'It was too calm to think about a storm that had never happened.'
~Carline
A year has flown by since I joined high school, yet I still don't get it. Most of the studies seem to be familiar, yet at the same time, they're not.
Shadowthorne.
It's the academy I got admitted into– one of the creepiest and strangest atmospheres I've ever encountered in my life. I still can't quite describe it, but I always have a bad premonition about this place.
"Carline Valentine! Pay attention!" barked the stern professor, who was in a black suit.
I thought he was dressed for a funeral as he usually wears khaki brown pants with a white shirt.
Anyway, that's my name, Carline Valentine.
My parents thought I was a bit strange as a child, so they enrolled me in this. However, the motto in this school is, "Befriend no one and keep a distance."
I don't know "a distance" from who but that's it.
Strange, right? Initially, I thought so too.
I felt a bit troubled at the start, but I got used to it eventually. Till now I had no friends and have broken no rules. Honestly, it's no fun.
Every day feels the same as yesterday, like an endless routine that I am stuck in.
Ring! The electric bell rang, signalling the end of the lesson. That's my signal!
Time for my physical education, P.E !! It's the only lesson that I enjoy the most. In these moments, I feel like a mermaid. As I dive deeper, the water above casts a beautiful blue hue, reminding me of the Milky Way ocean.
~Shadowthorne -Frost Hall [Gymnasium]
Dressed in a black swimsuit with my hair tied into a ponytail, I wore swimming goggles. The gymnasium, as usual, had ten students, making the coach the eleventh. I excitedly watched the sparkling yet still blue-like water in the pool. I couldn't wait to soak in the beauty of it. As soon as the coach blew his whistle, I briskly dove in.
I've never felt so alive in my life. As I dipped into the pool, the water kissed every inch of my skin, making me feel an abundant amount of relaxation and excitement from my nerves. Ahh… I can stay like this all day.
The P.E.E. lessons last for 2 hours, and I know just how to spend them. It doesn't matter if I exceed a little. Amidst the enjoyment, a light shadow suddenly passed just above the water.
A strange huge silhouette blanketed the water, for a moment, it lost its sparkling blue lustre, turning into something eerily dark. My heart began to thud rapidly, and immediately I swam towards the bottom of the water in search of refuge.
At that moment, a voice whispered my name.
"Carline, they're coming for you. Run! They're coming for -"
Before I could decipher what was happening, everything turned black. But I was still curious about who was coming for me and why. One thing is for sure, it can't be good.
"Carline! Carline! Wake up! They're coming for you... you should run! You should..."
I woke with a sudden jolt, only to come face to face with a white ceiling. Ah... This scene felt familiar; I'd read it in a book. It's only that there was no smell of disinfectant. Rather a sweet yet light scent wafted my nostrils. Light and sweet... that's how I felt it.
'What is it?' I wondered.
"You're finally awake?" came a masculine yet stern voice laced with light concern in it.
Craning my neck, I searched for the source of the voice; I froze as the elegant figure of a male stood before me. My mind never allowed me to describe a male as elegant, but this time I willingly accepted it. He simply looked too neat to be real, dressed in a white shirt along with a pair of well-ironed black trousers you'd think he'd pressed for centuries.
His hands were covered with white gloves like those butlers I'd read about in mediaeval-themed storybooks, and a pair of red eyes I could call rubies captured mine.
I thought it was normal to have red eyes like mine... Yes, I have red eyes. However, this wasn't normal. His penetrating gaze made it impossible for me to tear my gaze away from him. Gosh! At this point, This was ogling, not checking out.
At the back of my mind lies the saying 'gazing is a bad habit,' but if this adonis was the sin, then I don't mind sinning
The silence, which seemed to last forever, was interrupted by his light cough. He spoke a few words, which I didn't hear. All I witnessed was his red, thin yet sexy lips moving.
"Ahem! How do you feel now?" his raspy voice entered my ears making my heart flutter.
"Huh!" I absentmindedly exclaimed.
"How are you feeling now?" he repeated.
Removing my gaze from him, I replied, "I guess. I'm ok."
"That's good, then. You've been unconscious for six hours. What happened?" came his voice which was now gentle.
Staring at the ceiling, I remained silent, contemplating whether to tell him or not. However, he seemed as though he read my mind, for his next answer rather sent a chill down my spine.
"You saw it, right? The shadow..."
How did he know?
Although I don't know what's happening, I knew this guy was dangerous. I quickly sat up on the bed and said, "I think I should go back."
I barely had my feet touching the ground when a silhouette blocked me.
"Not so fast, you still haven't told me about it? Otherwise, how would you explain your reaction?" he taunted.
I raised my eyes to meet his and fired a question, "What do you mean explain my reaction?"
Somehow, I found him annoying. Otherwise, why would a stranger be asking these questions? He gazed at me as if looking for any traces of lies.
"Look, I don't know you, nor do you. So asking me these kinds of questions is wasting my time," I retorted, and my voice raised a little.
With that, I pushed his sexy, though I hated to admit it, figure away from my view and stand up to leave. I felt dizzy for standing up abruptly yet I stabilised myself quickly, feeling his intense gaze.
'He's strange,' I murmured to myself.
As I reached for the doorknob, a gust of wind brushed past me, and I felt warmth on my hand just a hair strand away from the door handle.
The familiar, sweet scent wafted my nostrils. So all along, it was him oozing this scent. His voice broke my reverie.
"They forgot to tell you, Welcome to Hell, Carline Valentine."