Chapter 4

She hanged up the phone, stood up and walked towards me aggressively with wide eyes. 

I tried hard not to walk backwards until her face is now twelve inches away from mine.

She stared into my eyes and I swear I felt like she looked into my soul.

She then faced Rebenkoff with a questioning look. “How did I not caught her presence when she passed through the entrance?”

The latter was confused before giving her a serious look. “Lady Sultana, that should be my question too. How come you cannot sense her when you can sense even normal humans? However, the same thing happened to me before we passed through the portal. She doesn’t have an elemental energy!"

The lady named Sultana shook her head before returning her eyes to me. “That’s impossible.”

“But did I hear it right, Lady Sultana? Is she—“ He cut off his own words and now they’re both looking at me.

Do we not do proper introductions now?

“Umm.”

“Oh,” the lady in front of me exclaimed as if realizing something. “Forgive me for my rudeness.” She bowed elegantly and now gone was her free-spirit attitude. She liked transformed into this professional and authoritative woman. 

“My name is Sultana and you must be Lorcé Callora.” She raised her hand for a handshake and I took it out of courtesy. 

“Yes,” I responded and tried to pull my hands but her grip tightened.

She suddenly broke out into a smile and said, “My niece!” She hugged me and I stood there like a statue.

What niece?

She broke away from the hug and I couldn’t move nor speak. Then I felt her warm hands enveloping mine. I immediately pulled my hands away and took three steps back.

“I’m sorry Lady, but I think you got the wrong person,” I said with all seriousness.

The only person I know is mom. I don’t have an auntie or anything.

About my past, I never asked anything to my mother and she never told me anything about my father too or other family members. And now suddenly, a woman who seems to be the dean of this unbelievable school is telling me I’m her niece.

Does that mean…

No! I don’t have a father. I stopped myself from assuming that the man she was talking to a while ago could possibly be my father.

I mean that’s the only possible reason why I’m here in this world I don’t think I belong in but...

Coming here was a big mistake!

I faced the old man. “Rebenkoff, can you bring me home now?” I asked with an indifferent tone.

They both only looked at each other.

“Please?” I pleaded to Rebenkoff, ignoring the presence of the elegant woman inside the room. 

The old man, however, waited for the woman’s orders.

“Alright then,” I said with an obvious disappointment. I mean, who am I to ask the old man to take me back to my reality? I’m a total nobody.

I walked towards the door.

I pulled them open and a blonde-haired girl who’s below my height is about to knock. She's standing in front of me.

“Hi!” She greeted me with a really cheerful smile before peeking behind me. “Good noon, Lady Sultana! You called for me?” she asked formally yet still cheerful.

Lady Sultana walked towards the doorway where we are until she’s standing beside us, in the middle.

Her delicate hand went to the little blonde-haired girl’s shoulder. 

“Ferris, why don’t you accompany Ms. Lorcé here first. Tour her around if you please. Mr. Rebenkoff and I need to talk about something. Keep in mind that Ms. Lorcé could be part of your assembly if she would change her mind,” she said to the girl before giving me a sorrowful smile and a re-assuring nod.

They closed the door on us and I was left with this jolly and lively woman. I got awkward when she just stared at me like a fan would do to a celebrity. Her green eyes were glimmering. 

I got scared when she suddenly squealed. “Iihhh! Hi Lorcé! I’m Ferris De Vore and I will be your forever companion!” She grabbed my elbows and pulled me to walk with her.

Oh no!

“You know what, you’re so pretty and cool! And your name is pretty too, Lorcé. Lorcé, wow!” She complimented.

Rather than getting shy, my face was like ‘Really?’

 I never heard such compliment before. And in the world I lived in, my face is just average, I think. She looks prettier than me though. 

“Thanks. You look absolutely prettier.” 

She smiled back at me. “Prettier is not the right word for it. ‘Also pretty’ is.” She chuckled.

Then I felt her hands tugged me. “Come on! You gotta see the academy! It’s splendid! And you have to meet them too.”

“Them?” Them who?

“Yes!” She nodded enthusiastically.

She toured me around, dragged me actually. And I could only follow her, ignoring my ignorance and astonishment to the place. 

“This is the assembly hall! We call it Perturium.” We stood beside the stage where a table and six huge chairs are placed.

I was, once again, amazed at the place. It appears like a spacious private auditorium in the Victorian era.

The Loriostrian symbol can be seen above and behind the huge chairs. And these huge chairs have different panaches which made them look majestic.

I could tell which belongs to whom without Ferris telling me. Every single chair symbolizes an element: earth, water, air and fire.

A glorious golden chair was positioned at the center which I assume belongs to Lady Sultana. What caught my attention was the jet-black chair at the far right.

“You must be curious as to what element is that.” I heard Ferris spoke beside me and my attention went to her, waiting for her to tell me.

“It’s the undefined. Professor Zeke owns it. He focuses on peculiar elementals,” she paused and faced me. “Like us.”

I’m pretty sure that the Lord Zeke she’s talking about is the same person Lady Sultana was talking to through the phone.

“What do you mean by peculiar?” I asked her with all seriousness.

Her hands went behind her in a polite manner. “I am a Terranian like Rebenkoff but also a healer.”

“You possess another ability,” I uttered and she nodded.

“Yes, which is not common. Most Estenaethrian can only possess one ability. People like us are rare, therefore, we don’t belong to any elemental assembly.”

I nodded but I knew that she sensed my ignorance about our topic.

She continued, “Do you see how the chairs are sectioned?” She pointed towards the two-floored numerous chairs meant for students.

“The first floor right area belongs to the Gremians which are students of Loriostro Academy who are Ignisians. The left area belongs to the Laquales, students who are Aquasians. On the right of the second floor is where Aerocaeli sit. Students who are Caelininans. And of course, the left belongs to the Haiterra who are obviously Terranians. Lastly, that area in the middle of the second floor is where we, the Xenostras, sit.”

So Xenostras are students who possess two abilities. I nodded at her explanation. Although I think I’m being overloaded with information.

We heard a sounding clock and Ferris smiled at me excitedly.

“Let’s go! They’re probably in the Xenostra dormitory now!”