Chapter 17
1498 Words
17
“All students are to gather in the dining hall immediately. I repeat, all students are to gather in the dining hall.”
“Dining hall?” Aellyn said, scratching her pink hair. “At this time? It’s a bit early for dinner?”
“I don’t think it’s for food,” I replied. I had no idea what was going on, but I had an inkling this wasn’t about mashed potato or soup.
Just like the rest of the students, I set in motion and let the stream of people guide me away from the classroom and towards the dining hall.
It had been a while since the last announcement and that was to amend the curriculum. What else could be as important to disrupt the entire student body?
The hallways funneled us all towards the dining hall where everyone pooled together at their usual tables. From the look of it, we were one of the last ones arriving. Almost every seat was filled and there wasn’t much space left either. Even the outcast table was occupied by a couple of third-year Banshees that never used the dining hall.
Where was I supposed to go?
“Ylva! Over here!”
The sound of my name made me turn and with relief, I found Flavia at the other end. She waved enthusiastically and gestured to the empty seat at their table.
I turned to Aellyn, cringing at having to split up from her. On the one hand, it wasn’t very nice of me to leave her alone. On the other, we probably wouldn’t find a seat together anyway. The dining hall was quickly packing beyond its capacity and as first-years, we’d be chased out of our seats by the second-and-third-years if they so wanted.
At least at Flavia’s table, nobody would bother me.
The Wood Elf sighed. “Go. Sit with your friends. I’ll be fine.”
“But—“
“That’s what you want right? I’ll be fine.” She rolled her eyes and without giving me a second glance, she stomped away.
The way we parted left me with a foul taste, but this was not the time to deal with it. There were more students pouring in and if I didn’t hurry, Flavia might give my seat to someone else.
I hurried through the tables and quickly sat down in my chair. “Hey, guys.”
The four girls greeted me with varying enthusiasm, but that didn’t bother me. The only one that mattered was Flavia and we were friends, so it was all fine.
I turned to her, curious whether she knew what was happening. “What do you think is going on?”
“You’ll see,” she replied cryptically.
“You know?”
Flavia snorted. “No, but for a moment, you believed that I did, right?”
“Yes! If there’s a student that knows what’s going on, it would be you.”
She shot me a smile. “That’s sweet, but I don’t.”
Before I could reply, the high static shriek of a microphone cut through the droning chatter around me.
“Hey, it’s Professor Brynhild and the Headmistress!” I gestured to the front of the room, where a couple of teachers were gathered near the little platform. “I wonder what’s up.”
“Shhhh,” Dagmar interjected.
I refrained from rolling my eyes. I didn’t like that girl, but with Oda gone, she was Flavia’s new right hand and that was all there was to it. As the newest member of the group, I could accept it or walk. That was all there was to it.
The Headmistress signed in her Banshee sign language, and as always, Professor Brynhild translated for her.
“Thank you for gathering, students. As some of you may already know, Master Ryuga recently passed. As sad as we are, we’ve been left with a spot to fill. We’ve been very lucky to find an immediate replacement.”
“A replacement?” I muttered. Hopefully someone with a much better conscience than Ryuga.
Professor Brynhild waved a tall, dark man onto the platform and my breath hitched. “Dagwood.”
Dagmar frowned. “What did you say?”
“Nothing,” I quickly said, waving her concern away. I should’ve been more careful and kept myself from talking out loud. I’d just been so surprised to see the man from the Forest of Illusions.
He was real.
From the lines in his face and his greying hair, he was older than when we met. A lot older.
He stepped to the microphone and with a little tap to test it, he spoke. “Students of Afterlife Academy. I am Dagwood, I will be teacher.”
Someone from a table of Reapers raised their hand. “What will you be teaching?”
“Afterlife Etiquette for second year,” Dagwood replied, his voice just as deep as I remembered. “Other questions?”
Another hand shot up. “What happened to Master Ryuga?”
Uneasy muttering filled the dining hall and I had no doubt everyone was speculating.
I exchanged a look with Ryoko and we nodded. For Ryuga’s honour, it was best if nobody knew the circumstances in which he met death. His betrayal, his attacks, those were ours to keep.
On the platform, the teachers put their heads together and the Headmistress’ rapid signing quickly had them nodding.
Professor Brynhild broke free from the little group and took the microphone again. “Let’s keep questions at the topic at hand. We’re here to welcome our new teacher and—”
Before she’d finished her sentence, a new person stood up. Another Dragon.
“Forgive me, but could you please be so kind to tell us what happened to Ryuga-sensei?”
Brynhild sighed. “I understand you’re worried about your teacher, but I ask you to respect his privacy. A small, intimate burial will be arranged by Professor Tatsu and you’re welcome to attend. Details will follow for that. Now, welcome Professor Dagwood and go to your dormitories or next lectures.”
With more noise and protest than when we arrived, the teachers all left the dining hall and left us with more questions than answers.
Of course, they had to tell everyone that Ryuga was dead, but it felt wrong that they were throwing him a burial like he’d just passed peacefully. On the other hand, it was necessary to keep the reason for his attack secret. If other students found out about my Shadow Walking, surely, more death was sure to follow. It was better this way, but that didn’t mean it was easy. Certainly not when he hurt people dear to me.
“A new teacher, hmmm?” Flavia said, drawing me out of my thoughts.
Dagmar nodded. “Well, it doesn’t change anything for us.”
“Hmmm. I like it that way.”
Flavia rose from her seat and quickly, everyone followed suit, including me. It was bad manners to stay seated when the leader rose. And after everything we’d been through, I had no problem with calling Flavia my leader.
She turned to me and shot me a knowing look. “It’ll be fine.”
“I hope so.”
It seemed like a weird coincidence that Dagwood was the new teacher, but it couldn’t mean anything. It was insane to think that there could be a bigger conspiracy or something going on. It probably was just that, a coincidence.
Flavia nodded as she collected her belongings. “We have key-making, so we can’t be late.”
“That’s fine, I have Nature of Souls with Hagen.”
“Ah, fun.” She gave me a pat on the arm and strode away, the three other girls following her on the heel. Just how it was supposed to be.
A warm sensation engulfed me. It was so good to have friends, I couldn’t imagine going back to being an outcast. With Flavia on my side, I probably wouldn’t have to and that was one of the best feelings ever.
“A new teacher, huh?” A head of pink hair appeared next to me and Aellyn shot me a smile. “I wonder what happened to Master Ryuga. There are rumours that he was murdered.”
“Really?”
She nodded. “Yes. The Shinigami seem really sad too.”
I gulped, suddenly overcome with nerves. This was not a conversation to have in the middle of the dining hall with almost every student around.
Eager to change the conversation, I set in motion. “Is that so?”
“Yes. You don’t happen to know anything about that, right?”
“No, why would I?”
“He was missing for days before he turned up dead. The same days you were missing.”
Shit…
I shook my head, trying to steady my hands. “No idea. Like I said, I was sick and in the infirmary.”
“Hmmm…” Aellyn frowned as she followed me through the corridors to Nature Of Human Souls. “I guess it’s just a coincidence?”
“Yes, that’s exactly that.”
After Dagwood showing up at the Academy, I had to believe that weird coincidences really occurred. After all, why would he show up here? Another illusion? A test from the Keeper?
Or something more ominous…
No. I shook the dark thoughts away. After everything with Ryuga, I just wanted to forget the entire thing. The Shadow Walking part, the attack, his Midnight Raven threats.
He’d been dead for days now and nothing had happened. I had to believe it was just the ramblings of a dying man.
With my head full of thoughts, I followed the rest of my classmates into the classroom. Professor Hagen was teaching us all about a frozen soul, but I couldn’t have cared less what it was about. Anything to occupy my brain before I went crazy thinking about Master Ryuga, Dagwood, and the rumoured Midnight Raven...
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