The drive was smooth and surprisingly pleasant. From the airport to the city, the 150 miles were dotted by Drom Town, Moricho, Kys Town, Maricar, and Gaius Town, in that order. Each town was between 10 and 30 miles apart, the National Road A1 connecting all of them. Vernard was a model tourist guide, although as all model tourist guides, most of his knowledge fell on one ear and out the other. He soon learned that they were here to stay.
He gave them his calling card. "If you ever need a service, I'm the man." He smiled at them. Vernard the Cab Driver did not think that he would soon be entangled in the life of Silva Ain-Soph-Ur.
"Thanks," the young heir accepted the card. Through the tour, he still could not remember anything about the island, which leads him to believe that something must have happened to him that forced him to forget any connection to this island. "Are we there yet?". Whatever that was, it must be extremely important.
"Just a little closer. We'll pass your school then 3 blocks more." Gabriel explained. "Reilly already did your paperwork, you start school..." He checked his watch. "In an hour."
"EXCUSE ME?!" Silva couldn't hold his shock, did his guardian plan to send him to school covered in blood and dust and probably shards of glass? "What do you mean 'In an hour'?! We just landed a few hours ago, crashed a car, shot people, got into a car chase, and you want me to go to school?!"
"Yes." There was nothing more after that but Gabriel's chuckle and Silva sighing in frustration.
The cab stopped in front of a modest house in the middle of a block. Gabriel payed and they both alighted from the vehicle.
"Here it is. You have your own room on the second floor, your uniform is ready, get dressed while I ready breakfast." Gabriel said as he unlocked the gate.
"You're serious?"
The answer wasn't necessary.
----------------------------------------------------
30 minutes later, Silva was eating eggs and french toast on the dinner table. The house was surprisingly spacious, maybe because there was only two people living in it. It would seem that this house was actually already readied in case of emergency situations such as this.
Hidden in an unassuming corner of the world, an island like many other islands. The city like any other city, nothing special about it at all. Even if your cruise ship were to pass it, it would simply be part of the background.
The facade was fairly unassuming and the neighborhood was quiet, but beneath that quiet, he could already feel the water boiling beneath his feet. Vernard gave them a specific warning about the entire island.
"The entire island is controlled by gangs and mafiosos. So keep your nose down."
He could believe it. He could smell gun smoke, masked by the strong smell of flowers that surround the house. The flowers were of a wide variety, from lillies to poppies to roses. They were growing extremely well, drinking the water from the soil, or if he understood it correctly, blood was part of what kept the flowers beautiful. For an emergency hideaway, it was well kept, the flowers growing extremely well. It meant that someone was living here until not too long ago.
Silva was in his school uniform, a white polo with the school's logo on the left breast pocket, where a black pen was sitting. He had a small case by his side which contained school supplies and some other paraphernalia. He was finishing the ham and cheese sandwich Gabriel hastily prepared for him.
It was 8:50 A.M.
"I'm going." Silva said as he closed the door behind him.
Gabriel waved. "Have fun."
The bell rang at 9:00.
Jet lag hit him as he reached the gate by 9:02, making him stop and stay still for 5 minutes. "Damn it, Gabriel." He pushed himself to move even though his body just didn't want to. "Hell of a condition to make a first impression. Where was my classroom again?" He realized he didn't ask that specific information. He groaned.
"Hey, are you lost?" He heard a voice behind him. He turned around and saw a man taller than him, with pitch black eyes and black hair which was blond near the edges. He assumed it was colored artificially. He wanted to roll his eyes, but maybe he could ask for help.
"Uh, yeah, I am. I'm supposed to be 1st year class A Physics, though I don't know where that is."
"I can show you." Silva recognized that look. "For a fee." It was a smile that preceded extortion. He knew it very well, it was practiced almost daily in the streets controlled by the mafia. He did it sometimes to get what he wanted as well, but even then he didn't like doing it, yet he was extremely talented in it. To be on the receiving end annoyed him, but he didn't have the energy to do anything about it. "You don't look to good. Maybe I should lead you to the infirmary instead?"
Silva had no energy to argue and simply reached into his pocket and retrieved a 5 dollar bill. "Infirmary, I can find my way from there." He saw surprise flash on the bigger boy's face, which promptly disappeared. Probably because the quick response took away the satisfaction of bullying money away from him.
"Ah, okay... Follow me then." The boy led him to the second floor of the eastern building. The infirmary was located just to the left of the stairs. There were no students going up and down or through the corridors. Everyone was inside their classrooms.
"What's your name?" Silva asked to bridge the uncomfortable silence. "I'm Silva."
"People around here call me Tusk.... Here's the infirmary, pleasure doing business with you." Tusk disappears down the stairs, leaving Silva to knock on the infirmary door. He couldn't shake off the feeling that the boy Tusk felt familiar, but that would be impossible. He's never met such a person before.
He entered the infirmary. It was like a hospital room, with a beige curtain separating the nurse's desk from the beds. The nurse was doing some paperwork. She looked fairly young, with shoulder length auburn hair. The name on the desk was Natalie Stewart.
"Excuse me?" He knocked on the door to catch her attention.
Natalie raised her head and met his eyes. She gave him a smile, and when it wasn't returned, she knew he wasn't someone trying to skip class just to see her. "What can I help you with?"
"My body hurts, like I've been beat up," which wasn't far from the truth at all. "Maybe some painkillers?"
"Sure. Take a seat, I'll get you some." She pushed the paper away, secretly happy to be distracted from tedious writing. She took a second look at him and noticed that he wasn't wearing the uniform correctly. "Are you new here?"
"How did you know?"
"The level patch is supposed to be on your left shoulder, under the school insignia." She made the motion of attaching something to her left shoulder.
Silva nodded absent-mindedly and switched it from his right shoulder to his left. "I'm actually lost too."
"And late." She added as she opened the medicine cabinet and retrieved a few pills.
"Yes. And quite late. I'm supposed to be in Year 1 Class A, Physics course. Where's that?"
She handed him the pills and a bottle of water. "4th floor of the central building, second room from the right-most staircase." She checked his temperature using her hand. "You have a slight fever. You shouldn't have come to school today."
"I wouldn't have if Gab... My guardian didn't force me to." He gave her a meek smile and took the painkillers. "Thanks." He turned to leave.
"I mean it. Since you're new here, I'll give you a fair warning." Natalie turned back to her paperwork, but she spoke in a hushed, solemn time. "The school is a model academy that produces many great men and women, however come end of classes, things become very dangerous."
"What do you mean?"
"You'll see, even though I hope you won't." She tossed him something, and he caught it with his right hand.
In his hand was a USB drive with a strange marking on it. "What is this?"
"It's important you don't lose that. Your name is Silva Ain-Soph-Ur, right? Don't ask how I know." She gave him a smile. "Just get to your class and leave as soon as possible."
He wished he heeded her warning.