The True Elites

Chapter 5-7: Joining Class D

Sora's POV

Everything was wrong from the moment that we stepped through the door. No, door was probably the wrong vocabulary. It was more like a gateway to hell.

The most noticeable thing was the positioning of the two lone empty desks. They sat at the very front of the class, on opposite sides of the room.

Not only did this mean that Shiro and I couldn't even talk to each other, but also that we couldn't see anyone else in the classroom. It created a lingering sense of dread, in great part due to the next thing:

Nearly every student stared at us as soon as we walked in. They didn't speak to us at all, but simply glared in our direction as if we were complete weirdos. They whispered to each other while glancing at us, and some even pointed and made faces of disgust.

We felt like total strangers, able to feel continuous gazes drilling into us from behind. We couldn't see them, but they could all see us.

Ryūen himself simply sat at his desk, as if oblivious to what was happening around him. However, the look he sent said everything it needed to in just a second.

I had expected Ryūen to give us a hard time. However, by staying silent, he had become even more menacing than I ever could've expected.

I prided myself on my ability to see through others; to read their plans and thoughts with zero difficulty. But, in this hellish environment, I couldn't even begin to string two thoughts together.

Although I tried my best to put on a tough exterior, my composure was completely shattered. It was a hundred times worse than even when I had to go into that room alone during the zodiac exam.

I felt like an outsider. Not just as a generic euphemism, no, I felt truly and utterly isolated. These forty people all ganged up just to treat me like some kind of repulsive existence that they couldn't stand the mere sight of.

I tried to block out the hushed remarks, tried to numb myself to the eyes all over me like hot, sticky sweat. But it wasn't possible.

The teacher came in, and stood at the podium, but I couldn't hear what he was saying. All I could see was the blurry outline of what might be a person.

My hearing was a confused mess of nauseating voices all rolled into one, cacophonous noise.

I was handed a piece of paper, but-- what the hell is this?

Just a bunch of meaningless squiggles scrawn haphazardly across the page. It was an incomprehensible language, if you could even call it that.

Did they give this to me on purpose?

But when I looked around the room, it became obvious: no.

Everywhere there was supposed to be writing, it was replaced by those same meaningless squiggles.

Ha-- Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

The rationality of my mind had broken down so much in this short period of time that I was unable to even properly understand my senses.

For the first time in my life, I myself was too broken to even worry about my little sister.

This is horrible.

It's only been a few minutes, but already, all I want is to go back to Class B.

△▼△▼△▼△

Shiro's POV

This was... familiar...

Everybody stopped and stared. Their eyes assaulted me, stripped everything from me and left me empty and dead.

The faces of these strangers, that laughed and pointed, morphed into the more familiar faces that had haunted me for far longer.

Their voices faded away, replaced by new ones; old, but new at the same time, accompanying the faces resurfaced in my head.

I was different.

"Hey, look at that freak over there," one of them said.

"I've heard she's been like that since she was born," replied another.

I was avoided.

"Sorry, there's no room at this table. There's plenty on the floor, though!"

"Play with you? You're kidding, right? I'd rather die."

I was ugly.

"Only pretty girls like me are allowed to touch the toys, stupid. Go away."

"Go out with her?! Don't even joke around like that, I'll throw up just imagining it!"

I was ignored.

"There, now everyone's got an invite! I can't be forgetting anyone, can I?"

"Ah, that child? No, unfortunately, we have not noticed anything unusual surrounding her regarding the other children. There's nothing we can do."

I was alone.

Why?

Why do I have to be all alone?

Did I do something wrong?

Do I deserve it?

Why was I even born?

Hot tears ran down my cheeks, burning my eyes and skin.

Nii...? Where are you?

Did you... abandon me too?

Please... come back!

Don't leave me! I don't want it-

Somebody... help me