They say – ‘to see is to believe…’ −. But what if you can’t come up with any explanation for what you’re seeing, would you allow yourself to believe, or would you still deny your senses of their rights and just cling to what rationality you have?

The serenity of the sound of the chirping birds, is music to the ears. An early morning sun rays sneak a peek inside the partially open balcony French door facing the garden, covered in a floor to ceiling plain-white curtains, which were being pushed by a gentle breeze demanding access inside a four by four room. The plain cream yellow paint finish of the walls that were once unblemished, is now adorned with artistic abstract painting that portrays as much creativity and beauty as one pair of beautiful eyes could see. A fluffy ice blue furry carpet covered the entire floor of the room, while a study table with a computer atop, some octagonal hanging book shelves, a single-bed with a side table, and a built-in closet, were all strategically placed around the room; all with intricately carved patterns and colored in a delicious looking varnished chocolate brown.

All these aspects combined as one means “Picture Perfect”. A girl’s dream room, in another term. Everything seem perfect fit for one another…

Just one tiny misplaced object…

Or so she described herself…

SO WHAT! I’M STILL A ROCKSTAR! I’VE GOT MY ROCK MOVES! AND I DON’T NEED YOU! AND GUESS WHAT! I’M HAVING MORE FU..!

*cacha*

*Screen:

Snooze

Dismissed*

The alarm of her phone went dead as she clicked dismissed. She groaned and tossed around the bed for 5mins. before she saw the wall clock opposite her bed, reading 6:30am.

Ah… - she thought – 6:30 ha…

Her eyes widen as realization dawns at her – gosh! I’m late!

In a hurry to get off the bed, the sheets tangled between her legs and she kissed the floor good morning.

“Ouch…” she mused as she rubs her nose while trying to get up.

She smiled as she glance at the beautiful view of morning from her window.

“Cool morning…” she muttered with a stretch of stiff limbs. She took a quick shower, dressed in her school uniform and scoot out of the house in her bicycle toward school.

“WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!?” Diana Devoir whisper-screamed at her as she tried to calm her flustered muscle to equilibrium after a marathon-like biking.

She breathes through her mouth while she continued to sweat in buckets. Great morning indeed! She giggled internally without realizing she’s actually grinning outside, gaining a scowl from her friend sitting beside her.

“Ooooh! You even dare to give me that smug looking grin you naughty girl!” Diana reprimanded “You! Ruth Raze would surely be in a hell lot of trouble if you’re not the daughter of the Headmaster of this prestigious University! And the best friend of the most beautiful, athletic, intelligent, and popular woman in this entire school! ME!” she continued to whisper-screamed at Ruth. Earning her a number of ‘Shushing’ around them. Instead of apologizing, she glared at them with her hands in her hips.

Ruth stifled a giggling threatening to unleash deep inside her from the comical scene right before her. “I’m sorry!” she whispered back and smiled shyly and apologetically at her best friend. “my phone was not set right... “ She explained.

“Not set right? Yeah right, as if. You probably stayed up all night holding a tissue and a stick trying to draw something unworldly. Again…” Her friend scoffed and glared at the speaker in the podium in the middle of the great hall, introducing the next inspirational speaker taking the stage.

She have no retort to that, so she bit her lip. “…after I told you I will study here again after 2 years of sickening overseas.” Diana continued sulking when she thought she was finished talking. Ruth’s worried look turned into a beaming-all-bright-smiles one and bear-hugged Diana.

“Oh Diana! You don’t know how much I missed you! Chats and phones weren’t enough! You are still the best, one and only, arrogant, spoiled, beautiful goddess friend anyone could ever dream of!” she explained in a normal voice, receiving much more ‘shushing’ and some unpleasant comments. But who cares! Her friend is forever back!

“Is that a compliment or an insult? Oh well, at least there’s ‘beautiful goddess’ in it.” Diana shrugged.

“By the way, thanks for saving me a seat!” Ruth went back to whispering.

“You do know better than to miss the Headmaster’s opening remarks, don’t you? Even you aren’t an exception to ‘A Student’s Duty’ you know…” Diana whispered again.

“FOR HEAVENS LADIES! WOULD YOU EVER STOP TALKING AND LET THE PROCEEDINGS GO IN PEACE!?” Professor Janiggins also known as the ever grumpy one, Interrupted their buzzing, and they finally noticed all unpleasant attentions were on them. Including the Head.

They fake cough hiding their embarrassment and reddening faces.

“…this year won’t be any different from any other in the past! The Folk Season University would continue to reproduce the most elite set of people to the country, who would hold not only polished intelligence and skills, but also, both humility to lower one’s pride and prejudice to have a clear perspective in life in order to show and be shown respect, and sensitivity to adapt to any kind of situation in an unpredictable run of tides in this unforgivable world. In a not so distant future, the university’s step may be the only thing missing in achieving to cleanse this world of sin by ignorance, pain by indifference, and retribution by selfishness!”

The stillness and silence met the Headmaster’s opening remarks. Shortly, the great hall BOOM! With deafening cheers, hoots and standing ovations. Some people were noticeably wiping away tears from their eyes. Headmaster Corint’s speech is always so touching, encouraging and inspirational, most of the people in the hall attended solely for his speech.

My old man really knows how to deliver his speeches! He never fails! Ruth thought as she clapped till her hands ache.

Suddenly! The boom from the cheering became an angry BOOM! Of the earth! The ground started to shake madly as every single one of being stumbled to the floor, some reached for something, anything to hold! Terrified, screaming and panic-driven people fueled the chaos in the majestic hall. After the short confusion, hell broke loose.

The sky-high ceiling is starting to crumble bits by bits. Chunks of debris are knocking people one after another.

*snap*

*CRASH!*

*snap*

“RUTH!!!!”

Cold sweats were now covering every nook and cranny of Ruth’s body. The scream of her father from a distance remained unheard as terror gripped her heart, non-existing cold chains locked her in place. She watched, horrified, as the largest chandelier in the room started to fall directly toward her as its final hinge gave way to gravity. How idiotic of her to space out from the most important part of her life, and now she’s going to die to prove her idiocy…

*CRASH! CLING! CLANG! PSHHH!*

She hardly felt someone pulled her away from the falling glass chandelier before it even had a chance to turn her into an unidentifiable, grotesque pile of squash meat.

“SNAP OUT OF IT RUTH!”

Diana’s voice brought her back to reality. “Diana… “ she released the long breath she didn’t notice she was holding. “I – I… almost died…” she looked up at her friend who is now standing, disbelief and relief crossing her face. “YES! You did!” Diana exclaimed emphasizing her point with a swing of an arm in the air “and if you continue to be out of your wits during this time, YOU WILL!”

Finally, she heard the panic in her friend’s features, the tremble in Diana’s voice was unmistakably there. Guilt engulf Ruth as she met Diana’s glistening eyes, tears threatening to crawl out from them. She made her worried sick “Oh, Diana I’m so…Argh!”

Ruth looked at her legs and finally noticed long, deep cuts on both of them, bleeding furiously. The sharp stabbing pain crawled from the tip of her foot up to the end of her hair. “By all the Gods! No…” By the look of her friend’s paling face, she can tell how badly it looks. She can’t look at it too long herself, nausea’s winning over her. It will probably be something that will be forever carved on her.

“I-I…Headmaster!” Ruth saw relief in Diana’s face as the Corint close in in both of them. “Diana! Look for the Doctor of the infirmary! NOW!” Corint commanded.

“Ye-yes!” Diana scurried away with one goal in mind.

As unconsciousness lurks around her, she heard her rugged breathing escaped her trembling lips. Numbness started to blanket her whole body and it feels light and floating. She felt herself drift away from her body. She doesn’t know why, but there is pin-pricked pain coming from her sides.

“RUTH! STAY WITH ME! DON’T YOU DARE CLOSE YOUR EYES!”

Father, I’m not closing my eyes. I’m just feeling dizzy…

“RUTH! LISTEN TO ME! IF YOU CLOSE YOUR EYES FOR JUST ONE TIME! JUST ONE TIME YOU HEAR?! I’LL GIVE YOU A MINIMUM 50 PAGES THESIS ABOUT HOMEOSTASIS!”

Like hell I’d do that! Father reconsider, I want to sleep…

“YOU KNOW YOU WOULDN’T DO SOMETHING SO LONG! WAKE UP DARLING!”

Looks like I have no choice, father lower your voice so I could sleep… just.. let’s talk about this some other time…

“NO! RUTH!” Corint can’t believe it, she’s gone! His little girl is gone. There’s no more indication of life within the pale body he is holding. His eyes looked at the fragile being before him, not really seeing anything. He feels empty and devoid of any feeling.

A gasp of shock followed by uncontrollable sobs came from behind him. Diana is with the Doctor, but it’s too late! She’s gone and nothing in the world can take her back!

His little girl, his little princess, his life…

Without knowing, a trickle of tear flowed out from his unseeing eyes. One tear followed another, and another, and then the dam broke down…

Nobody noticed how the earthquake ended. Everyone was experiencing grief and pain. The atmosphere was sorrowful, everyone was hurt, but Ruth is the only casualty caused by severe blood loss from her open wounds and a fatal blow of shards of crystals in her lungs.

He failed as a father, a mentor, a friend, and as her guardian…

Now would be a good time for a miracle…

Just one miracle…

Another tremor hit them, but with a more tolerable ground shakes than before. But shouts from the center of the room pulled Corint’s attention briefly to the commotion. Raging blue and red flames were now forming a circular notion in the ground, where the flames touch, the ground crumbled and fall to an endless abysmal pit.

“What in the world is happening… “ he heard the rhetorical question of a professor from his side. Like that professor, everyone appeared to be in utter confusion and fear.

But not the Headmaster. The horror written in his face is of different reasons.

No, this can’t be! He thought unbelieving. How could HE find us?!

A silhouette appeared to be in the middle of the flames.

*Gasp from the crowd*

“Oh my God!” some random student pointed at the shadow within the flames “Someone is burning!”

As if on cue, the flames divided into a perfect half and a magnificent creature emerged. Every living person in the room gaped at the man in the middle of the crackling fire, both in awe and fear. Except the Headmaster who’s only fear is for Ruth.

“Oh I assure you, I am definitely burning hot…” the man grinned a seductive grin as he played with the flames in his fingers. “Filthy humans, I’ve come to claim my priceless princess! You have become a part of her life for far too long, you all, might end up dirtying her further than she already is in the hands of…” he cocked his head to Corint’s direction as if really seeing for the first time.

Intrigue and interest flashed across his eyes as his grinning broaden and recognition dawns on him. “Would you look at that, maybe my princess really had been sullied by this being, Corint, the great right general of the King Vateer of the Heavens!” the man laughed a deep, chesty laugh. “Ha.. Ha…” he tried to get a grip of his composure, wiping tears from the corner of his eyes. “How ironic for you to babysit”

“Don’t be so amused Serpin! You will claim nothing and no one here! Go back to guarding the tombs!” Corint growled as he glare daggers toward the man he called Serpin. The audience remain silently confused, trying to make sense out of the conversation the two men were discussing, only to meet a concrete dead end.

Serpin faked being hurt by the words “Aww… don’t be opening old wounds now handsome old man. You might be pushing a wounded lone wolf to a corner which won’t do! A bite from survival instinct is the most painful of all bites! They last… FOREVER!”

The man fling his right hand toward Corint who, in the blinked of an eye, was slammed into the farthest wall of the great hall 15meters away from where he previously was holding Ruth, knocking him unconscious. The crowd of fear cringed from the crack they heard as the headmaster met the wall.

Serpin straightened his muscular body where he stood, the demonic face turned the handsome -breath-taking smile into that of plain creepy, enhanced by the now flaming eyes. His head turn to where Ruth’s body lay, and the fire surrounding him burst higher, more powerful, reaching the dome ceiling of 20meters with no trouble.

“Now my precious treasure, I’ve waited and planned long enough, come to me…” he commanded to the dead,the playfulness in his voice before were all gone, replaced by some diabolic entity. The people were forced to their knees, head shook down by some unexplainable heavy pressure commanding their whole being.

“The world can never be cleansed! Evil exist for there to be good!” Serpin’s laugh crept beneath their skins and gave them the goose bumps of their lives.