Time seemed to freeze as the apprentice's scream echoed through the tunnels

Down here even whisperers could be heard for long distances, so there was little doubt that the agonizing wail would have caught the attention of anyone in the vicinity. It was if she had been frozen in place, her mother's stiff paw still draped over her. Her mother's eyes were open staring lifelessly straight ahead. All of her instincts conflicting. Wanting to bury her nose in her mother's fur and run from the scene all at once. Scared, confused, and yet unable to do anything about the intense storm of emotions brewing inside. Her body trembling.

"Dad...?" she was almost afraid to look, to see if her father was still on the other side of her mother. She couldn't see him from her current position, but his silence frightening her even more. For a brief moment she thought she felt her mother move, but she must have been imagining it. She didn't have time to dwell on the thought, as Illius appeared. His soothing voice helping break her trance

The little white apprentice flung herself at the tom, like he was that last safe place in the flood of despair that surrounded them. She couldn't answer him, choked with tears. Her nose buried in his fur, plastered to his body so tightly it was hard to tell where one cat ended and the other began. Her eyes squeeze shut, refusing to look at anyone or anything but Illius. The two of them had only met recently, but she felt like she had known him for a thousand life times. All what wanted right now was for him to hold her close uniqcrim Faith Honeystorm

Everyday he was trapped in a time loop, the curtains parted, the play began, but it was the same play. The story never changed, the dialogue was so easily memorized he knew everyones lines. He would wake up at the early, dark hours of the morning, then get herded over with the other privates. He would work all day, then ask his parents or the commander and origin superior for his freedom, but they would never give it. Despite doing the same thing everyday his family never seemed convinced that he had learned his lesson. Today though, there was a flaw in his play.

Out of the corner of his eyes he could see the trace outline of a white figure looming past the guards that routinely kept watch over the bootcamp. The ghostly white cat leapt from the high rock, over the guard before proceeding down the tunnel, out of sight. If doing the same thing everyday wasn't garnering results, then maybe he did need to do something a little different. Walking calmly at first over to the guard he picked up the pace in a short burst of energy, hopping onto the rock and over the guards head into the long, winding tunnels. Looking instinctively to the right he found the see through cat. The two may as well have been old friends as he followed after the figure, allowing it to guide him through the dark. Soon enough the cat seemed to blur away, but the instinct of where to go remained with him. All at once though he stopped, feeling sick inside as he stared at the horror in front of him.

"Lights."

Only Dusky hadn't said Lights, nor was he there. Instead superior origin Sean hurried over to Guider Superior Valerian. He could already read the toms expression and gently picked Lights up. "I'll take her to the garden for now," He said quietly to the superior. He wanted to stay to comfort his granddaughter, but he was naturally one of the more stronger cats there could handle carrying a cat back, plus this was his daughter in law. He would get her to the garden safely in order for her to be looked at later to determine a cause of death.

-

"What are you doing?" Dusky asked, already far too way into the tunnels to hear any screams.

Rottenfang held a single long leaf in his mouth, but coating the floor was practically a garden of loose poisonous herbs scattered across to the ground. Rottenfang spit out the leaf, "You caught at a bad time," He said casually before beginning to place the herbs back onto the leaf to bundle it back up again.

"Why do you have a bunch of poisonous herbs?" Dusky asked more cautiously, but kept his claws sheathed.

"Well... I like this girl," Rottenfang started.

"So you're going to kill her?"

"What?" Rottenfang asked, this time his amber gaze peered up at Dusky before focusing back on the task at paw, "No, is that what cats do when they like someone? They poison them?"

"No!"

"Your species is pretty messed up if that's what you do," Rottenfang said before finally collecting everything. Leaning down he was about to pick up the herbs again when this time Kotori came in after trying to drag Zakiyyah along. Rottenfang looked at the mess with a long stare, before deciding that fate clearly didn't want him to have these herbs and standing back up fully. Honeystorm

Kotori smirked up at Dusky, "The running away from bootcamp thing was nice. Thanks to you Zakiyyah and I get to actually do something fun and catch you. But I don't want to go back so if you keep running we'll let you get away for a few hours," He mused before slowly starting to notice all the deadly herbs scattered everywhere and Rottenfang starting to walk away, "HEY! Are you trying to frame us for plotting a murder, what the heck, why did you just leave these scattered around us!?"

Zakiyyah, of course, got dragged along on the adventures. Not literally, because Kotori attempting to tug on her paw was about as effective as a kit trying to haul their parent around, but even still, she followed after him. Even a lazy pace let her keep up with him thanks to the difference in their strides. "Maybe we should just turn around and pretend we saw nothing." Probably not an option, but this wasn't exactly what she wanted to do with her day, get in trouble again. At least, not without intending to get in trouble. Faith

Shule knew something was wrong. What? She didn't know exactly, but she found herself looking for Sean, only to hear a scream and bolt towards the sound. Southpaw crying, Sean carrying someone, the stench of death in the air. Dusky? No, the fur wasn't right. Unseen though.... The Commander suddenly looked ill. "What happened?" racer uniqcrim

Commander Shule gave a single nod, leaning down slightly to lick Southpaw between the ears. While she was the harsh sort in most contexts, even she knew this wasn't the time. "Come with me, we'll find him." She agreed, her voice surprisingly gentle. While generally, she wouldn't have brought the Cadet, it would probably do South better to get away than sit here.

He nodded, a soft look of compassion in his pale yellow eyes. "Of course I'll come with you." His fur warmed a little as she called him Prince Illy under the Commanders gaze but he would not saying anything. He was not ashamed of it, it had just momentarily caught him off guard. He dipped his head to Shule with respect and moved to follow them, staying close to Southpaw in case she needed him. racer

Valerian nodded at Sean and followed him as Southpaw explained the situation. He wanted to know more and felt that the now lifeless body of Unseenlights should not be left alone when Sean was done. This was a very suspicious death. @faith

Honeystorm racer
"Yeah I guess we should just pretend we didn't see him," Kotori said thoughtfully, but noticed Dusky turning his head in all directions as though looking for something, "What?"

Dusky peered to his left one more time before reclining his head back into a relaxed position, "I don't know, everything's just safe and normal," He said before locking his eyes back onto Rottenfang, "But you're not acting safe or normal."

"The herbs are wrapped up safely now," Rottenfang reassured before looking between the three siblings. They were the leaders children, but were the lowest members of the Regime, it was strange, but made sense at the same time. Wordlessly he gathered any loose herbs before carrying on his way.

"I always hate his stare, I know, he's an abusive case victim, but I just do," Kotori said wandering up to Dusky leisurely.

"Why? Because it's judgmental?" Dusky asked.

Kotori's claws unsheathed, ready to strike Dusky down to take him back in. They stood around too long to not take him in now, but he paused at Dusky's response, "No, I mean- I don't think that's what it is. It's more like he's trying to figure out what to do with us, like someone trying to move a pawn. I don't know, just puts me off. I know the look because I give it so often." Before Kotori could act to knock Dusky down he heard the tremor of people coming, but the distinct scent of their mom.

Dusky shifted his head up in time to spot a teary eyed Southpaw, "Hey sunny bunny," Dusky said slowly, but as they neared closer he could see the tears edging at her eyes, "What's wrong?"


uniqcrim
"It is odd, but the Regime's only ever had one unsolved murder, I'm sure we'll figure it out," Sean reassured.

Fear clutched at his heart, as he wrapped his tail across Southpaw's soft head, guarding her away from seeing the way he looked tearfully back at Shule, something lost in his eyes, unfocused, like a kit wanting his mothers comfort. "Let it night be true," Dusky begged Commander Shule, hoping that no matter how bad things were, this wasn't permanent. A coma, a heart attack she barely held on from, something Southpaw easily could have mistaken for death, but it was only after he realized he wasn't breathing that he sucked in a breath of air, inhaling the death scent that clung to Southpaw's pelt that he knew it to be true. "Lights," He whispered, his paws moving tightly around Southpaw, as though holding her away from anyone that would take her too, "I didn't know..."

I didn't know she was going to die tomorrow. I didn't know that would be the last time I held her. I don't remember the last thing I told to her. Was it meaningful? Did she die knowing he loved her in all the ways he didn't know how to form into words? There family always felt untouchable, compared to others they led good lives. Blindfaith had been lost, but recently found. Huntleigh died, but he lived a good life and his death was sudden, accidental, an impossibility to predict or have avoided. They kept one another safe when together, but for the first time being together as a family didn't feel like enough. "What happened?" Dusky asked softly, his voice wobbled as he held back a sob. He couldn't breakdown yet, wouldn't allow it, he needed to understand it because the moment he processed fully that his mate was dead he would be useless for a long time. So it was best to get everything he could while he had an inch of stability.

"I think it's best if you just come with us." Shule stated softly, her tail gently brushing over Southpaw's shoulders. It was only after a few moments that she noticed Kotori and Zakiyyah nearby. What were they all doing, anyway? Honestly, they weren't killing anyone, so maybe she should just leave this one for the moment...

Southpaw felt cold and empty as her father pulled away, without a word. Her blues feel to the ground, tail almost dragging the ground as she followed  after the rest of the adults quietly. Did her dad blame her to? It was almost like he couldn't even bare to look at her now, as he stare straight ahead. She couldn't hide the horrified expression on her face, and the guilt that was bubbling up from deep within.  

It was in that moment that Duskslayer spoke, bringing her out of the pit she had almost fallen into before the guilt could take hold. Leaning up to nuzzle against her father "I love you dad" she managed to choke out the words