Echoes Of The Unseen

EOTU -TRECE

That day, the atmosphere in Class Imperium was as usual -students were busy chatting or finishing their assignments. Reverie sat at her desk with Danielle, discussing their weekend plans. She was trying to enjoy her usual calm day. However, when the classroom door opened, everything changed.

"Excuse me, sir. I'm the new student," an unfamiliar male voice grabbed everyone’s attention. Reverie, who was writing something in her notebook, immediately looked up upon hearing the voice. For a moment, she froze. Her face turned pale when her eyes landed on the boy standing at the front of the classroom -Kazu Leontius.

Kazu stood there with a messy appearance. His shirt was untucked, unlike the other students, and a few top buttons were intentionally left undone. His tie hung loosely around his neck, as if he couldn’t care less. However, the most striking feature was the long scar across his left eye, and that eye was a dull, cloudy gray -blind. His right eye was a deep brown, giving off the impression that he had been through something serious.

"No way..." Reverie whispered to herself. Her whole body tensed up in her seat. Danielle glanced at her, noticing how uneasy Reverie suddenly looked.

"Erie, are you okay?" Danielle asked softly, touching her friend’s shoulder.

Reverie didn’t respond. A deep sense of discomfort had taken over her. The noise around her faded, and the only thing she could focus on was Kazu -the boy from her past. The boy she had tried so hard to forget.

The teacher introduced Kazu to the class. "This is Kazu Leontius. He’s just transferred here. I hope you’ll all help him settle in."

Kazu glanced around the room with a calm smile, not showing any sign that he recognized anyone -including Reverie. He seemed normal, just like any other new student. But to Reverie, his presence brought back unsettling memories she thought she had buried.

"Why is he here?" Reverie whispered under her breath, panic slowly creeping in. She had transferred to the international school in Korea to escape Kazu’s shadow. She thought she had successfully gotten away from him, but she was wrong.

Kazu took a seat at the back of the class, seemingly unbothered by anything. Yet, every time he moved, Reverie felt as if his eyes were still on her. Even though his gray eye appeared cold and vacant, to Reverie, it was a constant reminder of the past that haunted her.

Danielle, noticing the change in Reverie’s demeanor, tried to comfort her friend. "Erie, what’s going on? You look like you’ve seen a ghost."

Reverie shook her head, trying to steady her breathing. "I... I didn’t expect him to be here. I thought all of that was over back in Japan."

Danielle was confused, but before she could ask further, the teacher called for everyone’s attention to start the lesson. Even though Kazu seemed indifferent, his presence was enough to keep Reverie on edge throughout the class. She couldn’t concentrate. Every time Kazu moved or shifted his gaze, her heart raced.

Her mind wandered back to the days in Japan. Kazu Leontius wasn’t just a regular classmate. He had been obsessed with her. No matter where she went, Kazu was always there -lurking, watching. His presence became suffocating, and eventually, it was the reason she decided to leave Japan and transfer to Korea, leaving everything behind in hopes of never seeing him again.

But now, he was here -closer than she ever imagined.

As the class ended, Reverie hurriedly packed her things. She wanted to leave the classroom as quickly as possible before Kazu had a chance to approach her. However, as she stood up and made her way to the door, she felt someone’s gaze on her back.

"Bellarose."

That voice stopped her in her tracks. A voice she remembered all too well. With her heart pounding in her chest, Reverie slowly turned around. Kazu stood there, a faint smile on his lips.

"Long time no see," he said, his voice calm but with an undertone that made Reverie feel even more uneasy.

Reverie tried to smile, though her heart was screaming. "Yeah, long time no see."

But deep down, there was only one question echoing in her mind: What does Kazu want this time?

-25JUNE2004