A Tale of Shadows - THE OUTDATED VERSION

Chapter 22 - Responsibility

Griselda woke up again at exactly ten in the morning, not because she was made to, but because of her instincts. For a moment, she could not remember why she was at an entirely different place, but then she recalled what happened the day before, after which everything made sense. Although her heart didn't particularly agree with the decision she'd made, she knew that there was no other way for her problems to be solved. If she really wanted to help when it came to stopping her mother's tyranny, she had to do something, do something that truly mattered.

The second she opened the door, she saw Maria waiting for her right in the middle of the doorway. Just like hers, Maria's facial expression was stern, which, although impossible to prevent, did not help her at all. Neither of them knew what waited ahead, but they both knew that it was going to be painful, and it was all beginning right there and then. Placing her petite hand neatly into Maria's wrinkled one, she let herself be walked through the hallway.

She was at first chilled by how empty it was, but after she remembered that it must have been solely due to everyone else already having commenced their tasks, she let out a sigh of relief. Not allowing herself to think of anything, she instead stared at the perfectly lined tall white doors, once again impressed by their order. For a while, it seemed like the walk would never end thanks to the hallway being absurdly long, so she was a bit startled upon reaching the room she was supposed to be in.

Awkwardly walking around right after Maria released her from her grasp and left while whispering the best of wishes, the door creaking behind her, she took the time to observe everything that was there. The room was hastily arranged to resemble somewhat of a classroom, and it was visible even through a brief look.

A pitiful excuse for a chalkboard hung loosely in the centre of the room, scratched endlessly from age, and because of that, she could only wonder how anyone was able to write anything on it. Pictures of various flowers were strewn about randomly, presumably to cover up the scratches in the, surprisingly enough, brown walls of that particular room. The few desks that were there were not the greatest, and the less great chairs were arranged without care. Still, it was good, and in these times, it surpassed her expectations.

Her bright blue eyes widened at the sight of it all, but mostly at being judged by countless other adolescents that were there, those who'd noticed her entering in the first place, of course. The majority of them showed fear and also a hint of curiosity. The small minority that had enough courage or pettiness in them glared at her, their eyes cold as ice, not at all daring to flinch because to do so would show weakness, and it was them who were attempting to instil weakness there.

Out of the presumed twentysomething children, they were three, two girls and a boy. She'd concluded that none of them shared the same social standing, judging from the rags of the former girl, the fancy pink dress of the latter, and the regular shirt and pants of the boy. Upon coming to that conclusion, she halted thinking of such things, knowing very well that dwelling on such observations and judging those she didn't know based on them was precisely what her mother would want her to do.

She attempted to act natural, so she sat in the area where no one else was around, which was made easier for her when a group of girls quickly moved out of her way. Bereft of emotion, she slowly sat on the chair, the teacher showing up right at that moment. It was Olivia, whose cropped blonde hair and obsidian ring would forever remain etched into her mind. She smiled while facing her, having no idea just how greatly it warmed the young lady's heart. Vast enthusiasm was reflected in her greeting, lost in the chorus, but still important to Griselda nonetheless. She sat back down with eagerness, curious to see what was going to be taught in that class.

"Good morning, students," Olivia said while clasping her hands. "As you all know, there is a new spell related to nature we are supposed to start learning today. Also, as you may have noticed, there is a new student in our class due to unforeseen circumstances. Say hello to Griselda, everyone."