Dysnomia Academy [ONC 2021]

Chapter Thirteen

A few months had passed since that day. Zach, Fritz, and I were a lot closer. Fritz was constantly worrying about my health, but I was fine. I finally felt the weight of Nora's death lift from my shoulders. 

While the three of us acted like brothers from separate mothers, the underground world was falling into a state of panic. A serial killer in the villain community had been slaughtering students at Dysnomia Academy. The school tripled the security, but murders continued happening. A school assembly was called by the head principal, the Charmer, to discuss the recent events.

Before the assembly, I called for a club meeting in my room. Zach and Fritz arrived together just like I'd told them to. I started the meeting once they found a place to sit.

"I'm just gonna get straight to the point. I think we should consider recruiting more members."

Fritz fidgeted in his seat and grabbed at the bottom of his shirt. 

"How are we supposed to trust the new recruits? What if one of them is the killer?"

"I can't be sure that they aren't the killer, but we don't have to allow everyone into our club. Just a few reliable people will do. Plus, there's safety in numbers. Do you guys have anyone in mind?"

Zach's eyes lit up.

"There's that one girl with blue hair in our class...I can't remember her name."

"Harlow?"

"Yeah! That one."

She could be pretty useful. I nodded my head.

"Alright. Is there anyone else?"

"Ummm...how about Luna Underwood?"

Fritz blushed while saying her name. Luna was a quiet bookworm that sat near us in our class. She wore a pair of round glasses and had long, silver hair. In physical training, I often watched my classmates and noted her use of ice magic. I wasn't sure of her limitations, but she seemed like a good person to recruit.

"Sure. We'll try to get Harlow and Luna to join our club after the assembly. I think we should head over to the teleportation door now or we'll be late."

The three of us walked down the hall and talked about the dreams we had last night. It didn't take long for us to reach the door. Most of our classmates were filing through while being on high alert. Even I felt uncomfortable mixing in with the group since there was always a chance someone could lash out.

Once we made it through, we found our seats in the hall. The usual chatter was kept to a minimum. It was hard to breathe with the tension in the room. All the students waited for the head principal to make his appearance.

After five long minutes, the Charmer shuffled up to the front stage. The bags under his eyes were awfully dark. He sighed before speaking to the silent audience.

"As you might know already, there's been a serial killer running rampant on campus. We called you here to warn all the students and staff. It's easier for the murderer to pick us off one by one if we don't stick together. That being said, we made a few rules to help prevent any more deaths. First, students must walk in a group of two or more. And second, curfew is sunset. That's all. I hope everyone continues to do well in their studies despite the recent events."

All the students were dismissed, but no one left their seats. Whispers between small groups spread throughout the hall. Some students began accusing others, which only fed into their increasing fear. Eventually, a fight broke out between some of the upperclassmen. The teachers rushed in to put an end to it before the entire hall could join in.

I scanned the heads around us and found the two girls seated next to each other in the same row. How am I supposed to approach them when everyone is worried about the serial killer? It was almost like Fritz could read my mind because he gave me an answer to my question.

"We should all go together. That way they'd feel safer coming along with us."

"Alright. Then, let's go."

The three of us waddled our way down the row, avoiding the knees of the seated students. A moment later, we stopped right in front of the girls. I cleared my throat.

"Hey Harlow and Luna...can you come with us to the dorm? I have something I want to ask you."

Harlow let out a sigh of relief before standing up.

"It's better than sitting in this hellhole."

Luna nodded and stood up too. We all moved awkwardly down the row while most eyes were on the fight. Once we made it through the teleportation door, the cool air of the dormitory filled my lungs, alleviating the leftover pressure from the hall. The five of us split between two couches in the lounge. Harlow was the first one to break the silence.

"So what did you want to talk about?"

I laced my fingers together and rested my hands on my lap.

"What do you two think about joining my club?"