Chapter 1: Stoneheart University

Chapter 1: Stoneheart University

SHE IS there again. Darkness is everywhere. Even a glimpse of light was hard to find. The familiar coldness of the place that always ran into her deepest veins as if a growing vine that makes her feel so gloomy and frightened to the bones was the solid proof—she is there.

Since she was young, she always goes there unconsciously whenever darkness creeps in at night and she would fall asleep. She also didn’t know how and why but it is always just there, as if a monster lurking in the dark and waiting for the perfect moment to get her.

The silence is deafening and only the loud beats of her heart are the sound she could hear. 

She wanted to scream but it felt as though her mouth didn't want to open—no, it was opening but her voice didn't want to come out like an innocent child that wanted to reason out but couldn’t speak a word because her parents are scolding her for doing something wrong.

She wanted to wake up already but whatever she did, it never gave her the result she wanted. She is already out of breath as if she ran a few kilometers. She knew it was just a dream—a never ending nightmare—but everything is just too scary to bear.

Anxiety and fear started to rise inside her heart as she roamed her eyes around and saw a pair of pure white eyes, as if glowing from the endless darkness that she didn't know where would bring her.

When the young lady heard the sounds of dried leaves being stepped on and a high-pitched joyful laugh of a woman that sounded as if it came from the deepest part of hell—the one that always frightened her since childhood—she immediately forced herself to move.

She ran while trying so hard not to look back because of the fright that maybe, the one chasing her in the dark was already just inches near. 

But the darkness seemed to have no end.

She wanted to find a place where she could hide but whenever she moves, it always feels so close to her. The scariest part was because of the darkness, it might suddenly pop up in front without her knowledge.

With trembling lips, she tried to look around in hope to see even just a flicker of light, but she failed miserably. And what that failure brought her was the woman-like creature that is chasing her! She felt it, it was already on her back!

The young girl could just try to hug herself from the unbearable coldness that suddenly crept into her bones because of the strange creature behind her.

Although she wanted to close her eyes, she couldn't do it. There seemed to be an unknown force that was refraining her from doing so.

And then, her fear came.

She felt a heavy breathing on her right ear that sent shivers down to her spine and colds to her stomach and made her feel nauseous.

"Why are you always running away?" asked the creature who sounded as if a kid having a tantrum after being scolded by her parents.

After that, the creature suddenly laughed again as if there was no tomorrow—as if she was being possessed as there was a different tone of voice mixing with the laugh. 

Because she couldn't speak, she just let the laughter go on until it went louder before it gradually disappeared.

Seconds passed by and she was filled with anxiety, a deafening high-pitched cry echoed and broke the silence and the ears of the girl. She tried to cover her ears but it seemed as though her hands became useless as the disturbing sounds still went through her mind.

"Why? Why can't you just accept it?"

"Why can't you just accept that I am you and you are me!?"

"I am you and you are me! The plan must be started and stop rejecting me!" the woman shouted angrily and impatiently.

And at the same time, a light suddenly appeared in front.

In front of her, she clearly saw a woman that looked exactly like her. The only difference is, there was blood flowing out from her eyes while there was a huge amount of hatred reflecting her white eyeballs. Her hatred was deep and the girl could tell it was genuine while looking at her with her shaking body.

"CROSTELIA, wake up now! It’s already Monday and you still have class!" 

The loud shout of her grandmother awoke the girl’s half-asleep spirit.

The girl blinked her dark brown eyes a few times before she yawned while lazily walking out of her bed. 

She dreamed about it again. Always. However, the disturbing thing this time was the sudden appearance of the usually faceless creature. In the first place, when she first dreamed about it, the scene was still hazy and blurry. Until she noticed that it kept on repeating while gradually becoming clearer as she aged. 

She sighed. Too much for her supposed bright morning.

Crostelia Mercedes was a seventeen-year-old girl, an only child living in a small house and town with her grandmother.

Based on her grandmother’s words, her father and mother died when she was still an infant in a carriage accident. Because of that, she was left in her grandmother’s care. That was why there were only the two of them now.

Because of her grandmother’s age that made her unable to move freely, even when she wanted to study, she didn’t push what she wanted. Good thing that there were a lot of books in their house that made her somehow manage to read, study and learn.

When she aged, she discovered about the full scholarship that the Kingdom of Stoneheart gave to other unfortunate people like her. Because of that, she managed to enter Stoneheart University during her twelve years of existence. 

Sadly, because she was lacking in both her strength and power, she became every student’s apple of the eye. Even when she always aced her exams, she still always held the lowest rank when it came to matches so she became the bottom.

Well, she wasn't born with great power and strength. She only learned about it when she discovered one of her grandmother’s books.

At twelve, she managed to learn some healing enchanting spells. But that wasn't enough. How could she be able to fight with that kind of power? Whenever she used her enchantment, she always collapsed. 

To sum it all, she was just basically useless. It was no wonder why she was labeled as a useless student and became one of the school's laughing stock. 

Though, life must still go on, right?

"DID YOU dream about it again?" her grandmother asked.

She swallowed the food that was in her mouth before speaking.

"Yes," she replied.

The distress painted on the girl’s face was so evident that is why Pearl, the grandmother of Crostelia, was also immediately filled with worry while thinking on how she could ease her granddaughter’s concern.

"Forget about it already. Haven’t you always dreamt of it every year during the first day of the month? Have you not gotten used to it yet? Stop worrying about it, it might not have anything to represent anyway," the old woman said indifferently while she was at the back combing the long, black and straight hair of the young lady. 

Crostelia sighed, exasperated.

“Grandma, there’s something weird today.”

Pearl’s forehead creased upon seeing how worried her granddaughter was.

"What’s weird?"

How did Crostelia’s dream become different when she usually just keeps on dreaming the same thing every year? What broke the cycle?

"Before, I wasn’t able to see the face of the creature that was chasing me. But earlier, I saw her and she looked so much like me.”

Pearl’s eyes widened in Crostelia’s shocking revelation.

"What’s more frightening; her face was full of blood and the look on her eyes was full of hatred," Crostelia said in a serious tone—that the old woman chose to ignore by forcing her granddaughter to go to school.

No one knew that the thing that kept on being chased away was something that could have a greater effect in the future.

CONFUSED, that was the perfect word to describe her the moment she entered the school. The hallways were cleared and silent when it was supposed to be a noisy place. When she continued walking to reach her classroom, she stopped when she saw what was ahead of her.

What is with the students? Why are they so lively? Why are they being so chaotic on the hallway in front of the large bulletin board of the school? What is with the place where all the twelve students who have the highest rank in the whole school were posted?

"Finally! After a year of training, they're back!"

"That’s a year after all! For sure they all got stronger!"

"All of them are looking good! So hot!"

Crostelia felt as though she was crucified in her place after hearing all the gossip of the students near her.

They? Who are they? She thought.

She looked around to search for some clues to understand the current situation, only to freeze when she caught something... No. It was a "someone". Her hazel brown eyes caught someone terrifying and traumatizing.

Slowly, her eyes widened as a glimpse of memory quickly passed by in front of her. 

Why did they have to come back? Her life was just starting to become a little easier. Just why? Why can't they just stay wherever they went and never come back?

Before they could even see her, she chose to quickly take action by running away. However, she also immediately failed. Just after taking a few steps, she suddenly just couldn’t move from her place anymore.

This was what she feared whenever they were here! She already experienced this before. Why did she have to experience it again? Why did she always have to be their toy?

Even when she couldn’t move her body, warm tears still started to fall from her eyes as her heart got quickly consumed by the tremendous fear that they always sent to her. 

"Brother, it looks like I've caught my favorite puppet again?" the tall guy, with a green cheeky pair of eyes and lime hair, said playfully.

"Yeah. Our favorite puppet is with us again," the guy wearing eyeglasses, who shared the same looks as the first one, said as he laughed.