Live, Alena (Luctus Academy)

Chapter 10

"Are you serious, Queen Alena?" Mr. Stark said. Nandito na kami ngayon sa tapat ng front building ng academy.

"No guards, no car. Just you alone?" Mozart's forehead furrowed. I wanted to raise an eyebrow. Why do you care? Wasn't that what you and your father wanted?

I wanted to stab his whole body for always reminding me things opposite to what I preferred to swallow. He was just unbelievable. He made me hate my enhanced senses.

A body isn't capable of lying but a mind is. That was what I realized and I hated the idea. Like, people can always try to say things on their mind far different from what they originally like to think just to avoid getting caught in an unfair mind reading.

But still, this made me want to enter his mind even more. I was hoping for his lies. I was hoping for some dirty motives or plots against me. Just... not this. I couldn't swallow this. I saw an enemy in him the moment I realized that they had a plan. About me. Against me.

I stared at his eyes for seconds. I didn't move nor did I say anything. His frown was replaced by a confused look. I closed my eyes and let my sense of hearing all open. I let all the voices devour my mind. I had to do this. I had to think, and I was afraid someone might hear my thoughts.

"Why?" I asked. This was far from my first impression of him. Why couldn't it just last? Why can't he just lie and shout danger? Why can't he just be nonchalant just like how he used to be when I first saw him? Why does he have to act so weird? Because I hate this. I hate that I get so curious and curious everyday that it makes me want to take a closer look hoping to see something bad. Just to feed this hatred that I automatically built that night even when I didn't even hear him talk. But the fact that he entered this academy because of his father... wasn't it enough to hate him?

"What do you mean why? It's dangerous. In case you have forgotten, you are the queen, Your Majesty." Why does it feel like this hatred is but fallacious? Why does he confuse me?

I am no evil, but my heart is full of agony and hatred. And I want to feed it because that's the only way I can fight this battle. I can't do this if I'd get myself stuck in the past version of me. But how do I hate people when I have this ability to read them? How do I automatically loathe people if there's this ability that always slaps me with the truth? That not all people are cruel? But everyone could hurt and could be a culprit of a crime. I was never illogical. I never made judgments without a proper basis. I had always given everything and everyone the benefit of the doubt. Because of this frustrating ability. But now, I just couldn't see myself being the same.

How do I hate you, Prim Colton Mozart? Isn't being the son of my enemy enough reason to do so?

I sighed. "Are you okay, Queen?" nag-aalalang tanong ni Mr. Stark habang nakatitig lang sa akin si Mozart. Hindi siya nagpapakita ng kahit na anong emosyon pero sino ba ang niloloko niya? Our body was the biggest traitor we had. He was wondering. Confused. Just like me.

"Maybe I haven't had enough rest yet, Mr. Stark. I exerted too much illusions last week. I feel like my mind is going haywire." half lie, half truth. To show weakness. Desperate to see an unpleasant reaction from Mozart, and even Mr. Stark.

But what I saw frustrated me more but I didn't let it obvious. They were both worried. Though I expected that from Mr. Stark. I wanted to curse Mozart. I hated him.

I hate that I can't easily hate him. Just because it's injustice. Frustrating.

"Let us guide you home." Mozart declared. The way he talked really sounded so human.

"You drive, man. I'll be the one checking the perimeters." Mr. Stark said.

"I'm fine. You can't go outside the academy if it's not the end of the month. And today is Thursday. If you insist to pull a stunt, you'd just be punished by the seal. Severely." I explained. But what I heard next caught me.