[Hollowed, Hunger!]

[Chapter One]

For a brief moment, he thought he was dreaming. One second, he stood still, facing Pyrrha Nikos. Wasn't she the girl from the Pumpkin Pete's cereal box? Or was she something more than that?

None of those questions seemed to matter now. In fact, nothing seemed to matter as he suddenly felt his body give way, collapsing to the solid ground beneath him. His vision blurred as Pyrrha took a step forward, her hand covering her mouth. Her voice reached him, muffled and faint, but even in the haze, he could sense her distress.

Before darkness consumed him completely, his eyes caught one last image: pools of blood, spreading slowly across the earth.

Pyrrha Nikos stood over the boy, her grip tightening around her weapon as she dispatched the last of the Grimm with swift, precise strikes. The creature let out a final shriek before disintegrating into ash, its dark form fading into nothingness.

Breathing heavily, Pyrrha glanced down at the young man lying motionless on the ground. His face was pale, lifeless. She remembered seeing him back at the lockers, Jaune Arc, that was his name, right? But at that moment, his name didn't matter. What mattered was the terrible truth.

He was dead. And she hadn't been able to save him.

Tears welled up in her eyes, blurring her vision as guilt weighed heavily on her chest. A horrid thought crossed her mind, without a partner for the initiation, what would happen to her now? Panic began to creep in. Should she hide the body? She shook her head violently. No. That was absurd. Why would she even think of something like that?

But then again, what if the professors blamed her? Would they call her a murderer "Pyrrha Nikos, The Champion, branded as a Killer?" The thought sent a shiver down her spine, but that wasn't her biggest fear. Oh no! What about his parents? How could she ever face them? Would they accuse her of their son's death?

Pyrrha's gaze returned to Jaune's lifeless body. She took a deep breath, her heart heavy with remorse. Turning away for a moment, she glanced back at him one last time. "I'll be back. I promise..!" She whispered, her voice trembling. Then, louder, she shouted, "I'm so sorry!"

With that, she turned and ran, her heart pounding in her chest as tears streamed down her face. 

Weiss Schnee, the future heiress of the SDC, was frustrated. And why? Because she had been partnered with a young girl who seemed even younger than herself. Foolish. Did Beacon really have such low standards? She huffed in annoyance, reminding herself that she was no longer in Atlas, though it did little to ease her irritation.

As she walked through the Emerald Forest, putting as much distance as possible between herself and Ruby Rose, she was suddenly knocked to the ground. "Watch where you're going, you idiot! Blasted buffoon—!" She snapped, ready to unleash her anger. But when she looked up, she froze, her irritation fading.

It was Pyrrha Nikos.

"Pyrrha Nikos!" Weiss exclaimed, her eyes lighting up.

"I'm sorry!" Pyrrha blurted out, her voice shaking.

Weiss raised a brow, confused. "Pardon?"

Pyrrha let out a small, pained gasp, her eyes red and her face stained with dry tears. Weiss's frustration shifted to concern. "Is everything alright, Pyrrha?" She asked, standing and brushing the dirt off her pristine dress.

"N-No... I mean, y-yes!" Pyrrha stammered, her eyes darting nervously. "Where's your partner?"

Weiss blinked, glancing behind her. Ruby was nowhere to be seen, and the absence brought a small smile to her face. Was it cheating to switch partners? Surely not. She was a Schnee, after all. "No." Weiss answered simply.

Pyrrha looked startled by her response. "I-I see..." She muttered.

But Weiss's smile grew wider. "This is perfect! You and I, as partners? We'd be unstoppable!" She said, her tone filled with excitement.