Chapter 9: Them

Zein's POV

Even before I fell, I remembered that someone was supporting me. My vision was blurry, so I didn't recognize who it was. My head also hurt. It felt like it was being split open.

"Thank god nothing bad happened to you. It's a good thing that a mysterious girl came. It's just that you might have a scar on your chest," Mia said.

I smiled at Mia. Earlier, I felt a pain in the surface of my chest, and then she made me drink a tasteless liquid, just like water.

"We made you drink an antidote. But who gave it to you?" Vanessa asked.

We looked at the door, and Nurse Cha came in when it opened. Her smile was wide but quickly disappeared when she saw the broken window. She was also surprised to see that her two patients were awake.

"Y-You're awake." She forced a smile.

"Bitch!" Vanessa whispered.

I held her hand to calm her down.

"Yes, thank you for the help, Nurse Cha," Matt said, holding back his anger.

Matt's anger was evident, but Nurse Cha didn't notice it because her smile widened.

"You are welcome. It's our duty to save lives."

I smiled sarcastically. Really? Save lives? Or kill us completely, Nurse Cha?

"I'm really impressed with you, Nurse Cha, eh." Mia came closer with a grin. "You managed to save their lives. You're amazing."

Her smile widened even more.

Is she stupid? Doesn't she feel like we're being sarcastic in praising her? Your stupidity, Nurse Cha, will ruin you. You just follow along, but in the end, your life is useless to them.

__**__

The next day, everything went back to normal. Dave and I didn't even talk about what happened. It was like they were used to it.

"Good morning, class," Sir Alvarez greeted.

No one greeted the teacher back. There was nothing good about that day either.

Sir had already started teaching. I just looked at him, and my mind wandered again.

"Look around," whispered Celine, who was next to me.

That class has a seating arrangement, so Celine Samonte is next to me. I looked around the classroom like she said.

Everyone listened silently. It was like a scene in an ordinary school. Students were studying hard to get high grades and to make their parents proud.

"Who do you think is your enemy?" Celine asked.

I looked at her. She was looking at Sir Alvarez. What kind of enemy did she say? Is there an enemy among our classmates? Who? How did she know?

"What are you saying?"

She laughed softly. She is really weird.

"You're too innocent and numb. Not everything you see is true. Not everything you know is true. Not all your friends are your friends. In the end, they will still think for themselves."

She looked at me. I don't know why I lowered my head and looked away from her. She was right. In this hell, it's hard to trust.

"In every innocent smile, there's a secret hidden; don't hug anyone too tightly because you don't know who's holding the knife. You'll soon realize you're already bleeding."

I wanted to cover my ears, but my hands wouldn't move. I don't want to think that my friends will leave me when I need help, and I don't want to break my trust in them.

"You, Zein? Can you abandon your friends to save yourself?"

Celine's words caught me off guard. I didn't realize I stood up.

"Yes, Miss Shion?" Sir Alvarez asked.

"May I go out, Sir?" I left the classroom before Sir Alvarez could answer.

I walked to the bathroom. I leaned my hands on the sink, panting. My knees were also weak. No. I won't abandon my friends. I'm dying, but I won't leave them. I know they won't abandon me either.

I washed my hands before leaving. I didn't want to go back to class. I also didn't want to see Celine because I was terrified of her.

I went to the gymnasium. I knew no one was there so that no one would see me. I was about to enter when someone bumped into me.

I faced her. My forehead furrowed when I recognized the girl Matt, and I had bumped into the other day. She was so scared that she ran away.

"W-Why?"

The woman didn't speak. She suddenly started crying. That's when I noticed her appearance: her hair was messy, and her blouse was rumpled. She moaned but didn't open her mouth. She was also shaking with fear as if she wanted to tell me something.

"Hey, are you okay?" I asked worriedly, holding her arm to calm her down.

The woman shook her head.

"Why don't you talk? Is someone chasing you?"

She wiped her eyes before running away. She looked around as if she was hiding something.

"Wait a minute!" I chased her, but she suddenly fell down before I could get close. My eyes widened in shock and fear.

I slowly approached the woman. My eyes widened, and I covered my mouth when I saw her tongue sticking out with a nail mark. The hot iron burned it, and blood was sizzling from the neck where a nail had been driven in.

"Help! Help!"

She was breathing very hard, and her eyes were almost popping out. She wanted to say something, but no sound came out of her mouth. She was shaking.

"Zein!" it was Matt's voice.

"OH MY GOD!" Dave said.

Matt and Dave pulled me away from the lifeless woman. Her eyes were wide open as if she was staring at me and pointing her finger. What did she want to say?

"Zein, are you okay?" Mia asked.

Jerome handed me a mineral water, but I didn't get to drink it. All sorts of questions came to mind: Who did that? How did a nail get stuck in her neck? How did I not see that? Could it be that someone threw it at her?

"Zein, are you okay?" Matt asked worriedly.

I nodded before taking a sip of water. The guards arrived shortly after and carried the woman's body.

"Who did it, Zein? Did you see it?" Dave asked.

I shook my head. "I didn't see it. It happened so fast. But it seemed like she wanted to tell me something. But she couldn't say it because there was..." I swallowed hard as I remembered why the woman was whimpering. "Her tongue is burned or scarred by a nail."

"Miss Zein Shion, can I invite you to my office?" a woman asked. It must be the principal because that's what was written on the pinned nameplate.

"Wait! Zein had nothing to do with what happened!" Jerome insisted.

"We just want to talk to her. We're not accusing her," the principal replied calmly.

"We'll come with you," Matt said.

"No. You go to the dorm first. I'll follow," I said.

My friends' eyes showed their resistance, but they didn't do anything about it either. I followed the principal.

I lowered my head as I walked. It was as if my schoolmates were blaming me for that woman's death.

I saw Ace sitting comfortably in a swivel chair as we entered the principal's office.

"Oh, Madam Carmie, it's a good thing you came immediately. I was getting bored," he began.

I frowned when the principal apologized. Why did the principal seem afraid of him? The principal made me sit on the sofa.

"Sit down." Ace stood up from Principal Carmie's swivel chair and sat down on the sofa.

The principal sat down on the swivel chair and folded his hands on the table.

"What do you want?" I asked. "If you're going to accuse me of what happened earlier, I'm sorry, but I didn't do it."

"How rude, Miss Shion! You might forget that you're facing the principal and the SSG President. Show some respect," Ace said softly but firmly.

I rolled my eyes and didn't answer.

"This meeting is about you, Miss Shion, as the new secretary," Principal Carmie said.

"How many times do I have to tell you that I'm not interested in that position," I replied, annoyed.

"As if you have a choice. I personally choose you for this job, so be it."

"I DON'T WANT IT!"

Ace stood up and sat down at the principal's table.

The president also has no manners. He's just a showman, but he's also a demon.

"Miss Shion, this is a great bargain, and you will also benefit from it. Once you accept this position, you'll know everything, and you'll enjoy learning. You can control them, and they will fear you," he laughed.

I wanted to make Ace laugh. Are people here so arrogant? Because they're so superior that they can do everything?

"I'll think about it," I said so they wouldn't bother me anymore. I was tired of arguing and knew I had nothing to fight for. But I really hate him!

"Fine." He shrugged and changed the subject. "How are you? I've heard what happened to you last night."

"Thanks for your concern, but I am fine."

I stood up and adjusted my clothes.

Ace laughed again. He is seriously getting on my nerves. "I know who did this to you."

I froze before looking at him. He jumped up from where he was sitting at Principal Carmie's table and went to the door first. "Tsk tsk! Don't make a fool of yourself. I know you're noticing something. You're right. THEY did it."

He left me speechless. No, that can't be. I shouldn't be blaming, it's not their fault.