Creatures of Elysium

Chapter Two: New Kid on The Block

       The castle stands magnificent against the plains. Nevertheless, they complement each other. The contrast a perfect balance against the starlit sky. A display, similar to a cutout from fairy tales.

        This, however, doesn't ease my mind. My heart pounded at the thought of what awaits me. My mouth dries anxiety hits me.

        The car then pulled to a stop.

        "Right then. I'll leave you in the capable hands of my prefect."

        "He'll show you where my office is. In the event that you urgently require my assistance, you'll know how to reach me."

        "Good luck! And Carla... You'll grow accustomed to this."

        He gave an assuring nod before closing the door behind me and drove away.

        Almost immediately, a cheerful tenor greeted me.

        "Hello! Welcome to Plainridge Academy!"

        I couldn't help but study the owner of the voice, a young brunette boyish-looking boy. He radiates warmth and joy, simply in the way he speaks. 

        "Nathan. A pleasure to meet you!"

        "I'm Carla. Nice to meet you too. So, you're the prefect Marcellus mentioned?"

        He's pleasing to the eye.

        And his lively nature is undoubtedly a breath of fresh air.

        "I might be... unless he has assigned someone else to take over."

        I followed his gaze and saw another boy standing behind me. He was dressed in all-black attire. Standing a good 4 inches taller than me, he wore a stern expression.

        HIM?

        The boy who accompanied my grandfather the whole time, yet he had nothing to say to me.

He was instead snickering at every remark Marcellus made about me. I could already tell that we would not get along well.

        Our eyes met, and he began to stare me down.  It was pretty obvious he did not like me.

        Whatever. I don't exactly like you either.

        "I'm pretty sure he meant you," I turned my attention back to Nathan.

        "Great! I'll get your things."

        "Don't be daft, Nate. You are not her servant."

        "Oh, come on, Errol! What's with the grouchiness?"

        Errol merely grunted unintelligent in return. Nathan bends down to grab one of the two boxes I had and carried it easily in his arms, despite its size.

          That jerk Errol probably dumped whatever that was in the room into those.

        After all, moving here was not exactly planned. Marcellus and Errol were the ones who loaded my belongings while I sat in the car. Naturally, the last-minute packing got messy.

        "Would you like to go to your room, Carla?"

        "Yeah, sure."        

        But just as I was about to make my way over to him, a sudden cold drift hit me, and I shivered.

        "Cut that out. It'll be even colder in the castle." Errol simply commented. But his tone took me aback. It sounded a little too harsh in my ears.

        Still, I tried my best to give a good first impression and forced a smile.

        "Is it any colder? I hope you packed my thicker sweaters. Thank you for that, by the way."

        He rolled his eyes and replied, "Well, one of us had to do it. We can't all be pig-headed. Poor Marcellus already had it rough."

        Now he's done it.

        "What is your problem? I was just trying to make a decent conversation. Do you always a stick up your ass?"

        "I-"

        But before he could get his word out, Nathan quickly interjected, "Errol. Do you mind? I did promise Romanos I'll try my best to make her days here pleasant."

        "Fine.You! Stay out of my way!" Errol warned.

        "All I did was shiver!" I retorted as angry.

        "Oh, do shut up!" He then stormed off, away from my sight.

        "Ignore him. He is known to have permanent PMS. Although... he's not usually so-"

        "Rude?" I interrupted Nathan. I then took a deep breath to compose myself and then proceeded to ask, "Anyways, Romanos. Who's he?"

        "Your grandfather. Marcellus Romanos?"

        Great. More family secrets.

        How did I turn from a Williams to a Romanos in one day?

       "Okay, I think I'd like to go to my room now," I said weakly to Nathan.

        "Right then. Follow me."

~*~

        Upon entering the castle, I gawked at its refined interior. Plush rugs soften the marble polish floor. Intricate carvings embellished the walls and ceiling. Wall hung items, and centuries-old artworks decorated the interior, giving it a Renaissance feel. We passed by different halls and rooms. Each one was more beautiful than the last.

        "Is this the main hall?" I couldn't help but ask Nate when we stopped.

        "It's one of the halls."

        "This place is huge! I'm surprised you don't get lost in it."

        "Those days are long gone for me. Hang in there. You'll get used to it."

        I looked around and saw a group of boys huddled in the corner of the room, probably having a discussion. "You know, for an old castle, the insides don't look all that scary."

        It was bright, the castle.

        I thought castles are supposed to be dark and gloomy.

        "I suppose so. It's probably because they refurbished it from time to time. Now, come. I'll get you to your room. You look like you could use some rest."

        He led me through the hallway when suddenly someone called out his name.

        "Nate! Wait up!"

        I turned around to face a tall, broad-shoulder boy with an amused expression.

        "Oh. Hi! You're a girl!"

        "Way to state the obvious, Damien," Nate rolled his eyes.

        "What's all this, Nate?"       

        "Really, Damien! Do keep up! I told you just hours ago."

        "Sorry. I had my head all wrap up in something the whole day," Damien grinned apologetically.

        "This is Carla. Carla Romanos. She'll be staying with us now."

        "The Romanos? Oh. I'm Damien. You know, you have something on your face."

        "I do?" Concerned, I placed my luggage down and reached for my cheeks.

        "Wait, it's just the most beautiful smile I have ever seen," Damien winked playfully, which eventually led to a scolding from Nathan.

    "Damien. Mind your manners! With you running loose, it'll be better if she has the whole floor to herself."

        "Oh, you're no fun!" Damien sulked in return.

        "What are you up to anyway?"

        "Just running some errands for Livingstone. You know how it is." Damien shrugged, unconcerned.

        "What did he made you do this time?"

        "Send a message to Romanos and do some paperwork for him? Anyhow, I'll leave you two be. See you later, Carla."

        He took off running in another direction, his feet light on the floor despite his weight and speed, almost effortless. How he ran without his lungs burning for air baffled me.

        "Now then, you've just met Damien. He is one of the prefects here as well; and one of our dorm mates. You'll meet the others along the way. Anyhow, we're almost there. We'll just have to go up the stairs after the door."

~*~

        "Seriously. What is up with all the climbing? I don't think I've ever climbed this many stairs." Exhausted, I placed the box down and signaled for Nathan to stop.

        "Does it ever get easier? How many stairs before we're there?" I panted.

        "Our dorm is at the very top."

        "You'd think with all that makeover, they'll add an elevator or two to this building." I was annoyed. I don't think I have ever gotten this much exercise in my life. If you cannot tell, I'm not exactly an athlete.

        "You c***k me up, Carla," Nathan chuckled.

        "Just give me a minute. I need to catch my breath. By the way, why does this part of the building look a little different than the rest?"

        "This is all Romanos's doing. This castle is built in the 15th century— way back during the Medieval Period. The whole castle had a Romanesque architecture. Came the 17th century and the headmaster back then took a liking to the architecture styles of chateaus in France. They revamped the whole castle except for a few rooms. One of them is the dormitories," Nathan explained.

        "I see.So, the dormitories would have a medieval vibe to it?"

        "You wish. When Romanos took over as headmaster, he modernized our dormitories. Needless to say, we were quite happy to lend him a hand. We made an effort to style the rooms according to this day and age."

        "How so?"

        "Oh, the usual. Wallpapers, posters. Pattern rug. You get the idea."

        "Not much of a fan of the dark ages, are you?" I teased.

        "I try to keep up with the present. Which is why not having a phone reception here stinks."

        "You're kidding me! There's no WI-FI?" I was genuinely surprised. But then again, I shouldn't be. Plainridge is, after all, in the middle of nowhere.

        "Sadly, no. There's no phone reception, much less the Internet."

        "But how do you reach out to other people? And your assignments...?"

        "There's always the library. And we get to go to the nearest town once or twice a month. There's access to the Internet over there."

        "But the nearest town is hours away!" I know this because it was a prominent sight compared to the blur of greens in the background.

        "Yeah... That's just how it is over here," Nathan sheepishly replied.

        "Alright. We better get moving," Nathan then continued to lead the way. 

~*~

         "We're here. Welcome to the House of Basarab."

I was surprised by the simplicity of the interior. It was unexpected for a castle that was built in the 15th century. "Oh, wow. You weren't kidding when you said that you guys remodeled the dorms."

        "Well, do you like it?"

        "Yeah! I mean love the whole renaissance thing going on in the last tower but this here... Let's just say I prefer the 21st century."

        "I thought you'd say that. Let me show you around. We are currently standing in the common room. You'll find the rooms down the hallway."

        We walked into the hallway to find it dark.

        "It seems that they did not switch on the lights. No matter. The moon appears to light our way."

        "Can you see your way clearly thought, Carla?"

        "Yeah, it's no big deal."

        "It's usually bustling with students."

        "Marcellus did mention something about a half-term."

        "Yes. School term begins in a few days."

        "But why are you here then? Shouldn't you be at home with your family?"

        "The prefects are required to come in a week earlier. Just to ensure that it all goes smoothly when the school reopens."

        "The students, do they share a room?"

        "Some do."

        I then learned from Nathan that the school single, double and triple rooms selection. Most opted for the single and double room. And since they weren't that many students, with a total of less than 200, he assumed the school could accommodate such requests.

        "For such a big castle, it is a small number," he said.

        They were 68 students who lived in this particular dormitory. In total there were three houses. The one I was assigned to was The House of Basarab. There was also The House of Gutkeled and The House of Ambrosia which was located in another tower.

        "That's interesting. Do they all look like this?"

        "No, they don't. To simply put it; different strokes for different folks. I should also mention that our rooms aren't the same as others. You're assigned to the prefects' quarters. Thus, you'll get to enjoy our privilege. Our rooms are located at the very end of the corridor. Right through that door is our living room. We do not share the bathroom with others. Two rooms will have one shared bathroom and the walk-in closet."

        That's new.      

         "It's somewhat of a small apartment," Nathan clarified.       

"I don't know..." I was still concern; living with strangers was already awkward enough but with boys who I did not know. That was a risky move.         "Don't you worry, Carla. It is still better than sharing bathrooms with the rest of the boys. To ease your mind, there are only 4 of us, prefects, in this house: Damien, Dante, Errol, and I. You don't have to worry about us. We'd be the perfect  gentlemen."       

        We'll see about that.

~*~            "And here we are. Home sweet home." We were now in the prefect's quarters. I was under the impression that it couldn't get better. But it did! The place is not just modern, it was beautiful! I voiced this out to Nathan, who replied, "All credit goes to your grandfather. He made it work somehow."       

        "Who would have thought rooms like this could exist in an ancient castle. The renovations must have cost a fortune!"

        "It probably did. I'm just thankful I get to sleep in a comfortable room instead of a cold, poorly lit chamber. Come along. I'll show you to your room."

~*~

        This is it—my very own private cocoon.

        I let my eyes sweep the room, taking in every detail. The room was painted white, furnished with a light brown desk and a matching bookcase. A queen-size bed with lacy pink sheets and pillows, which I can say looked very inviting at that moment, was placed at the most corner of the room. On it was a small white bear. The opposite end was another door.

        "Voila! Your very own room," Nathan grinned.

        "Nathan! This is perfect!"

        This was perfect! It was better than any rooms I ever had.

        "I'm glad it's to your liking. We moved heaven and earth to transform this room in such a short time," he said proudly.

        "Thank you." I then strode towards the bed.

        I plopped myself onto the cushioned mattress, noting how soft the sheets are against my hands.

        "I'm guessing the teddy was your idea?" I giggled, feeling for its furry texture.

        "I thought it adds a nice touch to the room," he blushed.

        How sweet.

        "Thank you. This means a lot."

        "Before I go, you should know that my room is opposite yours in the hallway."

        "I'm guessing we won't be sharing the bathroom and closet?"                

        That's a shame. I'd rather liked his company.         "Correct. The room on this other side is Errol's."

        "Oh." Now that put a downer on my mood. Right on cue, he entered the room smugly.

        "Look who finally showed up," Errol said.

        Speak of the devil.

        I decided to ignore him and proceed to greet Damien, who was behind him instead.

        "Hey, Carla! Do you like your room?" Damien friendly asked.

        I opened my mouth to reply, but whatever I wanted to say was lost when I saw him. 

        A tall boy with raven hair and matching gray eyes entered the room. I could swear Damien had an exact copy, but unlike Damien, he carried such a strong aura; I couldn't help but stare. 

        "Oh, you have not met Dante. Carla, this is my brother, Dante. Before you say anything else, we are not twins. I'm the older one, but Dante acts like he's the grown-up." Damien chuckled at my reaction. 

        "Hi, Dante." I did a short wave, just to be polite. I was slightly intimidated by this new face. Dante did not say a word but simply nodded, almost as if he agreed to the thoughts in my mind.

        "So, what's going on here?" Damien asked, breaking the silence.

        "I was letting Carla know that she'll be sharing the bathroom and closet with Errol," Nathan replied on my behalf.

        "Feel free to explore the house when you're ready," he continued.

        "Okay, thanks again."

        "We should leave you to unpack. Rest well, Carla," Damien smiled warmly before shooing the rest of the boys from my room.

        All of them left—all but one.

        "Are you going to leave anytime soon?" I asked Errol, crossing my arms together to show that I was slight annoyed at his presence.

        "That depends," he mimicked my body language.

        "Depends on what?"

        "Whether you give me your word that you'll stay out of trouble. I don't need you sucking me into your drama."

        "Don't worry about that. I tend to stay away from people who are a pain in the neck." I was not letting his comment slide.

        "You really should watch your attitude. You shouldn't be making enemies with those you don't know."

        Hold up. What? I'm the one having an attitude?

        "I'm the one making enemies? You've got a lot of nerve! I wasn't the one looking for an argument every chance I had. What do you have against me?"

        "You-" He gave me a look like he was about to argue but suddenly, he clamped his mouth shut. His lips then tighten, and he walked out of the room.

        This is going to be a long year.