"Haaah"
I yawned, my math teacher Carlos speaking and teaching all the students, no one heard my yawn as I was in the far back
"Hmm"
I wasn't paying much attention to class because it was just the first day, it wouldn't really Impact my grades or anything like that if I didn't pay attention to classes for one day so I just relaxed myself waiting for Carlos to finish.
"Cale, I want you to solve (a+b)^ 2 - (a-b)^ 2 . Everyone know that We are doing simple calculations here and revisiting what you should already know from last year In middle school."
The teacher turned back to me, eagerly awaiting for my answer.
"Uh it's... a^ 2 + 2ab + b^ 2 - (a^ 2 - 2ab + b^ 2) = a ^ 2 + 2ab + b^ 2 - a^ 2 +2ab - b^ 2= 4ab"[1]
"And you are correct Cale!" Carlos said with excitement coming out of his voice
"h-hoooo"
'Thank god it was simple algebra'
I exhaled, thankful that Carlos didn't ask me to solve anything difficult.
'Good thing I remembered I guess'
I look to my right and see a clock high on the high column
Tick~
Tick~
A soft tick was heard from the clock.
'10 minutes left on the clock...'
This was the last hour, I didn't know what would happen but I doubted It would be anything like the trial, making me wonder even more why Gardenia even held the trial in the first place. I didn't ponder too much on it however since I knew that my guesses wouldn't be anywhere close to the truth, I instead focused on something more Important.
"..."
The medicine that sludge had on him and gave to me. It wasn't here.
'Does this mean that I can't bring Items outside of Gardenia'
I suspected as much, since I couldn't bring anything from before I transported to Gardenia like my phone or anything like that. however I knew It was more than that because I was still wearing my clothes which shouldn't be possible If I really couldn't bring anything In Gardenia.
'Well I don't have any Information about how It works'
8 minutes left before the bell rings.
'Wait, now that I have time to think and organize the new Information I gained. Where In the world did that sludge get the dwon from?'
There wasn't anywhere In the school where someone could buy medicine from, unless It were from one of the cafeterias.
'There also wasn't any Infirmary In the entire school building'
No Infirmary here either since the entire building was thoroughly searched every time classes ended and I could explore Gardenia freely.
'Where in the world did that Sludge even get the medicine from? no is it even a medicine?'
The 'medicine' looked like a dead worm, or well that is the simple description
'It had barbs on it...'
Barbs littered its skin in grotesque formations, making it seem even less like medicine
'I know they say the more disgusting and unappetizing the medicine looks the better the effects but...there had to be some limits to that saying'
Its texture was absolutely and utterly disgusting
'I wouldn't be surprised if a dog found it and ran away disgusted as well as me'
Pinching my nose, I came to a swift conclusion
"Did he...get scammed maybe?"
No one ever said that monsters can't get scammed right?
My head rotated to the clock anxiously waiting for the bell to ring once again.
"Hey what will you two do after class ends?"
Catrina cocked her head to meet both me and Gabriel as she spoke
"Ehh I don't know... what will you do Cale?"
Gabriel asked me curiously, wanting to know my plans first before he revealed his
"Well normally I would just go back home, but since I have time do you want to go out with me?"
I answered bluntly to Catrina's question
"Yeah sure, I also have a lot of time In my hands. What about you Gabriel?"
"I think I'll have to pass"
Catrina looked taken aback by what she heard, her eyes widening and even I was shocked by what Gabriel said
"Wait why? you're always the one who brings us together to go out, what's the sudden change?"
Catrina took the words straight out of my mouth.
"Yeah you're not one to reject hanging out with us"
I at least did the courtesy of asking his reasons, agreeing with Catrina
"I have Judo classes?"
"..."
"..."
Both I and Catrina look at this man dead In the eyes, slightly disappointed but they couldn't do anything about it. Catrina then turns her attention to me and opened her mouth to speak
"So Cale since it's just the two of us now, where do you want to go?"
"Where do you want to go?"
"Space"
"..."
'Seriously?'
"What, you said where I want to go? If you don't like it, you choose"
'You cheeky little-'
I cursed at Catrina for skillfully forcing me to choose because she didn't know where to go.
"...Fine I'll choose... how about a Café?"
"I don't have any problems with it but..."
"But?"
"We should buy something to drink but I don't want to stay In the Café"
"So takeaway then?"
"Yeah that"
Gabriel had a look of confusion etched on his face almost as if he is seeing something unbelievable.
I noticed the look of awe on him and teasingly talked to him in a low tone
"What's up with you? don't tell me you're jealous"
"No it's just that...you usually avoid going out"
His observation slightly left me agape, surprised by the choice of words that flowed
"?"
'Well I guess he's right?'
"You are right, but I haven't really rejected you guys whenever you wanted me to hang out with you?"
This was true, whenever Gabriel or Catrina asked me to go out, I never refused them outright unless I really couldn't and had things to do.
"Ah...yeah you are right"
Tearing my attention away from Gabriel's stupidity for being confused at the sight of me going out and hanging out, I stare at the petite girl In front of me looking at me excited and ready to hang out with no questions asked, a rich thin smile formed on my lips
'Look at her, she's not questioning why I want to hang out all of sudden and is just excited to hang out with a friend. Not like that Idiot who's next to me'
Said idiot looked at the whiteboard, completely ignoring my gaze
Catrina was an extrovert, a diehard one at that. she lives by going outside and hanging out with friends, 'not only that but she also always keeps the conversation alive which I can't do at all'
After praising and complimenting Catrina's abilities for a while In my head to pass the time, I turn my head to the right and look at the clock that was ticking softly, its ticks dug like a shovel in my mind
5
Tick
4
Tick
3
Tick
2
Tick
1
Tick
0
Trrrr~
Trrrr~
The bells rang softly, the supposed digging soft tick stopped at the same time
At the same time, I was met with a gentle darkness that consumed and gnawed at my surroundings along with my vision faster than the previous times.
"!"
Opening my shadow filled eyes, I noticed a peculiar familiar scene
I was sitting In class, this time unlike the other times, In the middle front as opposed to when I was at the far right corner.
On the podium stood proudly a familiar Invisible creature wearing an Immaculate suit with a silver patterned gloves on his hands and glasses on what would have been his face if he was not Invisible.
Carlos Ashen stood there with an air of Authority emanating from him. then Carlos spoke
[Hello, you may all have been surprised to see me but this time you need not worry as I won't be doing anything that will endanger you and will Instead tell you something that will benefit you and help you]
I look behind me and then to my right, middle and left. I see the Sludges sitting at their desks and it was there that I saw it.
'The humanoid monster'
One of the humanoid monsters that I saw back when Zenox gave his speech and the only one I could vividly remember.
Its body looked to be covered in black armor that appeared to have been made specifically for mobility stuck like glue to It's skin- no it was his skin upon closer inspection.
'This guy is in my class?!'
I knew from the moment that I laid my eyes on that figure that If I were to get Involved with him I'd die. I didn't know this out of Instinct or some gut feeling. There was only one confirmation I needed, to know that this guy was bad news.
Pitch Black Lines, unlike the previous times they activated where they simply grew thicker and pulsed with Intensity, this time they were swirling violently around the humanoid monster with such Intensity that the entire classroom was filled with pitch black lines pointing at one single entity.
[1] For anyone that may have been confused by my writing. the other half may look the same at a glance but it's different as the parenthesis were removed in the other half and -2ab became +2ab :)