Unknown Life (1) (Editing in Progress)

We were walking along the upper corridors of the school, and according to Emily, we were on the third level of the fortress. By now, from what I have seen, there were multiple levels that held many rooms that looked as if they were classes. Confirming Emily’s statement, that this is a school.

“To help you understand a bit more, this school grading system is different from a human school. We have elites meaning which level of education you are,” she informed me while we walked the hallway that allowed our shoes to click from the stones. “You and I are both bronze elite, meaning we are the third level of education.”

I nodded in response to help her know I was listening. She smiled, knowing that I was calming down now and not freaking out. It may be that I was getting some information about this so-called new world.

“There is a girls corridor and boys corridor, we are on the west, and the boys are on the east side of this campus.”

I just nodded as my brain was processing as much information as it could. Somehow putting information into different categories.

While Emily continued chatting to me, a bell rang, and she stopped both of us, pulling me to the side as students poured out of the rooms and began to pass by us.

It was like a school of fish slamming and passing Emily and me. Their black silk blazers glinted into the dim light creating a glossy surface that moved in unison. The girls had black skirts which flowed around their legs like waves on a beach. The boys wore smooth trousers that looked like they were just pressed and cleaned. Some were carrying books, and others just carrying backpacks or bags. Upon watching, a curious thing caught my sight, some students wore necklaces or wristbands, and I looked even closer, and there were strange symbols on them. Some students had matching symbols on their jewlery, while others symbols appeared completely different.

“Emily...” I caught her attention as the students began to thin out into other classrooms.

“Yes?”

“What are those symbols on the jewellery that the students are wearing?”

She glanced at the last couple of students passing by, “Every immortal student has a gift or what humans call powers,” she said. And she started guiding me back to walking, “the power are elements, so jewellery is matched to their elements.”

“Oh,” I replied.

We continued until we reached a spiral staircase leading up to another level, and so we began to climb it. Reaching the top it almost seemed as if we entered into a tower and were on the other half a circle. I glanced around and saw that the windows were clear, looked it had no glass that gave a spectacular view of the sky with lingering fluffy clouds. It dawned on me that the only entrance to this so-called place was the staircase we just took as the window covered the walls with a few meters between them, giving breathable space.

“Are you ready?” Emily’s voice chimed into my thoughts.

I spun to look at her and saw she was standing by the doors. I honestly didn’t know what I was going to do now. Go forward and embrace things or break for the nearest window and jump out, hoping for the best? I took a step allowing my actions to decide, and found that I was heading towards those giant double doors and followed Emily into the room.

Walking into the space, the first thing I noticed was the vast size of it. It felt like stepping into the oval office. It had fine red leather couches welcoming us. The couches dotted with matching buttons that sunken deep into the material. Beyond the couches sat a black antique desk, and behind sat a short-haired blonde woman whose curls were styled around her face in a typical 1920s fashion. My gaze went behind her as a window caught my attention, it was connected to the ceiling and floor and was half covered by black velvet drapes. The brightness that it brought into the room was odd. Still dark but haze light. The woman gazed up at us, and she stopped what she was doing and stood up. I saw she was wearing a long flowing strapless black dress. She looked very aesthetic and glided across the floor as she headed towards our direction.

Her walking had a supernatural elegance to it. I was a bit shocked by her beauty, allowing it to occur to me that she wasn’t human but possibly another immortal? Her skin was ghostly pale, like she barely went out in the sun and her eyes as I saw her closer, silver and glinted as she moved towards us. It made me believe she wasn’t the same creature as Emily was.

She was now at the couch and gestured for Emily and I to sit down. We obliged, yet I was still stiff as I sat on the edge, somehow still ready to escape. She walked to her couch opposite us, sat down gazing at me with a mysterious smile.

“So,” the woman started, her voice musical, her voice captivating me like a sailor being hypnotized by the song of a siren, “Hello, Asema, I am Madam Mentor,”

I just kept looking at her, not knowing what to say or let me get down to the actual point. Why is everyone calling me Asema?

This was getting weird and unnecessarily odd for me. Even though it has been weird since I was here with that warrior, as Emily called him. I continued to sit stiff on the couch and looked at Madam Mentor, trying to understand why she radiated different energy towards me. I wanted to speak, but I wasn’t sure what I should say or was worried that my words were going to be caught in my throat. Eventually, I was able to find my wording.

“Where am I…and what are you? Also, my name is Lyra, not Asema,” I asked but also stated, surprising myself with how calm I sounded.

She gave me a sympathetic look as if she could understand what was going through my head and glanced over to Emily, I followed her gaze. I saw Emily who sat there but with no emotion as she was unreadable.

“I can understand how stressful this is, but I can assure you this is a place for you…and to your question. This place is known as Sky High. A school for Immortals who desire a special education and for new Immortals who have just turned…” she paused, allowing me to understand what she just said.

Though I didn’t reply but stared at her with more questions that began to form. I felt my heart start to race and my mind start to panic.

“And again, to answer your question. I am a creature that brings guidance to others, known as a mentor, a unique creature that was placed here for paternal reasons. You can refer to me as Madam Mentor or mom, whichever of your choosing,” she said. Her voice still having a soothing effect on me, and I began to relax again for some reason.

“Anywho…” Emily began hesitantly shifting a bit uncomfortably as she may be in an awkward position, “Let us continue.”

I looked over and saw that she seemed tense as if she was in trouble or something, which began to worry me, but I felt that calmness flooded over me again. It may have been that she was responding to my own uncertainty, or maybe not. I brought my attention back to Madam Mentor.

“Emily, I know you want to get things moving quickly, but right now, this is important. It is to help both of you to know what is going on,” She replied.

Emily didn’t reply but somehow relaxed and brought her attention to me.

Madam Mentor brought her attention to me. However, this time, her face was a bit more on the serious side.

“You are probably wondering why you are here and why the name changed,” she stated.

I found my head nodding immediately.

“Under some circumstances, you have been chosen by the goddesses to change in a way to start a new life. As there are some circumstances that are involved. But you’ve been given a new life, and are here to learn that identity.”

I stared at her, and my mouth found itself gapping at what she just told me.

“New identity, new life to live apparently, sounds to much of a dream, I am obviously dreaming, these are hallucinations,” I started with a laugh, but the two did not join in. Instead, they kept quiet while my laughter turned awkward.

“Yes, it seems funny now, but our world is parallel to the human world below, you have been chosen to turn, and that is rare as we have not had a turned Immortal in a few years. Besides, some things have changed, and you need to be ready in order for those things to stay balanced.” Madam Mentor said lightly, but there was more of an edge to her voice. I could not detect or understand why.

“Why me, and why was I chosen? It’s not like I am special,” I retorted.

Mentor shrugged her shoulders and continued, “Everyone is special in their own way. Please make yourself comfortable--”

“Wait”, I shot up. “People will believe I am missing; you have to send me back.”

Again, calmness surrounded me, and I was guided back down to sit. “No need to worry. Everything has been taken care of.” Madam assured me again.

For some reason, that calmed me because I went back to thinking about the world. It was almost like it never existed and felt more like this was the place I was intended to belong to.

I mean, thinking for a second, I always thought I was different and stood out from the crowd. Almost as I never belonged to that so-called human world, like a place that wasn’t my dimension.

“May I continue?” Madam asked.

Still not sure about anything, I automatically nodded my head and waited.

“The goddess chooses people who technically belong to this world. Their existence was a mere illusion. You did exist in the human world, but not really. You must be realizing that memories you had don’t actually exist.”

Her silver eyes bore into mine, and I nodded, still trying to process. She continued on as now she sees I am calm and willing to listen.

“Monday to Friday, you will attend classes with Emily…you are lucky enough to be in the same classes. They will have four periods, meaning four classes. Saturdays and Sundays, these are given to you for free time to do whatever you wish. By doing homework or just enjoying your own time.”

Again, I nodded, feeling like something as an adventure was going to happen. Madam turned to Emily, “You are there to help Asema till she feels or you feel help is no longer needed, understood?” she demanded.

I looked at Emily, and she too nodded, her head in agreement.

“Good, now we have settled things. Emily, would you escort Asema to the dinner hall?”

We all rose, and Madam headed back to her desk, where she sat down and started to write on some papers. Emily gestured for me to move and led me to the doors. I stayed stiff for a moment, only to be nudged by Emily.

I slowly rose and was lightly pushed towards the double doors, and soon we were side by side in the half-circle tower. I turned to Emily, she returned my gaze, and she gave a curious look as she was waiting on me to ask something.

“Yes?” She spoke.

I looked to the window that was the closest to me and made my way to it, leaned on the seal and peered down as much as I could. Soon Emily joined me.

“Odd world”, she chimed, and I only nodded in response.

This world had me asking so many questions that now I wanted to soak in the answer. I was almost relaxed that apparently, I never existed in the human world. This was a new reality, or maybe it really was a dream, and soon I would wake up.

“Ready?” Emily asked me.

“Yes…I suppose” I hesitated for a moment.

“Great, I am getting hungry” she leaned away from the window and playfully nudged me to follow her, “the dinner hall is this way.” She pointed, and we descended the spiral staircase.