The next morning, at Calea's wooden shack.
As per usual, the atmosphere inside and outside the shack was undeniably cold, in this blue-ish morning where the sun haven't rose through the thick clouds, hymns and songs from the forest birds marked the start of the day with their tranquil chirps.
While the birds are peacefully singing their harmony, a disruption came into play after the birds heard an unpleasant footstep heading closer towards the wooden shack that they've been staring at for a good while, that footstep belongs to Scythe who is walking to wake his students from their sleep.
"Good work, you all can go back." Scythe said to his subordinates that is surrounding the shack.
All of the cloaked guards then nodded and they slowly drifted into the forest and disappeared by the bushes and leaves.
Creaakkk!!
Scythe gently opened the door, and what he saw soon after was enough to make his eyes widened for a short moment.
"Hm?.." He said, not expecting with the scene that is being presented to him. "...So they've gone insane."
Inside the wooden shack, Scythe saw the mess that had happened last night, Carsel and Vedra was laying on the floor with their bloody face, almost all of their body was covered in bruises and from the looks of it, it seems like Vedra lost the fight against Carsel, he had significantly more injuries than Carsel with the worst one being his dislocated left arm, they both passed out after fighting for so long and didn't manage to kill each other before their stamina runs out.
On the other hand, not so far away from the two fighters, Scythe also saw the mess that the other students made to Calea, she was defiled, her body was naked and covered in mysterious substance, all of the boys was sleeping close to her, clean and unharmed, their face doesn't have any slight of regret or empathy, after they're done with Calea, she was left to rot in the dark while her body was freezing from the cold.
"...Wake up." Scythe said.
Although his voice wasn't loud, it was enough to immediately wakes everybody up, as soon as he said that word, everyone in the shack opened their eyes and said, "Yes.." As they lift their body from the floor, except Calea.
Scythe sees that Calea was still laying on the floor, he approached her and took a glance at her face, it was hideous, everything that made her a Princess has gone, and the only thing left is just a soulless body that only waited for death to come.
However, that's just what everyone thought about her, Scythe noticed that when he looked at Calea's eyes, her pupils stared back at him, she was looking at Scythe, her conciousness is still alive, she was still there, with a quiet voice, Calea then manages to speak.
"yes.. sir.." She said.
It was quite shocking for Scythe himself, to see a girl who's been violated and is on the brink of death, came back and kept on going, her eyes wasn't filled with nothingness, there was still a small fire burning inside, and Scythe knew that.
'This girl.. Karera– No, Princess Calea.. You've gone insane aswell, huh?' He thought, smiling at the strong hatred and bloodlust that is exuding from Calea, only felt by him. 'Interesting, your bloodlust, i can feel it!.. It's excruciating, your desire to kill what's infront of you, to kill those who have done you wrong, it excites me.'
"Karera, let me ask you this– Do you, want to give up?" Scythe asked Calea as he reaches out his hand to her.
"What?.." Deon said, startled with Scythe's question for Calea.
"Give.. Up? What he mean by that?.." Kalios also got confused.
After a brief delay, Calea's finger moved, that question from Scythe was the last thing she expected, she doesn't know what to answer, however, if what Scythe mean by giving up was to let her go home and come back with her parents again, then it would be an offer that she couldn't deny.
But just because it was a possibility, doesn't mean it would come true, Calea knew this, she won't be fooled by Scythe, despite his thrilling offer, Calea won't easily accept it just like that.
'Giving up?.. You mean i can choose to end it right here? I can meet with my parents again? I can go back to my previous life?..' Calea thought, she was recalling random moments from her life at the Castle, when she smiled at Leoth for playing with her, when she frowned because she got mocked by Valden, when she accidentally spilled her drink and stained her clothes, it was such a random moments, but that random moments made Calea remembered who she was.
...Crack!
CRACK!
CRASH!!
'FUCK OFF WITH THAT YOU PESTS!! I WON'T BE AT PEACE BEFORE I KILL ALL OF YOU!! THIS BODY OF MINE, THIS HATRED, IT WON'T DISAPPEAR UNTIL I RIP YOU ALL APART WITH MY OWN HANDS!!'
'Life as a princess? don't joke with me, get that shit away from me, fuck off with that boring life, you know what i want now? I want to peel your eyes off and force you to eat it while your skin is being burned by the fire.'
"..Heh." Calea said, her smiling eyes spread to her lips, it was a wide smile, a fearless smile. "You shitty instructor, i don't need such offer, you're not someone who would do that– I'll follow your stupid training, i won't give up, i will kill you and everyone in this place, you said you want to turn us into a merciless weapon? Fine, you'll get it, i will be your strongest weapon until you regret it for raising me."
An unbelievable declaration from Calea, it had everyone in the shack perplexed and dropping their jaws, even Carsel and Vedra was sweating at how scary Calea's presence is right now, the girl who they thought was just a weak insect that doesn't deserve to live is now changing right infront of their eyes, all of the students know that the reason Calea's change in behaviour was them, and they're anxious with what consequences this might led to.
Meanwhile, Scythe who heard Calea's speech, felt a stab on his heart, that stab awoke something dormant within him, his hearbeat rapidly accelerating, as if he was looking forward to Calea's growth, he can't help but get excited, way too excited.
'What is this feeling?..' Scythe thought, a slight smile began to appear on his face. 'This tightness i feel in my chest, the rush of adrenaline coursing through my brain, this shocking feeling— Ah.. Am i? Thrilled? I– Can't wait.. That's right, Calea.. Im not going to let you go that easily, i was going to kill you if you had accepted that offer, but seems like you saw right through it.'
"You're amusing." Scythe said, his tone was cold but under that hood and behind his scarf, was a smile that undoubtedly came from someone who is ecstatic. "Stand up.. Princess Calea."
Another shocking revelation was dropped, now this time it was the real identity of Calea, everyone who heard it spontaneously shrinks their pupils and saw Calea with bewilderment.
"Huh? C- Calea!? Princess Calea!?.." Carsel said, still couldn't believe with what he heard.
"PRINCESS!?.." Hughen shouted.
"What did he say- Princess!? She's a princess!? Calea!? YOU MEAN CALEA DE' FREDERICA!?" Kalios also shouted and pointed his finger, he was shaking.