"You must accept everything."
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"You think everyone is on your side? Well, they are not."
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I woke up in a cold sweat as I sat up on my bed. My heart beat so fast, and my head was spinning. I look around, and the dorm room is quiet and dark. Could it be almost time to wake up? I don't think so. Everyone's fast asleep. I noticed Christine's leg poking out of her bedcovers on the top bunk and she was snoring loudly.
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I set aside my bed covers and planted my feet on the cold floor. It's when I realized why I woke up so suddenly. I had a weird dream.
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I dreamt I was back at the place facing the half-dead and half-alive tree. Standing in front of the tree was the other me in the white and black dress. She repeated the words she spoke to me before: "You must accept everything."
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Then the scene changed suddenly, and I was in a cold, wintry place. I recognized it immediately. When I turned around, I saw the two long lines of trees and the ground covered in snow. I was freezing to death when I heard someone breathing heavily. Turning to the side, I saw the woman I met last time, her eyes glowing red and giving me a murderous look. As she approached me, she said, "You think everyone is on your side? Well, they are not."
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I woke up just when she was about to stretch out her hand to grab my neck. That part was frightening because she emitted a terrifying, dark aura I had never felt before. What was more terrifying was that, unlike those words the other version of me had said before, the words the woman in the snow said to me were new. She had never said those words to me before.
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"You think everyone is on your side? Well, they are not."
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The words continued ringing in my ears like a broken record. I wonder what she meant. Could trouble be coming my way? I can't be sure.
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"I need to use the loo," I whispered to myself. I looked around on the floor for my slippers and quickly wore them. I took my chitenge wrapper and wrapped it around myself before heading for the door.
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I walked to the door with caution. With the dorm room so quiet, you could easily wake anyone up if you walked too carelessly. Luckily, the lights lighting the corridor outside brought in little light into the dorm room through the windows so I wouldn't make the mistake of bumping into a bunk bed.
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I got out of the dorm, and the night air greeted me with a chill. If it wasn't for the wrapper, I would've run back into the dorm and thought of going to the ablution another time. I couldn't hold my pee a second longer, so going back wasn't an option.
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In a few seconds, I reached the ablution and entered one of the toilet stalls. After doing my business, I felt so relieved. I was just about to flush the toilet when I thought I heard something moving above the metal roofing sheets of the ablution. My first thought was that it was probably bats or whatever nocturnal animals loved roaming around at night. I heard it move about, but soon I realized that whatever it was, it jumped off the roof and landed with a loud thud on the ground outside. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up, and my instincts told me I shouldn't flush the toilet just yet.
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Whatever had landed on the ground moved a little, and I could tell it stayed in position. As soon as it started moving, I heard footsteps. It's a person! But who? Is it male or female?
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I stayed put in the stall, telling myself not to move. At that instant, I forgot how cold I felt since the ablution was a cold place and the main door always remained open. I had to be on high alert now. My instincts told me that if I moved, I'm dead.
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The person outside walked back and forth. I couldn't help but feel that the person was impatient. Were they waiting for someone?
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Soon, a new set of footsteps came around. I could tell the other person was coming from the dorm area. A terrible thought soon came to mind. Could it be a student? Whoever it was didn't know what they were running into. What if the intruder was dangerous?
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As soon as the rushing footsteps came within the ablution area, they stopped. The intruder hadn't moved at all. Soon, there came a voice of an older woman.
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"You're late. What took you so long?"
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Then came the voice of a young girl. "I'm sorry," she said. "I forgot you planned to meet today."
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"Did you get what I asked for?"
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"No. I'm sorry. Things are moving too fast. The timeframe you gave me at first was more convenient."
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"It's not my fault that it moved up. You've got to own up to your mission and deliver results."
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"Yes, ma'am, I know," said the young girl, sounding a little nervous. "Exams are on this week and the next. I was wondering if..."
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"I know the term is ending next week, and if you think you'll be able to get that item when everyone is away, then you're wrong. Now is the only time we've got."
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"Okay. I'll do all I can. But we've got a problem."
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"Let me guess, the other supernatural that popped up recently?"
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Do they mean me? My eyes grew wide at the thought.
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"Yes, I feel she'll be a problem," said the young girl. "I should've reported to you sooner, but it wasn't easy for me to detect her on time as human as I am."
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That's right. Normal people can't detect supernaturals like supernaturals could detect each other. I couldn't help but feel a little relieved. I bet if she was a supernatural being, she would've detected my aura. Meaning the older woman must be human, too. I can't sense anything supernatural about her.
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"Well, you can't carry such equipment with you all the time, so I can understand how it took you so long to detect her," said the older woman.
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Equipment? A sudden thought soon came to mind. Could the woman be carrying such a device with her? I bet if she did, the first thing she would've done was check the ablution for any supernatural being the first time she landed on the roof.
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"There's something about her I can't describe," said the young girl. My ears were wide open to hear what else she had to say.
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"Like what?" the older woman asked. "Does she suspect you of anything?"
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"No. She and I aren't even friends. Since I can't use the device regularly, I've noticed something about her aura. It keeps growing every time I check."
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I remembered what Bertha said to me before I took her to Butterfly Island for the first time. She also could tell that my aura was growing with training. It looks like whoever this was has been monitoring me, too.
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"Mmm." The older woman mumbled. "It seems we're closer to our goal than we thought. That supernatural must probably be receiving training daily for her aura to grow that fast. Monitor her. And do you mind telling me what her name is?"
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I heard the girl mention my name. For a moment, there was silence between them.
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"We meet next week on Thursday night," said the woman. "You better have the item by then."
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The young girl didn't answer right away as another moment of silence passed. I wonder what the woman wants and why she's using this girl to do it. Could it be that the item she needs could be within the school grounds?
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"I'll do my best," said the young girl. "But like I said, it won't be easy going forward because of Diana."
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"If she doesn't know what's going on, then you're safe," said the older woman. "Do nothing that will make her suspicious of you."
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"I won't."
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"Until next Thursday," said the older woman. The next thing I knew, she was running, and I heard her jump over something. It's probably the wall fence. And then she was gone.
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I thought of coming out of the stall, but I could tell that the girl was still within the ablution area.
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After I heard her footsteps receding to the dorms, I silently opened the door of the toilet stall and stepped out. If a sound came from inside the ablution, it could echo outside, so I had to be careful. I reached the door of the ablution and peeped to look outside. There was no one else there, and the ablution was as silent as it’s ever been. A thought came to me. If I could just see who the girl is, I may stop what’s about to happen.
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I walked out of the ablution and onto the gravel path, heading to the dorm area. I did my best to walk silently. When I got into the dark corridor, I stopped myself at the end of the corridor, where I had the open view of the dorms. The lights in the corridors were on in some areas, so it was easy to see. I leaned against the wall just in case the girl spotted me coming into the dorm area.
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Her footsteps grew fainter as she walked, and I could tell in which direction she was heading. Straight ahead was one corridor, and to my left was the other corridor that led to my dorm, and she took that route. I stopped leaning against the wall and peeped. The girl had her back facing me, and she wore a white pyjama shirt and pants. I also noticed the blue Bata slippers she was wearing. She had short, braided hair, and she looked smaller than me.
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She bypassed the doors to my dorm and the next. When she reached the corner of the corridor and made a turn to the other corridor, I thought I was going to see her face more clearly, but it was difficult to do so from where I stood. I could only see the side of her face. It wasn’t much to take in. But I could tell she had a small face and was much lighter on the skin than I was.
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I thought of hiding closer to the hedges in front of me, and I did so stealthily. I squatted a little to prepare myself to hide from view in case she saw me. At some point, the water tank on the other lawn hid her from view. When she came back into view, I found she had reached the second last door of the dorm in that corridor. She opened the door, went in, and closed it. Now that I know which dorm she was in, it wouldn’t be much of a big deal to figure out who she was. Plus, the dorm is one of the smallest, and there weren’t over twenty-five people. Tracking her down will be a little tricky, though, and I don’t know many people in that dorm.
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I made the silent walk back to my dorm after a few minutes had passed and was sure that was the dorm the girl belonged to. As I made my way back to bed, I told myself that I should bring this forward to the High Order. The older woman and the young girl were clearly not supernatural beings, but they knew things to do with the supernatural and identified me as a threat. Not to mention that they had some kind of gadget that helps detect supernaturals. I wonder who they are.
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“You think everyone is on your side? well, they are not.”
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Those words came back to me. I guess it was just a warning that I had to watch my back from now on. I turned under my bed covers and closed my eyes, the words still ringing in my head.
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***
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Bertha and I stepped out of the portal, finding ourselves in the Butterfly Island’s flower garden. We weren’t supposed to be here, as we excused ourselves for this week and the next to focus on our end-of-term exams. After having our math exams that afternoon, I pulled Bertha aside and told her what had happened last night. She agreed that telling the High Order is of great importance. While everyone was resting in their dorms after the school day was done, Bertha and I sneaked out and found ourselves on Butterfly Island.
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We walked our way out of the flower garden and made our way to the giant castle. On the way, two bluebirds flew above my head and Bertha’s, and they turned around quickly to hover in front of my face. It was the same birds from last time, and they sounded so excited to see me after such a long time.
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“Aww, so cute,” said Bertha, and they flew around her. They liked her too. “Do they usually follow you around like this?”
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“No,” I answered. “Not all the time.”
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After flying around Bertha, they came to land on my shoulders. I made sure not to talk to them. Bertha shouldn’t know that I can speak to animals. The two of us were coming closer to the castle, and we came into view of the lawns. The two birds soon flew off at the sight of people nearby. I looked to my right, and I remember the path I took to the orchard. There weren’t many people around that day, but this time, I could see a few recruits in their colorful uniforms, representing the element they possess. Some were making their way out of the castle in groups and with books in their hands. Others were within the grounds, studying. Some were practicing. This is the busiest I’ve ever seen this place. It is a school, after all. For the first time, seeing these many recruits made it feel like it, to me at least.
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“Wow, some people are so talented,” said Bertha as she noticed a male recruit in a green robe on the lawn sprouting a tree straight out of the ground. A small group of people, also in the same color of uniform, watched and grew amazed at how beautifully done the tree sprouted out of the ground.
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As we made our way to the front of the castle, a few eyes fell on us. Well, that’s what we get for not having any uniforms on. Bertha is more likely to have one later on. I guess I’m a total outcast. That’s if there is a recruit uniform with all the colors of the elements. Now, that will only look ridiculous. Even Joseph’s coat of many colors would look ten times better.
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As we made our way to the entrance, coming out through the huge doors of the castle was Siphiwe. The girl who teleported me back to my room in the tower when she, Ryan, and the other recruits found me in the orchard. She was carrying a book in her hands, flipping through some pages as she walked. She looked up from her book and saw me approaching. At first, she didn’t seem to mind as she looked down at it, but then she looked up at me with a shocked look on her face. Her mouth fell open before walking down the steps towards me.
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“Diana, what are you doing here?” Siphiwe asked, almost in a whisper. She looked around, noticing all the attention we were getting.
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“Hi, how are you?” I greeted her, trying to make things look natural. “I came here to talk to the High Order.”
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“You aren’t supposed to be here, not at this time, at least.”
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It figures. Usually, when I come for practice, I always find a member of the High Order waiting for me when I step out of the portal. I don’t head towards the castle for lessons. Of course, they would want to keep me hidden.
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“It’s an emergency,” I said in a whisper. “If you continue looking at me like that, you’ll continue to attract attention. So why don’t you act like we’re lost people seeking help?”
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Bertha, who listened, looked a little confused as she asked, “Why? Aren’t we students of the school as well?”
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“We are, but we aren’t in uniform, so they might think we’re lost or we’re visitors of some sort,” I answered her. I turned to look at Siphiwe. “Are you going to play along or not?”
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I wish I could tell Bertha the truth about my status in this place. I’m not supposed to be seen, and no one is supposed to know who I am. Anyway, the less she knows, the better.
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Siphiwe gave in. "Fine," she said. "Follow me, and try not to look at the recruits. If you act like visitors, they wouldn't mind."
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I nodded, and Bertha did the same. Siphiwe turned around and made her way back inside the castle. I could still feel some eyes on us, but I didn't pay them any attention. And just like Siphiwe had said, the recruits went back to their business, not paying us much attention any longer.
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We walked through the giant entrance with the magnificent metal doors wide open. Siphiwe led us straight ahead. I looked to my left and there stood the staircase leading to the tower of the castle. I remember how I walked down the stairs on my own when I was injured. So much has happened since then.
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As we went further into the castle, we passed a few rooms. One of them was a huge hall, where many recruits in their respectable cloaks walked up and down. There were many long tables and chairs. I wondered what kind of hall it was. Many other recruits walked out of the room, talking and laughing. Some huddled in groups, while others were simply on their own.
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The next room we passed was a classroom. I didn't get to see what was happening inside as a student in a yellow cloak who was in the hall at the time had opened the door and walked in. I saw other recruits in yellow cloaks seated on wooden desks and looking to one end of the room where there was a blackboard. I didn't get to see who the teacher was as the door closed quicker than expected.
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At the end of the hall stood a huge gray stone staircase. It went up a few steps, and on the first landing, the staircase branched off to two sides. Recruits were coming up or going down. I looked up to see where the two sets of staircases lead to.
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When we reached the landing, Siphiwe led us up the staircase to our left. We found ourselves in another hallway. This time, there were pictures on the walls. When I looked, there was something about them that felt familiar. The pictures were of men and women, some in colorful cloaks, representing which element they possessed. Those who didn’t adorn any cloak displayed some feature in the picture that showed which element they used. There was one man with a good physique, despite his gray hair, who wore black attire. With his hands beside him, there stood two flames of fire, dancing on the palm of his hands. There was a woman of African ethnicity who wore a light blue dress, and there was a wave of air around her like a whirlwind.
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I turned to look at Bertha, and she stared at the pictures with awe and her mouth slightly open. She found me looking at her, and she quickly closed her mouth.
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“I haven’t been on this side of the castle before,” she said. “Have you?”
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I shook my head and went back to looking at the pictures as we walked down the hall. Now I remember where I saw pictures similar to the ones I was looking at. But they weren’t exactly pictures that I saw. They were the stone statues that I first saw at the Butterfly Temple.
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I would’ve liked to ask Siphiwe about the people hanging on the walls, but I knew now wasn’t the time to ask. Time was of the essence, and it would be best not to keep me exposed for too long. The better she gets me to the High Order, the better.
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At the end of the hall stood a wooden door, and the hall branched off to the left and right. I wondered if we were to take any of the two halls. Instead, Siphiwe stopped right in front of the door.
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“This is more like the administration office, but not entirely,” said Siphiwe. “When new recruits are being enrolled, they usually go to the office on the other side.”
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I saw Bertha nod her head. That must have been the place Stella had taken her when I first brought her here. Siphiwe knocked on the door, and it flew open. I wondered whether someone might have opened the door on the other side. We’re yet to find that one out.
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We entered what looked like a hotel lobby. Unlike the other places in the castle, this place had a red carpeted floor, and on either side of the room were lovely blue couches. On each side of the room, the chairs were arranged like that of a waiting area in a lobby with glass coffee tables in between.
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Ahead of us stood a white reception desk with the symbol of the butterfly on the front in gold. Sitting behind the desk was a woman with black hair cut in a bob. She wore a white dress with long sleeves. She had a gold butterfly-shaped broch on her left chest. She was arranging some papers on her desk. When she looked up at Siphiwe, her eyes were unwelcoming. Her thin lips stretched further into a line, showing her displeasure as we approached the desk.
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“Siphiwe, do what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?” the woman asked when we stopped. She had an accent similar to that of the Britons.
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“I need to see the High Order immediately,” said Siphiwe.
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“You know, with the games coming up, they're pretty busy. You can leave your message with me, and I’ll let them know.”
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“No, this can’t wait. I need to see them now.”
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“And do you plan to see them with these two?” the woman asked, looking at both Bertha and me. “Are they new students that you just found? You know you only take care of them on the other side of the castle.”
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“They’re students, but...”
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“If they are, then why aren’t they in uniform?” the woman asked as she stood up from her seat.
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“We just started learning here,” I said. “We were told we would get our uniforms soon.”
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“If that’s the case, then I would kindly ask you to leave. The High Order is busy. As for you, Siphiwe, I will only take your message and deliver it to them.”
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“The same people you want to leave this place are the ones with the message,” I spoke up. “Siphiwe knows nothing, and she only helped us get here. Will you please let the High Order know that I have a message for them and it’s urgent?”
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The woman smirked at me as she folded her arms. “And you think you can talk to me like that? I’m older than you, young lady.”
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“Well, if you will not take me seriously, don’t expect me to take things lightly. There’s a threat out there, and I feel the High Order needs to know about it.”
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“I’ll tell you what I told Siphiwe just now,” the woman said as she leaned in towards her desk to look straight at me. “Leave me your message, and I’ll relay it to them.”
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“They are better off hearing it straight from me,” I insisted.
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The woman looked at me, slowly raising an eyebrow. She leaned back a bit, making herself straight again. “I don’t enjoy repeating myself,” she said rather calmly. “Please relay the message to me and leave. Or else there will be some dire consequences if you don’t.”
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Siphiwe turned to look at me. “We better go,” she said. “Trust me; you don’t want to mess with her. She’s rather mean when it comes to dealing with students.”
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I turn to look at Siphiwe. “I’m not going anywhere,” I said. I turn back to look at the woman in front of me. By her aura, I could tell that she was stronger than I was. The last thing I needed was to fight, so if there was any other way to solve this, now would be the time for it to show up.
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The door behind us flew open, and we turned to see who it was. Raymond brusquely walked in, wearing his purple cloak. Goodness! What is he doing here?
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Raymond’s blue eyes fell on us after closing the door behind him, and he paused to take in what he was seeing. His eyes fell on Bertha, then Siphiwe. When our eyes met, his face suddenly looked like he had eaten something sour.
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“Siphiwe, what’s going on?” Raymond asked. “And what are these two doing here?”
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“They have a message to give to the High Order, Master Fontaine,” said the receptionist.
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My mind froze. Did she just refer to Raymond as “Master?” I shouldn’t be surprised. Mei did mention that he came from a noble family, so such titles were necessary.
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“You can pass on the message to me,” said Raymond as he approached.
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“I can pass on the message to them; thank you very much,” I said.
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“My cousin and the rest of the High Order are busy, and I don’t think they would want to hear you over some issue.”
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“Even if this issue regards my safety?” I raised an eyebrow. “Maybe even theirs?"
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“You’re well taken care of as it is.”
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“Really? Should I remind you what a member of the Spider sect did to me and the entire school just a few weeks ago?”
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“Spider Sect?” Bertha asked, looking surprised. “Something happened back at school?”
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“I’ll tell you about it later,” I said. “The point is, something big is going down, and it doesn’t involve supernatural beings this time.”
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“Who can be more dangerous than supernatural beings?” Siphiwe asked.
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“I don’t know,” I shrugged my shoulders. “Human beings with the equipment to know whether one is a supernatural or not.”
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All of a sudden, I noticed Raymond’s face grow pale. His eyes were first filled with surprise. I will be honest, the look didn’t suit him. He almost started to laugh in disbelief, but he stopped himself.
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“Did you just say human beings with equipment to detect the supernatural?” he asked.
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“Yeah, I heard them loud and clear. You need to make me talk to the High Order because it involves them too. Whatever they’re planning isn’t good, and we don’t have time.”
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Raymond’s eyes turned to Siphiwe. They had a grave look in them this time around. Siphiwe also had the same look. Raymond quickly went around us and approached the desk.
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“I demand to see the High Order right now,” he said. “I’m taking these girls with me.”
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“You’re always invited to their meetings whenever you like,” said the receptionist. “But four is a crowd, don’t you think?”
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“You just heard what Diana said, and you don’t look the least bit concerned,” said Raymond. “I’m going in with them. Inform the High Order that what I’m about to bring to them is urgent.”
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The receptionist looked at Raymond, giving the same look she did to Siphiwe and me. Was she going to refuse him? I doubt it. She briefly looked at me before she sat back down. On her desk, a small tablet appeared, and she tapped on it with her finger. It turned on, and there appeared the face of a young girl. I didn’t know the supernatural also had the use of modern-day gadgets. Or was there a bit of magic involved, too?
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“Please inform the High Order that Master Fontaine is here, along with some students. It’s an emergency,” said the receptionist.
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The young girl gave a nod of her head, and the screen went black. It disappeared under the desk after the receptionist stood and approached the other end of the room. There stood three wooden doors with gold handles. She went for the one in the middle and opened it. Raymond led the way, and the three of us followed. As we passed her, Raymond mentioned his thanks. Siphiwe and I, didn’t give her a second glance. Bertha followed behind me, and we could hear the door close behind us.
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We found ourselves in a hall with only torches of fire lighting up on one side. Nothing donned the gray walls of the hall, and as we walked, I couldn’t help but feel something wasn’t right about this place.
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“The reception is as far as I have ever come,” Siphiwe spoke. “I wonder what the other side is like. No one is allowed to ever walk past the receptionist unless people like you, Raymond.”
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Raymond scoffed. “It’s no big deal,” he said. “When you’re from a noble family, you get to have such privileges. But not everyone gets this far. I have special access.”
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Who could’ve thought that he would be the one to help us out back there? What I told him about normal people having equipment to detect supernatural beings sparked something in him. It’s clear to see that he knew what I was talking about, and so did Siphiwe. The receptionist probably knows, too, but she didn’t even look the least bit concerned. I had the sudden urge to ask a silly question.
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“Why does this place seem so funny?” I asked.
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Raymond stopped walking and turned to look at me. So did Siphiwe. They looked at me with puzzled looks.
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“What do you mean?” Bertha asked who stood beside me.
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“Isn’t anyone getting a weird vibe?” I asked, looking at all three of them. “I can’t explain it, but there's something in the air. Maybe it’s the place itself. It feels weird.”
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No one said anything as they continued to look at me. Bertha shook her head first.
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"The place feels normal to me," she said.
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"You guys seriously can't feel anything?" I asked Siphiwe and Raymond.
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"Can you try to be more specific?" Raymond suggested. "What exactly do you feel?"
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I stood still to take in the feeling. For a moment, I thought I saw tiny wisps of aura in different parts of the hall. I saw a tiny wisp of it above me on the ceiling, but it disappeared. Another appeared down the hall in mid-air, but even that shortly disappeared.
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"Don't you feel that this place feels alive somehow?" I asked.
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Raymond looked at me like I had suddenly lost all my senses. Siphiwe and Bertha looked even more confused.
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"Don't look at me like that," I said. "Just now, I noticed an aura in this hall. But I have no idea if it belongs to someone or to something."
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"Aura?" Siphiwe looked at Raymond to see if he noticed anything. He shook his head.
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"Let's just move on before you tell me that I'm crazy," I said. It could clearly show that they didn’t believe me. That annoyed me a little. I didn’t have the time to go on explaining myself, for I might be labeled as crazy. There were better things to worry about.
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Raymond continued to look at me like I was a lunatic before he turned around to lead the way. I hadn’t noticed it before now, but a white wooden door stood at the end of the hall. The rest of us followed behind Raymond as we approached it.
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When Raymond reached the door first, he knocked. It only took a few seconds for the door to fly open. I expected the door to have flown open on its own, but standing behind it was a young girl. The same girl I had seen the receptionist talk to over the screen at her desk. She was also dressed in white attire, like that of the receptionist. After looking Raymond in the face, she stepped aside for him to enter. When he got in, the three of us followed.
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We stepped into a large circular room with light from the sun shining through the large cylindrical windows. They started from the ceiling and reached the floor. The walls of the room were stony. You could imagine they found the place out of a mountain cave and turned it into the room it is now. The floor, on the contrary, had tiles with colors of black and white, making certain strange patterns on the floor. In the middle of the room stood a round table made of stone, and seated around the table on what looked like majestic chairs were the High Order. Her Highness, who sat at the head of the table, sat on a white chair.
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Raymond stopped in front of the table while the three of us stood behind him at a distance. He bowed his head at Her Highness, who beamed at him. I looked around the table, and I noticed something that didn’t surprise me. All six members of the High Order had their eyes on me, surprised at my presence.
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Bertha, who stood beside me, nudged me in the arm. “Hey, these people don’t look particularly happy to see us,” she whispered. “And who is that lady dressed in white? She looks really pretty.”
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I wish I could tell her that it was me they weren’t happy to see, but I gestured with my eyes to keep quiet. She quickly looked back at the table, staring at the faces of the High Order nervously.
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“We were expecting you, Raymond,” said Her Highness. “But I didn’t expect you to come along with visitors.”
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Raymond brought his head up. “I’m sorry to bring them in like this,” he said. “But there’s an urgent issue we need to address immediately.”
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“And what could that be?” Ryan asked. He sat next to Her Highness’ right. Even though he addressed his cousin, his eyes were on me the whole time.
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“The Golden Elite.”
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Immediately after Raymond spoke out those words, the room fell grimly quiet. Even when Her Highness and the rest of the High Order had stoic looks, their eyes couldn’t hide what they felt after hearing those words. There was no hiding the fear in their eyes. Who is this Golden Elite? I soon realized that Raymond might be referring to the woman and the girl at my school.
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“What?” Ariana finally spoke up. She sat next to Stella, who sat on Her Highness’ left. “What makes you want to talk about them right now?”
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“Diana came here with information regarding them,” said Raymond. “I think we should hear her out.”
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“Step forward, Diana,” said Her Highness, smiling at me.
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Bertha and Siphiwe looked at me, surprised that Her Highness had told me to come forward. Bertha might not know who Her Highness was, but Siphiwe did. And she knew that it was rare to be called upon by someone as powerful as Her Highness.
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I swallowed as I took a few steps forward and stood next to Raymond, taking a small bow of my head. I looked at the people sitting before me, and I started to wonder if some of us were to remain standing for a long time.
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As though my mind had been read, the girl who opened the door to the meeting room brought along some chairs that floated in the air for the four of us. A chair stood beside me and another behind Raymond. The two chairs beside me were for Bertha and Siphiwe. The girl gestured to them to come over and sit, which they did. Raymond sat, and I remained the only one standing at the table. Well, I had to address the whole room so it felt appropriate to stand.
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“Now, Diana, you say you've got something for us regarding The Golden Elite,” said Stella. “Kindly tell us what you know.”
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“I don’t know who this Golden Elite is,” I started to say, “but I only told Raymond what I heard yesterday.”
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I told the whole room what I had told Bertha earlier. How I had gone to use the bathroom and the conversation I heard between the student and the older woman. After I was done, the air in the room grew even more tense. The High Order exchanged looks of concern amongst themselves. It was Her Highness who spoke first.
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“We thank you for telling us this, Diana,” she said. “With our event coming up, this couldn’t have come at an inappropriate time.”
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An event I wasn’t invited to anyway, I noted to myself as I sat down on the chair.
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“We need to look into this further,” said Mei. “They might attack this place to find whatever they are looking for during the same time we have the tournament."
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“As much as I agree,” said Ryan, turning his eyes away from me and looking at Her Highness. “We must tighten up security as well. Not just for the school, but for Diana as well. The way I see it, it won’t be long until they realize she is of great importance.”
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“What if that’s the reason why they plan to attack?” Stella asked. "What if the item they are referring to is Diana, and they just don't know it yet?"
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“We’re not sure if they even plan on attacking,” said Bill, rubbing the side of his forehead. “Even if they aren’t, anything involving The Golden Elite is always a problem.”
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I suddenly shot up my hand in the air as though I were in a classroom. Her Highness looked at me, and a kind smile appeared across her face. I slowly started to feel everyone’s eyes on me. Raymond’s eyes felt like hot blazing coal, almost burning my insides.
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“What is it, Diana?” Her Highness asked.
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“I don’t want to intrude in your little discussion over security and whatever,” I said as I dropped my hand. “But I want to ask, who are The Golden Elite?”
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Once again, the whole room fell quiet. This felt like the days when no one wanted to tell me what I needed to know. Stella cleared her throat before answering.
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“Usually you aren’t supposed to know about them this early in your course of being a supernatural being,” she said. Adriana snickered over what she said. “But considering that you've encountered them, you need to know. They are the supernatural beings' worst enemy. Depending on who they root for, of course.”
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Stella's last statement made me feel a little uneasy. Who were these people? And what do they have against supernaturals?
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"Raymond, will you be kind enough to tell Diana and Bertha about The Golden Elite?" Stella asked.
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I turned to look at Raymond. I thought he would look annoyed at doing this, but he didn't. He remained seated, but he looked at both Bertha and me with a serious look on his face. But not the mean kind.
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"I'll first start off by saying, The Golden Elite are not people to be taken lightly," said Raymond. "They might be human, but they have done things that have made supernaturals watch their backs for centuries."
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