Hiyori Inoue finished taking attendance and surveyed her class through her square glasses. Then she stood up and cleared her throat. The ambient noise dipped as many faces diverted their attention to her.

"Well, you've made it to A Levels." She smiled. "Congratulations."

There was a smattering of laughter.

"My name is Hiyori Inoue. You may call me Miss Inoue. I will be your homeroom teacher for the next two years—two years that will prove to be pivotal in your life. If you got good grades for your O Levels, I suggest you don't let that get to your head. The two years ahead of you would be the most taxing and also the most rewarding...since they will decide your life and career. So, I advise you to not play the fool and focus on your work."

Evanna just slumped on her chair right in front of the boys' seating. She wondered if the former was an option to begin with, given the iron rules that manacled them.

"As you might already know, I'm the head of Tsunokory." Inoue adjusted her glasses, which reflected turquoise and gold from the dichroic glass sections of the enormous windows—a dash of color in the monochrome room. "So I expect you to do your best not just for yourselves, but for your house."

"Glory to Tsunokory!" a sandy-haired boy announced in a loud whisper, followed by hushed laughter.

"Why, thank you for your input, mister..."

"Tom Lamrin."

Inoue continued, "Tsunokory has garnered a certain notoriety over the years. I've felt it is somewhat uncalled for, since some of the more...misunderstood or eccentric students are concentrated here. We have repeatedly secured first place in creativity throughout the years, but I want us to work together to try our luck at winning the house cup this year. That means you will have to be on your best behavior, abide by the rules and of course, excel at academics and sports."

When no one reacted, she added drily, "I would like to stress on good behavior and sports, since we lag behind in those the most."

A barely suppressed smirk appeared on quite a few of the upturned faces.

"For those who are taking physics, I'm your physics teacher. Before some of you scatter away to your respective classes, I'd like to congratulate Aidana Aliyev, our newly appointed class monitor, for being chosen to join the ranks of prefects—the only prefect in this class."

Aidana, a chubby girl on the front row, stood up to thank the teacher amidst polite applause. She bestowed a pleasant smile on her classmates and sat down.

"And one last thing..." Inoue's gaze moved over the students before coming to rest on a seat by the window. "We have a new student, who's also new to the city. She's from Nuara."

Evanna jerked at being addressed. All heads turned to survey her.

The teacher gestured to her. "Do come and introduce yourself to us."

Tendrils of nervousness curled inside as she passed the empty seat beside her and glided to the front of the classroom. Please let the Earth devour me now.

She positioned herself next to Inoue, her hands behind her back, and tried not to make contact with the many eyes staring at her—especially the set of eyes that had been trying to catch hers for a while now.

Evanna had loitered in the stairwell to evade Anukie and slipped into the classroom only when the teacher started taking attendance.

"Go on," Inoue said with a hint of encouragement.

"Hi, I'm Evanna Zeller."

"Speak a little louder."

"Hi, I'm Evanna Zeller—you can just call me Evie."

A few people said hi back. 

Evanna threw an uncertain glance at Inoue and added, "So, um, nice to meet you."

There was an awkward pause until the teacher said, "Nice to meet you too, Evie. You may go back to your seat."

She blew out a breath and scuttled back to her chair—just when someone knocked on the door.

Inoue turned. "Come in."

A short girl drifted into the classroom. Shoulder-length hair swayed in unbraided bunches. Evanna sat up in her seat.

It was Marilda.

"Hi," she said pleasantly. "Sorry I'm late."

Inoue regarded her, a quizzical expression now engraved on her face. "Why are you late? And what's your name?"

"Maria Emilda Santos—Marilda for short. I was a bit hungry after all that standing, so I dropped by the cafeteria to get some food."

Suppressed laughter rippled out across the room.

Inoue's no-nonsense demeanor did not ease as she gave Marilda a firm look, though the twitch in her mouth betrayed her amusement. "Well, it's the first day. Be on time in the future."

"Okay, ma'am."

Marilda bounced her way to the empty chair next to Evanna and flopped down. "Hi."

"Um, hi," Evanna whispered. "I'm Evie."

Inoue dismissed the students. People gathered their things, and Marilda got up to go as well. From the corner of her eye, Evanna observed Anukie stand and stare at her for a long moment before heading out.

Quite a few familiar faces stayed behind for physics class—including Genelle Lee, who seemed not much different from the Genelle she knew. Sery and Ula also remained.

Mimicking the arrangement at the assembly, boys were seated behind the girls. At the very back were Shane Evans and his friend, whose name turned out to be Ash Gevaria. The cool, brooding duo. What are the odds of them sitting together when seats are assigned? I wouldn't be surprised if they intimidated whoever to swap.

Ash idly twirled a pen with surprising dexterity, while Shane was leaning back with his eyes closed. Evanna noticed she wasn't the only one stealing glances at them.

Among the influx of students for Inoue's physics class was a gangly boy who went purposefully to the back and sat next to Mort. Oh, Mort's got a friend. Thank heavens for gender segregation—I don't have to sit with him now.

She tried not to stare when Sara breezed in with a girl she didn't recognize. Then Oleanda walked in with two of her friends. There was an affected coyness about Sara, while Oleanda seemed to be herself—even haughtier, judging by her confident strut. What struck Evanna was, however, the marked change in their physical appearance—dressed in the dark school uniform and having no makeup on.

A tall girl walked in by herself and came to sit next to Evanna with a meek hello. She mumbled that her name was Manik Halpe and buried herself in her textbook, which suited Evanna fine.

After the last of the students trickled in, Inoue tapped her tablet and turned on the sizeable smart board, its brightness maxed out in the lit classroom. Evanna experienced a pang of panic—there was still no sign of Alcina. She's probably not taking Physics, Ev!

Yet again, she pondered the unreality of her situation, and a shiver slithered down her spine.

She sat through the overview of the course for the second time. Her thoughts wandered elsewhere, while her stomach started grumbling with hunger. Time ticked by with agonizing slowness until the bell sounded for lunch break. More like brunch—it's just ten minutes past ten. But then again, when you get up before dawn.

The exodus of people jostled Evanna into the crowded corridor, where jumbled voices lapped against her ears and fanned her mounting anxiety. She hesitated, wondering if she should go to the admissions office and inquire about Alcina.

"Ev!"

A hand grabbed her arm and spun her around. She found herself face-to-face with Anukie.

"Ev, what are you doing!" Anukie bounced on her feet, visibly agitated. "Why are you avoiding me? What happened—"

Evanna blinked at the barrage of questions hurled at her. Her mind sailed back in time to middle school—a time when their friendly rivalry was marked with competition and incessant bickering. The memory vanished as a more recent one surfaced in vivid detail—that of Anukie's hard stare in the backdrop of mocking laughter. Her heart plummeted.

This reality had forced Anukie to look different, but the older version actually went out of her way to help—only to stab her in the back. Her distress escalated with each passing millisecond.

"I'm off," Evanna stated in a flat voice, interrupting Anukie's torrent of words.

"What?" she blurted out and shot her a perplexed look.

"Leave me alone and stay away from me."

While Anukie stood agape, Evanna hurried off, weaving through throngs of students. Her breaths came out uneven.

She headed to the bank of elevators at the white end of the corridor. Then the sight in front brought her to a sudden halt.

Strolling in her direction were Junho and Max.

Pleasantly surprised to run into them, an uncertain smile broke out on her face and nudged aside her roiling emotions. They stopped walking and looked down at her.

"Hey, Junho! Hey, Max! It's so—" she faltered. They don't know you, stupid! "I mean, hey, I'm Evie—nice to meet you."

She was distinctly aware of several pairs of eyes swiveling her way. Her brain registered three other boys walking just behind the duo. Heat spread over her face like wildfire.

Junho broke the awkward silence, "You know you're popular with the ladies when they rush up to you to introduce themselves."

Max sniggered.

Evanna couldn't help the laugh that burst out. "I'm sorry, I—" 

She experienced a mini jolt when she suddenly noticed the aura of confidence around them. The white walls amplified the brightness as if they were in a movie set. The stares she received went up with each passing second. She squirmed. Maybe it's the uniform—they're not in baggy clothes anymore.

"Were you hoping to get an autograph?" Max asked with raised eyebrows, mouth shaped into a lopsided grin.

She rolled her eyes.

Junho smirked. "Okay...you're super excited to meet us, but scoff at autographs?"

Evanna frowned, unable to make sense of the statement. "You—you do play Arcana?"

"Huh?" Max said, forehead puckering up in confusion. "Yeah, but not much—mostly CoN."

She gave him a blank look, which prompted him to exchange a glance with Junho, while the guys behind them just watched on in interest. At least, the game exists, Ev. And they play it.

As a result of her recent experiences, she had grown accustomed to weathering stares, but she was particularly uncomfortable when a few girls threw her belligerent looks. Or is it awe? Maybe both. What's wrong with them...

"I'm off then," she muttered and broke into a run towards the stairwell.

Her trip to the admissions office revealed that Alcina existed—just in a different homeroom. She suppressed a bitter laugh. I can't believe I'm relieved Alcina's around. This really is unreal.

"12-A," the guy she met in the morning told her.

"Thanks!" Evanna flashed him a grateful smile. "She's one of the few people I know here."

"I see." Now that the hectic hours were over, he appeared more helpful. "Do you know where to find the classroom?"

"Um, no, but it should be near mine, right?"

"No, it's on the floor below yours."

"Really?" She frowned. "The twelfth grade classrooms aren't on the same level?"

"No, classrooms are organized according to houses."

As Evanna dashed off to find Class 12-A, her stomach rumbled more urgently. She ran up the stairwell and burst into the corridor.

She expected to see works of art hanging on the walls, but not the colors—a sharp contrast to the floor above.

One end of the corridor was dominated by shades of red and fire-breathing dragons. Paint glistened in the light, and a sliver of gold from a window brought out the creatures' eyes. The other end was green with art depicting a thunderbird, its feathers defined in minute detail. Evanna could only imagine how grand the Sports Day must be.

She fast-walked to the red section. We get to pick our houses? What made Alter-Ev pick the black-themed house? Alter-Ev...That suits her. Me. No, she's not me.

The 12-A classroom was almost empty except for a few girls, who informed her that Alcina hadn't come to school that day.

"If you want to talk to her," one girl said, raising her eyebrows, "why don't you just message her online?"

Does that mean Alter-Ev is in talking terms with Alcina? Evanna rubbed her temples. Her empty stomach protested louder than ever, so she uttered a quick thanks and left.

The cafeteria displayed no significant change, and its noisy familiarity added to her rising bubble of hope. The queues had dispersed, and most people were tucking into their meals, saturating the space with conversation. She eyed the glass façade, through which she observed tapering cypresses amidst concrete and rock. Maybe I'll just grab something and head to the plaza.

"Hey."

She turned. Marilda stood next to her, shaggy bunches of hair bringing to mind a puppy. Her round face was open, the friendliness reinforced by the corners of her mouth that tilted upward in a permanent little smile.

"Hey!" Evanna smiled back.

"Big brekkie?"

"Sorry?"

"You're late for lunch, so..."

"Oh, yeah," Evanna began, and to her embarrassment, a particularly loud rumble escaped her, which was somehow audible over the din.

"You're definitely hungry now," Marilda said with a thoughtful look. "You wanna sit with me?"

"Sure."

They walked over to the food counters—illuminated kiosks that alternated between grey wood and metallic black. Evanna was quick to note that the sandwich she liked wasn't there—her query was also met with a blank look. So much for soy cheese.

She trotted after Marilda and arrived at a counter with clay pots. Tendrils of smoke curled up from rice, curries and steamed vegetables. She served herself a steaming plate of rice with mixed vegetables, a potato curry and fried eggplant.

Soon after, the two girls settled down in an inconspicuous corner. Evanna dug into her food, which turned out to be quite good. After satiating her stomach with a few loaded spoonfuls, she turned to Marilda, who was eating quietly in front of her.

"By the way," Evanna said, trying to sound nonchalant, "do you happen to know Alcina?"

"Alcina Gomez?" Marilda perked up with an inquisitive gleam in her eyes. "You're friends with her?"

"Oh, no, I wouldn't say we're friends, but I, um, know her."

"Yeah, I know her too—I don't know much though."

"I thought she was the head girl."

"No way. The new head girl would be chosen at the end of the second term, so it'd be Vanya until then," Marilda said matter-of-factly. "Plus, Alcina won't be considered. I mean, she's not even a prefect."

Evanna scooped some rice into her mouth and chewed. She recalled the prefect-badging ceremony in the morning, and there certainly was no mention of Alcina.

"Why are you surprised?" Marilda chewed a strip of eggplant. "Alcina doesn't have awesome grades either, so not at all prefect material."

"Oh, right."

"How do you know her anyways?"

"A family acquaintance..."

There was a silence as the other girl nodded and grabbed hold of her orange juice. Evanna mused at her calm, lilting voice—not at all the brusque sort of manner she associated with her.

Evanna decided to change the subject. "I noticed all the colors and art in the corridors! Do they randomly put you into houses or what?"

"So...they didn't let you..." Marilda answered, words punctuated by slurps, "indicate your house preference? Strange."

"Um, yeah, I probably did pick one, but I didn't know if it counted..."

"Oh, it counts. They check your file too. Your grades, activities...and the teachers sometimes decide if you should be in their house. They really screen people before they're accepted here anyways—unless you come from some VIP family. Quite a number of those sorts here." She heaped rice onto her spoon again. "Are you one of those?"

Evanna laughed. "No."

"Me neither. I'm also a peasant." She took a moment to chew a mouthful of food. "Anyways, not sure how much of what decides what house you're in. I heard that, sometimes, you don't get your house simply 'cause there are too many in it—I mean, roughly equal number of people in each. That'd be rotten luck. You didn't ask to be in Tsunokory?"

"Uh, I wasn't sure what house to ask for..."

"Didn't you check the website? They have some stuff there—the names, colors, notable achievements of people in each house. But the whole persona and mascots aren't, like, official—that's just become lore, and teachers go along with it now."

"How did that happen?" Evanna asked with interest.

"I heard the houses developed more personality over time—like, Tsunokory has produced some notable artists and musicians, for instance. That's why it's associated with creative folk. On Sports Days and other events, people go all out, bringing out the house identity with art and design. And it's stuck."

She thought about the rigid rules and austerity imposed on them. "That sounds fun...and otherworldly here."

"Well, it's art—and art teachers approve, so it's permitted, I guess." Marilda shrugged. "Plus, it's to do with team spirit and the whole healthy competition thing."

"On the Sports Day?"

"No, it's not just about sports. The houses also score for good grades, creativity and good behavior—the house that does the best overall gets the house cup in December. Sneaky way of prodding everyone to tick all those checkboxes." Marilda giggled. "Houses mean a lot to some, and they make an effort."

"But you don't care?"

"No, not really. I like my house, but I'm not heading to battle over it—feels like a battlefield on the Sports Day." She slurped the last of her juice. "I'm not into sports. Rugby, for instance, is big here."

Yeah, you don't look like the sort to get excited about rugby. Evanna grinned. "Me neither. I used to engage in—physical exertion more back then. Not now."

Marilda grinned back. "What sort of physical exertion?"

"When I was a kid, I went for ballet and gymnastics." Evanna toyed with a piece of potato on her plate. "And some ice-skating when my mom and aunt took me to this rink on some weekends. I absolutely loved it!"

"Oh, why'd you stop?"

"It's not, like, one reason. Several factors aligned together and, well...Anyways, what are the other houses? I only know ours."

Marilda straightened up and assumed her matter-of-fact tone. "See that guy with the buzz cut over there? You know, all handsome in a comic-book-hero-with-bulging-muscles way..."

Evanna stifled a giggle as she followed her gaze to a table where a boisterous group of well-built boys sat. Oh, the guy who wanted to know if there was nightlife in Nuara.

"What can you make out about him?" Marilda asked.

"Hm, he's obviously into sports. Outgoing, confident..."

"Yeah, his name's Cole Bostlowe, and he's the captain of the rugby team, the games captain—and everyone thinks he'd become the head boy this year. He has major celeb status—well, pretty much all of the rugby team, but he's, like, the alpha male in the pack. And he's the captain of Benriuka—the House of the Ruby Dragon."

"Oh."

"He's, like, the ideal Dragon," Marilda went on. "So you just described the house."

"Right."

"Both the current head boy and head girl are from Raitory—the House of the Emerald Thunderbird."

Evanna just blinked as the other girl paused for dramatic effect. Emerald Thunderbird? I'd have been friends with the people who came up with this stuff.

"It's got really smart people," Marilda said. "Vanya, our head girl, has amazing grades, and she was the one who made the science festival big. It's this annual public event that celebrates tech, eco-friendly stuff, stargazing—you name it. Everyone loves it, 'cause it's good PR for the school too."

"So when is it?"

"The Science Society will let us know. Vanya is the current president, and most of the committee belong to Raitory."

Evanna wondered if she could join that sometime.

Marilda slurped her juice and cleared her throat. "So...next up, we have Shirotsume, the House of the Ivory Gryphon."

"The people on the second floor with us?"

"Yeah, it's my least favorite house."

"Why?" Evanna leaned forward.

Marilda lowered her voice, "Its head teacher is the Lycan."

"Who?"

"Thelma Lycurgus."

"Oh!"

"I guess you have a feel for it already," Marilda said with a knowing look. "The most conservative, law-abiding people are usually there. And it has more prefects than any other house. Ironical that they should be sharing the second floor with us, don't you think?"

Hiyori Inoue's words surfaced in Evanna's mind just as Marilda elaborated, "'Cause our house isn't only known for creativity—most of the troublemakers end up there too. Maybe that's a side-effect..."

"Of too much creativity?" Evanna giggled. "Can't be contained in a box?"

"Yeah, probably." Marilda grinned. "We also have our own cool people, who sort of carry the flag of the house—figuratively speaking."

"Amazing artists?"

"Yeah, we have one of those," Marilda said with a dreamy sigh. "This is his last year, unfortunately. He's done quite a number of those paintings hanging around. He's not here—or I could've shown you."

"Aw..."

"I can, however, show you the others. Can't get a good view from here though."

"Who?"

"Be patient—all in good time," Marilda said serenely, as if she was imparting worldly knowledge to an impatient child. "And we have one event where our house rules..."

"Yeah?"

"The talent show. It's jointly organized by the art, music and drama clubs. I heard they forced it to be a formal thing once—you know, just traditional performances and an art exhibition. But it's way cooler now!" Marilda's eyes shone. "Last year, it was so fun, and we were actually allowed to dance—as long as you didn't dance with guys, that is. All thanks to Sandy."

"Sandy?"

"Principal Sandra de Alwis—affectionately known as Sandy."

"Oh, right." Evanna's mind strayed to the mythical creature depicted on the house paintings, and she burst into giggles. "Wait, so we're....Unicorns?"

Marilda nodded. "We are Tsunokory—the House of the Obsidian Unicorn."

Suddenly, some girls nearby directed their attention to the cafeteria doors. Marilda craned her neck too, prompting Evanna to do the same.

Four tall guys were sauntering towards the exit, leaving behind a buzz in the atmosphere akin to what celebrities would inspire in a room full of fans.

"And right on cue—we have the other four star Unicorns," Marilda said with reverence. "Our very own prodigiously talented bad boys—drop-dead gorgeous as usual. Say hello to the coolest school rock band in the city, if you didn't know by now—Obsidian."

Marilda watched in satisfaction as Evanna stared speechless. The guys were none other than Kim Junho, Kim "Max" Minsoo, Ash Gevaria and last but not least, Shane Evans.

The train sped through grassy plains she had stared at with a lot less apprehension just yesterday. Wait, that was Friday, which is yet to come. Time...What is it anyways? Does anyone actually know?

Evanna had never given it much thought. She had always taken time for granted like everyone else. It was like the earth under her feet that she could always count on—solid and dependable. Yet, it had wobbled.

Sooner than she expected, she disembarked at an ultramodern station dedicated to those traveling to GORPP—though now, it was called HEPLOK, an acronym for High Energy Physics Laboratory of Komoreby. She had reeled in shock to discover that GORPP did not exist, but a quick search of the area had revealed HEPLOK in its place. She reasoned that it must be the same place under a different name.

Outside the train station, cabs lay waiting for passengers. She was soon whisked away to a guarded entrance to the compound. Her heartbeat accelerated.

The driver stopped the car at a guard booth and rolled down the window.

The guard on duty scrutinized Evanna. "Where are you going, miss?"

"Um..." She tried to tone down her nervousness. "I'm here to meet someone."

"Who are you meeting?"

"Ed Morken. He's one of the physicists."

"I'd need some identification."

She fumbled about in her wallet and handed over her ID.

He fed it to a scanner and typed at his computer before giving it back. "Have a nice day."

As the car resumed its journey, Evanna fiddled with a lock of hair. The interior wasn't cold, but her hands were icy. She aimed her gaze out of the window. The silvery geometry and the road network matched the picture in her memory.

Everything appeared oddly normal.

When the cab deposited her at the reception hall, she rushed up to the information desk.

A stern-looking woman looked up. "Yes?"

"Hi, I was wondering if you could help me out." Evanna tried to steady her voice. "You have the CHC here, right?"

"Sorry?"

"The CHC? The particle accelerator?"

"We have synchrotrons, linacs...but nothing under that name. In any case, if you wish to know more, you'd have to talk to your teacher and arrange a tour with us."

"I'm talking about the biggest one."

"What is this about?" Her tone became unfriendly. "Is this some kind of prank?"

Evanna blinked. "No, of course not! I'm just...interested to know."

"Your friend said the same thing."

She shot the woman a baffled look. "My friend?"

"Yes, a tall girl with black hair. She came in by herself today too and asked me what you're asking."

Silence descended like a falling curtain. Alcina! Instead of going to school, she'd come here straightaway!

"If that's all—"

"No, wait." Evanna balled her fists in an effort to stay calm. "Is Ed Morken there? He's one of the physicists working here, right? I need to meet him."

The woman's face turned stonier. "You can't just walk in here and ask to meet people. We're very busy. You'd have to contact him and get an appointment." 

The silence grew more pronounced—so much so that she could almost hear her quickened heartbeat. Calm down, Ev! You can get his number from Aunt Jan.

Evanna leaned forward, planting her hands on the counter that rose to the level of her chest. "The largest particle collider in the world is located here, right? The one that spans tens of kilometers underground..."

"No, the largest isn't here—it's not even in this country. And at present, nowhere can you find one as large as that." The woman's lips curved into a sardonic smile. "Thanks for dropping by HEPLOK, and have a good day."

It was past midnight when Evanna's eyes finally drooped. She had been lying on her bed in a fetal position, staring into nothing for hours. A confused Janet had informed her at dinner that she did not know anyone called Ed Morken.

She tossed and turned in a restless sleep. A disturbing nightmare tormented her until she jerked upright in a panic.

In the darkness that veiled her room, Evanna thought she saw a small shape suspended in midair. Fear momentarily immobilized her, and her headache throbbed with surprising intensity.

She put it down to a hypnopompic hallucination. She experienced those now and then. Her groggy mind tried to focus, but she couldn't detect it anymore. She drifted back to her troubled sleep.