Kyle Ethan’s POV“I’m sorry, son. But none of them is the one we’re looking for. I haven’t seen anything suspicious in their past or even in their thoughts,” Dad’s face showed disappointment.“It’s okay, Dad. You already did your part. You should go back now to the palace and take some rest. It will take some time for you to regain your strength again.”He nodded and gave me a gentle pat on the shoulder. I then turned to Althea, who was growing weaker in a corner, supported by her twin sister, Athena.“You too, Althea. You’ve used up a lot of your powers already.”She just managed to give me a weak smile.Our companions, the protectors and royal guards, escorted the students back to their respective rooms after which they will lose some of their memories again.“Is Nicole still not back? Too bad, I haven’t seen her today,” Dad looked around, and I did the same.I sighed when I realized she hadn’t returned yet. “Seems like she’s enjoying her chat and hanging out with Steph somewhere. D
Nicole Jane’s POV“Where are we going?” I asked Kyle, furrowing my brow as we walked along the path leading out of the academy.“You’ll see,” he smiled and reached for my hand, giving it a squeeze.I was about to say something when I yawned involuntarily. It’s only 7 a.m. in the morning, and I’m still sleepy. Why did he suddenly come to my room at six in the morning to disturb me and invite me to go out?I rubbed my eyes, but they kept getting heavier.“It’s probably better if you get some sleep. The journey ahead will be quite long. I’ll just wake you up once we get there.”I simply nodded. I wasn’t in the mood to argue anyway. I trust him no matter where he takes me.I leaned my head against the window and soon drifted off to sleep.I didn’t know how long I had been sleeping. I just woke up to the feeling of someone tapping my cheek.“Wake up already, sleepyhead.”I blinked, trying to adjust my sight to the sunlight that greeted me. But my eyes widened when I saw how close his face
Nicole Jane’s POVI’ve been staring at the ceiling for a while now, contemplating whether I should even go to class or just stay inside my room all dayIt’s been four days since Kyle planned the surprise for me to see my parents. Kyle also accompanied me to the airport on Monday to send off Mom and Dad. After that, we went straight to the academy.I woke up early this morning to bid farewell to Kyle and our friends because they have plans for the day. But since then, no matter how hard I try, I couldn’t fall back to sleep.“Nicole, I’ll be going to the palace. The king summoned me. I’ve already informed our teachers that I won’t be able to attend today. Are you okay staying here?”Steph startled me when she suddenly spoke. She’s been staying with me in this room for a few weeks now, but I still haven’t gotten used to her sudden appearances or when she speaks out of the blue.“Yes, of course. Don’t worry. I’ll just stay here in school, and I’m not going anywhere.” I smiled and winked a
Nicole Jane’s POVI slowly opened my eyes. However, I was greeted by endless darkness, causing me to fully open them.“Ahh!”I couldn’t help but cry out when I felt the difficulty of moving. My hands and feet were tightly bound. I looked around, feeling more terrified as I realized I was in an unfamiliar place.The last thing I remember was a white van suddenly blocking the car I was riding in. I saw masked individuals pointing a gun at our driver, Jun, and covering my mouth with a cloth before I completely lost consciousness.“Where am I? Is somebody there? Please help me! Someone, please help me out of here!”My voice echoed in every corner of the place I was in. I could do nothing but cry. What could a young child like me do when I didn’t yet understand what was happening?After a while, I heard approaching footsteps. Then, the door in front of me opened. My tears continued to flow as I desperately tried to squeeze myself to the side, as if I had a hiding place there.Two men enter
Reiri’s POVMy gaze lowered as we held hands. In an instant, it felt like I was being carried away to the clouds because of the happiness I was feeling. I’ve longed for this kind of opportunity, and I never imagined it would come true now.I snapped back to reality when he suddenly stopped dragging me and let go of my hand. I felt a hint of disappointment because it felt so good to hold his hand that perfectly fit into mine. I could feel the security and assurance that everything would be okay.Wow. Just by holding his hand, it already had a different effect on me.“I thought we had an agreement, Rei. I just want to remind you that our one-month deal is almost over. So, keep your promise to me.”His eyes looked straight into mine. Those eyes that made me drown in my own thoughts every time I looked into them.“Rei? Are you okay? Don’t tell me you’re already mesmerized by my look?” He wiggled his eyebrows.That snapped me back to my senses and the reality that it wasn’t my hand he want
Nicole Jane’s POV“Hey! It’s you again. What are you doing here?”I quickly ran out of the gate after playing when I saw the young boy who helped me escape when I was kidnapped.“Hello? Can you hear me?” I waved my hand in front of him, but he didn’t even blink and just stared at me with a blank expression.“I didn’t have the chance to say thank you last time. So, thank you,” I shyly said.But still, he didn’t respond.But if he’s being snobbish, then I’ll be persistent. “By the way, I’m Nicole Jane. And you are?” I extended my arm towards him, then smiled.He was finally about to speak when I suddenly heard a loud beep coming from a car.Everything went so slow. My eyes were wide open while waiting for the car to hit me when I suddenly felt a pair of strong hands pull and hug me from behind.That made my eyes shut, and I felt the wind blowing so hard as well. It seems like something had quickly passed by.And the moment I opened my eyes, he’s no longer in front of me. Again.Gasping
Nicole Jane’s POV“Where have you been?”I was taken aback when I heard his cold voice as soon as I got out of the car. I took a deep breath and gave Mikan an assuring smile. She looked stunned. Then I turned to him.“Can we talk somewhere?” I just didn’t want us to argue right in front of Mikan.He stared at me seriously, but anger was evident in his eyes.I can’t blame him, though. It’s my fault too because I have a habit of leaving without informing him or anyone else.He glanced at Mikan before redirecting his attention to me.“We really need to talk.”I was about to speak when he suddenly grabbed my hand and pulled me away. I looked back at Mikan and saw her worried face. I mouthed, It’s okay, and smiled at her.As we walked, we remained silent, and I could feel the tension between us. I bit my lower lip and let him lead me wherever. I don’t know if it’s just me or if he was really angry about something other than the fact that I sneaked out of the academy without him knowing.So
Nicole Jane’s POV“Why do we have to be in a separate bus?”I glanced at myself in the mirror one last time before turning to Mikan, who nearly broke my pillow with her constant punching.“Just let it be. We’ll meet up when we get there, anyway. Besides, you’re with Steph, Vince, Hiro, and Reiri. So, you have nothing to worry about.”I wasn’t initially assigned to our section. Well, actually, it was Kyle who wanted it that way. I ended up being grouped with Miley and Kira. We were together with half of Section B, then the entire Section C. We separated to keep an eye on both buses. The ones from the lower levels could have joined us, as long as they were part of the student council.She looked up at me and pouted. “Yeah, I guess. But Steph and I aren’t that close yet, and even with the others,” she said sadly.I raised an eyebrow. Thankfully, Steph left earlier to help with some preparations, so Mikan and I could discuss these things now.“To be honest, I’ve noticed that too. It seems