I KNOW YOU! WHO ARE YOU?

He stood up and gave Lexine a smile. Lexine returned it with a frown. The gears in her mind turned over and over, trying to assess the situation before her. She looked at the gray-haired kidnapper then back to Sevin and Artin. The blonde slightly fidgeted under her gaze. Lastly, she locked gazes with Karl. What was he doing here? Could he be the principal? Or was she looking too far into this? She could feel a slight throbbing at the back of her head and she felt her eye twitch.

"Miss. Woods, I know you are very confused right now. Have a seat and I shall explain everything." He pointed to the seat on the other side of his desk.

Her head snapped to him and he shivered slightly under her icy glare.

"Who are you really?" she looked at the leather armchair but made no step to sit. She took a look at his attire. He was in a floor-sweeping long-sleeved blue robe. The cuffs were purple and it had a purple dipping collar that left the middle top half of his chest bare. This showed a white neck covering undershirt with blue lace trimmings at the neck area. On his left ear, an earring dangled. It was made of something that looked like blue cloth material that connected to a purple circular gem. When he moved to take a step to Lexine, she noticed that the robe had slits on both sides to accommodate the movement of his legs. He had a black pair of trousers underneath the robe.

"If you would sit and let me explain first, then that would be very much appreciated." Lexine scoffed at his words but walked to the other side of his table and sat on the armchair. He shook his head at her attitude. "Before I begin, your mother gave me this and told me to give it to you. She hinted that you would not listen to me otherwise." He handed her a piece of paper that was lying on the left side of his desk. Lexine looked at the paper, then back at Karl before snatching it from his hands.

She brought the piece of paper to her nose and took a sniff. The old trait she had got from her father. It smelt like her mother's terrible perfume that Lexine had tried to unsuccessfully throw away once. There was also a hint of cinnamon, like the one her mother used to bake. From afar she also got the slight tinge of Jasmine, her mother's shampoo. She then gave a nasty look to the coal haired boy who sat in front of her. If he had hurt her mother in any way, she would hurt him so badly he would forget his own name.

She then opened the letter.

"Lexine darling. How are you? What am I even saying? Sorry. I know that this is all so sudden for you and all. But this man says that you are different. Well, that's a load of bull. The only unique thing you have is that godawful snore. But he speaks some sense. We both know how 'queer' your father was. It's just that before he died there are some questions he left unanswered, for the both of us.

Well, I was not for the plan of him kidnapping you, but you can be really stubborn Lex. If this gives us even an inkling to your father's near non-existent past, so be it. But I know you will learn a lot. Kick everyone's ass there. But not too hard. And if in a month you do not like the school, I am getting you shipped home. I want a text at least once a week telling me how you are. Failure to that. I will kill you after killing the headmaster.

Love you big my trouble maker. Remember to kick some rich people ass."

By the end of the letter, Lexine was chuckling. It was always like her mother to be straight to the point, unlike her father who could write even five paged letters. She looked up at the headmaster and the frown returned to her face. "You have five minutes to speak."

Headmaster chuckled and sat back down. Her three kidnappers went to stand next to him. The red-head and the blonde to his right, and the gray head to his left. She was tempted to quirk a brow at their presence but the faster Karl spoke, the faster she would be out of the place. She glanced at her watch to time him when she noticed that the hands of her watch were moving at a ridiculously fast pace. For every five mentally counted seconds, the minute hand moved five minutes.

"The frick," she whispered. Karl cleared his throat and she looked up at him.

"Your devices shall not work here, I am afraid. The gravitational density of this place is different from earth's so they will work slightly differently I am afraid."

Lexine nodded even though she did not understand what he had said.

"So, Miss Woods, where to begin?" he glanced at the gray head, "Well, we have not known of your existence until about a year ago. You walked into my radar. You see, we all have an energy signature. For humans it is not quite simple to feel each other's energy signature, they do so very subconsciously, by knowing if a person is approachable and all. For higher beings, however, we know what species a person is by feeling their energy signature. Now, for a human, your energy signature is quite high. So it is safe to assume you are not human." He paused and tapped his chin, "Well at least not fully human because your mother is human. However, I can easily say you are not fully human because of your energy signature. It is unnervingly strong.

A year ago, I passed you in the streets, and, like a wave really, your signature hit me. It is very hard to miss really. I did some background check on you and was pleased to learn that you had one year to become of age and join the academy. So during the two week holiday where we celebrate the founding of a treaty between the five legions, I ensured you got the Walking Wardrobe and Trunk. Then we met at that party I threw and well, your signature flared when you were angry and my suspicions were confirmed, either you are not human at all or at least you are half-human. What I did not expect was for you not to appear as instructed. It rarely happens.

Being chosen to join Eirene Academy is a great honor and many would kill to be in the spot you are in at the moment. Now, I spoke to your mother and we came to an agreement. I apologize if it was without your knowledge, but I have first hand seen you being stubborn."

Lexine kept the frown on her face and assessed his words. Should she believe all he was saying. For one thing, he sounded like a madman who belonged in an asylum. But then again she had walked through a hole that was drawn on the doors of a car. Between him and her, she would be thrown into the asylum first. "Where are we, if we are not on earth."

"We are in Nowhere. It is a place forged by the greatest door makers to provide a place for all species of the five nations to come together and share knowledge. We are in a place that one can be made to believe is limbo. However, it is not limbo for we can feel hunger and thirst. We can hold matter and the elements work here. In limbo, these things are impossible."

"You make no sense," Lexine ran a hand through her coal locks and sighed. "I will, however, have a look at the place and leave after a month." She took out her phone, there was still no cell service. "My mother has said that I should send her a text at least once a week. There is no cell service here."

"No worries, you will write her a letter and I will ensure it is delivered or else she will have my head."

Lexine nodded, "I'm thrown back to the medieval times now. Wonderful. Considering the fact that I am not on earth anymore, are you human? Or rather, what are you?" her eyes landed on the earring on his ear as it glinted in the sun that filtered into the room through the window that was behind the four men. It was enchanting.

"That is a very complicated question that will be answered in your classes. Classes begin in two days. Your Walking Wardrobe and Trunk have been sent to your house. You will begin in the first year as everybody who enters the academy does. You, however, must work harder than the rest because you know nothing of this world of ours, Miss Woods. It would be such a shame if you just fail. I have such high expectations of you. I hope you will be ready by then."

Lexine huffed at his avoidance of her question and Karl cracked a smile.

"What do you mean my first year? Back home I am at the end of high school. You can't just fricking put me with fourteen and thirteen-year-olds, can you?"

"You are mistaken. Here the age for joining the Academy in earthen age is seventeen seasons. I believe you are past that age? Count this as your college in human terms." Lexine nodded. What if she wanted to go back to earth. She would not have even a high school certificate. That deepened the frown on her face.

"What if I want to go back to Earth after like say, a few years. I won't even have a high school certificate to go by."

"That shall not worry you, Miss Woods. Everything will simply fall into place." She nodded and thought back to his words before sitting up in surprise.

"Wait, wait, wait. I get my own house here!"

"Not exactly Miss Woods." he chuckled. "The houses are shared amongst students. These three form part of your housemates. I believe you will meet the rest later." He pointed to the three statues behind him and if possible, Lexine's frown deepened.

"You are making," she pointed at herself, "me room up with guys? Is this not accepted in like the medieval times because it will taint my virtue or something?"

"You need not worry. The housemates you have will very much not taint your virtue. They are very formidable and I do believe if they tried anything you would be able to protect yourself, no? And anyway, it has been this way for generations past. To ensure all races get along."

Lexine frowned. Her brows scrunched up together. "One month then I go home."

Karl clapped and a smile graced his ethereal features. "Wonderful." He then turned to the three boys behind him. "I will let your housemates introduce themselves before I let you go. Do you want to write your mother a letter before you go to your house? You will find all you need there so you need not be worried."

S/T:

Karl: Hope she doesn't recognize me...

Lexine: (walks in and gasps loudly) Aren't you that pervert!!!

Karl: *I am no pervert! I have been misunderstood I say!*