The Sight Beyond The Haze

Chapter 67: The Culprit Behind the Disappearances

Cocytus and Zachriel burst out of the door behind us.

Cocytus' eyes were wide while he was holding his phone on one hand and Zachriel's arm on the other. He was heaving his breaths as though it was difficult for him to breathe while Zachriel was looking at Cocytus with a queer expression on his eyes.

"So you've met," Cocytus told me, his eyes were still panicked but they somehow calmed down. "We need Anasthasia to get back to the house. She doesn't have any use to us now if she is like this."

My eyes immediately went towards Anasthasia whose hands were still covering both of her ears. Her whole body was trembling, either from the coldness of the weather or from fright or, honestly, maybe both. I outstretched my hand on the barrier that I set up around Anasthasia. I murmured a silent enchantment to lift it off and the barrier between us immediately faded with my voice.

The golden light butterflies went towards me and before anyone could even react, Zachriel pulled my sister, Idris, and me towards him. He hugged us snuggly and because he was so close to me, I could see that his eyes were closed tightly. Like he was anticipating for something to happen.

"What the heck, Legrand?" Idris snapped at him and pushed his body away from him. She broke apart the hug and fiercely glared back at him, pointing her bow at his slim chest.

Compared to my sister, Zachriel looked pitifully malnourished. Idris let off an aura of vigor, like she was always on the move and in action. I looked at my triceps and biceps and realized that I also look pathetic next to her. Although among our group, she was the shortest one, she was also the liveliest and probably the strongest when it comes to physical strength.

"The Fire Butterflies!" Zachriel shrieked while still trying to pull all of us together. He even managed to drag Anasthasia who was obviously not in the best state of condition. "The Fire Butterflies! The Fire Butterflies!"

"Eh?" Cocytus frowned at Zachriel as he was also pulled into the middle of the hug. "EH!" he repeated his protest while his eyes glued to Zachriel's pale face. "You punk! Get off!" He elbowed Zachriel's face but the latter did not even bat an eye and just hugged us together in a big group hug. "Yah! Hey! Back off, you i***t!"

Even when he insulted Zachriel, Zachriel did not even care and just hugged us tighter.

"They are dangerous! Those Fire Butterflies! Ahh!" his screaming suddenly halted and became another high-pitch shriek. "Help! Help us!"

As though someone would actually help us if he shriek like that. I do not know what to think of why I suddenly felt ligher again, but I did and I just laughed while Zachriel shrieked and while both Cocytus and Idris try to get out of Zachriel's bear hug. Anasthasia stopped shivering and seemed to have come back to her senses.

"What is going on?" she asked in a small voice that was drown on my laughter.

"You have gone crazy, Seraphin!" Idris pointed at me with her index finger. "To think that I almost want to give up the Eirini just for an imbecile like you! Stupid, stupid, person! And stupid me for even thinking about it!"

"What the—? Why is this Weaver so strong!" Cocytus protested. "Goddammit, Seraphin, help us get out of his long arms!"

But I just laugh and maybe it was not the most appropriate time for that laughter, but having people around me like this made me feel giddy with excitement. I have never regarded Deo as my friend, he was my guide, my light, and even Leigh and Eris just became my main parental figures.

We have never been this chaotic before and, at the oddest of the moments, I actually felt as though I was just a normal teen with problems ranges from homework, terror teachers, and my outfit for the prom.

A bright golden light butterfly perched on the tip of my nose. That caused Zachriel to stagger backwards, retreating multiple steps away from us. Both Cocytus and Idris finally heaved air deeply into their lungs, grateful to be out of Zachriel's bear hug.

"The Fire Butterflies—!" Zachriel started, his index finger was trembling as he pointed at the light butterfly taht was still perched on the tip of my nose.

"— are perfectly safe and normal," Idris snapped at Zachriel and snorted at him when he just stood there, dumbfounded with the fact that we let the light butterfly be so close to us. "The Deity of the Light was the one who bestowed these Fire Butterflies to my sister. I know because Leigh told me."

Zachriel looked like he wanted to say something, maybe to protest about the absurdity of it all. He looked at Idris and me, and that kind of expression on his face solidified. He wanted ro interrogate us until he was satisfied but as both my sister and I were of higher rank than his, he did not even attempted. He turned to Cocytus who was arrogantly ignoring him then to Anasthasia who looked still out of herself and then sighed heavily.

There was no one present who would be willing to answer his questions so he remained silent.

The butterflies flutter around us, beautiful and captivating. Despite their beauty, Zachriel remained uneasy around their presence. As soon as they have settled down. Anasthasia was put into deep by Zachriel. The butterflies created a flying hive for Anasthasia to be put on so she could sleep with ease and not a single jolt.

Meanwhile, I jumped right into the business. The seriousness of my tone was enough for both Cocytus and Idris to listen to me. Idris' green eyes still unnerved me. It was as though she was reading me and seeing each one of my secrets. She was not even

"What do you mean that Anasthasia does not need to be here any longer?" I asked but I have a sinking feeling what Cocytus was pertaining to.

When Anasthasia said her name earlier wirh the same frightful expression on her face, I did not want to believe it. Anasthasia's voice was clear and she did not stutter when she said the person's name.

I did not want to believe it though, not until there was any solid proof or evidence that could be presented right in front of me. I clenched my jaw tightly. I want to remind myself that it was only her face that I love for it was the veey countenance that Deo always made a counterfeit of.

I do not even know her that well, or at least I did not grow to have an attachment to the person who owned that face, and it should not be like she betray me. She never say explicitly that she was working for me, just that she was part of the Eirini.

"There is a change of events tonight," Cocytus told us. "Eris just called me to confirm it and I could hardly believe the news myself but it was Eris herself who said it. The Hybrid that tried to kill you yesterday and the culprit behind the disappearances of the students within the academy are two different people. The one responsible for the disappearances is Haziel Imbert."

It was Haziel Imbert.

Through the shivering voice of Anasthasia from earlier, I recalled how she said her name so clearly that I could not possibly mistaken it. Two words, two sets of two words.

'It's her.'

'Haziel Imbert.'

"Wait," Zachriel suddenly said. "I'm afraid I do not know what is happening. Please, all of you, I want to know what is happening so I could follow."

Cocytus rolled his eyes while Idris clicked her tongue at Zachriel who seemed to be offended by how he pouted his lips slightly. As I was about to explain things to him, Idris was already ahead of me.

"I think I can assume that you can see the Fire Butterflies around us, can't you?" she asked while Zachriel only nodded, waiting for the next lines. "They are called light butterflies and as you know the Fire Butterflies are the status symbol of the Deity of the Light which is currently the guardian of my dear sister while the Deity of the Immortality is currently the guardian of this idiot." Idris pointed at Cocytus.

"Hey!" he protested but he was adamantly ignored by Idris.

"They have been protecting these two and the whole academy, with the Deities is the Seer, and I assume that you also know of the Seer." Zachriel nodded again as a response to Idris. "The Seer has just warned us that the one who is k********g the students in the academy, per this i***t's explanation to us—" she pointed towards Cocytus again, this time, Cocytus positively looked like he could kill someone "—is Lady Imbert, the Grand Duchess of Irminbehrt. A traitor. I don't care, obviously," she added with an emphasis, "what she is to you, but she will be branded as a traitor and an abuser of the magical ethics. I think you are also aware of that."

"That's impossible though," Zachriel protested, "Haziel would never do a thing like this. I'm certain that she is innocent. She is the most honorable person I have ever known, besides, she is a Warrior. She doesn't know anything about magic and its properties, only the basics and the basics would never allow her to extend to this state."

"Then someone's probably helping her, duh!" Idris snapped at Zachriel, clicking her tongue in annoyance. "Eris has never been wrong with her predictions."

Cocytus and I exchanged glances with Idris words. Someone might be helping Idris, someone who has not been seen by the Seer until now, until the memories of Anasthasia which just came back and was triggered betrayed the kidnapper.

The Hybrid, I thought.

Cocytus and I probably both thought as we both heard that.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Idris yelled at us. "What's up with the glance, sister? i***t?" she asked with aggravation while she addressed Cocytus.

"Yesterday, someone attacked me while I was patrolling the area of the academy. They might be helping Lady Haziel Imbert with her expenditure, that must be the reason why Haziel was able to kidnap multiple students under the Seer and the Deity of Immortality's radar."

"Seer... Deities... Haziel," Zachriel muttered under his breath with disbelief underlying his tone. "This is too much to process."

"Then accompany our survivor s***h witness back to Cocytus' house," Idris commanded with a natural born tone of a leader, commanding yet not intimidating. "We don't need a burden while we arrest Haziel. Besides—" Idris looked at Zachriel's figure from his toes up to his head with an expression close to pity "—can you even fight?"

Zachriel was silent for a long time before pleading at us.

"Don't hurt Haziel, please."

"We cannot promise you that," I said while I caught the spear I got from yesterday that one of the golden light butterflies got me, probably in advance since I did not even order them to bring these just in any case that a situation like this might arise. "Do you know anyone that would likely be Lady Imbert's accomplice? Caspian? Hermes? Layla?"

"They would never do that," Zachriel said defensively, stretching out his hand as though to ward me off. "They are innocent."

"And yet you so easily used the same words to defend an already convicted person," I said. "The Seer has already told us the truth, there is no denying that Haziel Imbert is guilty of abducting students, mortals students at that, and being an accomplice in an attempted murder of the heir of the Eirini."

Zachriel gritted his teeth in frustration.

"She's right," Cocytus said, agreeing with me so easily. "It would be best for you to accompany Anasthasia back to the house to check on her Veil. I think something came undone the moment she saw Haziel Imbert."

"Go along now!" barked Idris, shoving Zachriel so he would walk. "We've already tarried so long. They could just cover up and escape out of the academy. The Deity of Light's butterflies would surely protect you from anything."

With the explicit words from the three of us that Zachriel would only be a hindrance to any fight we would be engaged in, he hesitantly walked away, looking back at us as though he would like to come with.

Who would have thought everything would be unfolded this day?

I cursed Eris on my mind and I was certain that she would be hearing that through her clairvoyance. She told me that something 'special' would be happening this night, was this it? Was that something special supposed to be the fact that the students' disappearances would finally draw to a close?

I looked at my dress with resentment. How am I supposed to get into fighting mode when I was wearing a puffy ballgown? I felt restricted with the all the fancy cloth and it would be such a waste for it to be all torn or damaged and even stained due to my movements. Besides, the garment itself was heavy that I could hardly move in it.

My eyes wandered to Idris and Cocytus.

Idris was already wearing a gear while Cocytus a suit, I was the only one who looked out of the place on our ensemble. Shaking my head at myself, the three of us talked of our next move.