Chaos at the Flower Exhibition

Soon enough, people appeared at the school gallery, filling the place little by little until they formed a multitude.

Similar to most of the other edifices in Canaan Private Academy, the building's facade had classical features using stylized Corinthian columns, ornamentation and Reinassance inspired sculptural forms. A sumptuous rose garden surrounds it along with multiple water fountains. Inside was made up of burgundy carpeted floorings and alabaster wall interiors. For today, however, the room was also decorated with an array of floral displays. Several arrangements of plants with various kinds and colors were currently being showcased.

At the center of them all was a ravishing plethora of beauteous sunflowers.

"My... How lovely...."

"Are these the blossoms Ms. Cosette took care of?"

"Indeed, they are."

"No wonder it's the center piece."

Students and visitors alike were instantly taken by the captivating display. The resplendent view stood out with unrivalled brilliance, just like its caretaker who's presently nowhere to be found. Despite being the main character for this occasion, Cosette hadn't stepped a foot inside the gallery yet.

"There's no sighting of the Vice President when the Student Council came. It seemed like the spell took effect earlier than the lord expected... Shall we send that 'one' to take care of him, then?" Ms. Ivy started, lips curled into a crooked smile.

Cosette had stayed behind inside the Gardening clubroom with their moderator. They're now in the middle of discussing their scheme.

"I already laid out the instructions, Ma'am. I'd also be on my way to make sure it's going smoothly," the blonde replied with a nod, expression unfeeling.

"I see... We prepared for this day for months, but things are finally good to go now. We're still nowhere near the finishing touches, though, so make sure to see this through the end, alright?"

"Of course. I'll move on the lord's mark."

Then, with that, Ms. Ivy pulled out a hairpin of a wisteria flower encrusted with glimmering purple beads. The ornament glowed ominously, a small black mist layering all over it. She then adorned her hair with it before sauntering to the door and sparing one last glance at Cosette. All the while, the foreboding menace in her blue-green irises never left.

Back at the gallery, the exhibition was still flowing seamlessly. The Student Council continued doing a round while the Gardening Club proceeded to accommodate the guests. Since everyone's keeping up a good performance, the absence of their Vice President wasn't much of a loss in terms of manpower. Despite this, however, two Student Council members were far from assured.

"Any news about Noah?" Lance questioned Allen who had only returned from the boys' dormitory.

"He's not in his room," he answered wearily, much to his confusion.

"Where is he, then?"

"I have no idea. I'll go and tell Hal later."

For now, however, the Student Council President decided to take a moment to check on the other officers in their respective stations before leaving again. It's a good thing that all his members were reliable and initiative, though. They're still able to function properly even without him there. As such, nothing too troublesome had happened while he's away.

Relieved by these thoughts, Allen found himself calming down despite that matter with Noah. He did feel somewhat troubled by his unannounced absence. Though it could just be he was worrying too much, he still couldn't find it in himself to shrug the feeling away. He's responsible for looking after Noah for quite a while before, after all.

Allen's mulling was then halted when he laid eyes on the center of attraction of the exhibition. Its mesmerizing golden petals, light-hearted and thriving in beauty, took his breath away for a second and made him stood there in awe. For some reason, it completely caught his attention, making him want to behold it for a little while longer.

"They're from a fellow third-year. Quite impressive, aren't they?" Lance chimed in, eyes glued to the display.

"Yes. They remind me of Hal's eye color and Noah's hair," Allen mused out loud to which his companion only chuckled in reply.

"You're really loyal to those two, huh?"

"They're my precious masters, after all."

At this, Lance just mirrored his grin and let him resume his flower viewing. When Allen dropped those words, he knew that it meant something more. Then again, his genuine devotion wasn't only from his pledge to the sword or his commitment to the imperial family. More than a knight or a servant, Allen has started to foster deep affection as their friend. That's why he understood his disconcertment and urgency towards Noah's absence today.

"There's probably nothing to fret about, though," Lance mumbled to himself, swerving around and surveying the vicinity.

Ongoing chatters, the presence of sweetly fragrant flowers, and a somber ambience overall - such tranquil atmosphere showed no sign of any danger coming. More than the festive displays, however, the two appeared to be eye-catching as most of the guests would look their way with wonder-stricken expressions. In their eyes, they certainly blend well with the compelling view. With that, everyone was able to enjoy their roaming for the next minutes to come, especially with these good-looking gentlemen around. At this pace, the Student Council and club members expected that the event would soon wrap up on a cheerful note. Yet, what all of them didn't anticipate was the arrival of an uninvited visitor.

Unbeknownst to everybody, an ominous entity had been lurking in the shadows for a while now.

"[Mephitic Venom]."

A heavy, purple gas then came out of the sunflowers all of the sudden, emanating a perilous kind of magic. Upon catching sight of this, Lance jumped out of his skin, eyes widened in flummox and mouth agape. The situation immediately triggered a fight-or-flight response. However, judging by how abrupt and rapid it scattered all over the place, it would be too late to alarm everybody.

Lance then came with the decision to evacuate Allen and himself first, but it's much too late. Too absorbed in his thoughts, the red head already inhaled the toxic mist and fell on his knees. Though extremely perturbed, Lance tried to pull himself together and covered his nose before deciding to carry him outside the room.

"Damn it..!"

The nocuous stream of smoke eventually thickened and spread all around the gallery, causing everyone to collapse the instant they took a whiff of it. One by one, they all fell limply on the ground and lost consciousness. Only when no one was left standing did the heinous creature who's responsible for it finally made his entrance.

"[Nectar of Bia]."

Raising his arm forward, Lord Caspar cast another minacious spell that suck out his victims' life energy, which materialized in the form of a mist. Then, in an eddying motion, it came together and spiralled into a single gaseous orb before hovering above the flock of unmoving bodies. Staring at the pale orb of hazy purplish light, the summoned creature then mustered a wry smile.

"Come and get me now, Champions..."