Hidden Truths // Riven

01

CHAPTER I:

❄︎ BACK TO WHERE WE STARTED ❄︎

"i hated it here and i still do"
___________

•

I stared up at the crest upon the gate. The symbolism it held, the legacy – I never missed it. Not one bit.

There were many students gathered on the facade. They crowded the gravel pathways and the grassy courtyard. I whipped my head around towards the source of a loud, excited scream. A group of girls was greeting each other, hugging and laughing.

I began walking toward the stone wall buildings, fighting my way through the maze of people. I kept my head down, hoping I would be invisible.

Just breathe...

"Hello!" said a cheery voice.

Someone stood in front of me and I looked at them. She was a plump girl with dark blonde hair. Her green and pink clothes and overalls complimented her, as well as the tray of plants she was carrying.

"Would you be interested in these plants?" she asked. "Personally, I love the... "

I tuned her out, my gaze following a girl. Her fiery red hair made her stand out and she looked almost as lost as I was.

"You still there?" asked the girl in front of me.

"I'm not interested in plants, sorry," I said before walking away.

As I continued on the pathway, I saw a blonde girl who was taking pictures with some others, a bright wisp floating above their camera for the perfect lighting.

It was clear that the girl in the middle was popular. She was attractive, and based on her outfit, she was wealthy. I scoffed, rolling my eyes, suddenly stopping when she glared at me.

If looks could kill...

Wanting to disappear from her gaze, I walked faster. But being such a clumsy idiot, I wasn't looking where I was going. I had crashed into someone and felt a stinging sensation on my arm. Holding my arm in pain, I backed away. When I retracted my hand from my arm, there was blood dribbling from the cut. And, tragically, my mind went to the past.

"Oh shit," they said. "You know, you shouldn't walk into people who are holding knives... You okay?"

Snapping out of my thoughts, I glanced up at the person in front of me. He had a tall, lean figure, brown hair, and his eyes were green with a hint of grey, looking at me with concern.

"Oh, no I'm great," I replied sarcastically. "It's only the first day and your blade already hates me."

"No, I wouldn't say that," he said. "It's just attracted to beauty."

"Yeah, okay," I said as I walked around him.

"Hey, I'm just joking," he said with a small smile. "Look, I'm sorry. Do you want— "

"I'm fine, thanks," I told him. "Not all girls need a man to save her."

"You must be a fairy," he commented, looking at me with a hard expression. "All you fairies think you're better than us. But if you're a fairy, you would have healed yourself already. Ah, I see, you're a fairy with no talent."