Mystic High ✓

MH │16

In the previous chapter: Having completed their first detention period in record time, Charlotte and Oriane had lunch before heading back to the office to sign off - except they incurred an extension, during which Oriane found a suspicious report in the offices.

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CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Early Sunday morning, Oriane heard a hard rap on the door to her room and Marian's holler rang in true and sharp. At that, Toffee jumped out of her bed and dashed to her scratch post, hiding behind it. Her caramel-coloured fur stood up in fright.

"ANNA!" Another round of heavy knocking followed. "Wake up, we're going to Mistreach!" Then she heard a light slap accompanied by hushed whispers that couldn't be made sense of.

Oriane, on the other hand, was still in bed, in her pyjamas, and she groaned at the intrusive noise. It had been such a long week and all she wanted to do then was stay indoors and sleep. Not only had she been bombarded with new sights and experiences everyday, all that filing at detention and late reading last night had also taken a toll on her.

She gasped and sat up straight abruptly.

The report! She scrambled around to find it laid across at her side, slightly crumpled from when she might've squeezed it hard with disbelief. That and she remembered reading it over and over, hoping she hadn't imagined what was on the pages.

The unopened report was dated on the last day of last term. That might be why it was lost in the piles and piles of junk mail yesterday. Most the report consisted of letters and numbers – lists and lists of it.

Oriane couldn't for the life of her understand its significance. But it was the last lines in the short hundred-word analysis report, at the very end of the document, that spooked her:

...See figures. Border anomalies uncovered explosives totalling seven kilotons planted underground. Equivalent to the work of a Mystic. Planted explosives require diffusing immediately. No suspects found. Motive unknown.

Oriane's reaction was fear. Could the explosives still be sitting below ground? Perhaps right where everyone attended their classes or the dormitories where everyone retired? This was dangerous knowledge, indeed!

And, not to mention, what on earth was a 'Mystic'?

Another heavy knocking sounded, making her jump from where she sat. "Oriane! Are you in there? You okay?" called Marian again, followed by another few beats of knocking, which might as well be smashes the way she's tormenting the door.

"I'm alright!" Oriane called out in reply. She swivelled, Where shall I keep this... she thought and promptly tucked it under her pillow.

"Open up!" yelled– she supposed it was Jessica this time. More knocking.

"Coming!" she replied. Getting up, Oriane quickly repositioned her blankets and made her bed, then went to get the door. Her banana-patterned pyjamas and unkempt straw-like bed-head will simply have to do for now.

Just as she did, she was bombarded with Marian exclaiming, "–pen sesame!" Her arms spread out animatedly like she was displaying something rather spectacular at a curiosity road show. She wore jeans and a sparkly purple tee with a ridiculously low neckline. Her hair clipped back and for the first time, Oriane saw Marian wear contacts instead of spectacles. Her eyes were wide and huge compared to her thin, though tall, nose and full lips.

Jessica slapped down Marian's arms, who was incited a giggle. "Calm down, crazy!" Jessica also wore jeans, but skinny ones. She wore a bright green singlet to top it off and a brown leather jacket over it.