บท 47: Chapter 47
Ana sat nervously in the waiting room outside Dean Athena Wilders' office, her hands twisting in her lap as she gazed upon the towering walnut doors before her. Adorned with brass hardware that gleamed as though they were made of gold, the handles shined brightly in the sunlight filtering through the tall windows. The waiting room was a testament to understated elegance, with its pristine white walls, wooden floors, sage green velvet chairs and matching sofas arranged around a glass-topped coffee table.
Ana was surprised that the dean of such a prominent academy didn't have an assistant waiting outside her office, but her thoughts were soon interrupted as the large doors suddenly swung open, revealing the dean's inner sanctum.
The minimalist theme continued within the dean's office, which was the size of three dormitory rooms combined. The left wall was comprised entirely of a sparkling clean glass window, with sage curtains draping from either side. A gray cowhide rug covered the entire floor, while the right wall was a seemingly endless expanse of wooden bookshelves that stretched towards the ceiling, a lone ladder resting against them to reach the topmost volumes.
Dean Athena Wilder's sat a the center of the room behind a long, rectangular vintage mahogany desk. On the wall behind her, hung a breathtaking painting of Arcane Academy surrounded by the lush Monserrat forest, imbuing the whole room with a sense of reverence.
Ana stepped inside, looking around for another presence, but the dean was already seated at her desk when the doors opened. Who let her in?
"A little bit of magic does the trick." As if reading her mind, Dean Wilders spoke with a refined voice gesturing for Ana to take a seat in one of the brown leather chairs facing her.
"Good morning, Dean Wilders." Ana said, trying to sound calm and even. "You asked to see me?"
"I did, Anaya." the dean replied, snapping shut the book she was reading. "I heard about the events that took place at the Le Grande Hotel last night."
Ana felt a jolt of unease at the dean's words. She hoped she wasn't in any trouble, and even more so, she hoped that Khai wasn't in trouble because of her. She pressed her lips together and cast her eyes down, waiting for the Dean to continue.
"I would like to begin by apologizing, Anaya."
Ana's head snapped up at the dean's unexpected words. She simply stared at her, wide-eyed and in confusion.
"It is disheartening to see Wahren's that are born to support our communities, succumb to such atrocities. If I had any indication of Sean Perkins' character or thinking, I would not have allowed for him to step into the Academy. As the Dean, it is my responsibility to protect each and every student at Arcane. And it is a failure on the academy's part, that a student of our own has caused harm to you."
She sighed, visibly disturbed by the incident as she spoke of it. "I have personally been in touch with the Monserrat police to make sure Sean will not to leave the walls of his cell for a long time to come. I understand the trauma you have been through is quite severe. I called you here to check in on you. Is there anything I can do to help you?"
The dean's kindness and warmth took Anaya by surprise. This caring side of her personality was a stark contrast to the authoritative air she exuded when she addressed the students on the first day of classes. She had actually expected the dean to admonish her for bringing trouble to the academy.
Ana shook her head and smiled at the dean. "Thank you for your words Dean Wilders. I'm happy that the incident is behind me. I would simply like to forget it and move forward."
The dean returned her smile as she responded. "I see that you are a strong woman. Very well Anaya, please make sure you take good care of your injuries. I have spoken to your teachers and advise that you take the next week off from your classes. It is important that you heal without the stress of a demanding schedule. I trust that you have friends that will help you catch up on anything that you miss. The teachers will also be available to help you if you have any questions on your course materials."
Although Anaya was eager to go back to class, she did not attempt to convey this to Dean Wilders. She was sure that her advise was more of an order and simply nodded at her as she spoke. In truth, her head still throbbed and she was unable to fully raise her hand because of her injured shoulder. A week's rest would do her well.
The Dean stood up, indicating the end of the meeting. "Take care Anaya. Please reach out to me about anything you need."
Anaya followed suit and stood up to leave the room. She perfunctorily thanked the Dean and exited the room with a sigh of relief. That conversation was much easier than she imagined it to be. As she exited the hallway leading to the Dean's office, Khai stood waiting for her by one of the walls.
Reaching for her hand, he pulled it to his lips and planted a kiss on her fingers. "What did she say?"
"She apologized for my lack of safety in the academy, and said that she was personally in touch with the police about Sean's sentence. She seems like a nice woman."
"Hmmm. She has honorable character, but she is a stern grump."
Ana giggled at his words and looked up at him in amusement. "Why would you say that?"
"She constantly forces Gordon to train the legacies to death. To top that, she also makes sure we participate in every possible activity or sport in the school so we barely have any time to breathe."
The weariness in his words hit Ana with a pang of sympathy. Even among the legacies, Khai seemed to work harder than anyone she knew. She squeezed his hand and smiled at him in an attempt to cheer him up.
Her attempt worked and Khai's lips curved into a soft smile. "It's the weekend and I don't want to think about training. Are you hungry? Do you feel exhausted? We could take a nap."
"A little bit of both. Let's take some food and a blanket. We could have a picnic and rest by the lake."
She laughed softly as she saw his smile widen into a boyish grin.
*****
Deep inside the Monserrat forest, Yuno moved in fast and nimble sprints, dodging trees and leaping over fallen logs as he tried to escape from a rogue werewolf that was pursuing him. His heart thumped loudly as the adrenaline pumped through his veins, his silver hair flowing behind him like a cape as he jumped from one rock to another.
The werewolf he encountered today was taller and more muscular than the one he encountered a few days earlier but had the same shaggy fur that was a mix of gray and brown. Its powerful jaws were snapping shut with an almost audible crunch, and its large paws with razor-sharp claws were pounding the ground as it pursued Yuno through the forest. He could almost feel the werewolf's hot breath on the back of his neck, and he knew that if he slowed down, he would serve as a delicious snack to the beast that caught him.
The dense undergrowth snagged at his feet and he stumbled forward, quickly losing balance. When he turned around, his golden eyes widened in horror as the werewolf lurched at him, taking advantage of his fall. Suddenly the creature's head was sliced from it's body before it could reach him and the blood spouting from it's neck covered his feet as he looked up with a scowl.
He clucked his tongue at his savior. "Couldn't you be faster? A second later, you'd find this rogue flossing it's teeth with my hair."
Mika picked up a large leaf to clean her claymore, not bothering to spare a glance at her little brother. "You're too slow Yuno. Besides, why isn't your sword on you?"
Yuno used a leaf to wipe off the werewolf blood from his feet. "I left it at the cave and came to gather some fruit." He muttered in a gloomy tone.
"What would the cave do with your sword? You need to have it on you at all times."
Yuno stared at the decapitated corpse with somber eyes. "This is the second one we've faced in just three days. Where do you think they're coming from?"
Mika crouched over the corpse, examining it with her keen golden eyes. "The body is larger than the one's I've seen in these surrounding areas. This one must be from Mongass."
"From Mongass? How did it travel this far without being noticed?" Yuno's pointed ears perked up in amazement, but his voice hinted fear.
"It didn't wander here Yuno. This creature was brought here on purpose and I bet it isn't alone."
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