As morning came in Washington, Johnathan arose with a lengthy yawn. He had trouble sleeping the previous night. Not much of a surprise to him though. Considering what he had been roped into. He still couldn't believe it. His best friend was a legend.

Or was wielding legends? Basically the same thing.

 It was genuinely baffling to him. He knew Roy had a tendency to stumble into situations he had no business in but this? This took the cake. Johnathan couldn't help but chuckle at it. "That big ol' bunny is always gonna have interesting stories I guess." He joked to himself. Smiling softly, he couldn't help wondering when he'd visit again. Maybe before his duties with swords preoccupied him too much. Johnathan hoped so at least.

 Getting out of bed, Johnathan set about getting ready for his day. Most importantly, he began thinking about where to start his research for Roy. He had some knowledge of the swords. Their purpose and such. But he never delved extremely deep into them or their associated tales. Let alone things like their origins or even their counterpart, The Sins of Man. The prospect of actually learning about them excited him to no end. Getting dressed was a simple affair. A nice pair of black jeans, a light orange t-shirt and some matching shoes. It was autumn too, meaning he got to wear his favorite jacket. The same color of his shirt, it had a design of a figure with a black mist on the back that ran into the sleeves. He always thought it was cool. As he got dress, a thought on where to start his research came to him. 

"Maybe there's something in the school archives I can look at." He surmised aloud.

Since he didn't have classes that day, he could afford to spend an extended amount of time in his college's library. However, he was well aware the knowledge he could find there would be rather limited. The archives would provide much more. It was off limits to most on campus though. He'd have to sneak in. That would be rough. Placing a finger under his chin, Johnathan began to plot. He knew a good deal about breaking rules. He and Roy were a set of regular ramblers in their hometown. So it was less about the morality of sneaking in and more so about how to do it. There was usually security around the entrance, and they rotated around the clock. A distraction could pull them away but what kind…

Racking his brain a thought broke though. He could start an emergency somewhere else on campus to draw them away from it. Maybe...a fire? Johnathan's brow frowned at the thought. He wasn't one to commit arson for something like this. It was important, sure but something like that…? Maybe an intrusive thought. He decided to ignore it. Back to his original issue, he did need a decent distraction. The cafeteria wasn't too far from the library. A fight in there could do just fine. Still the thought he first had still irked him a bit.

Heading out onto campus that day felt somewhat different to Johnathan. Usually he would feel rather jovial and energetic to start the day. However right then, despite his excitement to learn about these swords, he felt overwhelmingly tired. Perhaps he had gotten less sleep than he thought? He wasn't sure. Glancing around, the tree from the previous night stuck out to him. The vines that once held a message for him were now absent. Likely dispersed by Roy. "...I hope I can actually help." Johnathan gently whispered as he made his way towards the cafeteria. He honestly had very little clue why Roy needed more information on the swords. He knew the Nightmare wasn't much of the curious type. He usually took things at a face value. Perhaps that speaks to how incredible those blades are. That they could make Roy act with so much intent and purpose. It made him uneasy in a way.

Entering the cafeteria, Johnathan is greeted with a busy scene. Breakfast was usually a rather hectic time. Many other students were trying to maneuver around one another to get something to eat before classes started. Tired groans and small altercations were somewhat a norm. As is the case with so many individuals with different personalities in a tight space. A time bomb of wrath just waiting to be set off. And Johnathan would be setting it off. Walking into the crowd, he began looking for a good fuse. If he found the right person it could set off a chain reaction of violence. The perfect thing for him to sneak into the archives unnoticed.

As he walked, he noticed the perfect person to set off a chain reaction. An ogre and a stressed one at that. From what Johnathan could tell, he was likely an overwhelmed first year desperately trying to get food before class. He had a look that screamed he was one thing away from snapping. Johnathan felt somewhat bad for him. Roy was much the same when they started, but at least he had Johnathan. This guy must not have an anchor. Pity. Johnathan didn't let those thoughts stop him though. He had more important things to do at that moment. Concealing himself in a dense enough crowd, he grabbed a loose piece of food and chucked it at the orge. 

A wet splat followed and it wasn't long before Johnathan was proven right. The orge didn't even try to find the person that threw the food. He just let out a frustrated yell and started to swing. He clipped another student, a human woman, who instantly started to fight him back. This started to draw a crowd, and as the fight spilled through the cafeteria, others began popping up too. Before long the whole place was one big brawl. And Johnathan cleanly made an exit as school security showed up. He wasn't worried about the orge facing punishment. In that haze of wrath and carnage, no one would remember who started that fight.

Johnathan made his way to the library and then to the archive entrance. As he thought, the cafeteria brawl warranted that the usual security was called to resolve things. All the better for John. "Alright. Time to do some digging." He said to himself as he ventured into the archives. The archives were much more grand than he thought they'd be. Long rows of shelves lined the large room, each packed to bursting with an assortment of documents. Everything from books, to research papers, to scrolls lay dormant in the school archives. Johnathan was feeling a mix of utter awe and understanding in the moment he saw it. No wonder no one but select staff were allowed down there. You'd run the risk of getting lost with all there was. Or damaging the more than likely valuable information stored within.

After letting the initial shock wane, Johnathan ventured deeper into the archives. He was careful to keep take of his path so he could find his way out later on. He figured the cafeteria brawl wouldn't be a distraction for too long so he moved quickly as no doubt security would be checking in after they got back. After some time, he found his mark. The "S" section. Here he'd find plenty on the swords Roy wielded and their associated legends. So at once he began to search through the documents with this section for some information regarding them. 

Thankfully, his hunch was right as he quickly found a great deal of material to work from. Much more than the many more readily available sources could provide. A few things did peak his interest as he read. From what it looks like, stories or symbols of the swords date back at least to 500 A.G. Truly ancient it seems. Many of the associated stories didn't mention many monsters having been wielders in the past. Only 1 other is mentioned, making Roy the second. Johnathan found that to be quite interesting, but it seemed the school had limited information regarding the other monster. Soldiering on, Johnathan finally found something that he felt might help Roy. An old manuscript from the 5th or 6th century. It read as follows…

Thou eye maketh the world. Our hearts corrupt thou eye. By thine grace, these holy blades banish the darkness and sin. By thine grace, these hallowed pole arms shape our lands. May thou grace let us prosper, O' Genesis. May your grace lead us towards a bright path. O' Uriel. May ye protect our fated paths…

Genesis and Uriel. Those were familiar names to Johnathan. They pop up a lot in religious text, most prominently the Church of Fate. "Hmm this is sourcing the swords to Genesis then? Not just them either, but these 'hallowed pole arms' too. Most likely the elemental staffs…" Johnathan pondered aloud. Looking through some more files didn't provide much more information on that particular train of inquiry. Something to look into more later he surmised. 

One last thing peaked Johnathan's curiosity. According to the documents, this whole ordeal usually takes place every 100 years. Sin and corruption build up over that time until it reaches a fever pitch. The swords and staffs are then assembled to fight it back, and the victor determines the path the world will continue down. What bothered Johnathan was that, if accurate, the battle against the Sins of Man should have been over 20 years prior. Yet it was happening then. He couldn't understand it. "I doubt it would just skip a generation to start now…" he pondered aloud. Shifting through more of the documents held no more answers either. With a sigh, he resigned himself to having to go elsewhere to find out more.

"Let's just hurry and make sure no one snuck down here. I'm ready to head home." A female voice echoed through the archives. Johnathan's time was up it seemed. Security was back and checking the archives for any undesirable elements. Johnathan was one of those elements. Quickly he put back all the documents he was looking through, and began to sneak his way through the archives. They were fairly big, so as long as he kept his ears open he didn't expect much trouble getting out. From what he could hear, there were only the two guards. Simple enough. He stayed very low, and moved silently. Nothing yet. Eventually he reached the stairs, and bolted out of the archives and back into the library proper. Easy. Johnathan couldn't help back chuckle at how simple it all was. 

Johnathan decided to mull over the information he had just acquired.More so where he could get more. The archives were the best the school had but definitely not the best he could potentially find. Thinking back to what he had read did give him a thought. "Genesis…" That was a name he was familiar with. The apparent God that created the world. Many people praised her, including Roy and himself for a time. Johnathan couldn't say he still did. Many angels claim that no such being exists. That they've never even seen her. So he didn't truly think she was real. But her followers did. And they could have some more information regarding the swords and such if she has a connection to them. 

"It's a long shot." John mused. From what he figured walking into any old temple wouldn't get him anything. He'd need more. The best bet he had was the grand temple upstate but it would be a trip. He could likely make the trip on the weekend and be back in time for his classes on that Monday. It was as solid a bet as he could have at that moment.

Though he did still have one other thing he could gleam from the school. He hadn't looked into these so-called "Sins of Man" yet. Only the swords. But getting into the archives again that same day would prove much more difficult. He couldn't rely on a distraction again since no opportunity like the lunch room would present itself like that again. Without one though he didn't have much of a way in.

"...Maybe the fire isn't such a bad idea…" he grumbled softly. He didn't like the idea. He truly didn't but it would give him access to the archives for a much longer time. And that could be critical. He didn't want to resort to it but time was of the essence. Roy could call at any moment and he wanted to have as much information to help him as possible. He resolved that a little property damage was worth it for the security of a good path for humanity. 

For the time being he could better connect some dots in his head. Or try to at least. A few things weren't adding up to him. Most prominent being the time discretion. Roughly 20 years ago would have been when everything with the swords went down. Which made sense to Johnathan. The world was at war back then. No shortage of bad energy floating around back then. Yet it was happening at that moment in time. Another thing bothered him as well. The distinct lack of information on the previous monster to wield the Sacred Swords. There was nothing. At least in his school archives. Yet it still remained odd to him. If there was recorded that they existed, why was there none about their exploits? He couldn't make heads or tails of it really.

As he sat there in the library, Johnathan closed his eyes. All the thinking was giving him a headache. As he sat there, he felt like things were quiet. While peaceful at first, it quickly changed to being uncomfortable. The library was usually quiet, but even then you could hear soft chatter as people studied. Or the soft turning of pages as people read. Yet Johnathan couldn't hear anything. 

Just silence.

Opening his eyes, the library was still there but it was different. As if time slowed or stopped. Everything looked frozen, and muted. Like something sucked the color out of everything. "...I nodded off. I must have gotten less sleep than I thought. I'll let Roy know to pay attention to the time when he calls again." He sighed. He rationalized that it must be a dream. How else could this be like this?

Yet he felt no less cold. 

He was actually freezing. Even with his jacket on, he couldn't stop from rubbing his arms to gain some semblance of warmth. He was becoming a bit more scared now. If it wasn't a dream, it must be a nightmare. He tried to stand but found himself stuck. He couldn't move. Then he heard it.

Footsteps.

Slowly but surely, something was coming up behind him. Terror gripped him. His breathing quickened, yet as he tried to scream nothing came out. His voice stuck. Closer and closer, something drew near him. Was it a spell keeping him still? He knew nothing that could bind like this. Eventually, the walking stopped. And Johnathan felt something touch his shoulder. It leaned in and spoke.

"You should rest for the night, pure one…"

Johnathan jolted in place, finally able to move. Standing quickly he turned around and saw nothing. Looking around, he noticed the library was back to normal. Placing a hand on his chest he began catching his breath. He never had nightmares like that. Usually it was being stuck in a hole or dodging traffic. That was…something else. "Pure one.." he shivered. Perhaps he should rest till the night came along…

Johnathan laid low for the remainder of the day. Mostly going through his usual routine, he waited till night to go through with his plan. He was still a bit on edge about it though. Arson wasn't something he'd ever done, nor did he think he'd ever do it. Yet here he was, planning to set fire to an empty building and no doubt inconveniencing many people for a little time to research. It made him feel a bit sick. But he had to do it. He wouldn't leave Roy without anything to work with. 

He refused to do so. Johnathan would walk down that unfamiliar path if it meant helping Roy. 

As night fell, Johnathan lurked outside near the building of his choice. The recreational hall. Empty at this time, it'd be perfect for a distraction. As soon as it went up, people would be all over it to see. And the staff would be needed again to corral everyone. Steeling his nerves, he made sure no one was around. He was rusty with fire magic, but he had something to help out. Rubbing his thumb against his finger, he began feeling it heat up greatly in no time at all. A quick snap and BAM…A tiny flame on his thumb. No bigger than that of a lighter, it could hardly set a building on fire.

Luckily, his flatmate loved to use hair spray. And he took the liberty to borrow a can for his needs. 

Shaking it up, Johnathan held his finger in front of the nozzle. Then he let it rip. He had to let it go for a minute or two before the building caught fire itself. At which point Johnathan very quickly made himself scarce. He wasn't going to stick around to see the progression of that fire. All he needed was for it to work. He approached the library and stuck to the shadows. Now he had to wait…

A few minutes passed before the two archive guards came running out. A vampire and a human that ran off towards the recreational center. Looks as though his plan worked. For better or worse. He quickly headed into the library and down to the archives once more. Given the nature of his current distraction, Johnathan figured he'd have a more lenient amount of time to look around. Heading through the archives, he made his way back to the area he was at before. Now it was time to take his research away from the swords and towards the Sins. 

Quickly making his way through documents, Johnathan found very little. Unsurprising to him since most scholars tend to overlook the Sins for researching the swords or staffs. He did eventually find a few documents in regards to them. A theory paper from roughly 50 years ago and another ancient scroll. While not much, it didn't hamper Johnathan's mood any. He figured the grand temple would have more in regards to this, so he'd take what he could.

The theory was the first thing that caught his eye. The general overview was that the so-called 'Sins' weren't the actual sins of mankind. That they were the manifestation of the negative actions and thoughts people formed over time. Moreover, there was a thought that these thoughts and actions cause a corruption of the core aspects of people and nature. Which is why the swords and staffs are needed to repel it. As they represented those core aspects. Johnathan found the theory to be rather compelling. As it helped explain why the swords were needed. He'd need to find something else to back it up but that was fine enough. Onto the scroll.

Given the labeling it was from around the same time period as the one he saw earlier. Give or take a few years. Opening it he was greeted by another bit of ancient writing. It was as follows…

Wicked Sins. Born from our hearts, you harm our being with thou very presents. Made manifest through our pure, you shall be purged. Thou rotten path shall never hold us. Take and take, you shan't have us for long. Our salvation will come. As that is the path we are bound to.

That sent chills through Johnathan. Something about that message wasn't sitting right with him in the slightest. "Made manifest through our pure…What does that mean..?" Johnathan mused silently. That statement really seemed to bother him. Reminded him of that nightmare earlier. For the moment, he would have to cast it out of his mind. He'd have plenty of time to think it over once he was out of the archives. He could see where the research paper crossed over with the scroll though. The Sins weren't really 'sins'. They were more so just extreme amounts of negative energy gathering over time. But that phrase…

"Made manifest through our pure…" 

Johnathan fell silent. He felt he had learned enough for the day. Setting things back to the way they were, he made a swift exit from the archives. There wasn't much need to be sneaky given the time of night and the flaming building on campus. As Johnathan emerged from the library, he could see emergency service lights near the recreational center. He was compelled to see the damaged he had caused.

The scene before him made Johnathan both relieved and unsettled in some twisted synergy. From the looks of it, the building only suffered mild damage from his little stunt. It would certainly take a few months to fix but wasn't beyond repair. However, it was something else that made his core run cold and his muscles tense. In the smoke and ash, he could see someone staring directly at him. The gaze was eerie, and cold. Unblinking.

Johnathan looked around. Perhaps someone else would see what he had. But no one did. Not any of those who came to see the fire. Not any of those who came to stop it. Even as the firefighters walked past, they didn't notice the figure. Johnathan looked back at the being to find its gaze still locked onto him. Slowly, it seemed as though everything else faded away. All the chatter and sirens gone. It was only Johnathan and the figure. 

He couldn't move. Just like before.

His body felt locked in place. Stiff. He wanted to speak but it felt impossible. Or perhaps it was. As he stared at the figure, it began coming towards him. Even as it did, Johnathan couldn't figure out what it was. Not human. Not a monster. Just a being, pitch black as the deepest night. As it got close to him, it towered over his very being. Its hands raised slowly to his cheeks. 

Cold.

Bitterly cold. The touch from this being was so unforgivingly cold. Yet to Johnathan's surprise, and terror, it was also gentle. Tender in a way. The being's fingers caressed his cheek. Its gaze became less eerie and almost compassionate. No. More melancholy. Sad in a way. 

A heavy sigh came from the being now. 

Johnathan couldn't make out anything about its voice from it. Neither male nor female. Yet both at the same time? It still dripped with sadness. It was very similar to the one from before. The being pulled him into a hug. Still so cold, yet he knew its intention was to comfort. He heard its voice again. 

"Hello my new pure heart…"