The Afterlife Academy Saga

Chapter 12

12

"Hello?" my hollow voice sounded strange to my own ears. Where was I? What happened?

Blurry shapes and fuzzy shadows sharpened as I focused. Walls, strange paintings, dark colours. The potent, sharp smell of alcohol and cleaning supplies penetrated my nose. What?

"Hello?" I tried again, pushing myself up. Oh, that was a bed. I was lying on a bed. Why? Was I back at my dorm? Was I dreaming?

No, I remembered. I was bitten by a dusk pup. This must be the infirmary then.

Despite my shrieking joints, I rolled my head on my shoulders. Had I been out for so long that I was stiff? Or did the poison attack my muscles?

Gods, this hurt.

After I gathered my bearings, I had time to have a proper look around. Apart from the bed I was lying in, there were three more pushed against the wall. A small booth with needles and vials stood at the entrance, with some bandages and bandaids. Definitely the infirmary then, even if it was small.

If I hadn't been brought in here, I'd have thought this was abandoned. Was there no doctor or nurse?

"Hello?" I tried for the third time, worried that I'd just been left here. Maybe they thought I was dead and this was actually the morgue. Did the school have that? Were there a lot of deadly accidents? I hoped not.

"You're awake," a voice said.

Spooked, I directed myself towards the sound. I thought I was alone?

"You were out for exactly three hours and twenty-seven minutes."

"Thanks?"

A thin man appeared from the shadows, his lips almost non-existent. Like a spider with limbs too long, he scurried towards me. "A couple more hours and you might not have returned," he said, almost sounding wistful.

"Great."

He stared at me with such an intensity, I felt bare under his gaze. Awkwardly, I pulled up the sheets to cover myself up, even if I was fully clothed.

The man folded his arms behind his back. "I make you uncomfortable."

"Errmm..." That wasn't a question, it was a statement. Was I being that obvious?

"But you're feeling better, albeit tired."

Another correct observation. How—

"You're wondering how I know these things," the man said, pacing back and forth. "I can read your aura like an open book."

Eek. I didn't like that at all. Some random dude could just take a look at me and know what I was feeling? No, thanks.

"Ah, I've made you even more uncomfortable," he noted.

"So could you stop doing it then?" I snapped, wondering if I could just run out and never return.

"Negative. I will never not read auras," he replied, somehow sounding a little sad about it. Almost as if he tried everything to get rid of this intrusive ability, but nothing had worked.

Imagining that made him a little more sympathetic and me less creeped out. Even so, I wanted to return to my room. Right now, even the Dragon seemed like a pleasant companion.

The man pulled a face as he grabbed the clipboard attached to my bed. "The poison will linger in your system for a couple more hours, but you're out of the danger zone."

"Oh, that's good."

"If the fuzziness and shadows persist, come back in."

I nodded. "And who am I asking for...?"

"Wagner."

"And you're the doctor?"

He shot me a strange look. "I suppose so." Without another word, he turned away and disappeared back into the shadows.

A heavy clock hung in the middle of the hall, ticking loudly as I waited for him to return and give me more instructions.

What a peculiar infirmary. Rows and rows of dark cabinets towering towards the ceiling, some much higher than anyone could reach. The only sunlight crept in through the slits at the top of the walls, casting strange shadows on the marble floor.

When Wagner didn’t come back, I slipped off the bed and placed my feet on the cold ground. I guessed that meant I was free to go?

Confused, I walked out of the small infirmary room, which didn't feel very sterile, nurturing, or used. Maybe there weren't that many injuries on campus after all?

Hah, my arm was bandaged. Cool. I hadn't even noticed that. It didn't hurt, so that was good. Whether my reputation would survive this? That was a completely different matter.

Humming nervously, I found my way through the winding halls of the school. The dark stone columns and wide marble floors were both beautiful and intimidating. Maybe it was the silence? The echo of my footsteps?

Where was everyone?

The school was usually vibrant and bubbling with chatter, laughter, and the rustling of bags, clothes, and wings. This particular part of campus seemed abandoned, which made no real sense. Why would the infirmary not be used?

Maybe people just died.

"Hah..." I chuckled uncomfortably, spooked by my own joke. Maybe that was exactly what happened.

A chill ran down my spine and with my hand firmly on the rail, I descended down the staircase. I certainly wouldn't want to trip and be returned to Wagner's care. No thanks.

After many corners and turns, I found myself back in a familiar part of the school and directed myself towards my dorm. I missed my first history class, but I wasn't too bothered by that. I could easily catch up on that. After all, history didn't change and I had my books stashed away in my wardrobe.

As I reached the dorm, I braced for any backlash from my little wolf stunt. At this time of day, there would be many other Wind Children hanging around and surely, they'd have heard about my little mishap.

Chatter died down as soon as I stepped through the entrance. Every corner packed, it seemed like the full three years of Valkyrie students were hanging in the dorm halls. s**t. I hadn't expected that many people to be here.

Not unlike my first day, all eyes were on me. Whispers and gossip followed me as I crossed to my room. Across the hall, I saw Astrid and my other classmates. From the looks of it, they were undeniably gossiping about me.

Great. The only thing worse than my class hating me was—

"Ylva."

I cringed as I heard my name. The one person I wished hadn't been here.

"Yes?" I turned towards the voice, knowing it belonged to Flavia.

The strong blonde stepped out of the window nook, the other girls following her on the heel. Her dark wings were folded out, dominating the space and attention.

"I heard you had a little... incident."

I swallowed a lump. "That's right."

"Let me see."

Reluctantly, I held out my arm. I really hoped that puny wolf bite wouldn't scar. That wasn't a memory I wanted marked on my body.

Surprisingly gentle, Flavia unwound the bandages and exposed the raw skin underneath. The wound was unexpectedly deep and tattered, with dark blood coating the ragged edges.

"Does it hurt?" she asked, holding it up to inspect better.

"It looks worse than it feels," I admitted, my heart pounding in my chest. Not only did I screw up imprinting with the wolf, I'd lose my place in Flavia's group. I'd be the outcast before the first week was over.

"How's the wolf?"

"I don't know," I admitted. "I blacked out and don't know what happened.

A bush of pink hair popped from behind me. "I can help with that."

"And who are you?" Flavia sneered, glaring at the Wood Elf. A couple of days ago, I would've shared her disgust. But from the conversations I'd had with Aellyn, she wasn't too bad. In fact, if I was going to be an outcast anyway, I could join up with her.

Despite every bone in my body screaming not to, I stepped protectively in front of the Elf. "This is Aellyn. She's a first-year Valkyrie student."

"Hmmm... And are you two... friends?" the strong blonde asked, pulling up her nose.

I looked at the pink-haired girl, wondering whether I wanted to commit social suicide or not. She shot me a smile, her moss green eyes beaming with an unexpected happiness. Maybe this was the first kind thing anyone had done for her since she got here.

"Yes, I guess you could say we're friends," I replied, earning a collective gasp from all the other students. The idea of a Wind Child befriending a Wood Elf was outrageous, but then... Why the hell not?

"Right..." Flavia shot me a look that I couldn't place. Irritation? Disbelief? Sadness?

She motioned me to come closer, drawing me out of earshot of anyone around us. "Are you sure, Ylva? They say Wood Elves are the tricksters of the forest. Not to be trusted..."

"She seems nice enough."

"If that's your final decision..."

I closed my eyes, weighing the things I wanted against each other. Being popular, befriending Flavia, shining as a Valkyrie. Yes. But I also wanted to stay true to myself, to be honest in the pursuit of my dreams. Even if that meant...

"I'll stick with the Elf," I declared, hoping I didn't just make the biggest mistake of my life.

Flavia nodded, retreating from our tiny huddle and straightening out her white uniform. She shot me a strange smile and nudged my shoulder with her fist. "I admire you."

Without saying anything else, she strode away to her clique of girls and dismissed anyone else gossiping with an angry glare. At least she was graceful about it all.

Excited to be away from all the curious eyes, I turned to Aellyn jingled my keys. "I'm exhausted."

"Understandable. I'll see you in class tomorrow. Friend." A wide smile spread across her face, one that made it almost worth all the pain and trouble. At least I made her feel good.

"Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow." I tightened the bandages around my arm, the grief of not having a wolf only now setting in. Exhausted, I waved her goodbye and pushed into my room. The fragrant smell of unknown herbs and spices lured me towards the figure seated on the floor, an unusual sight. With her dark hair tied up in a ponytail and her rice cooker wafting with steam, Ryoko had made herself comfortable doing something else foreign.

As she noticed me come in, she smiled and bowed, like she always did. "Welcome home."

This wasn't home, but I appreciated the gesture.

Somehow, it was reassuring. Whatever happened out there, it would always be the same here. Her traditions I didn't understand, a politeness that never wavered, and my Dragon.