Chapter 17: Silence
When I awoke, my companions had yet to return, and concern flooded my thoughts, fearing that perhaps they had encountered some unfortunate circumstances. I refrained from heading to the Student Council Office and decided to check our classroom instead, on the off chance that they might be there. However, upon arriving, I was dismayed to find them absent. Consequently, all that remained was for me to assume my seat and resign myself to waiting. Lamentably, my friends were nowhere to be found, even though the commencement of class was imminent. I patiently sat through the arrival of Ms. Ciara, attentively listening to her lesson.
With no indication of my friends' presence even as the class drew to a close, I made my way to the Student Council Office as my initial destination. As I entered, I spotted them engrossed in conversation, including Dimitri.
"Hi, Zaylee!" Eliezer exclaimed upon laying eyes on me, prompting a courteous smile in response.
I ensconced myself in the seat adjacent to Shaun, quietly absorbing the dialogue that transpired.
"Is something wrong?" Shaun inquired, undoubtedly perceiving my uncharacteristic reticence.
"My anxiety stems from the fact that my friends failed to return to our dorm; hence, I find myself tormented by worrisome thoughts," I fretfully confessed.
"Are you certain?" Shaun questioned.
"Yes, I have not yet seen them since last night. Upon waking up, I had already checked their room but they were not there. I also searched the classroom, but they were nowhere to be found." It is unusual for them to miss class, so I am genuinely concerned for their well-being. I did not realize they had overheard the conversation between Shaun and me.
"You mean to say they were absent last night," Blaise responded and I nodded in agreement.
"Do not fret, they are safe," Dimitri assured me, surprising me. Does he possess knowledge of my friends' whereabouts?
"Do you know where they are?" I inquired, waiting for his response, but he did not answer my question.
"Do not worry, Zaylee. If they do not return later, we will assist you in locating them, all right!" Eliezer reassured me, and I accepted his offer. I am aware of his concern, as Ruhan is his friend as well.
Shmuel stood up, causing all of us to turn our attention to him.
"Let us proceed to the cafeteria," he suggested, and we rose to our feet due to our hunger. It is already lunchtime; thus our appetite is understandably substantial!
We have already arrived at the cafeteria and, as usual, someone has already delivered food to us. While we were eating, Celeste suddenly addressed us.
"There is no need for us to search for your friends any longer," she stated.
"Excuse me, why is that?" I inquired. Is she angry with me, thereby refusing to help?
"Because they are already present here," she pointed towards the usual spot of my friends in the cafeteria, prompting me to look in that direction. I found my eyes squinting when I observed that they had wounds. What could have happened to them?
"But why do they have wounds?" Eliezer anxiously questioned.
"Midnight caused them," Dimitri asserted as if possessing knowledge of what had transpired with my friends.
"How did you become aware of this?" I interrogated him.
"I simply know," his response vexed me, resulting in my glowering at him.
"Who is Midnight?" Shmuel inquired.
"He is an assassin," he revealed, causing our eyes to widen due to the gravity of the revelation. Damn!
"But why would he do that to my friends?" I stammered in my questioning.
"He does it to protect our queen!" he proclaimed meaningfully. With that, I left them behind and drew closer to my injured friends.
"Hey, guys!" I couldn't wait to catch up with them and eagerly greeted them. However, something felt off when they completely disregarded me.
Intrigued, I couldn't help but ask them, "Where did you go last night?" unfortunately, their lack of response continued, leaving me increasingly perplexed.
Feeling the situation becoming more uncomfortable, I mustered the courage to insist, "Guys, please pay attention to me!"
Lennox exclaimed, "Could you please leave?" they appeared to be displeased with my presence. I nearly burst into tears upon being yelled at!
"Zaylee, could you please leave? We don't require your presence here!" Ruhan shouted out when I didn't leave, causing me to finally break down. Why are they treating me like this?
Overwhelmed, I fled from the cafeteria, uncertain of where my feet would carry me. I just kept running, completely disoriented. It was only then that I realized I had ended up in the restricted area. I entered a room and came across a painting. I'm confused about what's transpired, but I can't fathom why they would treat me this way. I still strive to comprehend their actions, as they are my friends! I'm baffled by their behavior and why they are subjecting me to this hardship.
I let out a shriek of pain as an intense headache suddenly struck me. The sensation was excruciating, almost as if my head was on the verge of exploding from the extreme pain.
"I love you," I overheard amidst the sight of two figures embracing each other. Unfortunately, their backs were turned towards me, obscuring their identities.
"I love you too," the girl replied.
The boy urged, "Please take good care of yourself."
"I promise," she murmured before planting a kiss on the boy's lips.
The scene abruptly shifted, intensifying my headache even further.
"Farewell, Princess," the man uttered ominously while aiming a gun at the girl. He then pulled the trigger.
A bullet pierced through the girl's chest, dangerously close to her heart. Her heartbeat grew faint as the police arrived at the scene. Overwhelmed with sorrow, my tears flowed uncontrollably. The pain in my head only seemed to intensify. I could hear someone entering the room, but I struggled to see clearly. The person's voice was the only thing perceptible to me.
"Zaylee," that is the final word I heard before losing consciousness.
We observed Zaylee proceeding towards her friends. However, due to our inability to audibly perceive their conversation, my companions resolved to trail Zaylee.
"Where did you go last night?" Zaylee asked her friends, however, her queries were met with disregard.
"Guys, please pay attention to me!" she stated and one of the individuals appeared irritated, leading him to respond rudely to her.
"Could you please leave?" Lennox uttered his remark with annoyance.
"Zaylee, could you please leave? We don't require your presence here!" the other man known as Ruhan raised his voice in a loud manner. Despite merely observing their conversation, I felt an urge to physically confront them. I noticed that Zaylee, in a state of distress, began shedding tears and hastily departed from the cafeteria. Overwhelmed by the situation, I reached a breaking point and resorted to physical violence by delivering a forceful blow to one of the individuals involved.
"I am appalled at your actions towards her. Are you aware that she is deeply concerned for all of you, yet you all treat her disrespectfully by shouting and disregarding her?" I exclaimed in a stern tone. They immediately showed remorse when they finally comprehended the gravity of their actions.
I departed from them and embarked on a search for Zaylee. I returned to the office with the assumption that she would be there, but unfortunately, she was not. I proceeded to her classroom, yet she was nowhere to be found. Another location came to mind, which caused me distress as I hoped she was not there. Nevertheless, I urgently made my way towards the restricted area.
I cannot help but worry about the possibility that she might witness something other than the intended painting, considering that she has already seen it before.
Upon reaching the restricted area, my intuition proved to be correct as I discovered her presence. Although I was still some distance away from the restricted room, her cries were audible to me. Startled by a loud crash, I immediately sprinted towards the sound. Since I was close to the door, I promptly opened it. To my dismay, I found her sprawled on the floor, clutching her head and displaying signs of distress. Additionally, there was a broken vase adjacent to her.
"Shit, Zaylee." uttering an exclamation of distress, I cursed under my breath upon witnessing Zaylee's escalating struggle. Reacting swiftly, I instinctively lifted her limp body as soon as she succumbed to unconsciousness.
Given the considerable distance between our current location and the clinic, I proceeded to transport her expeditiously while running. A vague sensation of being observed permeated the air, but I deliberately disregarded it, prioritizing Zaylee's prompt medical attention above all else.
Upon our arrival at the clinic, I wasted no time in placing Zaylee on the clinic bed, prompting Nurse Mecca to promptly assess her condition.
I awoke this morning with a distressing headache and discovered that I was situated within a medical facility. The identity of the person responsible for transporting me to this location remains a mystery. It appears that I am now a patient here at the clinic.
As I surveyed the area, I noticed an individual reclining on a nearby couch. To my astonishment, I soon recognized this person's face.
It was none other than Dimitri...
Perplexed by his presence, I speculated whether he had indeed been the one to bring me here. Dimitri has always been helpful to me in the past, and I surmised that he may have sensed someone's gaze upon him. Our eyes locked as he regained consciousness.
"Are you feeling well?" he inquired. I simply nodded in response and returned to the clinic bed. Currently, I do not wish to engage in conversation.
"Can I assist you with anything?" he inquired once more. I shook my head in response, indicating that I did not require any assistance. It appeared that he had discerned my reticence, as he ceased to pose further inquiries. In silence, both of us abstained from speaking. Suddenly, I experienced a headache and proceeded to massage my temples in an attempt to alleviate the discomfort. Dimitri appeared to notice my actions.
"Pardon me, but are you experiencing a headache?" he inquired, to which I nodded. With a determined expression, he rose from his seat and embarked on acquiring something. I was astonished when he returned, delicately holding medicine and food. He presented them to me, and I commenced consuming the sustenance. Afterward, I ingested the medicine. Its efficacy became apparent as it lessened my headache. I desire to return to the dormitory and rest there. When I rose from the bed, Dimitri promptly approached me.
"Where are you headed?" he inquired as he approached me.
I responded, "I am returning to the residence hall."
Once more, he queried, "Are you certain?"
"Yes!" I stated firmly, stepping outside with him tailing me.
When we arrived at the dormitory, he bid farewell. I proceeded inside and was greeted by the laughter of my friends; however, upon noticing my presence, their merriment abruptly ceased. I let out a sigh and proceeded to enter the room. Once inside, tears welled up in my eyes. I detest this disregard. Why do they fail to acknowledge me? Have I committed some wrongdoing?
Having awoken early, I proceeded to the bathroom to carry out my customary morning routine. Subsequently, I departed from the dormitory and made my way towards the Student Council Office. When I arrived at the office, I observed them partaking in a meal. I took a seat beside Eliezer, and their astonishment at my presence was evident.
"Good morning, Zaylee," they greeted. I simply smiled in response as they proceeded to ask me questions. However, I find myself unable to answer due to my preoccupied state of mind.
Eliezer inquired, "Why are you so quiet?" I merely stared at him, deliberately choosing not to respond as I had no intention of answering his query. Sensing someone's gaze upon me, I turned to discover Dimitri observing me. There was a certain flicker in his eyes, although I am uncertain of its meaning. After all, he is quite adept at concealing his emotions. Despite their persistent attempts at conversation, I simply have no desire to engage in dialogue. All I long for is the tranquility of silence. Regrettably, I find this wish unattainable as they maintain their noisy demeanor. It appears that only Dimitri and I are the exceptions to this clamor.