Suspicion

Mark's questions seemed to make Ara pause for a moment and consider the strangeness of the overall situation at the Haven, especially the civilians' 'frantic' rush earlier.

Thinking back to when Allan killed Judith and when Romnwell and others helped him, sure it seemed strange, but why? especially how they knew to help each other out as if it were already planned.

"I guess you're right, something is indeed very wrong," Ara spoke reluctantly even as she eyed Romnwell with disdain.

"I'm not sure if you're both aware, but the entire Haven is engulfed in chaos, seems like many of the people you've been living with are imposters."

"From the main halls to outside this building, it's absolute carnage. On my way here I've already neutralized a good number of them, but the problem is I don't know how many more of them are left." Stefam spoke to the two of them. His words informed them of the scope of what was going on in the Haven.

While Stefam was explaining the situation to Ara and Mark, Rodbar arrived at the corridor they were in and saw more bodies of his and Berg's students.

His figure trembled when he saw Allan dead just ahead and he saw Stefam, Mark and Ara discussing amidst their bodies, with Romnwell's hair in Stefam's grip like he was some sort of animal.

"Mark! What's going on?" Rodbar's questioning voice broke the discussion of the three as they turned to see a jagged Rodbar who looked exhausted from running up and down the halls of the Haven looking for them.

Rodbar's initial thought was, 'They did it', immediately he scanned the scene, who wouldn't have such thoughts, a bunch of dead students in the corridor path and three more discussing comfortably amidst their bodies with another one being held by the hair like an animal.

Rodbar pushed his accusatory thoughts to the back of his mind for the time being and decided to stay level-headed; he needed to at least know what was going on from the mouth of his student.

"Master Rodbar," Mark called out in relief. Seeing Rodbar after the short hectic period he had gone through was a huge relief for the young man.

He was about to rush towards him before Rodbar's words paused him in his tracks.

"Stay where you are, and explain to me in detail what happened here." Rodbar stopped Mark from coming close to him because even though Mark was his student, the current situation and lineup seemed to suggest that he, Ara and Stefam had killed the rest of the students or at least had something to do with their deaths.

"Master… wh-," Mark was left stunned, not by the question itself but the tone Rodbar used to address him. But thinking deeply he found it reasonable as he looked at the entire situation, and thought that even he would come to the same conclusion if their roles were reversed.

Thinking up to this stage he decided to calmly answer Rodbar's questions from the position he stood.

"HELP ME MASTER RODBAR, HELP ME! THEY KILLED THEM, THEY KILLED ALL OF THEM, THEY WANT TO KILL ME TOO." Romnwell saw a bit of hope to get himself out of the situation he was in and started shouting hysterically to gain the initiative in convincing Rodbar.

Stefam looked down at Romnwell, and without much change in his expression, he hit him across his face, knocking him out, restoring calm to the hall.

Ara and Mark's faces twisted in disgust at Romnwell's shamelessness, shocked at the fact that he even had the audacity to spew such nonsense in that situation.

Rodbar's brows furrowed after he heard all that Romnwell said. "What is he talking about Mark?" I passed through the halls and I saw Judith's body and the bodies of some of my other students, your colleagues and those of Berg too.

"And I know they weren't killed by that stampede, there were obvious stab wounds on their body."

As Rodbar spoke his presence seemed to fill the hall and he concentrated everything on Mark making it hard for him to breathe.

"Don't lie to me Mark, my patience has run far too thin today, and I want to know what happened to them out there," Rodbar spoke slowly as he pressured Mark to tell him what happened.

Ara at the back was finding it hard to breathe from the pressure Rodbar was releasing on Mark even though it wasn't focused on her. Stefam just stood unaffected while holding the unconscious Romnwell.

"I'll start with this, who killed Judith?" Rodbar asked his first question as his aura crushed down on Mark, nearly bringing him to his knees.

"I-It was Allan," Mark said through gritted teeth.

"What?" Rodbar asked in confusion as his aura eased up a bit giving Mark a little breathing space. He looked beyond Mark and saw Allan's body among those in the corridor and his face twisted.

"DON'T LIE TO ME BOY." Rodbar roared as his aura returned and descended on Mark in waves and forced him to his knees completely.

"You mean to tell me it was Allan that killed Ara, and he's there dead and you're here alive and well and you expect me to believe that, I said don't lie to me," Rodbar spoke, his apparent anger rising with each second.

"Now, I'll ask again who killed Judith?"

Ara watched on from behind with a pained expression seeing Mark questioned like that. She was about to interject when Stefam's raised hand stopped her.

"No, let them be," Stefam said to Ara, "it's between him and his master."

Ara looked at Stefam with dissatisfaction and unwillingness in her eyes. "We can't just leave him to be questioned like he is the culprit."

"We are not leaving him," Stefam said as he watched Mark intently, his eyes squinting. "Just watch."

"Answer me, Mark," Rodbar urged, his aura continuously pouring down on him.

Mark knelt in front of Rodbar, his hands supporting his body as he knelt. He didn't know when tears started streaming down his face as he replayed the whole sequence of events in his head up till that point.

'I lost some of my colleagues today, I was cornered for a moment, I had to run to escape, I fought so that I could get a chance to get to you, escaped certain death multiple times, all just so I could run back to you, so I could feel safe again, but this, this is what I'm getting on finally seeing you.' Mark thought to himself in anger.

Although Mark knew where Rodbar was coming from, he understood that common sense would say one should suspect the three standing unharmed in the midst of bodies. But he pushed all of that aside as a bubbling resentment began to sprout in his heart.

"Why are you silent Mark? Answer me," Rodbar urged again.

Mark gritted his teeth as he raised his head to meet Rodbar's hard gaze, his tears already falling in full flow.

"IT WAS ALLAN!" Mark roared, releasing all his pent-up emotions. It was Allan who killed Judith, it was Tommen who killed Mari, it was-... Mark explained the entire situation to Rodbar amidst tears but his eyes were full of resentment as he looked straight into Rodbar's eyes.

It was Prince Stefan who saved us, had it been for him we'd be dead by now, would that have made you happy?" Mark concluded, his resentful gaze still focused on Rodbar.

Rodbar's expression finally changed as his aura eased up completely giving Mark space to breathe.

Mark's body swayed and began to fall forward, the effect of Rodbar's aura causing him to feel very weak.

Before Mark could fall, his body landed on Rodbar who rushed forward to stop him from hitting the ground. Placing Mark's head on his shoulder, Rodbar embraced him and whispered,

"I'm sorry."

Hearing Rodbar's words, Mark's face softened, unable to control his tears, they rushed out in full flow again as he reciprocated Rodbar's embrace and began to sob quietly.

"I'm sorry," Rodbar apologized again as he held Mark in his embrace.

The corridor was quiet once again, only the sounds of Mark's sobs could be heard.