CHAPTER 72: A LITTLE SIREN

A few deep breaths and Aaliyah’s spiking nerves calmed down.

She didn’t want to get riled up on her first day of class.

Her assumptions were that a group of chattering witches must have bumped into her by mistake, but deep down she knew that couldn’t have been the case. Still, confronting the culprit would only make her pissed off.

Aaliyah picked up her card and started to walk away with a backward glance. She could feel the person staring with every step but kept telling herself not to give in to her emotions and turn around.

Aaliyah stepped into the classroom, which was actually her homeroom. According to the book, the professor who would be teaching them this morning would be their homeroom teacher, which meant the other ten Olympians who were already here were her classmates.

Two more Olympians came in before the bell for the first period rang all over the place. As of that moment, all hallways are expected to be empty by the patrolling teachers, or an Olympian seen outside should move with a permit.

Aaliyah was sitting at the very back. It was clear she wanted to keep to herself and stay out of everyone’s business. Among the Olympians in the classroom, there was Blake Fang and the witch girl.

Same class.

Aaliyah looked away.

The next time the door opened, a professor walked in. That marvelous long dark hair had been tied and tucked Properly, and his down-to-earth striking features stood out more than ever. His forest Green eyes had that dark and frightening look on them as he walked to the front of the class.

He was...their homeroom teacher?

Oh...heavens.

"Alastair Hawthorne," He said in a quickened tone. Everyone was submitting under his aura and the deep harshness of his voice, "Now let’s get to business,"

Aaliyah knew if she kept staring at him they would eventually make eye contact so she kept her eyes down.

The class commenced and Professor Hawthorne was explaining some things. Aaliyah opened her textbook, trying to understand but she was a complete blockhead in this. He was giving insights on some crucial things about Vampires and witches, one Aaliyah knew nothing about.

She could only jot the sentences and hoped Yuan would explain better to her after class.

Whenever he wrote on the board, she would peek to look at him again. That raw and electrifying feeling that she felt whenever he was around was making her feel weird again, and she softly bit her lips.

Then, he turned around and began throwing questions.

They sounded easy to everyone else, but Aaliyah knew nothing.

And she stood out in the class since she was sitting alone and in the very back.

She crossed her fingers, praying not to get called.

Hoping not to get called. He shouldn’t even glance her way, or she would fail at answering woefully.

But the dreadful came to pass.

"Miss Chester," He called, and she swallowed tightly.

For the first time since he walked in, she locked gazes with him. It was like staring directly into a burning forest.

"Yes, Professor," She answered.

"Are hybrids real?" He asked.

"What Kind of Hybrids?"

He questioned back immediately, "What kind of creatures do we have in this world? Care to mention them?" How can someone’s voice be so deep?

"Witches. Humans. Vampires," Aaliyah paused, "The ones inside the Grim Forest,"

"Which are?"

"Dark Creatures. But then, Vampires and Witches are also Dark creatures. There are no creatures of light...maybe the Good humans, "Aaliyah wanted to slap herself. Why was she going off topic?

"What about the Good Vampires and Witches?"

"They’re still classified under the Dark Creatures,"

"Dark...that is a strong word," Alastair said, and a few seconds of silence followed.

Aaliyah’s heart pounded faster when he began walking toward her.

"So you mean to say we should be justified based on what we are...and not who we are?"

Aaliyah never broke eye contact, "Maybe if I learn more about Dark Creatures, I would stop thinking that way,"

"I assume you’ve only seen the bad part of us,"

Of course. Her village was raided due to a clash of Vampires and witches when she was young, and she saw so much that a little girl shouldn’t. The memories are still fresh in her mind, "I’ve never seen or heard about the existence of a Hybrid before," She said instead, bringing them back to the first question, "So my answer is No, Hybrids are not real,"

There was something about Alastair, just something bizarre that she couldn’t put in place. Was she the only one feeling this bizarre connection between them?

"In this uprising and sophisticated world we live in, one cannot say something doesn’t exist without concrete proof. Who knows? A half witch, half Vampire could be out there somewhere, maybe in hiding... living their lives. One could even be among us... probably has mastered the art of suppressing his Vampire side, making him seem like a full witch. The possibility is infinite..."

He finally turned around and walked back to the front of the class.

Aaliyah kept her head down and avoided eye contact from there on till his period ended and he dismissed them.

Everyone was leaving the class and she was waiting behind so they would all be out before she went. Once the last person closed the door, she stood up and strode to the class with the class behind her empty.

She had just reached out to open the door when it flung wide open on its own, and there stood her homeroom teacher staring down at her. There was no avoiding his eyes this time...and Goodness! He had startled the heck out of her.

"Professor Hawthorne!" She exclaimed, taking a step back.

"Miss Chester,"

"Sir?"

"Why are you in this school? Why did you not decline the scholarship? Do you not know the risks of being here?"

She wouldn’t say she didn’t think it through because she was too excited and busy.

And why was he asking?

’ Because he’s your homeroom teacher and is in charge of his students ’ Her subconsciousness yelled at her.

But what if that wasn’t the case?

"I wanted the experience. I think it’s exciting and worth it," She replied, her breath quickening.

She wanted to take several steps back and put lots of distance between them, but that would be too obvious.

"And I’m assuring you that you’ll get exactly what you want. You only gain experience if you survive... but then, what if you die?"

"It’s my decision, professor. Thank you for asking...," Would be disrespectful if she asked him to move out of the way that she has another class to catch?

"It’s your decision to come here and die?" He inquired and took another step forward, "You were safer down there tucked in that small house. And what happens when you die? Live goes on without you, Miss Chester,"

"How do you know where I live?" She questioned with a brow lifted.

"I know about all the Olympians in my class. Your information is on my desk...Is it a suspicious thing for a teacher to know the address of his students?"

When it came to him, Yes. "No,"

"What do you say about leaving? I can speak to the Chancellor."

"I appreciate the concern, but it’s my choice to live or die. If there’s nothing else to talk about, do you mind making room? I’m already late to my next class,"

"What a little siren you are...," He murmured to himself, his eyes narrowed and darkened more for a moment, making her pulse quicken.

Then, he turned around and left.

As soon as his presence disappeared, Aaliyah leaned on the door and heaved a sigh. She clutched her thumping chest and took countless deep breaths to calm down. She had even surprised herself with those replies she had given him without batting an eyelash.

But her legs had been trembling.

Minutes passed before she left the class.

And as expected, the professor taking the second period was already in class before she arrived.

She hated walking into the class, but she felt like she could do anything since she survived another encounter with Hawthorne.

Still, the gazes thrown at her as she walked in gave her goosebumps... especially from the professor herself.

She was an old short female with a bald head and pale skin.

"Why are you just coming to my class?!" She snapped.

"I was cornered, it will not happen again," she said.

Professor Mantle, the female took one long stare at her before dismissing her to take her seat.

Classes were insanely boring, especially when you have a blockhead with no one to talk to. Yuan was not having any class with her today, and Aaliyah kept to herself as usual. Sometimes she was so quiet it was as if no one was there at the back, but a Hunan’s presence always made her stand out.

And time was moving extremely slowly!

As soon as the main bell rang, dismissing class for the day, Aaliyah wanted to roll over the ground and scream like she had just been gifted something so precious, but her happiness was only half-lived when the witch approached her.

"Hey,"

"Is anything the problem?" Aaliyah wasn’t taking any chances.

"I just wanted to say Thank you...for helping me get out of the water,"

"Bianca, are you coming?" Her friends yelled behind her.

She had already made friends.

"Got it," Aaliyah nodded.

"How were you able to swim so fast? I couldn’t sense any spells that could help you,"

"That’s not a topic for discussion. Everyone had their ways of trying to conquer their trials," Aaliyah deadpanned.

"You’re right," Bianca shrugged, "I shouldn’t be nosy... but I can’t help it,"

She wasn’t looking friendly or thankful at all.

"That’s enough. Leave the girl alone," A familiar voice piped in from across his seat.

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