“Lizen, right?”

“Yea, what's the matter, Is this about me losing– look it was a fluke alright, I didn't get enough sleep and my body shut down okay, don't worry about it, it won't happen again.”

Mr. Willers’ eyes struggle to stay open as Lizen explains himself, he lets the notion carry on until he abruptly raises an arm, “Okay, okay, I get it, you won't lose again, fine; however that's not why I’m talking to you now. 

“Oh, then… Why do you want to talk.”

Wilkers pauses as a heavy breath leaves him, “Do you know why most heroes die?”

“Woah…”

“Sorry, intense start I know but, the answer is lack of awareness, or a less likely term, ignorance. He leans into Lizen scanning over features like his posture and wryly smile. “You seem to have a bunch of it stored in that little body of yours. In the future and especially in that dungeon, just focus on something other than yourself. For even just a moment.”

Lizen’s gaze met the floor, he was quiet and as still as the three moons amongst the stars. He lifted his head with a crescent smile across his face, “Thanks coach but, how can I focus on everyone else when they’re behind me, I’m wway too busy moving forward.” His voice leaks condescension, it was worrisome and the effect it bore was ugly, truly hideous. Mr. Wilkers didn't know whether or not to punch some sense into the kid, so he stopped thinking and walloped the back of his head.

“You overconfident dumbass, think about what you just said, even for a minute, you lost that competition today and you still wear that smirk like a crown, quit being an idiot and think about what I told you!” 

Lizen rubs the back of his head, which is now swollen to the size of a coconut. “You didn't have to hit me so hard coach, fine, fine, I'll listen to what you said.”

Mr. Wilkers gives a heavy sigh before shooing Lizen away. He surrounds himself in a glass ball before disappearing from sight.

Lizen races to the dorms using every shadow as cover from Disciplinary members, and right when one almost runs into him he leaps atop a lamppost perching over like a Gargoyle. He vanishes to a nearby bush and rests for a moment. “These guys are everywhere.”

“They sure are.” A voice from the shadows slyly responds.

Lizen falls back with a hand covering his screaming mouth. Zamir emerges from the shadows and moves uncomfortably close to Lizen. “They normally do parole in shifts around this time, what’s your excuse?”

Lizen speaks with a slight stammer, “I do, I was speaking with Mr. Wilkers and he–”

“Do you have a note?” Zamir asks sharply.

“Oh yea a note…” Lizen rummages through his empty pockets, he pulls them inside out realinzing his fatal mistake, HOW COULD I FORGET THE NOTE?! He screramed internally. “Um I kind of dont have one.”

Zamir stares at Lizen with that eerie smile of his, it's off putting as always. Lizen tries to run away but Zazmir grabs hold of his collar and slams him to the ground. “I’m sorry but we’ll need to run some ‘tests’ to make sure your actually Lizen Ishakura, okay?”

“Damn it!”

Zamir snaps his fingers and several diciplinarey members burst forth onto the scene. They each surround Lizen and drag him to the main building of Zenith to the Student council Director room. 

Several members approach him, their uniform is truly the most intimidating part, well– along with the baton the girl in the front is slapping against her palm.

“Alright Diciplinary committee, this kid says he’s Lizen Ishakura, I need you all to run a thorough examination, okay?”

They each give a nod, to be quite frank, it’s more ominous than Zamir’s creepy face. They begin to rip and tear his uniform from his body, collect blood samples, and scan for ID before returning him to his seat. A traumatized Lizen shivers while wrapping his arms around himself. Zamir claps his hands and a  disciplinary committee member drops a box at Lizen’s feet which contains a fuzzy duck pattern pajama outfit with a nightcap. He reluctantly wears the outfit and quickly notices it's slightly oversized fit. Zamir bursts out in a fit of laughter and everyone in the room takes pictures of him filling the space with a white flash. 

“Great, we have confirmed you have no dangerous items on your person and you are indeed who you say you are, we have also confirmed your whereabouts by contacting Mr. Wilkers, you are free to go with a warning.”

“YOU COULDN’T CALL HIM FIRST!” Lizen shouts whilst covering his body. To which Zamir responds by covering his mouth.

“We… already did.” You could almost hear him snickering along with the other members of the Disciplinary Committee.  Zamir wipes the tears from his eyes and dismisses the DC. They march outside in unison leaving behind Lizen and Zamir. They sit across from one another for a moment–uncomfortably. Lizen opens his mouth to speak but is interrupted, “The test is coming up in 3 days, are you ready?” Lizen opens his mouth to speak yet he is interrupted once again, “Of course not, I haven't told you what you need to know.”

He rises from the couch and quickly paces to the kettle utop the stove and begins pouring himself a cup of tea, “We’ll be here for a while so I’ll share with you the secrets to beating the ‘Freshmen Killer’.” he wiggles his arms while making ghost sounds like a lunatic, this guy is seriously unhinged.

After some time Lizen leaves the building and teleports from sight zipping to the dorms and into his room. Outside was quiet and still. Besides the occasional hooting of an owlbear nothing was out of the ordinary. That is– everything besides the man deep in the forest with a pair of binoculars glued to his eyes. “Ah, seems everything is fine with that kid, Brother’s gonna be happy to hear.” The man takes out a piece of paper and a pen and begins writing on it before pulling a matteshka from his backpack and placing the note inside. After a flash he opens the Matreshka to see a rolled piece of paper. He scans if for a moment before slapping his hand against his forehead, “Ah, come on bro, I really wanted to meet the kid, guess it’ll have to wait.”

The man adjusts his position in the tree dozing off with a grumbling snore.

Back Inside the Student council Director room Zamir drops into his chair and falls over with his head in his knees. Someone knocks on the door before entering. A boy by the name of Cava who, by the uniform, appears to be a DC member. He enters  holding an intense gaze that can be seen past his slick black bangs. “What makes you think you can stay out this late?” He hisses.

“Well I'll have you know, today’s my turn to parole.”

Cava raises a suspicious eyebrow, “No, that would be Takehara’s task, you dont serve fridays, never have for about a month now.”

Zamir jolts back and coughs into his clenched fist, “I- mean I swapped with him this week, he was tired and said he would be busy tonight or something–”

“Also not true, we would have heard about it in the Disciplinary committee message chat, also Takehara was out patrolling not too long ago on the southside of the building.” The two sit in silence before Cava spaks again, “Why are you lying, I never took you for a creep.”

“I’m not a creep, it’s just, something feels off.”

“Like what?”

“I dont know, I’ve been feeling uneasy recently, dont you find the last minute preparations and the change in location just a bit worrisome? My gut’s telling me something, I just know it, recently it’s been in alot of pain too.”

“Perhaps that’s just a sickness. Maybe you’ve caught some sort of bug. Just get some rest, staying up late like this wont do anything but make it worse.”

Zamir rubs his chin for a moment pondering on a response, “You’re right, maybe I’m just exaggerating,” He picks himself up from the couch and downs the remainder of his tea before crashing the glass into the wall. Goodnight Cava, dont forget to clean that up.”

Cava bursts out into a horrendous laughter calling Zamir a bastard as he exits the room. Zamir thought of all he could do for his lowerclassmen in the upcoming test, The dungeon's purpose is to test the skills and strengths of the student in attendance yet he believed he should do more to help them; It wouldn't hurt to offer a little assistance– ultimately he let the thought subside as he found himself at the door to his room. He slowly pushes it open, finding nothing but the television on and Takehara, who he assumes is back from parole, unconscious on the couch. Zamir turns off the T.V and steps into his room, collapsing onto his bed. Damn, I sure hope Lizen uses my advice, he may even tell some other people and help them out… I do feel like I’m forgetting something though, ah cant be important… If I don't… Remember it…

With a final and fleeting thought, Zamir slips out of consciousness and falls into a slumber, snoring his socks off. The long night is but the first of three, the calmness before the inevitable storm.