Chapter 35: Sneaking out

~~~

Nora stood by the door, her hands resting gently on my shoulders as she looked at me with a mixture of fondness and concern.

Her golden eyes softened as she leaned in, pressing a lingering kiss against my cheek.

“Stay safe, okay?” she murmured, her fingers brushing my cheek. “Everything is arranged, so you don’t have to worry about anything. And if there’s any problem, call me on the transmitter. I’ll be locking the door so you’ll be safe inside. Don’t answer any doorbells, no matter who it is.”

I gave a gradual nod. Her arms looped around my waist, squeezing me one last time before she pulled away. “I mean it, brother. Call me if anything pops up.”

“Yeah, yeah.” I waved a hand dismissively, but her sharp gaze made me sober up. “I will.”

“Good.” A soft smile tugged at her lips. “Love you.”

“…Love you too.” The words naturally slipped out my mouth.

Nora hesitated for a moment, then, satisfied, finally turned and stepped out the door. I watched as she disappeared down the street. Her figure was getting smaller and smaller until it was like a dot on a canvas.

With a sigh, I ran a hand through my hair. I glanced at the transmitter she had handed me yesterday, a bulky, old-fashioned one that only received and delivered calls to select contacts. In this case, that meant Nora.

I really had to get my own phone.

It wasn’t like I had ever needed more than that before. Most of my time had been spent either with her or alone, and she had always been the one to handle everything beyond our home. But now, it felt… limiting.

If I had one, maybe I could’ve contacted Kael. Could’ve at least let her know what was going on. I hadn’t seen her since that incident, since everything blurred. The thought made me uneasy.

I waited for a bit before getting off my seat. I had to figure out a way out.

Sitting around and waiting for Nora to come back wasn’t an option, not when I had questions, and the academy that held all those answers to them.

Did they get away scot free free? What happened after that? Did something else happen to me?

I scanned every nook and cranny, but as expected, she had locked everything down. The front door was sealed, and the windows wouldn’t budge. She had thought of everything, as always.

But there had to be a way.

I moved around carefully, eyes scanning for anything I could use. Soon, I made my way through the house, entering an unused area which used to be Dorian’s room.

I turned my attention to the windows. They were small, with the locks tightly shut. My eyes moved to the frame, the hinges holding the panels in place.

I steadied myself. My memories of Earth had taught me a thing or two about getting through places I wasn’t supposed to.

Not that I ever broke into anywhere, but I had my fair share of experience figuring out how things fit together, how they came apart.

These windows opened outward. If I could remove the hinges, I wouldn’t even need to break the glass.

I searched the basement, eyes darting over shelves until I found something I could use. A metal ruler, thin and sturdy enough to wedge into the small gaps.

I crouched by the window, slipping the edge of the ruler beneath the first hinge pin. It didn’t move at first. I twisted, jostling it, feeling the slightest shift as it loosened. Bit by bit, I pried it upward until, finally, it slid free.

I repeated the process on the second hinge, my fingers aching as I worked. The metal groaned slightly, resisting at first, but after a few more firm tugs, the pin popped loose.

With both hinges removed, I carefully pushed at the frame. It wobbled, unsteady without its support. With one final shove, the panel came free, opening just enough for me to squeeze through.

A rush of cool air hit my face. I paused for a sec, staring out the open window.

A part of me, the tired, worn-out part of me, just wanted to listen to Nora. To stay inside. To let her take care of everything like she always did. But that was just wishful thinking.

I steeled my resolve, exhaling sharply before pulling myself back inside. I quickly changed into my St. Elms uniform, straightening it and brushing down any wrinkles. It felt oddly heavy today.

Then I scoured the drawers and shelves, finding some leftover change tucked away. It wasn’t much, but enough for a cab ride back and forth.

I clenched the notes and coins in my palm, taking another glance around the house before stepping outside.

The air was crisp, the streets quieter than usual. I kept my head low as I walked to the nearest cab stop, nerves creeping up my spine.

When a taxi finally pulled up, I swallowed down my hesitation and climbed in.

"St. Elms Academy," I told the driver.

The cab rolled forward, and with it, I left behind the safety of our home.

~~~

The cab ride felt longer than it should have. Maybe it was just my nerves stretching out every moment, making me hyper-aware of each passing moment. The closer we got to St. Elms, the harder my heart pounded against my ribs.

When the academy gates finally came into view, a lump settled in my throat. The place looked just as imposing as ever. Tall, pristine and eerily quiet.

Not many students were outside, which made sense. It was class time and I was due for a late arrival.

I paid the driver, stepped out, and just stood there for a second, staring up at the building. I forced my legs to move, heading towards the entrance. Each step up the academy stairs felt heavier than the last.

The walls seemed taller, the halls stretched longer. The sound of my own footsteps echoed back at me as I walked through the empty corridors, making me feel even more alone.

The indecisiveness came running back, that whether I really want to do this? Everything in me screamed to turn around.

I could just leave. Go anywhere else. The thought of stepping into that classroom again, of facing them. Selina, her collaborators, and all of the class that just let it happen, it made my skin crawl. They had almost… almost-

I shook my head, loosening the grip on the cuffs of my sleeve.

No. I came this far. I couldn't just back down now.

Then, finally, I stood in front of my classroom door. I could hear faint murmurs inside, the occasional scrape of a chair. My hand hovered over the doorknob, nervousness settling in.

I clenched my jaw, steeling myself. It didn’t matter. I had already come this far. I took a deep breath, steadied my nerves, and turned the handle.

As I stepped inside, the first voice to greet me was our teacher Rina’s.

“Well, well, look who finally decided to join us,” she said, her tone almost nonchalant, her scaled tail lazily flicking behind her. “You're late, Markus. I’ll be questioning you about this tardy behaviour later. Now get seated quickly.”

That was it. No surprise, no concern, just a passing remark before she turned back to whatever she was doing.

But what made it worse was the lack of reaction from everyone else. No one turned to look at me. No hushed whispers. No awkward stares. It was as if they didn’t care about what happened yesterday.

It almost pissed me off. My hands curled into fists at my sides. I wasn’t expecting a parade or anything, but for them to act like nothing happened?

I swallowed the frustration down and scanned the room. Everyone was there, except for one person missing… Selina.

A strange relief settled over me, but at the same time, unease crawled up my spine. I had no idea if her absence was a good or bad thing.

I forced myself to tread ahead, each movement heavy with the urge to glare at every single one of them. I exhaled sharply through my nose. I had to push that down. Right now, I just needed to get to my seat.

But as I reached my usual spot, I stopped. Someone else was sitting there. My gaze flicked to Kael, sitting a row over. I couldn’t help but recall back to yesterday, how Kael had fought for me.

Even when it felt like no one else did, she had been there. I remembered that much. She could’ve just stepped aside and let it happen like everyone else, but she decided to help.

Her pink eyes met mine. She looked at me, not with relief, but just with mild confusion. I opened my mouth, and nothing came out. We just kept staring, as the silence stretched between us, a stifling, wordless exchange.

Kael tilted her head slightly, her ears twitching.

“Uh… hello?” she finally spoke, blinking. “Do you need something?”

I couldn’t find the words to respond.