The scene shifted violently, a jagged tear in the fabric of reality, hurling the world into the original David's timeline. The air here thrummed with the dull, oppressive hum of the mundane—a cruel mockery of the horrors that festered in the shadows, waiting to claw their way into the light. David—this David, the first, the unbroken yet fractured soul—strode toward the canteen, his boots striking the earth with a rhythm that whispered of menace. Beside him walked Ruby, Alice, and Casca, their laughter brittle, a thin veneer stretched taut over the simmering dread that pulsed beneath their every step. The sun hung low, casting long, skeletal shadows that danced like specters across the cracked stone path.
They didn't get far. The crowd parted like a wound, and from its festering edges emerged Russel—a sneering boy with the haughty swagger of nobility, his eyes glinting with malice—and Benna, a girl whose gaze cut like shards of glass, her lips curling into a venomous smirk. Their minions trailed behind them, a pack of hyenas circling for the kill. They blocked the path, their presence a storm cloud rolling over the fragile peace, thunder rumbling in the distance of David's mind.
Russel's voice sliced through the air, sharp and commanding, a blade dipped in arrogance. "You girls stop right there."
David froze mid-step, his hand twitching toward a blade that wasn't there, a phantom itch of violence screaming in his bones. Ruby's breath caught in her throat, a fragile gasp swallowed by the tension. Alice's eyes narrowed to slits, her jaw tightening, while Casca's fists clenched, knuckles whitening as if she could crush the moment itself. The canteen's chatter dissolved into a distant murmur, the world shrinking to this suffocating pinpoint of suspense. It coiled tight, a serpent of rage and fear hissing in David's chest, ready to strike.
From a distance, David's gaze sharpened, cutting through the haze. He watched as Russel, Benna, and their minions loomed over Casca and Alice, their voices dripping with disdain. "What's a noble doing with a commoner?" Russel spat, his tone thick with mockery.
Alice's voice lashed back, cold and defiant. "She's not a commoner. Didn't you see? She stepped from a king's horse carriage—Ruins Kingdom. Open your eyes."
The words struck like a thunderclap. Russel's sneer faltered, his face paling as shock rippled through him. Benna's dagger-eyes widened, her composure cracking. Casca tilted her head, her voice low and edged with steel. "Let's go." She turned, leading the girls toward the canteen, leaving the stunned nobles in their wake.
But behind the college walls, Russel and Benna festered. "She's noble," Russel hissed, his voice trembling with shame and fury. "I was humiliated—we were humiliated."
Benna's lips twisted into a snarl. "We have to do something. Make Ruby suffer. She'll pay for this."
Their minions nodded, eager shadows feeding off their spite. "We'll make her regret it," one muttered. "She'll break."
David lingered in the distance, his ears catching every venomous word. His heart pounded, a war drum of sorrow and rage. What shall I do? he thought, his mind a storm of blood-soaked possibilities. Kill them? Slaughter their families? Burn their world to ash? His fingers flexed, aching for the weight of a blade, the release of violence.
A voice slithered into his mind, deep and resonant—the God of Darkness, Eternal. "It's going to be a problem for Ruby," it intoned, a whisper of shadow and warning. "Don't get into it if it's too dangerous. She needs to learn these lessons. You understand?"
David's chest tightened, his rage warring with the god's command. "Fine," he growled aloud, his voice a jagged edge. "I'll leave it. But if it gets too dangerous for Ruby—if they push her too far—they'll see hell itself rise to greet them." He turned, stalking away, the promise of retribution a smoldering ember in his soul.
Russel's voice echoed behind him, cold and prophetic. "She's going to live a hard life in this campus."
Benna laughed, a sound like breaking glass. "She looks weak. Coming friendly competition, I'll show her who she's messed with."
Her minions chimed in, sycophantic and cruel. "Yes, Benna, you'll show her how great you are."
Meanwhile, Ruby, Casca, and Alice sat in the canteen, their voices a fragile thread of defiance amid the storm. "Who the fuck was that?" Ruby asked, her tone sharp with unease.
Casca shrugged, her eyes dark. "Some noble racist, I guess."
Alice leaned forward, her voice steady. "Don't worry. My father's a general in the royal army. If anything happens, we'll tell him."
Casca nodded, her lips curling faintly. "And my father's the war advisor to the king of Henwards Kingdom."
Ruby's eyes softened, a flicker of warmth piercing her fear. "Thanks, you guys. You're my closest friends. And if anything happens, I've got my master too—I'll tell him."
Casca's gaze hardened with resolve. "In two days, we've got that friendly competition. We'll show them we're not kids to be messed with."
Ruby grinned, fierce and determined. "We'll win for sure."
Their laughter rang out, a fleeting rebellion against the darkness closing in. But atop the college roof, David stood silhouetted against a beautiful, blood-red moon, its light bathing him in an otherworldly glow. "Beautiful moon, isn't it, Eternal?" he murmured, his voice heavy with unspoken grief.
The god's reply was a whisper on the wind. "Why didn't you sleep, David?"
"There are things I have to watch out for," he said, his eyes scanning the night. "Other timelines, other Davids, heroes, demons—whatever they are. I'll protect Ruby."
Eternal remained silent, a void of judgment. Below, an eagle perched on a gnarled tree, its piercing gaze fixed on David, unblinking and predatory. Far away, beneath a crimson sky where a red moon blazed, a black castle loomed like a wound in the earth. A masked Ruby stood at its edge, her voice a chilling echo. "You're the same as every David, aren't you?"
The words hung in the air, a thread of dread stitching the timelines together.