September

After our classes ended, I attempted to look up information about September. It seemed as though she had vanished into thin air, leaving me with nothing but empty space.

You know, if I had the team with me on this, I'm fairly certain my chances of getting seriously injured by her would be reduced. I searched high and low, exploring the lobbies and scanning the stairs, but she eluded me.

As I descended the stairs, I caught sight of a familiar form or perhaps a resemblance, although the countenance was far from what I expected. Intrigued, I couldn't help but keep my gaze fixed upon it. After inspecting the stairs, I noticed that the cafeteria seemed to be the least popular destination among people.

This seems to be the right place.

I entered the cafeteria and began scanning the room, shifting my gaze from one side to the other until I spotted her, calmly seated at a table.

Indeed, simply sitting there.

This time, though, my approach towards her was noticeably more leisurely—approximately two inches per step. I didn't want to alarm her, but I also didn't want her to intimidate me and ultimately harm me.

But then she locked eyes with me, and they were filled with animosity. She gave me a piercing look, her expression on the verge of amusement, yet her face remained still.

She lowered her gaze, chuckling softly, and then she glanced at me with a dismissive look. She continued to laugh, but the last one had a rougher tone, like the sound of a charging animal.

There was a hushed stillness, a brief pause as she gazed blankly at the workspace.

However, she aggressively lunged towards me, gripping my throat tightly and forcefully pressing me against the wall. I could feel my throat tightening and my body trembling slightly.

"What brings you to this place?" she inquired with a harsh and commanding tone. "What brings you to this place?"

"I have something important to tell you!" I pleaded, attempting to free myself from her grasp, but she only tightened her grip, causing my breathing to become even more constricted.

"You silly little clueless child," she said. "You clearly weren't paying attention to my previous statement, were you?"

"I did," I replied. "I have a situation that could — " she interrupted herself, and soon enough, my body was thrashing about, my legs desperately trying to escape as they slid across the floor.

My pipes began to compress and contort, while each breath became increasingly difficult and agonizing to take.

"This is what happens when you disregard instructions, young one," she said, with a smile that grew wider, revealing her gleaming teeth. Her eyes turned red and she began to shake me, her laughter taking on a menacing tone.

Then she struck me with a powerful blow to the side of my face, causing me to collapse to the ground, struggling to catch my breath. She looked down at me, chuckling and grinning with her eyes noticeably bloodshot.

"September," I stammered weakly. "I have a suggestion that may help us avoid being blacklisted."

She looked down at me with a tilted head, wearing a smile that seemed permanently etched onto her face. Without warning, she grabbed me by the collar of my shirt and then gently guided me to sit down.

"Alright, go ahead and share your idea," she said.

I let out a deep breath. "Okay, hear me out, I was considering that we proceed with the mission — "

I began to cough, and my throat started to feel irritated. September gave me a concerned look, which I actually appreciated.

"— ourselves, and based on our achievement, he'll probably revoke the blacklist," I said, struggling to catch my breath.

She let out a weary sigh and took a seat, her eyes slowly returning to their usual color, no longer reflecting her insatiable hunger. "That would simply result in us being expelled."

"But why not take a chance?" I exclaimed. "We can prove our worth as official government agent mages, considering this is our inaugural mission."

I let out a weary sigh as I settled down next to September, my unease lingering from her previous unpredictable behavior.

"I didn't do well on my first test — yes, I know — so they informed me that it was unlikely for me to receive any missions until I took another test the following year. But I was okay with that." The main reason I'm doing this is because of all of you. I deeply regret the impact my error had on your lives, and I am determined to make amends," I stated.

She glanced in my direction and chuckled. "Sure, I suppose you have a valid point. What's the harm in trying?"

I made a gesture. "For some mysterious reason, you were incredibly hard to find. At one point, I thought I spotted you in the lobby, but upon closer inspection, the person's face didn't match yours. So, I decided to leave."

Suddenly, September's eyes grew wide as she glanced in my direction. She quickly surveyed her surroundings before looking back at me.

"Alright, please go under the table now," she requested, scanning her surroundings.

She retrieved her wand and began inspecting the walls of the cafeteria.

What was going on?

Was this meant to be humorous in any way?

But suddenly, I heard the sound of a scuffle coming from behind me. I trembled with fear and had no choice but to dash outside and investigate. Also, when I emerged, a wave of surprise washed over my face. I witnessed September and the other individual engaged in a heated altercation, with her hurling severe calamities at their opponent. Without warning, the person forcefully pushed September away and swiftly attempted to stand up. However, September swiftly extended her leg as she initiated the takedown, resulting in a forceful collision with the other person, causing them both to fall to the ground.

"Release your grip!" yelled the person, who was currently raising their voice.

September tightly gripped her neck, applying increasing pressure that caused her to grimace and struggle to breathe. Her arms flailed about, and her voice sounded distorted, barely able to utter a single word. "Who do you work for?!" September exclaimed.

The person struggled to breathe, and then looked up at September with her dark eyes.

"I'm not sharing any information," she said with a chuckle that made me uneasy. "Then don't," September replied, firmly planting her head into the ground, rendering herself unconscious. I glanced at her with surprise, and September fixed her hair. "We have a clear understanding of her origin, and her intentions were undoubtedly focused on causing harm to me. I've never witnessed such a high frequency of killings this year.

Suddenly, we heard footsteps and the rest of the gathering was taken aback when they entered our presence.

"What in the world happened here?" Malachi asked, his face filled with surprise and a hint of intrigue.

"It appears that an attempt was made to harm September by impersonating her, likely in order to maintain secrecy," I stated. "Indeed, that's what she said."

"Indeed, did you inform her about the agreement?" Malachi asked.

"Yeah, I did," I replied. "I believe we have everyone present now." Tisiah then inquired about the details of the arrangement. And I found myself at a corner, mostly because I never expected to make it this far.

"Um, I'm not sure, I guess we have to come up with a design," I said. "Didn't expect all of you to agree."

"Indeed, since we have, presently we really want to perceive how we get to Britain and save Dr. Jones," Nikki said. "Is there an airport nearby?"

"Absolutely," Malachi replied. "However, I believe it is not in close proximity to this location."

"Maybe we'll consider this tomorrow," I stated. "But for now, let's focus on getting to class."