Massive, ornate golden gates, towering and imposing walls, and a surprisingly empty path. This was the "Power Shapers" school, the best boarding school in the state, where I had been sent.
It's so empty...
There wasn't a single other student at the school's entrance, and the grand structure seemed to drain my resolve. Because it was such a famous institution and yet so empty on the outside, I felt like I had commited a mistake.
Did I get the time wrong...?
I adjusted my hair and, despite some hesitation, slowly crossed the gates. I walked through the courtyard, observing the tall, pointed trees that adorned the garden. The absence of birds or any other living creatures unnerved me slightly, and after some time, I finally stepped inside the building. It wasn't long before a tall man with brown eyes approached me.
"Good morning, Miss Bonnie Kindness. I appreciate your punctuality. My name is William, and I'm the coordinator of this school."
He offered a forced smile. The man seemed exhausted and serious, yet somehow exuded a welcoming and relaxed expression.
"Oh... Good morning, Mr. William. It's a great pleasure to meet you,"
"The pleasure is all mine," he replied, clearly weary. "There's no need to worry about what happened at your previous school. What's done is done."
"Thank you..."
"By the way, you should head to the gymnasium now. All the other students are there," William said before immediately walking off in another direction.
I wanted to ask where the gymnasium was, but he was already gone.
Darn it...
I continued wandering through the school and tried to locate my destination by the source of a noise, which would certainly be heard in a space with many students. As I descended the stairs, I began to notice the first scholars. They were staring at me in a somewhat unsettling way.
"Hey, I'm Andrew, and this is Mike!" said one of the boys. Andrew was tall, strong, with short, brown hair. Mike, on the other hand, had greenish hair, glasses, and legs even longer than Andrew's.
"Look, Andrew, the new kid's a girl, huh? What do you say we show her around the school?"
"W-what? But I need to get to the gymnasium..."
I was scared; doing that kind of thing wasn't something I was used to, and they seemed to have bad intentions.
"Come on, let's go!" Mike said with a menacing grin, placing his arm against the wall I was leaning on. I was frozen—nothing like this had ever happened to me before, and tears were about to spill from my eyes.
"Huh? What's wrong? Am I *that* ugly? Hahaha!" Mike was clearly enjoying my distress. I wondered why...
"Enough, Mike. She's going to cry."
"What? Feeling sorry for her just because she's a girl, Andrew?"
"What did you just say, you jerk?!"
"Stop it right now!" A blond-haired boy appeared. With him were two girls and another boy.
"Huh?! Oh... Sorry," Mike said, sounding a bit startled. The two boys walked away, and the figure who had intervened introduced himself.
"Are you okay? My name's Larry Winter, and I hope we'll get along," he said. He seemed kind and friendly, yet carried an air of authority—what people might call a "leadership spirit."
"Yes, thank you so much. My name's Bonnie Kindness, nice to meet you."
"A pleasure. This is Carol, my cousin," Larry said. Carol gave me a kind smile and waved.
"Nice to meet you, Bonnie! Let's get along!" she said. I couldn't help but wave back and greet her.
"And I'm Charlotte!" Charlotte was a girl with dark hair, glasses, and an average build.
"I hope we get along too. Why did you join Power Shapers in the middle of the year?" she asked, her curiosity evident.
"Nice to meet you. Well, it's because I was..."
"We shouldn't rush her into talking about that, Charlotte. Curb your curiosity a bit," said a serious, tall, and sturdy boy who hadn't spoken until now but was part of Larry's group.
"A pleasure to meet you, Bonnie. My name is Charles Kingman. I'm the vice-president of the student council and the top student academically."
"Oh... Nice to meet you. That's amazing!"
I was a bit overwhelmed by meeting so many people in just one day... Everything felt so new. I followed them to the gymnasium, where I saw all the other students gathered.
Suddenly, an older man with a beard and brown hair stepped onto a stage in the corner of the gymnasium. His yellow eyes radiated ambition, yet he seemed calm and kind. He climbed the steps slowly and spoke into the microphone.
"Good morning, dear vessels of power. I'm now starting the ceremony to introduce the new students. Come up here, Bonnie Kindness!"
I was in shock. *Vessels of power*? More importantly, I had to go up on stage and introduce myself to the entire school. Blushing, I walked to the stage. The man who had called for the ceremony waved, as if trying to encourage me.
"M-my name is Bonnie Kindness! I hope this year will be great!"
My presentation was a disaster. My shyness was obvious, and my insecurity was clear, but even so, everyone applauded.
"Bravo, Miss Kindness. As you might have guessed, I'm the director and founder of this school, of which I'm so proud. My name is Eric Smith, count on me for anything you need."
"Thank you..." I stepped down and, along with the other students, checked my classroom assignment and headed there. Something curious I noticed was that, even though I was the only newbie to enter that place, everyone around seemed curious about their own classrooms, as if something could change during the mid-year holidays.
Maybe it has to do with the fact that the classes here are under an academic hierarchy, and I'd be in the second-year class with the best performance.
My relief was short-lived when I saw Andrew, one of the boys who had confronted me earlier, in the same classroom. He glanced at me briefly before looking away. Maybe I should thank him for earlier; after all, he hadn't done anything wrong. As I was about to approach him, I felt a hand on my shoulder.
"Hey, what are you doing, Bonnie? That guy's trouble—you shouldn't get involved with him!" It was Charlotte, looking worried.
"Oh, no, it was just a misunderstanding, Charlotte. Actually, he tried to help me when that green-haired boy was pressuring me..."
"Don't trust him! He probably just did that to gain your trust!"
Those words touched me.
"Haha, you don't need to worry so much. I'll show you he doesn't have bad intentions," I said, starting to walk toward Andrew's desk.
"H-hi, Andrew. Thanks for trying to help me earlier..." I said, keeping a safe distance.
He looked at me for a few seconds and then frowned.
"Hmph, shut up and leave," he replied coldly, looking away.
I was a bit shocked by his harsh response and slowly walked back to Charlotte, defeated and even a bit hurt.
"Wow, Bonnie! How did you do that?"
"H-huh? What do you mean?"
"You got Andrew to talk to you! Normally, he'd just ignore you, but he responded directly!"
"Haha... Is that really such a big deal? Besides, he was kind of..."
"It doesn't matter, Bonnie! Getting him to talk to you is huge!"
Charlotte was still amazed. I felt a bit humiliated by how he treated me, but oh well, the important thing is to stay positive despite setbacks, right?
After a while, a tall woman with black hair entered the classroom. She stood at the board, staring at us for a long time.
"Good morning, dear vessels of power," she suddenly said to the entire class.
"As most of you know, my name is Sandra, and I'm going to be your teacher."
All the students immediately sat down and looked at her. I sat behind Charlotte.
"Since Miss Bonnie already introduced herself on stage, I think it's only fair that everyone else introduces themselves too," she said with a slightly mischievous smile, pointing to a boy in the front row. "Let's start with you!"
"My name is Larry Winter. I'm counting on all of you to make this a comfortable classroom for everyone. If you need anything, just call me!"
The student behind him stood up slowly. He had red eyes, slightly long black hair, and was a bit shorter than Larry. He looked at everyone with a neutral expression and said:
"I'm Jack."
He sat down, and no one reacted. It was as if the atmosphere had shifted instantly. Charlotte whispered to me:
"That guy's super weird. He's insanely antisocial. One day I tried talking to him, and he gave me this threatening look and told me to 'get lost'..."
Another antisocial person…
The next boy stood up slowly. The higher he rose, the more apparent his smile became. Though his deep black eyes radiated excitement, his entire body was completely relaxed.
His hair was white and spiky, and he wore a black jacket over part of his uniform. His tie was black, and his gaze exuded dominance. Looking at him, I don't really know why, but I felt like I was no longer in a classroom, but in my own mind.
"Good morning, everyone. My name is Steven Honleast, and I hope this year we'll reach the truth."
Everyone remained silent, and looks of disgust and fear surrounded him. It was like... two months ago... but unlike me, this student maintained his serene and calm expression. He slowly turned his black eyes toward me.
"Count on us, Bonnie. We'll welcome you with all our strength this year," he said, looking deep into my soul.
"T-thank you, Steven," I smiled back gently. But when I looked around, everyone was still staring at him with disdain and contempt. I felt awful about it all.
What's going on...?
Charlotte also seemed frightened of Steven, but why? What had he done to deserve this treatment?
"Hey, I'm Tina. Hope everyone's happy this year, and... ugh, whatever," said a tall girl with blue and red dyed hair, who seemed to have a laid-back personality.
Though her introduction was a bit clumsy, she didn't seem to care much. As she sat down, the classroom atmosphere became more peaceful. Everyone continued introducing themselves until it was my row's turn. Carol, Larry's cousin who had also helped me earlier, was up first.
"Let's all have a great year, everyone! I'm Carol Winter, and I hope we'll continue to be friends!" she said, blushing slightly. She was as beautiful and charismatic as her cousin.
After two more introductions, it was Charlotte's turn.
"Hey, everyone! Most of you already know, but I'm Charlotte! Let's keep getting along!" Charlotte was playful, naive, and curious. Her joy was contagious.
The teacher smiled and looked at me.
"Miss Bonnie, could you introduce yourself again?" I felt all eyes turn to me. Why did I have to introduce myself again...?
"Uh... My name is Bonnie Kindness. I hope we have a great year. Thank you so much for the warm welcome!" I smiled gently after speaking. I'd only been in the classroom for a short time, but the more time passed, the less nervous I felt.
After everyone had introduced themselves, Sandra turned to the board and began teaching. Her class was amazing, far better than any I'd ever had, but it was definitely not simple. Students who weren't paying attention would surely struggle with the material later...
After classes ended, Charlotte turned to me.
"Hey! What did you think of the classes, Bonnie? You're super smart! You answered all the teacher's questions along with Carol, Larry, Yelena and the other smart kids... I was impressed!"
"Haha, thanks. I really liked the classes, Charlotte. By the way... I have a question."
"Huh? What is it?"
"About the student named Steven... Why does everyone seem to hate him?"
Charlotte's face darkened slightly. She looked at me with some hesitation.
"Well, Bonnie... It's just rumors, but they say he... killed another student."
…
What?
"I'm sorry, can you repeat that?"
"Like I said, these are just rumors! But... It seems he caused the death of a student named Craig."
I couldn't believe it. I was utterly horrified. I mean... Killing... That's ending dreams, hope, an entire universe... But it seemed so absurd to say, especially since it was just a rumor.
"And... what did he say about it?"
"I don't know, Bonnie. I've always stayed away from that guy, and I want you to do the same. Can you do that for me, my friend?"
"Friend"... Charlotte considered me a friend, even though we'd only just met...
"Charlotte... Thanks for worrying about me, but I really need to know what happened before taking such a drastic step... Aren't you curious to know what might have happened?"
Charlotte stood still for a moment, looking at the ground. Then she raised her head, meeting my eyes.
"You have a very, very good heart… Well, I'll go with you! I'm curious too, after all!" Charlotte smiled, grabbing my shoulder.
"Let's go!"
We started walking through the school's courtyards since classes had ended, and Steven was no longer in the classroom. We checked the cafeteria, the sports courts, the library, and the gym, but we found nothing.
"Ugh, Bonnie! That guy must have gone to his dorm already!"
"Yeah... Well, I guess that's not so unusual, haha... Sorry for dragging you into this, Charlotte."
"Oh no! Bonnie, I'm late for the music club! Damn it, I'm so stupid! I gotta go! Be careful!"
Suddenly, Charlotte ran back into the school without giving me a chance to say goodbye.
A club… maybe I should join one.
I started walking toward my dorm, where I'd be staying for one year and half. But then I heard an unwelcome voice near my ears.
"Hey, Bonnie! You've got to help me! Please!"
It was Mike, the boy who had harassed me earlier.
"H-huh...? What do you want?"
Mike had a sad, desperate expression, and carried a paper with him.
"Well... Firstly, I'm sorry… After what happened earlier, I was called to the principal's office, and they almost got me expelled. They want proof that you forgive me… Tsk… I think you're able to deduce the rest. Sign here, please. I promise that I'll change."
"Oh, sure!" I signed the paper and did as he asked. "There. I forgive you, Mike."
He faced the paper for a long time, then looked at me and started to laugh.
"Hu, hu, hu, hu... You know, Bonnie... You really should be less naive."
"H-huh...?" What was happening? Less naive? What had Mike done?
"You see, this school is actually very severe with their methods, and one of the rules is: 'If you break any contract signed with your name and fingerprint, you'll be expelled.'"
"W-what? But that rule is for school documents, right...?"
"Hahaha, of course it's not just for those, considering the rule doesn't specify that! Do you think you're the first person I've trapped with a contract?"
"W-w-wait! Mike, you can't force me to do literally anything with this. The school wouldn't go that far..."
"You're right about one thing. I can't force you to do *anything* with this, after all, it's written that extreme things, like messing with your body or money, aren't valid with this document."
I felt a bit relieved by that information but still had doubts.
"But then why?"
"Because with this document, I can force you to bet whatever I want, Bonnie! I can't make you give me something directly with it, but with this document, I can make you bet!"
"What? You're saying you found a loophole to get what you wanted not through the document itself but through something you could achieve using it...? That's... awful..."
I was devastated. Now I'd have to bet whatever Mike wanted, as that was likely what was written in the document, and I'd surely lose. I started crying slowly.
"Don't despair, Bonnie. To get into this school, you must be really smart, right? That's why I'm proposing a game of intelligence to see who wins the bet."
"I-intelligence...? Why...?"
"You see, Bonnie, bets are allowed in this school, but only if the bet is fair. If I cheat on the rules or the game is impossible to win, then I can't bet. That's why we're going to play a game I created, called 'Three Truths, Three Lies,' or 'The Game of Six Sentences'!"
"T-the Game of Six Sentences...?" I began wiping my tears.
"Exactly, Bonnie!" Mike placed a recorder on the ground, likely to prove the bet had taken place. "I'll explain the rules here and now!"
Suddenly, from a distance, I saw Steven. He was sitting on a bench, silently watching us, but I wasn't thinking about him anymore. All I wanted was to get out of this situation.
"The rules are: I'll say six sentences, three of which will be truthful, and three will be lies. If you guess which are truths or lies, indicating them by their numerical positions from one to six and performing well—meaning getting more than half right—then you'll win the game and the bet. As written in the document, I didn't bet anything, so it's not like you'll gain something from me, but you'll escape this situation unharmed. Now, if you lose… you'll have to be my slave for the rest of the school days. You'll do everything I order. Ha! Hahaha!"
"T-that's cruel..." Tears welled up in my eyes again. Everyone passed by without caring, while Mike laughed.
"First sent—"
"Wait!"
Surprisingly, I heard Steven's voice behind me as he touched my back. I blushed slightly as my tears fell.
"Steven, the murderer? What do you want? Think I'm scared of you?"
Steven stared at him for a moment, and Mike seemed genuinely scared.
"No. I'm just here to see how this game plays out," he said, sitting on the ground to watch us. I couldn't believe it. "Go on, Mike!"
Mike laughed as he looked at my face. Then he said the sentences.
"The sentences are: I think I'm better than you, huhuhu, I think you'll lose. I consider myself very intelligent. Hahaha, that was a fun one, huh? I've been studying at this school for a year. Huhu, that one wasn't as fun. I'm the best student in my class, I'm a great student. I like pasta. I know how to fight."
I was tense... So the sentences were "I think I'm better than you", "I consider myself very intelligent", "I've been studying at this school for a year", "I'm the best student in my class", "I like pasta", and "I know how to fight"?
Well... The most specific ones were about pasta and fighting... but what if that's a trap...? I can't do this; I need a strategy to win.
After thinking for a moment, I had an idea. I looked at him seriously. Surely the sentence "I consider myself very intelligent" was true, so the best strategy to win this game was to mark it as true and all the others as false. If I did that, I'd get the three false ones right, plus the true one I was sure of. Yes, it's a perfect strategy. It's what I need to do.
"My answer is..."
"It's a trap, Bonnie."
"H-huh...?"
It was Steven, grabbing my shoulder. What did he mean by that? Did he know what I was about to do?
"Yes, Bonnie. I know. You were about to say the second sentence was true and mark all the others as false, right? But you can't do that!"
What...? Now... it's like he read my mind...
"Hey, Steven! What do you think you're doing?! Want to fight? You're not supposed to help her, you idiot!"
"What's the problem? When I heard the rules, there was nothing prohibiting me from helping. So yes, I'll help my friend."
Friend...?
"B-but Steven, what should I do? Why would that be a trap?"
"He clearly said 'six sentences,' right? But he didn't say '*only* six sentences.'"
"W-what? That means he was exploiting another loophole to...?"
"Every time he said a sentence, he added another sarcastically, likely the opposite of the sincerity of what he was saying. For example, the sentence 'I consider myself very intelligent,' followed by 'that was a fun one.' Mike obviously didn't find the sentence fun, so if you said that sentence was true, he'd claim the second of the six sentences he meant was that one, and you'd lose. He could switch from sentence to sentence, deciding which were the six and which weren't based on your response. That means no matter what, you'd lose because of the numerical rule."
"W-what...? That means this is an unfair bet, right...?"
Mike looked desperate. Steven's presence clearly wasn't part of his plan. I, on the other hand, was relieved. Having someone like him to help me was exactly what I needed at that moment.
"Steven! Shut up! You'd better not say anything else, got it?!"
"This isn't an unfair bet, Bonnie. And I'll tell you why. There's a way to win."
"H-huh?"
"Listen, Bonnie. Is there any rule that forces you to actually answer what he asked? You can simply say nothing, and then, after the school days are over, the document will no longer be valid."
Mike looked exhausted. He put his hand on his forehead and laughed.
"Alright, alright. Looks like you're not a complete idiot, huh, Steven? Unlike the one standing next to you, you can at least think logically. Indeed, I didn't include a rule saying she had to answer to avoid making the bet unfair, but you figured it out easily..."
"Stop it, Mike. Bonnie can think logically; she just wasn't prepared for something like this on her first day."
"Fine, fine... So the two lovebirds beat me, okay? You won't be so lucky next time, Bonnie. Remember, our game is only void after the school days end... Huhuhu..."
I was still scared by what he meant, but so relieved to have escaped that vulnerable situation thanks to Steven... I couldn't express the gratitude I felt. All the tension returned when I realized he wasn't done yet.
"Hey, Mike! Wait! We're not finished!" Steven shouted, looking at him. Mike turned around immediately.
"Huh?! What do you want, you trash?"
"I want to play with you. I'll take Bonnie's place in this contract, but you'll have to agree to some conditions."
Mike laughed, as if he predicted that outcome.
"You're saying you can win this game?! Or are you just stepping in to save Bonnie from my next trap?"
Steven smiled confidently, staring at him with his deep eyes.
"I can win this game, Mike. And yes, I'll answer which sentences are true or false."
I couldn't believe what was happening. Determining which sentences were true or just lies... would be impossible, right? Even if he got all the initial sentences right or marked consecutive sentences with opposite values using a tactic like mine, Mike would invalidate him for not indicating them with numerical positions.
"Huhuhuhuhu! You're interesting, murderer! Alright, what are your conditions?"
"I want you to sign this document."
Steven showed the document. Mike examined it carefully and then signed it.
"Alright... So you'll take her place in the contract. And I'll have to write down which sentences are true and false on a piece of paper. Plus, I have to say all the sentences before you respond, and you can only respond after I've said them all. And... the numerical position rule will be changed. You're really smart, Steven. Finally, if you win, I won't be able to bet anymore. In short, you're willing to take all this risk just to protect Bonnie?"
"That's right, Mike. We're in agreement. Which sentences will you say?"
"W-wait, Steven! You don't have to do all this for me... If you lose, then…"
"It's okay, Bonnie. Don't worry, I'm absolutely sure I'll win."
"Alright, murderer... I'll repeat the sentences from the previous game. But this time, I've added a new rule. You'll have to correctly identify all six sentences, and you have only 2 minutes to guess. Agreed?"
Those rules were absurd. Even with the removal of the numerical rule, Steven has to guess every single sentence right. Would everything really be okay? Does he know the value of some of the sentences? But if so, why does Mike seem so convinced? And why is he repeating the sentences?
"Agreed."
"I think I'm better than you. I think you'll lose. I consider myself very intelligent. That was a fun one. I've been studying at this school for a year. That one wasn't as fun. I'm the best student in my class. I'm a great student. I like pasta. I know how to fight."
"Bonnie, don't worry. I have a strategy to beat Mike."
"Can you tell me your strategy, Steven...?"
"It's simple. I'll address all the sentences. That way, I'll inevitably cover the six, and he won't be able to change them. If each alternate sentence was calculated to be the opposite of the following sentence's truth value, then if I figure out the six sentences, I'll figure out the alternate ones too."
"But how will you figure out the sentences, Steven? Do you have a strategy for that too?"
Steven put his hand on his head and looked at me with a serene and kind expression, but his black eyes radiated excitement. It was as if he was 100% certain.
"I'll think about it, Bonnie. But actually, something doesn't seem to add up..." Even with words of uncertainty, his gaze didn't waver.
"W-what's wrong?"
"The first two sentences... No matter how much I think about it, for there to be no more than three truths, they need to contradict each other... but they seem similar, just like the fifth and sixth."
That was true. How could that be? Mike had done something...
"It seems to me that he is always falsifying something, and even in this game, with my new rules, he has a method of cheating, which is why he has not changed the sentences. There is also the fact that the ruling regarding the defeat may or may not be applied to the previous game or this one."
Hearing this, I had an idea. An idea I confirmed by looking into Mike's eyes. His personality so far, all his actions... they were fake. Just an act. And it was all to put us in a situation where he seemed contradictory. That means...
"He was pretending, Steven! That means the first sentence he said was likely false, while the second was true. The same with the third sentences!"
Steven seemed surprised by my insight and immediately agreed.
"That's completely correct! It all makes sense now! So, the first sentence is false, and the second is true. The third is true, the fourth is false, the fifth is false, because I was at the school before Mike arrived, and I know he only started this year, and the sixth is true. All the alternate sentences are opposite in their relation to the sentences you considered, and given the way this game was structured, Mike is aware of the inverted sentence pattern and has a tendency to use his own practical experience as evidence to support his game, which relates to the observable sentences, which would communicate in opposite ways to each other or both being false. The absence of aggression due to school rules, however, limits the possibilities of confusion if Mike is trying to fake the penultimate sentence. There was no guarantee that I would show up, so the way this whole thing was set up, with this number of traps, was thought out and used in advance. This leads me to believe that the last two are true, having the marking of alternating and false sentences as the greatest probability of error in an anticipation."
"Yes! Yes!" I was thrilled with the help I'd provided. After being saved by Steven, I also wanted to do something for him.
Steven immediately turned and declared the sentences, surprising Mike. He looked genuinely shocked.
"W-w-what...?! So... you figured it out..."
"Bonnie figured it out, Mike. She's apparently very good at seeing through people, and you got caught."
"Hahaha! So it was the girl who beat me in the end? That's quite a twist... Well, you won the bet, so I don't have to keep up my act anymore."
He sighed.
"I won't bet anymore until the school days are over. That's sad, but it's what I have to do. Goodbye, guys..."
Mike turned and walked away. I could finally relax and let out a sigh of relief.
"B-but Steven, you did most of the work... and you would've surely figured out that Mike was trying to trick us based on your logic, right...? W-why did you give me all the credit in the end?"
"Hahaha! You helped a lot, Bonnie. Don't be so modest," he said, placing his hand on my shoulder, making me blush again.
"T-thank you."
The school environment at this boarding school was far more dangerous than I'd imagined. An experience like this could never be forgotten. But surprisingly, I felt safe. On my first day, I'd already formed so many alliances and even a friendship. Plus, with Steven, I felt like no one could harm me.
All my sense of calm slowly faded as I realized why I'd been looking for Steven in the first place. I stepped back from him and faced him. He continued looking at me with his serene expression, as if he knew what I was about to ask.
"Steven... Is it true... that you killed a student...?"