THE DARK SECRET
1212 Words
CHAPTER TEN
THE DARK SECRET
The heat was suffocating.
Every student, including Alexander, was sweating as they desperately tried to figure out the lock on their chains.
Time was ticking.
Only one minute and thirty seconds remained.
Almost everyone kept glancing at the timer in panic.
The old man watched them from his seat, slowly becoming bored.
“This is so hard,” Helen confessed.
Crystal didn't reply.
She was too busy examining her own chain.
Suddenly, Crystal's eyes narrowed.
“The lock is beneath the chain,” she informed Helen.
“How do you know?” Helen asked, confused.
“Use your pin on the lock. Turn it two times to the left and once to the right.”
Crystal spoke confidently, as though she had done it before.
She didn't know where the knowledge had come from.
Maybe it was something she had learned somewhere.
Or maybe it was simply instinct.
Helen quickly followed her instructions.
Crystal did the same.
In no time, Crystal's chain fell open.
She raised her hand.
“Do you have anything harder, teacher?”
She held up the hairpin proudly.
Everyone turned toward her.
Even the old man looked surprised.
“Bravo, Miss Crystal.”
The old man smiled.
Crystal suddenly felt dizzy from the heat.
She stumbled forward and nearly fell against the teacher.
“Sorry,” she quickly apologized.
She walked outside the classroom.
Before leaving, she looked back at Helen.
She hoped her friend had remembered what she had told her.
“Below,” Crystal mouthed silently.
Then she left.
Alexander had been watching Crystal the entire time.
He had noticed how quickly and carefully she had unlocked the chain.
He looked down at his own lock.
Then his mind replayed Crystal's movements.
His photographic memory made it easy.
Alexander followed the exact method Crystal had used.
Click.
His chain opened.
He smirked.
Kevin also managed to unlock his chain.
Both boys stood up almost at the same time.
“Done.”
Lexi looked at the two boys beside her.
Alexander, who had been sitting on her left, was already free.
Kevin was free too.
The two boys walked away.
The old man smiled.
One minute remained.
Only a few students were still struggling.
Helen finally managed to unlock hers.
“Done!”
She smiled proudly as sweat rolled down her face.
Before leaving, she noticed Lexi still struggling.
Helen secretly mouthed one word.
“Below.”
Lexi understood immediately.
She smiled and carefully followed the instructions, trying not to make it obvious that she had received help.
Helen had always been an obedient sister.
She loved Lexi and couldn't stand watching her struggle.
Finally, Lexi unlocked herself.
When the two minutes ended, only five students had failed to release themselves.
The chains became hot.
The students cried out as the punishment began.
Everyone eventually returned to their seats.
The old man clapped his hands.
“Well done.”
Victor smiled.
“That was easy.”
This time, nobody laughed.
The atmosphere was too serious.
“More tests are coming,” the old man announced. “But for now, that's all for today.”
Crystal raised her hand.
“Teacher, want to see something cool?”
The old man smiled.
“Sure, Miss Crystal.”
Everyone's eyes turned toward her.
Crystal stood up.
“Today, you taught us how to take something without the owner noticing, right?”
“Yes.”
“And…”
Crystal paused.
“Where is your wallet?”
The teacher smiled confidently.
“It's with me.”
He patted his pocket.
Crystal grinned.
“No. It's with me.”
She pulled the teacher's wallet out of her hand.
The entire class went silent.
The old man's eyes widened.
Crystal walked toward him and handed it back.
“Tsk, tsk. Teacher, you aren't so cool.”
She smiled.
Lexi leaned toward Kevin and Alexander.
“Such a pick-me,” she whispered, quietly enough for only the two boys to hear.
“She's something else,” Alexander said.
Lexi looked at him in surprise.
Alexander normally didn't comment on other people.
So the pick-me now has Alexander as her enemy.
Kevin smiled.
“She's actually cool. I can bet no one else could do that.”
Lexi immediately glared at him.
The old man laughed.
“Miss Crystal, you are officially my favorite student.”
He turned toward the class.
“Class dismissed. Go to your next class.”
The students immediately began leaving.
---
THE ASSIGNMENT
Their next class was IQ.
Mr. David was already waiting for them.
“Welcome back, students.”
Some students smiled at him, while others immediately went to their seats.
“Today, we'll be looking at adapting.”
Mr. David wrote the word on the board.
“Adapting means being able to become comfortable and survive in a different environment.”
“Like a half adapting to vampire territory?” Lexi commented.
Crystal turned around.
She smiled at Lexi.
“And still being able to be the best among the vampires.”
The two girls glared at each other.
Mr. David sighed.
“Good example, Miss Alexandra. But no fighting. Not now.”
He continued.
“Adapting is also about understanding how a person lives their daily life. You must be able to observe them without making mistakes.”
He paused.
“So, students, I have an assignment.”
Everyone became interested.
“You have two days to find out the dark secret of the person appointed to you.”
The classroom became silent.
“I know everyone in this life has a deep secret.”
Mr. David looked around.
“I want each of you to find it within two days.”
Kevin raised his hand.
“How are we supposed to know the people we are appointed to?”
“Good question.”
Mr. David smiled.
“Only five students have been selected for this assignment. There is a paper with each name under your chair.”
He turned and walked out.
The moment he left, everyone immediately checked beneath their chairs.
Lexi found hers.
She opened it quickly.
Kevin.
Her expression fell.
She clearly wasn't happy.
Helen checked beneath her chair.
She pulled out her paper.
Her eyes widened.
It was the name of their Forgery teacher.
She didn't want him.
Not at all.
Around the classroom, the other students began checking their papers.
Alexander reached beneath his chair.
He unfolded his paper.
His eyes landed on the name.
Crystal.
Lexi's eyes widened.
Kevin checked his.
Lexi.
Crystal reached beneath her chair and pulled out her paper.
She opened it.
Her eyes widened.
Alex.
She looked at Helen.
Then at the paper.
Then back at Helen.
She slowly narrowed her eyes.
But when she turned to pick up her pen, something caught her attention.
There was another paper.
Crystal picked it up.
She unfolded it.
The name written on it was the same as Helen's assignment.
Their Forgery teacher.
Crystal's eyes narrowed.
She looked directly at Helen.
“You didn't have to change it.”
Helen blinked innocently.
“What?”
“I know you changed it.”
Crystal stood up.
She grabbed her things and walked away.
Helen watched her leave.
Her innocent expression slowly disappeared.
She had been caught.
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