The Ring of Solitude

Prologue - 005：Last Hope in the Dark

"Who's there? Damn bastard. You punks wanna get expelled or what?!" A loud and angry voice boomed out of nowhere, shattering the tranquility after the storm.

It was Principal Sharma, who always tried to hide his Indian accent but would give himself away on certain words.

Emma and Aiden reacted much faster than you, hastily throwing on clothes without underwear before dashing off in sync. Though stumbling a bit, the more dressed of the two waited for the other, as if they've done this before.

You realized the seriousness of the situation, pulled up your pants and ran the other way. Incredibly, you could hear them giggling as they left. You now understood this was a thrill for them, even part of their youth. The aftermath and escape weren't shameful, but exhilarating.

You had no time to ponder the details, sprinting with all your might. As athletes, Emma and Aiden would surely catch you if they gave chase, which would be far more humiliating than getting caught by the principal. Facing Emma would be worse than death.

"Can't get caught, can't get caught, can't get caught," Jacob repeated in his mind.

Passing the big pit, you considered the principal would persist in chasing them and might catch up given your limited stamina.

You decided to risk jumping into the pit to hide temporarily.

Luckily, the pit was only about five feet deep, so other than dirty clothes, you weren't hurt from the jump.

"This pit is too shallow. I gotta squat down and curl up," Jacob thought anxiously, feeling awful. "Why's the principal so obsessed with this tiny pit, standing guard wholeday? That asshole and his overreactions!"

The surrounding mud was unexpectedly damp, permeated with a strange odor. But you paid no heed, pressing your body tightly against the side to minimize exposure. The cold mud chilled the exposed parts of your skin. You'd never imagined mud could be so frigid. On this regrettable night, your mind was like a rollercoaster, emotions swinging wildly and stimulating nerves used to calm. You stayed curled up motionless, gradually abandoning thought, like a lifeless body.

Under the moonlight, the corner glinted with a metallic reflection. The dim gleam was like distant waves at sea, seemingly an illusion in this predicament. You stared blankly at the glimmer, your mind oddly flashing to an image - a couple huddled sweetly together with a toddler nestled between them. Despite the little one's wailing cries, they persisted in their gentle coaxing.

Complex emotions and missing memories kept welling up, until tears could no longer be held back, raining down pitilessly into the bizarre pit. You rubbed your eyes hard, trying to stop the tears.But the cozy scene had pierced your soul's last defense, unleashing uncontainable grief and fear from deep within. In this darkness, you felt unprecedented fragility and loneliness.

Just as you thought your mind was collapsing, rapidly flashing precious memories like a dying person, you desperately reached out, straining towards the faint light. Your fingertips gently touched it, feeling a brief, mild electric shock that didn't make you more miserable. You clasped it tightly, terrified it would vanish.

"A ring?" Jacob wiped away his tears, and the cascade of images in his mind came to an abrupt halt.

The ring exerted an ineffable allure in the dark. You used your t-shirt to wipe it clean, trying to examine it in the moonlight. It was too dark to make out details, only a rough outline. No gemstones decorated the simple, unadorned ring, and no markings could be felt either. Its plain design evoked a sense of timeworn history. You couldn't judge the material - smooth and lightweight with a special feel. And despite being buried so long,it bore no hint of coldness.

Nearby footsteps gradually approached, two sets light and swift, dislodging small clumps of earth from the pit walls as they passed. Then came a heavy tread, accompanied by loud panting. Principal Sharma's stamina was nearly burnt out, like a wax candle about to expire. Emma and Aiden were making quite a racket, even bursting into mocking laughter. The principal cursed them with expletives you'd never heard as he ran.

Their passing terrified you into a ball, the ring stuffed in your pocket, thoughts of it banished. Shielded by darkness, you pressed against the side facing their direction of travel. As hoped, they didn't stop or notice you.

No way the principal can catch those athletes. Hope he doesn't double back," Jacob forced himself to strategize the best moment to leave. "Gotta time it right and avoid all three."

Aside from yourself, you harbored concerns for Emma-whether she might be caught. Occasionally, the rogue thought crossed your mind that perhaps it would be for the best if she were expelled.