The growl of engines split through the silence as I cut the last turn toward the transport station. Rows of blue buses line up stands, students filling up the shuttles quickly. Some full buses drive out, a few empty ones joining the lines.
The station is a bustle of chatter, hurried movements and the quiet hums of vehicles driving in and out. A burst of laughter from a group of girls alighting from a private cab draws by attention as I walk toward the steady thrum of activities in the station.
"In that case, the founding clans were threatened by the surging prowess of Externs." I weave through the chaos of moving bodies barely escaping a brutal collision with a girl sprinting towards me with wild abandon.
"That's not proven."
The edge in her voice only serves to widen the smile playing at my lips.
"Given enough time, Externs would have dominated the very apex of the hierarchy and these clans simply couldn't watch." I mocked, savouring the small cracks I managed to perceive in the seemingly unfathomable 'Super clans' of Velmora as my voice comes off in a sing-song tone buried under the clamor around me.
"What are you getting at?" Unable to clamp down on her curiosity, Eave's voice fills my ears in a small conspiratory tone.
Passing through the lines of waiting buses, I move to the other side of the stands where private cabs line up.
After, this morning's ordeal staying in an enclosed space with other students for an hour or so just wasn't happening.
At least not today.
"In very simple terms, Velmora is simply scared out of her wits that the low-life charity cases she brought in might just be her undoing."
"You think so? Cause I don't see that happening in the next century." Eave scoffs softly in disbelief.
I bite back a sharp retort knocking gently on the silver car before me. The windows slid down, an elderly man nodding in acknowledgement. The soft click of the doors unlocking passes between us, I smile in response swinging the door open into the back seat.
"Good day, Sir." Settling, I look up to him. Our eyes lock on the rear-view mirror where he observed me silently.
"Good morning, Miss." He greets, voice smooth and sharp in a deep timbre that fills the space between us. Silentily, he steers the car out of the waiting line.
"We both know it's true." I whisper softly to the side in response to Eave. The driver glances briefly at me, to which I give a tight smile that was very much a grimace.
The awkwardness of the whole situation sitting heavily between us.
He said nothing, focusing on driving out of the commercial wing, a glass partition rolling up between us.
Ha
I gasp in surprise and gratitude.
"You know, who rules Velmora doesn't really affect me. AVAs are critical to Velmora infrastructure and will exist either way. Your human politics have nothing to do with AVAs." Eave says afterward, I bit my lips at the truth in her words. The gloating in her voice not gone on me.
"True." I mumble feeling defeated. A triumphant bout of chuckle fills my ears–warm and joyful, an odd contrast to the stillness in the car.
The car smoothly swerves outside the business wing into the main axis that connects the different wings by road.
"Designation." The glass partition slides down briefly giving entry to the old man's word..
"Daily Delights." I reply leaning further into the seat, the lushness of the chair a welcome relief to my stiff muscles.
"You can join the cafeteria now. You know, free meals." Eave shots off immediately.
I smile lazily watching the glass slid shut
"So, they can do what? Poison me?" I scoff at the sheer frivolity of her words.
Why they didn't like me, hated me or whatever hostility they had towards me, I didn't know.
I really had no business finding out.
"Don't tell me, I'll be asked to repay the money I've spent." I sit up in alarm.
"Of course not." Eave says disdainfully, I can practically picture her rolling her eyes at her. I fall back letting my weight fall into the comfy seat.
"Good." I smile, imagining the sumptuous lunch waiting for me.
_______________________________________________________
The fragrance of flowers hits my nostril with every tide of warm breeze scattering my hair. I sigh, combing away strands of hair from my eyes for the umpteenth time since I sat here. Placing the I was reading book beside me, I lean into the swing, the flowers decorating the wooden surface cushioning my skin as I swing slowly. Stretching my limbs from hours of sitting.
The last few days gradually fell into an oddly comforting routine.
Attending pre-sessions, waiting, reading for research, reading for fun, waiting and what else..waiting.
Mostly waiting.
I'll give it to Eave, the classes are really distracting. Enough that I did read just for the fun of it. Velmore in itself is an intriguing tale, a macabre one precisely.
It's been five days since I started attending Pre-sessions, started coming out in public spaces like this one. Bloomia, one of the most popular and populous gathering spots in the Skyline District.
Chatter and laughter echo through the huge space, over five hundred students currently present, yet it looked scarcely occupied. I look into the distance noticing the new faces that recently joined the fray of activities from the interior northeast I sat.
I come here often when the library becomes suffocating despite the teeming crowd because of the scenery. Flowers, not the grimy ones from the side gate actual flowers. Orchids, irises, roses, lilies, were everywhere swaying softly in the wind.
The scenery is worth it, reading or not–which have rather weird for a while.
Not boring, not complicated, not stressful.
Just weird.
The sound of laughter makes me look up to a group cheering loudly over a board game. I do find it weird they do normal things too.
Maybe, it's the knowledge that all knowledge of Velmora will be erased from my mind for the Termination of my admission. Which really complicates things, as I'm not sure if I'm okay with them messing with my brain or I'm so keen on no longer reading, the books here are a luxury I never had at home.
Otherwise, all the other conditions for Termination of Admission are sensible.
"This too." I admit quietly. Considering the secrecy surrounding Velmora, it would be odd if this wasn't a requirement.
I really can't believe I'm stuck in a loop of reading and not reading because all of it will be taken away from me.
Exhausted, I reduce the speed hopping down immediately the swing comes to a halt. Straightening my gown, I pick my book venturing into the center where 80% of everyone is gathered.
I move through, eyes up as I pass small groups of Initiates further into the center of the field. Mindful of my steps not to step on anyone.
"You weren't there?" A girl amid two other girls asks incredulously.
"Of course, I was. There's no way I'll …." The girl to her left replies, eyes wide in denial. Pausing the moment I pass them, she looks to friend in amusement.
"She's the one?" Curiosity, disbelief and mockery evident in her voice, drilling into my head with sharp eyes.
"Yes. I couldn't believe it either." The silent one among them replies, a pitiful look in her eyes.
The same happened when I passed by other groups.
Conversation halting and topics changing to focus on me. Curiosity turns into pitying looks, mockery, malice, hostility and so much more I can't wrap my head around.
My foot catches a stone as I stumble under the cold intensity of their gaze. Barely holding myself up from ditching straight into the ground, the sound of laughter, sneers, and cold chuckles fill my ears from every side, now the center of attention of half a thousand Initiates.
Inhaling deeply, I straighten up moving forward without a word, hot tears stinging at my eyes. I glance back at them–the pure malice and sinister hatred in their eyes freezing me in place.
With much difficulty, I look away, shrinking in fear of more outbursts of mockery.
I need to leave.
I need to get away from them.
Forcing my limbs to move, my chest tightens heaving frantically for air.
I want to run. Run far away but my legs are stuck to the spot.
"Oh my God, she's having a panic attack."
"What a waste."
"I wonder how SK must feel about having such a pathetic piece of trash for a daughter.
"So delicate, she's crying and this is only a teaser."
Their words hit like a sledge hammer to my chest as I gasp for air.
Paralyzed by fear, I never knew it was possible. Tears run down my cheeks, the laughter and insults hurled my way a distant echo to the thumping of my heart against my chest as my breath seizes in panic.
Run. Run, Lilliana
Run. Biting my lips I urge my legs to move clenching tightly at the book I hold to my chest like a shield.
Driven by the pain, I move.
Not as fast as I want to. I hold on to the small hope cutting off the voices. I sprint off, falling to the ground, their voice comes on me like a wave.
No. No no no.
Shaking my head, hands pressed to my ears to drown out their voices as I get back on my feet. I give up running, my legs going jelly in fear.
But, I don't stop
I stumble through them, my legs threatening to give out with every step under their frenzied gazes like seeing me suffer gave them pleasure.
THUDD
Reaching the gate, I fall weakly to the ground against the cold metal bars of the towering structure.
Far away from their eyes.
Their voices echoing like haunting melodies in my head as I sob into my hands.
"Whaat didddn I do to them?" I ask helplessly.
They hate me. I know it.
I see it in their eyes.
Feel it in the way they look at me.
I never asked for any of this.
Ever since, Pre-sessions the stares changed.
The curiosity, mild mockery, dismissive glances, all of it disappearing without a trace.
Replaced by angry, malicious ones.
The talks started, small at first.
Mockery and disbelief to blatant hostility I could not understand.
Still, I ignored it.
I kept quiet.
Who would I even tell?
Who in this God forsaken place will listen?
What did I do to deserve this? My thoughts churn without direction, days of repressed questions flooding through my mind.
I grip the hard cover of the book tightly. Shaking my head, my voice spilling out in whispers of denial
"No, I didn't ask for any of this."
"Never did anything to deserve any of this.."
"I need to leave this place…"
"I need to go home…"
"I can't take this any longer.." With renewed strength I get on my feet.
Clean the dust and dirt from my dress, the tears on my cheeks. I arrange my hair slightly moving forward with determination to leave this place.
I need to find Adaera. She hasn't shown up since our last meeting.
I'll write the letter and submit it tomorrow.
Mum will understand.
My resolve to leave Velmora growing at the thought of their hatred for me.
These are people who are trained to be ruthless and inhumane.
No matter how normal they act or may look.
They can actually hurt me….and this was just verbal. No one laid a finger on me.
They have weapons in their possession…
What if this gets physical….