St. Văduva's School for Prestigious Girls

𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝕾𝖊𝖛𝖊𝖓𝖙𝖊𝖊𝖓

She forced herself to sleep, insisting that a tired mind was not a coherent one, only getting approximately an hour of rest. But before her head hit the pillow, she broke out her notebook and began scribbling out who she had talked to this entire week. Ji-Yeong, Kanani, JJ, Zhanna, Ryan, Dmitri, Ottilie, Coach Mahon, and Mircea. There were some people in between — teachers and random students in passing — but none that stood out enough. But no matter how hard she tried, there was just no reason why any of them would frame her. Kanani certainly had enough strength to snap a spine, and she had tried to choke Temperance out, but she loved Ji-Yeong. That much was evident. Over the top, yes, but obvious nonetheless. JJ and Zhanna were nice, but she knew nothing about them. Coach Mahon seemed to only want the best for her. Ottilie was stressed, but she did not seem cruel. And Mircea... well, she was not even sure who he was. But he seemed nice.

She would have to get to know the rest of these people to figure out who the killer was. That is, if they bought her cover story in the first place.

6:00 AM, on the dot, the intercom kicked on with static and feedback whine, and dread built in Temperance's stomach as her eyes unbolted.

"All students and staff to the gymnasium. All students and staff immediately."

It had not been a dream.

She groaned as she sat up, rolling over in her bed and standing. She did not attempt to change clothes, stepping into slippers and ensuring that there was no blood anywhere on her person. Once she was satisfied, she trained her face to neutrality, and left her room, merging into the crowd and blending in as just another sleepy university student.

☽☼☾

On the other side of the school, the gymnasium stood, a large dome-like shape that was comprised solely of windows. Several metal fold-up chairs had been queued up, facing the front of the room where a podium stood.

Temperance stood behind the other students, peering over their heads to get an idea of what was going on. When she got to the front door, she was stopped. Ottilie stood before her, a smile on her face. Her lipstick was perfect, and dark hair fell in curly rivets down her shoulders. A far cry from the anxious mess she glimpsed in the early dawn hours.

"Hello, dear. Can I talk to you for a moment?"

Temperance furrowed her brow as if confused. "Uh, sure? What about?"

"Oh," Ottilie tittered. "Don't you worry about that. It'll be over in a jiff. Come along."

Temperance nodded, diverting from the group and following the dean. Ottilie lead her, heels clicking and back straight as she traversed through the school. Temperance worked hard at keeping herself level-headed. She willed her breath to even, subsequently chilling her pulse. But it was hard to maintain her nervousness and act like a normal person at the same time.

Ottilie's office was up on the third level, the place full of white lace and elegance. A China cabinet stood caddy-corner with white bone China plates and tea cups adorning the shelves. Pale roses decorated the glossy dishware, reminding her of the jewelry boxes her grandmother used to have on her mantle. But she could not focus on the China for long. A dark figure stood beside the desk, watching her with keen eyes. Mircea. His blue orbs were piercing her, scanning over her with such a scrutinizing and analytical glare that she nearly forgot her cover story.

"Have a seat, Miss MacKenzie," Mircea instructed.

Temperance hesitantly nodded, sitting down in the white leather chair across the desk. Ottilie settled down, folding her neatly manicured fingers together and placing them on the desk as she rolled her chair into the desk.

"Okay, Temperance," Ottilie started. "Where were you last night between 6:00 PM and 3:00 AM?"

Temperance's brow wrinkled. "I was in my dorm?"

"Did you not promise JJ and Zhanna Andrews that you would join them for movie night?"

"Yeah, I did. JJ asked if I would join her and I said I would." She reminded herself not to expand on answers too much — not to seem too eager or rehearsed.

"Where were you, then?"

"I was in my dorm. I had a really bad migraine so I laid down with some headphones and must have fallen asleep after I put my clothes in the wash."

Ottilie's grin grew as though she had caught something interesting. "So you were in the washroom. What time did get there and what time did you supposedly go lay down?"

"Uh," Temperance willed her breathing and continued. "I got there about 3 PM, and went to lay down about 3:15 PM, or so?"

Ottilie nodded thoughtfully. "What was the altercation between you, Miss Sung, and Miss Matthews about?"

"Oh, I accidentally bumped into Ji-Yeong and Kanani got mad."

"You punched Kanani, correct? It must have made you really mad that she tried to use physical means to protect her friend."

"Well, of course, it threw me off, but I wasn't mad, no. To be honest, I'd probably do the same for my sister if I perceived someone as a threat."

Ottilie clicked her pen on the desk as though her patience had been drawn thin. "So, you mean to say that you're a violent person?"

She shook her head, watching as Mircea shifted slightly in her peripheral. "Not at all. I tried to keep the peace, but Kanani wasn't having it."

Mircea snorted and Ottilie turned in her chair to glare at him. She lost her grin then, leaning back into her chair. She crossed one leg over the other, tapping her foot on the tile below. "So you didn't hear a peep last night? No screams, no clatter, no one violently knocking at your locked door?"

That last part unnerved her. The door had been unlocked when she returned in the early morning hours to her room, but when they did dorm checks, it was locked? She made a mental note of that detail and continued the façade. "S-Screams? What are you talking about? What's going on?"

Ottilie opened her mouth to speak, but Mircea cut in. "Nothing you need to concern yourself with, Madam."

Temperance shifted her gaze to his icy blues and was instantly frozen in place. His gaze was soft, thick brows hanging over brilliant eyes framed by long, black lashes. Those eyes held her captive in such a bizarre way that she found herself unable to look away. It was like he was peering directly into her soul. Her brain grew heavy and fuzzy at the sight, as though a sweetness was dripping over her skull and numbing away any at all thoughts—

And then it hit a blockade.

The pleasant numbing sensation that warmed the backs of her eyeballs and tingled her skin would not go beyond a certain point, even though the majority of her skull felt like a warm campfire. And then those warm tendrils curled away, Mircea blinking and breaking contact, the sensation trickling down the rest of her head and neck. She sighed blissfully at the tingling warth, even as it ebbed away with Mircea's attention.

Ottilie grouped some papers on her desk into her hands, tapping them on the surface to even them all out. "Alright, Temperance, thank you for taking the time to bring up your concern with your grades. I'm glad to see that you're so diligent with your learning. I'll look into your complaints and get back to you at a later date. Nice talking with you again."

Temperance blinked, confused as she snapped from her tranquility. What was she talking about? Grades? She was just talking about Ji-Yeong's death a moment before. Nonetheless, she shook her head, peering down at her lap and playing along. "Uh, yeah. Sounds good, I guess?" Her mind raced. Had she hallucinated the whole Ji-Yeong situation and she had brought up grades with Ottilie? That could not be true... right?

She stood from the chair, bidding both of them goodbye. Upon exiting the office, there were some familiar faces. JJ and Zhanna sat together, both appearing as confused as Temperance felt, and Kanani, who locked on Temperance with red-rimmed eyes that were filled with malice, mourning, and grief.