Tale of the Gifted Beings

chapter 23

chapter 23

THE SUN HAD BEGAN to dip below the horizon as I still continued reflecting on the strange events that had recently happened. My fingers traced the outline of the necklace that hung delicately around my neck; its cold metal frame sent a weird feeling through my body. Augustus was kind of off lately; his once warm and amicable demeanors are now replaced with a strange intensity.

He seemed to have had an utter shift. The corners of his mouth no longer curled into the gentle, reassuring smile that had once put me at ease. Instead, his lips were pressed tightly together, and his eyes were cold and calculating. It was as if a veil had been lifted, revealing a side of him that I had never seen before. I couldn't help but wonder what had triggered this sudden change.

I mean, one time, as I sat alone in the garden, Augustus once again approached me and started asking me. His tone was uncharacteristically stern, and his gaze never wavered from the necklace that hung from my neck. I stammered, unable to provide an answer to his questions. I've been wanting to ask Miss Alice and Augustus about a lot of things that bothered me, but a strange sense of trepidation stopped me from speaking up. Instead, I clenched my fists tightly and kept my lips sealed, hoping that the answer would reveal itself in due time.

But despite my confusion, amidst the growing unease, my feelings for Bryce continued to blossom. Our connection seemed to deepen with each passing day. I found myself increasingly drawn to him. His presence provided me with a sense of comfort and security that seemed to counteract the anxiety that gnawed at the edges of my mind.

Bryce's warm smile and gentle touch seemed to melt away my fears, allowing me to momentarily forget about Augustus. Our stolen glances and secret smiles spoke volumes, and it became clear that we were both experiencing the same magnetic pull toward one another.

As we walked through the garden one afternoon, I could see the same spark of attraction mirrored in his gaze. He hesitated for a moment before reaching out and taking my hand in his, the warmth of his touch making my heart race. But despite my growing feelings for Bryce, I couldn't bring myself to reveal to him my concerns regarding the necklace and the photos I uncovered in the forbidden room. My dream. Everything. It felt as though there was an unspoken barrier between us, preventing me from revealing my secrets.

I also once gave Miss Alice the benefit of the doubt, but it seems as if my intuitions were correct this entire time, the moment I caught her scribbling something that she throws in the trash—CYGNUS. Also, I worried that by sharing my thoughts, I would somehow taint the fragile bond that Bryce and I had made.

As the days turned into weeks, the atmosphere at the academy grew increasingly tight. The secrets that hung in the air seemed to weigh heavily on me, threatening to suffocate me beneath the invisible burden. And yet, the more time I spent inside the academy, the more I became bothered.

The air in my room felt heavy as Mamori and I sat cross-legged on the floor, our backs against the plush pillows that lined my bed. The low hum of the antique gramophone filled the silence as it played a hauntingly beautiful melody. The flickering candlelight cast eerie shadows on the walls, creating an atmosphere that seemed fitting for the stuff that was about to happen.

Mamori looked at me with a mixture of curiosity and concern. Her eyes bore into mine as if they were searching for something, perhaps the truth that I had been hesitant to share until now.

"How are you? "Mamori asked, her voice soft and tentative. "You've been acting strange lately; I can't help but worry."

I bit my lip, hesitant to reveal the secrets I had been harboring. But Mamori deserved to know, and perhaps I could ask her about Leo and Augustus.

"I've been thinking a lot lately," I began, my voice barely above a whisper. "And I think Miss Alice has been hiding things from me."

Mamori leaned in closer, eyebrows knitted in question. "What do you mean?"

Taking a deep breath, I sighed. "I've been eavesdropping on her, and I entered the room near the hall a few weeks ago. I took some photos there, and I—"

"What?"

"They are hiding something."

"Who are 'they'?" Mamori asked.

"Miss Alice, and probably Augustus."

Mamori's eyes widened in shock. I took her hand, feeling the warmth of her skin against mine, and led her to my bed. As we neared, she looked around nervously, clearly afraid of the consequences that might befall us.

I reached under my bed and pulled out the small box I used to store the stuff I took from Miss Alice. The box felt heavier than it should have, as if the weight of the secrets it held were physically manifesting. Opening it, I showed her the photographs I had taken without anyone's knowledge. Mamori's hand flew to her mouth as she took in the images, her eyes filled with fear and worry.

"Primrose, you shouldn't have done this," she whispered, her voice trembling. "You could get into so much trouble."

"I know," I replied, my voice steady despite my racing heart. "But I needed answers, and I think I've found some."

The dreams where the mysterious man appeared, always watching me from a distance, came into being. I pointed to a photo of the man from my dreams, standing in the photo directly next to Miss Alice.

"See this man? This is the man who always appears in my dream. Ever since I was a kid, way before when I was still in the orphanage back at Perthlochry, he's there, appearing in my dreams. And for some reason," I looked at the photo, "she's with him." I pointed Miss Alice beside the man.

"He's real, and he's connected to Miss Alice and Augustus somehow."

Mamori's eyes darted between the photo and my face, her anxiety growing with each passing moment. I showed her the rest of the photographs—images of a much younger Miss Alice and Augustus, always accompanied by the same man with the identical face.

"Why are there...are you suggesting that Augustus has a twin?" Mamori asked. "What does this mean?"

Mamori's voice was barely audible as she struggled to comprehend the implications of the photos. I shook my head in confusion. Mamori knows something, yet it feels as if she's making it seem like she's unaware of anything. Then she paced back and forth in our small, dimly lit room. Her hands wrung together nervously, and her voice was barely more than a whisper as she warned me.

"If Miss Alice finds out you took those photos, you'll be in serious trouble."

I couldn't help but smile, a small, mischievous grin playing on my lips. I knew the risks, yes, but the information I had uncovered was too important, too life-changing, to let fear hold me back. "Mamori," I said, my voice steady and sure, "I don't care about the consequences. I deserve to know what I've found."

Mamori stopped pacing and looked at me, her eyes full of worry. She chewed on her bottom lip, a habit she had whenever she was anxious. I then took a deep breath.

"One night, when you were asleep, when Bryce was unconscious and we brought him into Lucy's cabin, Lucy told me about the orphanage and how she had twin sons." I paused, gauging her reaction, but Mamori's face remained blank, her eyes wide with anticipation. I continued. "I didn't share it with you that time because Lucy shared it with me when I saw her picture with her twins."

With trembling hands, I pulled out the worn, black-and-white photograph I had stolen from the forbidden room. It depicted Augustus and his twin brother, whose faces were nearly identical except for their hairstyle. I placed the photo in front of Mamori, who stared at it as if she were trying to absorb every detail.

"So you're suggesting that Augustus is Lucy's son?"

"Yes," I replied.

"And why didn't Lucy tell me about this?" Mamori asked, her voice barely audible as she traced a finger over the image.

"I think she was trying to protect her past," I replied, watching her closely. "But I couldn't keep this from you any longer. Plus," I said, shuffling the images in my hand.

"I think Miss Alice and Augustus might know about where I came from before we became friends." My heart raced as I spoke, my words tumbling over each other in my haste to reveal everything.

Mamori's eyes flicked up to meet mine, and there was this weird look on her eyes. I couldn't tell if it was anxiety or if she knew something that she decided to keep from me. Instead, she continued portraying her oblivious self.

"What do you mean? What do Miss Alice and Augustus have to do with your past? "

I took a deep breath, my hands gripping the edge of the bed, as I prepared to divulge the secret I had been carrying for weeks. "I think they know something. I think they've been hiding information about my past, about where I came from before I ended up at the orphanage."

The room was silent for a moment, the air thick with tension and the weight of my words. Mamori's gaze never left mine, and I could see the gears turning in her head as she processed what I had just told her.

"I need to find out the truth," I whispered, my voice hushed. "I need to know the truth."

Mamori was still worried, her eyes painting a saddened look. "Prim."

"I've lost a lot already. I can't afford to lose a part of me again now that I'm so close to uncovering it," I said.

"But what if you were just being conclusive? What if your conclusions weren't right?"

"Then at least I tried to figure things out. I know deep within myself that Miss Alice and Augustus hid something from me. I'm almost an arm's reach. I just have to figure out the connection between Miss Alice and the things that troubled me."

Mamori sighed. "Whatever happens, please don't forget about yourself. Don't let your pursuit become your only goal. I don't want to see you get hurt, nor would I see you get punished."

"Don't worry, Mori. I will be fine," I replied, tucking the photographs inside the box and closing it before finally sliding it beneath my bed.

I wanted to ask her about her oblivious attitude towards Augustus and Leo, but I think there's a proper time for that. I don't want to tip her off, nor do I want to cause any more drama. Instead, I ride along with her act. But I do know—I deeply know—that she's hiding something. I just have to know that soon.