Crimson Ties

Friday, October 11, 2024

Solara, Solstice, Bog Bay City

Chrysalis Academy

Night

Vince circled the perimeter of the academy, keeping his movements slow and steady, his eyes scanning the grounds as he studied every corner, every shadow. The night air was cool, damp with a lingering mist, but it was the silence that gripped him—an unnatural quiet that seemed to press down on the academy, muffling the world outside. The only sounds were the faint rustle of leaves and the occasional distant hum of the city. The walls of the academy towered before him, dark and imposing, their stone surface slick from the earlier rain.

He moved along the west side, where the guard's patrol route seemed to pass regularly. The woman walked a predictable route—around the entrance, up to the main gates, and then back again, every twenty minutes or so. Vince waited and clocked this routine, as he observed from the shadows outside the gate, waiting for his opportunity. The guards didn't seem particularly vigilant, but they were methodical, which meant Vince would have to be patient. He needed a gap, and he found it when the guard veered off his usual track and disappeared into the darkness on the other side of the building.

Vince didn't waste any time. He moved quickly and silently, his boots barely making a sound on the damp grass. Along the perimeter, a thick row of trees formed a barrier between the academy's property and the adjacent park. The trees were dense here, with trunks thick enough to provide cover, and the branches tangled together overhead, casting long shadows. Vince's eyes narrowed as he spotted a large oak near the corner of the wall, its trunk solid and thick, with several branches extending low enough to offer a climb.

It was perfect.

He approached the oak, fingers brushing against its rough bark as he examined the tree carefully. It was sturdy, and the lowest branches were within easy reach. He placed one hand on the trunk and pushed upward, his muscles flexing as he used the branches to haul himself up. The bark scratched his palms, but he barely noticed. Each movement was deliberate and quiet, designed not to make a sound that might alert the guard.

Climbing higher, he found a sturdy branch just beneath the canopy, offering a perfect vantage point. From here, he could see over the tall stone wall, past the ivy and dark windows of the academy, into the courtyard. The roof of the building was just within reach, and that's when Vince made his move, swinging up onto the branches above.

He held his breath, listening for any sign of the guard returning, but the academy remained silent. The gap was there, and it was now or never. Vince took a final glance around to make sure he hadn't missed anything, then pulled himself the rest of the way up, grasping the ledge of the roof with both hands.

For a moment, he hung there, balanced on the edge of the academy's dark silhouette. The adrenaline surged through him, his heart beating faster as he steadied himself, making sure to remain in the shadows.

With a final push, he was up, his boots scraping the rough roof tiles. He crouched low, blending with the night as he moved silently across the roof, heading toward the area where he suspected the most vulnerable entry point.

The two guards stood near the corner of the academy's perimeter, their breath visible in the cold night air. The dim streetlights cast long shadows over their patrol route as they leaned against the stone wall, trying to ignore the chill creeping through their jackets. One of the guards, a tall woman with short black hair, took a sip from her thermos, glancing over at her partner.

"You ever wonder if the kids really need all that damn security?" she asked, nodding toward the cameras mounted high on the stone walls. "I mean, it's just a school."

The other guard shrugged, her eyes scanning the grounds. "Better safe than sorry," she muttered. "You don't know who's watching these places, and you wouldn't believe how much money's tied up in here." She sniffed, tightening her grip on her flashlight. "The rich and powerful send their kids here. You know what I mean."

The first guard snorted, taking another sip. "I get it. It's all about who you know, not who you are. But sometimes I wonder if it's worth all the trouble. Seems like all we do is watch kids drink overpriced tea and pretend to be important."

The other guard chuckled darkly. "That's the job, kid. Keep the peace, don't ask questions." She glanced up at the looming academy behind her. "Not like we're paid to think, anyway."

They both chuckled lightly, but the sound was short-lived. The air had grown colder, and the night had settled into an unsettling stillness, broken only by the occasional rustling of leaves. The older guard was about to speak again when she heard it—a faint sound, something moving in the nearby shrubbery. She stiffened, her gaze sharpening as she listened.

"Did you hear that?" she whispered, her voice tense.

Her partner, now alert, nodded. "Yeah, something's definitely there." She moved closer, her flashlight flicking on, casting an eerie glow on the bushes, where something—just beyond their line of sight—seemed to be shifting. It was subtle, but it was there. The wind didn't blow that way, and nothing in the trees seemed to stir.

The older guard moved forward cautiously, her hand resting on her flashlight, ready to illuminate the spot. Her partner followed, her steps quickening as her heart rate rose.

"Could be an animal, right?" her partner asked, voice tight.

The older guard didn't reply at first, her eyes narrowing as she crept closer. She could almost feel the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. The rustling continued, a soft, scraping sound.

"Maybe…" she muttered, her voice low. "I don't like it. Stay close."

They both inched forward, their breath shallow. The flashlight beam swept across the dense shrubbery, casting long, shifting shadows. Every little rustle, every shift of the leaves, sent a chill down their spines. The older guard reached out slowly with the flashlight, pushing some branches aside, her movements deliberate, expecting to find an animal or perhaps a wandering student.

But when the light fell upon the bush, it revealed nothing—just a mass of wet leaves, and a slightly bent branch, swaying ever so slightly in the wind. The older guard frowned, stepping back a little, her flashlight still trained on the spot.

"Nothing here," her partner muttered, clearly relieved. She turned away, shaking her head. "Must've been the wind."

The older guard nodded, still uneasy. "Maybe," she said, but her instincts told her it was more than that. Still, they resumed their patrol, heading back toward the main gates.

Meanwhile, from behind them—quiet, like a shadow in the night—Vince moved. He had been watching their every step, his body pressed low against the cold stone wall, hidden from view. He had barely made a sound, his breath steady and controlled, waiting for the right moment. As the guards moved away, Vince slipped from the shadows, moving swiftly and silently, blending into the darkness.

"Too predictable," he muttered to himself under his breath, his voice low. The guards had been easy to read, too focused on the trivialities of their shift, and the gap in the security was glaring. For someone like him, who had been in the business of reading people's intentions for years, this was nothing more than a well-rehearsed routine.

The academy's walls, so daunting when viewed from a distance, now seemed like a challenge—one that he was ready to conquer. He pressed his back against the stone, moving like a whisper through the space, careful not to make a sound. The guards had passed, and the gap he'd been waiting for had come. With deliberate movements, Vince crept through the darkness, inching his way closer to the academy's back entrance.