CHAPTER 6: PAST

THIRD PERSON POV

a few days later..

'have you heard? it appears that keir, the champion in swordmanship competition last year had just got back in school yesterday!'

'I heard that he was given a task by the principal to investigate something about some unknown organization, right?'

'yeah, it's been a half a month!'

'and did you know?he was actually Mr. xenon's little brother!

'no wonder why they are so attractive!'

'indeed, keir is an innocent-angel type while mr. devian was a hot-type like a devil! too bad he already have a fiancé!'

it's been two days ever since the encounter and small fights between devian and keir, news had spread around the campus easily, thanks to those gossipers from the Academy's Journalism Club. after all, they are the eyes and ears of P.N academy who was obsessed in accumulating rumors, news, scandals, and private life involving in students and at the same time.. the enemy of student council, which is why damion were so wary to them.

meanwhile, dressed in red blazer and checkered navy skirt that is 15 cm above the knee, crystalle just nudge the bridge of her glasses while listening to the gossips around her. she didn't felt surprise anymore, because she didn't care about what kind of rumors that they will spread about devian. as long as it won't affect it's plan, that's all that matters. 'and if by any chance that the journalism club made a bad rumors about him and me, then I will just targeted them.' she thought while sighing.

ofcourse, she knows that—that wasn't an easy plan to do, she needs to be careful and be cautious around her surroundings as well as made a meticulous plan that won't expose her. just by thinking those things makes her want to rubbed her temples. after all, confronting the journalism club who most likely have a huge connection in the outside of the academy is very troublesome, as much as possible, she wants to be in a good side with them, that will be a piece of cake if only she's not part of class zero.

'at the very least, I can just find a timing to offer them an alliance with me, I just realized just now that aside from killing students to survive, one must need a connection, strength, power, wealth and status first.

I already have a status and strength, my next step would be.. making a connection, once I made a connection, automatically I will get a power and wealth, although I already have a wealth, but those are just in the outside, by saying 'wealth' it's just means that I need a lot of points so that I can considered as 'rich and have a high-social standing' in this academy.

it's as if like the academy was a monarch country where everyone was allowed to become a king or queen, however.. it appears that the class zero wants to rule the academy just like the other monarch countries out there where only royalties are allowed to rule, talking about greedy people, I bet this was one of damion ideas again.' just by thinking those things, crystalle couldn't help but to laugh inwardly.

ever since she heard from devian about damion working in secret with the principal, she comes up to the conclusion and prove that damion del luna is not that easy unlike the other students, he's a person who's greed knows no bounds and will do anything for the power. he's like a human-style of devian while devian is the devil-style of damion, they don't differ to each other, and that makes crystalle found him interesting. she couldn't help but to look forward for their upcoming fights in the future, just thinking of those makes her felt excited.

'speaking of devian, that guy hadn't showing his self to me these past few days, as if he's avoiding me, well, it's not that he have a choice, I can call him anytime I want. for now, I'll just let him hide from me.' the corners of her lips curled up, a few minutes later, she already reach in the class zero classroom, she was about to enter when she decided to check if there's a trap that laid on him, she checked every corner of the door, and even it's doorknob, when she realize that there's nothing wrong with it, she immediately enter but as soon as she step her foot on the floor, a large spike suddenly emerge from it and three arrows tried to stop him from entering, good thing that she manage to stop every one of the traps and successfully entered inside.

'for fucking pete sake! is this even necessary everytime I'm entering inside?! are they

planning to kill me?!' she lampooned inwardly, then he heard the sound of a clap, so she shot the person a cold glance but it changes into frowned when she saw a man with brown hair that was neatly comb on the side, he have a pale-white skin and handsome face and wearing a silver-rimmed eyeglasses, this was none other than damion del luna sitting at the teacher's desk with his legs are crossed, there's a faint smile curling on his pinkish lips and his ocean-blue eyes are staring to crystalle.

"that's indeed a good flexibility, I didn't notice it last time and now I understand why Miss amara put you in class zero." he commented. 'no, you just want to kill me.. should I just eliminate you right now?' crystalle's smile just twitched but she didn't dare to make it obvious instead, she just went in her seat, that's when she realize that they are the only one who's inside the classroom, makes the whole place turns into awkward and silent one, crystalle just ignore him and sat on her seat, put her white handbag beside on her chair then took out some text book and pretend to reading it.

a huge silence cover the whole classroom, on the other hand, damion is still sitting on the teacher's desk as he leaned his hands on the table, carefully staring to crystalle as if like he was analyzing what was on her mind and observing her. 'grayish-cold eyes, ash-gray wavy hair, pinkish lips, perfect jawline, pale-white skin, long eyelashes and pointed nose. she really look like an embodiment of the goddess of beauty, aphrodite. but her personality and true colors resembled to a 'devil'. whenever she's staring me, I felt uneasy and eerie feeling towards her even though she didn't doing anything.' he thought, ever since crystalle and devian transferred to class zero, damion have started to investigate them secretly, she gathered all of their information from miss amara but one thing that can make him frowned is that.. they don't have an enough information unlike the other students.

given in today's era, gathering information is just easy for them due to the high and advance technologies thanks to the Quantum Corporation, at the same time, their era was also dangerous now that it have become a hacker's playground where they can easily stole someone else info, put some virus on someone's computer and any devices, and then spying them. ofcourse, in order to survive in an era where hackers have the most advantage, one must made their counterpart to be equally 'powerful' to them, and that is.. making advanced devices that can go against those hackers.

but for an illegal organization like black butterfly, this was their advantage. due to this, they can get some informations about who or what kind of their enemy is, their academy have their own expert 'informant', a person who get information for them and most of their informant that they were hiring are veterans, which is why it is shocking for damion thinking that the fact that even their own organization's informant couldn't find anything about the two transferees making him come into conclusion that, Elyze and devian weren't an easy person to control, much less eliminating them.

'the only thing that I know about her is.. her family is an assassin who accepts different kinds of jobs to the other organizations for money, since that was written in their Information that they passed to miss amara, and that both of them are from a wealthy family.' he added inwardly as he let out a heavy sigh.

but he didn't know, crystalle has long been known that he was staring at her, so he couldn't help but to feel anxious, that's why she put down her textbook and ask damion.

"is there something you want to ask..? it's quite a little bit rude staring to a girls you know." she said while there's a smile on her face, damion just nudge his eyeglasses.

"Nothing.. I'm just curious how did you become devian's fiancee.." as much as she wanted to say 'no!' Infront of Damion, she couldn't do it because of her disguise as devian's charming fiancee, in the end she just chooses to smile forcibly.

"It's an arrange marriage, he's my childhood friend and it happens 6 years ago when my family was holding a small banquet for my 12th birthday, it was him who request my family to become her fiancee." she fabricated some of her reply, while some of it was the truth.

even tho we have come to a modern era where technologies are the main foundation of the world, holding a banquet was still quite famous mostly from the well-known families, they will holding a banquet to build up a connection around the world, and crystalle was expert on this. After all, she was the heiress of Quantum Corporation and it's present CEO. which is why, this was one of her needs, to face a high-society, one must have a connection to the other famous and well-known people.

with that, damion just nod to her and didn't ask further, afraid that crystalle might think something suspicious about him, however, a small smirk curve on her lips, this time, it was crystalle who asked questions.

"what about you, mr. president? don't you have a fiancée? given to your looks and personality, there must be a lot of ladies who wants to marry you." that stops damion for a while, so he give her a glance, as crystalle watch her carefully she thought, 'he seems feel uneasy when I ask him about ladies.. heh, could it be that the mr. president have some issues involving to girls? this is interesting. ' there's a hint of mockery behind her praise, but that didn't trick damion at all. as soon as he notice what he was planning, he just smiled. 'this girl is rather interesting, unlike the other ladies out there.'

he leaned his elbow to the desk and replied to her casually, "..I have, but she died 2 years ago."

crystalle pretend that she felt sorry to him and said, "o-oh.. I shouldn't bring that topic."

another small grin curve on damion's lips, "I'm not done talking.. she died 2 years ago because of one reason.

I killed her."

with just one word, crystalle shuddered in fear secretly as a huge silence enveloping them, she glance at damion, who was sitting Infront with his legs are crossed, and his elbow leaning on the desk, there's no hint of any sadness nor remorse in his face, as if like he was already accustomed to this event, soon after, crystalle purse her lips and hide her fear by giving him a plain smile.

"why did you kill her, then?"

damion hold her chin as if he was in a deep thought. "hmm.. because she go against me, defy me, tried to take my position and betray me. so I plotted her death by making the scene as an accident."

'he just said those things in casual way, is mr. president a psychopath?' crystalle lampooned inwardly, then he saw damion smile and keep talking.

"that girl was a dumb, she tried to take my position and get in my way, in the end, she died just like that, unable to accept her defeats.. you see, what I hate the most about the person are the ones who keeps getting in my way, well everyone was, right?"

imagine, if someone tried to stole your position, won't you feel frustrated as well? you prepare everything, plan meticulously but all of it was in vain. surely, everyone will feel disheartened and frustrated to that."

"that's the same as her, she died unable to complete her plan, did you get it?"

damion stand up to his seat, as he approached crystalle slowly, meanwhile, crystalle was surprised as soon as damion grabbed the back of crystalle's chairs and brought it close to him, his handsome face become visible, as she saw damion's cold and dark eyes staring to her.

"will you feel disheartened as well, if someone foiled your plan and died instantly just like her? for example.. me." crystalle just glance straightly to her as he felt a huge and extreme pressure coming from him, she clench her fist tightly and bit her lips. 'is he trying to threatened me? did he found out that I tried to test him that time by making devian followed him to the comfort room? or it was chauncey who reported to him?' thoughts started to filled her mind, but not long after, she calm herself down and smiled again.

"ofcourse I were, but.. instead of asking if I will feel disheartened or not, you should ask first weather if I have a plan to go against with you or not." that makes damion gasps, after that, she push damion slightly and smiled again.

"..sad to say but I'm not like your 'dumb' former fiancée that you were talking about, foiling a person's plan, much less it's the highest order of academy is like implying that I want a battle with that person.. I know my limits, so rest assured."

another silence cover them as though damion didn't expect her reply, not until, the twins enter inside of classroom, rohan who was still yawning, he went straight to his seat and then go back in sleeping again, meanwhile, rheyne just put his hands at the back of his head while chewing some bubblegum, before imposed his feet on the table Infront of him, not long after, crystalle just glance to damion again.

"let's end this question and answer portion for now."

damion didn't say anything instead he just go back to his seat and sat comfortably as if nothing happened as Alexandra, along with Chauncey, keir, zepphyr and jotaro entered to the classroom together and sat on their respective seat but crystalle didn't see devian among them, on the other hand, she sigh once more before curl her lips, then she leaned his elbow to the desk Infront of him.

"but of course, I didn't say that I wouldn't wage a war on you." then she chuckled and added inwardly, "after all, battle and war is completely different to each other."

...

at 9:00 am in the morning, as soon as the clock tower rung, lot's of students were excited to take a break, on the other hand, you will see a man that have a purple hair and purple eyes, wearing a lazy look while playing his dagger, this was rohan, as soon as he reach Infront of the tall clock tower Infront of him, he just glance at it while the corner of his lips twitched.

"do I need to go up there..?" he mutters to himself, as soon as the second subject finished, he receives a text from crystalle saying to meet her at the top of clock tower, so he have no choice but to follow her. summoning rohan just means that there's a job that crystalle wants him to do or there's something he wants to ask.

he let out a heavy sigh and keep going, as soon as he enters inside, he saw an old and wooden spiral stairs, the clock tower consist ten floors, since no students dared to go here because of it's eerie presence and paranormal rumors regarding to this tower, this has become abandoned since then. at the top of clock tower, there's an observatory room which was use once in astrology subject, but now that place has become abandon, and only shattered glasses and old textbooks that doesn't use by the students was there.

meanwhile, even if it's against to rohan's volition, he still chooses to go up, it takes 5 minutes to reach at the top of the tower but as soon as he saw a wooden door Infront of him, he smiled happily as if he found a door where treasures lie, so he just opened it and there he saw an old room that have a lots of broken objects, old textbooks, old sofas and couches, crumpled papers and dirty ashes scattered around, even the wooden floor was creaking everytime you stepping on it as if like you will going to fall if you don't becareful. there's also an old large telescope that was covered in white blanket in the side, bookshelves with textbooks scattered around while some of it where still intact, old paintings on the floor and to the walls, old desk and broken chairs use by the past students, and chessboard that was placed on the table.

at the end of the room, you will see a girl, looking at the glass windows, where you can only see the huge clock and it's gears working one after another, and it's turret clock, this girl have a beautiful ash-gray wavy hair extended down to her waist, with his hands was behind on her back, just by looking at her back makes rohan recognize her, so he sat on the couch and ask her.

"calling me in such a secluded place like this, what is it that you want?"

crystalle turn her back at him before smiled while looking around, "this place.. what's it's history?"

rohan sighed, "2 years ago, this was use by the students as an observatory room, however, a tragedy happen here, once in a week, students started to commit suicide by jumping down with no reason." he stand up and glance at the window. "and their suicide note appear such as about how they are having a difficulty on their lives, or something related to depression or anxiety, it's just a common suicide but what makes it tragedy is that, someone keep dying every week, that's why damion deduce that it was done by the other students who loves to push the weak to their despair, two months later, he found the killer and apprehend her by killing her."

crystalle nodded, "...then, there's another question that I want to ask from you."

"speak."

"do you know who was damion's former fiancee is?" and that stops rohan from speaking, he pursed his lips and glance seriously to crystalle, he didn't expect that she will ask him like that, everyone knows who was his former fiancee is and on how she ended tragically, so rohan let out another sigh, but he didn't expect that damion will reveal his former fiance Infront of her.

"what else did you know about her?"

"none, that's why I'm asking you."

"you wouldn't ask me if you know nothing."

"sigh. I just know that she has been killed by damion itself, heh.. he even tried to threatened me."

"..."

rohan just hold his head as if like he didn't expect this, no, he really didn't expect this! to think that such as damion himself, who doesn't like to talk too much, and very cautious to his surroundings will reveal this information to her, infact, rohan almost thought that crystalle's beauty bewitched him, but he immediately remove those thoughts to his mind.

because there's another thoughts on his mind that most likely makes sense.. he glance seriously to crystalle and spoke.

"you need to becareful from now on, revealing that information just means that he sense something odd with you, damion started to target you secretly."

crystalle's eyes squinted at him, a huge silence enveloped that whole clock tower and only the sounds of the clock you can hears, when rohan notice that crystalle didn't understand what he meant, he speak again.

"damion amadeus del luna, he's a calm person who doesn't like too much violence and doesn't care what happened to the people as long as it won't affect his plan and gets in their way, however.. he's deceitful, crafty, tricky, cunning and treacherous. he doesn't like physical battle unless if it is needed, but don't get me wrong, just because he doesn't like physical battle doesn't mean that he's not good at it, infact, he almost equal to you. even though he's not killing anyone, his points keep going up everyday, you will just surprise that his 500, 000 points have turn into 1,000, 000 the day after, he uses his connection and authority and doesn't let himself to be devoured by greed and his emotion."

hearing those words makes crystalle understand some of damion's personality, and she admits to herself, damion's way of showing it's strength is very similar to her. in a school where one needs to survive, authority is needed, and damion prove that to her. so crystalle just smirk out of anticipation.

"not the answer I want to know but interesting."

"..." that's when rohan realize that he didn't answer the question that crystalle wants so he just cough two times.

"right.. as to what I know about his former fiancee, it's just limited, since I don't have a plans to involve with his past, but.. all I can say is that.. that girl deserves to die." there's a hint of coldness on rohan's eyes, so crystalle just mouthed 'oh..' on him.

"or rather.. he deserves to suffer more, it would be interesting if damion didn't finish her off easily, I was planning to embarrassed her Infront of the academy so it's really a waste. after all, that girl deserves more other than dying painfully since she's the one who's behind on the tragedy that happens in this clock tower."

crystalle just gasps, she didn't expect the information that rohan give to her as question started popped out on her mind, but she didn't ask him again and just smiled.

"that's already enough."

".. if you want to ask regarding about her, then you can try asking rheyne, or if you are brave enough and wants to foiled your own plan, then head to damion or chauncey. you can also ask keir but I doubt he will give you the information, although, I recommend you to ask keir since he holds most of information regarding in academy and it's history, the only problem is that, you need to give something to him in return and make sure he won't made a reports to the higher ups. by the way, the only person who doesn't know the truth about damion's former fiancee death is Alexandra."

"why is that..?"

rohan glance to her cousin again, "the name of damion's former fiancee is alayna shannon cressida Breckenridge-mendez... that's right, she was none other than Alexandra's older sister.. that's the reason why, damion were so protective on her, he doesn't want her to know the truths involving alexandra's sister death."

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