Chapter 1: Scylian High School

Alcohol... it smells of chemicals. It reeks of the toxic agents splattered on the floor and white walls of this laboratory. People wearing pure white lab coats are everywhere - busy. I don't know what they're doing but it looks like it's very important as they did not even notice me gaining my consciousness. How did I end up with this mess again? How did I end up with chains around my body? Helpless? Hopeless? And maybe, considered dead? I don't know. I guess, this is my fate. I am always bound to go through chaotic situations where I find myself vulnerable and desperate. I hate it.

People always told me to never put myself in a situation where it's risky and there's a zero visibility for safety. But I think I, somehow, unconsciously put myself  into a ball game where I can get quelled. That's maybe the reason why my father enrolled to Scylian High School: to help him discipline his bad daughter. I was always the black sheep and it's no news as I always ended up almost killing myself. Well, I'm a dare devil but sometimes it's out of place.

What would my father think of when the news about his daughter being abducted reach him? I am really curious now. I want to know his reaction but I guess I need to escape this hell first. The glass wall lifted and three people in white lab coats entered the room. They are covered from head to foot as if I am an important experiment that shouldn't be contaminated by even their own breaths. I cannot see their faces except for their eyes. I muttered "Who are you" but no voice came out. I kept muttering but I failed. Where did my voice go?

One of them approached me and took my vital signs. I can't do anything about it. I am paralyzed and unable to speak. Even if I do not approve of what they're doing, I cannot say a word. My voice wouldn't come out and it sucks. It sucks being helpless and not able to do anything.

***

"Hera, wake up. We are going to be late. What have you been doing last night that you couldn't even open your eyes?" she asked. I took a deep breath and sat up. She's preparing our meal all dressed up. She was always the early bird as she likes to prepare breakfast for the both of us and I am always lazy. She will always point about my laziness but, she can't do anything about it so she got tired and just let me be. She's been my companion since I entered Scylian High School.

It's a boarding school, by the way. It seems like my father does not need my company or does not even want to see my shadow around his domicile. He always wanted to dispose me anywhere. I looked at the clock and frowned when I noticed that Cassy woke me earlier than my usual so I looked at her, hoping to look back at me because I need answers and I am too lazy to ask - to open my mouth and speak. I am not in talking mode yet so...

"The mistress wants us to be in class earlier, Hera" Oh, I forgot the mistress' orders. "She said she had some announcements so I thought of waking you up now so you could get yourself fixed" she added. Our school is headed by a mistress that was chosen by the council. She's been in that position even before I entered Scylian High School. She must've gotten that position for a long time now. I've been also hearing rumours about her relationship with a powerful man whose name is still unknown to all of us. They're very secretive when it comes to their own private lives and sometimes that pisses me.

"You may want to pace up now, Hera" I rolled my eyes and made my way to the bathroom. It feels like I still have my mom around because of Cassy. She's just like my mom. My mom... she's the most beautiful woman I've ever met. The only person who can tame the great Johanson Snowthrie, my father, is the ever loving Henlia Bernadette Frias-Snowthrie. He cannot go against the wishes of my mom. But I guess my mother also wanted me to learn my lessons that's why she never said a word when my father sent me here.

"How long will the mistress see us?" I asked.

"I do not know. She will be seeing the whole class though"

"It feels like I did something wrong" I said.

"Are you guilty of something?" I frowned at her. "I'm just asking. You are always anxious around the mistress"

"Who wouldn't be?"

"It just amazes me that the infamous Hennesy Raigh Snowthrie can feel nervous around the mistress"

"Because she's the mistress. She decides what our lives will be inside this campus"

"So, you do care about your future"

"Shut up and just eat, Cassidee Han"

+

We were all seated on our own seats when the mistress entered. I fixed myself and took a deep breath as I feel like I did something wrong that the mistress show up in front of all of us - in a freaking Monday morning. The week started off this way and there is always a myth in this school that when you meet the mistress on a Monday with some business, your week will become hell and I am seeing the devil right now. Damn! Should I drop on my knees and beg for forgiveness now? I'm sleepy though.

"Good morning, mistress" my classmates greeted but I remained rooted and quiet on my sit.

"Good morning class 4A" she greeted back. She looked around the room and her eyes landed on me so I got more anxious. "It's good to see you here this early, Ms. Snowthrie" she said so all their eyes went to me and I hate attention. But, it's the mistress so I needed to be polite.

"Big thanks to my room mate, mistress"

"So, you never planned to be here?"

"I have no choice" But I always fail to be polite, to be nice in front of her.

"I like it better when you're being yourself" she said, smiling. "Well, I'm here for two things. One, our school's 99th anniversary will be two months from now and we'll be expecting performances and participation from each class. You will also be provided with cash for your booth and make sure to pick you participants for both the singing and dancing competition" my classmates started murmuring as soon as the mistress dropped her announcements. "Two... someone will be joining your class for the rest of the school year" she motioned someone to come inside and someone did enter the room.

He's tall, has pale white skin, ash gray hair, thick eyebrows, thin lips and grayish-blue orbs. My girl classmates started daydreaming the instant they saw him, well, except for Cassy who retained her composure.

"How come you're not shrieking like the others?" she asked me.

"Then why aren't you too?" I asked back. She grinned at me and I just shook my head.

"Sir, please introduce your name" the mistress said. The new kid then stood in front of us with his hands in his pockets.

"Zero Alexander Neville" he introduced himself and again, the girls started shrieking. Tsss.

"Okay. I think Mr. Neville has nothing more to say so please take the seat beside Ms. Snowthrie, the empty one the back" Cassy looked at me with a smirk on her face but I just ignored her. The guy made his way towards his seat... I frowned... his movements are all calculated and he seems stiff. He looks like a robot.

"Ooops... someone will be dead for the rest of the year" Cassy whispered as Zero took his seat beside me. The others then glared at me for having that privilege but I just ignored them. Tsss, pathetic people.

"Okay. So, Ms. Snowthrie, I expect you to accompany Mr. Neville for a while until he gets used to living here" the mistress said and left. Why the fuck would she give me this responsibility.

"Uh oh. Someone's really dead"

"Shut up. You'll joining me"

"Nah ah"

+

We are currently eating our lunch when Cassy drop her utensils and looked at me.

"Okay, speak" I was confused as to what she's asking.

"Speak what?"

"About your seat mate?" I'm seeing that malicious smirk from her again.

"What should I tell you about him? Besides being my seat mate, there's nothing more. I haven't even had a conversation with him. All I know is that he is Zero Alexander Neville and nothing else"

"Ugh! You could've asked him about his personal life during our small breaks!"

"I didn't know that you are interested of him"

"Tsss. I am not romantically interested but I'm just curious about you"

"Me?"

"Yes"

"Why?"

"Because you do not like it when a guy sit beside you so it really amazes me how you agreed for Zero to sit beside you"

"I never agreed. I did not say anything"

"Well, why didn't you oppose then?"

"Who can say no to the mistress?" I asked.

"You?"

"Tsss" I shook my head and took the last spoon of my food. I also do not know why I did not say no. I can usually say "no" to the mistress if she's making me do something that I do not like and I don't approve off. But, I just got distracted by the new comer that's why I failed to say no. The moment he entered the room, you can already see something different. All his moves are calculated. He's stiff and it feels like he's a robot. It also feels like all of his movements were properly timed. He does not move any time he wants. I've been observing him and I don't know if he knows that I am observing him but it really feels weird observing him. I should really stop keeping an eye to Zero because it may make him uncomfortable.

Cassy's busy with her phone as we wait for our next class when the subject of our conversation came and approached us. He's holding one strap of his bag with one hand and the other is in his pocket. Cassy looked at me and I just shrugged. Without any word, he handed a white envelope to me. I eyed him curiously as he keeps staring at me without saying a word.

"Ah, Hera. I think he wants you to read what's inside" Zero and I kept staring to each other so Cassy snatched the envelope from Zero. "It's from the mistress"

"And?"

"It says here that you and Zero are both excused from your afternoon classes so you need to tour Zero around the campus for the rest of the day to make him familiarize his self more"

"Why should I do that?" I asked, still looking at Zero.

"Well, you will not be beside him for 24 hours so it does makes sense why the mistress wants you to do such" she said, throwing the letter to me. "So, I guess, I need to excuse myself. I'm going to be late if I won't leave. Enjoy your voyage"

I took a deep breath and stood. Zero's patiently waiting for me as he boringly waited for me to fix my things.

"Stop staring at me"

"I wasn't staring"

"You were"

"There's a difference between staring and just looking"

"Then stop just looking at me"

"I was not looking at you too" I frowned.

"Well, your eyes are on me"

"My eyes are maybe directed to you but it doesn't mean that I am really looking at you"

"It doesn't make sense"

"It does. Have you ever heard of hearing but not listening? That's what I'm doing" he explained.

"Whatever"

I walked to the exit of the cafeteria and he followed behind. I am still at daze from what he told me earlier. It made me think about how he's doing that or is it even possible to do that? Ugh! He just made me curious. And I am already doing it unconsciously but it just made my head hurts. Messing with the eyes is not a good idea. Damn. That made me dizzy. Why did I even tried doing it? I don't even know if it's possible. Tsss.

"Where should we start?" I sighed. Looking to my left and right. Contemplating where to start.

"Right" Zero said and started walking towards the right. I followed him and since he's getting too much attention from the students and the teachers, I tried to put a distance between us but he seems to notice it because he halts and waits for me. "You're uncomfortable" he commented while looking straight ahead. "You're uncomfortable being with someone new"

"Well, don't you get uncomfortable if you're with a stranger?" I asked.

"I'm Zero. You're Hera. We're not strangers to each other"

"Knowing your name does not mean that I already know your story. Same thing, hearing is different from listening"

"Finally, you understood it" my jaw dropped as I saw him smirk at me. Did he just... I shook my head and followed him. He's really weird! I swear!

"Scylian High School is one of the biggest and most luxurious boarding school so expect advance technologies in our buildings"

"Like?"

"Our library uses face scan. As soon as you enter the library, it will automatically scan your face and it will be put to record that you're in the library from this time to that time on this day and at this area. So, if you go missing or absent from your class, they'll know where you went or where you are. Scylian is a boarding school and no student is allowed to go out of the premises during weekdays so yeah, they kinda monitor their students that way and you may find it weird and uncomfortable but, you'll get use to it"

"I am being monitored since I was born"

"What?"

"Nothing"

"Anyway, this is the Science Building. We have 6 lecture rooms and laboratory rooms inside. One is alloted for the chemistry department, the biggest as they deal with a lot of chemicals so they decided to separated the laboratory for Chemistry" I started walking again but Zero did not follow me. He remained rooted in front of the Science Building as he kept staring at it. So I went back to tap him on his shoulder. "Do you like Science?"

"Don't you?"

"Physics" I answered. "You?"

"Chemistry" I nodded.

"Well, we do have chemistry classes so you'll be stepping inside that building soon but we need to finish your orientation first" I said. He then started walking away so I followed him.

"How do they conduct chemistry classes? Do you perform experiments?"

"Well, we do perform experiments but not the experiments that uses dangerous chemicals or they do not let us create a cure for cancer, just the simple. It's usually composed of lectures by your boring chemistry lecturers. So, yeah"

"How about physics?" he asked.

"Physics is easy. The usual though but I enjoy it more than chemistry" I answered.

"You're a science enthusiast" he commented.

"We all are scientists" I said.

"That's not what I'm saying" he answered and I just shrugged.

"This is the Mathematics Building"

"What's in their?"

"Geometry? It's more like a storage building for all Mathematical materials"

"This is my first time hearing that"

"Well, we kinda call it Mathematical materials because it's full of geometrical shapes, different measuring devices and anything that you need for math. It also has lecture rooms and 2 laboratory rooms"

"Why does each buildings has lecture rooms when in fact you have your own classrooms?" he asked.

"Teachers are sometimes lazy and do not want to carry heavy equipment to the classroom for their classes so they sometimes we just go here. This is the English and Arts building, by the way. It is bigger than the last two buildings because it has lecture rooms, the library and it is where the club rooms are located. By the way, you need to choose your own club, ASAP"

"Chemistry"

"Hmmm. Science Club"

"Chemistry"

"Well, what we have is the Science Club and it's subdivided into divisions such us chemistry division, physics division etc. So, it's the Science Club"

"How about you?" he asked.

"Physics Division" he then nodded. We continued going around the campus and there are a lot less students around because the afternoon classes already started so there is lesser attention. I took him to the different buildings and told him what's inside and where the administration and guidance office is located so incase he needed some help, he can just go to them without asking me to go with him. It's passed three in the afternoon when we finished our voyage so I invited him to spend the rest of our afternoon at the Astburn Yard - the Scylian Park. It has concrete tables and benches and it is near the Northsey Woods so fresh and cool air surrounds the atmosphere.

"What's in there?" I looked at him and saw him looking at the woods.

"The Northsey Woods"

"What's in there?"

"Ah, woods?"

"You've never been there?" he asked.

"Well, I never thought of going in there" I answered. He nodded and stood and made his way to the woods so I ran after him to stop him.

"Okay. I think I also need to orient you about the Student's Code of Conduct and one of the rules is to never enter the Northsey Woods"

"Why?"

"Because they say it's dangerous"

"There's only one way to find out" Zero's a lot taller and stronger than me so he's able to get away from my grip so I had no choice but to follow him. No one will see us because the afternoon classes are ongoing and I don't see any guards around plus, students never enter this place, well, except for Zero who's defying gravity right now.

There's an eerie silent in the woods. The slow rustling of leaves and the dancing of the trees by the invisible wind is the only thing you can hear. There are no animals, insects or whatever sounds. It's totally empty. In short, it is not habituated by animals or insects and even birds. It's my first time seeing a forest like this.

"I think we should go back" I said. I maybe a bad ass daughter of Johanson Snowthrie but I don't want to die. He ignored me and continued walking as if he's just strolling around a park. I can barely see the entrance so I decided to just follow behind him. "What do you want to find here, Zero?" I asked.

"How big this is?"

"I can just provide you information, it's in the school's directory" I said.

"I prefer to do it this way" I shut my mouth as I cannot argue with him anymore. I'll just have to pull him out if I sense danger. As we went deeper to the woods, I can already feel a weird feeling. It's as if someone is watching us... it's as if there are eyes everywhere that's silently watching all our steps. I looked around the area and saw no one. The forest is empty that's why I don't understand this feeling at all. It's making me think that the Northsey Woods is not empty after all. I looked at Zero but he seems not to feel anything so I tried to ignore it but my instincts are stronger than me.

"We should really go back, Zero"

"Why?"

"It feels like someone is watching us" he instantly stop when I said that. I can see him taking deep breaths as he scanned the whole place too.

"You're right. This place is dangerous" he said. He then took my hand and drag me out of the woods. I stand in front of him as he stare in front.

"What were you trying find, Zero?"

"I'm not trying to find something"

"It looks like you were looking for something"

"I am not looking for something"

"Then can you explain why you entered the woods?"

"I already told you why"

"Zero! You cannot just enter that place without any valid reason and the one you gave me is illogical" and that's when he looked at me.

"So, you already entered that place" he stared at me. I swallowed the lump in my throat as it feels like I am being interrogated for doing something.

"I... I never entered the woods" I defended.

"You are an intelligent person but you can never lie to me. So, tell me, Hera. What's your valid reason for entering that place probably 1 or 2 years ago?" he left me dumbfounded and unable to answer. He then left me, staring at the woods.

He's right. I have entered the woods 2 years ago, three or four times even. When I entered Scylian High School in my sophomore, I tried to ignore it but it kept happening over and over again. I kept seeing men in tux that are high armed in the woods so I tried to follow one of them but they disappear the instant I step my foot inside the woods. The Phantoms of the Woods. There are also a lot of reports by students that they had also been seeing these men but the school never did anything. They always tell us not to enter the woods as it is a dangerous place so I got more curious about those men in tux with guns wrapped around their body. The mistress found out that I kept entering the woods so she warned to never do that again. But I never stopped until one day, they found a corpse of an unidentified woman. A rumor circulated the whole school saying that she's not a student and she's not from Scylian High School. No one then dared to enter the Northsey Woods.

"So, how was your day with Zero?" I am lying comfortably on my bed when Cassy entered our room. I decided to just rest after that weird conversation with Zero. I did not see him when I was on my way here so he really did left me after that.

"What did our Science teacher said?" I asked. He always have a hidden agenda towards me. He's always angry. Well, he loves to embarrass me in front of the class by asking questions from future topics but he always fail as I always read topics in advance just in case.

"He just looked for you but the mistress came and told him about your and Zero's absence from his class. He never mentioned you from then on"

"He really hates me"

"Well, you're the only student who stood up against him so he must really hate you. But, you did not answer my question yet"

"What question?"

"How was your day with Zero?"

"He's weird"

"And so are you. I find it very amusing though"

"Why?" I asked. Snatching a piece of bread from her plate.

"Because the mistress paired the two of the weirdest students in the campus"

"Was that supposed to be a joke?"

"Nope. I'm serious" I shook my head as she is being sarcastic right now and I hate that about her.

"But seriously, don't you find him weird? I mean, something's off about him"

"Hera, it's normal to feel weird towards a stranger. Did you not told me that I am weird the first time you met me?"

"Yeah but, did you not notice something peculiar about him?"

"There's nothing wrong with him, Hera"

"The way he moves"

"What about it?"

"It's as if it's calculated. He's very stiff when he moves"

"You mean like a robot?"

"Exactly!"

"You've become weirder now that you've said that"

"I'm serious!"

"Oh! And I'm serious too. Now, get up and come join me for dinner because I'm already starving" I gave up. She seems to not notice anything peculiar about the new comer but I will keep an eye to him. "By the way, from which school did he came from?" Cassy asked but I just looked at her. "You didn't ask, did you?"

"No"

"Tsss. See. that's weird. It's a normal question for a transferee"

"I got distracted, okay?"

"And what exactly distracted you?"

"Zero"

"OMG! Do you like him?"

"what?! Of course not!"

"Then why was he able to distract you?" she asked with those scrutinizing eyes.

"We went inside the woods" I said, which shocked her.

"You did what?!"

"We went inside the woods"

"What?! The mistress already warned you about entering Northsey! What were you thinking again, Hera? And you brought Zero with you?"

"I did not invite him. He was actually the one who entered the woods. I just followed him" she seems not to buy my story so I know that I had to explain. "We were at the Scylian Park when he asked me what's inside the woods. I told him it's dangerous but he ignored me and went inside, I just followed him"

"Are you sure that you did not tell him about the Phantoms?" she asked.

"Yes. Why would I tell him that?"

"Well, that's the only reason I can think of"

"Why would you think of that?"

"Well, maybe he saw one that's why he asked you what's inside" and that hit me. It is possible that he saw one but I saw nothing aside from the feeling of being watched. He maybe saw something. But, what did he saw?

***

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