POV (FRANK ESOPHEN)
"Please leave me alone, I don't want to die here, at least not right after accomplishing my dream." I screamed out with a bleeding leg as a man came toward me with a knife in his left hand. In a deep and mysterious tone, he replied "Death… never forgives anyone, this is your end, you have to accept it." The world seemed to get distorted all of a sudden as the man tried to stab me. "Oh, it was a nightmare…" I said as I woke up in my bed. As a young child, I was scared to no end so this one dream left a huge scar on me.
NINE YEARS FORWARD
"Finally, after so many years, my dream is fulfilled!" I soliloquized and smiled brightly while flipping through the pages of my sketchbook sitting at the airport. I couldn't hold back the unwavering flow of sweet tears even in public as I saw an uncountable amount of sketches of elite schools.
I still questioned how a dumb and luckless person like me got the chance to go to an elite boarding school. I thought I was always that one person stuck in the nonsensical loop of "hope". Everyone, quite literally everyone, my parents, cousins, and all relatives called me a mentally ill person chasing after an unachievable goal. Turns out all this mindless hope didn't fail me. I loved to see their distorted faces when they heard about my application, I can say that I'm never going to them again but might supply some money out of sheer pity.
Time flew rapidly and soon I got up to the airplane with the oath of leaving this desolate country forever. I had quite a good amount of money and a full-on scholarship to provide for the school fees so I wasn't that worried either. Everything went surprisingly well and I got into my boarding school in Arcrown. It looked like quite an old dilapidated building with a vintage design but after all, this was an elite school so not many people get the chance to be here, and the ones that do are extremely talented. As I entered through the large and barred metal gates, the first thing that caught my eye was the enormous graveyard. "Are the students buried here?" I thought as I headed towards the main gate.
As I set foot into the halls, my pupils widened out of curiosity. It was as if I shifted to another dimension, the environment was so jolly and all the antique designs were so majestic. I was mesmerized by the beauty and neatness of the halls. Moreover, there were a number of glamorous paintings most likely drawn by the art genius' that managed to come here. Classes didn't start yet so I walked around exploring the place a bit more, small secrets about the area were being unveiled every second. The previous students, however, seemed quite busy with their work. I was astonished as to how no one batted me an eye despite the fact that I was completely new blood here, their focus was honestly admirable.
Suddenly, I felt a soothing and warm touch on my shoulder. I looked back and the person began "Hey, are you new this year?" As a socially anxious person, I was quite baffled but replied "Yeah, good to meet you, I'm Frank, are you new too?". Laughing slightly, he said, "No, I have been here for quite a while now, I'm Seith, good to meet you too." He seemed like a friendly person but as a person with trust issues, I barely trusted him. Even so, I went around the halls with him. For some reason, as soon as I started staying with him, people began to give me a weird eye, everyone was staring with a look of pensiveness. However that didn't matter, Seith was an interesting person, I wanted to research more about him.
"Did you get to know the halls better? We could explore the area outside as well then." Seith suddenly halted and asked. By this time, he had already become a pretty good friend so I agreed. As he tried to check the time, I noticed that his watch was in his right hand, I asked curiously
"Are you left-handed?"
"Wow you're quite observant, and yes I am left-handed"
He seemed like a really unique and mysterious person but as a psychology student, it only further interested me so I followed him out of the halls into the woods. We kept walking in, Seith seemed determined to go somewhere, however, from my perspective, we were just pushing through the neverending green so I was a little frightened.
"Hey Seith… where are we going?" I couldn't hold back anymore. In a gloomy tone, he replied "Just follow me, we're going to one of the elders whom you need to get introduced to as a newcomer." I knew fear had overwhelmed me but still, I tried my best to stay as calm as possible. I could only hear the ominous sounds of the wind swaying the leaves and occasional howls. Everything was also foggy and hazy and so left a dark shade upon us, there was almost little to no light here.
"Sei-"
"Can you shut up for once, I'm trying to find the way here!"
Hearing him, I was seriously shocked, it was not that I felt that he was being rude but because something felt similar, it was like I heard this voice before, somewhere, I wondered if I knew him from before or lost my memory.
After a while, the seemingly neverending path finally reached its end at a small hut. I entered the hut and saw an old man sitting, looking out the window. Without looking back, he said "Fresh blood eh? I like yer smell.". Shivers went down my spine, and I stood still since I didn't know how to respond. My senses tingled and I thought "Leave this place", I couldn't fight my fear anymore and tried to open the door. When I realized the door was locked, I was horrified to no end and I shouted "Seith!!"
"The Seith you saw doesn't exist, you're a worthy sacrifice, truly admirable and brilliant." I heard the old man. I looked back and my heart went completely cold as I saw that the old man's facial features were the same as Seith's. "All this time, you were talking to a soul, my soul, it sought you out as it found you interesting." He continued "People with psychosis like you are always welcome to be taken in."
I still hadn't lost my will to survive, I broke the dilapidated door with a tough kick and ran out but tripped as the old man threw a knife at my leg. I was stuck there, crawling like a worm to escape. That is when this memory of mine rekindled, a horrific memory, that one nightmare nine years ago.
"Deja vu." I thought in my mind.
Seith was coming toward me with a knife in his left hand. He said… just like in the nightmare… "Death never forgives anyone, this is your end"
I didn't even have the will to protest anymore. Seith had raised his knife with the clear intention to end my life. I could feel the knife impale my rigid flesh slowly and splatter blood around. "This is the end, huh." I thought as the world around me began to gradually darken due to the constant loss of blood. Just before I lost consciousness, I heard a loud noise.