Monsters Within

Chapter 5

There is a legend circling our province. Everyone believes that a legendary f*****g school is buried under the ground in the middle of the forest. That the legendary f*****g school only lets students with supernatural powers. The f**k, I know, and whoever enters cannot go back because of an unexplained reason. Something phenomenal. Some also assumed that the school is ruled by different creatures such as demons. I know, right. How old are they to believe such blatant lies? That’s why no one dares to come near the forest anymore. Hikers stopped going to the woods because of that. Families are not having vacations there anymore, and most likely, students will be prohibited from going on a trip in any forest. What if some students wanted to know about that school? What if they wanted to find out about that supernatural stuff? What about those who wanted to know what’s so good about that damned school? Why do I care? I don’t even believe in them.

Raiku Aura Amherst’s Diary

Raiku closed her diary and placed her head on top of it. She heaved a long and deep sigh while staring at nothingness. Minutes passed, but nothing changed. Her chest was still feeling heavier than usual. She couldn't breathe properly yet.

Writing was her therapy, but lately, it isn't the case anymore. Nothing she does could comfort her anymore. Everything felt black and white. She was alive, but she doesn't feel like it anymore. Sometimes, she could not help but ask herself if she was even trying to live her life, or she was just breathing.

She wanted to cry so badly. She tried to let it all go away by writing in her diary. But for some reason, the pain wouldn’t go away. It had been a while since she felt this, but instead of feeling better, it felt like it was becoming worse. They said time heals all wounds, but here she was, falling into the abyss little by little.

I need some fresh air!

She picked up her hooded jacket and wore it before going out of their bungalow house. It was October, but the wind was already chilly. It doesn’t snow in their small province, but the cold was still unbearable at times, so that people needed to wear jackets. On the contrary, summer was like living underground surrounded by a fiery fire.

When she opened the door, the breeze immediately hit her face. After closing it, she hugged herself and rubbed her arms, hoping that it would somehow lessen the coldness. There was no one outside but her, given the cold weather.

She was pacing outside while walking when someone tapped her shoulder.

“Umh... Miss, excuse me,” a tall and handsome guy called her.

Squinting her eyes, she looked in the guy’s direction.

He had a clean haircut, and he looked neat in his plain white shirt. He wore pants and white sneakers. He even smelled good from a distance. His bag looked heavy, but his bulky shoulder told her he could manage an even heavier one.

Instead of checking him out more, she shook her head. “Ah, yes?” Raiku looked at him, confused. What must the handsome guy want from her? He looked like he was not from around here. Their small village was small, but Rai barely even knew who lived in her neighborhood.

“I just want to ask something. You see, I am kinda not familiar with the place,” the guy said shyly. He rubbed his cheek using his index finger and smiled awkwardly.

“What is it?” She didn’t want to sound rude, but that’s how she was. That's how it sounded to the guy as well.

The narrow-eyed-looking guy laughed nervously. “I... can you tell me the way to Lightford Academy?” he asked slowly, cautious around her.

Raiku’s mood became dark. Her eyes became unreadable, and no emotions showed at all. “I don’t know what you are talking about.” She turned around, ready to leave, when the guy held her arm to stop her.

The guy immediately pulled his hand when he saw her glaring at it. But instead of backing away, he begged, “Please. I need to go there. You are my last hope. I heard it is in this forest, but they won’t let me in because I am not from here.”

Raiku didn’t listen to him and started walking away. She didn’t have even the slightest intention of helping the guy. The moment he mentioned that school, she knew that it would not be good. And she knew that no matter what the guy said, she would never help him.

“Hey, wait!”

“Just give up!” Raiku snapped, glaring at the guy again. “That school doesn’t exist. It’s just a f*****g legend.” The guy was taken aback at Raiku’s word choice, but he didn’t give up on convincing her to help him.

“I know that it exists. My brother studies there. That’s why I want to go, too. I've traveled so far just to get here. I don’t want my effort to go to waste. Just tell me how to go there, then I won’t bother you anymore after that.”

Raiku stopped abruptly and glared at him. “Let me tell you something, s**t head. That school is just a f*****g legend. And if it really exists, as far as I heard, it just won’t let any fucktard go inside it. So, I’m telling you, just give up and leave me alone!”

The guy didn’t follow her when she walked away again. It was not like the girl knew him in the first place for her to help him. He must try harder and look for another way to find that school if he really wanted to go so badly. It was a bad thing that he saw Raiku and not anyone else because she would never help him.

When Raiku got back to their house, she slammed the door and sighed harshly. She didn’t want to be angry with the guy, but talking about that school was really hard for her right now. Even the thought of it gave her a headache. It was still fresh.

Her mom... her older sister...

They were all gone because of that school. And she won’t forgive anyone who stole her family from her. Now, it was only her dad at her side. She couldn’t afford it if he were to leave her, too.

If someone found out about that place and went missing again, it would be bad. The government would definitely kick them out of there and close the forest entirely, including the villages nearby. And they didn’t have anywhere else to go. It would not be easy looking for a house to stay in because they weren’t rich. And this place held so many memories that no other house could replace it.

Raiku felt the heavyweight on her chest again when she saw the photographs of her family. And just like that, her tears started falling on her cheeks before she could even stop them. She missed them so much. She wanted to hug them so much. But no matter how strong her desires were, she couldn't do anything but weep.

“Mom, Reina, what should I do?” she asked while staring at the picture frame of her, Reina, her mom, and her dad. How could she forgive the school that stole her mom and sister’s lives?

JASPER HEAVED A sigh before sitting on a rock near a river. He stared at his reflection in the water, drowning in his thoughts.

It had been a week since his brother stopped calling and texting him. He started worrying, and so he decided to go where his brother might be. His parents must be looking for him right now, but he didn’t care. He wanted to know if his brother was okay after running away from home like that.

“Lightford Academy... what is so good about you, huh?” he asked his reflection on the water.

Ever since he was a kid, his brother would not stop talking about how much he wanted to attend this school. Jasper was too naive at that time to understand anything about this. But now that he was a grown-up, he suspected it was not like the other school he had attended up until now. There was something more to it than what his brother told him.

He stood up on his seat and picked up his bag from the ground. In the evening, no one was patrolling around the forest, so he would be sneaking at that time. That was the perfect time to enter it and look for the school where his brother had gone to. The chances were slim, but it was his best shot. There was no other place where he could possibly enter the academy but this.

He didn’t know why the girl had been so angry with him a while ago, but he somehow understood. After meeting almost everyone in that province, he discovered that no one really liked that school, to begin with. He didn’t know why, but he didn’t care. They had their issues with the school, and he had his.

I need to find that school and my brother no matter what and no one can stop me.