“Mi Yeon?” the voice said as knocks were repeatedly heard rapping on my door. From the sound of it, the owner of the voice was definitely Kris.

                “Hey are you the…?”

                He was never able to finish his sentence because right then, I opened the door and watched as his worried face turn into utter shock. Who would have thought the great cold Kris could ever have that look on his glorious face?

                He must not have been used to getting ignored when he called for almost ten times already.

                “Hi!” I said, plastering a smile on my face like I didn’t know I made him wait for long. “Are they already in the arena?”

                “Well yeah,” Kris said, scrutinizing my expression. “They’ve been waiting.”

                “Let’s go!” I said energetically.

                I made my way past him but not until he put his hand on my left shoulder.

                “Hmm?” I said, rather innocently.

                “Is something the matter?” he asked, furrowing his eyebrows a bit. “You’re weird.”

                “Nope, not at all!” I said, smiling at him. “I just felt happy the moment I woke up.”

                “You look like you’ve inhaled helium,” Kris stated, still doubting my sincerity.

                “I’m just positive is all,” I said. “Why?  Can’t I be like this?”

                ‘That’s not i—“

                “Well then, there’s no problem, is there?” I asked, pushing the matter stealthily away. “Let’s go, you said they ARE waiting.”

Kris just shrugged his shoulder, like he never knew I actually know how to retort. “Whatever.” And then he walked ahead of me.

                Despite all the pretensions that I’ve been putting up, his gesture actually made a small genuine smile appear on my face. There’s just something about the way he never really respected me unlike the others that makes me remember who I really am. It made me think of my first week here in Seijira when no one really cared about who I am. Well, there was one, and he opened the door for me back then…

                I pushed the thoughts quickly away even before his face could flash in my head. A whole night without sleep is enough. I cannot be like this…

                Before I knew it, Kris and I were already entering the arena. I felt like my mind just deceived my brain. How could I be walking like a ghost?

                “You seemed lost,” Kris suddenly spoke as I look at his face. “So I stopped your time for a while so you won’t have to think of sadder things.”

                “Am I?” I asked him, faking innocence once again and then letting out a short laugh. “I tend to daydream recently. Thanks for the concern anyway.” I said, and tapped him lightly on the shoulder.

                “You know you really aren’t a good liar,” Kris said. “So stop doing that before you get on my nerves. And I’m not concerned. That’s the only thing you daydreamed for real.”

                “Aigoo~” I said, smiling. “Our Kris is mad.”

                “Tsshhhh,” Kris made an annoyed sound then walked ahead of me, really fast. I must have made him really mad but I couldn’t help but laugh and feel unapologetic. Kris just looks so composed on the outside but he’s such a funny guy. Thanks to him, I was able to let out some of my stress. Still, as soon as he was out of hearing range, I cut my laughter short. I just felt like it's taking my energy unnecessarily away.

                To my surprise, three of the faculty members were already there, engaged in a combat against my protectors. Two were assigned for each faculty member and I could see that they were already struggling while the teachers were just sidestepping their attacks calmly and with much poise. My PE teacher was there and from what I can see, the two others are PE teachers as well, from some other class. I don’t really know how many faculty members are there. It seemed like they are multiplying every day.

                Because I really can’t go in the middle and just throw rocks without getting killed, I took to the side and just sat my out. Even D.O. was fighting with Tao, although the physical fighting was mostly done by the latter. Still, I found it surprising that D.O. can throw knives well and I bet my life he’s whispering strategies to Tao. I felt entertained even. Truly, one should be wary of the mysterious. You’ll never know when they will attack.

                Kris joined Chanyeol and Xiumin in fighting my PE teacher. Honestly, I never knew what my teacher’s duire is. It’s the first time really and it’s amazing. My PE teacher could create a giant avatar of himself, and that's what my warriors were fighting against. My teacher, standing behind the giant, did hand motions that the avatar quickly reflected. It’s really one heck of awesomeness. I wished one of my warriors could do that. I bet we wouldn’t need all these training if so.

                Averting my gaze to the side, I saw Sehun and Kai fighting against a sand-controller duirean/teacher. Yes, another piece of the earth. Sehun was doing pretty well but Kai wasn’t. I found it pretty odd actually that Kai only uses his wind power. But then, after a while, I realized that others didn’t know about him being a multiple wielder. It’s only the warriors and I who know. Plus, I doubt it would do him well if he let the faculty members know about it seeing how bad the warriors reacted before.

                I sat on the bleachers for 2 hours or so just watching them. I wasn’t getting bored really but it would be better if I have someone to talk to so I can get distracted…

                “They sure are working hard,” someone spoke.

                I looked up immediately to see who it was, only to get shocked. Without thinking, I stood up indignantly and bowed my head.

                “Please,” the headmaster said, smiling at me. “Do not bow your head to anyone.”

                “Oh,” I said, immediately looking up and putting one of my hands on my nape. “I’m sorry. I just…forgot.”

                I watched as the headmaster chuckle gently. It did not however, reached his eyes. He’s obviously worried, too, I can tell. I cannot blame him.

                “Not to be rude, sir,” I spoke up. “But do you have any business here in particular?”

                “Yes,” he said. “Actually, I’m speaking to my business right now. I’m here to train you.”

                “T-train me?” I asked curiously, excited and weirded out at the same time.

                “Yes,” the headmaster said once again. “Let’s sit first.”

                I sat back on my place as the headmaster sat beside me The space between us was just small enough for a 5-year old kid to fit in. I watched as the headmaster settled down. I couldn’t help but notice how their eyes both sparkle in the same way. Not wanting to be such a drama queen, I looked away and just waited for him to call my attention.

                “I want to train you personally,” the headmaster said. “I need you to be strong, mentally, Mi Yeon, before you go out of this place in two days time.”

                “What should I do?” I asked.

                Without further ado, the headmaster held out his right hand and drew a circle in thin air. Before I knew it, he was holding a mirror in front of me, its shape exactly the way he outlined it. From first sight, I knew that it was not an ordinary mirror. It was so bright and it doesn’t reflect me eventhough I’m sitting in front of it. All I can see is bright white. And I don’t know what else, but I’m having the urge to touch it because it does seem like water instead of solid mirror, except of course, that it’s not spilling.

                “What is it, sir?”

                “This is a flecter,” the headmaster answered me. “This is a tool that I created and it embodies my duire.”

                “What does it do…?”

                “I am a person who reads people very well, Mi Yeon,” the headmaster said, and it didn’t sound like bragging at all. It’s just a fact and for some reason, it made me nervous. “Attitude, personality, emotions, even facades. I can break in a person’s insides by using my duire. However, I do not use it on students, and that’s why you could blame me for not knowing who Seo Ji Hye is.”

                “I’m not blaming anyone,” I answered quite hastily.

                The headmaster smiled at me. “Thank you. However, I want to help you with this flecter. You’re not seeing anything right now in there, am I right?”

                “Yes.”

                “It’s because it’s still taking you all in. Once you’re ready, this flecter will show you where you stand, your joys, your fears. It will basically show you everything that is you, even the things that you don’t know exist inside you,” the headmaster explained as I followed his every word like an ignorant child. “I want you to look at this mirror and face them. Whatever will be shown in here, can be changed depending on your mind and your heart.”

                “What if I can’t handle what I see?” I asked him, afraid even before it started.

                “This is a challenge only you and your will can overcome,” the headmaster answered me. “I can immediately stop it if you can’t take it any longer, you just have to tell me. But even so, you can’t erase what you will see.”

                I stared at the headmaster and watched the serious expression on his face. He told me I can just tell him to stop, but something’s telling me it’s not that easy. Apparently, I might be seeing something so scary and beyond my imagination that I couldn’t dare to speak and I will get stuck in the memories that the flecter might bring. I then averted my gaze to my warriors and watch them work so hard with their physical training. If they can do all that tiring work, why can’t I do this challenge when all I have to do is watch, think and basically just sit? Why am I even hesitating?

                “Can I just ask one question?”

                “Anything, Mi Yeon,” the headmaster answered.

                “The things I will see, they are not real, aren’t they?”

                “That…” the headmaster spoke, “depends on you.”

                I looked at the mirror once more, it still gleams silvery white like it’s never been used. I took a deep breath and finalized my resolve.

                “Okay, I’m ready.” I said firmly.

                As soon as I said that, the surface of the mirror produced ripples like when water is disturbed. Soon I was facing my own reflection. I stared at it for a while, I even touched my face to see that it really is my reflection. For about a minute I just stared and stared and felt stupid for doing so. Just as I was about to look at the headmaster, my reflection opened and said, “Murderer.”

                “What?” I gasped without thinking.

                “You will fail your mission,” the reflection said. “You will kill them.”

                “I will not!” I almost shouted. I know that this is not real, but I got mad so suddenly. My eyes can’t move away from it, and soon I couldn’t see the borders of the flecter. It’s as if I’m inside the mirror.

                Suddenly, my reflection let out a cruel laugh. “Still acting brave you fool.”

                And then suddenly the scenery changed. Everything is dark, and I had the feeling that I was back on that night Seo Ji Hye attacked me. Only that the first one I saw was D.O.

                “Kyungsoo-ah!” I shouted. “What’s going on!”

                “You’ve failed us,” I heard Kyungsoo’s voice in my head. “The duireans will now vanish. Forever.”

                Suddenly I was staring at a mount of dead people. I looked at them closely. Krystal’s body was there, even the headmaster’s. I recognized Xiumin’s and Tao’s too…their bodies were charred and dark blood was stuck on the front of their clothes…

                “You can’t save us,” Kyungsoo said. “No one can.”

                Suddenly a spear stuck itself on his body, right where the heart is.

                My eyes went wide. “Kyungsoo! Kyungsoooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” I shouted. But it was too late. He won’t open his eyes.

                I turned around to see who threw the spear only to see Kai with a bloody hand.

                “Kai…” I said almost inaudibly, afraid of him, afraid of his orb-like eyes. “What did y--?!”

                “They killed her…” he said, “they killed her.”

                “Her??” I thought to myself. “What is he talking about?!”

                Suddenly, Kai was holding a knife in his hand and he was running towards me. I couldn’t move, I watched as he gets closer with anger in his eyes. I knew I should be running but it seemed like my feet were paralyzed.

                As he got closer, more panic settled in me. Before I could think, he threw the knife and I knew I will get killed. That’s when someone jumped in front of me and got hit instead.

                When I looked at the dead body that was lying there before me, my heart stopped. It was my mom. And she’s not breathing at all..

                Kai was nowhere in sight. I can’t hear anything. Still my mom lied dead in front of me. Tears started to flow down my eyes. I tried to cover my face, tried to get away from all these harsh things when I felt that I’ve been holding something cold and wet. When I looked at it, I realized that it was the knife. My clothes were spattered with blood. My hands were too. I immediately let go of it. What is happening?!!! Just then, when I looked to where my dead mom is, it wasn’t my mom anymore. It was Luhan and he was stabbed in the heart.

                No….

                NOOOO!!!!!!!!

                I killed him…I killed him….I killed him……………….

                Voices kept whispering in my head as tears continue to flow down my face.

                “You’ve failed them. You’re nothing Mi Yeon. You killed your mother. You killed Luhan. You’re a murderer.”

                STOP NOW! STOP! PLEASE STOP!

                The voices did stop, once and for all. I opened my eyes slowly to see a mirror shattered into a thousand pieces. Wiping my tears away, I saw the headmaster watching me. I was back in the bleachers. So it’s over. I must have hit the flecter in my frustration and angst. I picked up one piece and held it in my hand.

                “I’m sorry,” I told the headmaster, still sobbing. “I did not mean to break it.”

                The headmaster did not answer me and instead just continued staring. I found this weird but I can’t force him to speak. He probably did