Rimholm University: Clandestine

Chapter 22

"Father and Mother." Lily and Winston's attention got darted at her after getting occupied earlier. Lily placed the tray with medicine and Winston got halted from reading a book.

"What is it, honey?" Lily asked her child with a gentle smile. Mira nibbles with her lower lip while looking at the succulent plant beside her. She made her decision, she wants to join the game. Mira doesn't want to get bounded by something that prevents her to break free from what her desire is.

"I..uhh..." Winston meaningfully looked at his wife. Lily, sensing what her daughter wanted to say remained quiet and that urges Mira wanted to say what she wants at the moment. In this situation, Mira feels like her throat went dry, and her voice might crack. Mira gathers herself then heave a deep sigh, "Mother...Father...I want to." She closed her eyes shut.

"I'm going to Zach's place now." I want to join the Lutheran games.

Now, Mira wanted to slap herself nonstop while blaming herself after agreeing to get stuck in the world she's unfamiliar with. A mere girl stuck with the supernatural possessed by the ability beyond ordinary. Mira feels like she's back to being an ignorant child, unaware of everything. Remembering the memory earlier is another pressure.

"I need a further explanation." Mira murmurs. Zachary looked at her in confusion and stopped arranging the books in order, "I forgot to mention to you that Lady Selene used her magic for you to understand this world's dialect. I know it's hard to remember every happening in this world's history, it's not only you who failed." Zachary gives her a reassuring smile.

Their session for the day is over and they're the only person left inside the room.

"I'm jealous of all of you, you know that? You grow up here and don't have any problems about everything around to deal with," Mira stood up and takes his book, "Can I borrow this?" He nodded.

"My 20,000 years old self wants to argue with you at this moment." Zachary lightly chuckled, causing Mira to turn at him--eyes widened in shock.

"What?"

"My 20,000 years old self wants to argue with you?" Zachary repeated. Mira laughed cautiously then turned away. She's preventing herself to meet his gaze, "You're just joking, right?"

"Sorry but no." Mira laughed yet she's screaming on her mind. She playfully smiled and pointed her index at him, "He..He..He..and what's Salem's age? 16,000 years old?" Mira jokingly asked, hoping for the conversation that challenges her judgment and the tendency for her to panic to vanish.

A hand clasped on her shoulder, making her look up at Zachary. He smiled reassuringly, "I can't fabricate stories, Mira." She clamped her eyes shut and heave a deep breath.

I'll just ride that.

"Alright, I believe in you." Zachary takes the books to the table and is about to hand them to Mira when Salem entered the room through the window while holding something. Salem watched it creates a move before looking blankly at her cousin. Zachary held Mira forward, keeping her from witnessing his cousin's bloody hand.

Mira sensed the girl's presence yet she doesn't have any chance for her to talk with Salem when Zachary assisted her back to her dorm. They walk in silence and stop halfway after Mira halted by herself, "Zachary," She called his name with a serene tone that soothes the wolf beside her. Her voice is like a melody on his ears and made him nothing but get addicted day by day. A melody that he doesn't hear ever since.

"What is it, Mira?"

"The games that you're participating in, I want to join," Mira replied, full of confidence--the stake pierces on her heart-like feeling is no longer existing within her. Yet it doesn't last long, "Joining?"

"Yes, I want to---"

"No. Listen to me, Mira. I or even your parents don't allow you. We can't allow you." Zachary explained. Mira's gaze remained cast at the silent hallway despite how she got bothered by the presence behind them. She stretched her palm to catch the small knife that slid down from her sleeve. Even Zachary sensed what's behind them then growled. Mira's blade hits the curtain first before the wooden part of the window.

"We got a company." He looked at her, "Let's talk about this tomorrow, shall we?"

Ellistal standing nonchalantly in the air while staring blankly at the black and thick smoke staying in front of the window from the outside, watching the two lovers arguing. It's not just a normal smoke that fades away along with the wind, it stays where is it.

"Leave," He commanded while holding his staff. The black smoke turned at him, trying to threaten the spirit, "And if I don't?" Ellistal pulled his staff closer to him, the golden clock hanging in the middle of its curve caught the creature's attention. Ellistal smirked as the golden clock glows.

"It'll be easy."

"But I'm not using my magic." Zachary stared at her with a worried expression before heaving a deep sigh. It's too obvious to say, he doesn't like Mira's idea of joining nor doing something that causes uproar. She's too precious to the man beside her to witnessed how harsh the reality of their world is.

"I'm going to think about it, Mira."

They stopped in front of Mira's place, Zachary handed her the books in his hands before caressing her face delicately as if she's a fragile piece of frost that might break when you touched it.

"Please don't worry about me, I can handle myself." Mira clasped both of her hands on his shoulders to reach his face and plant a kiss on his cheek, "You shall go back now."

Tippy...tap...tap.

Mira locked the doors after Zachary leave. The silence of the hallway bothers her now and gives her chills. Mattheo and Freddy are not present at the moment. Ellistal peeked on the peephole with wary then turned at Mira.

"You look so bothered today. Say, it is about the games or, the, lessons about this world?" He asked. Mira placed the book on the top of the coffee table.

"Both."