As the fork sailed through the air, narrowly missing our unexpected guest, The Second, I felt a surge of adrenaline course through me. All eyes turned towards him, waiting for his reaction, while I stood frozen in shock, realizing the gravity of the situation.
The woman accompanying him, likely his assistant, rushed to his side with concern etched on her face. "S-sir, are you hurt?" she asked, her voice trembling with worry.
The Second, however, seemed unperturbed by the near miss. "Oh, I'm alright," he replied casually, flashing a brief grin. His nonchalant demeanour surprised me, considering the danger he had just narrowly avoided.
Relief washed over the woman's features as she breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness you're fine," she murmured, her voice soft but filled with genuine concern.
But The Second grinned at her, "You're too anxious," he remarked teasingly. "It wouldn't have hurt me much even if it did hit me. I doubt this is how fate would want to kill me."
"Don't say that!" the woman scolded, her tone sharp as she shot a glare towards the headmaster, who seemed visibly intimidated by her presence. It was clear she held some authority.
The headmaster wasted no time in pointing the finger of blame at me, accusing me of attempting to harm our esteemed guest. "Why, it was you, Alastair, you intruder!" he sneered, his words dripping with contempt. "How dare you try to stab our honourable guest! I hereby suspend you from this school! Your ignorant personality has no room here!"
I felt the weight of his accusations bearing down on me, a mixture of disbelief and anger churning within me. How could he accuse me without any proof?
I stood there, unable to voice my words. Suspended from school, accused of a crime I didn't commit, and facing the ire of both the headmaster and our esteemed guest. It was a nightmare unfolding before my eyes, and I had no idea how to escape its grasp.
Before I could protest, The Second intervened, his voice cutting through the chaos with calm authority. "Make him be quiet, will you? I've had enough of his noise," he instructed his assistant, his tone firm but composed, while the Headmaster was making blind and false claims about me and how I was just a nuisance for this school and how he wouldn't allow someone like me to stay here.
As the assistant processed The Second's unexpected command, confusion etched across her features. "W-what? But why?" she stammered, her surprise evident in her tone.
The Second tilted his head slightly as he raised a brow, "Why? Do you dare to question me?" he demanded, his voice commanding obedience.
"O-oh no no, certainly not, master!" the assistant hastily replied, her words tinged with apprehension as she quickly acquiesced.
With a nod from The Second, the assistant reluctantly signalled for the principal to halt his protests, her uncertainty palpable. Turning her attention to me, she wore an unreadable expression."A..Alastair right?" She asked, "Could you come here?"
I glanced at my friends, their expressions a mix of pity and remorse, while Kate attempted to alleviate the tension with a discreet pinch to Lawrence, for which I wanted to thank her but I don't think it mattered anymore. Despite their silent support, I couldn't shake the weight of this suffocating situation. The past flooded in amidst this chaos as I navigated through the sea of stares and whispers, every student's gaze piercing me as sounds of quiet laughter was heard aswell.
"He's definitely not going to get out of this easily." A student whispered.
"I feel bad for him but he is the one who brought this upon himself in the first place." Someone chuckled. I clenched my fist, trying to control my emotions. I wanted to escape all of this, as if this was a horrible nightmare and I would wake up at any moment.
Amidst this chaos, memories flooded my mind, transporting me back to a time when I was just a kid and how I thought that all my life, I would be happy with just my parents. But tragedy or you might call it fate's play decided to tear my happiness apart. I recalled the warmth of my parents' presence, the gentle rustle of leaves overhead as we sat beneath our favourite tree, and the simple joy of being together.
But those memories were tainted by the horrific truth of their untimely deaths, a truth I had buried deep within me. The agony of their loss resurfaced with each step, threatening to overwhelm me with its suffocating grip. This is the reason why I had been training, even if it meant dying as a martyr in the war. At least I wouldn't need to deal with the guilt of being a coward.
Caught between the past and the present, I didn't realize I was just blankly standing in front of the 2 figures, just lost in my own thoughts.
The assistant looked at me confused as she shook her hand in front of my face trying to wake me up from my daydreams "What's wrong with him? Hey, kid, you alright?" she said as she glanced between me and The Second.
"Maybe we killed him," she joked as she reached out her hand to touch my forehead. Startled, I flinched at her touch, as I finally realized what was happening in the present.
"Oh never mind, he's alive!" the assistant dismissed my apparent distress with a casual wave of her hand, I couldn't help but feel a surge of frustration at her nonchalant response. Her thumbs-up gesture and flippant remark only served to deepen my confusion, leaving me to ponder her motives amidst the chaos of the moment.
Before I could make sense of her cryptic behaviour, her attention shifted back to me, her tone taking on a mockingly sympathetic edge as she addressed The Second.
"So what do you have to say for your heroic act? Almost stabbing my master with a fork!" she said, her voice laced with sarcasm, then turned to The Second with a fake sympathetic look.
"..." The Second raised a brow at her saying 'Really?'
My heart raced as I struggled to formulate a response, acutely aware of the precariousness of my situation.
"I- I'm sorry!" I stammered, my voice trembling with apprehension, and instinctively bowed my head in a gesture of contrition.
The Second's expression remained inscrutable, his silence stretching on for a tense moment that seemed to hang in the air like a heavy fog.
"Sorry?" The Second finally spoke, his tone betraying a hint of amusement. "Do you expect me to accept an apology? Especially for something like that?" His eyes narrowed as he fixed me with a penetrating gaze, his scrutiny unnerving.
My heart sank at his words, realizing the futility of my apology in the face of such a grave transgression. I knew that my actions could have had dire consequences, and the gravity of the situation weighed heavily upon me.
"Then I'm ready to take on any punishment you have to offer, sir!" I declared, mustering all the courage I could summon despite the churning turmoil within me.
There was a palpable tension in the air as The Second considered my words, his expression unreadable as he contemplated my fate. I could feel the weight of his gaze bearing down on me, each moment stretching on in agonizing anticipation.
"Any? Oh really now? Even if I suspend you from this school? Will you still accept it?" The Second's voice cut through the silence like a blade, his words carrying the weight of authority.
For a moment, I hesitated, grappling with the implications of his ultimatum. The prospect of expulsion filled me with a sense of dread, as I contemplated the uncertain future that awaited me beyond the confines of the academy.
"Yes sir, if that's what you want then I think that's the best for me," I replied, my voice barely above a whisper as I resigned myself to whatever fate awaited me. I didn't know why I said that...I could've said something else, anything...I didn't want to leave this place and return to the hellhole from which I had barely escaped.
Suddenly, the gentleman's laughter reverberated through the room, a sound that seemed to pierce through the tense atmosphere like a knife. Each chuckle felt like a dagger twisting in my gut, a painful reminder of my precarious situation.
His amusement was palpable, a tangible presence that hung in the air like a heavy fog, suffusing the atmosphere with a sense of unease. I felt a surge of frustration welling up inside me, mingled with a deep-seated resentment towards the man who found amusement in my predicament.
"Such a bold statement! Do you really have the guts to face any punishment I give you?" he inquired, his voice laced with amusement and scepticism. There was a challenge in his tone, a dare to see if I truly possessed the courage to stand by my words.
I remained silent, unable to find the words to respond to his question. The weight of his gaze bore down on me, heavy and unrelenting, as if daring me to break the silence that hung between us. I clenched my fists at my sides, the frustration building up inside me and threatening to boil over.
"Well…" His voice trailed off, leaving the question hanging in the air like an unspoken challenge. I braced myself for whatever punishment he deemed fit to meet out, steeling myself for the consequences of my actions.
Suddenly, I felt a warm hand on my shoulder, the touch gentle yet reassuring. I looked up to meet The Second's smile, finding solace in the warmth of his gaze. Despite the turmoil churning inside me, his presence offered a sense of comfort and reassurance.
He was a tall, pale handsome man, with jet-black eyes that sparkled with intelligence and authority. His hair was a mix of black and dark brown, cascading in waves around his face.
"Would you like to train for the DEA then?" The Second's question cut through the tension like a knife, startling me out of my reverie. His voice was calm, almost casual, but there was an unmistakable gravity to his words.
"W-What?" I stammered, my mind struggling to process the unexpected offer. The notion of training for the Devil Executioners seemed surreal like a distant dream suddenly brought to life.
"What? Do you not like this punishment?" He teased with a grin. The assistant glanced between us both as she couldn't help but smile. The Headmaster looked at us, his expression bewildered.
As I grappled with the enormity of the proposition, The Second's announcement broke the silence that hung heavy in the air. His words reverberated through the room, eliciting a cacophony of reactions from the gathered crowd. Whispers, cheers, and boos mingled together in a chaotic symphony, but amidst the noise, I remained focused on The Second's words.
Locking eyes with him, I searched for any hint of doubt or hesitation in his expression, but found none. His gaze was steady, unwavering, filled with a quiet confidence that left me both awestruck and bewildered.
But before I could gather my thoughts and formulate a response, the Head Master's voice thundered across the room, filled with outrage and indignation at the sudden turn of events. Veins bulged on his forehead, his face contorted with anger as he protested against The Second's decision.
"Sir, this isn't fair!" the headmaster finally spoke up, his voice tinged with frustration and disbelief. The words spilled out just like that, driven by a sense of injustice that threatened to overwhelm him.
Yet The Assistant swiftly intervened, her voice firm and authoritative "Hey, you're not allowed to interfere!" she admonished him, her tone brooking no argument as she glared at him.
Undeterred, the Head Master persisted, his frustration boiling over as he confronted The Second. Accusations flew, and grievances aired, as he accused him of abandoning protocol in favour of personal bias.
"Miss, let me have a word with him because he's going completely against his own wording! He told me that tests are supposed to decide who gets to train in the DEA, and he's out here picking just because he almost got stabbed?! What kind of nonsense is this?!" He demanded, his voice ringing with incredulity and outrage. But The Second remained unruffled, his demeanour calm and composed.
The Second's hand squeezed my shoulder as The Headmaster raged on. His touch offered a silent reassurance amidst the chaos, grounding me in the moment. When he released me, a soft chuckle escaped his lips, and the room fell silent, every eye trained on him.
Glancing at The Headmaster, The Second's expression shifted, his gaze piercing and commanding. The Headmaster faltered under the weight of that gaze, realizing he had overstepped his bounds.
"What if I choose your son? Is that what you want? Is that what your students want?" The Second's voice held a subtle edge, a hint of disappointment laced within his words. He glanced briefly at the students, their faces a mix of anticipation and uncertainty, before his smile vanished, replaced by a steely resolve.
"Your authority doesn't work on me, Mr. Green. Who I pick or not isn't your concern," he continued, his tone firm and unwavering. "Why should I bother with a test when I already know who's going to ace it?" His gaze flickered to me, a silent acknowledgement of my potential.
"And I know he didn't throw the fork, yet he still apologized for something that could've cost him his place in this school," The Second added, his voice carrying a note of admiration. "If you can't keep a check on what students do, then don't interfere with me next time, because the results will be quite amusing." he finished and dismissed the Headmaster just like that.
Turning back to me, The Second's smile returned, warm and reassuring. It was a stark contrast to the tension that had gripped the room moments before, offering a glimpse of the mentorship and guidance that lay ahead.
"Please hand over the form, will you?" The Second's voice held a gentle command as he extended his hand. "Here you are, master." his assistant handed him a page, her movements fluid and precise.
"I want you to fill out this page; it contains some details that we need to know before your arrival." The Second handed me a sheet of paper, and as I reached for it, I noticed a silver ring gleaming on his finger, its intricate design catching the light.
"A car will be waiting for you at 6 in the morning, next Monday. Be prepared if you want to..." He leaned in closer to me, his voice a soft whisper in my ear. "...get revenge." His words sent a shiver down my spine, and I couldn't help but wonder how he knew about my desire for vengeance. As he spoke, his eyes flashed a pink hue, a subtle yet striking display of power that left me momentarily stunned. 'How does he know about that?!' I couldn't shake the question from my mind.
"Master, should we leave now? You have to meet up with someone," the assistant interjected, breaking the momentary silence with a reminder of their impending departure.
"Oh, right, I almost forgot about that. And please tell this fine Principal to give me some papers about this specific student," The Second remarked casually. She nodded in understanding and gestured for him to follow her. Together, they walked out of the room, with the Headmaster trying to catch up from behind and still trying to convince them, leaving me standing there, still processing the whirlwind of events that had just unfolded. As the door closed behind them, I felt a mixture of emotions swirling inside me. Relief, excitement, disbelief—all vied for dominance in my mind.
I glanced down at the form in my hands, its words now imbued with newfound significance. In bold letters, it proclaimed: 'Devil Executioner Agency welcomes you! Please sign this form as it is the first step to your success and others' protection!' These words for some reason reminded me of the various motivational posters in our dorm room.
Suddenly, I was engulfed in a wave of congratulations as my friends rushed over to embrace me. Their cheers and hugs were a welcome distraction from the lingering doubts and fears that still lingered in the back of my mind. Amidst the chaos of the crowded cafeteria, I found solace in the support of those who believed in me. As the commotion gradually died down, I noticed Lawrence and his cronies glaring at me from across the room. Their expressions were a mix of resentment and frustration, their plans thwarted by my unexpected turn of fortune. With a sense of satisfaction, I watched as they stormed out of the cafeteria, their presence no longer casting a shadow over my newfound sense of purpose.