The Invisible Mystery

Chapter 2: The Offer (Liana)

I walked down into the hall of Pristine University. Today was my first day on this school and I can say that this university was really something else. I could tell just by looking at the students who were passing by me that they were really the best and the top university in this country.

I continued to walk until I reached the principal’s office. I was instructed to go to the said office as soon as I entered the university. I was already wearing the university uniform because I received a text message from one of the staff of the school that I needed to wear their uniform. They said that it was one of their rules, so I did not bother to ask about it anymore.

I took a deep breath first, before I knocked on the door of the office of the principal. I didn’t wait that long because I already heard that someone had opened the door for me.

It was a woman, whom I think is the secretary of the principal based on what she was wearing - a button-down shirt and a skirt that was an inch above the knee, that is. Her eyes immediately brightened when she recognized who I was.

“Ms. Smith!” she said with so much energy, and I didn’t get curious when she already knew my name as I already had an idea that it was my Father’s fault again.

I knew that he would not sit around without doing something. I knew that he would not just make me transfer to this school without introducing our family to the staff of the school. He was always like that, a boastful man, though I didn’t hate that kind of attitude from him because I always thought that he was the best Dad someone could ever have, and I never wished to have someone who would replace him as my father.

I smiled because of what I thought, before I shook off that thought and turned my attention on the woman in front of me again. I bowed to her to show my respect, and gave her a small smile as I clasped my hands together in front of me.

“Good morning,” I greeted her as I bowed once again. “I am Liana Elisse Smith, the transferee at this university.” I looked at her again, and she still had this bright smile on her face as she kept on nodding her head.

“Good to see you, Ms. Smith,” she said to me before she completely opened the door. “Why don’t you go inside and talk to the principal? He has some offer for you, and we all think that it will be best for someone as brilliant as you.”

I tried as hard as I could not to raise one of my eyebrows because of what she said. I just acted as if what she said did not affect me, even though that was not really the case.

I was affected, and it was because I did not know how to respond to some compliment like that. I mean, I have been complimented in the past, but I was still not that accustomed to something like that. I was still not used to hearing something like that, and it’s a plus that it did not come from my family.

I did not know what to say or how to respond, so I just laughed a little and gave her a tight smile. She just nodded her head at me, still wearing that same expression on her face, before she said to me that I should go inside now, and so I did.

There were three staff inside, and that included the woman who opened the door for me. The other two were sitting on the sofa that was located in the middle of that office. I think that the old man was the principal, and the female who was sitting by his side... I didn’t know who she was, though I guess that I would be able to get to know her sooner or later.

They immediately stood up as soon as they saw me, and they had this welcoming smile on their faces. And as soon as I came to their side, they immediately reached up to my hand to shake it and introduce themselves to me.

“Good morning, Ms. Smith,” the older man greeted me as if that was not the first time that I had ever met him. He gave me a smile before he introduced himself to me. “I am the principal of Pristine University, and we hoped that you would be able to learn everything that you wanted in our school.”

I just smiled at him as I nodded my head, before I introduced myself to them. That was the moment that the woman who was sitting at his side earlier, stood up from her seat as she was the next person who introduced herself to me.

“I am Madison Remington, one of the teachers at Pristine University,” she said to me as she shook my hand again.

I slowly nodded my head at her as I smiled. The whole room became silent after that because I did not know what to say anymore, and that silence had just been broken when the principal said that I should take a seat so that they would be able to orient me about their University.

“As you may have known, your Father transferred you to our University because he wanted you to become even greater than before,” he said, and I just smiled again as I nodded my head, slowly.

I already knew that my Father had already contacted them beforehand, but I never expected that they would talk about something like that and I did not even have any slightest idea about it. It was as if my Father really wanted to keep this from me, and he just said that when everything had already been prepared.

“Yes, that is the truth,” I told the three of them when I saw that they were waiting for me to answer them with my own words. “I also wanted to experience all the things that this University can offer,” I added, truthfully.

I saw the satisfied smile of the principal when he heard that from me, and I saw how he turned his head to the woman by his side and it seemed like they were talking through their eyes, though I knew that was something so impossible.

The woman then nodded her head at him, before they talked in a voice that was slightly lower than their tone earlier. I guess that they did that so that I would not have any chance to hear what they were talking about. The other woman, the one who opened the door for me, also joined them in their discussion by giving some papers, and I think that was the requirement that my father had passed before, because I caught a glimpse of my picture.

After a minute or so, they finally stopped their discussions as they faced me again, and I was taken aback when I saw that they almost had the same expression on their faces, but as soon as I saw that from them, it was immediately gone.

“We have some proposals to make,” the principal said to me that piqued my interest. “In order for you to experience all the things that you wanted to do at the Pristine University,” he added, that made me look at him with so much interest.

I immediately straightened my back as I asked them, “What is it?”

The principal of the university looked at Ms. Madison again, then they both nodded their heads as if they just had a silent agreement. They both turned their attention to me again, at the same time, and I tried as hard as I could to stop myself from raising one of my eyebrows.

They were confusing me, but I chose to stay as silent as I could because I did not want to be so rude on my first day at this University. I did not want to leave a negative impression on myself, because I already knew that my Father would be able to know it even if I tried to hide it from him.

“Actually, this school has a special section, a section only for the most intelligent students of the university,” the woman explained that to me, using her soft voice, and it seemed like I already knew what she would say. “It had been existing years after Pristine University was established, but something had happened that’s why the University decided to take it down five years ago.”

I frowned when I felt that the atmosphere inside changed because of what she said. I could also see the conflicted look on their faces, as if they were having a second thought about if they would continue telling me this or not.

I thought that they would not continue what they were saying to me, but I was wrong.

“But then, some students came and that was the moment that the University decided to bring back that special section again,” Ms. Madison told me with a proud smile on her face, after a few minutes of silence. “They were the best of the best. They took a test, and they proved that they could be included in that special section.”

“The test took place a week ago,” the principal interjects that made me focus my attention on him. “But because we saw the potential in you, and we saw all the achievements that you had in the past years, we wanted you to take that special test and prove yourself that you can be the seventh student of Section A.”

“There were only a few students in that section?” I asked them, shock and excitement was written all over my face.

They nodded their heads at me and they smiled at the same time. “That’s why it is called the special section of Pristine University,” Ms. Madison said again, that made me look at her once again. “Just like what I have said earlier, they are the most intelligent students that the University can ever have.”

“And I will have a chance to be one of them?” I asked them, and I could not hide my excitement about it anymore.

They all nodded their heads at me as Ms. Madison said, “You can take the test now if you want to, so that we will be able to know the result immediately.” She then gave me an encouraging smile, and it felt like it gave me courage to give it a try. “Or if you want to, we can schedule this some other time so that you can prepare for it.”

I immediately shook my head at her. “No,” I said, which made one of her eyebrows raise. “I wanted to take the test today.” I gave them an excited smile to show them that I really meant what I just said to them.

If I went to this special test, I knew that I would have a second thought and it might lead to something that I would regret later. Also, it might be the key for me to show off my skills. I can still remember what my Father said to me, after all.

That I should discover new things at Pristine University. And this special test and this special section might be my key to that ‘discovery.’ It might be the reason why I could find new things about myself, and it might be the reason why I could test all the abilities and skills that I have. It could also open new things about me. And even though I was just thinking about it, I was starting to get thrilled.

Ms. Madison might have seen the determination in my eyes because I could see that her smile widened even more, and I could also see that the principal and his secretary had this satisfied smile on their faces while they were looking at me.

“Then, we should go into the room now so that you can take the test, alone,” the principal told me as he was standing up from his seat. The other two followed him behind, so I decided to do the same thing too. “Please prepare the test papers.” He looked in the direction of his secretary, and the latter nodded her head and followed his instructions.

I, on the other hand, just followed those two people until we reached an empty classroom, except for a single student’s table and chair in the middle and a teacher’s table in front of it. By the looks of that room, I could tell that they really prepared everything before I arrived here, even though they were not sure if I would accept their offer or not.

The principal and Ms. Madison turned to look at me again. I stood straight in front of them as I focused all of my attention on what they were about to say.

“This room is intended for the special test in order for us to know if you are really qualified to be one of them or not,” Ms. Madison explained as she looked at the room, before she turned her attention on me once again. “I am the one who will stay in the room with you so that I can check if you are alright or not.”

I nodded my head at her once more as I answered, “Alright.”

I even gave them a smile again, before the whole hallway became silent.

It seemed like the classes of the other students at the university had already started, and I was the only one who was left outside. Though I guess that it was just alright with the staff, because whenever they passed by us, they would greet the other two who were with me, then they would cast me a glance before they would wish me good luck.

It seemed like they already knew that I would take the test, even though no one was talking about it. It seemed like they already had an idea, which was why they kept wishing me good luck, and some even said that they hoped that I could be accepted as one of that special section.

We waited for the secretary of the principal to come to where we were, and as soon as she reached the room, the principal immediately instructed Ms. Madison to usher me inside and take the test so that they would finally be able to know the results.

Ms. Madison immediately followed what the principal had said, but before she could even close the door, the principal stopped it as he said, “We wish that we will be able to see you as a member of Section A, one of these days.”

I bowed to him, then I mumbled a small ‘thanks,’ before he finally left, together with his secretary. The only people who were left in that room were me and Ms. Madison, who had been checking all the test papers that the secretary gave her earlier.

“You may take a seat now,” she said to me as soon as she was done with what she had been doing, and I immediately followed what she said.

I took a seat on the only chair that was inside of that room, and she put down the test papers that she had been holding all this time, on the table. There were too many test papers, though I guess it was because this test was called a special one.

“It is a one hundred item examination, and you must finish the test in a span of one hundred minutes,” she explained to me, then she sat on the chair that was located right in front of me. “I wish you good luck, Ms. Smith.” I looked at her and I could see a small smile on her face. “And I hoped that I would be able to meet you in Section A soon.”

I raised one of my eyebrows because of what she said, though I did not have any time to think about it anymore when I heard her say, “You may start the special test now.”