A tall brown-skinned man with a beard in black and blue police officer uniform swiftly directed his sight at me as soon as I got into the room. He just talked to the one across from him. That boy didn't face me yet I was certain that it was Lanzo; his physical appearances were too obvious. I didn't know why this large room became narrow. It was probably because of some cabinets with a long sofa and big glass table that filled the room or my uneasy feeling to be in the same room with Lanzo and the integrator. The head of the academy got back to his table standing up against the door. I hesitantly took a seat at the end of the long sofa near Lanzo. The police officer positioned himself at the chair opposite us. Lanzo glanced at me and bowed with a smile as though he was trying to convince me that everything was going to be alright. Why could he be this calm? There were two possibilities; either he was innocent or a true criminal. Those who were used to committing crimes would just ac

I managed to get to this place finally after a long walk. Located outside of the academy area, this building was out of people's reach. None would notice that it existed. The waist-high fence surrounded this ancient-looking structure. The foliage of the big trees canopied its roof and its surroundings while the vines layered its wall. The darkness stole its real hues.The sun had sunk to its position. The dusk walled the area. The eerie circumstance raided me with its serene ambiance. It was like in a horror movie when you confronted your fear, being dumped in a dark place alone.I trekked through the kink path so mindfully and gradually as if counting my steps. If I made a mistake, the pebbles and rocks would slide off my feet and it would result in an accident. No one would come to rescue me in this remote location. I made this decision and went this far by my consent. It was my secret mission I never intended to tell anyone including Marin. Could I call it a mission? The assignme

I stared out of the window whose glass only reflected my sorrow and worry. The dusk outside of the dorm worsened and darkened my emotions. I felt like destiny towed me and even other intelligentsia to jeopardy day by day. Today, another piece of bad news bulged. If the rumor were the truth, I wondered how people easily lost their lives in this Academy. If it weren't, where did they all disappear?My eyes flickered in tears. The raindrop on the window flowed more sadness into my soul. I could wipe the tears with my fist but I couldn't remove the woes from my heart with it.Amid my agony, my mother's face flashed like a shadow in the light. Her advice soothed me. "I believe you can make it through no matter how precipitous the road you will take or how heinous the life is ahead of you."It was only my mother's words that strengthened and empowered me with spirit. I had to endure till the end until I could stand on my own feet and bid goodbye from this academy with pride.Swiping the c

The colorless ceiling stared at me. The white border had surrounded me when I scanned around. My stomach was nauseated because of the medicine odor. It felt like my belly would puke its contents in a minute. My head twirled every time my brain tried to recall what just occurred to me. With my frail hand, I massaged my temple to heal the intense headache. "Where am I?" I whispered in a desperate rhythm. My voice might be so weak that no one gave a response to it. "Where is it?" I repeated a question. "Dylanesa...Thank God, you're awake." Marin's face loomed above me. Joy was imprinted on it. "You are in the infirmary. You fainted in the storeroom."The images immediately rose in my remembrance. Before the world turned black, I squealed seeing the piles of objects in the coffin, the pictures of girls with the same complexion as my face. Ensuring only Marin was in the room with me, I heaved my shoulder up, attempting to sit with Marin's help. My lips trembled."I saw them," I muttere

Lanzo confronted me no more; I left him dumbfounded with my question about the girl in the hodie and Yura. He chose to part and went to the opposite path. That boy's fishy deed exposed too much of his dark sides. Could it be he was the culprit behind all mysteries in this academy? A shake of refusal from my head ceased me from speculating. The assumption shouldn't have distracted me. He had saved my life twice, after all. I resumed my journey.The towering pillars along the corridor watched me shuffling toward the library in the next building. Only the noise of my footsteps accompanied me. No intelligentsia I came across at this hour. The classes were still ongoing. My next class would be in a half-hour so I had free time. Reading in the library was the best option to kill the time before History class began.Rush steps at my rear fluttered my heart with shock ; driven by my inquisitiveness to know who it was, I peered through my shoulder. Kaiv moved toward me feverishly. His appearan