Lunch – 12:09 PM.
Heading to the cafeteria, the usual traffic jam of over-speeding individuals — who then had the audacity to insult the victims of their almost collisions — created a cacophony of noise.
I ordered my meal, wolfed it down, and headed to the teachers' office.
The main office of the school was said to be a gloomy place to be requested to head to — or at least, that's what the rumours claimed. Personally, I found it hard to believe an office with a pool table and gaming gadgets could be all that bad.
Obviously, that was from the student' perspective. For teachers I truly doubt it.
Upon arrival, I knocked in quick succession to indicate my presence.
"Come in, Sebastien." I heard
I walked in.
"Afternoon, Teach."
His eyebrows raised — though he didn't look up.
"I believe I deserve a more respectful greeting Mr Sebastian."
"Good afternoon, Lord Venyer," I stated sarcastically.
"I don't like your tone, Mr. Sebastian. Sit. Do you know the reason for this meeting?", he asked.
"Not really. Punishment?", I inquired.
"Punishment?" His eyebrows rose again. It seemed this was his way of conveying surprise — or maybe he just liked moving them. Perhaps it was a muscle spasm in action.
"This meeting isn't a punishment. Quite frankly, I don't see the point in punishing students when a much more painful, self-inflicted one is already waiting for them in the future". I looked up a bit taken aback from his bluntness
"No, Mr. Sebastian, I called you here to give you a brief understanding of your available pathways and to inquire about your future plans. I hope that's okay?"
"I assume I can't say no?" I asked.
He looked up, sternly.
I sighed.
"Yes, as you wish."
"Your result is poor," A pause . "Do you know or understand the difficulty one has to go through to enter a higher education?"
I didn't respond — mainly because my whole train of thought was centered on the movie I planned to watch that night.
"The scores are divided: 1000 to 980 for the top colleges, 980 to 900 for second-tier ones, then going down by 100 each time until 500 — that's four tiers, with the lowest being the fourth.
Any lower and you're wasting money that could be invested usefully elsewhere. At that point, most people apply to the military or police forces in hopes of getting in. Even that is competitive now — minimum score being 500 and above — and you're still up against those with decent results."
He paused, then continued.
"Now let's look at yours. 353. What do you think about your score?"
I looked up.
"Pardon?" I asked.
He sighed.
"Mr. Sebastian, what do you think about your score? The adjectives I'm expecting are 'appalling' and 'awful.'"
I thought for a bit.
"I'm leaning towards... unique."
"Yes. Unique, I believe." I reinstated
"Joke all you want, but soon things will get real hot, and then you'll understand how truly bleak things are.
There are only two pathways I currently know of — perhaps you have more?" He looked at me, questioning.
"Not really.", I responded
His expression didn't look too good upon hearing that — it flickered from hope before my answer to defeat, then to something that made me think he was about to mutter, 'This poor sod...'
"Well, Sebastian," he paused waiting for me to look up. " The two pathways are the army and an apprenticeship — both require additional work."
"Sir..." I tried to speak, but he cut me off. I must say, I thought it rather rude.
"It's not much. I've asked your prefect to coach you. Yes, I know you're having trouble, but it's the best way to at least get your score to borderline 500. His expression turned really joyful probably thinking of the good result the prefect it bound to get and the evident impact on his salary. "And," he continued "since you're leaving through this school, you're guaranteed entry at that score.
That — or you focus on Computer Science and Advanced Engineering, which seem to be your strengths. Score above 80% in each and I believe a smooth entry into an apprenticeship."
"Sir..." I tried again.
He cut me off once more.
"You may leave."
I stood up, trying again to speak — but the guy actually switched on the news and raised the volume.
"This guy..." I muttered — and paused. Something on the screen caught my attention.
---
[TV NEWS BROADCAST]
> "We bring you breaking news tonight from Uptown district ivory hieght, where a shocking and deeply unsettling incident has unfolded.
Authorities have confirmed the death of Mr. Isaac Elcore — a respected philosopher, educator, and widely published intellectual figure — whose body was discovered earlier this morning under mysterious circumstances."
> "Mr. Elcore, known for his work on human consciousness and existential thought, was found deceased in his residence in Ivory hieght Halbridge Avenue at approximately 6:15 AM.
Sources close to the investigation have described the scene as 'ritualistic' in nature, sparking widespread concern and speculation."
> "Authorities have identified the prime suspect as Ledger Finch — who, according to sources, was Mr. Elcore's long-time manservant 2 years to be exact with appalling history of multiple scam reports.
Another body was also discovered — currently unidentified but believed to be one of two accomplices originally involved in the incident. The individual was first described as an 'unidentified shamanic figure.'"
> "We return now to the ongoing investigation surrounding the tragic demise of renowned philosopher Mr. Isaac Elcore, whose untimely death has captivated both the public and the academic world."
> "In a press briefing earlier today, Detective Inspector Anthony Ravenshall of the Metropolitan Serious Crimes Division provided a chilling update."
> 'We have reason to believe,' he stated, 'that the principal suspect, Mr. Ledger Finch, was not acting alone. Evidence suggests the involvement of two accomplices in the lead-up to Mr. Elcore's death. However, it now appears that following the philosopher's demise, Mr. Finch proceeded to eliminate one of his own associates in an act of exceptional cruelty.'
> "Authorities have used the term 'deliberately terminated' to describe the method used — a manner so calculated and severe, it has been described as barbarous by forensic experts."
> "Mr. Finch is currently under close observation in a secure facility. Despite overwhelming evidence, he continues to insist that he is not responsible for the acts committed — claiming instead that they were carried out by what he describes as 'a possessing entity' — or, in his words, a transcendental spirit."
> "The investigation remains active, and authorities have not ruled out further developments. We will continue to provide updates as more information emerges."
> "This is Mary Tasuh, reporting live from Uptown. Thank you."
---
The screen went blank.
"You may now leave, Sebastian" he reinstated his face looking like he was in thought the iconic eye brow raise still active
I nodded, momentarily forgetting my earlier objections, and left the room.