We said goodnight and not goodbye.

[Keaira O'Connell]

((there may be some editing at a later point pending any imput from Zane))

This day had been coming she had known it. Small clips of it had filtered through Zane’s mind over the past week no matter how hard he had tried to hide it. It took all that she had to hold the stern veneer that she had. She could not show anyone that she knew of Zane’s plan; it would only make matters worse. And so this day as every day, she got up showered, dressed, and took breakfast in the great hall. She attended her morning classes, and then went to lunch. After lunch she took her free period and lamented the fact that she felt there was very little she could do to dissuade him from his course. Then she continued on to her afternoon classes, and when they were finished she returned to the common rooms where she knew Zane would be gathering the finial thing he would need.

Zane Lucifer Bishop, her partner, her friend, and more than that at times, was leaving the castle.

He had decided that he could not stay in the castle and find the killer who had murdered his parents. And that was the only thing which consumed him now. By the time she had returned to the common room, and made her way up to his dorm room he had already packed, and was ready to leave. His trunk was filled with every belonging that he owned. He stood by the window looking outward his shirt messily buttoned up, his pants a faded blue jean with hole here and there. It was a typical Zane outfit. Various colored arm bands decorated his right arm, his left was bare. She knew that this was not the best of ideas, abandoning the castle, abandoning her, and leaving himself open it was dangerous at best, and may even be suicide for him and her very death. Could she survive his death? To her it seemed so unlikely, but she knew that it was not something she would need to address now.

She stared at him, the way her stood, only the slightest of hunches graced his body, a sign that this life was wearing him down. She knew that he was aware of her presence, his mind had already reacted. His body had straightened that tiny bit more as he pulled himself up to the fullest of his height. Slowly he turned to face her, a sad smirk on his face. The two of them didn’t need to share words; they always knew what was on each other’s minds. Keaira closed the small distance that was between them. Her right hand reaching out to lightly brush his left shoulder.

There were things that she wanted to say to him, but words would not come to her. Instead she pulled a small circular band of metal from her pocket, and wrapped it around his barren left arm. She had taken a few hours to craft it in the elemental room of metal. It was quite a light brushed nickel coloring, the band was simply three metal bands each less than a quarter of an inch in width, and the three of them intertwined among themselves. There was the slightest detail of ivy vines winding around the three small bands. At the center of the band there was a small flat circular bit, which Keaira had taken the time to engrave a small phrase.

She smiled as she pulled his arm closer to her. She turned the band inside out and pressed the engraving to the inside of his skin. As she clasped it she knew that the band would be unreadable until such a time that Zane chose to turn the band around and read the message for himself. Of course he probably already knew what it said simply from the cool touch of the metal singing against his warm flesh.

“Oh Zane…”

Her words failed her once again. But her thoughts seemed to press what she wished to convey onto the mind of Zane. His arms came up around her waist and they pulled her closer to his body. Although she kept her eyes downcast, his hand slowly pressed against her chin and lifted her up to met his eyes. The sorrow that had consumed her mind spilled over to her eyes as warm tears drifted down her cheek.

“Shhh, It’ll be fine.”

‘No it won’t.’ She thought to herself as he pulled her lips up to met his own. A soft brush of their lips was all she received before he backed away his trunk in his hand, and stepped into the fireplace. With just a simple address he was gone. The sweet scent of his body still lingered on her skin, and the succulent taste of his lips, graced her own. Yet he was gone. And she as much as she hated to admit it, felt more alone and vulnerable then she had in years. She didn’t even bother traveling back down to the common room; instead she simply sat down on his bed, pulled her legs up next to her, and wrapped her arms around herself. Tonight she would not sleep sound, nor tomorrow, or any night this week, or so she feared.

A few hours later when it was well into the night, Keaira stood up, and began to walk. She didn’t take the time to think about where she was going only that she was not going to stay there. She traveled for quite some time. Her mind was keeping track of none of the steps, and none of the people around her. Eventually she made her way to a familiar location, and as she did once upon a time, she sat down on the ledge of the tall building, and allowed her legs to dangle over. She swung her feet back and forth, for a few minutes, and then laid her back against the cold surface of the roof, her head touching not so gently against the hard floor. What did she care anyway? Her life had never been more screwed up then it was right now.

When she had loved Alessandro she had lost him, taken out of school, obliviated, and then callously returned to her for only a few brief days or so before his life was taken. Zane had swooped in during a rough patch, after Dien’s death, and around her first loss of Alessandro. And now… Alessandro returned, and Zane distant after his parents murder, and today his departure. What would happen now? How would she know, it’s not like she had even been able to foresee the future. As much as she may have wished for the skill, divinity was not her strong suit. No, that was Alessandro’s, he could see things concerning the future much better than anyone she knew. She had been witness to more than one of his premonitions. Yet, even his abilities wouldn’t help her now. Perhaps she just needed some time, to clear her head, and reevaluate things in her life. Tomorrows light may show things clearer… or not.

[Zane Lucifer Bishop]

Ever since they had returned from Colorado, Zee's cold, uncaring detachment had begun to wane, instead replaced by a growing anger. Though he couldn't fully shut Keaira out of his mind, particularly given their proximity, for the most part all she could sense from him was a growing wall of rage. He didn't express it at all, didn't go out of his way to harshly reprimand lost first years or anything, but it was always there. And with each passing day it grew.

The details of his anger were not disclosed to his Shadow Warrior, though she could probably reasonably guess the cause, an estimation that would be further boosted by a word that commonly accompanied his anger. Vengeance. Zane was holding a powerful grudge and it was likely clear enough to Keaira's mind who that was against, even if he never attached any names or faces to his hateful thoughts and refused to speak of it, even if asked. He seemed utterly withdrawn, not at all the social creature he'd once been. He didn't completely ignore other people, speaking blandly to any who addressed him and answering their questions, though often his answer was something to the effect of, "That's not your concern. Good day."

Before long it got to the point where he couldn't stand wandering idly about the castle, pretending to go to class, or really going and pretending to pay attention. He'd completely neglected his Prefect duties, not even wearing the silver badge any longer. Finally he resolved himself. He would take action. The anger had grown enough that he had to do something about it, could not longer simply wallow in self pity. Though he tried to conceal it behind his raging wall, he knew it to be possible that Keaira had picked up on his intentions. If so though, she said nothing about it to him. He didn't seek permission, either from Caira or D'rorah, didn't even inform anyone other than his unavoidable communication to Keaira of his intent to leave.

Zee stood in his dorm, stuffing the remainder of his effects into his trunk. As the moment of his departure approached, he began to doubt. Was this a good idea? Probably not. For the best? Debatable. Was this the course he was going to take? Almost certainly. Slamming down the lid of his trunk, he walked to the window, his frame slightly hunched over with the weight of this decision. It would mean far more than anyone would realize for some time. But they'd see. Eventually it would become clear to all of them. If he went through with it.

Through his distracting thoughts, Zee hadn't noticed Keaira's approach, but suddenly he was aware of her, standing there and staring at his back. Straightening and turning slowly to face her, his decision became iron-clad as soon as her face came into view. A tiny, bitter smirk played across his lips, the smallest hint of amusement seeping into his mind, though he covered it with his anger before it could be picked up. He watched passively as the girl slipped a bracelet of three interwoven metal bands over his left wrist and turned it inside out. She seemed unbothered by the written scars he'd left exposed all along that forearm, the spiraling text of "I will consider carefully before aligning myself with the losing side" bared for any to see. Something was engraved there in the metal she gave him; he could feel it both physically and through his connection to the element. Zee did not however probe further to see what it was, leaving it to be discovered later.

As she barely managed to speak his name, the distress and affection clear in her thoughts, his ever-present anger flared slightly, like a splash of strong alcohol on an open flame. Still he slid his arms up and around her, holding her close, the smirk still on his face. He erased it however as he angled her face up toward his. Tears began to spill down her face, and against his will, Zee's own eyes grew slightly moist. This however caused a second, stronger flare of his anger. Covering it with a quiet mutter that it would be fine and pulling her lips to his, he laid a light kiss there before breaking away. Without another word he grabbed his trunk and headed for the floo. His back once more to her, the smirk returned, laid on more thickly this time as he considered how he had no intention of letting that be the last time he tasted her. He'd do so again before the end. Right before, if he had his way. Giving the address of his parents... no, of his mansion, he stepped into the flames and was gone.

Arriving "home," he merely dropped off his trunk and was gone again, this time headed for the ministry. Zee would need to get licensed for apparition, simply as a matter of convenience and expediency. Then he could continue with his plans.