Chapter 385
Ian:
Mr. Rick turned around and gave me a shirt to wear. I put it on but kept looking around.
“Where is Clementine?” I asked him.
Ms. Lenora stepped closer. I did not see Miss Rue anywhere, so I guessed she had been let go.
“You have been very arrogant, Ian,” Ms. Lenora commented, folding her arms over her chest. “We stayed silent only because you are the headmaster’s son p>
Every time I had been rude to them, I saw the way they looked at me, as if trying to remind me that the only reason they allowed me to walk away was because of who my father was.
“Don’t tell me what I already know,” I replied in a taunting tone, wanting to irritate them.
I could tell it worked because whenever I showed them arrogance, they looked miserable and helpless.
They glanced at each other and then rolled their eyes.
“Where is Clementine?” I asked again, keeping my attention on them.
I would not have followed them here otherwise.
They shared another look, almost like they were deciding who would speak first.
Then Mr. Rick answered.
“She was sent to the north last night,” he told me.
The moment he said it, my fists clenched. My whole body stopped moving at once.
A sharp pain formed in my chest. Anger rose inside me, and it felt like betrayal.
I understood what had happened.
My father had chosen the perfect day to give me access to the basement, keeping me occupied so I would not return to the academy.
When I was not there, they sent Clementine away.
I lunged toward Mr. Rick, but he stepped back and hissed, “One mistake, Ian,” he warned. “And she will be executed there p>
My body froze in place.
My fists were still clenched beside my body.
“Tell me what mission she is doing?” I demanded, glaring at them.
“It is a simple one,” Ms. Lenora replied casually, as if it was not important. “She just has to retrieve a watch. A watch of time p>
The moment she said it, all I could think about was a single thing in my head.
The watch.
The hall began to blur, and a memory hit me fast, like it had been waiting for this moment.
Flashback
My arm hurt, and when I looked down, I saw a fresh stab wound.
Zian had stabbed me with a fork only moments ago. He was screaming at me like he always did.
His small face was red and angry. I sat on the floor holding my arm, unable to stop shaking.
The door burst open, and my father rushed in, grabbing Zian by his wrist.
“You have always been a nuisance,” he yelled at him. “Look what you have done to Ian this time p>
He shouted at Zian, who continued kicking and screaming as my father dragged him out of the room.
I stared at the doorway, breathing unevenly.
Zian’s cries echoed down the hall until they finally faded.
My father returned after the nurses had taken me to treat the wound.
My arm still hurt, but what hurt more was that my own brother had done this to me.
“Pack your things,” my father ordered, instead of asking if I was alright.
“Why? Zian was the one who hurt me. I did not do anything,” I mumbled in my usual soft voice.
I never understood why each time Zian did something, I was the one getting punished.
“Because you will understand,” my father hissed. “Your brother will never understand. You will stay with your grandfather for a while p>
It felt unfair and confusing, but I did not argue. I knew my father was dealing with a lot.
Zian made everything harder.
If Zian was not leaving, then I had to, because I had grown scared of him every day.
The next day, I arrived at my grandfather’s place. His home was underground, the entire house hidden.
My father explained they had lost their previous home, so he built his father a new one here.
I did not understand what he meant by here or where their old home had been.
When I stepped inside, I saw old wooden beds with creaking frames, a nightstand with a lamp, half walls dividing each area, and a tiny kitchen in the corner.
The place looked old, and quiet. My grandfather sat in the hallway with a stack of papers around him.
When he saw me, he smiled gently.
There were frames and sculptures around him, enough to show that this was what he spent most of his time doing.
“Come here,” he told me, waving at me softly.
I walked over and sat beside him.
He began showing me his drawings, pages filled with strange creatures, notes about places I did not know.
They looked like fictional stories, monsters he created.
“What are these?” I asked him, nervous.
“Do not worry. These are my creations. They will not hurt you,” he replied with a small smile.
“Why?” I asked again.
“Because you will know everything about them,” he stated.
My eyes moved to one of the pictures. I pointed at a watch drawn among many others.
“What is this?” I asked him.
“Nothing but a little hope that is a lie p>
End of Flashback
Ms. Lenora and Mr. Rick stood there waiting for me. I finally understood.
They had sent Clementine on a mission that would be too dangerous for her to survive.
My stomach twisted and my hands curled into another fist.
“You sent her to die,” I hissed at them.
“She will succeed if she listens to the instructions. It is not like the watch is being guarded by a monster,” Mr. Rick replied, as if that fixed anything.
“But this is in the dark side of the north. There will be monsters everywhere,” I hissed, turning around to leave.
“Where do you think you are going, Ian?” Mr. Rick voiced from behind me.
That was when I opened the door to the hall and saw all the lurkers standing in front of me, a list of them blocking the way.
“Where do you think I am going? I am headed to the north,” I hissed.
“Do not worry. She will be back in a few hours,” Ms. Lenora remarked.
I shook my head.
“I do not care. I am going there to fetch her,” I hissed at them.
The two shared a glance before Mr. Rick rolled his eyes.
“Fine, but you cannot leave right now. The train is gone to get her. Since it is in the north, the train will return in a little more than an hour. If it comes back empty, you can board it and go,” he stated.
I kept glaring at them. At this point, waiting for her arrival felt like losing my breath.
All I could think about was how she had come to speak with me, how she had asked me to listen.
I had been stubborn, and now she was gone. I could not listen to her voice anymore.