Emrys

“Focus,” Brina called him back from his drift, and he unclenched his fists before he continued ascending the stairs with his eyes scouring the corners of the building as he went up.

“Wait, hold on.” Liam was forced to stop as soon as an occurrence came to his mind, and he thought about it for a few seconds before he voiced out.

“How am I supposed to get into the school? I will need to pay my fees, and even probably get to write an application before getting in.”

“You worry too much, Emrys. All of that has been taken care of. All you need to do is to go in there and make sure that you come out as a college student just like you were.” Brina assured with a firm tone, clearing some of the uncertainties that Liam had in his mind.

“I really hope this is a good idea.” Liam sighed heavily before he continued walking through the corridor that led to the Dean’s office.

He continued through the path for a while until he arrived at the brown door by his right with the label of Dean’s office boldly written on it. He grabbed the handle and opened the door slowly before he went into the office.

The first sight before him was a large brown desk with seats surrounding it, and a tall cabinet by a corner, filled with books and folders that occupied its shelves.

“Yes, Councillor. I perfectly understand the implications of this, and I can assure you that I have it under control.” The voice of the middle-aged man drew Liam’s attention.

He was clad in a black Armani suit and looked through the window as he held onto the phone on his ear with his right hand, speaking to the person at the other end of the line.

“The boy has no identity, it would be easy to insist that it was a suicidal case, and get the press out of our case. I understand that Larry Prescott is involved, and we cannot risk losing the support we have gotten from his father for years. I will make sure that this is swept under the carpet, I assure you.”

Liam struggled to hold onto his anger as he heard the words uttered by the Dean who wasn't even aware that he was there with him. He took in a deep breath which he let out slowly without taking his eyes away from the Dean.

“Yes, Chancellor, you have my word. Have a nice day.” The Dean ended the call and sighed heavily before he turned around slowly.

“Who are you? How long have you been standing there?” He was startled by the presence of Liam who was staring at him silently. He stared at Liam’s strange outfit, wondering if he was archaic.

“Good Morning, Mr. Henry Cassius.” Liam greeted calmly, walking toward the Dean who glared at him in a little displeasure.

“Yes, who are you? How may I help you?”

“My name is, Li…”

“Emrys.” Brina cut him short at once, and he paused for a while before he continued.

“My name is, Emrys.”

“Oh! Mr. Perkins! It’s quite a pleasure! Please, have a seat.” Henry walked over to his table and sat down with so much excitement, leaving Liam a bit confused.

“Focus.” Brina reminded Liam who slowly walked over to one of the seats in front of the desk and sat down.

“It’s such a pleasure to have you in our midst. Here is Hilton College, we prioritize educational value, and quality experience, which is why I didn't hesitate to pull a few strings when I received the mail of your transfer from London.” Henry pulled out a file from the desk and opened it slowly before flipping through the documents in it.

“I understand that you would be staying in your apartment and not the school dormitory.” Henry lifted his face from the documents and looked at Liam who nodded reluctantly without having any idea of what he was talking about.

“Well, we still have very nice accommodation here at Hilton College. But if you insist, that would be fine.” Henry nodded and continued glancing through the documents in the file in his hands until he was satisfied.

“Everything you need is in this file. You should go through the documents on your own time, and begin your classes as soon as possible.” Henry handed over the file to Liam after closing it, and from the look on his face, he seemed really excited that Liam was there.

“Thank you, Mr. Cassius.” Liam grabbed the file from Henry and opened it to look at the documents.

He could see that the name Emrys Perkins was boldly written on the admission letter and registration forms, with a picture of his new identity on one of them. His eyes widened in disbelief, but he tried to conceal it.

“This is the best College you can think of, Mr. Perkins, and I must assure you that you made the right choice. Do not hesitate to inform me if you need anything.” Henry concluded and extended his hand toward Liam for a handshake.

“I will see you around, son. Have a nice day.”

“You too, Mr. Cassius.” Liam shook the Dean and stood up slowly from the seat before walking away with the file in his hand while Henry nodded in satisfaction.

“Okay, Brina. I don’t know what you did in there, but you have to start explaining. Who is Emrys Perkins?” Liam descended the stairs while waiting for an explanation from Brina.

“Brina?”

“Let’s just say that I gave you a new identity, one that will make you more inconspicuous.”

“What does that even mean?”

“It means that you have to stay hidden in order to achieve your aim here before you move over to the next quest. There is a book hidden in the old library with the deepest secrets of mastering the full power of the Amulet. You must find it as soon as possible.”

“An old library?”

“Yes, Emrys. It has been there for ages, and not even the school authorities are aware of its existence.”

“If that is the case, how then am I supposed to find it?” Liam climbed down the last step of the staircase and stopped abruptly.

“I will guide you to find it. But you must do it alone, and at night. For now, let’s get you to your new home. Walk over to the stable, someone is waiting for you.”

“Is there a stable in the college?” Liam thought for a while until he realized what Brina meant.

“Oh, you mean the parking lot.” He chuckled.

“You really have to learn a lot.” Liam continued walking through the avenue in front of him that led to the parking lot.

He continued until he was forced to stop as soon as he got close to the hall, and saw the spot where he fell and crashed. It was as if nothing had happened, not even a single stain of blood.

While he struggled with the tortuous recollection that crept into his mind, a red open-roof Lamborghini drove toward him with loud music playing from it.

He lifted his face as soon as he recognized the car, and his anger rose.

“Larry?” He clutched his right fist when he saw Pamela sitting with Larry in his car as they drove toward him.