healed, his feet back as if they had never been severed.
Unfortunately, it was too late for the four students who had died. Azrael had already claimed their souls, and they now resided in her Lake of Death.
Normally, after settling everyone down, they would have been questioned about the whole incident. Who the man was, if he gave any clues, and more, and it did happen.
Only that Helix was excluded from said questioning because of his background as the heir to a Seraphic family.
And as such, he was sitting in another room, a blanket draped around his shoulders. His wrist had been healed by the principal, but the pain still lingered in the back of his mind.
Bodies of students from other classes and supernatural teachers were swimming in and out of the room. Helix let out a quiet sigh. If only they had arrived sooner, a tragedy could have been prevented.
But why would an instructor stop teaching their class and go to another class? Added to it the fact that the Prince hadn’t used magic and suppressed the students from screaming...
How unfortunate.
For some reason, Helix felt like everything was his responsibility, as if, if he had been faster, the tragedy could have been prevented.
Was that why he felt like shit right now? Or was it because of River’s memories cuddling with his own?
There was no way to tell, and Helix wasn’t particularly interested in finding out. Hugging his knees more tightly, Helix stared at the windows and the world beyond.
Time passed quietly, and in an instant, the classroom was empty.
Huh...? How long was I sitting there?
Faint morning light peeked from beyond the windows, the sun slowly rising. Helix hadn’t even noticed the passage of time. Pushing himself off the table, Helix looked around.
The room was mostly empty of furniture, pushed out of the room. Blood splatters were covered by a barricade, while the podium where the instructor was shot had been covered by a white cloth.
"You sure took your time. You feeling okay, Helix?"
Standing behind him was a black-haired boy with a strikingly handsome face, comparable to his own.
"Oh, it’s you, Alexander. And I am...fine."
His voice convinced no one. Helix was far from fine, but he couldn’t show weakness, now could he...could he?
Stepping forward, Alexander grabbed his face with both hands, bringing it closer to his own. His empty silver eyes met Helix’s hollow black ones.
While the emptiness in their eyes would have unnerved anyone else, they both knew it was a testament to the purity of their angelic bloodlines.
Angels, as it just so happened, possessed eyes of mystical qualities, and eyes devoid of emotions were a mark of a high-ranking angel.
Azrael and Abaddon were two of the four Seraphim.
"Fine, you say you’re fine? You lying bastard, you think I can’t see through you? Deathly pale skin, scratch marks on your neck, and the fact that you’re shaking like crazy..."
Helix let out a humorless laugh. "As always, you’ve seen through me. So what if I’m not fine?"
He smacked Alexander’s hands away and stumbled back. Helix’s breathing was heavy, as if he had run a hundred marathons without a break, his heart hammering in his chest.
"It’s all my fault, Alexander, all mine! If only...if only I had broken free from the soul-crushing pressure first...if only I had alerted my father faster...they might still be alive."
With wide, desperate eyes, Helix screamed at the top of his lungs.
"Oh, Angels above, Willow almost got killed because of my hesitation!"
Hearing a mention of Willow, Alexander snapped.
"You think I don’t know that! She’s my fiancée, Helix. My responsibility...after what happened in the past...just the thought is unbearable."
His voice had deflated into a defeated whisper by the end. Alexander staggered backwards, searching Helix’s face for reassurance. But there was none, just self-loathing.
He’s the same as me.
Realizing that, Alexander burst into laughter, laughter aimed not at himself, but at the world. Like a jester in a divine court, laughing at the gods.
Helix joined in, his voice shrill and slightly higher than Alexander’s husky tone.
They laughed and laughed until there was nothing to laugh at. Until their throats were parched, and eyes were deprived of moisture.
Slumped against each other’s backs, Helix asked Alexander a simple question.
"Little bastard, what is at the end of the world?"
A question that would determine whether or not Perseus was inside Alexander’s body. Both River and Perseus had been massive fans of a story about dragons. And if Alexander was unable to answer the question, it would mean he was the boy Helix had known since he was a child.
On the off chance that he did, well, Helix would welcome Perseus with wide open arms.
Just then, Alexander chuckled before answering.
"Asking me that, bastard thinks I’m a fake. What’s at the end of the world, you say? It’s obviously a Hidden World."
Look at that, it really is him.
"Welcome to the world of Elysia, Perseus. Welcome to our new reality."
Alexander scoffed, "I should welcome you, since I was here before you. So welcome, River, welcome to our new hell."
Helix was certain he was first, since he had heard Alexander scream T.V, which could only mean he had regained consciousness at that moment, but he would let it go this one time...he was a generous man after all.
"Hey...are you the same as me...I mean, have you fused with Alexander?"
Alexander stayed quiet for a moment, then answered in a quiet voice.
"It is quite weird...I feel like the life I had as Perseus was just a distant illusion, but I know it was anything but. Angels Eyes, Helix, will we be fine..."
They both had played the game from different perspectives, and they both knew what was going to come.
"It’s not going to be easy, that’s for sure...but we can only strive forward until the end of time. If only for Willow."
"For Willow..."