[Third Person]
The group gathers around Ms. Rinka, who stands tall and confident at the front, with Ethan standing by her side.
Ren's eyes flick over to Ethan, his mind whirring. Seriously? Is this guy really Lyra's boyfriend? The idea catches him off guard. He'd never expected Ethan to be the one. Ren can't help but glance sideways at Sebastian, who stands stiff as a board, eyes fixed on Ethan with a look of barely restrained annoyance.
Ren lets out a quiet, amused chuckle. Looks like someone's a little... jealous? He watches as Sebastian's lips tighten, forming a barely noticeable sneer. As if on cue, Sebastian shoots him a glare, the tension in his eyes sharp enough to cut glass.
Ren smiles a little wider, ready to tease him again, but then Sebastian's gaze shifts to William, his expression cooling as if he's trying to reign it in. Ren raises an eyebrow. Not gonna fight today, huh?
Ms. Rinka speaks up, breaking the quiet standoff. "Alright, everyone, we're finally here." She stands tall in front of the group, her voice crisp and commanding.
Ren crosses his arms, a smirk tugging at his lips as he thinks to himself. Yeah, I was kind of wondering why we're here, but maybe she'll explain it now.
But instead of an explanation, Ms. Rinka merely points toward the horizon. "That's where we'll be lodging," she says, her voice carrying an air of finality. "We'll stay here for a few days... maybe a week, before we return. So everyone, grab your things. Let's move. And make sure not to get separated from the group."
Ren's eyebrow quirks upward. This is weird... So, she's not even going to tell us why we're here?
William, already ahead of me, calls over my shoulder. "Hey, Ren, let's go."
Ren rolls his eyes, shaking his head, but he doesn't hesitate to move. Grabbing his bag, he started walking along with the others, trying to shake off the feeling that something's off.
As he walks, his eyes catch sight of Kaida, who is walking alone, her head slightly lowered as if lost in thought. Ren smirks, recognizing the perfect opportunity to break the silence.
"I'll be back," Ren says to the others, then heads off in Kaida's direction.
"Hey, Kaida," he calls out, falling into step beside her.
Kaida doesn't immediately respond. Her eyes stay fixed ahead, a look of quiet contemplation on her face. After a beat, she glances at him, her expression apologetic. "Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to ignore you. Just thinking," she says, her voice soft but tinged with unease. "This... walking in the forest kinda... feels like a bad idea. I kinda have a terrible feeling about this place."
Ren's heart skips a beat. He'd been feeling it too. So I'm not the only one.
"I know exactly what you mean," Ren mutters, glancing around as if expecting something to jump out from behind the trees. "I've been wondering the same thing. Why are we here, anyway? I thought Ms. Rinka was going to tell us, but she didn't."
Kaida nods, her gaze still fixed on the trees ahead. "I don't know... I can't remember why we came here, even though I know it's important. I... I just can't put my finger on it."
Ren furrows his brow. "Huh. Weird. I thought maybe I missed something." He hesitates for a second, before asking, "But you're not worried?"
Kaida glances at him, her expression calm. "No. The ship we came here on belongs to the school, so... I figured the school knows about this place. If they do, I don't think we're in any danger. At least, I hope not."
Ren considers this for a moment. Maybe she's right. The school's in on it, so it can't be all bad... right?
"Yeah, maybe you're right," Ren agrees, though his voice still holds a trace of uncertainty.
The two of them walk in silence for a few moments, the only sound being the crunch of their footsteps on the dry earth. Ren, unable to shake the strange feeling in his gut, asks, "Hey, where's Luna? She's always with you. You two usually stick together, don't you?"
Kaida's eyes flick ahead, her gaze softening as she spots Luna up ahead, walking alone. Ren looks too, a small laugh escaping him when he sees Luna's typical posture—slouching and leaning against the trees, looking like she's about to fall asleep standing up.
"Well, there she is," Ren remarks, a playful smile creeping onto his face. "Lazy as always."
Kaida's lips curve upward slightly, though there's no real amusement in her eyes. "Yeah, that's Luna for you. Always too tired to walk properly."
Ren snorts. "Well, at least she's consistent."
---
[First Person]
I felt kind of off for a moment there, like someone else was taking over for me. It was a strange sensation, but I quickly shrugged it off. No, that's not possible—I didn't have time to dwell on it.
Kaida's voice brought me back to the present. "Ren, are you okay?" She was looking at me with those quiet, piercing eyes.
"Yeah, it's nothing. Just thinking about something," I said, trying to brush it off.
---
[Third Person]
Meanwhile, Sebastian couldn't help but keep an eye on Ren as he walked ahead. "Look at him," Sebastian muttered, shaking his head in disbelief. "Why is it that the girls like him so much? Ever since he transferred, he's rejected so many girls, but they keep coming back to him. He rejects them in a way that makes them not even cry, and they still go after him. What's his secret?"
Harrison raised an eyebrow, glancing at Sebastian. "Seriously, dude? You're the playboy here. Are you really trying to say he's more of a player than you?"
William, who had been quiet up until now, sighed and rubbed his temple. "You guys should stop talking behind his back. That isn't nice."
Sebastian's eyes narrowed. "Seriously, William? For some reason, you always look out for him. Don't tell me... do you swing that way?"
William's face flushed a little, but he quickly shot back, "No."
"Oh my god, no way," Harrison chimed in, his grin widening. "Don't tell me you actually—"
William snapped, "Will you stop?"
---
[First Person]
As we kept walking, I couldn't help but mutter to Kaida, "It's been more than an hour now. We've just been walking, and this mansion was supposed to be close, right? But it feels like we're miles away. When we were on the beach, it didn't look this far."
Kaida's eyes drifted around, and she looked as puzzled as I felt. "Yeah, you're right. It's strange. And—" She trailed off, her voice turning a little more distant. I glanced at her and realized she was looking at the sky.
The sun was almost gone, leaving behind a soft yellow glow that was quickly fading. A chill began to crawl up my spine as the sky darkened. I looked around at the fog that was slowly creeping in, thickening as the minutes passed.
I didn't like the feeling that was settling in.
I turned to Kaida. "Has it really been that long? The sun was still high when we arrived, and now..." I couldn't quite shake the unease building up in me.
Kaida gave a small, barely noticeable shudder. "Yeah, and now the fog... it feels like something's off."
---
[Third Person]
As they neared the mansion, Sebastian's irritation only seemed to grow. "It's not like I'm talking behind his back," he grumbled, a scowl crossing his face. "I mean, it's not like I'm making anything up. That's really what's going on. And I hate that guy. He's always annoying me. When I say something, he just turns it into a joke, and I can't stand that. I hate being the butt of someone's joke."
Harrison rolled his eyes but stayed quiet. William shot a look at Sebastian before sighing. "That's enough, Sebastian," he said, his tone stern but trying to stay calm. "Let's not keep going on about him. You're wasting your energy."
Sebastian didn't seem to hear him. "And I still don't get why everyone likes him. He's got this way of deflecting everything, like nothing ever affects him. It makes me think people see me as some kind of joke too."
"I don't particularly hate him," Harrison said, his voice a little less harsh but still firm. "But I don't like it when he gets all sarcastic either. It's like he's trying to provoke everyone on purpose, and yeah, that's kind of annoying."
The group walked in silence for a while, but the mansion was now in sight—massive, looming just ahead.
---
[First Person]
The fog was thicker now, wrapping itself around us like a damp blanket. I could feel the tension building, and every step I took seemed to make the air colder.
Ms. Rinka's voice cut through the silence, commanding the group's attention. "Move faster! We're almost there. The mansion's just ahead!"
Her words snapped me out of my thoughts, and I quickened my pace, Kaida following close behind.
When we finally reached the massive iron gates of the mansion, Ms. Rinka stood in front of them, looking up at the dark, looming structure with a wary expression. "This fog, the darkness... it makes the place look a lot more ominous than I thought," she muttered under her breath.
Ethan, standing next to her, wasn't as impressed by the grandiose appearance of the mansion. "Maybe we should just get inside. I don't think it's safe to be out here when it's this dark."
With that, he pushed the iron gate open. It creaked loudly, echoing in the still air, and the group shuffled in, making their way toward the mansion's front door.
The mood was growing heavier with every step.
Once they arrived, they all gathered in front of the massive door. Ms. Rinka gave a sharp knock, and the sound rang out into the night.
CHAPTER END.