CHAPTER NINE

Kelvin and Ryan were heading out, with Ryan animatedly recounting the previous night's events.

"I mean, where did you learn how to fight like that? You were all 'die, die, die,' and that monster—what was it called again? Dzetro—was like, 'I won't die.' Man, it was insane. What are you, some monster hunter? Wait, are you a Witcher, like in that movie? Or an angel? I'm confused. And where did that sword suddenly appear from—"

"IT'S TIME FOR ASSEMBLY," the siren wailed, cutting off Ryan's barrage of questions.

At assembly, the usual buzz of chatter filled the air, but today it was more intense; something significant had happened. Kelvin leaned toward a classmate. "What's all the fuss about?"

"They're saying some girl was found dead last night. I think her name was..."

"Jessica," Kelvin, Ryan, and the boy said simultaneously.

Suddenly, the place fell silent as the headmaster stepped forward to speak.

"I would say good morning to you as usual, but this is not a good morning," he began. "Last night, a tragic event befell our school; we lost a student. She was sick and was sent to the hospital, but they were unable to save her."

The crowd began to murmur again.

"She wasn't sick. I heard they found her dead in the school," someone whispered nearby.

Kelvin's stomach tightened. Rumors always swirled in situations like this, each more distorted than the last. The school administration often altered stories to keep the media and parents at bay.

"We will hold a pre-burial service for her. Some teachers and students will be selected to attend her funeral. May her soul rest in peace." With that, the crowd dispersed.

Jessica's death lingered on everyone's lips throughout the day. Within the Golden Circle, the tragedy had struck deeply. Even Kelvin found himself at a loss for words.

Days passed, and the school gradually returned to its routine. The Golden Circle convened once more, this time with Kelvin and Ryan present.

"I'm sorry I didn't come in time to save her," Kelvin apologized, his voice heavy with regret.

The room remained silent for a moment before Ryan spoke up. "That's why we've decided to join you, to become members of the Golden Circle."

"Wow, so it took one of us dying for you to see that we were on the same side?" Stephen asked.

"And what do you have to offer?" Emilia asked Ryan, her tone measured.

"He understands a number of languages, which we need to decipher the book with the answers. I don't know why Jessica reacted the way she did to the book, but I know I didn't react when I held it. So, for now, I'm supposing I'm the only one who can hold it," Kelvin interjected on Ryan's behalf.

A heavy silence settled over the group. Everyone tried to maintain a brave front, but the pain and sorrow were evident, especially the simmering resentment toward Stephen for his pride, which had delayed Kelvin's involvement.

"Welcome to the Golden Circle," Stephen said, attempting to sound authoritative.

Emilia scoffed, unable to contain her disdain. "He has the audacity to speak."

"Excuse me?" Stephen's eyes narrowed.

"Excuse you?!" Emilia's voice rose, her anger barely restrained.

"Emilia," Victor interjected, trying to calm her down.

"No, this asshole is the reason she's dead. If he had put his pride aside and asked Kelvin nicely and reasonably, maybe—just maybe—she would still be alive."

"Me?! No, don't lay this all on me. If there's anyone to be blamed, it's Kelvin, who did not show up in time. If he'd just come with me, maybe we would still have her amongst us," Stephen fired back, his face flushed with anger. Emilia fumed like a bomb about to explode.

"Your pride and inability to make the right decision render you unfit for leadership. That's why I call for a vote..." Emilia's voice was calmer now but filled with contempt and bitterness.Everyone was shocked,they didn't see this coming.

"Emilia, what are you doing? Look, I'm sorry..." Stephen's tone shifted, a hint of desperation creeping in.

"I vote Kelvin. Those against, say 'nay,'" Emilia continued, ignoring Stephen.

"Nay. This is not a democracy. He just arrived; he doesn't know how we do things. We still don't know if we can trust him," Stephen argued, looking around for support.

But apart from Stephen, no one said anything.

"Karma's a bitch, isn't she? Stephen, I hereby relieve you of your position as the leader of this group and place it on—" She turned to Kelvin.

"No, I'm not here to lead, just to get answers and help," Kelvin objected, raising his hands defensively.

"And you can help by leading," Emilia insisted, her eyes locking onto his.

"No, I call for a vote to make Emilia leader. All in favor, raise your hands," Kelvin said, looking around the room.

No hands went up.

"Well, I guess that makes you our leader," Emilia said, a faint smile playing on her lips.

Kelvin was about to object, but Ryan pulled him aside, whispering urgently, "This is a blessing in disguise. Take it, and you can reject it later. Look, you asked me to have your back; now this is what I'm advising."

"Okay, so let's say I accepted, how does this work?" Kelvin asked, turning back to the group.

"Normally, we would teach you how to fight, but it seems like you've got that covered," Emilia replied, her tone lightening.

"Wait, what?" Kelvin looked puzzled.

"You defeated a monster none of us have ever seen before. We may be able to fight, but we've never put it to use because we've never met, well... anything yet. And you show up for the first time, moving like some ninja or, for lack of a better word, 'Demon Slayer.'" Cynthia highlighted.

"I don't even know how I did that," Kelvin admitted, rubbing the back of his neck.

"What do you mean?" Emilia's asked confused.

"I mean, my body just reacted," Kelvin explained, shrugging.

"He'll figure it out." Ryan interjected on Kelvin's behalf.

"That aside, what's next?" Emilia asked, steering the conversation back on track.

"Yeah,emmm,we can start with that book..." Kelvin said, retrieving it from his bag. "Now, Ryan, without touching it, can you tell me what it says?"

Everyone, even Stephen, gathered around, curiosity piqued.

"Clera's Diary," Ryan read aloud.

"Wait, I don't see anything," Victor said, squinting at the pages.

"Then open your eyes," Ryan retorted, rolling his eyes.

"No, I'm serious," Victor insisted, looking bewildered.

"Yeah, me too. I don't see anything," Cynthia added, leaning in closer.

"Wait, Clera's Diary? How and why would Clera write a diary that, interestingly, only this guy can read and only Kelvin can touch?" Stephen asked, suspicion lacing his voice.

"You should be telling us. You said you knew her. Why do you think she would do this?" Emilia shot back, crossing her arms.

"I didn't necessarily know her. She came a while before I landed here," Stephen confessed, avoiding eye contact.

"Wait, what???" Victor, Nora, and Emilia exclaimed in unison.

"Guys, use your heads. This is not the time. Obviously, she didn't want it to get into the wrong hands, and if she was-"

Kelvin's mind raced as he processed the implications of the diary's complexity. Clera had clearly taken great measures to protect its contents, ensuring that only specific individuals could access its secrets. But why Ryan and him? What connection did they share with Clera?

Emilia broke the silence, her voice tinged with urgency. "We need to decipher this diary as soon as possible. If Clera went to such lengths to safeguard it, that means the information inside must be crucial."

"We can't let our guard down, Ryan,look for any protection spell first,Jessica's death is a stark reminder of the dangers lurking around us."Emilia said.

Kelvin agreed. "You're right. We can't afford to be another casualty. I and Ryan will look through the book for anything we can use to protect this place, there must be a clue in here of how to defeat all this monstrosities"

As the group delved into planning, Kelvin couldn't shake the feeling that they were on the brink of uncovering something monumental. The diary held answers, but it also posed new questions. What had Clera discovered that was so vital? And how did it tie into the recent events at the school?

Determined to honor Jessica's memory and protect his friends, Kelvin resolved to lead the Golden Circle with unwavering resolve. The path ahead was filled with uncertainty, but together, they would face whatever challenges awaited them.

Suddenly a group of people in red cloaks entered the library.

"Not this idiots again" Victor sighed

Their leader stepped forward,

"We will be taking that book "