Code Yellow — Escalated

Calm on the surface but turbulent beneath. Edward's footsteps faded.

The quiet tension stayed in the air.

Hidden in the shadow of the building's ledge, the owner of the weapon watched in silence. Their posture straight, movements precise — a calm presence amid brewing chaos.

A gloved hand pressed against an earpiece, activating a 'secure communication channel'n.

"Security Department, status shift," their voice crisp, controlled. "Code Yellow escalated to Code Orange on the Boys' side. Dispatching teams now."

There was no room for hesitation.

"Team Delta, cover the north perimeter. Fenyx, Titan, station by the student housing sectors. Viper, sweep the east faculty wing and report unusual movements."

As each directive was issued, council members' phones vibrated simultaneously. Notifications flared up — sleek interfaces displaying mission orders and locations. Without missing a beat, the council members stood from their scattered positions. Seamlessly blending with their surroundings as students milling about during a peaceful afternoon.

"Yuxuan — Aegis — Ivelle." The dispatcher's tone steadied, carrying a quiet weight of urgency.

"Meet the heads in the Central Hall."

收到! — Принял! — Verstanden! ~ [Received! — Acknowledged! — Understood!]

The line went quiet for a second, the orders fully relayed.

The shadowed figure lowered their hand from the earpiece.

That boy... he really knows more than he should.

...~•~...

{And then there's Kemiko ⛅}

Edward and his strange words are staying with her.

"...Leave me alone."

The words hadn't felt meant for her. They'd felt like echoes from somewhere deeper.

Kemiko shook the thought away and picked up her pace, humming softly to lift the mood in her chest.

"Kemiko?"

Her ears perked up at the familiar voice.

A senior she'd met just yesterday.

"Irazú-san!" she called, waving enthusiastically as she jogged toward him.

He looked amused. "What are you doing here? Alone?"

"I wasn't alone!" she chirped brightly. "Hyun-san from the student council was with me. But then..." She puffed her cheeks, mimicking disapproval. "He got called away for some duty stuff."

The senior raised an eyebrow. "Duty stuff, huh?"

"Mm-hmm." She nodded seriously. "Very important student council things, I think."

Before he could respond, Kemiko's eyes caught movement ahead — a sudden shift in the calm flow of people.

There he was.

Hyundae, or Theo, as someone had called him earlier. The playful gleam that usually danced in his eyes was gone, replaced by a sharp, focused expression as he moved towards them.

Joaquín stiffened ever so slightly. Kemiko noticed.

"You know him, Irazú-san?"she asked quietly.

"Of course," he murmured. "Something's up."

"Eh?"

"Something's up if the councils move like that." His voice was low, cautious.

Despite the urgency in his steps, Hyundae spared a moment to address the senior. Then leaned towards his senior, speaking rapidly in rough Scottish.

"Sorry fur th' inconvenience—Code Yellow escalated. Ah'm trusting her in yer hauns, aye?"

Kemiko blinked, completely lost. The words flew over her head like speeding birds.

She caught only a few words: "...Code Yellow..."

Irazú's brow furrowed but he kept his tone calm, responding in smooth Costa Rican Spanish.

"Tranquilo, lo tengo cubierto. Tú enfócate en la situación. La seguridad está en tus manos." (Relax, I've got it covered. You focus on the situation. Safety is in your hands.)

Kemiko's Kemi senses were tingling now. What is going on?

Then, as quickly as he came, Theo returned his focus to his duties, nodding briskly. His eyes softened for a moment as he addressed Kemiko.

"I'm sorry, Kemiko. Head back to the girls' housing immediately, okay? He will walk you back."

With a light tap on her shoulder, he added, "We'll be safe. I promise."

Before she could respond, he had already turned away, rushing to join the other council members.

Joaquín beside her forced a smile . "Let's get you back, kiddo."

Kemiko tried to smile back, but her mind churned.

Code Yellow? Escalated? What's going on?

...~•~...

Joaquín kept things light as they walked, to distract her.

But Kemiko's senses remained sharp, tuned to the underlying tension.

The world around them looked peaceful, painted gold by the setting sun. Yet something lurked beneath that calm, something that even cheerful words couldn't completely mask.

She looked up at her senior, who was doing his best to keep the air easy.

Whatever was happening, they didn't want to scare her.

But Kemiko wasn't so easily fooled.

Her fingers curled slightly at her sides. Her instincts were rarely wrong.

And right now, they told her one thing — Something was coming.

...~•~...

...I'm curious, confused, worried but not surprised. This place is interesting... as I expected....

..."Papa... Oton... Gomen na."...

...~•~...

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