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Lian pulled up his pants and buckled himself back into place. He looked down at me with fresh sadness in that golden gaze of his. I couldn't help but feel bad for him. He wasn't a bad guy. Regardless of what he did for Linus. It was like looking into Miles' eyes. You could see hardships and a thousand tears shed from the difficulties that mostly came from this abhorent Institution.

I had to ask, "Why are you one of Linus' Elite? You like him almost as much as I do?" I added sarcastically.

"I killed one of the previous Elite."

"W-What?" I stammered with disbelief.

"I never knew about this?" Miles said from behind the couch I was sat on.

Lian shrugged. "Linus kept it all hushed up."

"Who was the Elite you killed?" Miles asked.

"Her name was Yasmin. She was a weretiger with a talent for sexual torture. She was the last Elite I had to endure before the initiation was done and finished with. I was under SD's influence, but it had been in my system for too long. My body was getting quicker at fighting the effects. This is normal for initiations, but by the end of their month's trials they are so subdued that their inner beast is too submissive to question what is going on. Mine was not."

"What happened?" I asked.

Lian sighed and explained, "My animal instincts took over, the SD effects towards the end switched from wanting sex to wanting blood. I lashed out and ripped her throat out before anyone could stop me from doing so." Lian sat back on the couch, elbows touching his knees while his hands laced together and mottled with the effort. He was shaking, shaking like he was fighting some real inner demons.

"Linus didn't have you killed?" I asked softly.

Lian shook his head. "Yasmin was warped by Linus, everyone who completes the initiation is. But I knew her, knew her before her initiation was complete. She was intelligent and kind and innocent to a fault. I met her the week before her initiation ended. In the week that followed she was violent and abusive. She'd changed. Something had happened to her. I was her first task as an Elite and I killed her." Lian stood and paced a little as tears glided down his cheeks.

"What happened next?" Miles asked.

Miles and I had made a mutual understanding then and there. We'd all suffered, or would suffer, at the hands of Linus. Having someone to talk to who understood that pain and pressure helped. Lian had probably bottled this all up until now.

Lian took a deep, rattling breath and explained, "I mourned her death, I mourned and Linus saw it in me. He saw it a fitting punishment that I take her place as Elite. Without the initiation's completion, I was never maddened like the rest of the Elite. I'm fully aware of what I do, and what I'm charged with. The guilt. The pain. All of it is a reminder of what I did!" he bellowed the last so loud that I could almost feel the walls tremble.

He raised his palm and brushed the tears aside as his body shook.

"That sick fuck..." I murmured under my breath, "Linus is insane to a point where he doesn't even seem vaguely human."

"That's the point, isn't it?" Miles asked, "None of us are vaguely human anymore, so why follow the conventions of humanity. Linus accepted that long ago. Its why he is the way he is now. In the animal kingdom, the strong and the cunning survive longest. Linus is both."

I nodded and realised Miles was right.

"So what happens when your turn comes and you have to 'initiate' me?" I asked awkwardly.

"I can only apologise in advance." Lian shrugged.

"Thanks," I smiled back sadly.

"As long as SD has been induced into your system and sexual intercourse proceeds, I think we can get away with it. Linus won't be there, but he'll smell it on you, the sex and the drug. If your missing both, then he might see it as a failure on both our parts. Besides," he touched both hands to his hips and a grin spread across his semi-tanned mug, "Would sleeping with me be so bad?"

I looked at Lian and suddenly realised there was a slight colour in his cheeks, a tender embarrassment about his flirting.

My answer flustered, but I was saved by the sound of a cool, female voice filling the common room. No. Not just the dorm. But the entire manor. Maybe even the entire institution. I glanced out the common room windows and found the skies had darkened during our conversation. It had to be near midnight.

"Announcement. Announcement," the cool voice declared.

"Saved by the bell," Lian murmured.

"What's happening?" I asked as I stood up.

Miles touched a hand to my shoulder and said, "I believe there's an announcement," he added a cheerful grin and fell quiet.

I noticed Miles looked younger when he smiled, younger and healthier almost. Perhaps this was what Miles had looked like before he became a werefox and got caught up in Linus' trials and torments. I playfully shoved the fox's arm and listened as well.

The cool voice continued, "All students please gather in the auditorium. I repeat. All students to the auditorium. That is all."

"What's Linus up to at this hour?" Lian growled under his breath. He started fussing with that crevat again.

"What's happening?" I asked.

"Any announcements come from Linus himself, or are at least authorised by Linus. Something must have happened for him to gather everyone together so suddenly," Miles suggested, looking at Lian for agreement.

The werelion nodded and then pointed dramatically at me.

"W-What?" I stammered.

"You haven't eaten," he grinned suddenly, "Come on, we'll go the auditorium, see what's happening, then get you something to eat. We need to be quick though, if we're late, Linus will see we're 'educated' on the importances of being late to arranged gatherings like these ones."

He went for the door and Miles followed. I brought up the rear.

"I hope this isn't another werewolf-rally," Miles murmured.

"A what?"

"Werewolves hold rallies to demonstrate their...dominion over everyone else. They pick out one or two students to be punished and do it in front of the entire student body. Bare in mind not everyone has completed initiation. It can be traumatic for some and fun for others, depending on your mental stabilities."

"This is so fucked up," I murmured.

"Most of the world is fucked up, Jack. Linus is just incredibly obvious about the whole thing," Miles explained.

"Amen," Lian added.

We filed in a line, winding through the corridors in silence after that.

I was anxious about seeing Linus so soon after what had happened. It had been two, maybe three hours at most between him sexually assaulting me with SD and me meeting with him in the auditorium. My skin crawled with gooseflesh as we made our way down a great staircase, I could see others gathering and heading in the same direction. More pointing and whispering followed, but I ignored it.

All I was concerned about was Linus. For a fleeting heartbeat I prayed that Linus would have his attentions focused on someone other than me tonight. I could feel my body tremble, as I wished someone else was going to be the centre of that madman's world tonight. Hopefully tonight Linus would leave me alone and pick on someone else.

Did I mention I hate it when I'm right?