Chapter 2: The Cave
"The sound of the waves, the windy air, the smell of salt water, a melancholic departure, my hesitant goodbye." A girl with brown locks stands before the sea, wearing a black dress as if mourning. She stares at the vast of the sea rather sorrowful.
The class bell rang through the hall and a bunch of students ran out the door excited while pushing each other playfully, Fier was no exception she was pushed and dragged around until arriving at the cafeteria where everyone was suddenly at their best behavior lining properly at the canteen to buy food.
The food in the cafeteria was abundant and didn't lack in quality, the school spared no expense at the canteen because a certain someone was upset they didn't serve his favorite food; Crème brûlée.
Just. For. Crème brûlée.
"Hate the player, not the game." quoted the student council who had ugly hair.
Fier's head ached badly as she recalled it. Feeling like they said the whole thing wrong and had different intentions.
She didn't correct it regardless, they got the spirit. She doesn't like making a fuss out of nothing.
The students were a bit confused but they didn't object or complain, they all just tacitly agreed the food was fire.
Fier stared at the menu for a bit and the menu board was flamboyant and shiny, as if it was telling her to come over, trying to bewitch her.
The earring shone gracefully letting out a slight shreak.
Fier immediately turned away impassively, and headed out of the cafeteria and went towards the bulletin board.
The bulletin board was crowded with a bunch of students, but Fier was not a fan of crowds.
"They should've just privately messaged the scores...I don't want people to see my scores." One of the student grumbled. "They could atleast send it to us in gc.." another complained. "I just came because everyone went here." more and more murmured and whispered, not daring to complain aloud.
She didn't want to get too close to them, knowing damn well how smelly they are. Fier has a strong sense of smell and was picky on scents as her family sold perfumes and flowers. Her standards are high. She decided to turn on her phone and take a picture of the board.
The board, ofcourse, was covered with a bunch of heads; big ones, small ones, shiny ones.. hell, there's even a person looking at the camera.
It didn't matter much as Fier's name was at the top of the board, not everyone's heads could reach it fortunately.
She cropped the picture, removing a bunch of people and stared at it, pensive.
[Exam Scores]
1. Fier Aster [100.0]
2. Silvana Mensonges [100.0]
3. Kriming Inyu [98.0]
It seems that the other person got a full score as well but Fier got first by alphabetical order.
Fier's earring was shining vigorously as if praising her and Fier sighed in relief.
Meanwhile...
As the people gathered around to find their names on the score board, Their eyes desperately moving up and down to find their last names. Silvana was amused on the sight of people being so cluttered and unorganized just because of their exam scores. She turned her head back on her table to see one of the waiters coming up to her and giving her, her sweet strawberry mousse
"Here you go lady Mensonges." The waiter placed down her dessert on her table and had handed her a fancy shimmering spoon
Silvana nodded in approval and offered the waiter her sweet smile as her sign of gratitude.
"Thank you" She spoke so kindly.
The waiter smiled back yet responded with a question "Do you not want to see your place on the board?"
He asked politely as Silvana was the only one left in the cafeteria due to the fact the rest of the students rushed to the score board.
"No need, I already saw my name on the top, I always arrive at a earlier time to see my name on the top, and I already know what my place will be" Silvana said before taking a scoop of her strawberry mousse and tasting it. "This might be sweeter than my score exam haha" She said, making the waiter smile at her sayings.
After lunch, Fier decided to have some fresh air and before she knew it she stood before a forest. There was a beautiful forest at the rear of the school, the forest untouched by the humans and abundant in ancient magic.
It being abundant in ancient magic was precisely why people avoided this place though. Unknown dangers lurks in the forest who knows what might she encounter? As she was about to turn back she hears familiar voices murmuring and whispering.
Fier stops and checks her phone to check the time before class starts and she sees messages from her class group chat talking about the cave behind the waterfall. She frowns at the sight of the messages and heads in the forest, wary.
After roaming warily for awhile she finally sees her classmates doing a test for courage. She rubs her temples and hurriedly went to tell them to head back as class was about to start.
The reason Fier told them off because class was about to start and not about it being dangerous is because she also entered the forest, it would make her look like a hypocrite.
Afterall, she herself entered the forest and did not alert a teacher, people would not take her seriously because the school's forest was a beautiful and tranquil place. Sometimes used as a test of courage among students. Besides nothing had actually gone wrong when people went in and out the forest. She herself felt confused as to why she felt so apprehensive yet welcome when she first entered.
Succeeding in painstakingly telling them off, Fier curiously went inside the waterfall to take a look at the cave curiously only to see a wall inside the waterfall. Fier sighed, disillusioned. She then leans at the wall to take a rest just for the wall to turn transparent and make her stumble.
"..." She rises to her feet and pats her clothes to rub the dirt off, her earrings discolored and gray inside the cave. An abrupt soft rustle was heard ahead as if startled as well. Fier finally looking up, sees a frail looking dainty noble...
...
Silvana had been putting away her book lectures in her locker, pleased on how organized and clean her stuff was.
"Hey, Did you hear about the rumours?"
A girl whispered to her friend, yet her whisperings were loud enough to be heard by Silvana behind them.
*This rumour again..*
Silvana didn't pay much attention as she didn't see the appeal of rumours.
The girl continued.
"There is said to be a spirit in the cave behind the waterfall..."
"How do you say so?" Her friend questioned her logic.
"Well...Many people say they feel another's presence when they're near the cave."
Silvana suddenly felt her stomach turn as they spoke of the rumour in detail.
"It's just a rumour though, don't be absurd." The girl's friend said as she walked away and her friend followed
"Hey! What do you know!"
The girl's bickering went quieter and quieter as they went away and the bickering fully faded away while Silvana was left infront of her locker, staring into nothingness as the rumour lingered in her mind.
She closed her eyes for minutes to reflect on this heavy feeling.
And walked away eventually to rest in her dorm.
*I'm just tired.*