CHAPTER SIX

     After instiling fear on my mind, Chase walked away as if nothing happened, the sole of his snickers hitting the cemented floor was making an audible sound to this silent room, he stopped somewhere I can't say the exact location and said something unexpected for Dione's part.

     "You just proved me that you're not worth my time, Cunningham," and with that, the place was back, crept by silence.

     I felt relief when he was gone although my heart was still pounding so fast against my chest.

     "There goes my only friend," Dione said, raising his hand to his head, I guess, he's wiping the blood trailing down his lips. He turned around to face me and he was putting up a fake smile, "I'm sorry on behalf of him."

     "I..."

     "Please, I may not show it but I am also at my limit towards your actions," his smile dropped and handed me a white cloth, "Take it," I did and wiped my tear tracks, "You should reflect on this too, Williams."

     "I just wanted to—"

     "If you want to live, stay here. Chase was technically right, but having Mrs. Osborne take you in her custody might meant something," he helped me stood up and took the cloth from me, he was the one who continued to wipe my tears and I was surprised, "Your world isn't just completely made up of flowers and teddy bears. For our kind, it's hell. You should understand that."

     "How would I even know that I am someone that could stay here?" he stopped from what he's doing, grabbed my hand and placed the cloth on top of my palm.

     "The fact that you're alive now is the proof that you are one of us," I gave him a quizzical look as he pat my head, "This place is highly secured, if you're a human intruding here, the guardians of this place would never let you live."

     I looked far ahead. Why have I considered myself as a scholar if this simple logic got out of my league? I came across with the guardians and I knew by that moment I'm being judged. I made myself blind of the obvious things.

     "Do you hate humans?" the question just slipped out of my mouth and I just couldn't take it back.

     "I can't say I hate them," he replied, "I understand how you are too attached with your world that's because you grew up there," he paused and looked away, tilting his eyeglasses to adjust, "Unlike us who grew up here, all we can do is, perhaps hate them. But actually.." he shrugged his shoulders, crossing his arm against his chest, "..fear is the right word," he was serious, brushing both his sides, "I was not there when the war broke but I.. I don't know. Humans can be scary."

     "Scary?" he smiled but it was a forced one. How can this guy remain so calm even when subjects like this isn't something to be eased about? I am amazed by his composure that I can't respond by my anxiety.

     "Because they are a threat to us," it was simple answer but it made me remember Dio Della Caccia. They are humans hunting down Prodigiums and if I am one of those creatures, why haven't I been attacked yet? "Do you understand? You should be thankful why you're here."

     I felt like he's lecturing me in a relax way. I can't help but smile inside my mind. But..

     "What happens to the life I have left?"

     "I really don't have a clue," he answered. I wanted to know what would happen when they find out I'm gone. I wanted to know if they were concern, I wanted to see if anyone would go and look for me. I wanted to prove Mrs. Osborne that there's a reason why I wished to go back.

     "About Chase's past—"

     "I guess asking it to someone at your age is more comfortable than the old aged me," Mrs. Osborne appeared out of nowhere. Dione immediately went behind the tree that Chase had almost destroyed whole, "I'm going to thank you for bringing her to safety, but I'm not going to tolerate you leaving the academy past curfew," she said pertaining to Dione. He sighed and bowed respectfully. Is he that frightened by Mrs. Osborne's presence? "Trinity, prying into someone's past is a bad thing to do."

     "I'm sorry for being nosy," I said, brushing my arm, "And for not believing. I was confused and I was raised without knowing anything about this. But this thing really is unbelievable."

     "You ran away before I could even tell you the whole details."

     "I'm so sorry. But I have my reasons why I am so persistent about going back," I was still talking and the older woman seemed into this talk, "Mrs. Osborne, I just can't leave without saying a word. No, I just couldn't leave them. My friends are the only treasure I have."

     She flexed her fingers and a lightning bolt struck my feet, I thought that my feet would be burning right now but when I looked down, there were band aids on my scratches and I already am on my slippers.

     I was amazed that my mouth opened in surprise. I looked at Mrs. Osborne and she was smiling at me.

     "How did you do that?"

     "I told you, I'm a witch," right. How could I forget that? "Trinity, treasures are hard to find but couldn't you make more here?"

     "What do you mean?" I blinked twice and Dione stepped out of his hiding place. Moving his feet recklessly.

     "Ants," he muttered.

     "See? Mr. Cunningham can become one," Mrs. Osborne said.

      "What??" Dione and I exclaimed in chorus. We were quite in shock that our eyes met and we both instantly looked away. I don't know what kind of connection we had just now, but my heart felt light and it skipped a beat.

     "You're not giving this place a chance, Trinity. You can make friends here," I looked up to the person in front of me and tried to understand what she said. I can? "The place that wouldn't judge you, the place that can accept you.. is here."

     Without anyone to judge me? I don't believe that place exists as much I didn't believe this place is real in the first place.

     "I'm sorry to interrupt, Ma'am, but isn't what you're saying is pure uhmm.. pursuance?"

     "Let's say, it's a sort of advertisement, Mr. Cunningham."

     I figured that one out. But if you think it through, the academy might not be worse than the world I came from. One of the things that just bothers me was..

     "I don't know where this is going but, Mrs. Osborne, can I ask you something?" she looked at me with the usual curve on her lips. She may have been doing that a lot of times but I can see how it didn't reach her eyes.

     "Yes?" I gulped. Talk about possibility, this question has its chance. They have brought me here from another world, there might be a way to contact those I left at the very least.

     "Would it be possible to talk to the people in my world?"

     "There is a way," I got my hopes lightened up. I was so eager to know that I took a step forward, entwining my hands, looking so pathetic.

     "How?"

     "I hate to interrupt but isn't it the methods on the procedures are too risky?" I have to say so myself but I forgot Dione was with us. However, what he said took me aback.

     "I've got two ideas how to do it, Mr. Cunningham, the other one's negotiable and the other.." she paused and her face looked awfully serious, "..we have to  wager our lives," just when I thought I could finally accept that this is my place of belongingness, that's when it fails me. I thought that there's finally a way where I could properly say good bye to them, even though it will never be easy to me. It's so hard to leave people who gave you so much courage to live on. Nicole, Nicolas.. the people who took care of me.

     I snapped out of my thoughts when I heard Mrs. Osborne cleared her throat. She was looking at me the whole time, "I know what you feel about it, but.." the pauses she does makes me think that she's doing it on purpose. But my thinking is distorted as of the moment and Mrs. Osborne, as someone who's kind to me even if I have turned her down and didn’t believe her, she won't be saying those things for an objective of making me more anxious, "..if they are important to you, even though they are humans, isn't it better to separate you from them before they get involve with the problem you'll encounter in the future?"

       It took a second or two when I realized what she meant.

     "They'll be in danger because of me," my voice chirped and she just nodded. I felt a hand tapped my left shoulder, I didn't look its way, because if I did, he would be just too close. Dione's hand felt light and comforting.

     "Taking you is not just for your safety, it is also to protect those who are precious to you, even though they are humans," isn't she pressing 'even though they are humans' too much?

     I didn't think of those because I wasn't completely believing I'm a prodigium. But after hearing what Dione said about how I got my life spared and how Chase ranted a while ago, I really should believe them. I might have really been just thinking of myself. Go home? I've been so selfish all this time. If to communicate with the people from the outside was a trouble for them, having me here got Mrs. Osborne to risk something as well. If you think for it logically, for the book to successfully transport me here, it might have sacrificed a lot. I'm getting my thoughts all mixed up.

     "More importantly, aren't you going to ask me anything about you?"

     About me?

     "You've been saying you don't belong here but you actually were," I know. I have heard that a lot of times from myself. But what is she talking about? I doubt that she'd let me know about my parents, even if I wanted to know about them. The way she refused to continue what she was about to say when we were at the room talking led me to that conclusion. There's a certain time for everything.

     "Williams," Dione's voice brought me back to the conversation, "Ask her."

     "What?"

     "I'll just tell it straight," Mrs. Osborne held my hand and I felt goosebumps. An unknown feeling surged inside me and it made me sick, "You are like me. You are a witch," she released my hand. Clapped in front of me and when she did, I felt like something inside of me opened, it was an odd feeling. Like it had been in a cage and it got free finally. My stomach was weird. I felt water rushing from my hands down my feet and there was like a slight tremor under me. My hair started to float above my shoulders. And before I knew it, I was already holding a broomstick. My floating hair fell back and Dione gasped.

     "Cool beans," he said and here I was, overwhelmed with whatever I had released, looking at the broomstick like I never have seen one before.

     I really am one of them.