Sweat poured down Desmond's face as he ran through the cold wind.
The droplets would occasionally burn his eyes, causing him to rub them fiercely with a sleeve.
Nearly halfway to the Southern wall, his breathing had grown heavily labored and uneven.
He came to a stop, placing his hands on his knees as he stared down to the ground.
` What am I doing? Why couldn't I stay? Why didn't my body listen to me?! `
A booming roar exploded far behind him, causing him to whip his head up.
His breathing had slowly grown even as he collected himself. Upon this clarity, a surge of shame gnawed within.
` I… I'm scared, damn it! I do nothing but run! `
He stood tall, looking back to where he had run from.
His teacher was fighting for his and several other people's lives out there. All by himself.
His legs silently yelled at him to run, but his heart had finally conquered his impulses.
He continued staring forward.
Desmond had never considered himself good with academics. In reality, he had never had a reason to apply himself fully.
He had no home to return to after school. Only an under-funded orphanage in Section Two.
No family or parents to make proud with his efforts.
Because of this, Desmond had internally given up many years ago.
He figured that he might've been able to find himself within his country as a Reveur.
People would recognize him. He could make someone proud.
And that would give him purpose.
Despite this stagnant wish, he continued to sleep through classes and relied on his naturally larger pool of Somnia to graduate.
Until then, he wouldn't give an inch of effort more than absolutely required to meet that goal.
That was until Professor Morwyn was hired on as a replacement for the previous combat instructor at the Academy.
The initial fascination from the students had naturally affected Desmond as well.
The retired Grand Reveur of Augustine was right in front of them, familiarizing himself with them on a more personal level.
The feeling eventually died down as he realized how much of a… regular person… he was.
He wasn't The Reaper. He was a teacher.
He hadn't spoken many words to Leo throughout his limited time at the Academy. Instead, it was the few words Leo would say to Desmond that made the real difference.
A casual, "Good morning."
A simple, "Did you have a good break?"
Something so regular meant more to him than Leo could've ever realized.
He had begun to pathetically daydream of a world where the man was his father.
He'd think of all the familial activities they could do, like playing catch or helping him with homework.
Nothing extraordinary. Just someone to be his dad and love him for doing something as simple as waking up.
The day that his favorite Professor was fired was the same day he had made the decision to apply himself and graduate as soon as possible.
Within weeks, Desmond had shot up to nearly the top of his classes.
He would stay up and hardly get a wink of sleep just to get as many credits as possible.
Through a great, unfamiliar amount of effort… he made it.
He was free to join the force and follow the man that he had grown to see as a father, regardless of how parasocial that feeling was.
As Desmond processed these memories and feelings, a sharp sensation shot through his chest.
A strange, cracking noise reverberated from within his Eidcore.
His eyes widened as a hand instinctively went to his chest.
As if the idea of the engraving had been sent directly to his mind, an insight was granted to him.
` This sensation… it has to be… `
He gulped, feeling the depths of dreams and ambitions grow into something larger than life. Something larger than simple wishes.
As this happened, Leo had been dodging several attacks from the enraged Rougarou.
The power within his legs had caused his speed to seem instantaneous in the eyes of the beast.
Regardless of how fast Leo had grown, he couldn't afford to push any Somnia into his arm or blade.
This made it virtually impossible to inflict any meaningful damage at the time being.
The only thing he could do now was stall for reinforcements and distract the Rougarou from spreading anymore calamity.
Occasional claw strikes and tail whips would land and chip away at Leo's endurance.
If things couldn't get worse, the sensation of his Eidcore growing empty made itself apparent.
In no more than ten minutes he'd be relying on nothing more than his raw strength and technique.
` Where the hell are my men, Henrik?! If I only had a few seconds I could refocus my Somnia and finish this thing off! `
His eyes drifted momentarily behind the Rougarou to see if any Reveurs were approaching.
This single second of lost concentration gave the beast a perfect window to strike.
The subsequent assault had caused Leo's sword to launch out of his hands.
"Shit!" He cursed in anger.
Before he could even think of catching the blade, another fist was hurled his way.
This left him no choice but to guard himself with his bare hands.
Miraculously, Leo shifted the Somnia from his legs into his arms and caught a hold of the beast's hand.
With clenched teeth and visible veins on his forehead, Leo flexed his arms and created an iron grip on the wrist of the Rougarou.
Quickly pivoting his feet and using every ounce of his available strength, Leo hurled the Cryptid over his shoulder and slammed its head into the ground like a hammer.
A small earthquake erupted beneath the two as the energy dispersed into the ground.
Jumping back a great distance and regaining his blade, Leo got back into stance with a limp.
His right arm slumped slightly; a clear sign of the exhaustion from the shoulder throw.
Slithering back up in an unnatural way, the Rougarou clawed against the ruins and stood.
Its jagged hand went up to its ruptured air sac to cover it.
` Is it feeling the pain from the injury? `
The wind picked up once more as the sacs inflated.
` No! It's trying to cover up the rip! `
Thoughts desperately raced through Leo's mind as he tried to think of his next actions.
` What way can I stop it?! Should I run? No, I wouldn't make it. Could I throw something? My sword? No! That'll leave me unarmed again! `
His time for strategizing was rapidly coming to a close as the air sacs reached their limit.
` Think! Think, think, think! `
And just as the Rougarou split its jaws into four segments, Leo had caught notice of the shadows beneath the beast wriggling with strange liveliness.
"What the…?" He muttered out loud.
Suddenly, the darkness had whipped up into black tendrils and scurried across the Cryptid's body.
The black vines had wrapped around its jaws and snapped them shut with an immense grip.
The Rougarou's claws scratched at its own snout, attempting to rip the restraints away.
This only caused the darkness to spread and restrict more of its body.
Turning his gaze from the Rougarou and towards a signature of Somnia, Leo's eyes widened upon seeing Desmond.
Blood rushed from the boy's nose. His eyes clenched shut in pain as he held his trembling hands out towards the Cryptid.
"I-I can't hold it much longer! Get him, dad…!"
A strange, indescribable burning sensation rose within Leo.
The words Desmond spoke caused him to feel an urgency. An urgency that previously only the idea of Maria could cause.
Ignoring the immense pain, Leo stood tall and fixed his posture. Something within him didn't want Desmond to see him looking weak.
A proud smile grew across his face. A pride not within himself, but of Desmond.
` I see now. This was never mine to bear. It was his. His alone. `