"Fascinating..." Headmaster Verkel quirked his brow, a sly smile curving the ends of his lips as his eyes twinkled in amusement. Never once he had heard of an irony in his life. "So, you're saying, this letherian girl managed to bring high-level monsters in somewhere part of Enol Forest."
"A kuhra, sir." Then he quickly added, "and other dark beasts."
He dismissed the man's statement with a flick of his wrist. "In a remote area?"
"Yes, sir."
"The casualties are? A house of a middle-aged woman?" He had his fingers under his chin and while the other was holding the files they manage to acquire from the headquarters. "Where was she when this happened? Does she live alone?"
"Our report shows that a burial was made near the house, sir. It seems that the woman died recently. We asked a few villagers nearby and according to them that the last time they saw her was a day ago at the marketplace and no one had made contact with her nor do they know her burial."
"Did you touch the burial?"
"No, sir."
He hummed. "What was the state of house?"
"In shambles, sir. But we investigated further and the house was looks cleaned and recently used. However, we found other items and it shows that the woman might not be living alone. There are two bedrooms in the house and both seems to be frequently used. One is what is presumed to be the woman's bedroom and the other has clothes in sizes smaller, we presume a teenager, sir. But the villagers don't know any child living with her."
"And?"
"We couldn't find the body, sir."
He stood up from his chair with a hum. "Did you touch anything else inside the house?"
"We haven't yet, sir."
"Good. Keep it that way." He smiled and waved the man off.
"But sir! The investigation isn't done yet and the girl—!"
He turned around sharply, facing the officer with a wide smile. His tangerine eyes flashed with excitement as he held the other's eyes. "Is fine," he cuts him off.
The officer knitted his eyebrows and confusion swept his face. "Sir, what are you talking about? The girl may be still alive and she might know what actually happened!"
"I wouldn't worry about the girl." He waved his hands dismissively at him and started walking off, his smile never ceasing. "Call off the search. We've got bigger things in our hands."
The officer turned his head to the side, confused. Out of all the higher-ups, he was the weirdest one out of the bunch but if there was one thing that made him shut up and do as he was told was this man means business. No one should stand in his way they said, or else…that is one sure thing he could recall as he eyed the man's back, who was whistling a happy tune, as they made their way in the white halls.
~~
Blinding lights and the white ceiling were what first greeted Adeleine as soon as she managed to wake herself from unconsciousness.
Her head throbbed as she rose to a sitting position and pinch the bridge of her nose to ease the pain. She turned her head side-to-side in utter confusion at the unfamiliar environment. White walls, white floor, all white.
'Good. You're awake.' Moon breathed out a sigh of relief. It was followed after a sharp ringing in her ear that made Adeleine wince.
The bed supporting her was elevated just below her hips and connected by the wall that acts as its only support. The sheets were white as well as the blanket. If there was one thing that caught her interest was the wall in front of her.
Without bearing much thought, she walked over to it and lifted her hand as the tips of her fingers touched the smooth texture of the clear glass.
"It's thick," she thought. About a size-of-her-fist thick.
'You were really knock-out cold a while ago. I couldn't even see you in the dream circle.'
"Huh? Really?" she asked absentmindedly.
The other side of the room was white, as in plain white as far as the eye can see, no furniture, no decorations, no chairs, only the walls, ceiling, floor that are painted white. If it weren't for the visible shadows lining the corners of the room, she would have thought she was in a never-ending void of blankness. It was just like their dream circle.
She shook her head trying clear the haziness of her still clouded brain.
"Just where the heck am I?" she muttered.
'I'm not quite sure myself. When you passed out, everything just went suddenly black, like it feels like I passed out as well but still awake.' Moon explained. 'But it was a weird feeling, it just feels…alone.'
"Aw, you missed me that much?" she giggled at her mockingly.
'Shut that arrogant trap of yours. No.'
"Ha." She grinned triumphantly. One by one, flashes of memory resurfaced that had her falling back on the bed in shock and disbelief. "What on Arvistia is going on?" she mumbled as she stared up at the bright ceiling with knitted brows. She shook her head again in utter confusion and again, disbelief. The only thing she could conclude was that she was kidnapped, as it was the only possible following scenario after she blacked-out.
'There's no time for you to feel this way. You need to be alert. Stay focus, fool.' Moon reprimanded.
"Fascinating, indeed."
The new voice had her jolt up her bed and come to an eye-contact with a middle-aged man. His striking bright tangerine eyes stared at her in wonder and fascination. A grin broke his face and his fingers lightly tapped his chin. He wore a plain v-neck t-shirt with a pair of black pants held tight by a red sash tied around his hips.
He looks ordinary, however, the merriment that danced within his eyes unsettled the girl. It wasn't psychotic, nor it holds any ill intentions, but it wasn't genuine either. Whatever it was, she just had a bad feeling.
'It never did look good from the start anyway.'
"Bring her out."
"But sir—!" a person with him exclaimed in protest but paused, fully knowing he had no choice but to comply. The person reluctantly waved his hand with a sigh and two men dressed in a similar attire entered the room and into where the girl was currently locked in.
Just somewhere on the left side wall where it was completely white, was a door, blending in with the color of the wall that she failed to notice, opened. It groaned at the shift of heavy weight and two guards entered as Adeleine's heart wildly pounded against her chest, eyeing both man with a curious but cautious gaze.
They haven't harmed her…yet.
They pulled out capsule from a bottle behind their back and prompted to put it forcibly into her mouth. However, they stopped when the man raised his hand and said, "No need. Bring her out that way."
The person beside him had a terrified expression. "But s-sir!" his voice squeaked. But of course he can't defy him.
Adeleine cocked her head to the side. She thought that he must be powerful or an authoritative person.
Her wandering mind was pulled back to the surface when two large hands grabbed her arms and pulled her upright from the bed. She winced from the heavy pressure on her poor little stick bones.
"Now, gentlemen," he addressed the them with a charming smile, "That is not how you treat a lady."
The two beside her grunted. They released Adeleine immediately much to her relief as she rubbed both of her arms in an attempt to soothe the red marks that appeared on her skin.
The man motioned his head to follow her as he started walking away in an empty white hallway. It wasn't too long before she was being pushed by the two men beside her to someplace, she wasn't quite sure where. Everything from her line of sight was just pure white.
She was able to get around just fine with the help of the three. If it wasn't for them, she would have face-planted against the wall sooner or later if she tried to walk in the halls all on her own.
It was confusing, not to mention bizarre. Like it was meant for unknowing people to be able to not escape, even adding the twist and turns like a labyrinth that made it even harder to navigate.
It all soon ended once they hit to a stop. The man in front of her was waiting for something to happen, and it did. The wall that seemed to be only a wall for Adeleine opened. The bright light of the orange with the green and blue hues of the nature greeted her, bathed in the glory of sunlight.
The aroma of fresh wild grass wafted through her nostrils and a strong breeze rustled the leaves dancing in mid-air. The tranquility eased the agitation brewing inside her like a sweet lullaby. The shadows of the clouds left in its wake glided along the green plain as they were being pushed by the wind and the afternoon sunlight was soft color of orange that sets the whole mood.
The feeling was cut short when they hardly nudge her to keep walking. And so she did.
Two horses trotted near pulling a carriage that only was surrounded by thick metal bars—a prison transport of some sort.
The man turned a one-hundred-and-eighty and smiled at her while placing a hand on the carriage as if showcasing it. "You'll stay here for the mean time until we made it to the academy grounds."
Adeleine eyed the not-so-comfortable looking carriage and internally winced from the fact that it would be a long journey and she has to sit her bottom inside on the hard metal floor until her butt would ache sore. She was pushed again, this time inside the prison bars. The doors creaked and was slammed shut once they secured her inside.
"Ready for transport, sir!" a skinny fellow gave a salute enthusiastically at the man. He looks shorter compared to the towering heights of the two-buffed guards. A cheery lad, freckles dusted his cheeks and his gray eyes shone with bright positivity. It turned dull when it met the girl's blue ones. She registered fear and uneasiness as he turned away, avoiding eye contact.
"As expected." She should better get used to it now, she reminded herself. She could feel Moon's presence inside her mind but the woman chose not to say anything. But it felt comforting knowing she's there somehow.
The man patted the boy on the shoulders. "Good job, lad."
He stiffened at the praise and awkwardly bowed, flustered. "Thank you, sir!"
The man was handed with the reign of third horse that was brought separately and swiftly mounted the saddle like it was practiced a million times. The two guards soon followed his movement, climbing on the driver's seat with the reign of two horses in their holds that was pulling the carriage—cage. And without a second to waste, the vehicle lurched forward.
Adeleine momentarily lost her balance at the sudden movement and face-planted on the floor which she certainly hoped that wasn't dirty. It started to rattle when they started treading on the rocky path that made her curse.
"Great." She muttered with annoyance as the metal creaked. "It's worse than uncomfortable now."
Woods passed by Adeleine's eyes for hours now and she couldn't keep count of how many times the cage suddenly bumping to pebbles on the pathway causing her to hit her head on the bars. She let out a long groan.
She can't really do much in this small space. Her hands were restrained by a thick rope behind her back and all she could do was watch the trees go by or sleep, but with her uncomfortable position right now, it would be difficult. Her bum bounced up and down, hitting the metal floor a couple of times, rattling her bones.
It also had been silent except for the clip-clop of hooves on the dirt as they made their way through. Her lids fluttered close and darkness once again engulfed her. When she opened her eyes, she found herself sprawled on cold ground and surrounded by a white blank of void. Across her was Moon's figure resting in an Indian-seat.
It first unnerved her how much they look so identical, as if twins. Everything down to little features, she even had to check if she this specific mole on her butt cheeks to which Moon smacked the girl with a teary-eyed red face.
"You are finally here." Moon said.
"Is that how you really look? It's like you're my lost twin or something."
Moon raised her brows. "You have been staring at this face for years and yet you still question that."
"It still looks weird, you know!" Adeleine sat up, stretching her limbs. "Besides, do spirits like you even have human forms?"
"I don't know." Moon's purplish eyes stared back at her. Ah right, the only one thing different about them is the eye color. Adeleine remember changing them so it wouldn't look as creepy as if talking to herself in the mirror.
"Jeez, you woke up without remembering a thing. What a great spirit you are," she sarcastically commented, rolling her eyes.
"Enough about that. I want to know what is happening out there." Moon huddled closer and was eager to listen.
"I don't even know where to start." Adeleine let out a sigh. "It's like, it all just happened at once, so fast, these things, I couldn't even keep up."
"Well start with where you are right now."
Adeleine hummed, looking up and stroking her chin, while Moon stared at her with deadpanned eyes, irked. "I'm in a cage transport. Wait let me show you." The exact same object materialized beside them, the same size, the same details, the same thing keeping her locked in. Moon stood up and circled around inspecting it.
"They're taking me somewhere. I heard it was an academy or something, a learning facility. Do you think it's that school? That famous school for people with spirit beasts." Adeleine shot up, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
Moon shrugged. "Don't keep your hopes up. You're in a cage after all and you have black hair. Why would they let their enemy inside their base?"
"Jeez, Moon, a girl could dream. You always turn up and crush it every chance you get." She gave her an annoyed look.
"I'm being pragmatic here." Moon countered. "Don't think I didn't notice the numerous times you felt endangered. What was the recent one?"
"Oh I think there's this thing I was supposed to eat I think…but I don't want to." Both her and Moon gave each other glances and she looked away, rubbing both her arms.
It was a couple of hours that pass by, she was in the state of drowsiness with half-lidded eyes, an empty stare, and with body slumped, back leaning on the metal bars. However, her soul leaped when her head hit the hard pole and her eyes shot wide open, her consciousness was dragged back to reality.
At this moment, the vehicle stopped, much to Adeleine's confusion. About a dozen of footstep were tapping on the coarse roadway and in her half-awake state, it took a while for her to make sense of what is currently happening to her surroundings. Her eyes traced up the humongous thick wall towering above them then to the armored guards with swords raised and in a defensive stance, there were archers above the wall as well, pointing their arrows readily at the carriage.
'Are you alright? You suddenly disappeared.' Moon's presence finally came and joined her.
Adeleine didn't reply and instead tried to assess their situation. She turned to the man in the lead, wearing a brown hooded cloak then to the armed men surrounding them.
"State your business." One of them, the head guard, shouted.
"Hello there, lad! Mind if we pass through?" The man held an enthusiastic voice despite their current disadvantaged position and somehow an unnatural deeper voice.
"This is a prohibited area! Unauthorized personnel are not allowed to enter. Show us your identification cards and we may let you through."
"Hehe." He scratched his head with an awkward laugh. "I forgot my identification card inside."
Upon hearing this, what seems to be the leader of the men stepped forward with a glare. "Don't give me that crap. Clearly, you're not from here. Turn around this carriage now and leave before we'll force you out."
"Believe me, lads. We're from here." A smirk snuck on his lips under the hood's shadow. He raised his two hands up in surrender, showing them he meant no harm.
"Leave at once!"
There was a moment of silence and chill rising tension. His shoulders visibly shook and at this moment, Adeleine assumed that he snapped. Her face held bewilderment due to it what the opposite of her expectations when thick, loud laughter echoed as he threw his head back, the hood shadowing his face fell, revealing his identity.
It was hard to say that the tension was relieved with his hearty laugh since it went heavier. It is what Adeleine noticed when various reaction in the arm-guards' faces contained somewhere between shocked, wary, and confusion.
His action was completely out of place that made the guards conclude that he was out of his mind. Well, that was what Adeleine had in mind again. She too, would think him as crazy when he laughed at the position he's in.
"Crazy man, turn around and no harm will be done!" the other did not falter his stance despite the confusion, moreover, this what made him all the more guarded.
"This can't be helped." He swallowed an amused smile creeping up his lips. "Do you not recognize the man standing in front of you?"
This statement had them puzzled as they look at one another in search for answers. The man in front remained unfazed and signaled the men to stand in guard.
At the order, the crazy man chuckled.
"Imbeciles," he sneered as he looks at them with a spark in his eyes. A gleam that made Adeleine shudder, a cold wisp of air brush her cheeks and she wiped her clammy hands on her smeared clothes. "You dare to mock the oath of allegiance under in Astrea's name."
The mere mention of the oath was enough to bring some of the guards down to their feet as they made some sense in the situation.
"Headmaster Verkel." They chanted with their right fists on their left chest with vigor.
Faces of confusion was swept away, replaced by the look of realization and others soon followed, chanting the same name. This time, Adeleine was the one in confusion, as if she wasn't already a while ago. She was confused as heck since the start.
"Headmaster Verkel."
The man in the cloak hummed as his bright orange orbs scoured the heads of the guards, who was once standing now with their faces down. It landed on a specific figure after. It was the person who tried to turn them away—the leader. His hands were held into a fist and was slightly trembling on his side as a sweat trickled down his forehead, trying his hard not to show any signs of anxiety but clearly failing. This made the headmaster laugh inwardly. He can recognize that the guard was the newly assigned head of the gate-guards, since he was the one who made him so, but these fellows don't know the face who they pledge an oath to. Maybe he should change the policies once again. Ah, what a bother, he thought.
But before that, maybe he could mess with them a bit. He was curious on what type of person this newly-appointed head was.
"You, there," he called out.
The people raised their heads, in the thought that they were being called. But later realized that the headmaster's gaze was pointed to their leader instead in their relief except for the leader himself, who swallowed and met the man's eye uncomfortably.
"Step forward."
The man did what he was told and took a step in front with his chin held high and his spine straight.
"Draw your sword."
This draw anticipation on the onlookers, curious yet their hearts beating wildly of how things will turn out. Their eyes followed his movement as he bares the sharp blade before them. They had anticipated the worst thing to come was that red liquid will spew the soil they were currently standing on but hoped in astrea's name that things won't end up badly as they thought.
"What punishment shall I give?" the headmaster looked up in thought with a smirk plastered on his lips. The guards glanced at each other in trepidation.
"Ah," he beamed, "why don't you punish yourself instead?"
"Pardon, sir?" the man looked up to him with knitted brows in confusion.
"Punish yourself." He gave him a smile.
"But sir," he trailed off softly like treading on thin ice, "what kind of punishment..."
He snorted and waved his hand dismissively. "Well, why don't you think yourself."
His response made the head-guard paled. He was certain that he has been told to take his life even without any direct verbal order. But if that is what the man, he pledged the oath to, says; then he will abide.
"Yes, sir," he solemnly said. He knelt down and held his sword up to his neck without any second thoughts.
The headmaster hummed in apprehension as he watched the man proceed to do what he was told, but it made him frown that he wasn't putting up much of a fight, although he didn't show his discontent outwardly.
"Stop." He raised his hand, unsatisfied. "Raise your head."
The guard followed the headmaster's every order so far, but how far was the limit, was his question.
"You see this cage here." He jerked his thumb at the girl.
All attention now was focused to Adeleine, who shifted uncomfortably under the numerous eyes watching. Her heart thudded and her brows twitched as she waited the next lines of the crazy man, which she assumed, up to no good.
"Execute her."
Adeleine's eyes shot wide open as her jaw hang in disbelief. The crowd erupted into gasps and murmurs, pointing out the girl's black hair, now that she was addressed to the crowd.
"How did she get inside? I thought the borders were strict."
"It is. Maybe, she was sent here as a spy."
"Hah! Do they think we were that stupid?"
There were series of questions and opinions being thrown here and there regarding on who the girl might be and what is her business in Adhelis; surely up to no good, they thought.
Adeleine, with shock and dread, sprang up from her seat. The metal chains tied to her hands clink loudly at her sudden motion, adding to her discomfort at the restriction of her movement. She shook her head vigorously as her legs trembled, fear shaking up her entire body and her breath hitched to her throat like a ball painfully stuck inside.
She was staring at her death with wide eyes, silently hoping that when the next she opens them, she would be greeted by the worn dark oak planks of the ceiling back at her home. Sadly, that wasn't the case no matter how many times she kept her eyes blinking, this nightmare was engulfing her bit by bit and it's making her lose her mind.
'Child, what in this forsaken land is happening? Can't you get yourself out?' Hearing no replies, Moon knew something was up. 'Pulepe! Thou shall giveth me answers!'
"Shut up, Moon. For once, just shut up for a minute. I'm trying to understand what's happening too. And right now, you're not damn helping!" She hissed at her. Right now, what she needs is to focus. She can here Moon's raging protests so she closed her eyes and shut her down, building a wall around her mind.
Unwavering caramel brown eyes stared down at her, a noble air for a man in a silver knight armor. He confronted her with a stoned look while she was busy trying to keep her marbles together. She looked up and met his mirroring the same intensity but with great resentment.
Of course, what does she expect. She was nothing more than a pest, a black-haired woman—an enemy to Adhelis. It had always been this way.
"You or her?" Headmaster Verkel asked like it was an offer rather than a threat. The side of his lips turned up as the man made no sound and the two knights with him opened the carriage for the approaching head-guard.
Who in the right mind would chose over their life for a mere letherian to live? The thought of made the headmaster smile with his right assumptions.
The girl turned her gaze towards his figure with a fire burning in its depths. He was the cause of how things turned out like this. She mentally cursed him with pure hatred. Yes, she thought. It was none other than the bastard's fault.
She locked eyes with the headmaster and her gaze hardened, forgetting the man behind who was after her life but aware that with every second counts is her falling to her impending execution. With gritted teeth, she clenched her fists and mustered up to gather her voice to what she was about to say. Her voice slightly trembled, but that didn't discourage her from what she was doing, rather, she even raised her voice to show her will. Showing him that she's not going to let herself rot.
"I will help you with anything!" It may sound like a desperate cry, but Adeleine's willing to bargain with the monster. "I'll tell you information!" —even though she doesn't know anything.
That's what they want right? Information is valuable. Hence, she cannot be disposed so easily like this.
Everyone stood still. It goes the same for the headmaster, but compared to the others' reaction, it's quite faint. He had his fingers under his chin and his smile gone, assessing the situation carefully, however, it was replaced by another smile as soon as they were able to notice it.
The slight downturn of his lips was caught by Adeleine despite being it so fast. She hoped that he bit what she offered, it was a risky move, since she hasn't really any important information nor she is a spy. But if he does, she'll find a way to escape before they'll know she's bluffing.
"Oh?" The tone of his voice held mockery that made her gulped the knot in her throat; it was deep, unlike the unnatural forced voice he had a while ago, and daunting. He, then, guffawed. "What's this? Are you that desperate?"
She hates to admit it. It was hard to swallow her pride, but her fear of death is stronger and she doesn't want to risk it. She can't believe she would have to resort to licking his shoes.
"Did you think we're some fools?" His lips formed into a sadistic smile accompanied by a cold glint in his bright orbs as he scoffed. "We have no space for traitors here."
Her legs buckled and she collapsed on her knees. They didn't believe her lies. What happens now? Will she be executed? She reached up to her arm, rubbing them, trying to give herself comfort. Maybe, maybe she's just dreaming…
She pinched herself. No, she wasn't.
Moon…she's right. She suddenly found it hard to breathe.
Her fingers lightly brushed against the scar on her skin subconsciously. She can't fathom what sort of things they'll do to her. She can't even finish that one book filled with torture devices used throughout history, let alone get pass fifth page.
She's weak against pain.
Adeleine hung her head low, eyes gazing far, wide in pure shock and fear. Her head tangled in haywire as her fingers gripped her hair out of desperation and disbelief.
"Stop fooling around and open up the gates," he ordered. People started to move, all of his previous commands were dropped and the head-guard look up to only be patted on the shoulders by the headmaster. "Keep up the good work."
He turned to the carriage where Adeleine was kneeling on the cold metal floor like a broken doll, dead eyes staring off into the distance, silent and unmoving. It seems she knows what awaits her. Even if she managed to escape demise here, she surely won't be once they pass this gate.
With the flick of the reigns, the carriage once again lurched forward, passing the large gates and pass the towering wall as the letherian girl awaits her fate.