Project: Death for Classroom Zero

Chapter 47: She Hopes

“Are you sure about that?”

Tristan and Rain was marching along with their classmates towards the second level of the ciphertexting activity. While silently walking, Tristan has finally decided to tell Rain about what he had accidentally seen at the back part of the building, yesterday: the black chamber-like thing that was attached on the wall which he highly believes … a secret passage that can make them escape this hellish Zero program.

Tristan was extremely surprised when he saw that thing attached on the building. It might not be that peculiar for other people (if they will have the chance to see it), but for him, it could be a big clue which will soon lead them into escaping.

However, it took him almost a day before he has decided to finally tell the thing to Rain. It was indeed an exciting thought: that he found a clue about the existence of a secret exit passage. But he does not want to give his groupmates a false hope. That is why, he hesitated.

Now after having hours of thinking and contemplating, he was now able to tell it to Rain.

“I … I don’t know if my intuition was right. But … that chamber can highly likely become a secret tunnel. I am not sure, but I am confident that it was,” he answered. He was speaking in a low, whispering voice, because he was afraid that some other students might hear them.

“Why didn’t you tell this to me yesterday?” Rain asked. Along with that question, she was giving him a sharp, warning glare.

“Uhm … I was contemplating about it. You see, I don’t want to give you false hopes.”

“This was not a false hope. Every clue that we find, every possibility that we seek, we must get it. We must try unveiling it. Because, there’s a thin chance that through all those fragments of clues, we’ll find the thing we’re actually looking,” Rain said. Her blank, ashen eyes were staring straight at him.

Tristan scratched his head because of embarrassment. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I should’ve told that thing to you and our group immediately.”

“It’s fine,” Rain replied. “We’ll just check it after this next activity we’ll be having.”

Tristan nodded. “That is … if we can solve the activity once again.”

Looking at their front, Professor Josefina Buenavista was leading the march of the Zero students. They were heading towards the venue of the second activity. It was on the second floor, and while marching, everyone was once again being drowned into their own feeling of fears and trembles.

Blaze, Amara, the Twins and Seven was at their front. Just like the others, they were all following their professor through her march.

Tristan wondered what would the group react if they will hear about the possibility of an escape route. Blaze might feel thrilled about it, along with Timmy, Seven, and even Caspian. On the other hand, Tammy and Amara will be feeling frightened because they will instantly know that they will be trying to explore that kind of dangerous uncertainty.

Reaching the second floor, the gigantic portal-like gate has welcomed them once again.

“Oh crap, that gate again. Duhh.” It was Amara who first reacted. After seeing the gate, she immediately showed a face of disgust.

Perhaps everyone has the same feeling towards that gate. Disgust. It was just their second time seeing it (the first one was on the first ciphertexting activity), and everyone has surely felt disgusted—and at the same time, frightened—towards that humungous structure.

Now, Professor Buenavista stepped on the front, and she climbed to the podium that was already set-up even before they came in the place. Looking at the students, she again displayed her dark smirk. A kind of smile which through only a single glance, would be easily seen as evil.

“Welcome, to the second day, my dear students!” she announced. “Today is the second part of your quiz-activity. I really commend you for surpassing the first quiz that I have set-up. I never expected that a lot of you will survive.” Releasing the statement, she then laughed. Hearing that from their professor, Tristan has just concluded that she was expecting more death tolls to them, rather than survivors. What a twisted, dark way of thinking that woman has, Tristan thought.

“Today, I won’t be giving you a clue about what you’ll be facing for the second level. You will just discover it as soon as you enter the portal,” she added.

“Alright,” on their group, Rain started to speak lowly. Hearing Rain, every members of their group started listening to her. “No matter what kind of deadly quiz or activity that is waiting behind that portal, we must ensure we can finish it fast and clear.”

Every member of their group nodded.

“Man, I wish I’m with Caspian now. He was just enjoying the comfort of the clinic bed,” out of nowhere, Timmy spurred.

“I’ve gone there earlier. I asked the nurse-in-charge about his situation and she answered me that the doctor recommended him to take a rest first because his wounds are deep, which the head of Zero program has agreed to,” Tristan explained.

“That’s somehow lucky of him. He won’t be suffering to the trauma of this second quiz-activity,” Timmy added.

“Hey Timmy, chill up. We’re a strong group here. Whatever the quiz was, we’ll be able to answer it the fast that we can,” Seven tried cheering him up.

“Yeah, girl. Long as Tristan and Rain and Blaze was here, we should all be confident like hell. There’s nothing wrong that will happen. And besides, Hunky Caspian deserve that rest because oh my gosh, he’s been through a lot of physical pain, you know? You don’t want to suffer those kind of injuries just to get exempted in an activity.”

Timmy scratched his head. “Yeah, I guess so.”

Tristan was surprised that Amara has muttered an actually full of sense statement (except for the part his name was mentioned). Because of that, the ever jolly Timmy has somehow straightened back her thoughts, and forget about her jealousy to Caspian.

Minutes after waiting, their group was finally the next one who will enter the gate. Looking from the podium, Professor Buenavista smiled at them. Sweetly. However, all of them knew that her sweet smile was a poison that they should not take.

“Take care, my dear students. I hope you won’t die,” she said.