Lena is scrambling to her feet and by Caelus' side in a moment. She makes sure he doesn't fall from whatever his invisible injury is, before asking anxiously, "What company?"

He manages not to fall, and makes his way to the door nonchalantly, feeding into Lena's rising panic. She hasn't heard a sound, not a single knock. That indicates that Caelus had sensed something far ahead and beyond with his atmospheric barrier, and as usual, she can't tell from his lack of expression whether it's good or bad company.

"Wait—" Lena clutches at his arm. "What are you—"

But Caelus is already fixated on the door, and he deactivates the lock, letting the automatic sliding door open. Lena can feel a cool breeze, and the circumference of Caelus' barrier expanding—as if he's prepared to attack.

It's dark outside; for the second time this evening since she's woken up, Lena wishes she has at least a dagger on herself or the familiar feeling of glass pieces at the ready.

And when a figure approaches and appears just beyond the beckoning door, Lena nearly jumps until she recognizes the familiar face that soon belongs to a voice she misses extremely so especially in the present.

"On time for dinner!" Roen says by way of greeting, not bothering to ask to come in; he's already pushing his way in and putting his arm around Caelus—the gesture so natural it makes Lena's heart ache just remembering something else. Something from the past. "You know—"

He begins to say soemthing, his face lighting up just from the sight of his best friend—even Caelus' mood seem to brighten with the shift of the atmosphere—until he notices Lena, and he pauses. He blinks, then gapes, and does a double take.

"Y-You're awake," he notes, and before Lena can respond, he's already throwing his arms around her. "Do you have any idea how much everyone's been worrying?" He breaks away only to inspect her for a little while before returning to the hug again, firmer this time, and she can hardly breathe. "Well, mostly Caelus but—"

"Are you done?" Caelus interrupts, then turns away, as if the idea of anything to do with genuine friendship and proximity scares him. And maybe it does. Without another word, he leaves them to it—much like how he'd left Lena with Celeste when she'd first woken up and when they'd been interrupted.

Lena knows him well enough by now to realize that he only ever does so when in the company of others; he never leaves her alone when it's just the two of them.

"There's that," Roen points out after Caelus. "How has the hostility of his been treating you?"

"Well"—Lena stares helplessly at Caelus' retreating form, unable to process why he'd been so willing to talk to her when no one else is around but is again back to his distant self now—"he's being... him, I guess."

Roen laughs. "Good answer. And yet, he never denies me entry—always welcoming me by the door. I must say, I am extremely honored."

"I wasn't welcoming you," Caelus denies.

"Sure you aren't." Giving Lena a wink, he whispers conspiratorially, "Not even he can deny my charm."

"I sometimes wonder how you two became friends—and then stay that way," Lena says aloud, and ponders a little about which is stranger. "You two are complete opposites."

"And that's exactly why we complement each other!" Roen concludes cheerfully.

"We do not," Caelus retorts from a few paces away.

"You're just in denial."

Roen is about to make another joke just then, but as he turns toward Caelus, Lena notices the moment he pauses and senses something even before it happens to his best friend. And then he's running—and Lena doesn't know how Roen does it, but it's almost as if he's crossed the room so fast he leaves an illusion—toward Caelus, grabbing him in time before he falls. Caelus merely sways on his feet, but Roen is already beside him for support.

"What did you do this time?" Roen asks, slightly concerned but not at all surprised, as if this is normal between them.

"Did you not see the rift?" Caelus asks in reply.

"I didn't think you'd be downed by any demon," Roen admits, slightly suspicious—and as he looks at Lena, she knows he's sharing the same question as she is. Just what is Caelus hiding?

And the fact that he was just talking with Lena about something more ominous stirring before Roen's arrival...

Caelus then sighs, as if recognizing the silent conversation between them. But before he says anything, Roen is struggling further to keep him upright.

"This is not fine," Roen says, more fiercely this time. "And do not even begin to deny it."

Strangely enough, Caelus doesn't. In fact, he leans on Roen and lets him steer him into the room where Lena had woken up.

Lena watches the two and follows silently, her head pounding her with memories of another lifetime, where just as fate has its way, the two boys also met and became friends who'd relied on each other. She remembers how their personalities were the same, and yet they had still found one another—probably time and time again.

When they reach the empty room devoid of any glass, Lena somehow feels equally at ease and anxious at the same time. She'd been so fearful when the memory resurfaced when she saw the interaction between Roen and Caelus that she's afraid she might start being drawn toward glass all over again; and yet, being back in the room she'd been out for nearly three weeks reminds her of the reality they'll have to face—and of all the things Caelus had said to her before Roen had interrupted them in a temporary bliss.

She wonders if Roen can help Caelus further open up.

But then again, even with the various issues, it's not as if they're supposed to fight right this instance. There are just so many questions and too many problems, and they're barely figuring out the entire picture. Lena reminds herself that she still needs to be filled on what's been happening over the last few weeks, and more importantly, what's going on with Caelus.

He's obviously in no state to do anything—even if he'd insisted he was fine.

Roen guides him to the lone mattress in the room, but Caelus just settles for the floor. He manages to sit upright, but Roen doesn't leave his side, and eventually settles for sitting beside him.

"Okay," Roen breaks the silence. "You have to tell me what's going on. This is freaking me out, and I don't even know what I should be freaking out for. Do I ask how you're doing, Lena? Or do I proceed to clobber my best friend for not telling me that, and for making us worry for whatever he's done to himself this time?"

Roen then looks between the two of them, as if deciding where to start.

"I don't know any more than you do," Lena offers, sharing a look with Roen and then gesturing to a dazed Caelus. "As for me, I... just woken up today. He left me for a bit, and came back unconscious."

Narrowing his pretty blue eyes, Roen looks back to his best friend accusingly. He prompts, "Didn't you mention a rift?"

"And did you not say that no demon can take me down?" Caelus asks instead, his signature move of ignoring questions by retorting with another. "Did you not hear the alarms when you were making your way here?"

"I didn't say it like that, cocky bastard," Roen answers indignantly. "And I did hear the alarms, but you know that we've been trained to ignore the signals—the Catalysts always handle it. Or the S-Class. And with current protocols in place, any underaged or non professionally registered ability users are under close scrutiny and not to take action on their own."

With that, he again looks to Caelus for elaboration.

"This shouldn't be about me," Caelus eventually says, looking past Lena to the open door leading to the hallway. "I didn't get called to battle the rift breach, if that's what you're asking."

"That's making things worse," Roen notes. "The fact that Lena said you were out, returning unconscious when you're not called for action means something else rendered you in this state. And need I remind you that you're under close scrutiny after the Shadow Syndicate attacked?"

"And I honestly do not understand. They should be watching over me, not placing me under watch."

"Like you'd ever need protection. But this isn't a joke."

Lena is lost, but she refrains from interrupting unless necessary. Roen can possibly get through to Caelus; and while there are more questions now, she decides to file them away into the 'ask later' mental box.

But just as well, because Roen's attention lands on her next. He puts up his hands as if in surrender. "Okay, fine, let's do this. Since you never tell me things anyway—not that I can't figure out on my own and ask the right questions you'll answer eventually—we take things one step at a time. Lena, I heard what happened... but is everything all right?"

"I'm a little out of touch with reality," Lena admits after a short pause, unsure what to say. But that is literally what she's feeling, what with the current state of her abilities. She isn't sure what the story is from Roen's side, but perhaps this is finally the time to ask. "When you mention the attack from the Shadow Syndicate, did you mean the very one that got me into a nearly three week long suspended state?"

The two boys share a look, making Lena all but tenser than she already is. Thankfully, Roen is quick to respond before her anxiety can further escalate.

"Well, that particular attack on the academy—and your very incident—yes." Roen looks hesitantly at Caelus, before adding, "But then there's that other incident not long after."

"They came for me," Caelus continues, locking eyes with Lena for once. "With... the thing they've put in your system."

He looks almost immediately away after, and Lena hastily understands the slowly building guilt of his to clarify, "You know what happened to me isn't your fault, right?"

"Their target was me."

"But the choice was mine."

Caelus still won't look at her, even as her eyes determinedly do not leave him. And when even her mental summoning fails to convey her message or draw him back to her, her heart sinks.

"He came back fine of course, as you can see," Roen hurries to explain to Lena, then turns to Caelus accusingly, "but you can understand why we're all concerned when you show up unconscious as Lena has reported, without explanation of where you've been or what happened to you."

"I wasn't attacked by the Shadow Syndicate," Caelus says, and Lena is glad she isn't the only one throwing him looks. "What did I do this time?"

"Thank you for clarifying, but you're still not telling us the problem," Lena points out.

"Do you need help? Because I can be a fairly good guide," Roen adds helpfully. "Now repeat after me, 'I am sorry for making you worry.'"

Caelus ignores him, but he does relent in a way. "Fine. I was not attacked, but I did find something strange while seeking them out—"

"You're seeking them out?" Lena and Roen both exclaim at the same time, causing Caelus to shrink away from them.

He winces as he looks past Lena to the still open door of the room. "Not so loud. Celeste will end me if she finds out—"

"Maybe she should," Roen says, and his serious tone is enough to make even Lena flinch as the room becomes a little denser. "Because you just never get it in that thick head of yours that we actually care about what happens to you."

Silence fills the room where usually Roen is the one who lightens the mood.

"I'm sorry," Caelus apologizes. "I'm just... not used to this."

Roen softens. "I know. But you can trust us, and rely on us. That's what we're for, especially with everything happening right now."

"Can you tell me more about the Shadow Syndicate's attack?" Lena prompts, noticing how Caelus appreciates a distraction when one comes too close to his true intention of casting everyone out.

"They must be getting pretty desperate for their plan—one that still no one has any idea of—if they went after me so openly and in broad daylight," he elaborates. "When you'd recounted your side of the story before everything went under, didn't you say they were targeting people of A-rank and above?"

"They did say that. They forced Lucifer and emphasized that criterion more than once, so I'm guessing it's important," Lena supplements. "And speaking of Lucifer... what happened to him?"

"He's marked as a missing student," Roen answers. "We don't know what happened to him. And the authorities who happen to be on duty and in campus the day of the incident are denying anything related to him—and honestly? I kind of feel bad for the guy. And guess what? No one has been talking about him since; it's as if he never existed apart from a few momentary headlines—and even those are taken over by you and Caelus because you two were involved. No family member of his has come searching, either."

Lena remembers the silent hallways of Arcane Academy after curfew placement, where she'd seen Lucifer being marched down a white room with close scrutiny from the government representatives. She'd had no idea what he was doing there, but it did seem as if he were a captive in more ways than one. And when the attack ensued, he'd all but refused the Shadow Syndicate, only to be injured and now no where to be seen.

No one had gone after him.

"But what about the authorities?" Lena thinks she may be sick. She also remembers seeking help from them only to be turned away—leading to this whole mess in the first place. And if what she'd seen is true, it's as if the authorities held Lucifer captive for their own selfish reasons and just left him there to the Shadow Syndicate when convenient. "With what happened, aren't they at least being pressured to answer for why these events occurred?"

Roen sighs. "You're right. And this is sounding dangerously political, but it's complicated. The events only gave the authorities more reason scrutinize Arcane Academy, claiming they'll have to step in to protect the students. I'll pull up that old article and announcement if you want—and you won't like it."

"And despite the fact that Arcana had managed to expose Lieutenant Raines and Viktas through an elaborate scheme doesn't even matter now," Caelus reasons. "On the day of the attack, Arcana had faked a summoning so he and the other professors have a reason to retake the academy after showing the Grandmasters how the authorities have been abusing their power on strict curfews and mandated lessons for us. They initially had a trial for the bureau dispatched to the academy, but because of complicated politics we're apparently too young to understand, they used this very attack that happened as leverage to counter us with rebuttals, saying it's now safer for the authorities to oversee Arcane Academy."

Lena's head is spinning, but these are the answers she is eventually going to have to learn. "That means Arcane Academy is still under strict rule of the government, I take?"

"We've seen better days," Roen admits. "That's to fill you in—but you'll witness it first hand when you return the day after. You will be returning, right?"

"I don't think she has a choice," Caelus answers for her, then adds, "Sorry. Arcana mentioned that you'll have to present yourself not only to him but also to the government representatives after you're awake and well—they said if you're awake and well."

Lena tries not to cringe at how little faith they had in her awakening. Was her condition that bad? Still, dread settles deep in her gut. "Whatever for?"

"I'll be there," Caelus says by way of answer, even if it's not really a response—and still, she finds herself feeling better. "I'm not sure what they want, but I haven't informed them that you're awake. I figured it'll be better to align our stories for the time being."

Lena nods, grateful. She addresses the previous topic they left unanswered, even as her hands are shaking: "About the attack on you. Did the Shadow Syndicate themselves show up and ambush you? Why did they do that?"

"I'm assuming it's related to the substance they've developed," Caelus says carefully. "And they have a specific group of targets, as you mentioned. A-rank and above ability users."

"Yes, but why not go for simply anyone else? You're a high profile candidate—one that's well-known and powerful," Lena counters. "It's as if they're making their lives difficult if all they want to do is to test some drug they've developed, which we have no idea what's it for."

Caelus looks at her as if in bewilderment, then his nearly impenetrable mask shifts to something akin to shyness as he glances away, uncomfortable, and Lena realizes her insensitive mistake of openly dismissing the lethality of this drug when she'd just been immensely affected by its dose; he must be thinking the same and it must have not been easy for him to watch it all unfold, either.

Roen chips in, "A-ranks and above are hard to come by, and rare."

Grateful for the quick observation from Roen, Lena adds, "The Shadow Syndicate repeated their criteria at least twice—with it being it has to be used on an A-rank or above ability user—and insisted Lucifer on carrying that particular action out because Arcane Academy is full of talents."

"That would make sense," Roen agrees. "There are only six S-class ability users throughout the City of Leatia, and attacking them must be a death wish already, if not impossible unless they have some strange strategic—and dirty—advantage. But if they have knowledge inside of Arcane Academy, where strength is praised and openly celebrated, it'll be too normal and convenient for students to challenge each other to duels—and easier still for a student to inflict this particular drug on an unsuspecting target."

"But that is obviously out of the picture, since they attacked you," Lena says to Caelus. "And with that, I'm assuming Fai is no longer at Arcane Academy?"

"Detained," Roen confirms. "The one and only victory we have, and it's not even something we'd done on our own—it's because the Shadow Syndicate had all but abandoned him."

Lena winces, and notes that information to the list of her never ending checklist. Lucifer's and Fai's conditions and whereabouts are at least partially answered for now. "So anyway, it's difficult for the Shadow Syndicate to tell for sure which ability user or professional Catalysts are A-ranks, I assume?"

"Yes, and no," Caelus answers this time. "Besides the S-class, they're a few higher profile A-ranks who are known among the official board of Catalysts. The news likes to celebrate the strong, just like Arcane Academy and this entire universe's belief. But the ranks are only announced if they are so powerful and on track with potential of becoming a S-class."

"So Lena is right in assuming that the lack of information will cause the Shadow Syndicate to rather attack a high profile and strong candidate whom they know for sure will help the cause of their drug—whatever that is," Roen muses. "They rather not take the risk on anyone else."

"And they already know my abilities well because everything of the S-class are quite casually disclosed and often broadcasted live," Caelus says, sighing. "Maybe we are open targets, after all. I should warn the others to watch their backs, just in case."

"You should also prevent sneaking off on your own, or risking yourself by running things solo, in that case," Lena insists.

"Not that I can, with the heightened security and strict curfews on Arcane Academy."

Before the fight with the Shadow Syndicate, the school had nearly been on lockdown procedures, and all of the students' daily activities were monitored closely by the representatives of the bureau, where they went as far as 'escorting' the students to and fro the academy. Roen had confirmed earlier that nothing has changed, and perhaps more than ever, that security—or scrutiny—is on its highest.

"But you'll promise us to look out and be careful?" Lena asks stubbornly.

Surprisingly, Caelus complies. And when he returns her gaze, she almost notices the ghost of a smile. "I'll try my best."

"Now that we've finally gotten Caelus to open up..." Roen claps his hands, and if Lena doesn't know any better, she thinks he rolled his eyes dramatically. "Now we have to look out for trouble and always be vigilant. While we're at it, we have to figure some things out on our own—such as the Shadow Syndicate's motives, and the purpose of the drug."

Lena is about to agree when Caelus beats her to say, "But why bother? This is larger than all of us."

Roen slings his arm around Caelus, who doesn't pull away. "That's where you're wrong! These issues are far scarier and much more different than anything we've ever faced. It's definitely beyond fighting demons and simply gaining recognition and becoming a Catalyst now. The system is changing; we don't know who we can trust. But don't you think it's time we take a stand on our own?"

Lena is the one who asks, "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying that the Shadow Syndicate—and all its accompanying problems—has involved us all now, in one way or another. The battle is coming to us, whether we like it or not, and we have to be ready."