Ethan's StandpointI sit on the bed in a daze, unable to believe what I just saw. I am still recovering from the guards' beating and from the sudden appearance of that cold-blooded woman who fired pins. I am still confused by how they refer to us as aliens. Now, that Thania has shown up in front of me, jumping out of the window, and that purple-haired woman smirks at me as if everything is normal. This must be the parallel universe.I look at my companions who are resting in their beds. Kate is frowning, lying in her bed. Beauty and the other girls are having a sound sleep. Lorde is leaning against the bed's headboard with his arms crossed and his eyes closed. Quinn is sitting and has his back to me. I sneer as I catch Damon frequently glancing at Beauty. Eventually, I decided to go to sleep as well.An hour later, the loud sound of the door slamming wakes me up. I rise to my feet. So do they. A smiling woman enters the room. I believe she is Alhyssa.She has got a round face that ma
I immediately sat down due to exhaustion."Now, what? How do we leave here?" Damon asks as he sits on a small sofa near the door. We all look at each other, waiting for someone to answer Damon's question."I think we'll just have to rest now. Let's spend the night here," Quinn responds."That's a good idea. But how about Beauty? This place is not safe and she's alone there," Damon asks. We look at Lorde to ask for his opinion, but he just plays with his fist, lost in his thoughts. We all draw a deep breath."I guess we don't have a choice now. Judging from the height of their gates, I think we will have a hard time escaping from here," I reply instead."Aside from that, they have hundreds of guards," Quinn adds. In the end, we agreed to stay the night. Due to exhaustion, we do not realize that we fell asleep immediately.#At seven o'clock, a loud alarm disturbs our sleep. After the loud ring, a speaker announces."Students, it is time for dinner. Please proceed to the dining area." T
"I'm sorry, Beau. How can I resist a beautiful woman?" I make a lighthearted remark. Beauty expresses her displeasure by saying, "Yes, of course. That's how you are—a natural flirtatious man. "Damon fakes a cough as if warning me. Beauty raises her eyebrow at Damon, but the latter continues his meal. Quinn is seriously eating while reading a book that he has taken from the library. Soon, the students fell silent. We look at the entrance where Alhyssa's group, whom they call Valencias, enter. They sit quietly and eat on the side. I frequently look at them, but they are so focused on eating."How did you know this realm exists, Beau?" I ask without looking at Beauty but rather in the direction of the girls they call Valencias."Oh, I heard it from a documentary a while ago. People say it is an enchanted kingdom. Do you think they are witches?" Beau responds with a hint of thrill."No, they look like fairies to me," Quinn responds humorously, with his eyes still focused on the book."No
The sun is about to set, and we are here, gathered in our room. Beauty, who is sitting and resting her chin on her hands, is also with us. We are waiting for Quinn, who went out and said he would go to the library. He ventures to find information on how we can get out of here. We feel worried that he is out because we believe this school is not safe. Those Valencias are monsters. Soon the door opens, and Quinn enters. I almost did not recognize him because he tied his hair loosely with yarn."Are you fine?" Beauty sincerely asks. Quinn nods his head and goes straight to the table. He shows us a small book and says, "I found this."It is brown. There is written text on the cover page. The book looks old because the letters are no longer clear, but it can still be read. It says "Kingdom of Guhya". The text is written in large bold type, so I can tell it is just a short text."Have you read it?" Beauty inquires."Not yet. Why? Do you want to read it first?" Quinn asks in return."Oh, no.
"Why? Well, we've seen a lot of dangerous people here. But you don't kill people, right?" I butt in, but it appears awkward. Sachz's hint of a smile fades.She is caught in a deep thought and says, "Why? Do mortal people do not kill?" I feel anxious about her question. Quinn, Lorde, Damon, and I look at each other."I'm sorry for my question. I am just curious. My grandma said Guhya was once a beautiful place. It was peaceful. People were full of love and respect," Sachz states."Then what happened?" Quinn asks. Sachz smiles sadly."Greed and resentment took over people's hearts. That's why I am here in the Institution of Guhya, because this is the most pure and reserved place in the whole Kingdom of Guhya," her smile says a lot about how she means her words."What do you mean?" Damon asks curiously. Sachz looked at him and sighed heavily."Over a decade ago, we lost thousands of Dji because the Supreme offered them to the mortal world for experiments. My parents were part of it," she
Blair's Standpoint"The world of Guhya was founded by Apo and his wife for a beautiful tomorrow. He wishes that when the right time comes, the Djis will be recognized not as a powerful kingdom but as a perfect example of what society should look like. That, in the coming of age, we will be known for the goodness of our hearts. We will be out there to serve and not to be served; to plant seeds of good values and not of terror," Mr. Han says as he paces back and forth. I gaze straight at Quinn, who has been staring at me. Alhyssa, who is on my left, nudges me and grins."Do you like that cute, long-haired guy?" Alhyssa teases me. I roll my eyes at her."Shut up, Alhyssa. Stop playing around," I rebuke. Her grin stretches wider."Well, when you left the medical building last day, he asked me to tell you that you're beautiful."She teases me even more."Did he?" I shyly ask. Gosh!"Oh Gosh! You're blushing. Our baby Blair has a crush on someone," she says, laughing."Dream on!" I exclaim.
"I told you, Venice. He is Jax," I assert. She covers her face with her two palms. She looks distressed and does not seem to know what to do."I just don't understand why he has to be back. Aside from that, he's using the same name Jax but with a second name Lorde. I don't know what he's thinking. I just don't know him anymore," Venice utters helplessly."I am bothered by that, too. He doesn't seem to remember anything," I say, perplexed. For the few days that I have silently observed him, I cannot feel that he is the same Jax that I have known for so long. Everything just does not feel right."What do we do now, Blair?" She asks. Her eyes reflect hopelessness. Her voice reverberates fear."I can't let him be killed. I will regret it my entire life, Blair. Let's do it once more," Venice pleads helplessly. She holds my hand, but I just watch her beg. I am confused. I am afraid to speak. I am afraid to choose between friendship and responsibility."This time is different, Venice. The la
"We saw her in the dining hall yesterday, but she was not able to go back to our room at night. I waited for her until this morning, but until now, she's nowhere to be found," the senior girl says, looking uneasy. They look both anxious, especially Xhyee. It must have felt bad and scary to be new in a place and something like this happens. "Did you notice anything strange in her movements the past few days?" Alhyssa asks. "No, she was perfectly fine," the senior girl responds, teary-eyed. "Who did you last see her with?" I investigate. "She was alone, reading while eating her lunch," she responds, looking so troubled. "You can leave now. Thank you for reporting this to us," Alhyssa states. The girls nod their heads and exit the room. No one speaks for about three whole minutes. Thania walks silently to the window and focuses herself on the outside view. It is Alhyssa who dares to break the silence. "It's just two things. It's either she escaped, or enemies are attacking us." "I