Star-Crossed

Chapter 11

SELA'S POV:



"I watched your battle yesterday. You're really amazing. Congratulations!"

"Thank you."

I tilted my head to look at Sheki and chuckled, seeing how she's giving me a teasing look.

"What?" I asked, feigning innocence.

"I can't believe I have a celebrity-like friend now."

I smiled. We were currently walking towards our classroom but almost all of the students who we passed by kept on congratulating me.

"Well, it's not my fault that I'm so strong."

"Woah! One week in and you're this cocky already!"

"Well..."

"As if you didn't keep on crying to us about not having a power before."

"Sssshhh!" I shushed her, widening my eyes at her.

We both laughed and we didn't realize that we have finally reached our classroom.

When we stepped inside, my classmates all turned their heads towards our direction but my eyes instantly searched for the girl who is seated in front.

Abby and Rans were already inside the classroom but unlike my other classmates, they didn't even bother looking at us.

Tss! Acting as if we're strangers again.

"Hey, are you feeling well now?" Jem asked, worriedly eyeing me as I sat down on my seat.

They visited me at the clinic yesterday and they were amazed at how I don't have even a single bruise but still ended up being worried because I look really drained then.

My physical figure might look totally fine but I was feeling really weak. It's like I didn't have the strength to even stand up.

Sheki had to carry me on her back all the way to our room last night.

I smilingly nodded at her."It appears like I just needed a good sleep. I'm totally back to normal now."

"That's why challenge battlefields aren't really threatening because we have the best nurse ever." Sheki proudly exclaimed and we all scoffed at her.

"As if you didn't act like Sela is going to die when she was challenged by Brei the other day."

"For your information Belle, you also acted that way!"

"Yes but at least I don't go 'that's why challenge battlefields aren't really threatening because we have the best nurse ever' now."

I just looked at them as they started squabbling. Ecka also looked over at the two and just shook her head.

"By the way Sela..." Coleen suddenly said, diverting my attention away from the quarrelling duo."Today is Friday so we're going to bar later!"

"Bar?"

"Yes. Friday night is Bar night because we don't have classes tomorrow, you know."

"Okay. So you mean...we're actually allowed to go out and have fun every Friday night?"

Coleen scoffed."Of course not. We're not going out. We have a bar here in our university."

"Really?"

"You don't know?" she asked before slapping her own forehead in a slightly exaggerated manner."You really do have the worst roommate."

With that said, Sheki automatically snapped her head towards Coleen and raised an eyebrow."I heard that!"

"I can't believe you still haven't tour Sela around the recreational building."

"Oh..." Sheki paused, giving me a shy look."My fault. But don't worry, we're going there later."

I just slowly nodded my head and our conversation ended right at the exact time our professor entered the room.




---




"Hey Sela, what are you still lying there for? Get dressed now because the others are already waiting for us."

Right after our class ended, we went back to our room and Sheki quickly rummaged through her closet to get changed while I just tiredly plopped myself on my bed.

I'm too tired and I just want to sleep.

Maybe it's because I grew up not having friends that I ended up not liking being in a place crowded with people.

"Can I not go?" I said which made Sheki looked at me in shock.

"And why would you not want to go?"

"I don't know. I feel tired and sleepy. I want to sleep."

I thought Sheki would still insist on dragging me with her but she just nodded.

"Sleep first then. When you wake up and feel like you want to party, just message me, okay?"

I smiled."Got it. Thank you."

I closed my eyes and was about to drift off to dreamland but Sheki's sudden grumbling bothered me so I opened my eyes again and shot her a questioning look.

"What's wrong?"

Sheki glared at her phone for the last time before looking back at me."They're teasing me again."

"Why?"

"They said that I'm just taking too long to get dressed because I want to look good in front of Alice." she huffed.

"What? Alice?"

She nodded."Yes. Because almost every students hang out at the bar every Friday night including the student council members so yeah....I'll be seeing Alice there."

I frowned.

Including student council members?

So Abby will be there too?

Without saying anything, I got up from my bed and went through my closet, looking for anything to wear.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm coming with you."

"Woah. What's with the sudden change of decision? Don't tell me you like Alice?"

Her voice was slightly threatening so I chuckled. "No. I just got curious how our school's bar looks like that even the student council members visit."

"Oh. It's really fun!"





--



My mouth hang agape from the moment we stepped inside this so called recreational building.

It's a three floors building and the first floor is occupied by different restaurants, coffee and dessert shop while the second floor is clothes and accessories shop. They said the bar is located at the third floor.

This building seriously looks like a mall.

I can't believe this.

I have so many questions running on my mind right now and I was about to ask Belle who is the nearest to me but realized that I wouldn't probably get a decent answer from her so I moved towards Jem.

"I'm curious." I suddenly muttered as soon as I caught up with Jem which made her jump a little bit in surprise. I chuckled."I'm sorry for startling you."

"It's alright. What is it?"

"There are a lot of stores here but if we want to buy, how do we pay? I mean....you guys must have money with you but I don't. So what if I want to buy clothes... how do I pay?"

I started with a silly question, I know. But I'm really curious about this. In the cafeteria, foods there are free but here in this mall-like building, it's impossible that it's also--

"It's free."

"W-What?"

"Everything in this university is free, Sela."

"What an amazing university we have."

"It's because they prohibit going outside so of course, they need to provide us everything we need."

I nodded.

I see. That's actually reasonable.

If they don't want us to go outside, they should make us feel like we don't have any reason to go out.

"Okay. But how about the workers in this shop? I'm curious...." I trailed off."....do they have powers too?"

She smiled."All of the staff here used to be a student in this university too."

"Ah...so they also have powers."

"No. They don't anymore."

Creases started forming on my forehead as I turned to intently look at her."What?"

"Our powers are not forever. It will disappear in the right time and then we will go back to living like any other normal people."

"I--"

I was speechless. I suddenly don't know what to say. I can't imagine going back to my normal life anymore.

"You said the staff used to be students here, right? So...when our powers disappear, will we also stay here like them?"

"No. They will make us choose whether we still like to stay here or go outside and live a normal life. The ones who chose to stay here are usually the ones who don't have families outside anymore."

I bit my lip.

I'll probably choose to stay here as well because I don't even want to continue living my life outside.

"Do you know when will our powers disappear? I mean.. does it have a certain time?"

"No. It's different in every person. Some lose their powers in their early twenties already. Some lose theirs in sixties. Like it's really random. Our professors in this school are the ones who still have their powers even when they're about to reach their old age."

"Jem, I'm just curious...."

She chuckled."Well, It's obvious. I lost count on how many times you've said you're curious."

".. I want to know what will you choose when the times comes your power disappears."

"As much as I want to stay here...." she paused, sighing."...but I still have my family outside."

I nodded.

In our group, Jem and Sheki are the only ones who still have families outside.

"What about the families of the students who died here because of the attack of Black Shadows? Like for example, you. You still have your family but what if black shadows suddenly attack our school and you died from it?"

"Woah what a great example you have there." Jem shot me an amused look.

"I'm sorry but my point is, why would your family put you in here knowing that your life could also be in danger?"

"Oh you guys seem to be having a really great conversation there. What are you--" Belle was about to say but she didn't manage to finish her words when I quickly pushed her face away from us using my palm.

"Shut up and leave us for a minute, Belle."

"Tss! Fine. I'm not telling you any of my secrets anymore."

"Who cares about your secrets?" I shot back and Jem just chuckled when Belle cutely huffed away from us. I then turned to Jem and set my curious eyes at her."With my question....."

"With your question...." Jem repeated."It's because all people who have powers need to be admitted in this school or else, we will either die when we reach the age of thirty or be caught by Black Shadows."

I frowned.

I get the we will be caught by the Black Shadows part. It just means that Black Shadows will get us and force us to be like them but what I don't get is the 'we will die when we reach thirty'

Does it mean...?

"What do you mean by we will die when we reach the age of thirty?"

"I don't know but I guess that's the price we have to pay for having superpowers. When we reach the age of thirty and we still haven't taken the antidote which only this school has, we will self destruct or suicide is I think the right term."

Once again, I was left speechless.

Eventhough I don't remember, but since I'm here, they have probably given me the antidote, right?

Damn! All of this information.... How can I absorb this?

"At first, my family doesn't believe this." Jem continued explaining."But a man from our neighbourhood whom we've been suspecting of having superpowers as well committed suicide at the age of thirty, we became alert. And then we searched for other people with cases like this. It indeed turned out to be true. So my family quickly admitted me to this school."

"Why don't this university just give out the antidote then? Why do they still have to force people to enter this university if they really don't want to?"

She shrugged."I am not sure about that. Only the higher ups can answer that question. But I'm guessing it's to protect us from the Black Shadows."

I pursed my lips.

Plausible.

"Anyway..." she said, looking ahead of our surroundings. We've been engrossed with our conversation that we didn't realize we're already entering the bar."... I don't have even at least a little doubt about this school. They've been treating us good and trying to protect us as much as they can. The student council members also don't just go around acting superior here. They've been actually working really hard, to the point that they go out once in a week to find other people with superpowers to save them."

Right.

And Abby was the one who found me.

After wandering inside the bar, we finally spotted a vacant table and occupied it.

The bar is huge but it seems like all of the students are here now because it is really crowded.

I sat on the seat beside Jem and turned to smile at her."Thank you so much for answering all of my questions, Jem."

"Oh it's noth--" she was about to say but was cut off when Sheki suddenly started panicking.

"Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God!" Sheki kept on muttering and turned her back at us.

"What's happening?" I cluelessly asked when they all started laughing at Sheki.

"Look who's about to go in our direction." Belle answered as she puckered her lips to point at somewhere so I quickly followed it and my eyes widened, seeing the student council members going to our direction.

"Aghsldldhs@$€¥&#klaghskl" Sheki was muttering some incoherent words that I'm having a hard time deciphering.

"What?" I asked her.

"I'm asking why are they coming here. Alice can read what's on people's mind. She shouldn't read my thoughts!"

I couldn't help but chuckle at her.

But seriously though.....

Why are they approaching us?

And....

I frowned.

Only five people?

Where is Abby and Rans?




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