RWBYKNIGHTS 2.0: Volume 1

Chapter 8.5: A Silent Night

(Note: This is a remake, readers who have read the next few chapters, please do not spoil anything or comment anything related to the next chapters.)

"Traitor... I- I can't believe you, Blake."

"Have you seen his true face? The scar that permanently burned on him? Can you tell whose mark was burned onto him?"

"How... dare you condemn us. Was it your father's words influencing you?"

"Living a sheltered life as a princess, wanting to be like us... only to scream at the first sight of blood!"

"Even when you barely touched the surface of human evil, you call us the devils?"

"I won't stop you. But if you leave now- Everybody will hate you. Humans. And Faunus."

"You can never live with the humans... after all, you can run away, but you can never escape who you truly are."

"Blake? Blake! Answer me! What did he do?! Why are you running away!"

"You. Hypocrite."

"Why not kill yourself? You sorry excuse of a Faunus."

"Die."

"Coward."

"Disgrace!"

"I'm sorry Blake, but this is truly who I am."

~

Blake awoke in a coughing fit as she reached out for Gambol Shroud, head spinning as she rapidly scanned her surroundings as-

Nothing. She did not have Gambol Shroud, neither was she ever in trouble. She was in Beacon's dining hall, refurnished into a massive sleeping quarter to accommodate the new batch of students. Around her, students rested on thin mattresses provided by the academy, but not her, as she was instead resting by the wall, sitting on the cold, marble floor as if it were the softest bed imaginable. And unlike everyone, who wore some form of sleepwear, Blake was still in her usual clothes.

"No one is trying to kill you..." Blake whispered as a single tear trickled down her cheek, disappearing into the fabric of her clothes. Rubbing the bridge of her nose, she sighed as the clock on the wall barely turned eleven, it had only been an hour since she fell asleep, and now she was unable to return to her slumber.

Nevertheless, she was always prepared, with a small pouch by her side, she carefully unzipped the mouth, making sure not to alert anyone to her presence. In it was a small handbook of her favourite novel, Ninjas of Love, and a bottle of almost empty sleeping pills, a daily ritual she took to be able to sleep, and in some cases, taken more than once a day.

Both items, alongside her weapon, were the only things that gave her some semblance of comfort. Security, escapism, and relief. Without either one, she wasn't sure if she could get through a day without breaking.

Yet, every time she held onto the small pills that were able to knock her out quickly, there was always *that* hesitation to take it in. As if everything she was doing was all wrong- that she should not even be here.

The thought linger as her eyes lazily eyed the drugs on her palm. 

'Would you like to take it?'

'Do you want to sleep?'

The voices in her thoughts drifted as the strength in her hand gave in, the girl sighing as her hand fell to her lap. The irony that she depended on such a pill, yet disagreed with it baffled her. She had repeatedly taken it, why was she always so hesitant?!