When faced with an overwhelming situation, a normal response would be to run.
This situation could be physically or mentally distressing. If you're already aware that no matter what you do, the situation won't end up in your favour, it's only reasonable to run.
My lips quiver, trying not to reveal my desperate need for breath.
Out of the many expressions I could've chosen, I chose to scoff to hide the rapid breaths leaving my body. My golden drop earring swayed, revealing my true emotions.
For twenty whole minutes, she's been staring into my soul.
Under any normal circumstances, I'd be happy to have intense eye contact with a beautiful girl. However, my current situation isn't very normal.
After witnessing her disintegrate two living people just twenty minutes ago, I'm inclined to feel afraid.
When admitting into Seiron Academy, I thought it was strange that an academy with such a large campus had fewer than two thousand students. There were around thirty papers that the students had to sign upon joining, which turned away at least a couple of thousand applicants.
With my financial situation in mind, my only choice for a comfortable and affordable youth was here. And, due to various other factors, I was basically forced to join.
The Academy has classes from Middle School to University level, all on one campus. And for the students that survived middle school – the high schoolers and the university students – the luxury of freely modifying the academy uniform was bestowed.
It took me a year to finally realise the simple fact. This academy was haunted. Whether by ghosts or aliens, I'm not aware.
"So, how's your day been?" I could hear my heart trying to jump out of my ribcage.
Around forty minutes ago, I arrived at the academy's isolated fountain. It stood at the southern corner of the academy grounds, quite far away from the main building.
Since it was only open to high schoolers and university students, the place was mostly deserted except for me, a few delinquents and another girl I wasn't very familiar with. No sane student would make the effort to climb the long staircase to get here except for those skipping class or those wanting to find a quiet place.
While I was seated on a bench listening to a HowTube tutorial, I happen to overhear the conversation between two gyarus from behind a pillar.
"Hey, that girl, the one dipping her toes in the fountain water – what's her deal?" A deep, feminine voice was then shushed by a cutesier one, which spoke
"Don't look at her! She's the one they call "Alien" because of how creepy and emotionless she is!"
"Alien? Isn't that kinda messed up? I can see that she's a foreigner…but isn't calling her an alien a bit much?"
"Well, what can we do? My source for the rumours is a verified one!"
While making sure I'm not found out, I glance at the girl they were talking about.
Brown, copper-like skin, full lips, dyed blonde hair, and her signature fluffy red mantle with blue earrings that bring contrast. She was seated on the fountain edge with her feet soaking in the fountain water.
'Oh…her.' She's the only one, aside from me, to visit this place every day.
"She looks like she'd fit in with us. Why not go talk to her?"
"NO! Delete that thought right now! Were you even listening to what I was saying?! There are even creepier ghost stories about her!"
How extensive are these 'rumours? They come in so many different genres.
"Don't be so tight! What's her name?" Despite the cutesy gyaru's resistance, the clam gyaru insisted.
"There's a story that if you say her name out loud, you'll disappear!"
"Do you know her name or not?" The deep, feminine voice seemed to be losing patience.
"I-I do. But it was given to me written on paper…so, I'll only do the same."
"JUST SAY IT!"
"Fine! Fine…her name is Tsiene"
"Sign? That's quite the unusual na—"
…
…?
Silence rang through the area.
I look up from my phone to see that 'Tsiene', as she was called, is no longer at the fountain.
I glance to my side toward the pillar behind which the gyarus stood.
There she was.
A low, searing sound accompanied by smoke surrounded Tsiene.
The next moment, she was sitting right beside me. And then, it had started.
"Where're the gyarus?" I try my best to maintain my signature poker face.
"I made them disappear." A straightforward answer. Her voice was calm. I noticed she seemed to be around the same height as me…5'10 is pretty tall for a girl.
"I see."
…
It's been long enough. I don't think anyone would blame me now if I—
"When are you gonna say it?" she said with a monotone voice. Her face remained neutral even if she was staring into the depths of my soul.
I assume she was talking about her name. If what the gyaru said was true, then…
Yes. Truly, the time to run had arrived.
My poker face melts into a faint smile.
Wasting no time, I turn away and jump over the railing behind the bench.
The direction I jumped was toward the gym's rooftop.
There was a faint chance of my dying by falling in the gap between the elevated fountain area and the gym's rooftop; however, I made the jump!
Taking the staircase would only slow me down, so I had decided to run across the gym's roof and then slide and jump into the garden on the left that had soft bushes that could cushion my fall.
I maintained my breath to be steady as I ran across the roof, causing a ruckus in the gym. Since this side of the academy rarely had any students loitering, no one should have noticed.
I felt a cold droplet fall on my face. I could hear the sound of roaring thunder.
'Rain! I might be lucky…'
To my left, the garden was coming up.
A cold breeze passed from beside me.
"So, you're not gonna say it?" Tsiene appeared before me.
"AH!" I stop in my tracks, my arms shoot up from being startled, and I lose my balance.
I tumbled down in the opposite direction, but the railing stopped me from falling off.
'Super speed…she's not a normal human.'
The sound of my heartbeat pushed away any coherent thoughts.
If I pass by her, I can reach the garden. But is there any point in doing so?
"If you say my name, this'll be much easier."
A flash filled the sky; the sound of rumbling thunder shook the roof.
We're at a stalemate.
I pull out my phone as I feel it vibrate. I must've missed it when I was running – I had received a voicemail from Kusuo.
Taking a deep breath, I listen to the message.
"[Yuuhi! Before you go to your part-time job, come over to my dorm real quick! We just got big intel on some top-secret stuff!!!]"
I take a deep breath and sigh.
"Could you let me go for now? I'm kinda busy." I say as I look up at Tsiene.
…
"Do you think this is some sort of game? No." Another straightforward answer. But this time, it felt like her voice held a bit of frustration.
Since I've calmed down a bit, I think of ways to end this stalemate in my favour. I look up at her once again with a poker face. "How about we make a deal?"
"No." A red blur fills my eyes as I'm thrown off balance.
Tsiene had pulled my leg and laid me flat on the damp, cold rooftop. Her hand shot out of the mantle, holding a doll-like figure wearing a red sec. She shoves it into my face.
"Say my name or I'll blow you to bits."
Wait. What difference does that make?!
I die either way?!
That means my only hope right now is…
The rain poured heavily, as if the floodgates had been lifted.
Both of us could hear the sound of static electricity.
A white-hot flash floods the roof momentarily.
My ears ring from the crack I had heard. Lightning had struck both of us!
Tsiene lets go of me and gets disoriented for a moment before gaining consciousness and dusting off her shoulder.
As for me, I was paralysed. But that's fine.
"Dis…charge…"
Anytime now, I'll—
The sound of bells ringing broke the silence, lighting up my body, golden tendrils of energy wrapped around my body, the surge made me float and let me stand on my feet.
The golden tendrils break and leave behind a faint yellow aura.
Tsiene steps back cautiously.
"Phoo…" smoke left my body through my sigh. "I'd rather live. I- I'm sorry, I guess?"
Would it be appropriate to apologise in this situation?
She was left astonished as I proceeded to do something a human could never do – a ten-metre jump over her and into the garden behind her. Wasting no time, I run away.
"Humans can do that?" she said under her breath.
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I'd better apologise to Amari later.
Breaking an important promise today was unprecedented.
I huff as I jog towards the boy's dorm. What happened today has disrupted my normal life. I'm sure it'll continue to do so…
For now, I'll not involve myself voluntarily.
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