Behind The Cloack

Chapter 2

Yssa’s POV

Could that letter really be true? How did it even end up in my room? But if it isn’t real, then why are there so many people here?

“Did you receive a letter too?” I asked the girl I was talking to earlier. Curiosity was eating at me, and besides—what do I have to lose by asking?

She froze at my question. Instead of answering, she rummaged through her bag and pulled out a piece of paper.

“Is this the kind of letter you’re talking about?” she asked. It looked exactly like the one I received. I stared at her in confusion and tried to read her mind.

“Everyone here received the same kind of letter. And trust me—it’s real, not a prank. Only certain people are chosen to get them, people like us,” she explained before I could dig deeper into her thoughts. I can only read someone’s mind if I look into their eyes, anyway.

I guess there’s no harm in going along with this, right? It’s not like I have anywhere else to be. I just hope this decision doesn’t get me into trouble.

I sighed and waited for whatever was going to happen. Soon, names were being called one by one, and people walked into a glowing doorway. Eventually, only two of us were left. She was called next.

A knot tightened in my stomach. What if I wasn’t included? Just as the woman calling names was about to leave, she noticed me. With a puzzled look, she walked over.

“What’s your name, dear? And what are you doing here?” she asked. She didn’t look old, maybe in her thirties, with fair skin and striking beauty.

What do I say? Should I admit I also received a letter? Ugh, whatever.

“I’m Yhessa… I’m here because I received a letter too,” I answered shyly, bowing my head. What if mine was just some kind of scam?

She stayed silent for a few minutes, flipping through some papers. My nerves grew until she finally looked up.

“Is your full name Yhessa Sawyer?” she asked.

Shock hit me. How did she know my full name? I only gave my first name.

I nodded as an answer. I wanted to ask more, but I held back—I didn’t want to seem nosy.

“Hmm. Come along,” she said at last, heading toward the glowing doorway.

Wait, what? Did she just say come along? Does that mean I’m included?

I hesitated, unsure, until she turned back when she realized I wasn’t following.

“Let’s go. They’re waiting for us,” she said with a small smile before walking ahead again.

So I am included. Good. Because honestly, if not, I wouldn’t have had anywhere else to go. With no other choice, I followed her through the doorway.

My mouth fell open. Seriously, what kind of school is this? The gate shimmered with floating lights like fireflies, and when it opened, a massive palace-like building glowed before us. The grounds were huge, with other buildings scattered around.

We were told to form a line. Three people waited by the entrance, asking questions one by one.

Soon it was my turn. A stern-looking woman fixed her gaze on me. I instinctively brushed against her thoughts and caught her describing me in her mind. I pulled back quickly—better not.

“Name and age,” she demanded, her voice sharp.

“Yhessa Sawyer, eighteen,” I replied seriously, though still polite.

She didn’t say another word, just handed me a paper and a key. She explained that I’d need to show the paper tomorrow when classes started. She also said food and uniforms were provided free of charge.

Tomorrow. Classes start tomorrow. And I’m not ready. I don’t even know my way around this place. Still, I had no choice but to follow the map she handed me and head toward the dorms.

I didn’t even bring any clothes. Then again, I noticed no one else brought luggage either. Maybe they’ll provide everything here.

I walked past dorm room numbers: 43… 44… 45. Finally. I slid the key in and opened the door—only to be greeted by a girl’s face.

She was stunning—pale skin, long straight black hair, long lashes, sharp nose, and soft pink lips. Gorgeous. I only looked at her with my usual poker face.

“Hi! Are you Yhessa, my new roommate?” she asked excitedly. I nodded.

“Really?” she asked again, like an eager child. I nodded once more. She smiled even wider. Psh. Definitely childish.

“I’m Leigh! I’m eighteen too,” she introduced, still grinning as she held out her hand.

“Yhessa. You can call me Yssa. Eighteen,” I said flatly, shaking her hand. She immediately tugged me toward a bed near the closet.

Three neatly folded uniforms were laid out. Blue-striped with black long sleeves, matching trousers, and the school’s emblem stitched on—with my surname beneath it. Honestly, they looked much nicer than my old school’s uniforms.

“This is your bed, your uniforms, and that’s your closet for your clothes and shoes,” she said cheerfully.

Speaking of clothes… I don’t have any. Should I ask her?

“Uh… I don’t have clothes,” I admitted.

Her smile grew even brighter, and she practically jumped in excitement. What’s wrong with this girl? She looks way too happy about this.

“That’s perfect! We’ll go shopping! Shoes too! Come on!” she said eagerly, grabbing my wrist.

Seriously? She could’ve just asked instead of dragging me out. But I let her lead anyway since I had no idea where to go.

As we walked, I kept thinking about this school. Free food, free uniforms… even shopping trips? What kind of place is this?

Other students glanced our way, but I could tell they were looking at Leigh, not me. Who wouldn’t stare at her beauty?

She pointed out the different buildings—the faculty, training hall, and the classrooms. Apparently, there are six buildings in total. Two of them, the faculty and training halls, were smaller. The others included a mall and even a supermarket. Students could shop there or buy ingredients to cook their own meals, though most just ate in the cafeteria.

Eventually, we reached the mall and went straight to a clothing store. She said she’d buy some things too since she didn’t have much.

I picked out two plain black hoodies, a brown sweater, a blue sweater, two baggy pants (black and gray), one trouser, and one pair of wide-leg black pants.

I’ve always preferred dark colors, especially black—it doesn’t attract much attention. For shirts, I chose one white shirt with black trim and four black ones with different prints.

Leigh explained I just needed to take them to the counter to get them wrapped up. After clothes, we went to the shoe store. She picked black boots and pink 4-inch heels. I got a simple pair of black high-cuts and Converse.

“Uh, Yssa, wait here on the bench, okay? I’ll grab some ice cream from the supermarket. I’ll leave the shopping bags here. Bye!” she said before running off.

I sat quietly, letting the breeze hit me as students walked in and out of the supermarket. It was lunchtime, and the cafeteria was filling up.

Funny. When we first stepped through that glowing door, it was only 10 p.m. Now it’s somehow noon.

I don’t know if coming here was the right choice.

I looked around at the students laughing, joking, and chatting happily with their friends.

Maybe… I just need some time. Maybe I can adjust.

Maybe I can start a new beginning.