章節 41: The Light Blue Headdress
Chapter 41: The Light Blue Headdress
Lucas woke up, the morning when the Overall Skill Selection will be held, with an aching body. His nightmare the last night made him feel uneasy, plus he almost catch a cold with the cold weather at the cliff.
He sat on the edge of his bed and hazily watched the clock. It's just ahead of the actual time to get ready for the selection. He will not be late even if he will do something. He quickly grabbed his shirt that was hanging by the corner and wore it before going out of his apartment room.
The corridor of the apartment was still void of anyone when he passed by, like when he got there last night. Everyone seemed to be still sleeping. He deliberately woke up early today, anyway. He just didn't want to break the tradition.
He stepped outside of the apartment and welcomed the daybreak. The surrounding was wrapped in a thin fog and the grass was wet under his shoes. He went to the side of the cliff where the highest part of the city could be seen. He almost jogged up there.
The White Day City was a beautiful place.
It was urbanized, but there were some trees by the top just like how he have noticed them by the window from his room.
When he nearly reached the end of the cliff, he looked back to the foggy trail nearby, to the way back to the apartment. He breathed in relief. Somehow, he felt like he made it; he got away, far away, from all of it.
From all the things that made his year miserable. From all the anger and frustration he had experienced.
He slowed down in his walking when he was about to reach the edge of the cliff. The fog was thicker below the cliff but he could still see everything below —the usually busy road that was now deserted, the surrounding walls in White Day High's vicinity, the forest sitting in the middle of the town and the back of the school, and of course, the whole city of White Day itself.
He watched the city below amidst the fog. Slowly and as if not with himself, he sat on an exposed root of a tree near him. Dazedly, a deep breath blew from his mouth which made a thin smoke fly into the air. He put his arms on his knees as he continued watching the picturesque scenery before him.
Friday. It was the day of the Overall Skill Selection.
He was a fine man now, not the reckless man he used to know he is.
A lot of things happened while he was in this school. He met people, acquired skills and powers, fought Vacio, and all.
He stayed in that position at the edge of the cliff until the sun rose completely. He was sitting under the tree while hugging his knees and his head resting on them.
It's almost time to get ready for the selection.
He was heading back to the apartment when he bumped into Scottie. The boy looked to his back, the hallway behind him as if looking for someone.
"Did you talk to the Principal just now?" Scottie asked.
His forehead knitted right away. "No."
Scottie looked puzzled. "But she said she'd go to the Conference Room to look for you."
"Principal Lyns was not there," he answered.
"Are you sure?"
He was perplexed. Are you sure? "Of course, I am," he replied. How would he know if she was there or not?
He was too busy training his skills for the past week and was viewed as notorious these past few days, how can he know everyone else's whereabouts?
"Why?"
Scottie shrugged. "I don't really know. She was just looking for you. So, I told her that you were at the apartment since that's where you always head when the training was over."
He looked at the hallway behind Lucas, still concerned.
"It's better if I check on her. She might scold me because—"
"Let me," Lucas said without letting Scottie finish.
"Are you sure?" Scottie asked.
He sighed as if it doesn't matter. "She's looking for me anyway."
Scottie watched him carefully as if trying to read his mind. Lucas was sure that if Scottie would insist, he will not meet Principal Lyns at the time. He doesn't want him to think that he was somehow involved with the Principal since the online ruckus infused that into their rants.
"Okay, then. Let's meet at the Overall Skill Selection."
He watched Scottie walk back to the hallway where he came from until he was completely out of his sight and engulfed by the fog that slowly becoming thinner. He seemed to be wondering what he was up to, but that was the least of his concern. He went back to the stairs leading down to the apartment to get ready before meeting Principal Lyns.
If Scottie was saying the truth about Principal Lyns calling for him, why didn't she just call him by herself? It was impossible that she didn't have the means to do that. He suddenly remembered the strange voice he heard after he and Moon went back to the apartment last night. Was Principal Lyns there last night?
As he think about it, the wind blew him from behind and he felt a cottony thing stuck on his left foot. Maybe it was blown by the wind.
He bowed to remove that thing. It was a sky-blue ribbon with roses and jewels on it. Was it a headband?
Hmph.
He arrived at the dark hallway of the White Day High early once again without even trying to. He headed straight to the door of the Conference Room when he heard voices. He immediately stopped walking.
"Oh, come on. I was just having fun." It was the slurred voice of a girl he didn't know.
Despite feeling some calmness with that voice, he doesn't really like the tone of it. It was grim sounding, and a bit pitchy.
"This Overall Skill Selection was not just for fun."
He blinked when he heard Principal Lyns' voice. So she was there.
The other voice seemed to become more interested. "What is it to you, my pal?"
Who was that girl and what are they talking about? Who's the other voice?
"Tell me. Cause in my eyes, this place and this selection was just a piece of—"
Lucas froze when he felt something powerful being emitted inside the room, it was gradually dismantling and slowly amplifying. Apparently, he heard that the other voice also stopped talking; maybe she felt it. He was alarmed. What do they think they're doing?
Who was that other girl?
"Don't involve everyone, especially this selection, with your sucking plays." Principal Lyns warned.
He could still feel the power that was trying to break out. It was from Principal Lyns, wasn't it? It was the first time he felt Principal Lyns trying to use her power. He also heard her breathe deeply as if calming herself.
What was the Principal's power?
"Consider this as a warning."
Lucas panicked when he heard Principal Lyns' footsteps coming to the door and was most likely about to leave. He rushed back to the stairs so he won't meet her by the door. He didn't want her to know that he heard the conversation they shared.
While walking away, he heard the other girl laugh. "I found the viral boy pretty interesting. Now I get where all of your anger came from."
Lucas felt the Principal stop walking. "Screw you."
He ran through the stairway and didn't mind if Principal Lyns will find him or not. What was that? Who was she talking to?
It was his first time hearing Lyns that angry. Also, the female voice she was talking about, was his first time hearing that voice. He stopped walking when he suddenly felt someone walking downstairs, going through the place he was currently at.
He looked back and saw an unfamiliar girl.
She was a slim, young-looking woman of average height with slashy blue eyes and prominent dark eyebrows. The ends of her hair are sausage curled, bundled into four thick strands in the back and two thick strands in the front. She donned a corset over a layered dress, as well as dark-colored stockings.
She wore many sky-blue ribbons, including two in her hair and one around the frilled neckline of her dress containing a stone in the middle. She also wore a light blue headdress with a decorative rose design and a small blue jewel on it.
He hadn't seen her before.
"Those who violate the creed of the White must be returned to naught…" the girl uttered in a grim, pitchy voice.
No! Was she the other person that talked to Principal Lyns? Their voices sounded the same! And that headband? Was it the piece of cloth that was stuck on his foot early in the morning? Was she in the apartment? It was very unlikely.
"Who are you?" He asked her, but deep inside him, he can feel that there was a danger within the place. He readied himself with a fire on his fist.
"Fire? You must be Blaze Harper then. Because things like fires belong to Blaze Harper… and Blaze Harper alone."
Huh? How did she know that Blaze Harper thing?
Hearing that name, his anger intensified so he went to punch the girl with his firing fist. But as he hurled his arm towards the girl, she vanished into thin air. He almost tripped after exerting too much force.
He heaved a sigh. All that was left at the place was a light blue piece of cloth that he had seen earlier. It was the same cloth that the girl wore. The light blue headdress.
Who was she? She has something to do with how Principal Lyns acted earlier. What was happening?
Hmph.
Breakfast.
Lucas could hardly touch his food during breakfast before the Selection. It was hours before the start of the Selection and all the staff of the School was busy.
He sat with Moon and Doll. Usually, they ate together like this. But this time, he felt that it was awkward. Maybe they were just pressured by the Overall Skill Selection, or maybe they were worried. But his mind was repeating the conversation he heard in the Conference Room, and about the girl she had met with the blue headband.
What was the problem? Is that how they talk to each other? Principal Lyns was the school principal, and that girl that she hadn't seen before seemed nothing like a higher-up. He didn't see her with any of the important ceremonies here on White Day. Also, he never heard Principal Lyns that angry before even with his cockiness.
What are they really talking about? Who are they talking about?
I found the viral boy pretty interesting. Now I get where all of your anger came from.
The girl's last sentence was kind of uncanny to the feel. Lucas thought that he had heard something like that from before, or maybe had experienced some— he froze when he realized.
I found the viral boy pretty interesting. Now I get where all of your anger—
"Lucas, are you okay?"
Startled by Doll's voice, Lucas almost knocked over the glass by his side. He quickly fixed himself and tried to sit straighter.
"Fine." His short answer.
Doll and Moon looked at each other but didn't ask anymore. They just continued with their meal. Lucas almost curse himself because of what happened but it couldn't shake the restlessness in his chest. Impossible!
Was it him they are talking about?
After breakfast, he headed straight to the training room. He got no intention of doing anything but to wait when will the Selection to begin and quickly end this day. But there seemed to be someone who wanted to ruin it.
He panicked when he saw Coach Clive in the hallway towards their training room. He was leaning on the wall like he had been waiting there. He turned when he saw him coming.
Will he continue? Will he walk away after what he did to him at the Conference Hall on this last day? He looked at him as he eyed him.
"What?" He managed to ask when he noticed that he was like that as if he will not stop staring at him. What is he doing here?
"I need to talk to you."
Crap!
Lucas couldn't help but noticed something different in Coach Clive's voice. It was not the usual coldness or indifference. He seemed to be in deep thought.
Will he talk to him? Why won't he?
"About what?" Lucas asked again. What was his problem and why was he looking at him that way? Was it because he was angry at what he did to him?
Clive suddenly approached him. When he almost reached his front, he paused and heaved a sigh.
"You probably know who I am now."
Lucas was startled. Although he hadn't mentioned a name, someone immediately came into his mind. The identity of Coach Clive's past that he saw in his eyes that day.
Dutch Clive. Head of White Deity where he belonged before.
"Don't become Blaze again. Stay away from Vacio!"
Huh?
"Why would I do that?" He managed to ask. Lucas knew he needed to stay away from that man even without him saying. But really? What the hell happened? Were all the people toying with him this day?
"Just stay away! I've read the news and it says who'd talked to him! What in the world—?"
Lucas couldn't help but scoffed, making Coach Clive stop. He glared before walking past him. He wanted to leave him there alone but he suddenly felt his grip on his arm. He almost groaned because of the sudden pain it brought. It was the hand that was made swollen by Maru. Crap!
Lucas faced him irritatedly after that. "What was your problem, Coach? If you're angry with what I did to you, then, I'm sorry. Is there any problem?"
Lucas was surprised when he saw the Coach about the same as him. "I'm doing you a favor." he hissed.
"Save your favor, Clive. I can handle myself!"
"Really? Then fine! Be killed if you wish to be dead!"
Lucas almost stepped back on his reaction. His deep voice echoed in the almost empty hallway. He stared at him. Why did he keep losing his temper these past few days? He sighed deeply as if trying to calm himself.
Out of the blue, the Coach then left him without any goodbye.
Really? Then fine! Be killed if you wish to be dead!
What was that?
As he mused in a trance, he felt the wind blow his body inside the deserted hallway. He felt yet another cottony feeling on his right foot and turned to see it was the same light blue headdress that he saw multiple times already.
What in the world was that? What was happening?
He turned to pick up the cloth and burned it with his right fist enveloped with fire. Slowly, it became ashes that fell on the floor where Lucas was standing.
"Those who violate the creed of the White must be returned to naught. Things like fires belong to Blaze Harper…"
He heard the girl's voice echoing inside the hallway.
"Where are you? Show yourself!" He shouted. He stood alarmingly, and all he had seen at the end of the hallway was a figure of a girl that was sophisticatedly walking towards him.
As the figure slowly lit up as it passed through the lights in the hallway, Lucas had seen that it was Principal Lyns, walking towards him.
"Lucas, why are you here? I was looking all over you."
He heaved a sigh, and slowly followed Principal Lyns as she started walking out of the hallway.
"Faster, the Selection will start. I need all of you to be at the venue right now."
He ran to try and level the Principal's pace of walking, but one thing caught the attention of his eyes. What was that thing that was stuck on the Principal's hair above her nape? Was it… the light blue headdress?
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