The Sight Beyond The Haze

Chapter 4: Eavesdropping At The Corner

Bianca was so excited about the said party that it was the only thing she could speak of. Even while we were in class, she would chatter noisily that we were always scolded. Until later that afternoon when we arrived at our dormitory room, she was still talking about it.

"What do you think?" Bianca asked for my opinion after going out of the bathroom wearing a black dress that reached down to her knees that she partnered with a simple cardigan.

"You look so pretty," I complimented her then gave her a thumbs up.

Bianca was petite and almost pretty with her short hair. I said 'almost pretty' because I do not want to lie. Her cheeks were in a natural rosy pink color that she did not have to make it any more redder. She looked average if I was being honest to the both of us.

"What a reaction," she sarcastically said and pointed at my face, "won't you give me at least a smile? You're always wearing that poker face of yours. And are you really sure you'll be wearing that?" she asked with her brows raised.

I looked at the ensemble of my clothes that my body was wearing.

Denim jacket with some holes caused by being worn too many times. Underneath it was a color white tee shirt and a white long skirt that reached down to my ankles.

"Yes," I responded mildly, putting more effort on sounding energetic. "It is fine." I arranged the laces of my rubber shoes then asked another question. "Do you know what the scorched building is?" I asked Bianca as we were preparing to leave.

"It's basically the building at the very end of the campus just beyond the woods," she stated. "It's um... uh." Bianca turned to me, her eyes were serious. Despite that, there was an uneasy smile that still appeared on her face. "That building is called scorched because two years ago it was burned by a sudden fire."

"Was it arson?" I asked her almost automatically, but she just shook her head. Only then did I notice her uncomfortable expression.

"It was an accident, of course," she responded and that made me nod, I don't want to prod on something that she might not want to talk about. "Let's go?" she beckoned to me.

I answered her positively.

"So every hour or so there's a guard that patrols over the dormitory," Bianca whispered to me in a low tone while we went out of our room. "We have to be careful not to get caught."

We looked at each other, Bianca giggled and dragged me to the stairs. Outside, the sky was clear and the moon that hung above was so vibrant that we didn't have to take out any flashlights to see our path down the woods. The woods rose before us like a wall of a castle. It suddenly turned so dark I can't see past it.

"It's the building after this woods," Bianca pointed out as we both entered the little group of trees ahead of us. That was also the time that we had to take out our cellphones to light our way. "And some helipads and the lagoon."

"Why didn't the academy demolish it completely then?" I asked her as I walked carefully with my phone shining the way in the wild little woods. "Or repaired it at the very least?"

"Would you believe that they just don't have enough funds for it?" she asked me.

But then Bianca suddenly laughed out loud before I even answered her seemingly serious question. To mask my awkwardness, I looked around the dark little woods. I suddenly wondered if Bianca was being serious or if she was just kidding.

After a few meters I already heard the music. Bianca looked at me and laughed at the delight of a party as we neared the location. I only stared back at Bianca as she dragged me towards something yet again.

The scorched building was a three-storey building. The sides of the building remained green and untouched by the said fire, it made it look like that the building was intentionally built in this charred state.

A bonfire was in the middle of the ruin and a crowd was huddling around it. We entered the building and the noise welcomed us almost immediately. At the most elevated space was the sound system, someone is doing some good music. Then there was a table for the foods and drinks.

"This is nice!" Bianca shouted so that I could hear her at the top of all the noise.

She danced at the pace of the music, her head was banging with joy, and hands up in the air. Eyes closed and lips forming a smile while my own frown at the noise and the proximity of people that does not allow me to have any personal space any longer. Sweat trickled down my back at the heat of the great bonfire. I blinked my eyes and Bianca seemed to be enjoying herself, so I decided to get us drinks as a way of escape. I wanted to go to my room already. This whole affair was getting me sick and tired.

"You're late," the familiar husky voice whispered in my ear, when I looked back I was not mistaken.

"Caspian," I acknowledged his presence rather loudly, almost shouting at his ear, so he can hear me through the noise and music.

"Hi!" He leaned to me and again his nose almost grazed my flushed cheeks so I leaned far away from his body.

He was being too close to my person and I kind of felt like being invaded. To avoid being crowded by him, I walked to the table with drinks and food and got two cups of punch.

"Where's your friend?" Caspian also picked up a cup full of punch and drank from it.

"Somewhere over there." I pointed aimlessly at the huddled crowd where Bianca was dancing. "Not that far."

"So are you liking this party?" Caspian asked me, and shrugged to the bonfire.

"I don't think I'm fit for this kind of event," I responded while looking at the densely populated building. I shuddered at the thought going straight to it just to find Bianca who was probably at the very middle of it now.

"Ahh... so you hate parties?" he said, seemingly disappointed.

"No," I responded then shook my head, "I just don't like them that much."

He suddenly laughed so lightheartedly at my answer that it made my forehead knot. Was there something laughable at my answer? I started to excuse myself to him, but he kept on asking me questions and the crowd started to get closer to us that I cannot find Bianca anymore. Before I knew it I emptied the two cups of punch I was holding earlier which out of those two was meant for Bianca, and a whole bunch of other cups.

I was getting frustrated with this boy who kept on dodging my attempts of escape. I would side-step him, but he would block the way. I would tell I would be off, but he kept on finding something to talk about. I don't want to be rude, after all I was only a new student here.

"Hey!" Stacy, one of Layla's friends, greeted us sweetly and snaked her arms to Caspian. "How are you doin' Seraphim?"

"I'm fine," I placidly. "How are you?"

"Let's go over there, Caspian!" Stacy ignored me and tried to pull Caspian's arms over. She pointed at the crowd not too far from the three of us.

Caspian and Stacy pushed and pulled at each other, before, finally, Stacy won the battle and Caspian let her take him away.

"Don't go anywhere," Caspian said to me and I just nodded.

Who was he to tell me that? Even if I went out, it would be none of his business. I just waved at Stacy gratefully. Thank goodness she got that boy off my back. I looked around me, a plan of finding Bianca was already brewing in my mind, but then I suddenly felt so light-headed and my knees staggered lightly, though not enough that anybody would notice other than me.

Was the punch spiked with something? And I felt hot and my throat closed up, contracting with a heavy taste.

"I'll be right back after a couple of minutes," Caspian's voice faded in my ears and I just nodded again. He could do whatever he wanted for all I care.

Then Stacy led Caspian to the crowd, leaving me there. I was about to leave to find Bianca in the crowd, just as I originally planned, when something caught my attention at the side.

Broad frame. Black hair. Even in this dark place he shone like a priceless jewel. His obsidian black eyes gleam with the lustre of the fire, making it almost someone else's but at the same time making it very familiar too.

His lips were moving, showing his dimples, indicating he was talking to someone that was completely hidden from my sight. My feet seem to have their own brain, I walked to his side so that he won't see me.

He was in the section of the building that was almost hidden from others' view, maybe that was why I hadn't noticed him right away.

"I know that," he seemed to say as the noise dimmed considerably as I walked closer, but the flare of the fire was still in his eyes. "You think I didn't know the risk?"

I stayed in the shadow of a wall, wanting to hear him talk, to listen to his baritone voice and to what he has to say.

"This is dangerous for her!" The other voice boomed. "Everyone is making their moves. The least you can do is to stop him from getting to her. Caspian thinks that hiding her here will get things worse."

"Look what happened to her last time! Look at what happened to us!" Zachriel snapped suddenly. "I know what Caspian wanted to do, but communications right now are being closely monitored. I can't send any messages as of now, so I've decided that I'll leave Amitiel for the time being and go back. I think there was something wrong this time around. I mean, what really happened back then? And how did she got here in the first place? Why didn't you say something to me about this?"

"At the moment it wasn't the best idea. They almost got close, we were lucky to have found something was amiss this quickly. Or else this would've f****d up, but what makes you think going back would help? Besides, you're already here, it would be difficult if you'll get out." Hermes Run, one of his frequent companions, answered, but it didn't register to me at first. "You know what's beyond these walls, right? She's here and that's what's important. We don't even have to find her anymore. Who would have thought, eh?"

He was leaving?

And who was that girl they were both talking about so ardently? I placed my hands at the top of my chest and breathed deeply to ease the sudden rush of blood in my chest.

"Hermes," Zachriel said, "Haziel would come here and she'll do a great job keeping things in place."

Zachriel's voice was full of sorrow and crestfallen that it brought tears into my eyes. Why was he leaving? There was this familiar pain again that was joined with something I cannot describe. It went straight up to my temples and my forehead.

"We have to prevent them before they get close, or else this might turn out to be her only chance."

"One of her many chances, Zachriel," Hermes stated. "We all want what is best for her, and what is safe. I'll try my best. We'll try our best. Now that Haziel is here, everything would go smooth." He cleared his throat. "But you have to come back here as soon as possible, Zachriel. And we can't stop Caspian from making plans or doing stupid shits or other people who want to do something to her. This time we're not just protecting her from the bad guys but also from one of our own."

"I know," he said and by just his voice I can already feel the anxiety and hesitation.

But as I walked my head became heavy. Dizziness was overwhelming me. My vision became blurry and I could not see my path well. My feet crisscrossed under me.

And I sense someone picked me up even before I fell, only the glitters of something flying around and the flutters of robes were what my eyes last saw.