Intruders

Krain's POV

"A battle between sections."

Whispers of questions and comments prevails after the announcement of the class battle between the strongest students from each section.

"The winner will indulge in a vacation outside Quintessence."

Outside Quintessence? What's in it for me?

"Morgan, I need to have a word with you," Miss Beni said when the bell rang. All the students went out, leaving the two of us.

"When was the last time you saw Nashin Laurel of Guerreier?"

When he learned that I wasn't the real Chimsy Morgan. "The night of the acquaintance party, that was the last time I saw him."

"That was months ago. Haven't you seen him recently?" I shake my head. "Can you do something for me?"

After dinner, I volunteered to wash the dishes. Ember is not feeling well so she sleeps early. I wore my cloak after finishing my chores. I went out of the window and silently went to Nashin's house.

'It was a month ago when he last reported to us. Even on his scheduled lectures and trainings, he didn't show up. Even his sister doesn't know his whereabouts.'

'It could be dangerous but I need you to find him. As soon as possible.'

I knocked on the door but no one answered. I tried unlocking the doorknob, but it is not locked. I let my eyes roam around the room, looking out for unexpected things. I find it suspicious since the door was left open.

'Why me?'

Miss Beni stared at me. 'You are the only person that Sir Clinton trusts aside from Nashin. You have the power and our trust. That's why it is you.'

"Nashin?"

I looked around the house. No signs of any presence. I explored the rooms and saw an open book in his coffee table. I read the first line which left me in total shock.

'March, 28. The headmistress Sophia died last week and now, Fenanie is nowhere to be found. It was said to be a natural death but we know it isn't. I left Hura with headmistress Sophia so she saw how she died.. in the hands of a Guerrerian. I don't want to cause chaos in my regime, but I'll uncover the truth in the right time.

I flipped the other pages and saw the different dates and writings. It is a diary. Who's diary is this and why is this here?

I closed it and in the cover page is an embroidered name. 'Xhora'

This must belong to Xhora. Miss Xhora Chambers? If Nashin read this, then this must be the reason why he disappeared. He must've went to Guerreier to confirm things, mustn't he?

I took the diary and hid it inside my cloak. I used the same way where I went out and immediately took off the cloak upon entering my room. Just after closing my closet, my door opened.

"Ember," I blurted in surprise. "Do you.. need something?"

"I felt a presence outside," she informed. "Shoulde we check on it?"

That was me.

"Just a by passer, maybe."

She nodded slowly, accepting my reason.

"Yeah, maybe."

She gave me a smile before leaving. I made sure to lock my door and window before taking out the diary. I flipped it open to the page that I last saw.

If my hunch is right, Nashin is in Guerreier right now. But what if... something happened to him outside Quintessence?

I shouldn't believe in a diary. What if other people made this? What if it is made to lure and make trouble?

"But what if it is real?"

I shake my head. I just need to confirm if he went out of Quintessence. I need to see him.

"Our section will win, Chimsy. We have to win."

I look at Chiena who is swirling her the chain in her hand. It has a stylet in the end so she is able to cut the small branches of a tree from a distance.

"You're good at it," I commented.

"We will win, Chimsy," she repeated. She stopped what she's doing and faced us. "A week vacation outside of Quintessence... we have to win for that prize."

So she wants to go home.

I stopped the urge to ask her as to where she will go if we ever win.

"Five sections will participate in the battle."

I nodded. "One on one. It means each of us have four fights. The section with most win will be the winner."

Chiena throw her chain in the air and grabbed it in a swift move.

"We have to win. We weill win."

I can go out of Quintessence if we'll win. I could look for Nashin.

We need to win.

I focus on my trainings for the next few weeks. I only went home to Euxilla to sleep so I seldomly see Ember. I don't even see Neym around, so as Draceline and Fries.

"Ouch," I mumbled when my back hit the tree when I run away from Chiena's attack.

"Are you good?" Chiena shouted from the opposite side of the field.

I showed her a thumbs up and lifted myself up but to no avail. I ended up falling in the ground again when I felt a pain in my foot.

"I'll help you," Snyp offered. He turned his back on me and kneel. He tapped his shoulder, motioning me to ride on his back which I forcefully comply to.

"We told you to rest, you are hardheaded," said Winha, a Hatianian. She has bruises in her legs and a bandage in her arm. She's also training non-stop.

"How good are the other sections?" Winton asked out of nowhere. "If we are strong, maybe they are stronger?" He asked while playing with the ant in his hand.

"I thought you sent a spy on other contestants?" Winha asked while helping me to sit.

"Have you seen any of the birds flying back at me? They don't love me, they didn't come back for me," he dramatically complained. "Get one and pass," he ordered as he handed us a bag of chocolate.

"I hate how the history lectures stopped," Winha said while chewing.

"There's no update. Is everyone busy? Even the higher ranking students are nowhere to be found."

"I heard the higher ranking students are having special classes, following the death of the Dauthinian," Snyp inserted while his hands are healing my foot. "But what's piquing my interest is the person who identified the corpse as a Dauthinian. How did they say that it is a Dauthinian when it was already dead when they found it?"

I focused my attention to Snyp. If I only have the ability to read minds...

"Are you doubting them?" Chiena asked seriously so I look at her. She seems so invested on what Snyp is saying.

"I doubt the person who identified the corpse," he answered. "Does that person know the Dauthinian person? How did he or she knows that it was a Dauthinian? Could it be..."

"Could it be what?" Winton asked, being interested on the topic.

Snyp look up and looked straight into my eyes.

"Could it be the person who identified the corpse... who is the reason why the Dauthinian died?"

Silence enveloped us. He isn't being suspicious of me, is he?

"You're overthinking so much, Snyp," Winha commented, breaking the silence. "Our training is exhausting as it is, don't add up to our worries."

"Do you think I'm overthinking?" Snyp asked me, maintaining eye contact.

I think he knows something he shouldn't know.

"Yes," I answered before standing up. "Let's call it a day."

They all agreed so we went back to the village together.

"Snyp, can you check if we will win the battle?" Winton ordered.

Snyp has the ability to see the future so Winton is asking such thing. He always does that, like asking Snyp about the menu in the cafeteria for the follow day or if the processed foods in mall will be restocked next week.

"We'll lose," he answered directly, garnering a sigh from all of us.

"You shouldn't have said that," Winton said sadly.

"You shouldn't have asked in the first place," Chiena replied. "But that future may change, right?"

Snyp shook his head. "Nothing changes in the future that I saw. The predictions I saw are always accurate. No matter what, it will happen."

How far is the future that he sees?

"Bye, Chimsy!"

I waved goodbye to Chiena as she took a different road with Winton and Winha. It is only me and Snyp who are walking towards our respective houses.

"Can you see everything that will happen in the future?"

He nodded. "I can see what will happen but not the face of the person involved. I know something will happen but I can't tell whom it will happen."

"Can you see the..." I took a deep breath. "The future of Quintessence?"

He halted, so I did too. He dropped his gaze in his hands. A few seconds have passed before he looked at me.

"I can see it," he said in a whisper. "But I can't tell you nor anyone."

Is he seeing an unpleasant future?

"It wouldn't change even if we knew what will happen. It never changes. It never will," he said before leaving me.

I just look at his back until he disappeared. I continued walking while my mind is in the air. I just realized that I am already in front of Euxilla.

I turned my back to look at our neighboring house, Ouricia.

Isn't he coming back?

"Chimsy."

I smiled upon seeing Ember. She's bringing a book and a dagger, probably directly from training.

"I didn't see the person who's living there. Did he transfer?"

I didn't answer. I don't know what to say. I remained standing there so she heads in first.

The next days are full of trainings. I usually got home so late so I just set up a tent outside. In that way, I will not be disturbing Ember's sleep. In this way, I would be able to tell if Nashin comes back.

"Are you waiting for him?"

"Ember," I said when she appeared beside me, holding two cups of hot chocolate. She sit beside me and looked at the house in front of us.

"You've been camping here for weeks. Are you waiting for him?" She asked again.

"No," I denied. "I have no reason to wait for him."

It is my mission to look for Nashin and bring him back here. Aside from that, I have no other reason to wait for him. I just need to accomplish my mission.

"Aren't you afraid of him?" She asked as she handed me a cup of hot chocolate. "I heard he is so strong. Plus, he is a prince from Guerreier. He's not ordinary."

I remained silent. I don't want to answer it.

"Right. Some outsiders were caught yesterday. It was said that they entered Quintessence to confirm something and end up hiding in the forest."

I have a hunch that they are confirming if the educational system in Quintessence changed.

"Based on the report, they've been coming here for a while now. They were brought to the headquarters for their punishment."

The wind blew weirdly. We both positioned our back on each other as we pay attention to the surrounding. When I see nothing suspicious, I closed my eyes and listened to the surrounding.

"There!" I shouted as I threw a sharp ice in the direction where the noise came from.

Ember runs ahead and I follow her. We saw a bird in the ground with its left wings that is covered by ice.

"Messenger bird of Quintessence," Ember whispered so I melted the ice. She took a small paper that is strapped in the bird's leg and let go of the bird.

"A mission to escort the intruders.." she read. We both looked at each other. "Mission?"

I nodded. "Are you aware that Quintessence is sending students to missions?"

She nodded. "Our names are here so it means this mission is meant for us."

"Is there a date and time as to when we'll do the mission?"

"It says," she reads it. "Now."

We went inside and took our cloak. The letter indicated that we should be unrecognizable. We need to cover up and show not a part of our faces.

"We'll be escorting intruders. It would be safer this way."

Right. It would be best for them to not know our faces so there would be no hard feelings or awkwardness if we ever meet in the Capitel.

"Thank you for acting upon short notice," Sir Clinton said when we entered the headquarters. I put down the hood of my cloak.

"You are putting newbies on mission again," I complained.

"Hello, Ember," he said, ignoring what I said. "The ena and thio are on their long-term missions. Tria are not yet ready for missions."

"The third rank are not ready so you're sending us, the fourth rank in the mission? Does it make sense?"

He is overestimating us.

"These are the people that you'll bring to the boarder of Quintessence. A van from Capitel is waiting for them."

We arranged our cloak before facing them. Three girls who are about Chiena's age and a boy who looks like seven years old.

"You may take your leave," Sir Clinton directed.

We let them walk first. Ember motioned me to go in front but I didn't move so she went in front instead.

"Isn't it unfair?" The girl with a curly hair mumbled. "You people who belong in Quintessence indulge in luxury while normal people who were born without power or ability are treated like weeds, unwanted and of no use."

I look at her back. She's fiercely walking. I clearly saw how her hands formed into fists and the sudden heaviness in her every step.

"Do you know why we trespass, knowing that we'll be punished if we do so?" She asked. "Because we are looked down by the people of Epiliar just because we are powerless. At least, if we succeed in intruding, it means we are powerless but we are not weak."

Like what Sir Clinton said, a van is waiting in the main gate of Quintessence. Outside it is a man in white, waiting for us. The children bowed at him so I give Ember a questioning look.

"The president of Prosaic," she whispered.

Prosaic, the district for normal people. Those who are born with no power.

"Please excuse these children for their sin. I take full responsibility of their actions and will proceed with the legal punishment, in the name of Prosaic."

Fear is visible in the children's eyes. The three hide behind the girl who speaks earlier.

"Papa.."

The man bowed back at us and guided the children to the van. But before leaving, the boy run towards me.

"I'm sorry," he whispered and handed me a necklace with white capsule pendant. He run back to the van without looking back.

'Don't get involved with them, Krace. It'll ruin you.'

Ember started walking back so I followed her. I was just looking intently at her back, thinking about her thoughts.

Is she talking to someone?

Isn't she talking to herself in her mind?

I stopped walking and lower my cloak.

"Krace," I mentioned, making her stop. "Have you heard that name before?" I pretend to ask.

She faced me and lowered her cloak too.

"No," she said innocently. "Why are you asking? Do you know someone with that name?"

Liar.

She's hiding something. It means I couldn't trust her either.

"Nope. It just randomly pops out of my mind. Doesn't it sound cool? Krace."

She smiled and left me there so I walked too. I tried to keep her within my range so I could hear her voice.

'She shouldn't know Krace.'

She's indeed, hiding something.

Ember Whittle...

...