A sigh of relief flooded the perpetual silence of the night dorm. She'd held her breath the entire way back as though the slightest sound meant sudden death. Still invisible, Julianne arched her back and raised her head, eager to make herself appear bigger even though she couldn't be seen, and desperate to prove to herself and her enemies, that she was the better chameleon.

Luckily, the double doors were already open. Discretion was in vain- even Julianne's dainty footsteps couldn't be heard over the growing, catty bickering of two night students, succeeding the lightning clack of pool balls shooting apart.

"I didn't do anything to them!" Leyla insisted, cue in hand.

Trinity's sleek blue hair fell over her eyes as she knelt, picking up the yellow striped ball from the carpet, glaring at her opponent across the billiards table.

"You're both such sore losers, it was going in!" Trinity whined. Nobody noticed Julianne enter the parlor, on account of her silence, but also, her frankly being a bit difficult to see.

"I don't think she did anything," Ebony chimed in.

"You BET on her!" said Trinity, pointing like a witness in court. "Why am I playing pool with your telekinetic ass anyway?"

Still grumbling to herself, Trinity stomped to the holder, about to return her pool cue, when something poked her butt. Repeatedly.

"What the- LEYLA!!"

Trinity spun around amidst the other girls' laughter to the ghostly pool cue, jabbing her rear, back, and ribs... in mid air.

Even Julianne's fears couldn't hold her back from joining in, and the other girls watched as she materialized at the foot of the door, pool cue still hovering with as much personality as a piece of Disney furniture. The girls hadn't laughed together like that since, well... never.

"You missed our game," Leyla said. The cue continued poking the night student- prompting Trinity to grab it from the air.

"I was just thinking everyone was getting along too well," Julianne said.

"Is the game over? Did I win the bet?" Bel appeared in the door frame.

"We didn't finish this game, but yes, I beat Trinity... half an hour ago?" said Ebony. "Jury's out on this one."

"Yay!" Bel squealed in delight, inviting himself into the space. He turned to Leyla. "YOU owe me a hundred bucks."

"Whatever, fine..." she brushed him off.

"Dimitri told me to tell you class is starting soon," he said as he pranced back to the doorway. "Cash is preferred but I'll also accept IOUs and favors."

"I thought Cadere wasn't coming back until Friday," Ebony questioned.

"He's not, sooo Dimitri's in charge."

Just as quickly as he came, the back of his blonde head vanished from view.

"Serves you right for using your powers to cheat." Trinity eyed Leyla. "Maybe there is such a thing as justice."

"You guys realize Bel can predict the future, right?" Ebony asked slowly.

"Everyone accuses me of everything, where's the justice in that?" Leyla muttered.

Julianne politely cleared her throat. So much younger than the other girls, it came out as less of a cough and more of a squeak, filling the room with her childish voice, uncannily mature in cadence.

"Some of us in this dormitory are causing more grievances than usual, and I know we all have our differences, but we are outnumbered, so we need to stick together as much as we can."

Silence. It was rare for them to be getting along, but with half of the female night students on dangerously thin ice (and not entirely of their own doing), they'd seemingly been domesticated. For now.

Ever since Y/n was added to the number of female students staying in the night dorm, her name became a curse. Leyla and Trinity were not permitted to engage with her at all, even though Cadere believed Y/n had no recollection of that night.

And Cadere... if the night girls were under pressure, he experienced it ten fold. The vampire hunter lacked the words to describe how much fear threatened the very fabric of Arcadia and her legacy.

Inviting Y/n to temporarily reside under his more regimented watch was a great risk. Without mentioning his other fears, all real, and lethal- he didn't know what he would do if the others found out what she was.

It was as a grim result of Cadere's troubled heart and mind that he'd so easily punished Leyla for what he still didn't know was Belmont's act against the day student, Sophia. And Leyla's actions towards Y/n weeks ago during patrol only drove the nail in her coffin.

Regrettably, Cadere lived with knots in his soul that accused him of making similar mistakes in the past. But without proof, he was confined to reality's apparent disappointments.

But Leyla... whose brown pig tails once swept the floor, had been hacked off. Cadere never expected her to be so troubled after what he knew was a strict, but fair punishment. Leyla, still standing in the parlor using her powers to make her classmates laugh, had only days ago been heard crying in the empty lecture hall.

Had his actions been too much for her? In the same month he'd dealt with not one, but two acts of alleged self-harm... and Leyla, once a pillar of self-confidence, had as suddenly as a bullet shattering a skull, become a victim of her own nightmares. And for Cadere, it recalled nightmares of a darker time; writing to the parents of not one, but two students. Suspending patrol for a second time, Cadere thought, had to be the right thing to do.

Leyla listened carefully to what Julianne said, but lacked the resolve to hide how hopeless she felt. Her eyes stayed glued to the floor, fingers stroking the end of her green hair ribbon while Ebony and Trinity exchanged glances.

"I think Leyla is right," Julianne continued, pacing around the room. "There is no justice here... not while some of us can get away with hurting innocent people just by pointing the finger at someone else."

"What are you suggesting?" Ebony asked, keeping her voice down.

"That we need to work together from now on instead of competing against eachother... for approval, for attention, for our own personal interests," she eyed each girl as she spoke. "Because it is in our best interests to live freely without fear of being exploited by those more powerful than us. Even if we are outnumbered, we are far from outclassed."

The clock chimed throughout the night dormitory. Y/n turned over in her sleep. It was time for class.
~

A choir of black birds eclipsed the sky. Beneath his feet crunched dead brown leaves, some escaping his shoes by the mercy of the wind. Autumn hovered nearby... rustic, earthy. Something zipped behind him- students were already bringing out their most apocalyptic winter coats. Maurice did not feel cold.

It was not the first time he'd visited the infirmary that week, all but empty today except for her. Even now, he wasn't accustomed to the stark contrast of her jet black hair in the otherwise blinding white room. A whiff of sterility and rubbing alcohol welcomed him back. How many hours did Maurice spend in these rooms during his final year at Arcadia?

"Back to volunteer?" the resident nurse asked. "We missed you around here."

"I wish, just visiting a friend," he replied. "You'll have my younger brother's help in a few years, I'm sure."

Simone was, as Maurice predicted, still fast asleep, her mouth slightly open. Students were just beginning their 8AM classes (or about to be late) and Maurice needed to visit the girl, hopefully, one last time. That way, he could tell Y/n he'd truthfully been to see her roommate, and that he found nothing remarkable about the state of her informidable memory.

Though it was well within his reach to restore, however minute a fraction of Simone's peace, Maurice, now accustomed to the girl's silence, changed his mind. Of course, he thought... it was in the best interest of everyone long term that certain truths be revealed, and some memories forgotten, burned, and buried.

The girl's legs shifted beneath the covers as sunlight rained over her blanket through the branches of the maples outside her window. Maurice reflectively thought of Lucian's kioku tree, freshly planted, and felt his chest tighten. The white of the room, too, reminded him of snow plums. 
Simone looked peaceful, like Snow White, and Maurice knew any day now that she would be back in her dorm, meaning, Y/n would be back in her dorm.

He stepped a bit closer, his shadow swallowing her sleeping form. Theo's flowers drooped hopelessly. Maurice took out an aluminum water bottle he often filled with Theo's tea, and donated some of his water to the well-being of the flowers. Like Eleanor, Maurice felt most at home when caring for others. Hospitals, clinics, and infirmaries didn't phase him, not because he was cold, but because he spent his life before Arcadia in every possible facility helplessly watching his mother wilt.

Unphased, but not unaffected. Eleanor on the other hand, Maurice thought, was over-enthusiastic about the prospect of working in such an environment. Even if he steadied his heart with the threat of it breaking and convinced himself that hospitals were all the same, the temperamental reality of medical environments isolated Maurice to his pharmaceuticals and manufactured feelings... anything to distract himself from why nobody stopped his parents from dying, when they "did everything they could."

But Maurice had a change of heart recently. He watched the girl's chest rise and fall with each shallow breath, screwing the cap of his bottle on and tucking it back into his messenger bag, next to his glasses. For the first time in years, despite everything, Maurice was manic with hope.
~

Theo, you thought, was doing much better than the last time you saw him. Though the kitsune was absent from your table at lunch, you saw him bounce between tables closer to the kitchen, maintaining appearances between his many other friends. Knowing only you and Eleanor were entrusted with his biggest secret made you feel dizzy with kinship. Remembering Simone was the first to discover it, only to be completely shut out, made you feel sick.

But she wasn't the only one in the dark- deciding what to tell who, and how much, weighed you down constantly. As Eleanor joined you in third period English, you didn't know where to begin... do you tell him about Avery blackmailing you into spending time with him? About Lucian almost killing you? Roman saving you from those girls? Dimitri flying you to Delwood?

What about Roman and Avery's warnings about Maurice?

"I said Simone should be back soon," Eleanor repeated.

"Oh, yeah." You blinked. After a brief pause, "finally."

Sylabil entered the room, followed by Theo. You'd definitely have to give him and his friends the update back at Jack's as soon as possible.

Despite others' fear of who to trust, you trusted Eleanor, and he trusted his brother, right? And when was the last time you'd seen some of the boys? It felt like it had been a very long-

"Y/n, are you listening?" Eleanor asked. You were not.

"I was not- sorry. I got distracted by Theo," you lied.

"I said," he lowered his voice, "we'll have to tell Simone everything that's happened."

"What!?" You exclaimed, causing someone a few rows down to yank their headphones off, before shrugging and putting them back on. Theo hopped into his seat and held up a hand as if to say hello. Sylabil shuffled her papers at her desk, but grades were low on your list of priorities- probably low in general, you thought.

"I'm one better than before," Theo whispered below the desk, digging through his backpack like a fox. With both hands he pulled out his textbooks, dropping them loudly on the desk. The kid with the headphones jumped in his seat.

"You mean, you-" Eleanor began, eyes darting between the two of you from the middle, "did you find one? Is that what the seed was about-"

"No, I-I mean I'm one assignment better than before, you know?" He spoke with suggestive eyes.

The lecture hall was mostly full now, whispering less useful. Sylabil cut you all off with her fist in the air, gripping your collective demise- that assignment you slapped together with Eleanor was already graded.

After Sylabil placed them face down (giving you an apologetic frown), Eleanor continued instead of the usual lightning turnover to check his grade.

"Okay, so you have one, that's awesome, how many are left?"

Theo shook his head, his expression sour. Your classmates groaned at their less than savory marks.

"He can't tell us-" you guessed, looking back to Theo. "He can't tell us?"

Eleanor turned over his paper and let out a sigh of relief. Instinctively, you did the same while Theo shoved the paper into his bag without so much as glancing at it.

Sylabil did what she always did to get the class's attention, raising both her hands to the sides much like a crossing guard, urging you all to stop.

"If you have any issues with the grading, as usual, you can argue with me after class, but I'm just letting you know that I didn't mark these," she said while waving a few leftover assignments in tune to her speech. "Any issues you have can be taken up with Mr. Wright during office hours.'

Worried, you quickly flipped through the rest of your assignment. There was a section you didn't bother checking with Eleanor- not that you'd had time given that particular day- but now you wish you had.

"What are we gonna do?" You pleaded.

As Sylabil began her lesson, Theo's eyes brightened. You watched his hand trail over your assignment before he tapped the grades on your worst page. It read '1/5.'
~

Lucian hadn't felt this way since the night his siblings were killed. Much like the girl who gifted him this much power, he was at a loss for what to do. But all he knew was, he couldn't let anyone know it was Y/n who gave it to him. Resentment stubbornly stalked the night students, even still- silently looming over Roman's bloody souvenir- and Lucian knew that he would become a bloody souvenir if anyone discovered what he'd done.

Much to (most but not all of) the night students' relief, Cadere was not back yet, and Lucian had time to breathe- but then again, Cadere being away from the dorm meant that Dimitri was in charge. And given that Dimitri spent more time with Cadere than any other night students- knowing him since Dimitri was a child- Lucian needed to get rehearsing, because his new attitude promised agonizing interrogation. Dimitri questioning Lucian's renewed vitality might even be worse than Cadere, Lucian thought, grateful to be alone in his study.

After Y/n left his room that unforgettable night, Lucian spent most of the night sitting on his bed with his head in his hands, silver hair jutting out through his fingers. Part of him prayed for morning, for punishment, for redemption, in what felt like endless night. Another part of him felt empowered to protect Y/n at any cost as the essence of her life flowed through him, saving Lucian from himself, but damning her to his inevitable nature.

Roman was the first to encounter the new and improved Lucian. And as soon as the redhead closed the door, Roman betrayed his private nature by telling Bel that Lucian was doing better, too relieved to stay silent. But Roman's common sense should have known that if everyone found out, it would be his fault, because telling Bel meant telling everyone, regardless of his assertion that keeping secrets was his special skill.

The informal recount of events is as follows- Bel waited for Roman to be out of sight before he could confirm it for himself. "Wow, Roman was right. You look hot!"

Bel promptly squealed to Avery who couldn't believe it and fled to his room- uh- just in case.

After hearing the girls complain about Lucian, Bel snickered to himself from the shadows, but couldn't get away fast enough to avoid spilling the tea.

"Forget watching your mouth, you girls better watch your head," he joked. Half of the girls seemed particularly embarrassed at the thought of Lucian invading their most vulnerable place.

And it was thus that the reclusive Lucian Lavendale remained reclusive, the majority of his classmates terrified by the scope of his newly enhanced abilities. For the first time since the night students arrived at Arcadia, they understood how most of the day students felt about them- a cocktail of compulsive curiosity mixed with fear. No one wanted Lucian to know what they were thinking, if it was true he'd gotten 'better.'

Dimitri was the last of the night students to be told. It wasn't until after his day in Delwood with Y/n that he learned of Lucian's development. And despite the inevitability of him finding out, Dimitri thought his date with Y/n could, and should be kept under wraps. He'd been busy in the clock tower observatory for a reason.

Lucian was busy in his study too, respectively, worried about his secret and thankful that nobody else happened to be able to read minds.

Dimitri knocked at the door even though he could hear Lucian pacing inside. The taller one froze, took a deep breath, and opened the door.

~
Already by the end of the day, things were looking up, Y/n thought, swaggering towards Arcadia plaza. Simone would be out of the hospital any day now, Theo got one of his kitsunebi back (somehow), and there were only four more to go. By Halloween they'd be able to unearth Lucian's memories and hopefully find clues as to the identity of the thief.

Sure, Avery made her promise to (likely) end up doing things she'd regret, her assignment was an afront to academia, and she couldn't imagine telling Simone about effectively gaslighting her for her own safety this whole time, but things were definitely looking up!

The Arcadia fountain was radiant during the golden hour, sunlight beaming down on the few glimmering coins tossed beneath the water. It wasn't until she got up close that she remembered what Maurice said- it was too risky to use the portal to Jack's now that students were back from fall break. Her reflection frowned back.

If patrol really was going to be disbanded next term, their team of misfits needed to find the kitsunebi before it was too late. Y/n shivered, shoving her hands in her school jacket, ill-equipped for the icy wind. She saw her breath materialize in the darkening sky, before it was ripped out of her lungs at the vacancy in her pocket.

Frantically her fingers whipped around inside, denial sinking in and leaving just as fast.

The coin for the portal- where was it!?

Her fingers stretched out her pockets halfway hoping for a hole. Out she pulled everything but the special coin needed to meet with her allies.

She spun around the site as students idled by. Her heart beat pulsed against the white nose of Arcadia fountain.

Taking heed of Sylabil's instructions, Y/n now had two reasons to visit Maurice in office hours.

"I checked it already, and I checked my backpack-you can look if you want," Y/n said. Her eyes watered, from the cold or from the tone Maurice had when she told him, it was impossible to know.

Eleanor's older brother pinched the bridge of his nose, frustration brimming through his lenses. He closed his eyes, and sighed.

"There are only three coins Y/n, and we aren't capable of just making more," he vented. "Are you sure it didn't fall out of your pocket-"

"I'm sure," you said, eyes welling.

Maurice watched you like a chastising parent ultimately too loving to enact any real discipline.

"Do you want a cup of tea?" He offered, already facing the electric kettle in his office and turning it on.

"How am I going to get to Jack's now if only you and Theo have the other coins?" You asked quietly. "C-can Jack find a way to meet with us somewhere else? I'm really sorry."

"Jack can't come here, and don't be too upset. I'm not... mad at you."

You mentioned Theo's newly retained kitsune orb, hoping to elicit a positive response, but Maurice wasn't thrilled. Far from it- he warned you that Theo needed his kitsunebi not only to stay alive, but to shapeshift and transform back into a fox. Maurice feared that whatever they planned to do with Theodore, they planned to do soon, if they hadn't done something already.

You shifted uncomfortably in your seat across from Maurice's desk as he brought you your cup of tea. At least he and Jack were pleased with the sapling that had just sprouted a single white leaf. Maurice was confident that meant his hypothesis was correct and you could be bitten to link the kioku plums to the night students.

Silence bore self-consciousness. It's duration made you uncomfortable. The cuckoo clock behind his desk ticked offbeat. How would you get to Jack's now if you were needed there during the week?

Maurice eyed you dangerously as you brought the cup to your lips, finishing it off.

"Lucian might be able to more easily read minds now," he warned. "Not only do you need to avoid suspicious behavior, you now need to avoid suspicious thought."

"I don't really think Lucian would want to take Theo's kitsunebi," you thought aloud. "He doesn't seem that motivated by power."

Maurice propped both elbows on the counter and rested his sharp chin on his wrists.

"See, that's something you shouldn't think when you're around him. You just don't know who you can trust."
~

"Dimitri," Lucian greeted matter-of-factly. The dark haired boy stepped inside the study and Lucian graciously closed the door behind him.

"Can't say I believed it at first," Dimitri mused. "You look significantly healthier, yet somehow... equally morose."

Be it for better or worse, Dimitri's eyes were everywhere but Lucian's. The head of the night boys didn't make a habit of loitering around day student territory, much less Lucian's private study, so it was one of the first times he'd had the privilege of experiencing it. Even when his family owned most of the property, it was far from a vacation home- and the Cerullo boys never went, leaving Dimitri to analyze everything around him with an unbeholden calm, flames from the chandelier glowing in his dark eyes.

"Trusted is he who trusts others," Dimitri laughed. "Can you believe who said that to me today? Avery."

Lucian instinctively glanced towards Dimitri's right hand, but he didn't see any jewellery. No, Dimitri's polite facade wasn't magical, but psychological. Easy to follow from years of Lucian knowing the boy.

"Hypocrisy only increases with age," Lucian remarked. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

With a surprisingly self-satisfied look, Dimitri reached into his cloak and pulled out a bottle of velvety red liquid, showcasing it with both hands.

"You- is that?..." Lucian stammered.

"18th century German Aristocrat. 1792 I believe... good year," Dimitri said. Lucian remained frozen."Of course it's not. It's amarone... Valpolicella, you know, from-"

"from Verona," Lucian said at the same time.

"And it's not from the 18th century I'm afraid, but hopefully 19th serves you well." He handed the bottle to Lucian, who turned to set it on his desk.

"Thank you for your generosity."

With his back still turned, Dimitri continued.

"If you... happen to prefer something different... that can also be arranged."

"I don't think I'll be indulging."

While he set about opening the bottle, Dimitri hovered, fall cape adrift around the bookshelves.

"You never did find the Creatures Almanac, did you?" Dimitri asked. "Pity, after Roman went through so much trouble. We're sure it wasn't Avery?"

With a pop, the cork flew through the air, Dimiri catching it without taking his eyes off the shelf.

"Are we sure Cadere didn't take it back? Maybe someone destroyed it," Lucian wondered aloud. "But Bel's vision... 'something important has been stolen...' Someone definitely took it."

"Hmm..." Dimitri said, nodding. "Something important."

Lucian pulled out two wine glasses from a cabinet at the back of the study and poured the wine. Ruby red in colour, subtle cherry, chocolate aromas sweetened the air.

It was as Lucian watched the wine splash against the glass cage that he found himself suddenly prone to someone else's innermost thoughts.

Disorienting- for a split second, Lucian was in another library- no, the night dorm library? It suddenly dispersed and Lucian was left pouring too generous a glass. He handed the first one to Dimitri, mechanically.

It was definitely Lucian's glassware. There's no question there.

Lucian pretended he couldn't suddenly hear interludes of Dimitri's thoughts while taking a long sip of wine. He choked.

"Are you okay?" Dimitri asked. "Is it not to your liking?"

It tasted like putrid rotten cherries soaked in curdled vinegar.

"This is wine?" He asked stupidly. "I thought- I'm fine. Just- it went down wrong."

Wine. I knew I should brought something stronger. He clearly wants blood. How will you sustain yourself now?

Dimitri eyed Lucian while indulging in drink. Remarkably, none of Dimitri's thoughts reflected in his eyes. Or at least, the few that were coming across.

It was like a radio frequency. Channeling the thoughts of humans was infinitely easier than vampires, and the older they were, or, the stronger, the more difficult it was to intercept those channels. Lucian was in total shock that he was able to read any of Dimitri's at all. He never had before.

"I noticed several nights ago that you left some glassware in our dormitory library," Dimitri began, licking his lips.

What's this about? Lucian wondered.

"I'm not here to question you or your actions, but of the two whiskeys, one of them had clearly been enjoyed by a girl." Dimitri swished his glass, testing the wine's fortitude. He was the picture of Cadere, standing there in his long black cloak.

"I must say I haven't the slightest idea what you're referring to," Lucian admitted. "If you want to ask me about... something else..."

-seems truthful. Hard to tell. Would you lie to me?
...
This wine really isn't the best. Maybe Lucian is pickier than I thought.

Dimitri's thoughts buzzed in and faded out, while Lucian made every effort to conceal his forbidden knowledge.

Then, Lucian spiraled into another foggy sequence- he recognized the night dorm exterior, his peripherals distorted by branches. A group of day girls were finishing patrol- surely- and one was being comforted by the others as they fled the steps. Why was Lucian's perspective so high up?

"I'm t-telling y-y-y-you!" A girl's voice echoed in Lucian's skull. "Hopeless! Y/n and Roman are like... together!"

One of the girls jerked her head towards the day dorm up ahead as she spoke. "Y/n hasn't even been sleeping in her dormitory, with the head of second years not here to manage shit."

"Ree has seen them together loads of times, but they were basically holding hands while walking together the other day. She probably sleeps in his room!"

The pureblood's next words helped sober Lucian's mind. But not before the blood soaked agony of Roman's writhing neck in Dimitri's grip flashed before him.

"I was just wondering if it had anything to do with you, but I think I know who the drinks belong to," Dimitri said, his voice completely different from those in the vision. "I just wanted to ask- and if you didn't know, maybe hide your liquor better. After all, there are thieves about."

~
Comment your thoughts here! Or anywhere, but I would love to know what you think. Who do YOU trust?

Hi you, it's been too long. Maybe two years since a proper chapter update? I still have a draft that says "Year Long Update" but after all I've personally been through since we last met, it would take too long to read. Short and sweet explanation- university, then covid, then Russia invading my country. I am safe, but bitterly laughing at how it was easier for me to publish a chapter during literal war than while in college. While I might not have an excuse for before all that, let me be candid and say that my anxiety at writing (well) for you consistently, ironically stopped me from writing at all. I was afraid of even opening Wattpad. Clearly, I'm over it. And as a Ukrainian, I'm not afraid of anything anymore.

If you're reading this it means you must still enjoy this story, or at the very least, are annoyed with my hiatus enough to come back to finish it with us. For which, I am endlessly grateful! If you're new and want to roast me socially, there is an Amino page that has, against all odds, been popping off lately. Here is the link to join: http://aminoapps.com/c/CrimsonFanpage. Chatting with you, seeing your amazing art and hilarious comments genuinely keeps me going. If you would like me to make a Discord I've thought about that too. I have a tiktok account now called Fanfunctional and I will be using it.

Otherwise, welcome back to Arcadia! I really wanted to surprise whoever is reading this with an unexpected chapter for Christmas. I hope it lived up to your expectations, and that you have a beautiful Christmas/ holiday/ New year. Thank you!!

Love (that never went away),
~ Your Number One Fan

P. S. There is a mnemonic/ initialism hidden in this chapter as a clue to the possible kitsunebi thief... Except instead of the first letter of each word, consider the first word of each paragraph...