Sovereign Academy

Chapter 7: Entrance Exam

Stella's POV

Dangerous.

I find that ironic. For Julian to warn me about something which he didn't know was part of my mission.

"You don't have to order me about that," sabi ko at biglang tumunog 'yong badge na nakasuot sa braso ko. It's a sign that the entrance exam will start. "I have to go."

"Goodluck, Stella. I'm hoping for you to pass," aniya pero hindi ko siya pinansin at nagtuloy-tuloy lang ako sa paglalakad, we don't have to talk anymore.

"Are you okay?" tanong sa akin ni Thalia habang naglalakad kami papunta sa main hall kung saan magaganap ang entrance exam. "Did he say something bad to you?"

"No, he didn't. He would never do that to me. I just don't know how to react, meeting someone you haven't talked to for a really long time, it's hard," sabi ko. Ewan ko ba kung bakit sa kaniya ako nagsasabi ng mga ganoon. Siguro ay dahil magaan ang loob ko kay Thalia.

"I envy you," aniya kaya napalingon ako sa kaniya, pero nakayuko lang siya.

"Do you like hi–" I was cut off.

"Good day, everyone! Nagustuhan niyo ba ang paggala sa Sovereign Academy?" Christina said on the podium from the platform in front of all of us. "Students of Sovereign Academy, you may leave now as the entrance exam would start."

Napalingon ako kay Thalia at nginitian niya ako. "Goodluck, Stella. See you on your first day here." Nginitian niya ako at naglakad siya paalis. She sounded so sure that I would pass the entrance exam.

Wala nga akong kaide-ideya kung anong klaseng exam ang gagawin namin. Wala man lang paabiso sa amin, dahil daw sa mismong araw ng entrance exam na namin malalaman.

"For this year's entrance exam, it would be much harder than the previous exams in the previous years. This was decided by the Council." Napalunok ako nang marinig ko 'yon. "You will all be interviewed by the President of Sovereign Academy."

I bit my lip and closed my eyes out of frustration. Out of everyone in here, it's him? What are the odds, huh? Hindi ko inaasahan na makikita ko ulit siya at dito pa sa entrance exam. Sigurado akong wala na talagang pag-asa na makapasa ako dahil sa nangyari kanina.

"Each one of you will go to the room behind the main hall, one by one. You will be called and that's your sign to go to that room and meet the President. That's all you have to do, but the trick here is..." Christina chuckled. "... You need to meet his standards in order for you to pass. That's all, goodluck with all of you!"

Lahat kami ay natahimik kahit pa nang makababa si Christina galing sa platform. All of us were nervous, some were complaining why it has to be an interview instead of a literal exam. Paano pa kaya kapag nalaman nilang napakaarogante ng taong nasa likod ng main hall? They would be so nervous that they'd cry in front of him.

Naiisip ko pa lang ay naaawa na ako sa sarili ko, what if he would really fail me because of what happened earlier? There's no way, right? He's professional enough for him to disregard that, right?

I kept on biting my lip while waiting for my name to be called. Suddenly, the freaky feeling of being inside that room, one on one with that guy, started to go down on me. I'm starting to feel like this is really a bad idea.

Maiintindihan naman siguro ni Mama kung hindi ako makapasa, 'di ba? She's not really expecting me to nail the exam, right? Damn it.

"Stella Beatrice Alvarez," my name was announced from the stage. Napalingon ang lahat sa akin nang tumayo ako at gamit ang buong lakas ko, naglakad ako papunta roon sa likod ng main hall.

I don't care if I wouldn't pass the exam. Sasabihin ko na lang kay Mama na ginawa ko naman ang lahat ng makakaya ko, this is just really not for me.

"This way," sabi ng isang babaeng nakasuot ng uniform ng Sovereign Academy. She assisted me to a double door behind the hall. "The President is inside."

Naglakad siya paalis at naiwan akong nakatayo mag-isa roon sa labas. I tried to muster the courage to open up the door but I couldn't. Damn it.

Nagtatapang-tapangan lang ako kanina kay Julian, pero ngayon tuluyang lumabas 'yong takot ko. I can't do this.

"Is someone outside? Come in, you're wasting my time," he said from inside. Fuck, gusto ko na lang umatras.

Even though I was so nervous, binuksan ko 'yong pinto at bumungad sa akin ang malawak na kuwarto. Then there was a wooden table placed near the huge double door window. There were a lot of shelves full of books and a fireplace on the far left of the room. It's cozy in here, more of a study room than an office room. The comforting vibe in the room somehow gave me the chance to breathe.

My gaze dropped to the guy sitting in the swivel chair on the table, his legs were crossed, elbows on the table, while his chin was on the palm of his hand. He just looked at me straight in the eye, as if he doesn't care about my presence. While, I, on the other hand, keeps on trembling. His presence is intimidating that I feel suffocated again.

"Sit," aniya kaya naman naglakad ako papunta sa swivel chair na nakalagay sa harap ng wooden table kung saan siya nakapuwesto. "I thought you already ran away because of what happened earlier."

I closed my eyes, I knew he would bring that up. "About that, I'm sorry. I didn't know what was happening and that was my fault."

He shrugged and sat straight while looking at my documents. I can tell, because I could see my picture there. "So, you're Stella Beatrice Alvarez."

Him saying my name sounded weird, not weird in a freaky way. Maybe it was weird for me because it sounded so good coming from his mouth.

"So, tell me, Stella. Why Sovereign Academy?" tanong niya. I didn't expect him to ask me that question straight on. I thought there would be an awkward silence or just mocking coming from him, but I guess he's really serious about this now.

I cleared my throat. "I chose this School because some of my friends are–" he cut me off.

"Don't give me the crap of saying because your friends like this School and you also had an interest here," aniya na para bang binabasa niya 'yong nasa isip ko. "Don't also patronize me by saying that this school is what everyone dreams of having as their school. I'm not stupid."

Napalunok ako. Damn it. "Well, what do you want me to say then?" I didn't mean to sound rude about it, it just came out of my mouth. Hindi ko na nga alam kung saan pa patungo ang usapan na 'to.

He leaned back while his pen was still in his hand, he rotated it using his fingers and he chuckled. "I want you to be transparent with me, Stella. Why are you here? I saw you with Julian earlier. You didn't come here to just have fun and be a normal teenager."

Why does he keep on saying things as if he knows what I'm thinking?

"If you're not going to be honest with me, the door is open for you to get out of here and–" I cut him off.

"I came here because of Julian," I said. Natahimik din siya at hindi nakapagsalita dahil doon. Well, I can't tell him the full truth and the only part that I could him was about Julian. "I came here to graduate with him."

Akala ko ay 'yon na ang ikababagsak ko pero tumawa lang siya. The kind of laugh as if he was amused about what I said. "You're still not being honest with me, Stella."

"I am!"

Umiling siya habang nakangiti, pero mayamaya pa ay bigla siyang sumeryoso. "No, you're not. And that's what I'm going to find out."

"W-What?"

He handed me an envelope which has the crest of Sovereign Academy. "You piqued my interest, Stella. And the reason why you're here is not about Julian. Maybe he's a part of it but this is not all about him."

"What was that supposed to mean?" nagtatakang tanong ko.

"Welcome to Sovereign Academy. You're accepted."

************

N O T E:

Sorry for not updating from Saturday until yesterday. I was not feeling well and weekends are my rest day so, I will not update tuwing day off ko.

Enjoy reading, Enchanters!