Medics & Outcasts

VII Diamond

 'How did Animus get a quarterway through the country in such a short time?'

 Landing on the ground, I folded my platform and tucked it under my arm before walking towards the masterfully crafted gates of the Stone Manor. On the inside, nothing had changed, not that I expected anything to—what was it that appealed to my siblings in this lifeless residence? The walls were still crisp white lined with overturned portraits, the needlessly large halls lacked warmth, and expensive artifacts were displayed along the walls. Everything seemed to be normal.

 Until I saw red.

 My eyes blew wide, my legs carrying me over to the scene before I even realized it. I scrunched my nose at the slightly sticky pool of blood beneath my feet and trudged through the mess with a lingering trepidation. It was Rebecca Seire—the identity of the corpse shocked me more than it should have.

 Her hair had long since meshed through her own blood, eyes open and glossed over like I'd imagine the eyes of a tormented ghost. I bent down, gently picking up her head to put my hand over her eyes and closed them. I breathed in, wincing internally at how ragged my breathing sounded and dug through my head to figure out where to put her.

 I'd barely manage to collect my thoughts when I heard the sound of approaching footsteps which naturally sent me in a state of useless panic. I wasn't the culprit after all, it was quite obvious to me that my brother had been the one to send Lady Rebecca to her death, yet, even then, I couldn't help but hurriedly stumble to my feet and speed away from the scene all while leaving bloody tracks in my wake. No doubt they would suspect me, a person who ran away the moment their footsteps were heard, of being the killer, but I couldn't do anything about it.

 I continued running, no longer fuelled by the need to flee but rather the urgent need to find my brother before he did anything else. I may not have known my brother all that well, but there was something I knew better than anything else.

 Consequently, I knew something else had influenced my brother.

 My feet took me towards the forest of gold-leaved trees before I could even think about what was ahead, letting the power of my telekinesis envelop my body so I could leap high enough to avoid my mother's pit of snakes, the effect wearing off before I could tire myself out too much for using this power on my own body. I didn't stop to think, dashing through the ethereal golden woodland pathway, feeling the wisps of Elysian energy nip at my skin in evident displeasure. I winced, but still resisted the urge to travel the skies—Animus had an uncanny ability to sense whenever something was in the air, especially if it was following him. He always knew when he was being watched as well, much like a jackdaw.

 At some point, I flinched, almost tumbling to the ground at the sudden pressure directed towards my entire being. I shivered—I knew full well how little the wild animals scattered around here liked me. This forest was meant to heal mental damage, and thus, only accepted healers aside from those seeking respite. I didn't heal anything, and, for the Forest of Éulysse, that was a problem.

 But I was tough, possessing the sturdiness and durability of pure diamond, so I pulled through and kept on running. It was starting, and no one was ready for it, that being so, I had to, no matter what, find my brother before everything went awry. But when I reached the border, I knew it was too late. I bent down, putting my hands on my knees to try to calm my erratic breathing—unfortunately, I wasn't the most athletic person out there. I didn't have that much stamina and I was only fuelled by adrenaline.

 When I lifted my head, I came face-to-face with Animus, his luscious lavender eyelashes framing his dull gleaming green eyes which were staring straight at me. I was starstruck, but at the same time, I felt enough horror to jump to my feet and stumble backwards. How could a mere human being be so bewitchingly winsome yet so nauseatingly vicious? There was something wrong, something so horribly wrong—

 I gasped.

 Animus' lips curled into a nasty smile, and he approached me, feet moving slowly and deliberately like a predator trapping their prey. That wasn't him, and I knew it—I had a suspicion about who it was but it couldn't be, it was too early!

 "Animus, what did you do?"

 The teenager just tilted his head as if confused. He was toying with me, I could see it in his eyes, but I had to push through if I even wanted an answer. Why had I run off to come here if it ultimately wasn't a problem for me? Now I was in trouble—deep trouble. If I went against— No, that wouldn't happen, and I knew it, "What did you do to Rebecca?!"

 "I killed her, obviously," I almost choked at how easily he said it. His smile was intact, and despite myself, I could feel a part of Animus' essence leaking through. He didn't feel remorse, and the way he spoke proved it, "Why? Was she your friend? If so, I'm terribly sorry. She was annoying."

 I felt some anger bubble deep within my gut, but the dread drowned it out. I may not know my brother all too well, but I knew he never spoke that way. On the other hand, I did know a being who spoke with that same maliciously hypocritical tone. I bit the inside of my cheek and spoke again, just to confirm my suspicions, "We weren't friends! But you can't just kill people for no plausible reason!"

 Animus stayed quiet and stared at me with blank eyes; I'd never noticed until now, but I had a feeling they'd always been that way. But that wasn't what bothered me. I sneakily slipped my finger into the pouch I had strapped across my shoulder when I'd stopped to change back in Quartier, took out a sleek seafoam green fluorite blade, and twirled it with my fingers. Animus smiled at the sight, irises slowly edging into black.

 I was right. Animus wouldn't have recognized this blade, but I knew someone who would have this exact reaction—I took in a deep breath.

 It was time to fulfill my mission.