Weirdos IV: The Emerald Heart

Chapter 4: Allegiance

The open field in front of the Emerald Building is currently being bathed by the morning sun with its warm glow. Despite the destructive incident last evening, the entire surroundings and the Emerald Building itself bore no signs of the ferocious fight that took place last night. The entire place looks exactly the same as it did before the battle, except for the fact that the stone lady that used to stand at the fountain behind the Emerald Building is no longer there.

The stone lady is now a real, living lady, and she's currently seated on an ornate chair inside a circular office overlooking the vast, open field in front of the Emerald Building. This lady is Serafina, and she's currently with Jaeron and Fabio.

"Do you think it's really necessary to talk to the professors? They won't welcome you warmly. I think it's just safe if you stay here inside the office," Jaeron said to the lady in black.

Serafina gazed absentmindedly at the moons and planets and comets revolving around the sun on the ceiling. This miniature model of the solar system, apart from being the only source of illumination in the room, has an accurate and real-time positioning of the its parts, from the ginormous sun down to the tiniest cosmic dust.

"I've spent nearly two decades petrified as a statue, Jaeron," Serafina replied flatly. "Don't expect me to coop myself up inside this office. You should go out a lot, too. You've spent the past twenty years planning and preparing for our big show last night. For now, we have the luxury to celebrate our hard-earned victory."

"Shouldn't we be hunting down Ezekiel and the Prime Elemental instead, my lady?" Fabio asked her.

"At this point, they've already established their hideout and fortified it with every single protective spell they know. Ezekiel is powerful, and we'll just waste our time if we hunt them down. Even though I know exactly where they are right now, it's impossible for me to get past the magic of a Watcher. Besides, we don't even have to find them. They will just show themselves in this school in the near future. That is what we should be preparing for," Serafina replied, her purple eyes gleaming.

The lady in black stood from her chair before gazing out of the glass wall of the office. Down below, several people can be seen walking on the school grounds, some of them looking confused with the eerie and unnatural orderliness of the school ground.

"Esmerelda must've enjoyed this view a lot," Serafina whispered while taking in the commanding view in front of her. "The feeling of being on top of the entire world while the others are suffering just right below you. . ."

There was a sudden blinding flash of light as a person materialized inside the room. "All the professors and school staff are in the hall, my lady," Hizrot declared, bowing deeply at Serafina. "They're waiting for you."

Serafina went straight to the open space in front of the desk before closing her eyes. The four of them materialized a second later in the empty circular room directly underneath the office. Wasting no time, the lady in black headed out of the room and into the hallway outside.

"What are you going to do if they oppose you?" Jaeron asked.

"We both know what happens to the people who stand in our way," Serafina replied matter-of-factly. "I'm sure they're not dumb enough to fight me. They may be loyal to Esmerelda but they're not idiots."

After descending several floors, Serafina and the three men finally reached the main hall of the Emerald Building located at the ground floor. As she approached the hall, the double door opened with a loud creak, revealing the professors and other staff standing in wait inside. At the opposite end of the hall stood the Purebloods together with their leader, Isagani. Serafina's eyes gleamed with malice as she stared at the group, her fingers twitching uncontrollably. She closed her eyes for a moment, calmed down a bit, and proceeded into the hall slowly, her footsteps echoing loudly throughout the vast room.