The Pale Rose of the Tides {Bloodborne X RWBY X Arknights}

Chapter 10 The Coming Storm

Chapter 10
The Coming Storm

Back on the cliff overlooking the Emerald Forest, Ozpin raised his mug to his lips, ready to take another sip, when a low rumble echoed across the sky.

His brow furrowed, and his hand paused mid-motion as he noticed dark clouds forming above the forest. They rolled in swiftly, shrouding the entire area in ominous shadows.

"Hm?" Ozpin muttered, raising an eyebrow in surprise. He set his mug down and stared at the gathering storm.

Curious, he thought. "I don't recall the forecast mentioning rain over Vale today."

Glancing over at his assistant, he called out, "Glynda?"

Glynda Goodwitch, who had been similarly caught off guard by the sudden shift in weather, immediately swiped open the scroll in her hand. Her eyes scanned the forecast app, her frown deepening as she confirmed what Ozpin already suspected.

"I'm as confused as you are, sir," Glynda replied, shaking her head in disbelief. "There were no reports of any storms in the area, not even the slightest mention of unstable weather patterns today." She closed the app and looked back at the darkening sky, her sharp gaze narrowing. "This... doesn't feel natural."

Ozpin let out a quiet hum of agreement, his gaze fixed on the ominous clouds now swirling above the forest with increasing intensity. He took a thoughtful sip from his mug, then glanced over at the figure standing with them.

Marie, one of Beacon's new staff members, had been sent by the elusive Ægirian government to teach and "care" for a few of his new students-specifically, Ruby Rose and her sister, Yang Xiao Long. Ozpin's eyes lingered on her for a moment, curiosity gnawing at the back of his mind.

Marie was... for all intent and purposes... odd.

In all his lifetimes, through countless reincarnations, he had never encountered anything quite like her.

She looked almost too human, unsettlingly so, yet there were certain tells-details that hinted at something more artificial beneath the surface. Her height was unusual, unnaturally tall and slender, almost willowy. Ozpin's gaze wandered briefly to her fingers, noticing their jointed, porcelain-like appearance. They were smooth, too perfect to belong to a human.

Despite her flawlessly human design, something about her movements, mannerisms, and stillness, struck him as entirely foreign.

Inhuman.

He remembered the conversation with the Consul at the police station-Lady Gladiia. She had been blunt about her purpose: Marie was here to spy on him. That much had been made clear, though the Ægirians had not been particularly subtle about it.

But why send her?

Why send a doll-like automaton to Beacon, an Academy where strength and skill were paramount and upheld at a high standard?

He couldn't help but wonder-why not send someone like that imposing man who had accompanied the Consul, the one with an air of raw power?

Why this fragile-looking doll/figure, who seemed better suited for a gallery, or like what she had said, for babysitting; than a battlefield?

His gaze shifted again to her face. Marie's expression, as always, was emotionless-her features serene, cold, and beautiful in a way that felt almost eerie.

And yet, for some reason, today there was something else in her faces-in her eyes. Was that... anger? Ozpin couldn't be sure, but it unsettled him more than he cared to admit. She stood so still, so graceful, but there was an unmistakable tension in the air around her, like a storm barely contained.