"Granny! Granny!" She shouted.
"No! No! No! Granny! This is not happening! Granny!"
Kassandra kneeled in front of their burning house. Her eyes are flooding with tears and her sight is now started to blur, but she could still see the man in black, emerging from the inferno like fire. Her body started to shake. Though she could feel the fear within her body, her heart is full of pain.
"Why?! Why did you kill my grandmother? Why!"
"Why! Why!" She muttered.
"Hey. Ms. Grinch. Wake up." Her classmate gently taps her shoulder.
Kassandra slowly opens her eyes and roam it around. She noticed that she is still in their classroom. Her gaze landed on her classmate who pulled her out of her nightmare.
"You are Alyza Frigore," Kassandra said. She is confused about why Alyza Frigore wakes her up.
"Our class is almost done, and the student council wanted every student to gather in the Night Grand Quarters hall. There would be an important announcement."
"Oh, I see, that's why almost all of our classmate is already gone."
"But before that, let me tend your wound first." Alyza Figore kneels to check her wound on her left leg. "I guess you got it when you hit the ground. Class Rep asked me to take care of it, so if you want to thank me, give the credit to him instead." She said without looking at Kassandra.
"Still, I want to thank you." Kassandra felt something cold around her left leg.
"Alright. It's done." Alyza stood up. "Be at the Night Grand Quarters hall in 15 minutes. I heard the announcement is about the student's allowance. So, I'm sure it is pretty important." Then she turns around walks away from her.
Kassandra was left in the classroom alone. She is regretting why did she not ask where the Night Grand Quarters hall is located.
"I remember Mraz told me that it is on the 3rd floor."
______________________
"Move! Move! Princess Agatha is coming!" One of Agatha's followers shouted. Everybody moves to the side to give way for Agatha Pelznickle and her peers.
Agatha Pelznickle is one of the beauties of Noel Academy. Aside from the fact that she is the only daughter of Maior N, the Chief of Noel City, almost every student admires her because of her natural beauty, power, and talent. She is good at ballet dancing and one of the best Light Benders in the city.
Agatha Petznickle walks inside the Grand Quarters Hall looking at everyone as if she owns them. A female student, Elizabeth Frigore is on her left.
"Ms. Elizabeth is also pretty like Ms. Agatha. I heard they were like sisters. Messing up with Ms. Elizabeth is like having trouble with Ms. Agatha." One of the students said in the background.
"Oh, they are one of those Elite students that you cannot messed up with." The other student replies.
While everyone is finding their rightful seats in the Grand Hall, Kassandra is running in the hallway still figure outing where the hell is the Night Grand Quarters Hall. Because of her clumsiness, she accidentally bumped into someone.
"Ouch!" She stumbles on top of a female student.
"Will you move up? You are quite heavy."
Kassandra stood up and offers her hand to the female student who is still seated on the ground.
"Chloe?!" Kassandra was very shocked when she recognized the female student.
"Kassandra." Chloe softly whispered. She was also surprised to see her old friend. She stood up without accepting Kassandra's hand.
Without wasting another second, Kassandra suddenly jumps towards Chloe. She hugs her tightly showing how she misses her so much.
"Finally! I got to see you!" She said while preventing herself from crying.
Chloe gently pushes her away. "Kassandra, what are you doing in this place? Why are you here?" Chloe's expression is reflecting that she is not pleased to see her. But Kassandra ignores it.
"Well, it is a long story. But it does not important. What important is I got to see you and we can finally be together again."
"You shouldn't be here," Chloe said without showing any emotions.
"Why? Are you not happy to see me?" Kassandra was confused. "Are you mad at me?"
Chloe shook her head. "Don't take it to your heart. But it would be best if you will leave this place as soon as possible." Then, she turns around and walks away from her.
"Chloe." She can't comprehend what Chloe has said to her. She was unable to move from where she is standing.
"Kassandra, why are you just standing there? The student meeting is about to start now." It was Mraz. He intentionally went out of the Grand Hall to specifically look for her.
Kassandra looks at him. Luckily, he did not notice that there is a tear that escapes from her left eye. She immediately wipes it before she speaks to him. "I was figure outing where is the Grand Hall, fortunately, you are here."
"Thank God I went out. Let's go. The student council is already on the stage."
"Alright then." Kassandra nodded.
They almost run going to the hall. The president of the student council, Leo is now talking about the newly released memorandum of the Academy Director when they reached the Grand hall. They immediately take two seats in the very last row.
"According to the new memorandum, signed by our Academy director, Mr. Kris Pelznickle, every student of Noel Academy must join one recognized student organization in the academy. There is no exception. This is to continuously improve and develop your skills outside our four-walled classrooms. A lot of benefits will be given to the students upon joining one organization. Besides from the incentive of 100% increase in the quarterly allowance, students could mold their own personality by learning more about yourselves, learn how to communicate and work well with a team which is very beneficial when you graduated and started working outside the academy, also, you could create networking opportunities which are also important when you are finding a job."
Everybody claps their hands upon hearing the incentive of 100% increase in their allowance once they get to join an organization.
"However, failure to comply comes with a deterrent. A decrease of 50% of the quarterly allowance will be granted to those who failed to join one recognized student organization within this week." Leo paused to check on the student's reactions. Everyone is quiet, but it is apparent that most of them are not pleased about what they just heard.
"Any question so far?" Leo asked the crowd.
One student raises his hand.
"Yes?"
"Is one week a short period for those students who don't have an affinity on those kinds of things?" a student from III-Class A asked Leo.
"Not exactly. A whole week is just enough because starting tomorrow, classes will be suspended for the whole week. This whole week will be just intended for finding your appropriate student organization." Leo calmly said. But his voice has still a hint of authority. "Do you have any questions?"
No one raises their hands. "If you don't have any questions. Ms. Eilia Diodorus will have another announcement related to this matter." He remains standing near the podium when Eilia came forward.
"Good day everyone. I hope everything that President Leo has announced is clear to all of us. So, I will not make it long, the director has released another message to us. Before the quarter ends, there will be an Intra school organization competition where all recognized school organization must join. The same demerit will be applied to those student organization members who will fail to comply. However, for those who would win on the challenges, a lot of incentives awaits you. Details of the competition and list of rewards are not yet final, but to give you a glimpse of it, one million gold coins is allotted to one organization who will claim the first place."
Everyone shouted because of so much joy and excitement. One student even said, "Can we start the organization seeking now?"
"That is a lot of money Mraz! I want to join! That is a lot of food for me!" Kassandra could not contain her excitement.
Because of so much noise, she did not notice that someone is laughing very hard behind her.
"Tehmo, why are you laughing?" Cael who is seated on his left curiously asked him
"Nothing." He chuckled. "I just can't imagine that someone like her is a glutton."
"Who?" Cael is confused.
"My stupid pig."
"Huh?" Cael glanced at him but immediately drop his interest because Zoe who is seated on his left said something to him.
Tehmo did not reply. He just stared at Kassandra while secretly smiling. "This is rare."
______________________
"Kassandra, your room will be on 2080" Prof Aerea handed her the keys to her dormitory room. "The Women's Dormitory Building is on the left. Don't get lost ok?"
"Yes Prof. Lucila. Thank you." Kassandra weakly smiles at her.
"Don't worry, if you have problems and you need to talk to someone, my room is still open for you." Prof. Aerea reaches for her left hand.
"Thanks Prof Lucila. Uhm…Prof Aerea. I-" Kassandra was about to tell her that she saw Chloe earlier, but she hesitated because their accidental meetup was quite not pleasant.
"Yes, Kassandra?"
"Nothing. Bye Prof. Lucila, See you around."
"Alright, Kassandra. Take care."
_________________________
Kassandra knocks on the door three times even she had already the key of Room 2080. A familiar face opens the door.
"Oh, I did not expect you to be here soon." Alyza Frigore makes way for her.
"I did not know you are expecting me." Kassandra calmly said.
"Well, I am the only second-year female student who does not have a roommate yet and I heard you are previously staying at Prof. Lucila's place. So, I guess anytime soon, you'll get evicted on her room and will be transferred here." Alyza's explanation. She sits back on top of her bed and pointed her index finger on the bed near the balcony door.
"That would be your bed. Do anything you want except for pestering me."
"Sure." Kassandra put her backpack on top of her bed before she puts down the Christmas decorations one by one.
"Want some help?" Alyza was not surprised by her actions.
"If it is not bothersome for you."
"Alright then." In a few moments, all the Christmas ornaments found in the rooms disappear and became a mist in the air.
"Did you just freeze and break them apart?" Kassandra was really amazed at what Alyza just did.
"Yep. It is inconvenient to see you doing it manually. So, I offered some help. Anyway, I guess your surname tell something about you. Grinch. You really hated Christmas." Alyza stands up and opens the drawer on her bedside drawer.
"Nope. I don't hate it." She paused to catch something that Alyza throws over her. "I loathed it." Her face is full of seriousness that she could compare to someone who is about to kill.
"Oh, I see. Everyone has a pet peeve. I can relate to you. Since you share yours. I will tell you one secret about me." Alyza opens the packaging of sweet bread on her hand. The same thing she threw to Kassandra a while ago. "That is for you. Eat that. It is like an initiation rite so we could formally call us roommates."
Kassandra does as she was told. She eats the sweet bread and very much like it.
"You like it?" Alyza casually asked her.
"Very much."
"Good. You could not buy anything like this here. You could only find this sweet bread in my hometown."
"Thank you for sharing this secret with me."
"What?" Alyza was confused about Kassandra's response.
"This bread. This is your secret right?" Kassandra innocently replies.
Alyza laughs. "That is so good. You are funny." Alyza releases a hard laugh before she continues. "But that is not my secret that I was talking about. It is about my pet peeve."
"Oh, I thought this delicious bread is one of your secrets from the other student."
"Well, technically yes, only those I considered a good human being could accept something wonderful from me. Anyway, my secret is about the thing I hated the most. Keep this secret for me. Because only you will know about it."
"Not a problem. Your secret is safe with me."
"Alright. So, if I knew that you loathed Christmas, then you have the right to know that I despise," Alyza turns her face into a very serious expression. "I despise my very own face."
"What?" Kassandra was shocked to her core. "Why?"
"That is another secret. You have to exchange something for you to unlock the reason behind it. Anyway, you could destroy any Christmas decorations inside this room. You could redecorate it with skulls and bones, but one thing you should not remove," Alyza pointed on the black cloth that covers the left side of their dresser. "Is that fabric."
"I fully understand."
"Ok. Welcome to room 2080, roommate." Alyza offers her hand for a handshake.
Kassandra willingly accepts it and smiles genuinely at her.