28TH NOVEMBER.
ORION ACADEMY:
CAMPUS.

"THAT is what you're wearing for the event?" Aphrodite said as soon as she and Yumi reached the boys who were standing near the entrance of Grand Quarters. She looked at the boys from toe to head with distastement. "We're meeting the members of The Black Hole and you decided to wear sweatpants?" She shook her head in disappointment. "Gosh, who am I even best friends with?"

"Yeah, yeah whatever--" West rolled his eyes as he tucked his hands in the deep pockets of his track pants. "--don't forget that they've murdered one of the students."

"Why can't you be any louder?" Karan grinned sarcastically. "Puri duniya ko hi bata do!"

{Translation: Tell the whole world that or Let the whole world know that}

"Dude, we don't understand Hindi," Yumi reminded him, a frown on her face.

"Why else do you think I speak in that language?" Karan said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

He ain't wrong, though.

"Ugh." Lex groaned. His face was half filled with boredom and half of exhaustion. "Let's just go inside and get it over with it." He spun around and began walking inside. Aphrodite chewed the inside of her mouth, still reeling from the conversation they had today. What could Lex possibly do that he thinks would make Aphrodite hate him? She could never hate Lex--not when he makes her forget about the horrible things Aphrodite had done. She couldn't gulp down the feeling that she had felt the moment before she threw the matchstick on Jessica. Or rather--she couldn't gulp down what she didn't feel.

She wasn't scared then. She wasn't feeling guilty. She didn't even blink when the matchstick was thrown. She just watched the fire swallow Jessica--leaving her nothing but charred flesh and bones.

Aphrodite's friends and her were now pillars of the same house. If one goes down, they all fall.

And, maybe it wasn't her secret that she was protecting now. It was all of theirs.

The security guard gave them suspicious looks as he watched them walk in. It wasn't 11 p.m. yet so they were allowed to access the Grand Quarters. The sound of their footsteps hitting the tiles reverberated throughout the silent hallways. Lex glanced at the security guard again before pulling out the keys to the sports' room.

Props to him for being the captain.

The keys jangled against the metal door before he pushed it open. He held the door and let his friends walk in first. He pepped outside, rechecking the security guard again. He closed the door behind him and walked towards the trophy shelf. Aphrodite slid the glass and looked for the right trophy. She pulled the hatch behind the trophy and pushed it open. The shelf rumbled at her push. They all walked inside the dark room.

Never forget where it all began.

This is where they first laid eyes on each other. But is there where it all started?

Yumi switched the light of her phone on and flashed it across the dark room. "There's nothing here."

"Did we come too early?" West asked. He stepped forward and inspected the wall in front of them. The same wall that had their first task painted upon it. But now, the wall was plain and re-painted--leaving no trace that it had even had a message for them just a month ago.

"We couldn't be. We received a follow-up text with the timing of arrival. At 10," Karan said. "Don't you think they got sloppy?" He asked. When Lex looked at him with a perplexed look, he elaborated. "I mean, sending double texts as if they forgot to include it in the first one? Some texts having no rhyme or sense? Ghosting us for a week out of nowhere. As far as I know, Jessica's death shouldn't have stopped from asking us to perform those tasks."

"But what about now? They can't just leave us hanging like that. They're a society and have a reputation to hold. Maybe we should look around. Aphrodite mentioned how there are many passageways underground," Yumi suggested.

"Guys, no," Aphrodite said, her eyes fixed at her feet. "We are at the wrong place."

"We can't be," Lex countered. "This is where we all first met, where we got our first task."

She looked up to meet his eyes. "First task? Yes. First place we met? No." Her eyes traveled from Lex to the others, each one having a confused look. "This isn't where we first met. I remember bumping into Karan when the Headmaster wanted to interview me because apparently I am a legacy and he wanted to meet me personally."

"Wait, you too?" Lex's eyes widened. "He wanted to meet me and West too because both of our parents graduated from Orion Academy."

"Me as well but only because my uncle is friends with him," Karan said and they all looked at Yumi, waiting for her response.

"I, ah, we wanted to meet me because..." she gulped. "He knew my mother too."

She was lying. Everyone could tell that but they dropped it.

"But how could they know about this?" West furrowed his eyebrows and scratched the back of his neck.

"Let's find out!" Aphrodite said as they lunged outside.

•••

"Um, Headmaster Salvatore?" Aphrodite knocked on the door of the Headmaster's office on the second floor. No one answered her. She gestured to Lex. He leaned against the wall and slowly extended his hand to the door knob. He twisted it and the door opened. A shiver ran down her spine as the door creaked open. Aphrodite was about to step forward when he gently pushed her back. Let me go first, his eyes said. Lex nodded at West who stood tall behind Aphrodite. A simple look conveyed everything he wanted to say. If I get lost, make them run away. Don't get caught. Protect yourself and others.

So dramatic, these kids are. They are just entering the Headmaster's office--not a war zone.

Lex pushed the door further ajar and slowly stepped in, his eyes scanning the office. Everything was still in place, as if nothing had changed when he first walked in here. His eyes roamed at the Headmaster's desk--a computer, some files, LGBTQ+ flag along with two photo frames. His eyes caught an envelope with a green sticky note on it's top. He walked closer and lifted it. It had the name of someone he didn't know. He kept it back where it was and called his friends in with an all clear thumbs up.

"Now what?" West said with a sigh of relief after he closed the door behind him.

No one answered because no one knew the answer.

Karan approached the table and lifted the flag. He smiled and kept it back. He glanced at Lex who was watching him like a hawk and stepped closer to sit on Headmaster Salvatore's desk, looking wishful. He then leaned forward to the computer and switched it on.

"Uh, what do you think you're doing, Karan?" Yumi asked.

He blew a raspberry at her and glanced back at the computer screen. The picture of Aurora Borealis illuminated his small face. Excitedly, he right clicked on the mouse. A new blank screen popped up, asking for the password. "Uh, what could the Headmaster's password be?"

Aphrodite walked gingerly and stood behind him, hunching over to take a look at the screen. "Um, try Jonah."

"Why am I not surprised at you two trying to log into the Headmaster's computer?" Yumi rubbed her temples, her tone both disappointed and apprehensive.

"C'mon, Yums. We already have committed plenty of crimes. One more could do no harm. Look around, no cameras either. We won't get caught. Chill out." Aphrodite looked back at the screen. "Try Jonah29."

Karan typed it out while Yumi blew a breath out.

"Nope," he replied. "How about his birthd--"

"No, no, no." Lex charged forward and pulled the chair behind which distanced Karan from the keypad. "Enough of this. We have to find where the members could be and if we don--" Lex paused half way when a thundering sound echoed in the room. He robotically turned towards the sound and saw Yumi's hand on a lamp and the bookshelf moved away, revealing a passageway.

Her eyes widened as she stared at the darkened passage in horror. She swallowed slowly. "Being obsessed with Barbie and The Three Musketeers as a child finally came into use."

"Good job, Yumi." West approached her. He patted her back and stepped in the passageway. He flickered the switch on the wall and the way was immediately lightened by dull orange lights. The others followed West as he led them the way. It was a narrow walkway with poor quality bricks. They reached two large wide doors. They were carved out of rich Mahogany with circular gold plates. In every plate was a small symbol--a circle with tiny dots. Below it was engraved a quote. Loyalty first.

West turned around at his friends. He received a nod from Lex so he snapped his head back to the heavy wooden door. He shoved it and they all walked in. He flinched when two men wearing masks bowed at them. Their eyes scanned across the room--it was a brightly lit room with men and women standing in the same position. They were wearing whitemasks and black t-shirts and pants. Each one had a broach on their chest and a yellow robe over their shoulders.

The people stared at them but with the masks on, they couldn't recognise anyone.

Tentatively, West walked forward--almost stumbling down. In the centre stood five people--three women and two men. They stood in a straight line, each having a pair of clothing and robe in their hands. Behind them stood another man. His mask wasn't white. The half of his mask had black designs--making him look superior than others.

"Step forward new members," the man with the designer mask said but hold on, West knew this voice. He had heard him before. Why was it so familiar? "Step forward and claim what's yours--a rightful position in The Black Hole."

West glanced at Aphrodite as she stared at that man. From her face, he knew that she had recognised him.

But who?

"The men will stand in front of the ladies and the ladies in front of men," the same man said.

Who is it? Who? Who?

They did as he said. West stood in front of a raven-haired girl. He could only see her brown eyes.

"Do you, West Pratt, pledge to be loyal to The Black Hole and be a member of the same?" The man announced. West fumbled, unsure what to say. The eyes of the girl standing upright in front of him softened.

"Say I accept," she murmured.

"I, um. I accept it!" He croaked. The girl nodded and handed the garments to him. After him, it was Yumi's turn--followed by Karan, Aphrodite and Lex. The people who handed them the garments clear the way and step aside, leaving them to face the superior man.

"Now bow for the High Master." As soon as these words were said, everyone quickly bowed down. West gazed at his friends to find them bowed down to. Yumi facepalmed herself and tugged his sleeve, making him bow. West looked upwards to find a large man entering the room. But he was different.

He was the most superior one. The one who did the announcement was likely his right hand--the best member.

The High Master was wearing a golden robe instead of yellow and his mask had both yellow and black design on his white mask.

If West didn't know better, he would've thought this was some Hufflepuff roleplay.

"Rise," the High Master said and everyone stood up. He stepped forward. "It's time to reveal our faces to the new members, the future of The Black Hole." The people who stood like guards took their marks off. West's eyes traveled around--finding familiar faces of both students and teachers smiling at them. West looked at his friends to see how they were reacting. Each one of them stared with a horrifying look penetrating from their faces. West looked to the large man standing at the back--Headmaster Salvatore.

But it wasn't the Headmaster whose presence shocked them, it was the boy standing in front of him.

It was the same set of eyes that West was growing fond of.

It was the same plump lips that he had kissed and wanted more of.

In front of West stood his best friend's step-brother, Joshua St. Clair.

Well, well, well. Who saw that coming?

header image by Stefan Steinbauer

I'm sorry it for a long chapter and that it took so long to update but I have a couple of good news! 

1] Since my first exam just finished this week, I have relatively more time to write which means I'm hoping to finish LTAM this month

2] LTAM is being feature on Psychological Novel's Crime and Suspense Reading list! I am so happy!

3] LTAM crossed 1k+ comments. that's right. COMMENTS! I never ever thought I'd be able to reach these many achievements. I am so thankful to everyone who has read, is reading, commented and added LTAM to their reading list. thank you so so SO much:)