The Sight Beyond The Haze

Chapter 2: Eyes Falling to A Certain Person

After I got off from the car, the driver even helped me to put my bags in front of the building's lobby. Only when I said that he should go did he really drive away with that luxury car. I even waved at him with a smile as a gesture of gratitude.

A woman in her mid-twenties was waiting for me at the double doors of the school's building. Despite her youthful appearance, she was wearing a formal and stiff uniform that didn't really deplete her beauty. I warily approached her.

"Ah! Miss Griyego," she called on me, and walked towards me with an overly big smile that I almost thought for certain was a fake one. "Mr. Tharraleos said you are coming but must I say you are a bit late. There are rules here at Amitiel that you must obey, and I must emphasize that we do not tolerate any foul attitude inside the Academia. Including tardiness," she said sternly, reminding me closely of my mother, Amara. "Now just leave those bags there, someone will pick them up. Let's go."

She walked inside and didn't bother to look back if I was following her. I knotted my forehead at her back, wondering who in the world she was. She just suddenly jumped to me without any introductions or whatsoever. But with that lingering thought in my mind, I still followed her silently as I thought she was expecting me to do so.

Her perfect curves were showing on her stiff and very formal uniform, her long straight blonde hair dangling gorgeously on her back. I don't even know who she was, yet she has this authoritative aura around her that almost intimidated me.

Were it not for her overly youthful appearance, and if there was a grim expression instead, I might get scared or maybe even not. Her eyes might be piercing and the way her brows arched might be as intimidating as it is, but both lacked conviction and the strictness of a disciplinarian. Even with that lack of conviction, her steps were confident and there was an entitled arrogance on how she tilted her head. I bowed and nodded my head at her direction though. Who knows whom I would offend if I showed her a cheek, I would not be certain if that would be okay. After all, I was not entirely certain of the woman's identity, but the mere thought she brought up the rules and regulations of this academy was enough for me to have a general idea of her real identity.

I followed her along, looking and scrutinizing my new academy. I was not impressed, of course, of just finding out that I have a new school. There was no preparation or whatsoever, and it made me irritated to the extreme though my face was as impeccable as ever.

"Welcome to Academia Amitiel, Miss Griyego. So the classes had already started," she said, not looking back at me, her heels clicking the polished floorboard. l exactly the way how Amanda's would. "And you are late so I'll just tour you around. Oh!" She stopped abruptly and I almost bumped into her. Good thing, I have great brakes on the soles of my rubber shoes. "I am so very rude, I forgot to introduce myself to you," she suddenly, and finally, remembered. She then turned back to me. "I am Henrietta Amitiel, the headmistress of Academia Amitiel."

"Nice to meet you, Miss Amitiel," I just said and she turned back to walk again, heels clicking on the floor, not really listening.

I pursed my lips and continued on walking behind her as she toured me around her family's prized business, er, scholar institution. With her, someone who bears the same name of the academy, it felt more as though

"So we have numerous buildings here." Henrietta started to talk as she gestured left and right with her hands. "For the dormitories, a whole building for our library, we also have indoor swimming pools, big grounds for the athletes, so I hope you will be focused on learning here since we've got everything you might need..."

Henrietta just talked and talked and talked all about the school grounds. She went on until my ears were finally ringing and tired of her voice though it was quite pleasant.

We started to walk past through the classrooms. Each classroom has those big glass windows, so that I could see the tidy and very organized students with their tight uniforms hugging their bodies like straightjackets. The atmosphere doesn't really feel like an atmosphere you'd find in a school. It was too tight and claustrophobic, though the school grounds were quite enormous.

The walls were painted white and some certificates of excellence about some previous students decorated the halls and other excellent paintings hung on the walls.

I looked outside and seeing the green grass almost gave me fresh air though I can't really feel it.

After strolling around the school for some time something caught my attention "And now we are in our library, for newcomers it is quite an impression of this building..."

Her voice faded away, and I couldn't hear anything anymore.

My mind wandered around elsewhere. The school's library was massive, huge. I can almost feel the words seeping through my skin, consuming me. The smell of the parchment and sorts invaded my nose. The rustic scent of it made my head dizzy, so fragrant with the mingling scents of paper. My eyes roamed at the sight of the hundreds, possibly thousands of books around here. It was quite overwhelming really, but all of those felt oddly comforting.

"Do you want me to leave you here?" Henrietta said almost kindly after seeing my earnest reaction. "Your room is number 413 and you might as well want to get your books while you are here." She gave me a piece of paper before telling me her formal farewell and some other policies inside the academy.

Rows after rows of bookshelves faced me and I started to walk aimlessly until I walked on a section of the library that had those comfortable looking one-seated sofas.

I touched some of the books, feeling the roughness of their spines against my fingers. The melodies that the books sung clung to my ears like music. It filled the air with an addicting melodic sound. It was peaceful and full of serenity. I continued walking like that, dazed and not a thought about the world outside my head, until I bumped into someone accidentally.

I breathed heavily; almost audible when I saw whom I bumped into.

Those black obsidian eyes that mirrored my own black eyes looked at me. He was about a foot or so taller than me with the steady calm hands that were holding my shoulders.

For the first time, I saw him.