When Ray managed to open his eyes once again, he was met with a scene that was now too familiar with him. The white ceiling and smell of chemicals was a dead giveaway. He was once again lying in a hospital bed.

  Only this time, rather than the nurses and doctors who were tending to him before, his eyes were met with an old man who stood by his side. The old man was known as Humfree White. His main features where his white hair and long white beard that suited his name well.

  Humfree was in charge of everything that went on in the hospital and not only that, he was the only official mage that was a part of Avrion. For Humfree specialised in healing magic.

  "Looks like your finally awake," Humfree said with a huge grin on his face.

  Ray tried to speak to the old man but his body still felt slightly numb and his throat was incredibly dry. Humfree then signalled for one of the nurses to bring Ray a glass of water to clear his throat.

  "What happened to everyone?" Ray managed to croak out.

  "I suppose you have a lot of questions but worry not, your friends are safe." Then Humfree's expression changed into a serious one. "All except for Jasmine that is."

  Ray had thought what he had seen before he passed out, was a dream or part of his vision but with Humfree's words it only confirmed it. Gary had slain Jasmine.

  "Have I been out long?" Ray asked.

  "It has been a whole week."

  Ray couldn't believe what he had just been told, a whole week, was he really in such a bad state? Ray had never felt this vulnerable before.

  "You're lucky to be alive," Humfree said before whispering the details to Ray. "It seems like Jasmine was possessed by the shadow plague and she had attempted to murder you. She coated the blade with a deadly poison that is used only to hunt the most ferocious of Magical Beasts. We have no clue where she managed to find such a thing. Or how long she had been under the control of the shadow plague."

  "How am I still alive?"

  "I find myself asking that exact same question, thankfully you got to me just in time, usually if a poison like this was to be used on a human, they would die instantly but your body fought off the poison well."

  "How did I get to the hospital?" Ray asked.

  "Two of your friends waited with you while the others went back to the academy to seek help. They eventually managed to find Wilfred who took a different path to get to you quicker."

  Although Humfree didn't say what this different path was, Ray could take a guess that it was most likely the red door in the academy. It was how Wilfred was probably able to get to Ray so fast once he knew of their location.

  Humfree then sighed while looking at Ray.

  "You and your friends are in serious trouble. The elders have called forth an emergency meeting to discuss what to do with you and your friends."

  Ray clenched his right fist, "You mean, everyone could be kicked out of the academy?"

  Humfree nodded, "You have committed a serious crime, discovered secrets that should never be reviled to a knight especially students like yourselves."

  Ray was annoyed, after finding out that the Divine being was located at Avrion and not Roland, Ray felt like he was closer to discovering what had happened to him. He couldn't be kicked out of the academy now.

  Ray then thought of something else. Why did Jasmine try to kill him? Yes, she was under the influence of the shadow plague and he had plans to deal with them later but so far, he had done nothing to aggravate them.

  For all they knew, he was just a student at an academy.

  Was it a random attack or all planned out? Ray wished that Gary had managed to restrain Jasmine rather than outright killing her. Perhaps then Ray would have been able to question her by using Dragon's truth on her.

  While Ray was deep in thought Humfree continued.

  "You will be watched from now on, although you may not see them out and about there will always be someone to guard you."

  This was something Ray really didn't want to hear. If the academy sent someone to watch him how would he be able to act on his own.

  "We a.d.u.l.ts made a mistake, we should have watched all the red-haired children closely from the start, although there was some who didn't take the prophecy seriously there are now many who do."

  After saying everything Humfree wanted to say he got up to leave the room. As he did, Ray decided to close his eyes and get some rest. He could still feel that his body was being affected by the poison and he currently felt very weak because of it.

  A few moments later and Ray could hear the sound of footsteps approaching him. Ray immediately opened his eyes thinking that it could be the enemy but it was a familiar face to him, it was Wilfred.

  Wilfred looked down at Ray and had an expression on his face as if he was disappointed in his son for doing something bad.

  "Ray I thought you could trust me, why didn't you come to me if you had things to ask, now I fear that it is too late to help you,"

  Ray felt a little hurt from Wilfred's words. Wilfred had always been nice to him since he had met him but Ray couldn't trust anyone. After finding out about the purple liquid and the Pure blood's, Ray didn't know who to trust and again just now someone who he considered close to him had attacked him and tried to kill him.

  "I am not part of the elders so it is now up to them to make a decision," Wilfred said as he turned away from Ray and left the room.

  All Ray could do now was sit there and wait for the decision of the elders.

  ****

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