Because of Professor Thuron's exact mark, Chess' mark caught Tenny off guard, completely forgetting the 'feeling of realization'.

Chess looked at Tenny in confusion. After, his expression cleared up in seconds.

He smiled.

“What’s the problem?"

Sage, Mark, and Blake looked back at the two, wondering what was going on between them. Chess attempted to free his hand from Tenny, doing so.

Sage stared at the two.

“You guys okay?"

They walked back over, Tenny regaining control over her body, looking up sharply at them.

“Uh… uh, yeah. Just, a little tired. Gotta hit the books, for a bit longer.”

She lifted her bag, walking off in the direction of the dormitory, the group looking after her in confusion.

Chess in particular.

Lying on her bed, Tenny was completely in shock that she forgot the key component of her ability. She now, one hundred percent, has the right culprit, but because of the realization, she froze against her will. That must have looked extremely suspicious, and Tenny was aware of that.

The thought of leaving her room, and the possibility of seeing Chess face to face again, at this time, kept her inside. She had to find a way to get this out.

Exhausted, however, Tenny's eyes began to shut against their will. She stood, walked over to her dorm room and made sure it was locked. It was. She felt a bit safer.

Nervous, and tired, Tenny laid back on her bed and stared up at the ceiling in fear. Although she tried to resist the fatigue, her much needed rest started to envelope her.

Eyes opening.

The world reappears.

Tenny awakened, sitting up in pitch black. She went on high alert, wondering if she was still in her room, running towards the door thanks to a small amount of light underneath it. Feeling for the light switch, Tenny found it, turning it on.

Light poured throughout the dorm room. Tenny sighed. She heard loud party music, opening the door slightly.

Many students were heading out, getting ready for the party at the main hall that they were texted about.

Tenny looked at them, thinking that this party was actually a product of great timing. She figured she needed to be around a mass amount of people while she got to the precinct.

She has to clear Professor Thuron's name.

Tenny went back into her room, going through her closet for a light, black jacket. Putting it on, Tenny inhaled, and released a deep exhale. She walked back over to the door, exited her room and closed the door.

Walking with large groups of students, Tenny looked left and right, trying to make sure she saw no familiar faces. She did not wish to engage in conversation when she's all nerves.

Although the case of finding a way around the truth with Professor Thuron proved to be a farce, Tenny was not going to give up. She decided to find a way again.

Tons of students, flaunting new expensive party clothes, were happily gossiping about every subject they could think of, Tenny looking directly ahead.

The further she walked into the night, the less the crowds became, passing by the main hall. Tenny looked around, noticing a bus stop ahead. The thought of taking an uber enticed her, as it was much faster to the precinct. But right now, being around crowds of people was more important.

Walking to the bus stop as fast as she could, Tenny made it to a group of four people, waiting for it to arrive. Her eyes pointed down at the ground, wanting to avoid as much eye contact as possible.

On the bus, Tenny leaned her head against a window, watching the many buildings rush out of her periphery. Tenny withdrew her phone and checked the time.

Seven forty-three pm.

Putting her phone away, she glanced over at the other patrons. They silently look ahead, watching the cars in front of the bus.

She thought about the first suspect, having been through a traumatic experience he had no part in and was caught solely due to a coincidental garb.

And Professor Thuron, a well-respected professor at one of the top law schools in the state. His reputation now sullied, thanks solely to Tenny.

Tenny's expression became grim, realizing how much she's put people through in such a short span of time.

She should have been how Sage was.

Numb.

Keeping to herself.

And yet, Tenny managed to change that situation as well.

A passenger lit up one of the stop buttons, the bus pausing at a stoplight. Minutes later, after a few more blocks had gone by, the bus driver put his mic to his mouth.

“Fallow Precinct. Fallow Precinct.”

He pulled the bus towards the curb, stopping it entirely. The doors swung outward, Tenny and a few other patrons thanking the bus driver as they got off of the bus.

Tenny turned around, watching the bus close its doors and pull off. Facing forward, the patrons were already going their own ways. She sighed, seeing the precinct two blocks in the distance.

A pitter-patter of footsteps behind Tenny caught her attention, jolting back.

A grey kitten climbed onto her shoes. Looking down at it, a mother with a baby carriage apologized, approaching Tenny. Her lavender coat reflected the city lights, jet-black hair falling over her shoulders.

“I'm so sorry. He's a gift for my husband. Could you-”

“Of course!” Tenny replied.

Tenny lifted the kitten, handing him to the woman.

“Thank you. He was just born today. My cat, she just had babies. Guess we have that in common.”

The mother smiled, looking down at her sleeping child in the carriage. Tenny smiled in return.

“I thought he'd want to see the newest addition to her family.”

“He's very cute,” Tenny said.

"Isn't he? I'm still not actually sure about the gender, though,” the mother laughed. “My husband, he's been through a lot, and this could brighten his night. He's uh, down there-”

Tenny turned, looking at the precinct, then back to the mother.

"The precinct?"

“He's getting out tonight. Wrongfully convicted of starting a brawl."

Tenny slightly looked down in guilt, but tried to hide it. As if she hadn't participated in enough wrongful convictions.

“He should suit up with a good lawyer if they were to consider taking it to court,” Tenny advised.

“Now that's some sound advice. You sound like one of those law students around here."

Tenny smiled, not wanting to reveal too much.

“Well, young lady, if you ever enroll in that field, it'd be a pleasure for you to represent him.”

The two exchanged a light laugh as the mother pushed the carriage forward.

“Bye! Nice meeting you. Thanks again!” she said.

Tenny waved back to the mother, smiling at the sweet encounter.

She looked around at the street lamps, sighing as her eyes darted back to the precinct. There had to be other ways of getting the truth out. Ways she hasn't thought of yet.

Tenny adjusted her bag, withdrawing her phone to check the time again.

Seven fifty-eight.

She lowered her phone, turning it off as she was put into a chokehold from behind.

The speed at which she is being dragged is unbearable. 

Not seeing the figure, Tenny elbowed whatever she could with force.

Although Tenny causes damage to the perpetrator, he continues dragging until both are in a dark gap between two nearby shops.

Tenny twisted to turn around, trying to identify the suspect. She's grabbed by the neck and slammed against a fence.

Tenny has a bent posture but looks forward. The perpetrator socks her left and right across the face several times. Her body slams against the hard concrete ground, hands shaking in pain. The perpetrator, Chess, lifts Tenny up by her neck, whose face and mouth are caked with fresh blood.

He slammed her against a wall, still grappling her throat.

“Vellichor University's a great place, isn't it? You keep your mouth shut, and you may be able to dream about going there again. I can't very much trust you there right now, can I? Not with Sage and that blabbermouth of a person, Mark, around.”

Tenny glared down at him, trying to free herself from his grasp. Chess smirked.

“Did I not tell you I was a black belt? You're not getting out of this grip. Besides, do you really want to devastate Sage with this newfound knowledge about his best friend? Unless you want to kill him, that is. I told you. He can't handle many more dark days. Now…"

Chess lifted Tenny higher.

“I could end you here, or you can run back to wherever it is you came from. My friends would have no problem locating you if you stray from this offer. You don't know where or when they could be. So give it up. No one wants to see how pathetic you look right now.”

Tenny looked down at Chess with all of the ferocity she could muster. Chess smirked.

“'All hail Hale' indeed.”

Tenny spat a shot of blood in Chess' face.

Chess was officially past his limits.

He lifted Tenny higher as the mother with the carriage, and now her husband, approached after their kitten ran to Tenny.

Chess glared down at the kitten, looking up, seeing the couple close in. He slammed Tenny against the wall with all of his strength, dropping her harshly. Climbing over the fence, Chess took off and headed down the opposite way from the couple.

Tenny laid in a pool of her drying blood, vision blurry beyond comprehension. She looked up, seeing two dark mass figures leaning over her, muffled yelling fading out as her vision became black.

Swirling darkness.

Her only surroundings.

The black slowly faded to gray, then a harsh white, as Tenny's surrounded by a gathering crowd, and an ambulance right in front of her.

The mother and her newly released husband stood to the side, looking at Tenny in concern while an EMT cleaned her face. Tenny found herself leaning against the wall of a shop on a sidewalk, the ambulance's bright lights making her feel how serious this situation was.

Tenny looked up at the EMT.

"Good, you're conscious. What's your name?"

“Tenny… Hale.”

“Okay, Ms. Hale. You'll be fine now. We just need to have you examined for a few potential fractures.”

Tenny looked to the precinct, just two blocks away.

“I have to… I have to get to a building…”

“I'm sorry, Ms. Hale, but that's not going to happen tonight. We need to make sure you're okay.”

“What… happened?” Tenny asked.

"It appears you were in a pretty violent scuffle,” the EMT replied.

The mother approached the EMT in a rage, leaving her carriage with her husband.

"She was ambushed! I heard the bushes rustling when the assailant left.”

“Ma'am, I'm going to need you to step back,” the EMT said.

Tenny looked over at the mother, recognizing her before fading out. The EMT lifted her head, Tenny not waking.

“The patient is losing consciousness. Let's hurry and get her to the hospital.”

Two more EMTs came over to assist, helping transfer Tenny to a stretcher. They put her in the back of the ambulance, all of the staff boarding the vehicle.

The mother and her husband watched the ambulance depart in worry.