Battle Academia (The original one)

Chapter 51: Dawnbringer

"What just happened?", Zoe fidgeted nervously.

Kayn had vanished right in front of their eyes in an unearthly glow.

"I- I don't know..", Ezreal said as he kept looking around the room as if his friend would just magically reappear. "Take us to him!", he ordered her.

Zoe took him by the hand at once. He awaited for the dizziness that always came when he traveled through the girl's portals but nothing was happening.
He heard her trying to stifle a stubborn whine.

"What's wrong?", he asked anxiously.

"Ezreal.. I can't find him!", her eyes were starting to well up with tears. "I can't find him"!

"Calm down. We'll figure this out", he sighed as he was pretending to be the rational one for once. Zoe nodded as she bit her bottom lip.

"Take us back to the Academy. I need to talk to someone".

Zoe and Ezreal were standing in front of Professor Graves' office. The boy was about to reach for the metallic door handle when he felt someone squeezing his hand hesitantly.

"Aren't you coming in?", he asked the Aspect.

"I need to go", she replied quizically. Ezreal rested his palms on her shoulders.

"We will find him. I promise", he lied to her and himself in the process. He had to become this beacon of hope today. He couldn't be the weak one anymore. "We are going to fix him".

"That's why I have to go", a feint smile graced her lips. "Good luck with that", she said gesturing at Graves' door.

"Than-", Ezreal began to say when he realized the Aspect had already jumped into a purple portal leaving him alone in the hallway.

Whatever.. He thought as he opened the door without bothering to knock. He had played by the rules so far. And it hadn't worked.

He barged into the small office beaming with cockiness. It didn't matter. It all quickly evaporated. He swallowed hard when he realized that his professor wasn't alone in his study. He made out his familiar face despite the dim lighting.

Jayce turned to face the boy who was still at the door. He could have sworn there was a hint of surprise in his eyes when he recognized him.

Graves seemed to freeze when he spotted him. His thick cigar was stuck between his teeth. Ashes falling directly onto his desk.

"What's he doing here?", Ezreal asked.

He hadn't even tried to conceal the anger in his tone. Last time he'd seen his classmate was when he took them to Singed's laboratory with Ekko. The Battle Club member shook his head lightly, trying to suppress the memory.

Professor Graves jolted up from his seat and made his way towards him. The man with the glasses hurriedly shut the door Ezreal had completely forgotten to.

"What are YOU doing here Lymere?", Graves asked. There was madness in his eyes. "Where are the others?", he shook the boy violently.

For the second there, Ezreal thought he was about to get hit, when he felt a spark within him.

"Just answer my question!", he shouted. "What is HE doing here?", he spat out the word 'he' as if he was referring to a lesser being. His reaction made the Professor slowly back away with unease but he quickly snapped out of it.

"Careful with your words. You don't get to boss me around, son". He sat back at his desk then took a long drag of his cigar.

"Oh I'm not your son! So don't ever call me that", Ezreal said without even taking the time to think where all of this was coming from. "My friend is here dying and you hid it from me! And now he's gone! Me and Zoe saw him disappear right in front of us! I can't believe you sold me out! After all I've done for you"!