DELONIX [COMPLETED]

Chapter 44

Red POV

"What?" I exclaimed, my voice laced with shock and disbelief.

The revelation that the Principal could be connected to my parents left me utterly flabbergasted. Though I had sensed something peculiar about her, it had only been a vague intuition, a mere inkling that something was off. I never expected it to be linked to my own family.

"It's a long story, Red," he replied, his tone laden with a mixture of weariness and hesitation.

"Then tell me," I demanded, my curiosity reaching its peak. I couldn't fathom why he would withhold such important information from me. It felt like he had set off a bomb and was now refusing to diffuse it.

"I can't, not now," he sighed, his expression betraying a deep internal struggle.

"Why..." I began, frustration seeping into my voice. I couldn't comprehend his reluctance to share the truth with me. It felt unfair and unjust.

"What time did you sleep last night?" he suddenly changed the subject, attempting to divert my attention. But I wasn't easily swayed.

"You can't-" I started, but he interrupted me, his voice taking on a deeper, more commanding tone. His eyes bore into mine, silently pleading for me to let it go.

Reluctantly, I acquiesced. I knew there was something he wasn't ready to disclose, something that weighed heavily on his mind.

"I guess around 2-ish..." I shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant, even though I knew that if he were to touch my forehead, he would feel the heat radiating from it.

Concern flickered in his eyes, but it was fleeting. Suddenly, he rose from his chair and made his way toward me. Every fiber of my being froze as I watched his deliberate approach.

To my surprise, he knelt down before me, his movements gentle and deliberate. With a tender touch, he brushed aside the strands of hair that obscured my forehead. I couldn't comprehend what was happening, but I dared not move, not when he was the one initiating this strange interaction.

His hand came to rest on my forehead, and I felt my cheeks burn with embarrassment. I understood now what he was doing.

"Red, you're burning up, and honestly, you look pale," he remarked, his hand still lingering on my forehead.

"I-I am..." I stammered, my voice barely above a whisper. He nodded in acknowledgment before rising and making his way to a nearby bookshelf. As he left, I finally allowed myself to breathe and regain composure, yet my body remained slow to calm down.

He rummaged through the books on the shelf, searching for something. Relief washed over his face when he finally found it-a small statue of a wolf with a girl atop it, clutching a sword. Its intricate craftsmanship caught my eye, and I found it oddly captivating.

Initially, I assumed he intended to remove the statue from the shelf, but I was taken aback when he pulled on it, causing the bookshelf to split open. In that moment, it dawned on me.

It was a secret room.

I had only ever seen such hidden chambers in Hollywood movies, dismissing them as fantastical elements of mystery and the supernatural. I never imagined they could exist in reality.

"I usually don't sleep in the guardian's ward, so I decided to have a bed next to me... just in case," he explained, his words leaving me puzzled.

Why was he showing me this?

Without hesitation, he entered the secret room, only to reemerge a moment later. He looked at me, raising an eyebrow, a bewildered expression on his face.