The Blazing Rebellion

Chapter 21

Blyke POV

Blyke met Seraphina outside of the boy's dorm after school. He'd been confused by the sudden phone call about bringing his key here, but he did still have it and Seraphina's voice had a desperate edge... Blyke wasn't about to question the school's goddess, either. She'd tell him if he needed to know.

Remi and Isen had gone to get drinks when school ended. They'd been planning to all go together, but after Seraphina's call Blyke had to change his plans. Remi had promised to bring him something back. Still, Blyke couldn't fight a small wave of annoyance that he wasn't there, and Remi would be alone with Isen... he didn't know what it was, but he couldn't help frowning. Maybe he was just upset that Isen could go but he couldn't. I don't feel mad at Remi at all, though... Sighing, he pushed the thoughts from his head.

Even after their encounter with John by the roof, Remi had still been determined to follow Arlo. Apparently she didn't think that giving up was an option. Blyke still thought it would be much more important to watch John, although even he was beginning to think the black-haired boy wasn't planning anything... He glanced down at the key in his hand and frowned. Well, even if he is better I'm not about to move back in. Getting murdered in his sleep wouldn't help anyone.

"Blyke," a voice called. Blyke glanced up. Seraphina had arrived.

"What do you need? I have the key," He told her, holding it up. Seraphina sighed and walked over to him. He handed the key to her. Seraphina stared at it for a second.

"Hopefully I won't need to use this," She mumbled. Before Blyke could ask what she meant, she'd moved past him and into the boy's dorms. He followed her, slightly confused.

"Um... Seraphina?" He asked. She glanced over at him. "What are you doing?"

She sighed and stopped walking. "I need to check on John."

At the sound of that name, Blyke's hands instantly clenched into fists. What did he do this time? Is he planning something and Seraphina knows it?! He knew that he was beginning to get a little obsessive, but he couldn't help it. He couldn't let John hurt his friends again. "Why?"

"He left school two days ago and hasn't come back. I want to make sure he isn't sick," Seraphina told Blyke, starting to walk through the hallway of the dorms again. Blyke frowned before following her.

"What if he's planning something?" He asked. Seraphina's face darkened as she glanced over her shoulder at him. Blyke shivered. Wow, she can be scary when she wants to be.

She glared at him for a second through dark blue eyes before answering. "He's not planning anything, Blyke. He's different. Why can no one see that?"

Seraphina frowned at him for another minute before walking faster ahead of him. Blyke stood behind, thinking. She wasn't the first person to say that. Remi had grown tired of his constant suspicion of John, too, and even John himself had told Blyke he wasn't going to attack... Isen, of course, was still scared, but that wasn't a surprise. He was always scared of the people stronger than him.

Blyke bit his lip. He wanted to believe them all, but it was John. He just... couldn't trust him.

Although, checking on him with Seraphina would be a good way to see if what everyone was saying was right. Blyke began to walk again, speeding up so that he could catch up with Seraphina. When he got to her, she was standing outside of his old dorm, staring at the door. Blyke looked from it to her.

"Are you going to knock or something?" He asked after a minute. Seraphina shook herself, letting out a breath. She didn't answer his question, instead raising a hand to the door. She knocked.

There was silence as a response. Blyke and Seraphina stared at the door for another minute before Seraphina knocked again. Again, there was no answer. What's John doing in there? Is he hiding something?  Blyke frowned at the door.

Seraphina sighed and held up the key Blyke had brought, sticking it into the door's lock and turning it. She pushed open the door when it clicked and stepped inside. Hesitating for a few seconds, Blyke followed.

John wasn't in the entryway of their dorm. Seraphina looked around for a second, biting her lip, before turning to face the doors.

"Which room is his?" She asked Blyke. He pointed it out. Seraphina headed towards it as Blyke took another step into the dorm, turning his attention back to his own room. The door was closed, but it wasn't locked. He stepped inside.

Nothing had been moved in his room. If not for all of his stuff missing (it was still at Isen's place where he was staying), he could almost have still been living here. It appeared that John hadn't done anything to the room. That is, until Blyke noticed a small dent in the door. Did he... punch this?  He ran his fingers over the small scrape, frowning. Maybe I was right and he is still aggressive. This could've been before he came back from his suspension, though...

He was just wondering whether or not to check the room for any stuff he could've left behind when he heard a thud from the other room. Blyke stepped back into the hallway where Seraphina stood. She'd knocked on John's door multiple times, it seemed, but now she was finally getting an answer. Footsteps echoed from inside.

Blyke exchanged a glance with Seraphina before he stepped back. John probably won't like that I'm here... He definitely didn't when we were roommates. He frowned at the memories.

"Who- Sera?!" Blyke glanced up at the sound of John's voice. It sounded as if it hadn't been used in a long time. What has he been doing here? He took a step forward and looked at John.

He gasped when he saw the other boy. John's black hair was once again messy, somehow even more so than it had been before. His skin was sunken and pale, his amber eyes dark. The eyebags under them made him look like the old Doc. He looked awful.

It was then that Blyke realized he really had been wrong, and everyone else had been right. The boy in front of him, who definitely looked sick and tired, couldn't kill him or his friends. He didn't look anything like the powerful and angry god-tier he'd been before his suspension.

John had changed. 

"Wow..." Blyke whispered before he could help himself, still surprised by the intense difference.

John turned away from Seraphina, whom he'd been staring at in shock, and frowned at Blyke. He took a step back from them both. "Go away."

"No. I'm not leaving," Seraphina told him, grabbing the door and taking a step towards John. He avoided her eyes.

"I don't want to talk to you," He told her. Blyke frowned. Weren't these two supposed to be friends now? John certainly wasn't acting like it.

"Blyke. Leave us," Seraphina told him. Her eyes were still glued to John as if she were about to interrogate him.

Blyke wanted to stay and find out more, but he wasn't about to question Seraphina... or John. Staring at the two for one more second, Blyke gave up left the room.