FANGS IN DISGUISE

THE CHAIN

CHAPTER EIGHT

THE CHAIN

Yesterday, the students of Vanguard International had only two classes: IQ and Criminastics.

The Criminastics class had been more like gymnastics training, especially for the students who were new to the school.

But today was different.

Forgery was their first class.

Every student sat in their assigned seats, wearing their neatly ironed uniforms.

The chairs and tables were painted black, while the walls of the classroom were red.

The entire room gave off a strange vampire aura.

Crystal sat beside Helen, looking around the classroom.

Then the door opened.

An old man walked in.

His beard was completely grey, showing obvious signs of old age. His hair was thick and grey as well.

Crystal narrowed her eyes.

Something about the teacher felt strange.

For an old man, he had an unusually strong and muscular body.

He walked to the front of the classroom and smiled.

“Hi, students. Welcome to Forgery class.”

He looked around.

“I'm sure some of you think Forgery is a boring class.”

He paused.

“But how about I show you something cool?”

The old man pulled his large coat closer around his body.

“Your wrinkles,” Victor suddenly joked.

The classroom erupted in laughter.

Even the old man laughed along with them.

“Very funny,” he said.

He walked toward his desk.

“Now, bring out your notes.”

Everyone immediately began searching for their books.

Crystal pulled out her notebook and placed it on her desk.

Then she looked away for only a second.

When she looked back—

Her notebook was gone.

Crystal blinked.

She checked underneath her desk.

Nothing.

She looked around.

Everyone else was doing the same thing.

One moment, their notebooks had been sitting right in front of them.

Now, nobody could find theirs.

“Forgery is a very important subject for spies,” the old man explained.

“You must be able to take something without the person knowing.”

He slowly opened his coat.

Then he began pulling out the students' notebooks.

One after another.

Crystal's mouth dropped open.

The entire class stared in disbelief.

“Even with your vampire abilities, you weren't able to notice that your notes were missing.”

The old man smiled proudly.

“Forgery isn't about showing off your wrinkles.”

Victor laughed awkwardly.

“It's about illusion.”

Every student looked at one another, still trying to figure out how the teacher had managed to take their notebooks without anyone noticing.

Everyone was shocked.

Everyone except Alexander.

He wasn't paying much attention to the teacher.

His mind was still focused on something else.

The half.

How had Crystal answered the IQ question so quickly?

Alexander looked toward her.

Crystal was sitting at the front of the classroom beside Helen.

His eyes narrowed.

Sometimes, he had the strange feeling that she was an imposter.

There was something about her that didn't make sense.

“Take your notes, everyone,” the old man commanded.

He looked extremely pleased with himself, almost like Merlin after performing a magic trick.

“Illusion in Forgery is about knowing the difference between what is real and what is false.”

The students listened carefully.

“For your first test, everyone place only one hand on your desk and sit straight.”

The students exchanged confused looks.

But they obeyed.

Crystal placed her hand flat on the desk.

Suddenly—

A chain wrapped tightly around her wrist.

Crystal's eyes widened.

The same thing happened to everyone else.

Students immediately began pulling at the chains.

“The more aggressively you pull, the tighter it becomes,” the old man warned.

“So, my students, use your other hand to check the inside pocket of your uniform.”

Crystal quickly reached into her pocket.

Her fingers touched something.

She pulled it out.

A hairpin.

“Is this supposed to be a joke?” Victor asked, staring at the tiny hairpin in his hand.

“I wish it were.”

The old man smiled.

“But you have less than two minutes to figure out the lock on the chain and unlock yourselves.”

He calmly walked back to his desk.

“Start.”

Everyone immediately began examining their chains.

“Tick-tock.”

The old man sat down and leaned back in his chair.

“Time is running out.”

Crystal stared at the chain around her wrist.

She tried moving it.

Nothing.

She looked at the tiny hairpin in her other hand.

How am I supposed to open this thing with this?

Sweat began forming on her forehead.

“Is there any punishment?” Crystal asked.

The old man smiled.

“Good question, Miss Crystal.”

He leaned forward.

“Yes.”

The entire classroom became silent.

“Once the two minutes are over, the chain will become extremely hot.”

Several students froze.

“And it will leave a mark on your wrist.”

Crystal's eyes widened.

A mark?

She didn't like the sound of that.

The old man leaned back again.

“If I were you, I would start figuring out the lock.”

He glanced at the clock.

“Time is moving.”

He smiled.

“Tick-tock.”