There was a growing insanity in River’s eyes, and Aspen really liked it.
While River was taking down his daily notes, Aspen had made himself comfortable on his lap, simply watching his face and sometimes brushing his fingertips against the side of the other’s eye.
It was a very interesting change to observe.
It wasn’t exactly a visual thing. His eyes looked the same as before, but just like a doll compared to a human, there was something different about them.
If the perpetrator watched the scene and not the crime, then River watched humanity. He wasn’t a part of it.
Before, when they first met, River hadn’t looked at anything at all. His eyes had been dull, a corpse’s, lifeless and hollow.
Right now they were blazing – not a flame, but stars shining and flickering brightly, so foreign and fascinating.
Aspen would see himself inside them like they were mirrors, the blinding pale green like polished jewels.
They were endlessly charming.
River’s eyes would not twitch even if Aspen touched their edges, completely focused on his own notes.
A sudden, inexplicable feeling of panic rose up in Aspen’s chest. He held his breath at the sensation, unsure how to react, when all of it vanished as River’s mint-colored eyes finally moved.
River’s head tilted the slightest bit towards Aspen’s touch and his eyes held a gentle smile, even if his expression didn’t change.
Aspen moved his arm to wrap it around River’s neck and pulled himself closer, tightly clinging to the warm body and burying his face in the neck that smelled of the same shower gel he too was using right now.
River placed his notebook to the side and rubbed Aspen’s back.
“Plan?”, Aspen asked in a purr, nose tickling River’s neck and the sensitive spots behind his ear.
“If you’re not too tired, I’d like to stay up for a while”, River suggested. “I want to try leaving the room sometime after midnight. Just as far as it feels safe.”
“It’s a risk. We can’t really hear anything from outside and the doors are… loud.”
To be precise, the doors themselves didn’t creak or anything. It was that whenever you used the handle, the lock gave a click. Not noticeable most of the time, but during the night, the hallways would be perfectly quiet.
If there were people patrolling as some others had suggested, this would be able to alert them.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
There was no reason to ever leave your room at night, which made coming up with an excuse especially hard. I was going to sneak into my lover’s room wasn’t possible either, considering that he and Aspen shared a place.
“I don’t mind even if we only peek outside. I want to see if there’s anything that sticks out – lights, items, whatever. If we could find a pattern between the patrols, that’d be perfect.”
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At a while past one in the morning, they moved.
Their breaths were shallow as they squatted in front of the door, making themselves as small as possible. It opened to the outside, so they’d only be able to look into one direction without stretching out their heads.
River pulled down the handle, which did its trademark loud click, and simply held it in place for several minutes. In the darkness, he gave a little nod towards the door and Aspen replied in like.
When the door opened a small gap, oddly orange light poured it.
It was soft on the eyes and low, just enough to see. If someone was walking around here, you’d have a hard time recognizing them unless they were right in front of you, but movement would stand out.
If there were patrols, you wouldn’t know who it was.
Plus the carpeted floor, it actually was perfect for moving quietly.
River strained his ears. Seeing Aspen shake his head as well, he dared open the door enough to glance to the other side of the hallway.
Right now it was empty.
People were aware of the patrols, but they also weren’t overly confused that they hadn’t noticed the person attacking Logan.
You could assume that the patrols didn’t come too often.
But assumptions were nothing more than that.
River closed his eyes for a moment, then looked at the ceiling as if he was going to regret what he was about to do.
He pulled the door shut first, then got more comfortable on the floor. Opening the door the tiniest sliver – only enough to hear outside – he carefully held the handle to ensure it didn’t move.
Aspen’s body shook with withheld laughter.
He crawled over the ground to get them a blanket and settled next to River for the continuation of a long night.
…The setting had mercy on them that the patrols were beautifully regular, once an hour. Their nearly inaudible steps were easy to miss, if it wasn’t the one thing you’d been listening for.
At four in the morning, they decided to go back to bed to get at least some sleep.
Ultimately, it did not make getting up in the morning easier.
They didn’t dare miss any of the four central events of the day – three meals and one session with Miles – so they had no chance but to drag their tired and stiff bodies outside.
Funnily enough, here their shared room came in use, for most people merely chuckled or amusedly shook their heads at the sight of the two looking tired and exhausted.
Taking their place in the dining room, their eyes wandered back and forth.
Was someone missing again? Did they notice any more victims?
There were far too many people to recognize all of them, but they knew at least some, and those they were searching for.
Acorn’s whole group was missing, as was Miles. They were the first he searched for, and they were what made him certain that there was a new victim in the infirmary.
The three teenage girls were also not here. They were likely with Acorn.
As for others…
Was it emptier? It seemed emptier, but there were already eight people in total gone with the ones he knew about, so it looking emptier was normal.
Could it be that Miles was the victim? Or one of the girls?
The murmurs and mutters inside the room were unlike the two days before. This time, whatever exactly it was, something had gotten everyone in defense mode.
Like startled herbivores, they kept a watch on their surroundings, eyebrows furrowed and noses scrunched in thought, confused and slightly wary. Something was disturbing their peace, and they did not like it.
“Guys, has anyone of you seen Vanessa?” A boy – a young teenager – came over to their table, asking carefully. “She didn’t respond when I knocked at her door…”
Everyone sitting at their table had their expressions freeze.
“She probably stayed up late again”, one attempted to convince the boy – or himself? – that everyone was fine. “You know how Vanessa is. She… She always overestimates how old she has gotten. I’m sure she overslept.”
“But-”
The boy stopped himself when everyone avoided his gaze.
Today, many people would walk towards the infirmary.
The door was closed tightly as always, the doctor Selene inside, but Miles had just left the room. He gave everyone who looked at him a warm smile, and people felt themselves relax.
“We can’t crowd the infirmary”, he said in a low but audible voice. “Too many people will disturb the patients. I will talk about it tonight, is that fine with you all?”
Hesitation, but ultimately acquiescence. Miles’ words held a lot of weight, and people were willing to wait the serene daylight hours to get some answers. Everyone but the players, at least.
“Excuse me, Miles-”
When River called for the old man’s attention, Miles’ gaze left the leaving group and fell on him.
Miles smiled. It was a different smile than before, so overly warm that River would have questioned his relationship with the man, if he hadn’t known that the same warmth was lacking when they first talked. “River! Have you come to visit Logan?”
“And whoever else is inside”, River admitted openly. The goodwill on Miles’ face made him give things a try. “We are worried about how people are getting hurt, but Selene doesn’t seem to like us going in…”
“Oh, Selene.” Miles clicked his tongue. “I will talk to her. You should be able to visit Logan considering you guys are good friends.”
“Thank you!”
River’s face lit up. He was genuinely surprised at the old man’s support, but it would certainly prove to be useful.
Opposite of him, Miles’ slightly glazed, dark eyes narrowed with contentment. He put a hand on River’s shoulder, squeezing it. “If there are issues, you can always talk to me. You’re a good boy, River, I know it. You’ve got good eyes.”
With that, he knocked at the infirmary door again. Selene opened it grumpily, listening to Miles’ whispered words, and unhappily opened it wider so as to invite River and Aspen in.
Miles gave River a playful wink and left, his aged body carrying him down the hallway.
His back turned to Aspen, River did not see how his friend scowled with uncertainty, thoughts and feelings quickly being buried before they could be noticed.
Miles is definitely the bad guy it seems like he knows river is different from the others or i could be wrong love the story tftc
I hope that this isnt a den of organ rising. I dont like the Mile’s comment on River’s eyes