Pretending To Be Gilead's Prince and Master Wizard

It was oddly hot the next day as November nearly reached its end. Normally, the weather would be freezing cold again as we approach the last month of the year. I guess climate change is, indeed, real huh?

I was nearly approaching the school when I suddenly stopped in my tracks and remembered something. Damn, I forgot to tell Alex about the discovery I made the other day. I was so caught up with that woman that it suddenly slipped out of my mind!

How could I even forget such a goddamn important thing! Once I return to the castle later this day, that would be the first thing on my to-do list.

As I was contemplating on my stupid mistake, my eyes caught a glance of my childhood friend Dexter Woods walking past me at the gates of Gilead Academy. I don't know if he just didn't see me or avoided me on purpose, but I let it pass by in the meantime and advanced inside the campus grounds.

During Mr. Pumpkin's class, I felt like something weird was going on right now… like someone is particularly looking at me from nowhere. I tried to tilt my head to look at my surroundings, but everyone was so engrossed in the class-- or at least pretended to be engrossed-- that I almost believe I am beginning to feel like I am such a paranoid person or something.

I was about to drop the matter after being convinced that everything seems to be normal around here, when I happen to look at the window one seat away from me. There… I saw someone clothed in black robe with the hood covering his face standing on top of the administration building facing across our general student building. This person, whoever this is, looks like he was observing my every action right now.

The moment he sensed that I was looking at his direction, he suddenly dispersed, leaving freckles of dust behind. Just like that, he vanished out of sight.

"Krisella, can you provide the corresponding element to this particular spell?" Suddenly, my train of thoughts were soon interrupted by the time Mr. Pumpkin called out my attention. I straightened my back and shifted my gaze back at him.

"Err… what spell would that be sir?" I asked, my face flushed with embarrassment. Our classroom adviser didn't look pleased after my stupid reply.

"Next time, pay extra attention to class instead of being dozed off to your own little world there." Mr. Pumpkin reprimanded in which the whole class laughed at. "Do you understand?"

I gave him my most sincere apologetic look. "Yes, sir."

"Good." To the whole class he says, "Okay, going back to the topic…"

And after I got scolded at, the teacher continued our slightly tedious discussion.

This odd feeling that I am experiencing during his class continued until our lunch break. At first, I really convinced myself that I am just being paranoid here and that I am just imagining some sort of things. Yet after seeing that strange person at the rooftop earlier, I think I should reconsider things and not take them so lightly anymore.

I wonder what is going on around here. Am I being watched? If so, why?

I still pretended to be alright in front of my friends despite that to prevent them from shooting questions at me that I will be forced to answer. But if there is one thing that my friends possess, it is by far being so sensitive to things that are happening with one another.

After moments of being silent, Ariella tilted her and looked at me.

"Are you...alright?" she asked curiously and concernedly at the same time.

I lifted my cup filled with orange juice and took a long sip out of it. Once I was done, I placed the now empty glass and met her gaze.

"Yes.. I am fine. Why wouldn't I be?" I barked a laugh after saying that.

However, all three of them didn't look convinced with my answer.

"You look bothered. Even our teacher noticed that as well. " she added. "I know that something is bothering you now."

"Come on, we are friends, right? You can certainly tell us anything that is bothering you so that we will know how to help you in any way we can." Maggie chimes in. Sitting next to her is Cailin who nodded her head in agreement.

I smiled a nervous smile at them as I thought of another excuse to tell. I should definitely start to train myself not to make it obvious in my face or stop myself from speaking my thoughts out loud. Should I get myself a mentor for that as well?

Yesterday, my pet cat was hit by a fast-moving carriage when he ran out from home as I opened the door, and he died…" I paused, considering the continuation. But really, Krisella, is this the best excuse you've got? And I still can't get over with it. You know, I was already so emotionally attached to my pet cat that I am really so distracted right now."

I sighed a long, sad sigh to add to its dramatic effect. It seems that my friends have bought my excuse because they were soon crooning at me and looking sorry in front of me.

"I am so sorry to hear that. I also felt that way when Peter, my pet rabbit died. It was so sudden that I became depressed for three days because of it." Cailin empathized and stretched her hand to rub my back. "So I totally understand where you are coming from."

Their heads nodded in agreement. I really feel bad for lying to them right now, for the millionth time already. They haven't done anything wrong and yet I had to lie to them in order to protect my identity and this mission.

Not long after that, we arranged our plates and brought them to the washing area to be washed before we went to the next class. As I turned to my left, I saw a mysterious guy dressed in a black robe sitting in one of our cafeteria chairs.

Oddly, no one in this area is even paying attention to him but only me. It's as if I am the only one who can see this guy right at this moment.

---

As the school bell rang for the final time today, everyone was thrilled when our last period teacher, Mr. Wimbshaw, didn't give us anything to do at home. I wonder what the old man ate this time.

I could hear everyone making a joke about that as soon as my friends and I went out of the cafeteria. Ariella has to remind them to tone down their voices or else Mr. Wimbshaw could hear them and suddenly decided to change his mind. I laughed on that one.

However, we did have an assignment in Mr. Pumpkin's class before he dismissed us earlier. Now that I think about it, I think I left my textbook under my desk. I gasped as I suddenly remembered that one. And we are only a few steps away from the gates!

I abruptly stopped in my tracks and faced my friends. "You go ahead without me. I stupidly left my textbook under my desk without even noticing it in the first place." 

"Are you sure?" Ariella's eyebrows hunched together. "You were always the one who comes last when it comes to arranging her things inside her bag."

I playfully rolled my eyes. "No, I am not. Anyway, I better hurry before the utility gets in first and finds it."

"Okay. See you tomorrow then." 

After waving them goodbye, I hurriedly turned around and almost run my away towards our first-period classroom which is on the goddamn second floor of the general student building. Why am I so forgetful lately?!

When I returned to our classroom, I discovered the book under my desk. I quickly picked it up, opened my bag, and stuffed it inside. As soon as I zipped my bag up, I hurriedly walked out of the room only to bump into someone else.

"Dexter?" I asked in confusion. "What are you even doing here?"

But instead of answering me directly, he started to grip into my wrist and almost dragged me out of here.

"Hey, what are you doing Dex? You're scaring me right now."

"I don't have the time to explain things to you right now. So first, let me get you out of here safely and hand you over to him. Then, we'll talk."

Mustering all the courage I had at this moment, I wiggled my hand out of his grasp and stopped walking. So did he.

"I won't listen to you without hearing an explanation first. I am not even sure if I could trust you at this point!"

To my surprise, Dexter held me by the shoulders and gave me a pleading look… like he wants to apologize to me. But I don't even know what he is apologizing for.

"I understand if you are feeling that way towards me. I… I wasn't being truthful to you for the past few months," he says while giving me that look. "There are people--assassins rather, inside this school who are after you right now. So please, let me make it up to you by bringing you safely to the captain."

As soon as he mentioned the word 'captain', my eyes went in full circles as I looked at him.

"All this time… you know--"

"Yes," Dexter cuts me off. "I know everything."