Chapter 398
Ian:
Something about the whole situation felt off. Ever since we heard what Yorick had done, none of us could properly gather our thoughts. I did not even know if defending Yorick was the right thing to do.
“I cannot believe this,” Haiden muttered as we walked down the hall toward the room.
Soon, it was just the three of us inside.
“As much as I hate Oriana, why would Yorick do that to her?” Troy said. “He could have just killed her and spared us all from her annoying presence p>
He turned to me.
“What do you think, Ian? Headmaster’s son p>
As expected, not even an hour had passed without Troy taunting me about that.
“Dude, let it go. You are already dealing with enough,” Haiden told him as they moved farther into the room.
I could not bring myself to go inside. As time passed, my thoughts spiraled, all of them circling the same question. Why had Clementine not returned?
“Ian,” a voice called out before I could take another step, stopping me in my tracks.
I turned around and saw Miss Rue standing at the end of the hallway, waving me over. She looked anxious, like she was in a hurry.
I glanced back at the boys and saw they were settling in for the night, still waiting for the train to return so they could welcome Clementine.
I looked back at Miss Rue and started walking toward her. With the others gone, she was the only one who could give me any news about Clementine, if she had any at all.
As I got closer, I noticed the look on her face had changed. The hurt and disgust I had seen earlier were gone. Now she looked tense. The color had drained from her face.
“Miss Rue, what’s going on?” I asked as I approached her.
She stepped aside, as if inviting me into the hall. I watched her in silence, trying to understand what had happened in the few minutes since we left that made her want to speak with me alone. I stepped inside, and she rushed in after me, closing the door behind us.
“What is it?” I asked anxiously.
She paced back and forth, rubbing her palms together before dragging her hands over her face.
“Miss Rue, what is it?” I asked again, this time enunciating every word.
“There is a problem,” she uttered.
“What kind of problem?” I asked, narrowing my eyes as she avoided my gaze.
“I just received a call. The train came back empty p>
As soon as she said that, my fists clenched. I turned to leave, ready to inform the others that there was a crisis, but she spoke again.
“They sent the train back a third time. But Ian, you know this. If they could not find her the first two times p>
She paused, not because she could not finish, but because I had turned back and glared at her.
“Not one word,” I warned.
She swallowed hard, and a tear slid down her cheek.
“I am scared for her, Ian. The train will go again and return in two or more hours,” she said, licking her lips. Her body language made it clear she was anxious and worried about Clementine too.
“Then what do you suggest?” I snapped. “That I just wait here for the train to come back again? Do you not see that the lurkers cannot find her? Something must have happened for her not to board that train p>
I nearly shouted, but Miss Rue seemed to have another idea.
“I know where to find her.” Her voice was steady which gave me goosebumps. I stepped closer, raising my eyebrow at her in suspicion.
“Explain yourself,” I demanded.
She stepped back in fear while still rubbing her palms together.
“She was sent to the dark side of the North. And I know a way for you to enter the dark side without waiting for the train, without the long journey,” she said.
Hope surged through me.
“Tell me,” I urged.
She swallowed and reached into her pocket, pulling out a key.
“There is a back door. I showed that fence to Clementine before, so maybe she took that path. I am not sure,” she admitted. “But I can take you there. From there, you can enter the dark path directly. Go look for her. Maybe she took the watch, but something happened on the way back p>
I raised an eyebrow, unsettled by her certainty, but my focus stayed on Clementine.
“This will help you enter the North more easily,” she added, correcting herself quickly.
I did not stop to question her further. Finding Clementine mattered more than anything else.
I snatched the key from her hand.
“Take me there,” I demanded.
She nodded and hurried ahead.
“You do not need to tell the others,” she said. “Once they leave the room, the lurkers will find out you are all missing and are probably up to something. As for you, they know you get summoned by your father here and there so you being missing from the room isn’t going to raise any alarm. We need to sneak out now. She might need your help. No matter what condition you find her in, bring her back to the mainland. Bring her through the back door p>
Her instructions were oddly specific, but since she was helping me get closer to Clementine, I listened. I could question everything later.
For now, I had to find her myself.
I walked behind her as she led me deep into the woods. She made me cross the academy’s border and then brought me to the fence. And there it was. A door.
I could almost smell a faint trace of Clementine there.
I twisted the key in the strange-looking lock, and it opened. The moment I pushed the fence open, a strong stench hit me. It was the smell of the North.
“Go in quickly and lock it before something smells the clean air and comes here,” Miss Rue panicked when I took too long.
I rushed inside and slammed the door shut behind me. As soon as I turned around, a strange sensation washed over me.