The Initials | Nanowrimo 2023

41| Freya Of Fury

Cloud wakes up on a cushioned bed with his feet laying on top of a velvet cushion, immediately attempting to vault up into a sitting position but being met with resistance as he discovers they buckled his arms down to the bed frame.

Sky cups his face in her hand which seemingly works to calm him down for the moment. If his forceful thrashing is anything to go by, then something must be seriously wrong to be haunting him like this.

"Hey, you're awake." she whispers, taking a glass of room temperature water and putting it to his lips, watching him gulp it down greedily like a newborn infant.

He eventually asks a question once he's had enough to drink, unable to wipe the water spilling down his chin. "Why am I tied down?"

"You had a manic episode. The Professor didn't want you hurting anyone else or yourself once you woke up." she explains, frowning at his paleness and dark circles around his eyes. "You lost a lot of blood Cloud, you need to rest."

"No I need to," he strains his arms again, grunting tirelessly until he runs out of breath. "I need to get out of here. I have to talk to my parents."

The damage done by the Snare to his body has severely drained him of his strength and the Darmantium plate embedded inside of his shackles prevents him from channelling anything more than a spark.

"The Professor had someone try to contact your parents but they haven't picked up or called back."

"Something isn't right. It isn't like them." Cloud sinks back into the impossibly comfy bed, letting out a sigh as he looks up at the ceiling. "The book? Where's the book?"

"What book?"

"The book I had with me. It was a nursery rhyme, it had a sun, I guess star, on the front cover."

Sky looks around his bed, even lifting the covers to look underneath but she doesn't discover it amongst his things. "It's not here, are you sure-"

"-I'm sure, Sky! I haven't lost my mind!" he yells, regretting it as soon as he hears himself speaking, his chest feeling tight as his breathing becomes more laborious.

"Okay, I'll ask around."

"I haven't lost my mind..." she repeats, trying to convince himself more than to change her perception of him. "How long was I out for?'

"A day and a half."

Cloud yawns, fighting to stay awake but acknowledging it's a battle he'll eventually lose. "God, I'm so tired."

"I'll let you get some rest." she offers, heading towards the door when she hears his soft voice calling out to her. "What?"

"Stay," he repeats, his speech pattern sounding sluggish once he closes his eyes. "Stay with me."

Her heart flutters for a moment, the idea of spending the night in his arms, although enticing, would be a terrible idea that could get them both into serious danger. "I'll be back tomorrow."

And the following morning she did as promised, walking into his dorm to check on him only to find his bed empty and Tony in the middle of changing.

"Oh my, I'm so sorry, I just came to check on Cloud." she yelps, apologising for the tenth time whilst hiding her face.

"No, it's fine, err, haven't seen him. I thought maybe the Professor moved him to the Infirmary and-"

"-wait, when was the last time you saw him?" she inquires, turning her back on him to make the situation less awkward.

"Last night. I thought he might have been dead because of how still he was but I could see he was still breathing so I just left him to it."

Sky rushes over to Cloud's bed, checking to see if her suspicions are correct, her heart sinking in her chest, wishing for once that she wasn't always correct when it comes to these things.

Tony hurriedly throws on a black compression shirt with short sleeves, looking over in Sky's direction once he hears her curse underneath her breath. "What?"

"He escaped." she explains, holding up the slashed shackles.

"Wait, how?"

"He had help." she replies, showing him the slash marks in the leathery material on the outer layer. "I don't know about you but there are very few beings on Earth who can cut through Darmantium like butter."

"I heard there was a Hellhound in the Olympia but I thought they were just rumours." Tony strokes his chin, grinning from ear to ear. "He's so full of surprises."

"I have to go tell the Professor."

Tony holds his hands up, blocking her path to the door. "Or, hear me out, we find him ourselves."

"He's injured Antonio. I'd rather he hate me and be safe than be doing god knows what."

"No, I know you just want to help him, and so do I. But he's clearly gone rogue for a reason."

Sky's eyes cloud over as she thinks back to the night before, remembering how flustered he got about his book being missing. "The book."

Tony raises a brow. "Come again?"

Sky shakes her head, brushing the longest strands of hair out of her face as it all falls into place. "He was talking about a book that was missing. He swore he had it but I asked around and no one had any idea what I was talking about."

"So either he was losing his mind or-"

"-or someone stole the book and is covering it up and getting all of the first years to comply." he utters, wondering how much of this Cloud figured out in their last conversation. "He's still in the Academy and he's not going to leave without that book."

Tony folds his arms, wondering how he finds himself falling into a conspiracy theory. "Who could do such a thing?"

"A bunch of people here, take your pick, Jason, Mellan, Neith and I of course."

Once Tony throws a jacket on, the pair take full stride down the corridors, heading in the direction of the canteen to gather allies. "What about the Professor?"

"What about him?"

"Could he have done this?"

"He's the Professor." she replies, swinging the doors wide open. "He can get away with almost anything."