Sam, Diana and Ellie entered the classroom, with Ellie displaying a discouraged look, reflecting her growing frustration. I, Dean, watched everything from my usual corner, unable to hide an ironic smile. "Damn, Blake had to be by my side, right?" I thought, as my attention alternated between the drama that unfolded and the landscape outside.
Blake, sitting next to me, kept an indifferent expression, as if he was completely uninterested in the world around him. Even Ellie's arrival, which usually caused some reaction in him, now seemed not to affect him. He simply looked ahead, with an almost disturbing calm.
"Good morning—" Ellie began, addressing teacher Lizy, but her voice died in the air as soon as her green eyes caught Blake's figure. Her mouth opened in shock, unable to process the scene before her.
"Good morning, teacher Lizy, we—" Sam also interrupted his greeting, surprised by Blake's unexpected presence. His face, normally composed, now showed a mix of surprise and confusion.
Diana, on the other hand, watched the scene silently. Her expression was that of someone who calculated every detail, but kept her emotions carefully hidden. She looked from Blake to Ellie and Sam, her keen gaze trying to decipher the thoughts and feelings behind that exchange of glances.
Meanwhile, I, Dean, watched the unfolding of the events with a mix of amusement and curiosity. "This is definitely going to be interesting," I thought, almost regretting not having brought popcorn to watch the show.
The silence that hung over the room was almost tangible, interrupted only by the murmurs and whispers of the other students, who had also noticed the change in Blake's behavior. Some cast furtive glances in our direction, speculating about what had caused such a change in the once attentive Blake.
"Come on, Ellie, say something," I mentally encouraged, eager to see how she would deal with Blake's new attitude. "This is the moment of drama you were waiting for, isn't it?"
Ellie, still shocked, finally found her voice. "Blake, are you… okay?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly, betrayed by the concern she tried to hide.
Blake, however, did not bother to answer. He continued to stare straight ahead, as if Ellie was not even there. His indifference was so palpable that even I began to feel a little sorry for her.
The room was in a tense silence as Ellie, with her red hair in flames of emotion, approached Blake. Her green eyes reflected a mix of concern and confusion. "Blake, are you okay? I was so worried," she began, her voice shaky.
Blake, however, did not move. He continued to look ahead, completely indifferent to her presence. It was as if Ellie did not exist in his world. His cold and distant expression was a clear message: he did not want any interaction.
Ellie hesitated, Blake's silent rejection hitting her like a punch in the stomach. She turned slowly, the confusion and pain clearly visible on her face. "Blake, please, talk to me. What happened?" she insisted, her voice almost a whisper.
But Blake remained motionless, as if he were a statue, his gaze fixed on nothing. His indifference was palpable, an invisible wall that he had built around himself.
Sam and Diana, who watched the scene, exchanged worried glances. They knew that something significant had changed in Blake, but they had no idea what it could be.
I, Dean, watched everything with a mix of amusement and curiosity. "Well, this is a new kind of drama," I thought, an ironic smile on my lips. Blake had transformed, and I was curious to see how far this would go.
In the midst of the confusion that dominated the room, the voice of teacher Lizy, imbued with an almost studied indifference, cut the air like a sharp knife. "We can solve the drama later. Now, sit down, we have serious matters to discuss." Her expression was that of someone who had seen this kind of scene countless times and was tired of it.
Sam, trying to offer some comfort to Ellie, placed his hand on her shoulder. But Ellie, in a petty gesture and perhaps driven by a whirlwind of emotions, shrugged and moved away, her frustration clearly visible. Sam let out a tired sigh, "More headache…", he muttered, following Ellie to their seats. Diana followed them, her serene face hiding, perhaps, a storm of thoughts of her own.
Ellie sat down, biting her lip, lost in thought. She couldn't understand Blake's sudden change. "Why is he acting like this? He never treated me like that." A flood of questions invaded her mind. "Is it because of Sam? Is he jealous or something?" She struggled to find an explanation, but nothing seemed to make sense.
Lizy's calm, but sincere voice interrupted Ellie's daydreams. "I apologize for the recent events in the dungeon. That should never have happened under my supervision." There was a weight in the teacher's words, a recognition of the seriousness of the situation and a guilt that seemed to press her. "I was appointed teacher to guide and protect you, to help you become the best versions of yourselves. And I failed in that task."
I, watched everything in my corner. Even though the scene had a dramatic touch, a part of me couldn't connect completely with the emotion of the moment. "Should I feel more about this?" The idea occurred to me suddenly. I always saw myself as an observer, a writer distant from the reality he described. But now, seeing the pain and confusion around me, a new feeling began to sprout within me. "Is this empathy?", It's funny to feel this… Especially because, I could have prevented everything from the beginning, revealing in advance who the demon was.
The voice of teacher Lizy cut through my thoughts. "I'm going to give you a paper and I want you to fill it out based on your own opinions," she announced, taking a stack of forms from her drawer. As she spoke, there was a tone of seriousness in her voice that was uncommon. "Before we take a step forward, we need to see what we weren't seeing, both me and the academy… We will carry the burden of having taken two precious lives by incompetence. It's not a stain on the academy, but a reminder that this should never happen again."
She began to distribute the forms. The room was silent, everyone absorbing the weight of her words. "This Saturday, there will be the Pentagon Festival," Lizy continued. "I know you haven't had much training, but I hope you do your best." She handed me a form and, as she approached Blake, she hesitated a little. "Do you need help with—" she began, but was cut off by a cold response from Blake. "No."
She shrugged and continued the distribution of the forms. "The representatives of the main guilds of the world will be present on Saturday. If you get a good highlight, it's safe to say that your futures will be prosperous."
I looked at the form in front of me. The questions were typical, but the atmosphere in the room had changed. "Let's put a standard answer, something harmless," I thought, starting to fill out. "And what bothers me? Hmm, maybe more lunch time? Or classes starting later would be good too." I smiled, finding humor in my own suggestions.
My gaze shifted to Blake, who filled out his form with one hand, his indifferent expression revealing nothing of the turmoil that might be happening inside him. "He really doesn't care, does he?" I thought, a mix of admiration and curiosity arising in me. The change in Blake was something that, even I, as an author, had not anticipated. He was becoming an enigma, even to me.
My gaze then wandered around the room, briefly landing on Ellie, Sam and Diana. They seemed immersed in their own concerns, and Ellie, in particular, seemed to be struggling to understand Blake's behavior. "Poor Ellie, she seems to have lost her ground with this new version of Blake," I reflected, finding the situation curiously interesting.
The announcement about the festival and the presence of the main guilds of the world made a shiver of expectation run through the room. "The Pentagon Festival, huh? This will be interesting." I knew that, regardless of participating or not, that would be a spectacle to be observed. The possibility of a prosperous future for those who stood out was a bait that many would not be able to ignore.
Turning my attention to the form in front of me, I let the pen slide over the sheet, my answers reflecting my relaxed and ironic mood. "If only they knew who is filling this out…" I thought, a smile playing on my lips.
As my eyes scanned the campus through the window, the intense light of the blue sky bathed the trees and green fields with a vividness that was almost touching. Silent reflections took shape in my mind: "In the end, this academy is nothing but an additional stage in the grand theater of fate, which I happened to write. But… I have to admit."
The sun danced over the leaves, creating a play of light and shadow that seemed to dance to the rhythm of an unknown world. "There is something undeniably captivating here." A gentle breeze stirred the curtains, bringing with it the distant aroma of cut grass and a feeling of anticipated nostalgia.
---
After everyone filled out the forms, teacher Lizy collected everything and announced: "You are dismissed for this morning. We will be back in the afternoon." I let out an internal sigh. Sleeping in would have been a much more pleasant option.
As Lizy gave a final look at the class, I, with my usual expression of indifference, stayed contemplating the landscape outside, ignoring her presence. The trees on the campus swayed in the wind, creating a peaceful contrast with the tense atmosphere in the room.
As soon as she said "You are dismissed", the students began to move. I, living up to my role as an extra, got up and followed the flow towards the exit. Ellie got up quickly, her eyes following Blake, but he, with an indifference that bordered on contempt, walked out without even looking back.
I could see the frustration and confusion in Ellie, as she tried to reach him, but it was useless; Blake was determined to keep his distance. The tension between them was almost palpable.
As I waited patiently in line to leave, I felt someone approach. "Good morning, Dean," a familiar voice sounded by my side. I turned to find Sam, with a serious and worried expression.
"Can we talk alone?" he asked, looking directly into my eyes. I could feel the urgency in his voice, something was clearly bothering him.
"Sure, Sam. About what?" I replied, trying to look uninterested, although my curiosity was on the edge.
He leaned closer and whispered, "Are there other demons in the academy?"
That question caught me off guard. "Let's find a more secluded place to talk about this," I suggested, wanting to avoid curious ears.
As we moved away, the confusion in the classroom turned into a distant murmur. "So, about the demons…" Sam began, but I interrupted him with a gesture, indicating that we should find a more secluded place for this conversation.
As we moved away from the room, I couldn't help but smile ironically at Sam's genuine concern. "Infiltrated demons, huh? And you think I would have that information on a platter?" I said, keeping my sarcastic tone.
As Sam stared at me with a look that tried to be penetrating, I raised an eyebrow and shrugged, scorning the seriousness he imposed. "You know, Sam, this academy is like a box of second-hand chocolates - you never know what you're going to find. Maybe a filling of monsters disguised as model students?"
The irritation on his face was evident, but I could barely contain myself. "Dean, this is serious. This is not the time for jokes." Ah, the youthful naivety.
I couldn't help a crooked smile. "Sam, my dear, if I don't laugh at the irony of our little world of cloak and sword, what's left for me? Cry on the dean's shoulder?" A blink of an eye and I continued, "Besides, seriously? In an academy where 'studying' involves fighting things that want to kill us, what else is serious?"
Sam, clearly exasperated by my casual attitude, stared at me with an intense look. "You know, Dean, when innocent people are dying, that's serious. We're not here just to play the game of 'who's the scariest monster'. We're here to make a difference, to save lives. So, if you know anything about these infiltrated demons, it's our duty as future heroes to act."
I couldn't help but let out a sarcastic laugh. "Oh, Sam, always the paladin of justice, huh? Very noble of you." But, as I spoke, my gaze was lost on the horizon. Deep down, I knew there was truth in his words, but revealing everything would be like unraveling the end of a book before reaching the last page.
Walking to a more secluded corner of the courtyard, I paused before facing Sam with a neutral look. "I'll tell you a secret, Sam," I began, lowering my voice to a more serious tone. "In this chess of shadows and mysteries, it's not always clear who are the pawns and who are the kings. And, sometimes, some secrets are better kept on the board."
Sam pressed his lips, a mix of determination and frustration on his face. "But what if we ignore these secrets and more innocents pay the price? Doesn't that make us responsible too?" He had a point, but revealing what I knew could completely change the course of the game that I carefully orchestrated.
With a slight shrug and a cold look, I faced Sam as I answered. "You know, survival is an individual game. It's not my fault if someone can't protect themselves."
Sam stared at me, his frustration evident in the way his fists clenched involuntarily. "People died, Dean! If we had been warned about the demons, we could have avoided these tragedies."
I tilted my head to the side, my gaze still impassive. "And you're going to force me to reveal what I know?" I questioned, challenging him.
He looked at me intently, his red eyes burning with a fire of determination. "If it means saving lives, I'll do whatever it takes," he said, his voice laden with an unwavering purpose.
A mocking laugh escaped my lips, full of scorn and contempt. "You, force me to talk?" I mocked, with a defiant gleam in my eyes.
Suddenly, Sam, driven by a burst of frustration, grabbed my collar, pulling me closer with a surprising force. His firm hands conveyed an urgency that contrasted with his usual calm.
I did not flinch. I kept a firm and defiant look, a cold and daring smile forming on my lips. "Do you really think you can force me to do anything?"
[...]
Author's notes:
Hello readers, dean's illustration in the comments 👋