'I've got a bit of bad news.'
'I gathered that. Give me details please.'
The Thing had never shown haste or agitation the way it was doing just now.
'Before I saw anything, this is a bit of my fault.'
His roommates were looking at him.
"Give me a minute." He preemptively shut down their questions and closed his eyes.
'Explain.'
'Due to my inattention to some things, I am giving you this late, but there is still time.'
'For what?'
'The academy is going to be attacked by demons.'
Place felt his breath hitch.
'I can't give you much information, but I am issuing a mission, scan it and ask any questions you have.'
Place sifted through the offered mission.
'This is frustratingly vague.' He accepted it.
'Now then,' He turned his attention back to the Thing, only to pause for a moment.
The Friends had returned.
'Hello there.' He gave them a 'nod' in greeting.
A series of 'waves' and 'nods' were echoed back to him.
'Do you mind if I?' He asked, 'gesturing to the Thing.
'Go ahead's, accompanied by a 'Snort' and a 'Smirk'.
They knew something.
'Alright then, back to you.'
The Thing was waiting.
'What weren't you paying attention to? And why is this surprising to you?'
'The invasion is not a surprise, the timing is.'
Place managed to put it together.
'Something changed, something hastened their attack? What?'
'Not quite.'
A mixture of voices spoke as one, and Place turned his attention to the friends, who had just spoken.
'It's more like the thing that was supposed to delay their attack is no longer there.'
It felt like the friends were speaking all at once, but he could clearly feel who was and who wasn't.
'And that would be?'
A chuckle.
'Something that 'Thing' should have foreseen, but he failed to do so.'
Once more, Place pushed down his rising thoughts and focused on the matter at hand.
'At the very least, can I-'
'No.'
'No.'
Place's face twitched at the immediate shutdown his enquiry received.
'Alright, is there anything else?'
'No, byeeee!!!'
The thing let out a 'whee' as it fled into the emptiness.
Place watched it go, then turned to the friends.
'What are you guys doing?' He asked, wanting to get this over with.
'Oh, we are staying.'
...
'Pardon?'
'We're staying here.'
***
"You good?"
Otis asked as Place let out a despairing sigh and stared at the ceiling.
"No, no, I am not." Place stated as he scratched his cheek. "I am very much not well at this moment."
"Is something wrong?" Zandre asked worriedly. "Is there something I can do?"
"How well can you fight?" Place fixed his eyes on him and asked.
"Eh?" That question took him off-guard.
"How well can you fight? I'm talking about a real fight for your life, against monsters and demons."
All three of his roommates were looking at him with puzzlement in their eyes.
"Is there going to be a need for that?" Raise asked, narrowing his eyes slightly as he looked at Place.
"Much, much sooner than you think." Place let out a sigh. "Try to get at least some experience soon, I know that the academy has a combat ground. Go and try that."
"Your words are worrying." Raise stated. "Is there a reason behind them?"
"I cannot say." Place turned to his table.
"Now, I have a letter to write. Please give me a few minutes of silence."
Place heard them whispering on the other side of the room. He couldn't make out what they were saying, but he had a good idea as to what they were discussing.
But that didn't matter right now, their decisions would be their own, and he had to request some anti-demonic supplies.
He finished his letter and put it into the box, tapped his fingers lightly about to mark it as 'Urgent' and leaned back in his chair.
'I wonder what Dad will think about this.'
***
'Dad' was currently staring at the contents of a book, brought to him by his uncle.
"This is... much more than what I was expecting." He commented as he turned a page. "And it doesn't seem like something we should keep to ourselves."
"Obviously not."
Uncle sat on a large plush chair as he spoke, cradling a bowl of chopped fruit he was eating.
He ate a piece slowly, before continuing.
"If the contents of that book are true, and an Age of Chaos is the danger ahead, it is best to inform everyone we can trust."
Obithal let out a hum of agreement.
"More than that," He added to his uncle's words. "We will need all the resources we can get. But, if it isn't what we are thinking..."
"You know it is."
Obithal grimaced as he heard those words.
He believed his Uncle, and the recent events were showing the signs of everything being correct, but he had no timeframe.
He could make small moves to prepare, but he needed a timeframe to make big moves, otherwise, the vultures would swoop in, and that would greatly affect his family's ability to withstand the coming chaos, in a negative way.
As if responding to his distress, the box on his table lit up.
"Again?" Uncle asked with a bewildered gaze. "What's going on over there?"
"Another urgent message," Obithal muttered as he moved to see what his son had sent this time.
The contents this time were simple, but that simplicity was enough to tell him what his son was doing.
"Oh, dear..." Obithal waved his hand, and the letter flew over to the other person in the room.
"Seems like it's all confirmed." He said as Uncle read the letter.
"An Age of Chaos..."
Now all that was left, was to prepare as best as they could, and hope that nothing too bad happened.