December's Room
Decey coiled himself tighter inside the scratchy blankets, limbs tucked in, rolling from side to side like a piece of overstuffed sushi. The nurse's pill—chalky, bitter, still stuck between his back teeth—hadn't dulled the spasms charging up his legs, his arms, and especially his eyes.
The aftermath of everything that had happened the day before left Decey in a fetal position, almost punishing him for what he did.
Morning light crawled under the dorm curtains, and Decey's first honest thought was to hit the sack.
He lurched upright, every joint squealing complaint. The urge to punch something was back—worse than back, it was living in him now.
"You're not that guy," he told the trembling in his fingers. "You never were."
He dragged his half dead legs across the white carpet of his dorm, practically crawling into the bathroom. He propped himself up against the sink counter, with a mirror, mounted on the wall that revealed a very exhausted December.
"What happened to you...? You were never the type of guy to assault people. It's the first fucking day of the Academy and you decide to fuck it up."
He located an area, just behind him, and launched a punch towards the wall. It had no impact whatsoever, a lonely thud accompanied by subtle cracks in his knuckles.
"Pathetic..." He growled, angered by the fact that he didn't hurt himself enough.
Decey had never felt more vulnerable than he has now. His eyes began to fill up with tears.
"I'm sorry...
I didn't want to hurt anyone..."
His voice choking up with every syllable he let out, to anything that would give him the comfort he needed. It was the same feeling he felt back in Ophius- in Lost's memories. The feeling that everything was gone and that there was no hope for him.
All he wanted was to learn about the world he would read about, day and night. All he ever dreamed of was getting a function so he would fit in, but now, he hurt his peers, alienated most classmates after that display, and resented the look Heet had given him on the hospital bed.
At that instant, everything that had happened, came rushing at him like a hurricane- Aunt Oris's death and the torture he faced from ∅. He thought all of that trauma was buried deep within all the happy memories he made, but God scoffed at the pitiful attempt.
He collapsed on the cold marble tiles, pathetically sobbing. He wrapped his arms around him, thinking to himself how he wished he never got Defined. He wanted everything to be how it was before, the same old refrain that never failed to put a smile on his face. He slowly felt the weight of the shackles fate had supposedly slapped on him.
Sniffles and hiccups were drowned out by the plunk of water that leaked ever-so-slightly from the sink faucet, as Decey laid on the ground, embracing the chills of the cold soaked tiles.
>>
9:00 AM
Lye sat crisscross in his 'thinking room', a space completely separate from the world, staring into the white that ethereally covered the room. Fractals- patterns that kept on repeating as much as you zoomed in, were littered around walls that never seemed to end. The sunrays hadn't dare to seep its way in.
He had appeared to look much healthier than when he last went outside. His cheeks weren't caving in, his complexion finally colored in, and his eyes again filled with conviction.
"It's already been decades since that day, huh?" He thought to himself.
Instantly, Lye found himself sitting in his office chair, with an expected audience- all of the first year professors.
Lye let out a relocating groan before standing on business, internally relieved he had psychologically recovered as the Headmaster.
"Anyone want to start us off?" Lye set the table for the professors to share whatever they wanted to. That, and he was still in no position to speak up.
Professor Ash stepped forward. Remembering his place and the previous trauma he had faced with Lye, he stepped back in his place.
"The PODs is a fantastic idea, in my own opinion. I personally am very thankful for letting me see over it. Witnessing how these young kids overcome the downsides of their function and finding innovative ways to use it never seizes to amaze me. It's a class that helps both me and the students." Ash elucidated, keeping his enthusiasm in check.
"However, it already went too far." He let the sentence drift off, letting the entire room know what he was referring to.
Lye was ticked off. Ash had already approached him about the situation, but he knew he didn't find the closure needed.
"How is the other kid doing?" Lye ignored the provocation. He knew Ash wanted the others to know about Lye's favoritism with December.
"His back had to be completely stitched up." Another professor spoke up. She was the in-charge of Domain Manipulation, and an prodigy in Subtraction.
She had black hair, a bob-cut that covered one side of her face, and was very popular with the students for her looks.
"I get that this is all preparation for that, but Zil was beaten up repeatedly." She scowled at the fact that she knew Ash let the battle go on.
"Face lacerations, brain bleeding- you name it. I don't know what he did to piss off someone to the point of...
What if students who have agendas against each other like this get paired up?"
She shot darts at Ash and then Lye, expecting him to take her side.
He placed his elbows on the table, interlacing his fingers. He took a deep breath, knowing it had to be done.
"Aurora. There will be an appropriate response. After said response, you won't have to worry about it." He responded calmly.
Aurora mouthed 'thank you' and went to fetch a glass of water for herself.
Lye sighed and gestured anyone to share their thoughts.
"Anyone else?"
No one had anything else to share personally. After two hours of back and forth, Lye felt satisfied the way the Academy was dealing with the new semester.
The major cliff notes were the continuation of the PODs, the date confirmation of the Battle House, and budget problems here and there.
He dismissed the professors and began opening drawers. He eventually found a piece of paper- it was December's schedule.
Lye teleported to his Dome. The hexagons dissipated, leading to the masterpiece Lye had created.
"Has December entered his dome?" Lye yelled with his hands on his hips, his expression dead-pan.
"He hasn't. And his roommate is currently with Professor Ash." LYDE mentioned in its robotic voice. Although, LYDE wasn't talking to anybody mid conversation.
>>
~knock knock~
Decey groggily got up, his eyes slowly registering where he was. The sharp tingling feeling in his eyes let him knew who was on the other side of the door. His eyes were completely blood shot, his face a mess, covered with snot and dried up tears. He dumped his head in the puddle of the sink. He made the gesture to turn off the faucet with his trembling fingers, but his fingers slipped against the stainless steel and didn't bother to pursue.
He clutched his left arm as he slowly wobbled his way to the door, dripping water on the floor, and opened it, revealing Lye.
Decey opened it further, letting Lye in. He couldn't care less about the state of the room.
"I heard about what happened." Lye went straight to the point.
Decey sat down, disoriented. He was still feeling the backlash of fatigue and the rush.
"You really do take after Kela, you know?" He smirked, an attempt in trying to get his attention.
"She did things like this too. One guy's ribs completely shattered, leaving him in the infirmary for months. Another guy- let's just say he wasn't going to be in the family business any time soon." Lye chuckled softly, recollecting Kela's justification for that.
"He was thinking with his dick, was what she said. You can find the context whenever you wish."
Decey lifted his head up, trying to smile but just couldn't. He wanted to stay in the comfort of the cold longer. He didn't want to hear all of these attempts in lifting him up. He didn't deserve it.
"Why are you here...?" He growled slowly, wanting Lye to get to the point already.
Lye stayed silent, trying to see what was going on in Decey's head.
"I did something wrong. You have to punish me. Just do it and fuck off.
Don't give me this half-ass attempt in cheering me up, because I don't deserve it."
Lye could feel the self-loathing he did all night. He turned serious, and stared right into Decey.
"Sorry for giving your emotions a flying fuck, but it's not everyday where a student almost kills three other students. So, kudos to you for achieving such a feat.
Sadly, you're expelled for a month, for brutal assault- 3 counts of it."
Decey looked down, almost disconnected with this conversation. He tapped his thumb with his index finger constantly, an unconscious plea to leave the moment.
"And as for your temper, you need to find a way to fix it, because all you are to everyone in the Academy, is an insufferable, unstable piece of shit who can't control their emotions and lash out on anyone who hurts their precious millimeter ego. You're a Prime for goodness sake- Act like one and grow a pair." Lye coldly added.
Decey shot up from his seat instantly, furious.
"You gave me that designation with zero prior information. I never asked for that. I never wanted to be the center of attention." His voice came out hoarse.
Decey wanted to stop speaking. He was too tired for this, but all he was doing was proving Lye's point, and he couldn't help it.
"You did this. So don't tell me to grow a pair, how about taking things seriously for a change?" He continued ranting, not knowing where it would lead this conversation to.
Lye tried his best to stay composed. He knew, he could see the violent colors dancing in Decey's head, almost taunting him for lack of control.
"Back off...." Lye snarled gently, letting Decey now he wouldn't want this fight.
Decey didn't want to stop, brandishing a half smile, he continued.
"You wanna know what I think? You think you make your little jokes to lighten up the mood , but I think its because you are so incompetent, you use that to cover up how much of a sorry ass you are."
Lye snapped, as his eyes flashed with pure rage.
He stepped closer, space tightens, Decey's legs buckled for a moment as he rose from the ground, his back freezing from the cold wall.
Even at point blank, he didn't feel any remorse. He stared right into Lye's eyes using his Augen Gottes, perhaps proud of how much he pissed Lye off.
Lye noticed this and his voice instantly dropped, almost to a whisper that threatened to kill with words.
"Know your place..
I'm your headmaster, and you're a student.
But if you're willing to put these silly titles aside and 'grow a pair', know I'll gouge your fucking eyes out."
It was now Lye's turn to take the wheel of the conversation. He lifted Decey against the wall higher up, making sure the pain gets to him.
"I know you had it tough, with Kela's death, but don't let that think you can act however you like. Accept it and move on- anyone who tells you otherwise is a fucking liar. It's called being human.
Sure, you haven't been mourning her, but it took a toll on your psyche, and everyone around you can tell. Whatever you've done ever since then, has always and will always be your own choice, completely independent of whatever bullshit you've been through.
Pit told me about how much you've dreamt of getting Defined, and what you'd have done with your Function. I guess that doesn't involve beating up your peers now, does it?" He spat, slowly lowering Decey down, who took a moment to catch his breath.
Lye gave him a look up and down, as he walked away. Through the clouds shun scattered rays of light emitting Decey at his lowest so far- him on all fours, completely defeated. His whole body finally shivering from what had just happened.
He thought to himself and paused on his way out- genuinely disgusted.
The silence flooded the room, leaving the pitter-patter of the leaky faucet the only thing alive in the room.
Under his breath, Lye murmured, "Lost chose you too...?
Fucking pathetic."