The World in Dissonance (Volume 1)

Chapter 2: Hide and seek ~ Seek the truth

Part 1

A day passed.

It was around 8 am.

Both Alyss and Sonya were already in their casual outfit, likely ready to keep on their investigation. This time, they were dressed in what looked like college girl uniforms. They were evenly matched.

They most likely had their breakfast in their room as one could see a tray on the table in front of their bed. The room service may have delivered it earlier as both surely ordered their breakfast to avoid wasting time.

As the two girls moved down to the main hall to leave the hotel, they came across the old man receptionist.

"Was the breakfast suiting your taste, Miladies?", asked the gentleman.

"It was perfect! We appreciated the service and the food was delicious", replied Sonya as she smiled at the receptionist."We will take our leave for now. We can't risk being late!"

"Oh~ Miladies have an appointment or a plan for the day?"

"We have a meeting at the high school. That's solely the reason why we travelled to this town.", replied Alyss.

"If that's the case, I won't retain Miladies for too long. I wish upon you a very pleasant day. I'll have the room service clean your place later."

"Have a good day!!", answered both girls at the same time.

The town was more lively than how it was the day before, but still not as one would expect it to be.

There were only a few number of students wearing their uniform and going in the direction of the campus. Alyss and Sonya were even astonished that with the current situation, classes weren't cancelled yet.

And among those small number of students, they noticed some from the community of the Witches. The witch girl Lilim, who had passed her dark baptism just the night before, didn't care exchanging a look with the two girls. While some of her fellow Witches gave Alyss and Sonya a hateful gaze, there were few who didn't seem to feel animosity against the Christian girls.

In general, classes mostly started at 9 am in Great Britain, thus they still had around an hour. Carnforth, the town of Lancaster where they stayed wasn’t really that huge, so making it to the town’s campus was not time consuming and based on those facts, Alyss and Sonya weren't rushing themselves.

"So, any idea on how we are going to, you know, infiltrate that campus? I am not sure we would have the permission to even get inside unless we are presented as transferred students.", suddenly declared Alyss, looking concerned. "I am sure with the current situation in the town, security has been reinforced in there. After all, the adults have the duty to protect the children and the youngsters."

No matter how you looked at it, it was practically impossible for both girls to enter the high school’s campus and attend classes like normal students.

They didn't belong there.

And even by exploring the option of being transferred students, they won't be able to trick the higher ups of the college.

Transferred students needed a recommendation letter from their previous college, Alyss and Sonya didn't have such a thing.

And in case they managed to falsify a transfer letter, the direction may still call the aforementioned college or high school in the letter for a confirmation. They were practically facing a dead end.

"I've been thinking about it the whole night and to be honest, I didn't find any answer to it. We may be accused of trespassing if we enter the property in secret! So we can forget about that option.", replied Sonya. "Well, all we can do for the time being is to trust the vision you had and just go there. As Dedicatus often says, ‘Que sera sera, whatever will be will be.’ If it's according to His Will, God will make a way for us."

"Talking about visions, some are still unclear to me. Did ya get some highlights that would help us get closer to the truth during the night?"

If the gift of Foretelling was the ninth gift of The Spirit mentioned in the first book of Corinthians, then there was the gift of Interpretation.

Coming from the greek word ‘Hermeneia’, simply speaking, it was the ability to interpret messages that one was not able to understand in a natural way. That gift was mostly concerning the interpretation of tongues, known as ‘Glossolalia’, which was contextually language unknown by one.

But many failed to understand that visions were actually a language of the Spirit, unknown by most of all. And just like it was written in the book of Genesis 40, Interpretation belonged to God.

Sonya looked far in the landscape then finally started to share the interpretation she received from The Holy Spirit.

"In the vision that you saw, there was a giant mouth floating on top of the campus. It is indicating to us that the source of all this ruckus is coming from there. It all started there and it's only there that we will learn everything about the truth.", explained Sonya as she pointed in the direction that the teenagers were taking. "As for the dark liquid coming out of it, the mouth is feeding people of this city with lies. All of them were drinking from it, which allowed the lies to be engraved deeply in their mind."

"I see. Then I guess our job here is to find the culprit behind it. Do you have any ideas?"

"Unfortunately no. It could literally be anyone. Maybe we should consult her."

"That pain in the ass elder sister of mine? I'd rather avoid it for now. And I think there is another matter she is focused on."

And just like that, the two girls started to make their way to the campus in Carnforth, following the students from afar. Not so long after crossing most of the town’s scenery, their destination was within reach. The path to the campus was lined with tall, leafless trees that stretched their dark, spindly branches toward the overcast sky like skeletal arms.

The cobblestone walkway beneath them bore the quiet shuffle of students heading toward the campus, some on foot, others cycling lazily as their scarves fluttered in the chilly breeze. On either side of the lane, old and gothic-style buildings stood with weathered walls and pointed arches, their stone facades bearing the marks of time.

At the end of the pathway, the view opened up to reveal a towering iron gate adorned with intricate patterns symbolising the initials of the campus.

A small booth stood adjacent, where security guards were stationed to check college students ID cards and badges. With the current situation in town, safety measures were taken by higher ups and every student or professor passing through the gate had to pause briefly as the guard ensured only authorized individuals entered the campus’s ground.

Beyond the gate, the sprawling field of the campus stretched out, dotted with benches and trees, a mix of history and academia blending seamlessly.

"Your ID please!!!", requested one of the guard as one student was going to cross the gate.

The said student was in his 18s. While wearing the school uniform, He still gave a feeling of being well dressed and stylish, just like those rich kids in a high school movie.

"Yeah yeah, just a second!", replied the boy as he was checking in his bag. "Ah s**t! I think I forgot it."

"No ID, no pass!!! You can go back from where you came.", directly declared the guard without hesitation.

"Come on man, I attend classes everyday and you see me cross this gate on a daily basis. Just lemme get in. I can't allow myself to miss classes because of that today. We have tests to do."

The boy then tried to forcefully cross the gate but the guard stood right in front of him then pushed him back.

"No ID, no pass!!! Everyone abides by the rules. You make no exception.", stated the guard. "Now, please move out of the way, you're making other people wait!!!"

"f**k you man! I will f*****g remember this. I will let my parents know and ask them to order The Direction to fire you out, you f*****g piece of s**t!"

The guard, who was a man in his 45s wearing a pair of glasses, was firm in his answer. It didn't matter to him who the person was, either it was a student, a privileged rich kid, a professor or a member of the committee of Direction, if they didn't bring a registered ID, they wouldn't be able to get in.

Seeing that, Sonya and Alyss became perplexed. If a local teenager wasn't allowed in as he forgot his ID card, there was no hope for them to get in. They were literally strangers.

"It's a dead end. We'll never set foot in.", said Alyss in an exasperated way. "That guy earlier has been chased away just because he forgot his ID."

"Yeah I know. What do we do then? We can't just stay here the whole day and wait for an opening."

"I know, but there's nothing we can do."

"Let's beat him down and get in then."

"Are you serious? It would make us the most suspicious person in the town. And the moment he regains consciousness, he will chase after us. It will be a man hunt in the campus."

"We can take him by surprise. If he doesn't see our face, he won't know who assaulted him. Worst case scenario, he will think it was the guy he just chased away."

"Dedicatus, get out of that body in the name of the Lord!", exorcised Alyss as she put the palm of her right hand on Sonya's forehead.

"Joking, joking!! You don't need to do that. I don't even think that we would be able to take him down, even by surprise!"

As they were standing not so far from the gates, someone reached out to them from behind.

"Need help to get in, Girls!?"

Alyss and Sonya turned back to look at the person to whom the voice belonged, and saw a young man.

Like every student of the campus, he was wearing the regular uniform in an irregular way. His shirt was unbuttoned, letting a white tank top exposed. A pullover was attached to his wrist, as if to show his rebellious nature. His semi-leaf haircut highlighted his medium-length hair, featuring an extended nape, textured layers, and outward curving, middle-parted bangs that stylishly reveal his forehead.

The boy looked like he was in his 20s, just like the two girls.

"May we know who you are?", questioned Sonya.

"Allow me to introduce myself. Third-year here at Bellemort College, Eldritch Silverstar at your service."

"I remember you!", suddenly answered Sonya.

"You are one of the warlocks we saw last night at that coven!", continued Alyss as she lowered her voice when mentioning the words 'warlocks' and ‘coven’. "What do you want from us?"

"Nothing. But I guess you girls need my help here!"

"How pretentious!! And what makes you think that we would require your help?", countered Sonya.

"Well, you need a pass and I can provide one for each of you girls!"

"You are a Witch, we are Christians. Your kind doesn't have business with us. It has always been that way since the Dawn of Creation, so why would you do that?", asked Alyss as she gazed emotionlessly at the witch boy.

"Listen! I don't give a darn actually. But this mess needs to be fixed. You girls are here to fix it, you said. After your investigation last night, I came to the conclusion that you would visit the high school today. I took some initiative that will help you get in.", replied Eldritch as he strake a careless pose. "If you don't want my help, fine!"

While the young warlock was explaining his point of view, Sonya whispered something into Alyss's ears.

"Remember when I said that God will make a way?"

Alyss just nodded her head to answer her friend.

"That's it! Let's accept his proposal."

God always worked in a way one can't comprehend, so if He chose to use a warlock to help them in their quest, then both girls wouldn't question it.

"Fine by us!!", replied Sonya. "So, what do you propose?"

"Right!!! I've got you these ID cards.", replied Eldritch as he took 2 cards from his pocket. “They are blank, but there is a spell I put on them. Once you touch them, the spell will activate and your picture will be applied on the card. And regarding the information, don't worry, the spell will make you a fake identity and anyone who looks at it wouldn’t doubt your identity. No one will know who you really are."

"Oh~ I see!! It’s a spell that tricks someone to believe in a fake identity!", said Alyss to herself as she took one of the fake ID cards.

Right after, the three of them went in front of the gate. The guard didn't make any exceptions and checked their ID. The first to be checked was Sonya.

The guard thoroughly analysed the card then checked for the same name in the registrar.

"You may pass, Miss Elena Steinfield!!!"

The next one was Alyss.The guard gave her a deep gaze, then looked at her fake ID card.

"You too, Miss Laura Bishop!!!"

Once the three of them passed the gate, they made their way to the school buildings. There were still 20 minutes before classes began.

"So, Elena and Laura, do you want your humble servant here to show you around?"

"It's weird being called by those fake names!!", whispered Sonya to herself. "No thanks! But you can do one thing for us!"

"And that is?"

"I just need you to tell us the classes each one of you Witches attends."

"Girl, you're too serious! Getting down to business already?"

"This Witch Hunt lasted quite a long time. And the root of it all spread from this establishment. We can't afford to waste time!"

"It's no fun with you girls. But I will let it slide this time. Join me at the cafeteria during lunch and I will show each class to you two."

"And one last thing!", added Alyss. "It would be cool if you could tell us what you know about most of the students in each class. That would help a lot."

"I am just a warlock, not our all knowing Dark Lord himself. You will need the help of my respective fellas if you want information about each student in their class. But I am not sure they are willing to help."

"Well, I bet it wouldn't be this easy. Anyway, thanks for helping us!"

Right after, Eldritch left them on their own. The two girls were standing next to a giant board on which one could see a map of the entire place.

It was almost 9 am, so each student was already in their classes. The campus’s corridor was left devoid of human presence. And since Alyss and Sonya, or in this case Laura and Elena, weren't actually affiliated to any classes, they decided to move to the library.

People often said that walls did have ears, so once they arrived in place, they made sure to sit on a table that was out of reach of any curious ears that would try to listen to their exchanges.

They were taking that much precaution as the root of all this problem was inside the campus, and if that person came to know that the two girls were investigating, they may take precaution in order to avoid being caught.

"If we think about it correctly, we can reduce the number of classes and people that we can suspect!", said Sonya while starting the discussion on the topic.

She was whispering as they were in the Library and being in the Library meant silence.

"First, we know that the fake ritual was discovered in Lord Lot's forest. Which means that the witches concerned are mainly those who regularly went to that place. Based on that information, we can then focus fully on the respective classes related to those said witches."

"But that only applies in case the culprit is someone from their classes. Imagine that as witches, their behaviour as an individual was so questionable that it impacted many or even most of the students here. And due to that, in a way they never expected, someone found out their true identity...", replied Alyss. "Let's say that the ulterior motive was revenge. It could literally be anyone in this case."

"Well, everything we have pointed out are mere suppositions, they are just some ‘what ifs’! We won't get closer to the truth with only assumptions. And that's exactly why we will first do our investigation based on the theory that it may be students in the same classes as the witches who often went to the woods."

Alyss smiled a bit.

"Here we are, discussing some inconsistent theories when it's actually Dedicatus's expertise domain.", suddenly said the girl as she was likely praising her Sister. The aforementioned girl would have looked for a way to immortalize that moment if she was there.

"It's probably due to her influence. All those years we spent together, her charisma had much of an impact on us.", replied Sonya. "She is narcissistic, eccentric and always does whatever she wants, but it's a fact that she excels more than anyone in this domain!"

According to Christian teachings, it was clear that the two girls were blessed by Heavens and endowed with Gifts from The Holy Spirit.

Their Blessings set them apart, allowing them to succeed where others would falter. The Bible was filled with dozens of examples of individuals similarly gifted, and whose Divine Blessings allowed them to achieve things regular people couldn't hope to.

And indeed, such people still existed all over the Earth.

But not everyone was granted one of the Nine Gifts of the Spirit. Like what was described in the Scriptures, more precisely in the book of Romans 9:18, ‘Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.’, the bestowal of those Gifts were not determined by Human merits but by the Grace of God.

Dedicatus was one such person. It took her some time but she stopped seeing herself as more or less worthy.

Faced with the lack of Gifts, she opted for a different path—compensating her lack of Divine Gift with an extensive mastery of human psychology, philosophy and knowledge of the Mystics, to the point of earning the title of Genius.

Through years of tireless dedication, she transformed herself into a walking encyclopedia, determined to use all her knowledge to support Alyss and Sonya on their journey.

Obviously, the gap would still be abysmal, Human knowledge were limited, The Divine wasn't. But despite that, Dedicatus achieved so much as a regular being that her brillant mind had been recognized by many important personalities as that of an expert.