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"She's WHAT?!" Daniel exclaimed, slamming a fist against the wall behind him. Sebastian jumped at the sudden rise in anger. It was understandable, though; he understood just how frightening Daniel could be in his anger, and learning that Melody was freed from jail was something that could easily induce his wrath.
"How and when did she set herself free?" Daniel questioned dangerously. Sebastian, despite being an Ire, felt as though its time of existing would soon end should he choose his words incorrectly.
"W-Well, she had just broken out last night and found me during my rounds in the forest to see the other Ires," the Ire explained, "She caught me by surprise, eliminated the other Ires, and commanded me to request an audience with you at that location at midnight."
"That location?"
"The building in which Sir Blake was tortured in, Master."
"I see," Daniel nodded understandingly. He went silent for a few moments and smiled after losing himself in deep thought, "This is actually some good timing. Very well, I will grant her request. However, during this time, I would like you to run an errand for me in regards to Blake...."

Amber was tired. Not because of the midterm exams that were happening during this week, but because she couldn't find the time to relax after the fact due to a sudden influx of Ire attacks, like the one she was currently dealing with alongside Layla and Blake right after the last day of exams. In her unprecedented fury, she destroyed fifty Ires with one swift lash of her whip, destroying a fourth of the horde almost immediately. Blake gave a nervous chuckle as she slashed past another twenty just behind Amber as Layla just sighed as she shot down a few more from her perch at a nearby building.
"If only she wouldn't take her anger out like this when we're meant to be serious," she muttered to herself, nonchalantly switching her aim. She hummed in satisfaction as her weapon shot out yet another pink aura bullet that found its mark. Drew's weapons were amazing, and the newest piece that he gave her was brilliant. It was a helmet with scoping goggles that allowed her to use her aura to enhance her sight. This way, she wouldn't have to focus on one target, but multiple at once, making her shots faster and much more efficient. Each target she sighted through her new goggles had a mark placed on them for her eyes only made only through her aura. For every time she aimed her rifle, her goggles allowed it so that she no longer needed to shoot with only one eye but both, allowing her to operate ambidextrously. With a sniper rifle in each hand on separate flexible tripods, she didn't have to worry about using up all her focus on one target at a time, which in turn made her shoot as fast as a Gatling-gun while maintaining the sniper rifle's accuracy. She hummed as she mowed down another thirty surrounding her two friends down below her.
Even though her anger was quite unprecedented at the moment, Layla still took to heart just how much faster Amber was clearing up the horde. With each strike she caused more than fifty enemies to fall so long as Blake only needed to guard her rear with her sword and shield.
"Get outta here, ya stupid Ires!" Amber cried out in her fury. The citizens running for safety away from the destruction stopped momentarily from the confusion of hearing a girl's scream in the middle of the chaos. Since they couldn't see Ires as well as Guardians and Knights covered in their aura, it confused them greatly, if not for a moment before they returned to running away. Soon enough, all three girls regrouped once more away from the destruction after taking care of the most recent horde. Amber quickly looked over Blake's wounds, knowing fully well that her Knight was most likely injured due to being the only close combat fighter out of the three.
"I wonder how I did on my exams," Layla casually says, putting away her fighting equipment back into their capsule forms. She catches each one after it poofs into its tiny capsule form, placing them back into a small box for easy access. Drew designed the box so that the capsules would activate the moment Layla threw it down, instantly donning her protective gear as well as laying out all of her weapons efficiently. Amber grumbles at the thought of midterm exams.
"Why do we have to care about those things anyway. It isn't like we'll be using them in the future," she muttered in annoyance. Layla smiles knowingly. She's been friends with Amber so long that she was already well aware of how terrible Amber's grades were.
"How do you usually do, Blake?" Layla turns to the Knight, who was in the middle of wrapping a new bandage around her tattoo. It always seemed to be a habit for the girl to do so, but Layla knew not to question it. After all, Blake was well-known for having that part of her arm always wrapped in a bandage.
"I should be alright. Probably in the top five, like usual," she replied nonchalantly, earning her a surprised yelp from Amber. Oh right, I forgot that she was extremely smart, Layla realized, it's amazing on how she's managed this even while she's an active Knight for so long. Blake gave a tired sigh as she got up from the ground, dusting her pants off. Amber, meanwhile, grumbles yet again. Why the hell does she have to be so PERFECT, she ranted internally.

Blake begins to walk from their meet-up spot towards her home when she notices a girl collapsed on the side of the road near the destruction. She runs off towards the girl, and it doesn't take long for Amber and Layla to notice and do the same. Blake cradles her gently in her arms as Amber quickly looks her over for any serious injuries. Layla quickly searches the nearby area for any help, but is confused when she notices no one within their vicinity. How strange, she thought, you would think that they would have rescue teams swarming this place like usual.
"Why isn't she waking up?" Amber asked worriedly, "I don't see any wounds on her, thankfully, but that shouldn't warrant this at all." Blake remained silent. As Layla returned to them to tell them the strange news, she noticed Blake's reaction. She continues to stare at the girl's features, deep in thought. Layla takes the time to look over the girl as well. To her surprise, she finds that the girl wears the same school uniform as them, with the Cor Fortium logo emblazoned on her black blazer. It is in stark contrast to her milky white skin and snow white hair.
"Is she a student from Cor Fortium?" Layla asked Blake in confirmation. Blake doesn't respond, but Amber takes note and looks surprised as well.
"I wonder who she is. I don't remember seeing her at the dorms at all," Amber remarks. Layla looks back as well. It was true; she and Amber knew just about every girl in the dorms, yet never once saw someone like this.
"I wonder who it could be. I don't really see her around campus that often, either," Amber continues, scratching her head, "Should we check her belongings to see her ID or something?" That question earned her a slap on the head from Layla, who glares at her.
"Of course not! She's unconscious! Don't go looking into her things!" Layla reprimands her quickly. Blake ignored the antics of her friends, wracking her mind about the girl in her arms. Just where have I seen her before? she wondered. This girl seemed so familiar to Blake, yet for some reason Blake couldn't recall as to why.
"Just who are you?" Blake whispered to herself, shifting her hold on the girl. She shook her head. Whatever, I just need to get her medical attention, Blake resolved. Blake shifted her position and lifted the girl up bridal style, moving so that the girl's head rested comfortably against her shoulder. Amber whistled in amazement and Layla felt herself blush at the gallant gesture.
"Whatever the case, we better hurry and find someone to see her fast," Blake announced before walking off, to which Amber and Layla followed shortly after.

Even though they managed to get the girl to a hospital to recover, Blake still couldn't shake the sense of familiarity she had with her. For some odd reason, she found the girl to be someone she knew, yet she couldn't recall who. Just that though frustrated her for a while now, and her two friends knew this all too well.
"Blake?" Amber called out to the Knight. She looked up from her seat just outside of the mysterious girl's room, turning her attention to her concerned friends. The two of them exchanged nervous glances before Layla picked up from where Amber left off, "Is there something on your mind? You seem tense." Blake's eyes widened slightly at the question. She sighed, realizing that he emotions had been worn on her sleeves this entire time.
"Sorry about that. It's just that I feel as though I've seen that girl before," she answered them wholeheartedly, "I didn't mean to concern you guys like that. It's been bothering me for some reason, like I should know who she is yet I don't."
"Well, that's... uh...," Amber found herself trailing off after considering Blake's words. That was definitely something that could bother someone. It was strange, but at the same time it was such a trivial matter that could be brushed aside. Still, Amber found herself perplexed on how to react to Blake's dilemma.
"Can you think of some reasons why?" Layla tried asking Blake. The girl shook her head. She felt as though she should have known the girl she just saved, but she couldn't pinpoint as to why.
"I don't know. It isn't too big of a problem anyway, so don't worry too much about it. I'm just overthinking things," Blake said quickly after noticing that her friends were looking troubled over her responses. She felt bad that they were now feeling the way that she did about her issue with the girl even though it had nothing to do with them at all. It would be best to just rest for a bit; I may just be working myself too much, Blake thought to herself, sighing in exasperation.
"Well, I'm surprised that you even have a slight memory of that girl at all," a feminine voice broke through her thoughts. Blake abruptly sat up, and searched for the owner of that all too familiar voice. Layla and Amber had long stood up from their seats, facing the owner with disgust and shock on their faces. Blake's eyes narrowed upon recognizing the one standing before them, anger building up in her so much so that she nearly felt herself seeing red once more.
"Ooooooh, careful there, Blakey. Don't wanna go berserk here, do you?" the voice cooed mockingly, giggling afterwards. The girl grinned at the three of them with a crazed look in her eyes. There was no doubt to Layla, Amber, nor Blake; standing before them was none other than Melody herself.

Amber and Layla both felt chills down their spines when they heard Melody's voice again. It reminded them of that traumatizing time during Blake's kidnapping, finding their friend injured so much that she could barely stay alive. The memories of her fight with Melody triggered especially harsh memories for Layla. She remembered how she felt so useless as Amber struggled to remain standing and fight against Melody while she could only sneak off to find Blake, leaving her Guardian friend to defend herself. She felt determined to fight with Amber this time, pulling out her capsule box and ready to fight at any time.
"I'm pretty sure we threw you in jail," Blake growled lowly, almost overflowing with animosity. Melody laughed to herself, keeping her eyes on her "beloved" Blake.
"Well I came out just to see you, my brave Knight," she drawled out, tracing a finger across her lips, "You must understand how needy I've become for you. I killed so much for you and sat in that horrid place just for you." She crossed her arms and pouted, "But you didn't even visit once! How rude!"
"In case you've forgotten, I've been trying to forget about you for years now," Blake calmly replied, fists clenched, "Why can't you just leave me alone?" At this comment, Melody stopped smiling. The air suddenly became tense, and Melody's eyes narrowed.
"You haven't tried to forget about me. You don't mean that," she deadpanned, glaring daggers at Blake, who remained steadfast. Amber and Layla's anger was beginning to boil over, but Blake stepped forward with more of morbid curiosity than anger.
"What do you mean by that?" Blake questioned her. Melody smiled once more, this time her smile only that of sadness.
"Why, I'm talking about her, of course," Melody replied, gesturing towards the girl's hospital room. Blake blinked in confusion. Melody knows her? she wondered, why the hell would someone want to know someone like Melody? Amber and Layla were also caught off-guard by this. It was something straight out of left field that left many questions to be answered. Layla looked to Blake to see if she could ask, but noticed that Blake's expression was similar to their own.
"I'm sure you may have forgotten at this point, but let me tell you again," Melody sighed, leaning against the hospital wall, "As Blake may recall, I have had many turned in my favor in the past. Of course, Blakey was the only one who refused me, but the ones before her became subservient to me. Because of Blakey's little encounters with me, she had also taken note of the many other... 'lovers' of mine that lived in my mansion back then. She," Melody once again gestured to the girl's hospital room, " was the only one in which Blakey succeeded in freeing back then when I had all my 'lovers' killed in my anger to tame her." Blake grimaced at the recounted memory. It was during the times that she had not fully trained herself to evade and defend herself against people like Melody's lackeys. She was constantly caught and bound when Melody wanted to spend time with her. The time Melody made her recall was when Melody was especially frustrated, and had thrown her into a prison along with her other 'lovers' for the fun of it. She remembered staying there for five months, living on nothing but scraps of food thrown at the other "lovers" by Melody's "wardens". She remembered bits and pieces of that time, her mouth building bile from the horrid images that flashed before her of seeing people maimed and destroyed in Melody's anger. That was when Blake's eyes widened in realization. There was especially one person she found within that cell that she had especially become close to. And the girl had snow white hair and pale skin as well.

"Maybe I can refresh your memory. After all, she was still one of my favorites," Melody snickered, amused at Blake's bewildered state, "Does the name Weiss Winterprison ring a bell?"