Chapter 6. Figures

The unexpected occurrence appeared out of nowhere. The particulars and the plethora of arguments for our positioning here are sufficient to leave me unable to articulate my thoughts.

This place could not even come close to recreating the ambience of a regular schoolroom. Because of this, the new atmosphere that greeted us as soon as we went inside was a very pleasant shift. I had not adequately prepared.

This conversation was not hidden from Avi. She has witnessed everything and then some. Every living thing is connected to one another by a network of cords that are colored red, black, white, and blue. I have no doubt that she was clairvoyant regarding every possible contact. One good example of this is how the door of the provost's office opened on its own.

A young woman with a tanned skin, long black hair, deep gray eyes that were obscured by thick glasses, and low stature walked through the door that creaked. She was dressed in the same manner as the children that we had seen earlier in the day, which included an extended gray collar with three linings of dark blue, a dark blue bowtie, a royal blue jacket, a gray pencil skirt that terminated just above the knee, and long black socks to finish off the ensemble.

Who is she? My core asked.

"Isabel Nievez here, Avi, Stella. She is a student council member and will join you on your campus tour," the provost said, leaning forward in his chair.

"Good morning, Dr. Santi, sir Mikael," Isabel said, nodding in salutation. She looked nice.

"Stella, Avi, I'll take care of the luggage. They will be taken into your rooms by the academy's concierge."

"R-rooms?" I inquired, concerned. Avi and I couldn't have separate rooms.

The provost swallowed and cleared his throat. When he saw my expression, he must have felt compelled to explain. "Avi, twelve, will be staying in the hearth, also known as the nursery. That is the safest portion of the academy. You will remain in the crucible with Isabel and your other new acquaintances."

"I'll be fine, sister. I guarantee it." My sister appeared solemn. I believed whatever she claimed. She'll be fine. I guessed. She has witnessed everything, including her path. If she says she'll be alright, I should believe her. Who am I to doubt the words of a seer and a weaver? "Isabel will explain everything about this college to you as you go. Our top concern here, Stella, is to keep your kind safe from harm." Dr. Santi's voice was incredibly soothing. I could see the honesty in his eyes.

Isabel cleared her throat as well. Her smile turned towards us. Then she spoke, "Shall we? You'll definitely love the campus."

I nodded and smiled too. I couldn’t frown on friendly people whether they were showing genuine honesty or not.

***

As soon as we emerged from the main structure, Isabel veered off to the left. Both Avi and I continued our journey without speaking. It's possible that she's too shy to talk to people she doesn't know. Doing so is typical for the majority of people. There was no hostility or animosity between us; rather, there was just awkwardness.

As Isabel moved a short distance along a corridor that was lined with boxwoods, she grimaced in pain. We came to a stop in front of a building that was entirely enclosed in glass. We were unable to peer inside the building, although from the exterior it appeared to be in perfect condition.

"The library is located here. It has five stories that are descending. It houses 20 million books and artifacts in nearly every language and format on 532 miles of bookshelves, antique woodblock prints, compact disks, and modern storage devices."

"Wow!" Avi exclaimed as she entered the library first.

Isabel was on my side the entire time. What I see before me here is nothing short of astounding. It seems as though they want me to acknowledge that my future has already been decided for me.

The woman continued her speech following a little break. She went into great detail, describing the various rooms, closets, and shelves in the library. Students have to make their way down the library's red-carpeted, Mediterranean-style staircase, which connects the first five levels of the building, in order to reach the lowest level.

It should come as no surprise that we were unable to investigate the entirety of the library in the allotted time. There was still some time left to devise a plan of action. With Isabel's reassurance that we wouldn't be on our campus tour by ourselves, we made the decision to go off on our adventure. Avi seems thrilled to finally meet our new acquaintance, despite the fact that I am unable to claim that I comprehend what he observed.

We were greeted by the booming voice as soon as we opened the massive glass entryway to the library that Isabel had specified.

"Good day, freaks! I've arrived! The Tribus's most gifted being!" She couldn't say anything because the girl's mouth was still full of food. She was dressed in uniform, clutching a bag of food, wearing a ponytail, and wearing a massive sunflower on her head.

She resembled us. Normal. She was having the time of her life. Noisy. My sister and her will get along great, especially if she likes gorgeous males.

"What have you been up to?" Isabel murmured solemnly as she approached the trembling woman. "You shouldn't be late because we have fresh students." It's considered conduct.

"Don't be so rash, Madam. I finished the float for those idiot squads. I had no idea there was a parade today!"

Almost the entire time she was talking, her eyebrows were drawn together. As we got closer, she set her bag of shortbread cookies down and turned to face us. She smiled broadly. Her face immediately brightened, and she extended her hand to shake his in a kind manner. "Please allow me to greet the Suarez sisters. Hello, my name is Myra Grinn."

I reached for his hand and smiled sweetly at him. "Stella."

"My name is Avi," my sister remarked pleasantly, clearly pleased with her new buddy.

"Hi, Avi!" She sucked down the chewed food. She spoke again, as expected. "So, have you met regent Isabel Duetez? Don't be afraid of her; that's simply how she is. Serious, quiet, and severe, like the academy's next librarian."

"And do you understand I'm right here?" Isabel furrowed her brows at Myra, who didn't appear to mind the woman's arrogance.

"Isabel Nievez, student regent, I'm aware. Take nothing too seriously! Look, our new students have arrived. They may withdraw and return outside if they dislike the academy, the people, the trees, plants, the hallway, a—"

"Let's go. It will take us until dawn if we let him talk." Isabel walked first. Myra was interrupted and willingly followed the regent.

On the tour of the campus, we traveled to a variety of locations, such as the library, three primary parks, recreational areas, academic buildings, and squad buildings. Following our departure from the library, we made our way to Avi's future residence and investigated the fireplace. This place was, without a doubt, a wonderland. In the beautifully landscaped garden that surrounded the building, you might see weeping willows, blue spruce, maple trees, petunias, tulips, and hydrangeas, among other flowers and plants. In addition to this, it was surrounded by a number of statues that had a highly realistic appearance. The environment gave off the impression of being safe. It was like I had died and gone to heaven.

Our stroll around the grounds came to a halt when Myra pointed out that a crowd was beginning to assemble on the principal thoroughfare of the university, which brought an abrupt end to our tour.

"The opening parade is starting!" she blurted excitedly. "The handsome men are about to parade!"

"Gwapo?" Avi questioned with inquisitiveness as if all of her attention had been drawn to Myra's assertion.

"Yes! Excuse me! Worryingly, it appears we may soon deplete our supply." Myra was impervious to every opposition. My sister felt like she would be blown away when she took her arm and pulled her toward a handsome man.

You are aware that I have stated that they will get along, aren't you? I was chuckling to myself quietly.

The group gathered together. It has been declared that this particular parade would serve as the institution's official inauguration ceremony. You should be able to find a list of the faculty members, the captains of the varsity sports, and other notable people at the school in this section. The lightning-fast pace at which things were moving never ceased to amaze me.

I deceived myself into thinking that we were attending a regular school in order to conceal our abilities. That is not going to happen, in any way, shape, or form. Our parents opted to keep us here when our lives were in danger. Even while we were still in Samaria, those who serve the dark were getting closer and closer to catching up to us. The Trinity, similar to the majority of other students at our university, felt accountable for safeguarding our safety.

I was facing the extraordinary. Am I ready? Not. Is Avi ready? Maybe she was. Perhaps she was born ready for this. I wish I could. I wish.

"There they are! The old hogs!" Myra interrupted my meditation in the middle of the parade. The heads of Tribus Academy appeared in my face. There was Dr. Renate Santi and her companions in black and gold togas.

The school's heads and teachers followed the float, followed by the class chiefs.

"Shouldn't Isabel be present?" Avi questioned Myra, who was standing next to her.

Myra turned to face Avi, who had been standing close to me earlier. We looked when she wasn't there anymore. Myra's joy began to evaporate. "It's a complicated story. That's why she's a regent on the student council. Maybe she'll explain why another time."

Avi was unable to ask any further questions because the audience began cheering. Three more floats were on their way. That could have been the source of the students' shouts.

"They're right there! The academy's top three squads!" Myra's response to my sister.

"What is the purpose of squads?" Avi inquired, not looking at Myra. She was definitely chasing another attractive squad member.

"They are the academy's skilled students. They appear to be the cream of the crop, the champions, the crème de la crème in this school! They are the ones who are dispatched on missions outside of the academy. Joining them is challenging. Technically, assembling a squad is simple."

"How?" Avi's follow-up inquiry.

"In reality, the academy has almost fifty squads. Each squad must have a minimum of five members. Isabel and I could create a team. The difficult part is making the top three squads. It will take a lot of blood, sweat, and tears to get there!"

As the final float arrived, the applause grew louder. Avi and Myra were even more enthusiastic. I waited for the final squad with bated breath.

"That's The Drift for you! They are the most well-liked team on campus. The previous two, Unus and Circles, are equally well-known. The Drift, however, is unique because most members come from wealthy backgrounds. Like those two lovely ladies. The Zenovia sisters are the girls with purple and dark red eyes."

"Who is that gun-toting girl?" I was intrigued. I thought that she was pretty cool. It's a fantastic thing to be like her. She appeared to be powerful and talented.

"She is Glor Fina Zenovia, also known as the Blood Glory. She isn't often seen at school because she is always the one who is sent outside, but she is still well-known here, even by the new students. Mira Zina Zenovia is the younger Zenovia." Myra swallowed before proceeding. "She's the one we need to stay away from. Avoid her horn since it is fairly sharp."

Avi let out a loud scream when she noticed the Zenovia sisters' companions. I somehow understood why she would want to stay. I wanted to double-check it, so I looked at the males standing behind the two women.

"I have a crush on those too!" exclaimed Myra, who seemed overjoyed to have found an Avi who shared her feelings.

"Who is the youngest? Then there's the one with curly hair and a scarf on his head." Avi inquired eagerly, not missing a glance at the passing floats.

Myra was happy to introduce them to my sister. "Spregor Aiken Santi, or Spike, is the youngest. He's sixteen."

They hugged once more while holding hands. I'd assume they'd won a competition." Fabian is the one with the bandana and wavy hair. I believe that action has already been taken, so let us not intervene further. The one at the rear, the one who flirts the most with us, is—"

"I've seen him," I mentioned, but I mentioned none of my own. When I understood that the man on the float and the naked man I had seen in the woods close to theArcane of Baristo were the same person, my eyes opened to their furthest possible extent. My chest was tightening as I sensed a tremendous amount of energy that seemed to bring us back together. Who exactly is this individual? Why do I have this feeling that each time I saw him, I got a little bit closer to him?

"You know who Chase Roan Santi is? The Santis like Sir Strenon? Sir Strenon is Spike's cousin and the leader of the Santi's. He is The Drift's champion, rumored that he’s into Mira Zina Zenovia."

Everything that Myra had to say was audible to me extremely clearly. Chase, on the other hand, was the one that drew my attention since he appeared to be following a lead. If he was sensitive to it, it's possible that he did it as well. I can retain my composure.

It seemed as though the world around me was moving more slowly as my heartbeat quickened. It was abundantly clear that he was concentrating on me. It seems as though he felt the same way as well. The voice of reason in my thoughts urged me to give in to the reality of the situation. I did.

The moment that Chase Roan Santi noticed me, the float from The Drift was right around the corner. He looked at me with his brilliant eyes turning in my direction. It appeared as though he was trying to prevent his teeth from falling out by clenching his jaw as he looked at me.

Oh, my goodness! What is his name? What is the link that binds us together? Why do I feel afraid but also satisfied by the sensation he gives me whenever he comes close?