The Glass Knife PV: Elena Clark

TRIGGER WARNINGS: Blood mentions, paranoia, slight mentions/allusions of attack(s).

XXXXX𝓐 throbbing tension headache had sufficed enough for a permission slip to depart 5 minutes before class had concluded for the week. To Meiyu's discontent, it had meant missing the final 5 minutes of Defence Against the Dark Arts, a subject she had grown intrigue in and would no doubt return and ask whether any homework had been assigned. She had refused to truthfully disclose the source behind her the ache, citing a mere stomach bug and permission to withdraw early. Whilst departing from the first floor, she briskly hurried through the elongated corridors until she reached the moving stairs, her fingers twiddling with the prefect badge she had received a day ago which likely aided her early withdrawal.

Moving with a mind of its own, the staircase had not stopped closed to the Gryffindor Tower, forcefully halting on the second floor whilst the staircases above moved on their own accord. Meiyu sighed with discontent, partially irritated that she could not yet seek the slumber she desperately sought. It had been over 35 hours since the lioness had slept with ease. Most nights, she slept in short intervals, frequently waking from nightmares which had taken her back to that sorrow evening — haunting every waking memory and transcending into vivid recollections on the odd nights she succeeded in seeking slumber. In truth, she had dozed off for 10 minutes during class, her mind relaying key details from that evening, though, in a more twisted manner that had sent a shiver down her spine.

Meiyu's lack of communication with her dearest Evpraksiya over the course of the last few months had aided in her sorrows; noting the lack of movement between her communications with her beloved Hans, she had felt as though things had worsened significantly. Delving into her studies had been a primary fixation during this time, Meiyu often nesting near the Great Lake on weekends, her head nested between a book relaying incantations following the loss of her last duel only weeks ago, a loss she had taken far too seriously than she initially cared to imagine. For the most part, the remaining months of Meiyu's first year in the wretched institution had soured in a matter of weeks, her condition deteriorating by each minute which had passed.

"Ugh, stupid staircase." She uttered with growing irritation, her palms clinging onto the straps of her leather brown satchel as she hurried along the staircase, arriving on the second floor with no desire to be there. In the time it had taken her to reach the second floor, class had concluded for the day. Chatter had quickly filled the halls only worsening the tension headache which had been in full swing by now, the surrounding staircases quickly filled with students who rushed to extra curricular activities or in the direction of their dormitories as the week came to it's long awaited end.

Brushing past whomever came in her way, Meiyu hurried towards an empty classroom, seeking some form of solace even if it were for a moment — but to also elevate the throbbing of her head. With spring in full swing, the corridors soon reeked of students who clearly passed on wearing deodorant this morning, if the scent had not been enough to spark a new bout of irritation, being in such close vicinity to people did. She hurriedly inched closer to the stone walls, her head only continuing to throb by the second as students moved through the corridor, her breathing becoming slightly more erratic. The filled corridor had been so quick to remind her of that night. How the Knight Manor had been filled with guests to celebrate the Christmas period, how she slipped away with Evpraksiya who had now acted as though their fates did not intertwine like a written prophecy. Over time, Meiyu had been quick to blame Evpraksiya for their distance, citing the paranoia she had become subdued to had been a ploy for attention; then she had noticed how she had gotten significantly closer to another, the moon-kissed girl with golden hair that cascaded down past her shoulders.

Meiyu's infuriation had quickly grown, matching the pace of her breathing, which had then halted upon a peculiar sight. The man from that evening stood amongst the crowd of students, drenched in blood. Refusing to believe what she was seeing, Meiyu shook her head vigorously yet, the man remained amidst the crowd. Her head had only throbbed more with something within her forcing her to look down at her palms, revealing blood stained palms and a dagger no where in sight. Revisiting the nightmare which had been a harsh reality mere months ago, the lioness let out a piercing scream, soliciting a few glances from the few students who had remained in the corridor by now. Her eyes filled with tears in an instant, her head shaking vagariously until she dropped to her knees, tears falling as her vision blurred though remaining fixated on the bloody palms.