Chapter 3 - Of Agitations and Resolve

As she was expecting, the bell rang. All the Council members piled up their belongings, preparing to leave. They each bid their farewell and left.

Sarafina doesn't know how she can fulfill her proposal to the council, how is she going to find the new girl Ethan was talking about? They don't even know what she looked like, neither where the gamble took place during lunchtime.

"𝘐 𝘨𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘺 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘺 𝘨𝘪𝘳𝘭."

Whoever that is, she probably might've lost Selinofotè's hands by now. What a poor, unfortunate way to start your first day being an unverified student.

As the secretary continued to the hallway where her classroom is, she's driven off her thoughts by the sight of the Vice President, coming towards her way. She stopped and bowed, but the other just walked past her.

"𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘐 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘳𝘺?"

As the Vice President continued to walk ahead, she suddenly felt the need to call after her — and so she did.

"Vice President!" she runs a little bit faster as the latter walks of like the wind.

The masked girl stopped in her tracks and turned to face Sarafina's direction. There she was, staying put as ever, waiting for the secretary to catch up with her.

"Vice President, I think this belongs to you." There laying in her hand is a keychain with a snowflake-designed ring attached to it.

She found it lying on the Student Council's office floor just as she was about to leave earlier after the bell for the afternoon class rang. She figured it was the Vice President's because she often sees it hanging by the side of her skirt.

The masked girl stared at her palm for a brief moment before taking it back. She then bowed, as a sign of her gratitude towards Sarafina's act, and then immediately didn't hesitate to leave afterward.

The secretary just sighs, knowing there is no way a simple act as that will get the Vice President to talk. She then, waste no time and retreated to her classroom.

--

It's just as after class. The students of Evgenia Academy came rushing out of their classrooms, ready to go home and get some well-deserved rest. It's been another tiresome day, Not to mention it is only Monday, and there's still a lot to expect from the daily routines the school came to wear as a facade.

As expected from other students, they waste no time to witness another activity the school has in stored for them.

Monday Bloodbath. It is where two individual students registered for the fight of their lives, only to settle some scores or to prove who's better than the other, or to let some grudges out, for crying out loud. The rules are simple, you are to fight each other with the weapons issued by the school or with just bare hands. It has no time limits. No timeouts, no resting, no anything human-related advantages.

You are to fight to the bitter end like an animal. The winners are determined whether their opponent is no longer breathing, or not capable of fighting anymore.

Sarafina, as the secretary of the Student Council, has a weekly task to make sure the activity will take place, as neat as it should be. Her task is to collect the details of the activity from the assigned registrar. Every time she's entering the arena, she makes sure the participants and other audiences are still not in the vicinity; for she doesn't want to witness such ruckus.

As soon as she gets out of class, Sarafina didn't hesitate to question any students she came across about the new girl in question. Still, there's no luck.

"𝘚𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢 𝘸𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦. 𝘐 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘭 𝘸𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳." she defeatedly thinks.

She already missed half of the time the meeting has. She walks as fast as she could 'til the sight of the Student Council door came into her view.

She takes a little time to catch her breath. There's something strange from the way she breathes, it's as if something is waiting behind the door that will make her weak in the knees, and fall apart; it's just strange. She brushed the thought off, and let out a heavy breath for the last time.

Her nerves are still bothering her, but she chose to withstand the irksome feeling.

"𝘔𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦 𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘐'𝘮 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵.", she thinks, calming herself down.

"I apologize for my tardiness everyone." She entered without looking at the council before her. She immediately bowed her head and heavy breaths are still audible from her position.

She then heard a chuckle, a very familiar one. "My, my, It is about time that you join us Sarafina." The secretary felt chills running down her spine right after she heard that voice.

That voice, the one that she longed to hear for a whole day. She slowly lifts her head back up to came face to face with the owner of that frigid, yet sweet voice.

"𝘔𝘺 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵..."

She's now staring at the person who sits at the center of the room. It's the President of the Student Council, her President... Krisearra Aaravos.

"Well, Sarafina? I would like to proceed with the meeting, I couldn't start without my secretary beside me." She smirked. A smirk she'll never get tired of seeing plastered along with her perfect features.

She swallowed the lump that she didn't know was in her throat the moment she came face to face with the President. She nodded and made her way to stand at the right side of the President's seat.

Sarafina felt complete the moment she took her rightful place at the President's side.

"Is there anything important that I missed during the morning counseling?" The President asks a simple question, yet the entire council can still feel her superiority.

"Nothing serious of the sort, Madam President, it's our usual bunch of reports from our line of positions. Sarafina can fill you in with all of that later on." Claire gives the President her most lively smile, along with the popping sound that came after she spat her lollipop. The President nodded and chuckled.

"My darling Claire, you are lively as ever. I expect there's no trouble going on with your legislation?" She prospected. The youngest member of the council then gives her salute of affirmation to the President. "You can count on it Madam President." and she takes it away with a wink.

The President then chuckled once more. She then turned to Ethan, "How about our brilliant financial officer, Ethan are you well?" Ethan then cleared his throat and nodded.

"Very much so, Madam President. There is nothing to worry about the flow of finances as well, everything is under control and well supervised. I also submitted this month's financial status to Sarafina, in case you want to review it at any moment of your time." Ethan says while fixing his glasses up.

The President hummed, "Always inclusive as ever, Ethan. Well done." The next on her line of sight is the Head of the school's Public Relations.

"How was Hollywood, Yessenia?" The President humored. Yessenia simpered as if she's in front of a professional comedian.

"Oh Madam President, enough with the flattery. The school's reputation is still good as new as it was One-hundred and twenty-three years ago. Our specialties remain a secret that we might as well burn with our bodies forever." Yessenia bowed her head. The President clapped along with her counterfeited dramatical dialogue as if she was just being filmed for a movie.

"Impressive work, Yessenia." She then closed her fist and laid her face above it, with her arms resting on the armrest of her seat.

"Anything interesting to report about the Restoration Council, Maggie?" She continued with the forum.

Maggie then grin and shook her head. "Everything that you need to know is right inside the envelope I handed to Sarafina earlier."

The President smirked, "Very well, Maggie. You always save the best of suspense for me." It was Ariadne's turn. She's nervous as hell. This is the first time she sat with the President after her punishment. Her palms are both sweaty, and she's very well aware that the President is staring right at her.

"Welcome back, Ariadne." The President greeted. She has no choice but to meet the President's gaze.

"There is nothing to discuss with your legislation if I'm not mistaken. So tell me, are you quite alright?" It's the truth that the President also suspended her line of control in General affairs, as also one of her punishments when she lost the gamble against Madyzon Selinofotè.

"Y-yes, Madam President, I'm quite well. T-thank you for asking." she stammers.

She's still traumatized about the punishment she had to endure, and catching up with the person who caused it, only makes it difficult to conceal. Of course, the President is no fool, she can sense the latter's uneasiness, which only makes her satisfied and amused by the restoration she put her through.

"I assume that you are good as new to work on the council, Ariadne. I wouldn't want to have another tainted act dragging the council down. That goes without saying." Ariadne couldn't bear her hypocrisy, for she is the one always dragging the council down for her entertainment and satisfaction. But none of them are powerful enough to call her out on that.

"Understood, Madam President." She replied.

The President gave her a sly smile and divert her gaze to the only lovely pet that nurtures her eyes. Sarafina can feel those piercing eyes as if they are been penetrating right through her very soul. The President grabbed her hand that made her look back at her. The President starts to caress her fingers and played with them for a while, before reverting at her.

"Do you guys need some privacy? we can leave now. Just say the word, President." Claire giggled.

The President grinned, "Oh no, not quite yet, my darling Claire." she said, without removing her gaze from the secretary. "We all have to hear what Sarafina has to say, right?"

Claire sit right back to her seat and nodded with her silly, childish smile.

"Is there anything you'd like to share with the council today, Sarafina?" The President shows her intentness about Sarafina's concerns. The other Council members urged her to continue with what they've discussed, earlier that afternoon.