The Next Morning,
Corelia stood infront of a locker that automatically belonged to her, she was confused and stared at the items placed inside. A lot of love letters sprayed with sweet scents, fake red roses, small rectangular boxes with brown circular objects inside of them and a lot more were piled up before her.
There was hardly even space for books and other writing materials.
What's going on?.
She thought..
In Oceania, knowledge lived in memories and songs, passed through currents and whispers. This place felt heavily—structured and suffocating already, and now her lockers are filled with letters and roses from God knows who..
"Hmmm....seems you got yourself a long list of crushs".
Corelia flinched, when the voice suddenly came from behind her.Lydia was standing by her side, smiling the whole time but she didn't notice.
"How long have you been there?" Corelia asked.
"Long enough to notice you staring at your locker". She teased." It seems your first day is going well."
"Not exactly". She replied. "What's all this?".
"Well a way of telling you someone is crushing on you, and with this amount of gifts I doubt if it's just one person". Lydia concluded.
"Why?". Corelia asked looking disgusted.
Lydia looked shocked she even had to ask. "Girl have you seen yourself?, you are beautiful. It would be stupid to see your locker empty this morning". She replied.
"I hate this attention". Corelia muttered.
"Yeah definitely, It's normal. First day can be so overwhelming but don't worry you would get used to it".
Hell no...
Corelia thought but maintained a smile on her face.
"Anyway you picked a club yet?".
"What?".
"Which club are you joining?"
"Club? What's a club?". Corelia asked confused.
Lydia nodded enthusiastically. "It's an extra curricular activities like the Music club, Dance, Drama, Swimming, Arts, Paintings and so on, depending on your interest".
I came here to capture a witch not join a dance club.
"I need time,". Corelia said quickly.
"That's okay". Lydia smiled. "Take your time, you can join later". She turned to her locker, opened it and picked out a few books. "By the way, where is Mishell?".
"She had something to attend to but she would be joining us soon". Corelia responded, she was aware Mishell was at the principal's office to get something.
'I hope she is in a good mood". Lydia said hopefully as she applied lipgloss on her lips. Corelia just stared, wondering what she was doing.
Lydia noticed the stare. "You want some lip gloss? I made this myself cherry blum". She said boastfully.
"No thank you". Corelia shaked her head slightly. She still don't understand why humans would apply about a million things on their face just to make them pretty but in oceania? Everything came naturally to them.
"What do I do with this?". Corelia asked still staring at the locker.
Lydia was about to respond when suddenly—The hallway erupted. They both turned their heads to where the noise were coming from and why?
Screams.
Gasps.
Phones lifted into the air. Everyone was going crazy like an ancient god had just fallen from the sky.
All Corelia could see were crowds rushing over some people, she couldn't understand what was actually going on.
Tall and huge team of men in full black protecting some guys from the crowd's madness. This guys were four in number all dressed stylishly, wearing caps and sunglasses with confidence that bent the space around them, the aura that followed them easily made the atmosphere shifted instantly.
"Q4!"
"Q4!"
"They're here!"
The noise was overwhelming—human excitement flooding the corridor. Lydia and Corelia were still glued in their position, everything was totally confusing to Corelia and she turned to ask Lydia what was going on but from the look of things, it seems Lydia had frozen up on the spot especially when the guys passed by them.
Corelia still looking unbothered by the madness, closed her locker loudly and was about to make her way through the crowd to leave but then one of the guys, tall and good-looking, lifted his head slightly, lowering his dark shade turned back and they both locked eyes. It was only for a brief moment but it felt like everything else faded away.
It felt like time had stopped just for a second so this moment could last a bit longer, everything fell into slow motion, she could hear her heart beat as the noises in the atmosphere seemed to dull down.
He turned away and disappeared into the crowd, then everything fell back into place. The crowds still making noise and running after them for pictures and autographs.
Corelia wasn't sure of what just happened and why her heart reacted the way it did. The feeling was unfamiliar—and unsettling.
An inner voice whispered to her low.
"Focus."
She shaked her head slightly forcing herself to concentrate.
The mission came first.
Always.
In the principal's office, it smelled like old paper, stale coffee, and authority that had gone unchecked for too long. Mishell sat across from his desk, her back straight, her fingers loosely clasped together on her lap as if she was the one in charge here — which, honestly wasn't far from the truth.
The principal didn't even bother to look up at her.
His eyes were glued to his laptop screen, fingers tapping rapidly as though ignoring her would make her disappear.
"I'd like the files." Mishell said evenly. "The list of professor's currently employed in this school."
He sighed, the kind of sigh people use when they think they're dealing with something inconvenient and beneath them.
"No, you can't," he said flatly.
She blinked once. "Why?".
This time, he lifted his head. His eyes were sharp, irritated, already tired of her.
"Those are school properties," he said. "You are just a student."
She tilted her head slightly, studying him. Humans were funny creatures. They loved power until they realized how fragile it actually was.
"I am also school property". She replied calmly. "I just need to check something".
"Nope." He shook his head. "You can't have it".
If he knew — if he truly knew — that she was doing all this to save his life, and the lives of every student parading these halls daily, he would be on his knees thanking her. But ignorance was humanity's favorite shield.
"Why do you even need the list?". He asked, narrowing his eyes.
She hesitated, just long enough to look uncertain.
"Well…" She began slowly, scratching her cheek like a confused teenager. "My mom wanted me to get it, In case she decides to organize a fundraiser for the school or something like that. She needs the accurate number of staffs and professors."
The lie rolled off her tongue effortlessly, lying to humans was embarrassingly easy.
"Hmmmm." He leaned back in his chair. "If she desperately needs it, tell her to come get it herself."
And just like that, he turned back to his laptop. "Dismiss". He said.
Mishell clenched her jaw, she hated him, she would have easily used her siren voice on him but she can't, Corelia already did that from the start so he is under Corelia's control. If she forcefully used her own powers on him it could ruin him cause it would be two different spell in one body.
She stared at him, squinting her eyes.
Youofficially topped my list of people I will personally deal with when I return to the sea. Slowly. Painfully.
She thought to herself.
"Alright". She said, forcing politeness into her voice. "Can I at least have the school syllabus?".
He stopped typing.
Slowly inhaled.
"Mishell". He said, rubbing his temples. "If I give you that… will you finally leave me alone?"
"I would've left earlier if you'd answered me". She replied sweetly.
That did it, he yanked open a drawer, pulled out a thick file, and shoved it across the desk toward her.
"Just take it and leave please". He muttered.
She picked it up and opened it immediately.
The school syllabus, she honestly didn't know why her instincts told her to check it thoroughly, but she trusted them anyways, they had kept her alive for centuries.
Before she could read further, the office door flew open with loud noise, Mishell didn't even flinch.Heavy footsteps entered, several of them. She stayed focused on the pagesin her hands like her life depended on it, well technically it did.
The principal, however, reacted as if the sea itself had flooded his office. "Oh my God!". He exclaimed, springing to his feet. "I—I wasn't expecting you today. It's… it's a pleasure!".
Mishell glanced up briefly to look at him, he was sweating, smiling too hard at some men.
Young, tall, ridiculously confident.
'So this is what the fuss is about,'
She thought.
"Good Day Sir, It's a pleasure to finally meet you". Mr Han said politely. "I know I said we'd come next week, but plans changed so we decided to be here a week early."
"No, no, no problem at all!". The principal gushed. "You're welcome anytime. The great Q4 visiting our school is truly an honor!"
Q4?
Why is he acting like a frightened fish?.
Mishell getting distracted with a lot of thoughts decided to focus, she went back to reading.
Two minutes after, she had already finished scanning the file but a small frown settled on her face.
"Sir". She said loudly, cutting through his embarrassing performance. "This syllabus is incomplete, some pages are missing"
The air froze.
The principal slowly turned to her and shot her a warning look, frantically signaling with his eyes and hands for her to leave.
"I don't understand". She said plainly. "What are you trying to say?"
He forced a laugh so fake it almost hurt her ears."
Why don't you come back tomorrow". He suggested. "I'll get you the complete file then."
"Why can't you get it now?" She asked curiously.
"I have important visitors, Mishell."
She crossed her arms and legs. "So does that make me less important?"
The principal paused, before he could respond Mr Han stepped forward smoothly.
"Let me handle this". He said.
Then turned to Mishell who was still seating confidently, her beauty was mesmerizing but he acted and smiled professionally.
"Good day, young lady. I'm Mr Han Manager to the famous Boyband Q4."
He paused expecting to see a reaction from Mishell but she just stared at him with a blank and unimpressed expression.
"Well as you can see". He continued, gesturing behind me. "The Q4 are standing behind you."
She turned around, studied the four men for exactly three seconds, then turned to face the principal again.
"So...what's that got to do with me?". She asked still confused, the room was dead silent and everyone just stared at her weirdly.
"Mishell I need to attend to the Q4, you should understand better". The principal said almost begging her to leave.
"I don't care if the Quack two or Q f**k are here," She said still maintaining her calm posture. "Just give me the complete papers sir It won't take you a minute."
Silence.
Absolute, jaw-dropping silence, their mouths dropped open.