Chapter 48: A School Guest or a School Threat?

At the back of the school, the place where I usually ate along with Lora and Eric. It has only been two months since they left and I felt they were but a distant memory now. The back of the school then became my healing place. Whether it's the sound of leaves rustling, the cool breeze blowing softly, or the smell of the fresh green grass, those things somehow became sacred to me here as it relieves me of all needless worry. 

            "Wow, that's some awful eye bags you have there, what in the world did you do last night?" 

            Today I can't get in the mood to relax though, first reason why is because I barely had any sleep because of experimenting of using sign language as a mean to conjure magic. Second reason is the man beside me who for some unknown reason is eating lunch with me. 

            "I get the feeling if you were alone, you would just stand out more as a target." He said as if answering what was on my mind, am I that easy to read? "That doesn't mean you have to be there for me?" When I said that, Rick flickered me on my forehead, and a struck of pain jolted my head. He didn't say anything anymore and took more of my fried cheese nuggets from my lunch. I continued to eat my lunch, ignoring him. 

           I might have act cold, buy I can't help it. Seeing him with his own will getting close to me, it's obvious he's hiding something, and I never like the ones who gets close to me with hidden agenda, even if he is the reincarnation of my benefactor. Usually, I'm the one that tries to get close to him and it really took a long time before he stop ignoring my approach. 

            "You should just talk if you have anything to say, there's no one but us around here." 

            My face stiffen when He realize I have a thing or two to say to him. I turn to him and wanted to brush it off, but he had to gaze at me sharply with his eyes. It was a look that gave off pressure, and it caught me off guard that he would look at me with the same look in my past life whenever I hid something from my master. 

             In the end, I caved in to him but told him a whole other problem I had. "It's not a big of a problem, lately I've been trying to make something new, and I wanted to complete it no matter what. However, even after putting an all nighter, there was zero progress, it might have been impossible from the start." There was no way he would figure my problem involves magic. This explanation should be vague enough for him. I turned to him, wondering his respond, but instead I found him tuck his chin on his hand as he went asleep. I felt the vein on my head popped and had to held myself back from taking out his air from his lungs. 

            "It can't be help if you gave up then," so he was listening after all, that's good to know. "there's nothing you can do if it fails, but you've only been doing it for a night then aren't you giving up too fast?"

            "What are you trying to say?"

            "What I'm trying to say is, giving up for something you tried in a short time, you're only swimming in shallow waters."

            "Then am I suppose to keep trying without knowing if it succeeds or not?" 

            "Isn't that the point of trying, to see whether we succeed or not? Besides, there wouldn't be any worth in doing without any effort."

            For an instant, just for an instant, my vision of the scene changed. Rick had look a lot older, there was a few streaking grey hair but he had an old man charm in his smile. There were a few wrinkles and his brown eye color changed to gold. I rub my eyes, trying to snap out of myself. I was then reminded of a memory of the past. 

            That time, I had been forc-I meant taught to condensed mana at the palm of my hand. Trust me, it might sound easy, but when a child who knew nothing about the first thing of magic, I spent a hell of time to get it right. 

            "Master, I can't do it, it's impossible for me right now."

            "No you can, you're not going to get food until you do" his words weren't lie, even after five nights, other than the water he occasionally gave, he would give me no food. I was almost at my limit and began to feel desperate to finish the task. He had no mercy at me and I wasn't even allowed to cry, saying that will only dehydrate myself faster. I thought him nothing but cruel and hated him for that, I even curse him many times while I was doing it. 

              I was unconscious and lay for on the ground after I finally succeed, he put a plate of food beside me. The smell woke me up and he whispered to me "learn to not stop trying, because our effort is all we're ever worth for." 

            His words came from the same face and voice yet younger and a little high pitch. However, for him to teach me that even in this life, I had to admit I laugh then until tears came out of my eyes. Rick looks like he wasn't sure why I was laughing but it didn't matter. Because of him, I also remember a new way to find my solution. 

#

"I'm sorry, I must have misheard, but did you say you want to go to The S Class?" 

            "Yes, you see....for me to find out what kind of power I had, I've been switching instructor and examined all the espers of my age with their permission. However this three years I've never met anyone from S Class and even though I'm not in any kind of disorder, I thought it would help finding out my ability." 

            I tried smiling the way an innocent child that knows nothing would. Professor Dalton had a complex look on his face. He took off his glasses an cover his mouth as he thinks deep thought. "Claudia, you might not know, but the S Class is not a place you could come and go if you want." 

            I had expected this kind of answer. In the front, they claim S Class to be a class made for those in disorder, but after three years going to school here, you'll know this school has it's own secrets. Well, since it has nothing to do with me, I don't really care whatever secret it is. 

            One thing I noticed in particularly is the fact barely anyone knows a student from the S Class. They claim they were given privilege with even separate buildings, but most of the rumor was told that they're powers were too dangerous.  Not of the power itself but the lack of control, that's why they isolated them. 

            "Why on earth would you suddenly want to learn there now of all time?" 

            "I also want to have a partner"

            "A partner for.....?"

            "To talk with sign language."

            From before, Prof. Dalton has been looking at me weirdly, probably confused and wonders what I'm thinking. "Lately I've been learning sign language-well only for one sleepless night-and I wanted to have a friend to chat with and I thought maybe someone from the S Class could help me with that. Besides, it might come in handy in the future when talking and understand deaf people."

            "That is a remarkable thing to do for such a young girl"

            Prof. Dalton and me turned our heads toward the voice. Prof. Dalton immediately got up toward him and shook his hand.  The other teachers were surprised too to see him there, who on earth was he? "It's an honor for you to come to our school, we hadn't expected you to come this early though." 

            "Work was done faster than expected, I wouldn't miss it for the world to examine the prestigious talents of Praetor Institution." He turned to look at me and smiled a simple smile. My back straighten in instinct and I smile back while hiding my fears. The back of my neck again was tingling like crazy, as if overjoyed, but at the same time I felt suffocated.  

            Why wouldn't I be? The moment I laid eyes on that man, a dark shadow, bigger and darker than anything I could've seen, I knew one thing immediately. 

             That man is a killer. 

            

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