CHAPTER SIX

     "The Prodigium Hunters," she paused and firmly grasped my hand, "They call themselves as Dio Della Caccia, or God of Hunt, group of humans studying black magic in order to eliminate our kind," Mrs. Osborne sounded so sad and desperate but I can't get the whole thing, "This place is for our safety. Trinity.. our kind is near to extinction and we are doing our best to get every Prodigium back here. You are here because we don't want you to die."

     The thought was dreading. I was expecting a thunder would crack after what she said but that might be a bit cliché.

     "But I lived normally back there," I tried to sound composed but it ended up like I'm going to have a debate about my stay.

     "Your mother wished for this," my eyes widened in surprise. My heart skipped a beat and my hands started to tremble.

     "My mother died while I was being delivered."

     "Your idea of how your mother died is false, she died because..." she didn't continue. I would bother her but she said, "We'll have to keep our promise. When the right time comes, with the guardian's will, we must take you and this time is now," I stood up in shock that I almost hit her face by my knees.

      "This is crazy, I don't have that kind of power, my parents…” I stopped the urge to cry before I continued, “They are humans." Just thinking of the parents I have never seen all my life made my heart ache. So bad that every breath I take hurts.

      I ran towards the door, outside the room and through the hall. As I pass, lights lit and I paid no mind with my bare feet hitting the cold floor. I should get out of here.

      The place was big and I felt like running in circles. I'm lost. All alone and it seemed to me that I am in an abyss, endless maze that I couldn't get out from.

     My thoughts flew as I stumbled back. I hit something or someone..

     "Are you alright?"

     I raised my head as the person offered his hand to me. He was one of the guys before. At the forest, creatures who almost devoured me.

     "It's you from this afternoon," he said. His eyeglasses reflected the light from the moon. I think I got carried away from the sight that I took his hand, "What are you doing running around the hallways of the boys' dorm?"

     "This doesn't concern you," I said, "Where can I find the door to outside?"

     "There are stairs at both ends of this hallway leading you to a lounge, there's the big door in front, leads you to the big staircase, down there is the — are you trying to get out?"

     "I told you that this doesn't concern you," I walked past him but he held my hands, "Let go."

     "Why do I sense something wrong here?" This Dione guy is persistent, "If you go outside, I'm coming with you."

     "Why are you being so annoying? I can go on my own!" I can't believe myself saying these words. It isn't like me. I swallowed the lump on my throat and narrowed my eyes on him. It was then I heard a door creaked open and the next thing I knew was, Dione's already running ahead of me, still holding my hands. Down the stairs, to the lounge and to the main door at the back, we arrived outside, panting.

     "This is not good," he said. He pulled me and we walked behind the school, to a greenhouse. It was a big glassed room with living plants around. We stopped inside and he let go of me, "What were you thinking, Trinity?"

     "Don't casually call my name," I looked down. I was still barefooted and the sticks and stones had hit me hard enough for it to have a scratch. He followed my gaze.

     "Oh God, I'm so sorry, Williams," he flopped down, he was panicking so hard that he already looked awful, "Just, um.. use one of your spells."

     "Spells?"

     "Spells, like um..healing spell, perhaps?" I looked at him with confusion, he looked back as I turned to look the other way, "You're a witch, right?"

       "Did I say something wrong?" he tried to catch my gaze but I already looked away.

     When he decided to stop trying to meet my eyes, I took the chance to ask.

     "Where did you get the idea that I'm a witch?" I fleeted a glance at him and I caught that he's in deep thoughts, "I am not something that makes me one of you," I can't possibly be. I can't make those stuffs he's saying, this really can't be. He looked at me with a surprise look in his face.

     "What? But—"

     "Dude, why did you go ahead of me?" Dione's sentence was cut by a male voice. Due to my location, behind some vinery and bamboo stalls, I couldn't see who has arrived. His shadow was getting near us and I felt like he's someone I didn't want to see, "You should have left a word."

     "Something came up," Dione answered, looking at me which has followed by the new comer. It was him, the person who tried to kill me back in the forest, Chase Hamilton. He may have had good looks but his attitude is contradicting. He was wearing long sleeves and jeans, I couldn't tell the exact color because of the dim lighted location.

     He looked less amused seeing me, but moments after, his half-opened mouth changed into a smirk and I don't like what it meant to me.

     "Hnn? Isn't it the girl this afternoon? You didn't change your clothes; does that mean that your underwear's still the same?" I flushed. I have completely flopped down the ground, pulling my skirt to its length, cursing him inside my thoughts. He's a pervert, "Why don't you just zippidy zap your clothes, like your ancestors do," he chuckled after leaving that remark. 

     "Shameless," I muttered under my breath. I didn't know if he could see my face but I'm sure it'll be embarrassing if he did see me red as an apple. I looked at him and met his gaze, but it didn't seem to bother him.

     He ignored what I said and idly looked at Dione.

     "So? What came up and you're with my prey?" he casually asked, brushing his hair to one side. If I'm just an ordinary girl who had hots for him, I'd find his gesture providing service to his fans. And what did he mean by being his prey? I don't remember having a person feed on another person in the food chain.

     "She got lost," Dione replied, the blonde guy, again, smirked at me, "Chase, we aren't supposed to do anything that puts her in harm," I heard Chase hissed, pointing sharply at my direction.

     "Then leave her here. It's not our responsibility to be her tour guide. I might just want to kill her," Chase kicked something imaginary and punched the thin air, "Come on, I'm all riled up."

     "Go on without me, I'm taking her back," Dione offered me a hand, his gesture makes my heart light. No one has ever done that to me before, "Don't mind him, he's just a little twisted. Let's go back inside before they find out about this."

     I was about to take his hand but I remembered my purpose why I ran away. I've come this far and since I'm with the people who have been here for, I guess a long time now, they might know how to get back to my world.

     I stood up on my own, dusting my skirt and let out a sharp breath. Dione's hand that outreached to me twitched as he brought it to his side. I feel bad for it.

     "How do I get back to the world I came from?" I asked and both guys were alerted. I saw the lines on Chase's forehead and Dione was in disbelief.

     There came silence that the only sound I hear was the rustling wind hitting against the green house's glass wall. I repeated myself and Chase scoffed.

     "Annoying," he muttered under his breath. My eyes went wide and for some reasons, I started to recall my past, how people hated me even if I didn't do anything wrong. That I'm annoying that it bothers them. Like I didn't do anything good, that my very own existence is a mistake. You can see how they were disgusted to someone like me who's in different status compared to them. That the only people who understands me are the twins. Or do they? What if they were doing it out of pity? — No.

      Do I really want to go back?

     A tear or two started to roll down my cheeks and I was surprised myself. When did I start thinking of those negative things? Nics and Nico will always be my friends.

     "I'm sorry, Trinity, but what you're recalling right now is the truth that your world has turned its back from you," it was Mrs. Osborne's voice. I whirled around but she wasn't there. I can't find her, "Life is unfair, sweetie," I stopped myself from trying to find her and realized that what I'm hearing might be because of the tea I drank. She's a witch. And it might not be just a simple comforting spell, she also wanted me to see and recall things I didn't want to remember. One thing I don't want people to do was manipulate me.

     "I'm still going back," I whispered on whim that caught Chase's attention.

     "Aren't you being a bitch?" I looked at him and he was glaring at me. It bore a hole into my nerves that made me speechless.

     "Huh?"

      "Chase, stop it!" the blondie walked towards my direction only to have Dione to block his way. He gave the latter a rough shove and the man fell with a loud thud as he hit the bamboo stalls.

     "Let her hear it, Cunningham!" I cringed and took a step back. He went nearer and grabbed my wrist by force. I winced in pain as I struggled to get loose. He was strong, his free hand caught my chin as he raised my head to face him, "You really think so high of yourself."

     "I..I'm not," I replied. He cornered me against a tree and my knees started to tremble.

     "Do you think that your death will be a big lost to our kind, that going back to that hell is your wisest decision to make us feel sorry for your lost? Did you ever think we need you that we'll have to chase you wherever you go? Giving yourself importance, huh? Don't fu** with me," he was in rage. My tears were continuously flowing from my eyes and I couldn't even stop it. He let go of my wrist and punched the tree behind, his fist landed only an inch away from my head. My heart stopped and I can't breathe well, "Stop crying you piece of crap!"

     Dione pulled Chase away from me and as he was, I fell down on my knees, cried out followed by sobs.

     "Chase, calm down."

     "Screw that! Why are you trying so hard to ignore her distorted ideals?"

     "She's not that twisted to think of those irrational things! And you're just bringing up the past! It's not—" in a blink of an eye, blood gushed out from Dione's lips. I sat there in shock.

     "What do you even know about me?" Chase's eyes sharply looked down on Dione, he firmly clenched his fist and the latter's hands almost trying to crumble the ground.

     What does he even know about me — I am the one who supposed to ask him that. Chase gave me his last infamous glare and said, "If you don't belong here, you should have been dead now," I didn't know what he meant. But it made me shiver with fear.