To Rob One's Train of Thought PV Levi Closed

Graphic by Leonard Oaksworth

Mentioning: @Evelynn Decipio, @Rafael D'Spacito & Arjan Oberoi @Serena Towers

Tagging: @Levi Drakos

[Font=Times New Roman]May 31, 2021 - Early Evening

It was two days following the Blossom Ball, and the events of said gathering remained at large in Marshal's mind. The pleasure of having Evelynn's presence at his side stood out clearly, though that joy was overshadowed by the confusion and - most of all - the heartache which had settled upon his chest when the girl seemingly forgot of his existence.
The consternation which had twisted his features as he watched his date wander aimlessly away now rested upon them once more, set with even deeper distress than before.
What, he wondered, had come over her?
Eyes raising from the soil below to venture across the treeline before him, the boy recalled the sudden change that Eve's personality had undertaken that night; the murky fog that had rolled across her normally sharp gaze, the genuine befuddlement which tainted her inquisitive nature, and the string of words from her lips that suggested she'd lost any notion of where she was, or what was happening around her.
I suppose it could have been some sort of joke, he mused, teeth jabbing into his lower lip.
Various indistinguishable bird calls chattered their input, baleful notes echoing ominously between the tree trunks, who stood in silent vigil over the Forbidden Forest. The gloom beneath their expansive branches was said to house monsters of magic and myth - two concepts which had always been interchangeable in his mind. And yet, as he tempted the fringe of the imposing border, close enough to touch the nearest tree, he could feel the power pulsating, like a deep heartbeat, from the depths of that somber wood.
The dangers were no mere legends, nor simply stories told to ward off adventurous students by scaring them into obedience of school boundaries; rather, they were true warnings - of unspeakable creatures, and of the palpable aura of peril which hung in the very air.

As birdsong enveloped his ears, the young student shook his head in answer to his own silent question. Evelynn wasn't one to laugh at jokes, let alone play one of such magnitude. Her haphazard actions had contended greatly with his overall view of her, and continued to do so throughout the altercation that transpired on her behalf between himself, Rafael D'Spacito, and an absurdly large boy whose name had never been presented, as far as his memory served.
Throughout the entire ordeal, the girl had never once seemed to comprehend any of it, a fact that endured even in the aftermath, when her wits appeared to return.
Marshal had questioned her lightly about the events of the ball once it was finished. Upon receiving no answer concerning the fracas, he'd opted to abandon the subject entirely. If she didn't wish to speak of it, then he would respect that. But that didn't mean her strange behavior no longer irked him.

Gazing into the forest depths for a few moments more, the Gryffindor fought the urge to cross the forbidden border, to take a stroll where none else dared tread, and where he could be truly alone with his thoughts - especially when those thoughts drifted to another event that he and Eve had silently agreed would go unspoken of.
Finally wrenching himself from the alluring pull of total solitude, he turned away, feet carrying him back towards the castle. But as he physically drew closer, he mentally became more distant.

Prior to January, the call of isolation would not have appealed to him, but repelled him. Always keen on companionship, whether he be in the presence of good friends or complete strangers, the only temptation of the forest would have been the promise of adventure; and even still, he would have much preferred to go galumphing through the woods right beside another daring soul, or perhaps a timid soul whom he had convinced was immortal.
Since the ill-fated train ride, however, the boy was far more prone to brooding. Haunted by memories of heedless violence, unimaginable pain and primal panic, his consciousness was no longer the same world of blissful ignorance as it had once been, but a plain replete with the more solemn realities of life. Realities such as death and its inescapable nature, along with a deeper understanding of the law of consequence. The weight of his every action was heavier than ever before.

Marshal had wrestled with these dark ideas for months after the train wreck, struggling to maintain his outward appearance of strength. And when - finally - he had begun to feel more like himself, the Trial of Orpheus had presented its cruel game.
Mingling with his somber contemplation came relived emotions of that Trial; the way his heart had stumbled to a halt, shaky breath joining his dead sister's voice in the air as she sang her favorite song, beckoning for him to join.
He'd tried to fight it, knowing that it had to be some sort of trick - the only rule of the Trial being that you weren't to turn around. But in the end, the hope of achieving the highest score in some school-devised competition had paled in comparison to his desire - no, his need to see his best friend again, to tell her how much he missed her laughter, and to say goodbye in the way he'd never gotten a chance.
So he'd abandoned his wish for victory, and whirled around with tears stinging his eyes, but seen... nothing. Nothing but empty fog. And in that moment, he had felt empty as well - more so than ever.

Cold despair filled his bosom once again, vision blurring as his focus on the path before him waned. Obstacles or individuals in his way would become a mere part of the void, rife with meaningless color.
If there was anything those two horrible events had taught him, it was that could never allow those he loved to be put in danger. He would protect them with every last piece of his soul, for the chill of losing them far outweighed his fear of death.