[Elsword] - Masked Renegade

11 - Conflagration

...

Ara was certainly unnerved by the fire alarm. She safely evacuated with the rest of her class, lead by Daisy, but two students were missing: Aisha and Elesis. The inferno roared, there was no time to search. Everybody was traveling through the fire exit, albeit hacking an entire bunch. It was common for people to be coughing, the smoke definitely wasn't a pleasant gas.

The class had congregated around the assembly spot outside, the hellish flames raged as it annihilated the building in its path.

Aisha was seen sitting nearby, sobbing. After Daisy took attendance, Ara rushed over to her friend. In fact, it was safe to say that everybody in the school was present, except for Elesis.

"A-Aisha!" she shouted, kneeling down beside the purple-haired teen and giving her an embrace.

"Elesis is.... E-Elesis is...! She's still inside, i-isn't sh-she?! I came out here a-as fast as I could... but I h-hadn't seen her at all! I-I was hoping that she would've been out here w-with you guys.. but..! E-Elesis..!!!" Aisha uncontrollably hiccuped, rivers of tears streaming down from her eyes. "W-We... we need to save her somehow! Th-There's no way in hell I'm going to let her disappear like that..! She's my best friend... she's like an older sister to me!"

Though Ara hadn't known the redhead for long, the thought of her reaching her demise shot a hole into her heart. They had bonded quite well over books, and despite her colder exterior, there was warmth inside. Her degree of attachment wasn't to Aisha's extent, but it felt like she was a true friend to Ara. One that she didn't want to lose. Before long, her own emotions began to show; she began to cry alongside Aisha.

"B-But... th-there's no point in mourning when... she could still be saved! I'm sure the firefighters will b-be.. h-here soon..!" Ara forced a smile onto her face.

"Y-Yeah... I guess..." Aisha sniffed.

'But... there is no way she can survive that if the firefighters take forever to arrive. Elesis... She does not have her claymore with her either. There is no method of self-defense this way..!' Aisha thought.

~

The rest of the occurrence was over in a flash. Times of enduring emotions; concealing sorrow. The public could only pray for the safety of the intelligent Grand Master. The firetrucks with their bright red sirens and coated vehicles arrived, putting out the violent fire. However, when they entered the building to excavate for remnants... only a fragile corpse remained. Elesis' belongings were burned in the heat. The only thing that remained somewhat in-tact was a novel, Vanished Recollections. The book that Ara and lent her.

Despair clouded over the students, especially Aisha and Ara. Just like that, their friend was gone. Never to be seen again. It was as if nothing was left, except doom.

The cause of the destruction was unknown. After closer inspection, there was nothing that could have transpired to cause the rapid flames. It was as if... it all happened in thin air.

The teenagers were all granted with an early dismissal. Ara bit her lip, ambling home with Aisha in tears, turning back once more just to glance at the destroyed school. She clutched at the golden pendant of Velder's crest, in memory of Elesis Sieghart.

~

Behind the array of trees stood two peculiar demons gazing out into the space, eavesdropping into the conversations after the fire. Luciela R. Sourcream, and her butler, Ciel. The petite Noblesse smirked, her demonic horns hidden from her head to seem normal.

"It had begun sooner than I anticipated. Doing the undercover tasks aren't working out well for us, Ciel. No, we're going to infiltrate the Haan household. And, at all costs, Elsword cannot find out about this. To think that the Red Knight was the one to die first... How sly."

"As you wish, Lu." Ciel bowed. "The culprit behind this... is clear to us now."

No one would have suspected the sudden tragedies, yet, there was more action to come. Everything linked between Elrios and Earth, all began to undo itself, revealing everything there was to be revealed.

...