ã€ŠMasking Tapeã€‹


 Beginnings: I

    ?? -FRANKIE

    Stepping into Divyane as a mage in need of assistance was one thing. But suddenly, everything took on a much different experience that day when I stepped in for my internship interview. Everything around me was the same. The posters advertising upcoming events and workshops, the trophies and all. Yet, it just felt so different.

    Or maybe it felt that was because I was wearing full-on interview attire. The last time I wore this was for Model United Nations last year. I rubbed some sleep dust from my eyes, letting it prick my fingers. When was the last time I woke up at 8am again?

    The doors leading to the Research and Development Department swung open. Morgan stepped out, adjusting the loose curls from her forehead. I stood up and offered my hand to her.

    ¡°Good morning, Frankie. Ready for your interview?¡± she asked.

    I nodded my head. She escorted me towards a small meeting room. My hands were probably shaking at the sight of Isadora¡¯s greying head. Flanking her sides were the deputy director of my department along with a member of the HR personnel.

    ¡°What?! Why are all the big guys here?¡± I whispered to Morgan

    ¡°Hey, consider yourself honoured. You¡¯re the youngest intern we¡¯ll ever have, assuming you get recruited. They¡¯re curious about you, you know,¡± she said as she grabbed the door handle.

    When she pulled it open, I could feel that cold wind rushing towards us. God, this only made me even more nervous. I brought my fingers over my knuckles and walked in, greeting them ¡®good morning¡¯ with a formal bow.

    ¡°Good morning, Mr Fernandez. Do your parents know that you are here with us this morning?¡± asked Director Liew.

    I nodded my head. Isadora had a copy of my resume right before her. She propped up her spectacles and looked through it.

    ¡°We don¡¯t expect you to have a lot of working experience, since you just finished your O Levels. However, we called you up having seen your leadership and CCA track record. We¡¯re pretty impressed to know that you started leading your cell group at only 14 years old. And at 15, you won the Best Delegate Award, beating out even trained ACS boys at last year¡¯s MUN,¡± she said with her croaky voice.

    And they proceeded to start off with the most difficult question of the day. Why do you want to take on an internship here at Divyane? Survival was not a strong enough reason. I knew the answer, but I didn¡¯t know how to put it in spoken word.

    ¡°Aside from wanting something productive to do before I start my life in polytechnic, I want to find an internship that can fuel my curiosity. As a future pharmaceutical sciences student, I believe an internship at Divyane can satisfy that hunger, especially with the upcoming research projects on Anima Magi and its relationship with the human body. The human body is the main subject of pharmaceutical science in itself, so I thought this research position would be relevant to my studies as well,¡± I said.

    And they jotted away on their notepads. Morgan¡¯s perky eyes never left me. My hands were still hidden underneath the table, fingers tapping my lap.

    ??-MEI XING

    It was as though all my senses were being attacked in one swift motion. Be it the outdated Justin Bieber song blaring from every speaker in this hall, the cacophony of colours from our school uniforms and the banners, the obnoxious cheering¡­it felt like I was thrown into a warzone.

    I was so lost that I bumped into someone. Adjusting my glasses, I found myself looking straight at a boy clad in all-white with a fauxhawk. There was something familiar about those hooded eyes under his large-rimmed hipster glasses, but I could not pinpoint where I had seen them before.

    ¡°Uhm¡­I¡¯m kind of lost. Do you know where OG Hecate is?¡± I asked.

    Ohpochok! Why did I ask a fellow J1 where the orientation groups were when he was probably just as lost as I was? He pointed towards his left. I thanked him and made my way.

    Painted on the banners of the different orientation groups were the names of gods and goddesses from pantheons all over the world. Susanoo and Poseidon were assembled near each other. I wonder if there would be a rivalry between Artemis and Guanyin. Somehow, I chose to amuse myself with the idea of having an orientation themed after philosophers from all over the world. Imagine Confucius fighting Voltaire or Plato and Marx battling it out.

    I finally located my orientation group and tried to look for the emptiest spot I could find ¨C a spot secluded from others. I settled down near the doorway, straightening out my green pinafore as I sat down.

    Only then did I realise how badly I stuck out amongst this myriad of colours. I guess us Tanjong Katong girls really stood out. The only others who wore green were those St Margaret girls, and even then, it was mostly just the green polka dots and skirts. Was I the only east-sider here too? I would never know.

    Satisfied with this relatively isolated area, I took out my copy of Rice Mother by Rani Manika and dived into a world that was physically very much like mine, yet so different from my everyday life too. Sometime into my silent reading, the teacher in-charge of my OG knelt beside me. She was really young and had her hair dyed into a warm chestnut brown.

    ¡°Hello! May I have your name, please?¡± she asked.

    She brought the attendance sheet closer to me, letting me search for my name. I pointed at it and she nodded her head.

    ¡°Tan Mei Xing? Alright,¡± she confirmed.

    ¡°Please call me Mei,¡± I asked of her.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    With a chirpy smile, she stood straight up and proceeded to get to know the next few students seated beside me. As I dived deeper into the world as seen through a Sri Lankan migrant making her way through a modernising Malaysia, I could feel the combined forces of a collective gaze, escalating music and the intrusion of space trying to grab my shoulders and pull me apart from this comforting isolation.

    I began to dread those ice-breaker games, the matchmaking, the contact games. Even those subject talks and principal¡¯s address seemed more exciting.

    Did I have an opportunity to escape? I guess not. Yet, I just wanted to be alone with my book. It would not judge me or force me to say anything. I wanted to hide within the awnings of the stage. I wanted¡­

    My feet were not as nimble. A force in my legs told me not to go. My heart wanted out though. The noise¡­the cacophony. I could not take it. I put my hands over my ears, rose to my feet and rushed for the washroom as the noise attacked my senses like a merciless meteor shower.

    ??-KENNY

    It was damn weird to have the whole space to myself, sia. The library was like a ghost town. I grinned. Much better than sharing the same mattress with my sisters or being lost in that damn noisy school hall. I took out whatever drawing materials I brought with me from my backpack and stuffed it into the pigeonhole.

    Where was the most secluded space for me to do this next commission, ah? No time for that. I heard heavy breathing. Like somebody had an asthma attack or something. I plopped my cardstock and pencil set down, wanting to search for this person. It was coming from the Southeast Asian Collection shelf.

    Wah! Someone also decided to pon mass dance! She was crouched on the floor, leaning against the metal shelves in her green TKGS pinafore. The soles of my Bata shoes creaked, alarming her to my presence.

    She looked up at me and at that moment, I wanted to draw her right away. Though her eyes were blodshot from crying, they were damn beautiful. They were large and the ideal phoenix eyes. It didn¡¯t matter if her skin was a bit of a dullish tan.

    ¡°You¡­you okay?¡± I asked.

    She rose to her feet and tossed her low ponytail back. She sucked in her peach-pink lips and nodded her head.

    ¡°Paiseh. Just got a little overwhelmed with all the noise in the school hall. That¡¯s all,¡± she said as she hugged the book she had been holding tightly.

    She was really short and barely reached my lips. But she had already walked off. I hastened my steps as I followed after her.

    ¡°You wanna sit with me? I¡¯m kind of alone,¡± I offered. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m Kenny, by the way.¡±

    The girl gave a weak smile and shrugged her shoulders. Okay, lah. Can see why she is a bit nervous. I mean, she was from a girl¡¯s school after all. The same way I was from boy¡¯s school too.

    ¡°You can call me Mei,¡± she said as we settled down in that little corner with the floor-to-ceiling windows that faced the in-construction Bishan Park.

    I looked at the commission request that the guy sent over Instagram and nearly choked on my own spit. Wah piang eh! Confirm plus chop I would need a privacy screen. That was a lot of erotic content. No wonder why he paid me $80 for this.

    Then, through the glass doors of this private study room, I saw the librarian glaring at the two of us with fire blazing in the reflection of her spectacles. Die lah. Mei groaned and said something in Malay under her breath.

    ¡°Alamak. Kena tangkap,¡± she muttered.

    ??-LUQMAN

    There were about 22 pairs of eyes looking at me in that one instance. Three individually-wrapped Mentos candies in my palm. That meant I had to give three facts about myself. Why did I choose to be greedy at this worst possible moment?

    ¡°Hello. I¡¯m Luqman. I¡¯m from Queensway Secondary School. Three facts about me? I¡¯m certified in first-aid. I like to cook. My grandma forces me to watch horror movies with her,¡± I said, sending my orientation group laughing.

    Alhamdulillah. That was over. I sank back into my chair and watched as the girl next to me stood up and introduced herself. The good thing about coming from a school with a white uniform is that it would be hard to tell which school you were from because so many in Singapore used white for the boys.

    Being in this new environment, surrounded by all these kids from atas schools like St Nicholas, Catholic High¡­these were the standards that I had to uphold now that I am here in Semangat Junior College. It was a different playing field altogether.

    After all the introductions were done, our OG leaders collected the orientation fee money from us. As I took out the $15 from my wallet, a part of me started wondering why I had to pay to lose my voice, force myself into situations that I just did not want to be in, and dance mindlessly. Honestly, just the principal¡¯s address, subject talks, alumni sharing, and mock lectures would do. I was certain I was going to become a wallflower again this year anyway.

    I looked out the window and saw that the morning sky was streaked with ash-coloured clouds. The campus tour after this was bound to take on a different character altogether. So many thoughts and worries were flooding my head. Would I be able to cope with the competition? What CCA should I join? Would I be able to spend time with Mak and Nenek with an even more hectic schedule?

    The screeching of metal against cement indicated that it was time to move on and start the campus tour. I slung my backpack over my shoulders and let the heavy air of the incoming rain press my shoulders down, relaxing them.

    ??-KUMAR

    Oof. Day one of junior college and I was already late for school. I texted Sam to let him know that for once, he had won. That he was earlier than me for a change. Fuck. Who asked me to snooze my alarm again? Oh, right. Me. And I had to ignore Badass barking.

    There were about twelve of us in this classroom, all clad in different uniforms. Make that fourteen when another two new entrants came in. One was a boy clad in the St Andrew¡¯s uniform, and another girl in the TKGS green pinafore. Damn, I wished I had my jacket to cover my hairy legs. They were probably staring at this tall, lanky boy wearing dark green shorts. Why did we still have to wear shorts again?

    ¡°Since today is the first day of school for many of you, we will let you off just this once. Some of you might be appealing to Raffles or Hwa Chong later in the day so we cannot moot any punishment for you. For those joining us though, official disciplinary guidelines will apply to you next week. Did I make myself clear?¡± said the disciplinary head with her snooty voice.

    Man, Sam was lucky he wasn¡¯t here and for once, was actually early. On the other hand, I would have loved to see his imitation of her. We responded with a dull ¡®yes, ma¡¯am¡¯ and headed out of the classroom. I gulped, wondering what I had missed earlier in the morning.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I ran away from my orientation group. I¡¯m terrified of crowds and had a bit of a panic attack. The noise, the cheering¡­it was all too much. Kenny found me and offered to comfort me,¡± the petite girl with a clear voice explained.

    My eyebrows began drooping when I heard that. I turned to face her. The obese teacher was the one who listened to her concerns. I wanted to turn away, but couldn¡¯t. Nobody should be punished or be treated like a criminal just because they wanted to make themselves feel safe.

    Wait. I repeated that thought to myself again. I had let someone be punished just because they wanted me to be safe. No, this was getting too overwhelming. I saw myself out of the room and decided to search for my orientation group. What was it called again? Ah, right. Aphrodite .

    Then, my handphone vibrated again. It was Sam, and he just had to send a barrage of emojis with their tongues sticking out. I rolled my eyes and groaned. This was going to be a long day.

 Beginnings: II

    ??-Nora

    There was this strange heaviness over how familiar yet unfamiliar this commute had become. The same shimmering reservoir never left us. It still greeted us in all its grandeur. The secondary forest in all its mystery continued to listen to our conversations.

    But this time round, Adik did not have to remind me to alight at Yio Chu Kang or to pause the conversation and resume it for dinnertime.

    ¡°Yio Chu Kang,¡± said the announcement over the PA system.

    Adik looked down at my pinafore and gave a forced smile.

    ¡°You know, it¡¯s not too late to appeal. Come follow me to the GO and we can get the forms,¡± he said as he held my hand.

    I glanced up at him, only for my eyes to shift their focus towards what lied beyond the windows. It was a familiar sight: rows and rows of buildings. The PA¡¯s headquarters. But my feet¡­I took a step forward as the train made its arrival at Yio Chu Kang MRT station. But I was no longer in secondary school. Muscle memory must be working its magic again.

    Strangers must have thought that I was an Anderson Sec girl so lost in her thoughts, she had forgotten to alight at her stop. No ¡®excuse mes¡¯ were muttered as the doors opened, creating that familiar flushing noise.

    The cabin was turning crowded. My commute had now turned unfamiliar. To Adik though, he was too accustomed to it; be it the crowds at Bishan and Ang Mo Kio, the lack of personal space. The doors came to a close, mocking the unfortunate souls who had missed the train by an inch. They would have to wait another three to four minutes for the next one.

    ¡°Hey, I just realised that we¡¯ll finally alight at Bishan together!¡± said Adik as his eyes lit up.

    And he was right. Different JCs but same MRT station. My lips curled into a smile.

    ¡°Next station: Ang Mo Kio,¡± the PA droned again.

    It¡¯s not too late to appeal. The badge on my pinafore marked me as different from the girls in his school. Yet¡­I had been one of them. I just traded one navy blue pinafore for another.

    ¡°I think I¡¯ll stay but in SJC. If I go to RJ, I won¡¯t know anybody there,¡± I said with a shrug.

    Adik¡¯s eyes dimmed. But he knew the story too well. No, Nora. No time to think about the past. I leant against the glass panel and averted my eyes towards the tracks. There was only one way to go. Forget the pinafore. I would be ditching it in a couple of days. Forget those words. I would meet new people and start on a clean slate.

    I can do this.

    ??-Yu-chi

    Less than 24 hours ago, I was on the KRT towards Hsiao-gang Station for Kaohsiung International Airport. I said my goodbyes to my Ah-ma, my cousins, my relatives, my former schoolmates, the familiar sights, my favourite brand of dumplings. All this to once again say hello to this country that remains a prison to me.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    The train began to brake as it approached Paya Lebar MRT station. As an interchange, it was bound to be crowded. Just that I wasn¡¯t used to a crowd of this level. People rushed into the train, not caring that there were others who needed to alight. A rather strange sight caught my eyes though. Walking into the train was a girl donning a messy ponytail. She should be heading southwards towards Dhoby Ghaut since she was wearing the TKGS uniform, but here she was ¨C heading towards Harbourfront like me. She must be in the same boat as me.

    The seats surrounding me started filling up. Battered office ladies, their eyebags still visible through their thick layers of make-up took their places opposite me. A couple of uniformed students hopped in. I wondered if they were going to join me in my new school. Would the TKGS girl be following me? I watched as her tiny body swayed with the movement of the train. Looking at her olive-coloured skin though, there was something very familiar about her. Like I had met her somewhere. But where? Maybe if she was in the new school with me, I would find out.

    And I found myself letting out some hot air. New school, my ass! 45% of the new students there likely already knew who I was, and they most definitely were not ready to drop those perceptions of me. Those strangers to Chung Cheng would know eventually, but I had other things to worry about.

    The train kicked up speed again, making its way towards Harbourfront. Wait a minute. The last train I boarded at Kaohsiung went towards Small Harbour, and the first train I boarded here in Singapore was going to Harbourfront. How poetic!

    Just seeing the dead eyes and lifeless faces on the commuters made me ache for home even more than I already did. Why did I open my arms to rejection and another two years of being outcasted? Not even the tunnel winds could defeat those thoughts in my head.

    No, Yu-chi. You survived three years here. Just press on for the next four, and you¡¯ll be fine. And this route would be the one that would see me through for the next two ¨C from Dakota to Lorong Chuan.

    ??-MINORI

    I blew against the car window, letting my warm breath cool the surface. With my index finger, I wrote a simple ¡®atarashii¡¯, but in hiragana instead. One of Sekai no Owari¡¯s older releases played on the stereo, doing little to ease the awkwardness in this car between father and son.

    Otou-san had his eyes fixed on the road, cursing the morning traffic on the PIE. Maybe I should do more window doodles with just my breath and fingers. The biopolis decal hanging over the front made me wonder if that was going to be my future too. A shared future with my father? I stuck my tongue out at that.

    And he didn¡¯t care, as usual. I wished it were Tou-chan, Kaa-chan, and Keiko in this car ride taking me to my first day as a JC student instead. As I looked out the window, it was just factory building after factory building. Was the world outside the East really just that boring?

    I chuckled to myself at what Alb told me, only to find my shoulders slumping at the thought of us not being together. Was I going to be the only Victorian over at SJC? Probably. The only east-sider? Likely.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± asked Otou-san, his eyes still fixed on the congested road before us.

    ¡°I miss Alb already,¡± I admitted.

    ¡°Well, maybe this is a good time for you to learn to stand on your own for a change. He¡¯s a bad influence on you anyway,¡± he said.

    I abandoned my condensation doodles and sank back into my seat. That was the so-called reason why I wasn¡¯t allowed to go to VJC, but everyone, even Tou-chan knew it was because he was scared that his old teachers who were still there would badmouth about him to me. I was so curious to find out more about his strange antics.

    And it just hit me. That I might be alone for the first time in my life made my face go blank. My blood was surging through my arteries like a tidal wave at the thrill of meeting new people. Yet, my head wanted to retreat to the rock pool and ask Otou-san if I could just appeal back to VJC.

    No turning back, Minori. This is it. It¡¯s time to be a man.

 Beginnings: III

    ??-Albert

    All I saw was a school canteen that did not know what it wanted to be. Did it want to be a community-created canvas or just another experimental prep-room? Well, on the other hand, seeing all those white uniforms made me realise how common it was for Singaporean secondary school boys to wear them.

    I looked down at the round gold and red badge that hung from my breast pocket. I bit my lip, realising that I was indeed out of the East.

    Even the journey here seemed so familiar yet unfamiliar to me. The CTE was something I had heard of but never thought about stepping foot (or should I say¡­wheels) on. Heck, the whole neighbourhood was like a weird labyrinth. The lack of sea air only added onto this alien realm.

    But oh well. Some comfort zones needed to be destroyed, I guess. I remembered my uncle telling me that sometimes, life was like choosing a spouse. Chase after the one you love or your neighbour?

    ¡°So, Alb, you¡¯re coming for the TSD qualifying test later, ah?¡± asked Greg.

    ¡°Yeah. Shag sia. TSD today. ELL tomorrow. KI tomorrow too,¡± I said as I stepped forward after the person at the front of the queue left.

    ¡°Well, at least you¡¯ll get to brag about that weird subject combi of yours,¡± he joked.

    I pressed my lips together and shrugged. Damnit, VJ. Why didn¡¯t you offer ELL? I glanced at my OG¡¯s table again. Not a single face that I knew nor recognised. This was no longer home turf.

    Or so I thought. A chirpy, boyish voice caught my attention. I turned around. No. That little ¡®ano¡¯. It was coming from the nasi lemak stall.

    ¡°Satu nasi lemak. Set ikan. Terima kasih, Mak!¡± said Minori as he handed two $2 notes to the Mak Cik.

    The Cat High boy after him placed his hand on his shoulder and gave a thumb up. Man. They weren¡¯t kidding when they said those shorts looked ridiculous. Still, just the sight of Minori was enough to make me want to step out of the queue for fish soup.

    I watched as he retreated to his OG¡¯s canteen table, settling down his cutlery and plate of nasi lemak. He turned to the direction of the Cat High boy and patted the seat beside him.

    I bit my lip. At least he had already found some new friends.

    ??-Samuel

    ¡°Wah, Sam. It¡¯s only the first day of school and you already got a new bromance,¡± joked Lynn.

    I dug into my nasi lemak and watched as Nori mixed the sambal with his rice. He did not say a single word. Well, I could not blame him. That was a really awkward way for the school to know us ¨C on our first day at that.

    The coconut rice was fluffy. Heaps better than the one at Cat High, but not as good as the ones back home. But hey, nasi lemak is nasi lemak.

    ¡°Aiyah, it¡¯s not a bromance lah. I¡¯ve just adopted a new little brother. That¡¯s all,¡± I said as I brought my other arm over Nori¡¯s shoulder.

    His cheeks were all puffed up and red. His shoulders were incredibly stiff. I frowned a little and released him. Maybe everything was getting to him too fast. He gulped down whatever he ate and cleared his throat.

    ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t mind. I¡¯ve always wanted an older sibling and¡­I don¡¯t know anyone in this school so¡­I¡¯m happy to have made a friend,¡± said Nori.

    He was still blushing and was almost as red as his Nike shoes. But maybe that was just his demeanour. He did seem like a shy person but at the same time, it was genuinely hard to tell what was going through his mind.

    ¡°So¡­you accept me as your abang?¡± I joked.

    He turned to face me and nodded his head, his smile revealing his somewhat misaligned teeth. Damn. He was adorable.

    ¡°So, bromance confirmed?¡± joked OG Sam.

    ¡°Aiyah, just an abang-adik relationship, lah,¡± I joked back.

    Our OG mates put their hands together, welcoming this very unlikely partnership between a Cat High boy and a VS boy.

    OG Sam pressed his hand against his cheek and asked if any one of us was going for the various placement tests that day and the next.

    I raised my hands and declared my intention to do KI.

    ¡°How about you, Nori? You seem like a very KI kind of guy,¡± said Olivia.

    He looked down at his half-empty plate of nasi lemak before staring straight up at the ceiling again.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Even if I take KI, I¡¯ll still have to do math, right? Oh well. And besides¡­I¡¯m thinking of doing Lit anyway,¡± he said.

    Cue some claps from our group. Somehow, I just found myself smiling at his strange earnestness.

    Then, a bunch of students marched into the canteen.

    ¡°Come join the student council!¡± they cried in unison.

    I put my fork down and looked at the details. Earnestness. But would it work? Everyone knew about that incident. Still¡­somehow. Maybe this was my chance to change myself.

    ??-Dae-hyun

    And another day ended just like that. I roamed the hallways of SJC, noticing that some students were lingering around either studying or just hanging out with their friends. Rachel told me that there was a secret spot where you could play the piano under a dazzling stained-glass dome. 5.13pm. Might as well kill some time while waiting for peak hour to end, I suppose.

    She told me that it was at the performing arts block where the dance studios and black box were. After making some detours and asking some students clad in the plaid-skirts and navy trousers, I managed to find this elusive spot.

    I muttered a soft `wow`. It really did look like a scene out of those romantic period dramas, what with the coloured lights bouncing against every inch of the wall and how the grand piano bathed in the evening glow. Now, was there any way for me to make this spot my own? I walked towards the piano and settled my backpack down beside it.

    I stroked the fallboard, admiring the gold-leaf ornaments that plated the hood. There was no way I could claim this as mine, right? Get a grip, Dae-hyun. This is school property. Who cared?

    I sat myself down on the aged stool, pressed my feet against the foot pedals, lifted the fallboard, and let my fingers settle on the ivory keys. But my fingers were frozen. Surely, a place this beautiful deserved a piece just as beautiful to accompany it, right?

    Gymnopedie No. 1 it was then. And I let my fingers dance across the keys, filling this lonely pillar with music. Imagine how cool it must be to study here. I¡¯d probably get distracting by the dancing lights anyway.

    But a soft whisper brings the playing to an abrupt halt. I slammed the keys and looked behind, wondering who was interrupting my inner muse.

    Standing before me was a petite girl wearing the Methodist Girls sailor uniform. Judging from her golden curls tied into two loose pigtails and her piercing green eyes, she definitely was not local. Alamak. This coming from me, another foreigner.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to interrupt, but do you know where the general office is?¡± she asked.

    I looked at what she was carrying to her chest. It was an A3-sized portfolio. Ah, she must be here to appeal for the AEP.

    ¡°Just follow the silver ceilings! They¡¯ll take you there,¡± I said as I tried to take in her heavy Aussie accent.

    ¡°Thank you¡­what¡¯s your name?¡± she asked.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°Me? I¡¯m Dae-hyun,¡± I replied, pointing at myself with a smile.

    She smiled back and rushed off, eyes looking towards the silver ceilings as she made her way to the general office. And it was just me and the grand piano again.

    ??-Luqman

    I thanked my lucky stars that the long day had finally come to an end. The campus was bathed in a rich golden light. Well, the sun was going to set after all. Friday will come after. That was probably the shortest school week I ever had in my life.

    The path before me was printed with mathematical formulae and ionic and covalent bonds, foreshadowing my next one and a half years here. I took out my handphone and texted Nenek to let her know that I was going to have dinner at home. Hopefully, she would save some food for me.

    The thought of having ayam masak merah in my stomach vanished when I heard a distant cry for help. I stuffed my phone into my pocket and let my feet guide me. A strange warmth climbed up my chest as an invisible string tugged me towards the source of that call. It was like somebody was guiding me.

    ¡°Sorry!¡± I cried as I collided into some fellow students while chasing after the voice.

    One part of me hoped that I was not hallucinating. After all, I was really worn out from being around so many people and trying to recognise new faces. On the other hand, whatever was pulling me felt real.

    In the community garden near the MOE Language Centre, a girl with distinct blonde hair was fighting off¡­I rubbed my eyes. Okay, maybe this was the real hallucination. Her opponent? A creature made of glass. A humanoid creature made of glass wearing a translucent coat formed from mist and smoke. This time, I pinched myself to make sure I was really seeing things. Ya Allah, I really must be tired.

    It shrieked, its voice sounding like a murder of crows and loud enough to send her braided pigtails loose. The girl¡¯s left hand started glowing with a brilliant golden light, with sparks of electricity emitting themselves from her knuckles. She delivered a swift punch towards the creature, only to land a miss right before dodging another attack.

    How was I supposed to intervene and provide assistance to something beyond comprehension? My hand reached for my handphone. But would the police even believe me? What if I ended up getting sent to IMH instead and Mak and Nenek find out and believe that I am crazy? Forget the handphone then. I charged straight in, sending my hand out. Alamak. What good would that do?

    And that warmth crept up towards my heart again and it surged through my right hand. The earth beneath me began to rumble. I clenched my fists and shot my hand up, watching as a wall of vines formed between the glass beast and the girl.

    In that split second, I saw everything that was reflected in the glass. Speeding cars. The face of a concerned nurse. Fire. At the bosom of the glass creature was a composition of faces; some decomposed and some fresh. That was scarier than the creature itself. Roots burst out from the ground, latching themselves onto the creature¡¯s ankles.

    And a bolt of lightning went straight through the bush. I ducked down and watched as it struck the creature¡¯s chest. It stumbled a bit, but not before shrieking again and sending a flock of birds right towards me. I landed on my side, watching as blood spilled on the dirt from my knee. Another flash of light zoomed over me.

    Why did I respond to this call? Why? I should have ran away the moment I saw the girl¡¯s fist glow. When I looked up again, all those memories stared right back at me. I pressed my hands over my ears. I couldn¡¯t understand a word of Mandarin or Cantonese, but I knew enough to know that they were cries of defeat.

    And I found myself screaming this time, even as a shimmering lilac light straight-up impaled the creature. I rolled on my back and pressed the ground as it disintegrated into billions of pieces. I thanked God that it did not shatter into glass shards which could have punctured my organs.

    A dainty hand presented itself to me. I grabbed it and let its owner pull me up. I stumbled back again when I saw that she was just a short, but heavily-built TKGS girl whose hands were glowing like lilac comets. She was the one who fired that projectile that destroyed the monster. Standing beside her was an SASS boy, whose jaw was still hanging.

    ¡°You okay? You could¡¯ve gotten hurt,¡± she said with a clear voice.

    I put my fingers to my forehead and tried to compose myself, finding the appropriate words to say. But what? I looked down at my pants. They were caked with wet dirt and a fresh trail of blood dripped through the white. Before I could mutter my first words to her, she struck her foot down against the earth, creating a shield that looked like a lace doily. It absorbed a single bolt of lightning.

    ¡°You two stay back. I¡¯ve got some business to settle,¡± she said.

    I merely nodded my head and watched as she went around the hedge that I created and walked towards the blonde girl. The other boy just stared at me with big eyes, probably shocked at what I had just done too.

    ¡°Hey. You think you can lower the hedge? I want to see you do magic again!¡± he said with wide, enthusiastic eyes.

    I blinked back, unsure of how to reverse that spell or whatever on earth I just did. I did make it with my hand, right? Too late for that because the girl just ploughed through the hedge with another burst of light.

    ¡°Hey, what was that for? You could have killed us!¡± she said.

    ¡°So, this is how mother nature gets destroyed,¡± I whimpered.

    ¡°I was supposed to destroy that Umbra!¡± the Ang Mor cried out with her thick accent.

    From the gaps between leaves, I could see the ominous static and golden light seeping through. I told the boy to stay there and ran as fast as I could, closing my eyes as I stretched both hands out and stood between them in case the ang mor tried to kill us again.

    ¡°Stop! Just stop! She didn¡¯t know you were after it, okay?! Just¡­just go home! Go home! It¡¯s getting late!¡± I cried.

    When I opened my eyes, I saw that there were¡­pompoms made of ferns in my hands. Okay, that was really far from threatening.

    ¡°Yeah, man. How was I supposed to know that you were supposed to kill it? Besides, what do you need to kill that thing for anyway?¡± asked the TKGS girl.

    I turned to face the other one and her eyes softened. She turned away from my glare and looked at the ground instead.

    ¡°I¡­I,¡± but she was cut short as someone swooped her away from our grasp.

    I blinked and put my hands down, watching as the black figure carried her away from us into the sunset. In her place was a heap of golden dust. The TKGS girl walked towards it and pinched a bit of it, stuffing it into a pen cap. I crouched beside her, asking her if she had any clue what that was. She just shook her head.

    Then, the boy she came with ran towards us, his eyes focused on the mess that we had left behind. He looked at the glittering dust and ran it through his fingers.

    ¡°Okay, Luq. Inilah mimipi yang busuk. Kau akan bangung. Tiga¡­dua¡­¡± and before I could even say `one`, the girl put my hand down and shook her head.

    ¡°Ini bukan mimpi. Ayo, lihat lu mia seluar,¡± she said in heavily accented Malay that was much more sing-song than the brand that I spoke.

    Okay. So, a very beautiful Nyonya just did some kind of starlight magic and almost got killed by an electrifying Aussie. And I just summoned a hedge out of nowhere along with fern pompoms. How was that not a dream?

    ¡°Ini mimpi. Aku tahu,¡± I said as I pinched myself once more.

    I closed and opened my eyes. She just stood there, waving her hand before me. The other boy did the same, but unlike me, he only opened his eyes with a grin so wide, I worried for his facial muscles.

    ¡°So, magic is real. Magic is real!¡± he cried as he jumped on the spot.

    ¡°Ah, don¡¯t mind Kenny. He¡¯s just a friend. Aku Mei. Thank you for saving my life,¡± said Mei as she brushed aside the loose stray of hair dangling from her ear.

    I tried standing straight again, trying to absorb everything that happened the past few minutes. I brushed off the dirt from my pants, fearing what Nenek would have to say if she saw them. Well, if that meant she was going to call the school to take me off the orientation programme, maybe I didn¡¯t mind, lah.

    ¡°Hi, Kenny! Hi, Mei. My name¡¯s Luqman,¡± I said.

    When I said that, I broke into a smile.

    ??-Eclair

    The sight of that overly familiar colonial bungalow was enough to make me grimace. I wriggled out of Lisias¡¯s grip and folded my arms, covering my bare arms from his gaze.

    ¡°I see the holidays have made you less competent. How are your grandma and grandpa?¡± he asked as we made our way towards the main door.

    ¡°Leave my grandparents out of this!¡± I snared back.

    He opened the double doors and let me step in first. Nathaniel was already there, tracking devices and knife laid out on the coffee table. Even the laptop was already fired up with their specially tailored programme running.

    ¡°¨¦clair! How was Melbourne?¡± he asked with a smile.

    I kept quiet and attempted to regain my balance when Lisias thrusted me forward. He handed the knife and stopwatch to me.

    ¡°Hey, you don¡¯t look so good. What happened?¡± asked Nathaniel as Lisias sunk into the sofa beside him.

    ¡°¨¦clair here let two mages, and worst of all, a non-magic user see her fighting one of the Umbra!¡± he yelled as he pointed at me.

    Nathaniel bent down and offered him some of the scones on the high-tea platter. He declined and just folded his arms, gesturing at his laptop.

    ¡°What? Holidays made you forget everything I taught you, is it? Go on! I need data!¡± he screamed again.

    The knife glimmered in my left hand, reflecting the faint light from the chandelier hanging above us. That same spot on my right hand had seen its blade too many times. It should be accustomed to it by now. I let it slice through my skin. Blood oozed out from the fleshy area, dripping onto the floor.

    The stopwatch¡¯s interface had turned bloody, but I still had to press on the go button. Magic pulsated through my body, creeping up my arteries and sending that jolt of life through my petite body. Faerie dust seeped through my clenched right fist, spilling onto the floor like it was shimmering white wine. I pressed the stop button. No more blood. As if I had never cut myself.

    ¡°34.67 seconds,¡± I said.

    Nathaniel then gestured at my anklet and handed me the forceps. I took out my tracking device and placed it on the table. Then, I had to pinch the tip of the opal embedded into my navel with the forceps. That familiar stinging sensation sent the magic to a halt for that split moment as it transmitted data into the laptop with the embedded Bluetooth technology.

    Lisias brought his hands together as he analysed the data on the screen. I lifted my blouse back down and sat on the armchair, wondering if they were satisfied with the punishment that had mooted to me.

    ¡°You have been producing lower than usual levels of magic today. Maybe the holidays have made you overly relaxed after all. Shouldn¡¯t have let you go. Ask Danielle to come over here tomorrow,¡± said Lisias.

    ¡°Well, Lisias. I think that her energy levels are lower than usual today because she¡¯s nervous. She just had her appeal interview right before that encounter with the Umbra that you,-¡° Lisias silenced Nathaniel by putting his pen in front of his mouth.

    He sighed and covered his face with his hands. Maybe it would have been better if Dani and I had just begged our parents to leave us behind in Melbourne. Maybe we wouldn¡¯t be dragged back into this.

    ¡°Fine, ¨¦clair. I¡¯m letting you off today. But remember why you¡¯re working with me,¡± said Lisias as he stared right into my apple-green eyes.

    And how can I forget? How can I forget the way that man screamed before the tranquiliser was injected into him? The way I shouted for help at that echoey fire exit? How I begged for him to spare me?

 Profile of the Day: Dae-hyun

    Name: Rhee Dae-hyun

    Birthday: 19th September 1993

    Birthplace: Busan, South Korea

    Height: 167cm

    Nationality: South Korean

    Citizenship Status: Permanent Resident in Singapore

    Subject combination: H2 Music, H2 Math, H2 Physics, H2 Literature, H1 General Paper

    Co-curricular Activity: Modern Dance (Professional Squad)

    Hey. What''s up? I''m Dae-hyun. Some of my friends call me Dae. I''m also known as the Piano Boy because...well. Yeah, I guess you can say that the piano in SJC''s arts block and I are married to each other. I play all kinds of musical instruments though. It just so happens that the piano and drums are my preferred instruments.

    I came here to Singapore when I was eight. My parents were brought in to help nurture new musical talent. My mother works as an MEP (Music Elective Programme) teacher at one of the secondary schools and my father is a conductor at the Symphony Orchestra. Evidently, my parents met at music school. And no, I hate K-Pop, so don''t bother asking me if I like Super Junior or SHINee.

    Why am a year older than everybody else, you ask? I kind of gave the answer to Kumar sometime at the mamak near Eclair''s house. But hey...we all have our old shames. I''m more or less used to life in Singapore though. It''s very stable. A bit sterile sometimes, but I rather have stability than lots of weird shit happening all at once. Sadly, that is why my life has become.

    Questionnaire

    Would you rather trade intelligence for looks or looks for intelligence?

    Since I''m living in Singapore and not Korea anymore (thankfully), I''d trade looks for intelligence. I just feel that compared to Korea, intelligence is a lot more valued. That is something that I like about Singapore. The society is not as superficial as the one back home. Back there, people would discard your resume if they see you are not attractive enough. Don''t get me started on the obsession with cosmetic surgery there.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    What kitchen appliance do you use every day?

    Umma does all the cooking but if I really have to answer, I''d say the microwave.

    What is your favorite family holiday tradition?

    Going to Hauendae Beach and having a barbequeue with all of my extended family and cousins. Of course, the most fun part is turning our grandpa into a merman when he is snoozing on his sunbathing mat.

    What form of public transportation do you prefer? (air, boat, train, bus, car, etc.)

    It doesn''t matter. As long as I can listen to my music and just drown in it, I don''t care what I happen to be taking.

    In the evening, would you rather play a game, visit a relative, watch a movie, or read?

    Since the options are limited, I would choose to play a video game. If I''m not working on new compositions or practicing my music, I am likely to be playing video games. My favourites are MMORPGs like Black Desert and MapleStory.

    Where do you see yourself in five years?

    Hopefully in university! Of course, this means I must do well for my A Levels next year, lah! As for the course that I''m studying, I still haven''t made up my mind yet. On one hand, I still want to continue doing music. On the other hand, something inside me is telling me to try something new. Guess we''ll see where my results will take me to!

 Breaking the Ice: I

    ??-Minori

    The interface on my watch said it was 6.52a.m. Why was I dumb enough to think that the commute from Simei to Bishan would take a full hour? Never mind. That meant I had time to eat a second breakfast! The peanut butter waffle was piping hot in the paper bag and the cool morning air cooled down the hot milo.

    The sky was still blueish-grey; perfect for sleeping. Maybe I should do that after my second breakfast. After dunking my milo in one gulp, the glass caught sight of a girl wearing a sailor uniform. Her golden hair was tied into two braided pigtails. Reminds me of Bjorn. She sat alone on the table right next to mine. From the way her head kept shifting from one thing to another, it seemed like she was lost.

    After returning my cup to the drink stall auntie, I approached her. Wait. Hold on. This wasn¡¯t right. Alb would definitely be laughing at me. Amami Minori, the one guy who couldn¡¯t score a girlfriend talking to a girl?

    ¡°Hey, you lost?¡± I asked.

    She looked up at me with the brightest green eyes I had ever seen on a person before. Okay, then again, how many Caucasians had I come into contact with aside from Bjorn? There was something odd about her though. When I looked straight at her, it felt like she was sending jolts of electricity straight through my body.

    ¡°I just need to find the AEP rooms. Do you know where they are?¡± she asked.

    Giving my directions to a girl. Albert was definitely going to have a field day with this. I shrugged my shoulders and apologised for being unable to provide her with much assistance.

    Before I could go back to my seat to finish chomping on the waffles, she called me again with a soft ¡®hey¡¯. I turned around and raised an eyebrow. She was already on her feet and much shorter than I was.

    ¡°Have you ever thought about who you really were?¡± she asked.

    I rubbed the back of my head, unsure of how to answer her. I just blinked at the randomness of the question. I looked down at my feet, only to see that something was glowing beneath her white socks. A silver chain poked out.

    ¡°Well, I do sometimes wonder why we¡¯re sent here, considering we never asked consented to be born. I¡¯ll just go about living my life, I guess. Oh, I¡¯m Minori by the way,¡± I said upon realising that I had forgotten to introduce myself.

    ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m ¨¦clair. I¡¯ll see you around,¡± she said before walking off.

    Now that was a weird way to start the morning. I shrugged my shoulders and continued eating. At the same time, the weight of the half-truth that I told pressed against my broad shoulders. What did she mean by an existence greater than the one I was living now?

    ??-Eclair

    The admin staff told me to find the OG called Aphrodite. Looking at all the banners, it seemed that they really wanted to stick to their Clash of the Titans theme as much as possible. The pink banner bordered with red roses and narcissus flowers showed me the way.

    ¡°Ah, you must be ¨¦clair, right? The new member to our OG? Welcome! I¡¯m Jia Ying!¡± said the OGL as she directed me to the unoccupied spaces in her group.

    I thanked her for the warm introduction and took my place beside a tall, lanky boy who was wearing shorts that did not flatter his lean figure. I straightened my shirt out and looked at the students who surrounded me.

    It was just like the first day I entered Methodist Girls. Almost every pair of eyes in the school were on me, wondering who this strange girl with golden hair and green eyes was. Papa did warn me.

    You were the one who wanted to transfer to a local school. Why are you complaining? He was right. We were doing pretty fine at the Australian International School, yet I was the one who made the decision to be amongst the locals for once in my life. I have to live with the consequences of my choice and the words that people would spill at me.

    The music started blaring from every speaker in the hall, signalling that assembly was about to start soon. Students started spilling in from all corners of the hall, taking their seats beside friends they had already made. Eyes were on me again.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

    Then, my Pectus Magi tingled. I looked up and saw him. It was the boy with bronzed skin from the morning. Minori, right? His hair was still in a dishevelled mess, but that didn¡¯t stop his OG mates from embracing him with open arms as they pulled him towards the floor.

    ¡°If you feel weird about everybody looking at you, he felt the exact same way yesterday when they called him up to do the chicken dance,¡± said the shorts-clad boy beside me.

    I turned to face him, surprised that he had a willowy voice despite his tall frame. He gave a reassuring smile, and only then did I realise that while all eyes were on me, he never seemed to care that I was different and just went on with his business.

    Maybe I could do this.

    ??-Luqman

    If Nenek found out that I not only attended lecture with two new people but actually ended up having lunch with them, she would praise God and probably fast for two weeks. Mei set her bowl of assam laksa down while Kenny munched on some bread that he brought from home.

    ¡°So, last night, not a dream, right?¡± Kenny whispered into Mei¡¯s ear.

    ¡°Nope. Everything you saw was real. The glass monster, my starlight powers. Luqman making a hedge grow on the spot. All real,¡± said Mei.

    She proceeded to slurp up her noodles and wiped her lips with her forearm. I raised an eyebrow, wondering how she was so bold to do something like that in public. Kenny on the other hand inched nearer towards her. I mouthed at him to not do it, but he didn¡¯t care.

    ¡°So, please tell me more! Like, ah, where does your magic come from? Got source or not? Oh! What about that glass creature?¡± he said.

    It was like watching a kindergartener asking his teacher many questions about the animals at the zoo. I offered Mei a piece of tissue paper in case she wanted to wipe her lips with her arm again. Maybe I had to pay close attention to so that I could have some idea over what I just did the night before.

    ¡°We still don¡¯t really know the origins of magic that well. We just know that there are parasites called Anima Magi that reside within us and provide us with that power,¡± she said before diving into her noodles again.

    Did she just say ¡®parasite¡¯? I grimaced at that thought and averted my eyes away from my nasi padang for a bit. So, there was a parasite eating me alive and giving me magic?!

    ¡°No, lah. Not that kind of parasite. It just stays in our bodies for protection from the elements. In exchange, we¡¯re allowed to tap into their magical abilities. That¡¯s all I know for now,¡± she said after gulping everything down.

    That was definitely not the right word to use. Mutualism was more appropriate in this case. Kenny just let out a silent ¡®wow¡¯. It was hard to get rid of the sparkle in his eyes, wasn¡¯t it? Then, he pressured her with more and more questions. It wasn¡¯t until a while that Mei put her spoon down and heaved a rather frustrated sigh.

    ¡°Was I too much?¡± asked Kenny.

    She shook her head. She glanced at the ceiling, probably thinking of what to say next before looking straight at me. I pointed at myself.

    ¡°You have to get registered at Divyane before they label you as a rouge mage,¡± said Mei.

    I was sitting still, but somehow, it was as if the whole world was spinning around me. How did my life change in the span of just 24 hours? One moment, I was just Luqman, a regular Singaporean boy just doing his best. The next moment, I was suddenly some sort of spell caster and now¡­there was some organisation?

    ¡°They oversee our welfare and give us training so that we can control our powers better. They also have their own courts, hospitals,¡± and I just found myself blanking out again.

    There was a whole underground society for people¡­like me. While Kenny continued to bug her with more questions, with her showing her glowing left fist as a warning, I just sat there, contemplating everything that I had known.

    ??-Frankie

    ¡°Wah, your future campus is damn nice sia,¡± I said as I looked at all the glass-lined sky bridges, the art studios, and art installations that dotted Laselle.

    ¡°I know, right? Aiyah. It sucks that NUS and NTU don¡¯t have arts management courses. SMU¡¯s is only a minor. So, this is my only choice lor. No regrets though. It¡¯s so damn pretty and state-of-the-art,¡± said Sissy.

    A single balloon floated up towards the ceiling, the LaSelle insignia printed on its pink surface. I wondered if some na?ve members of the public would consider that as art.

    ¡°So, have you decided what to do while waiting for poly to start?¡± asked Sissy as she accepted a bag of free popcorn from one of the open house booths.

    I held my hands out too, thanking the Uncle Ringo guy for the free food. I munched on the popcorn whilst trying to ruminate over what she said.

    ¡°You got life so easy because you already got an internship. I don¡¯t even know where to find work. Giving part-time tuition sounds pretty boring. Besides, I don¡¯t want to feed the industry. Hey, you think I can take up one of your illustration courses here?¡± I joked.

    Sissy pushed me to the side before bursting into laughter, her mouth opened like she could eat up the full moon.

    We paused to catch sight of a modern dance troupe. Sissy stood still, her eyes transfixed on the way their bodies were like fluid, flowing with the rhythm of Dance of the Pearls¡¯ remix. With Parkview Square providing the backdrop behind the newly made stage, it seemed quite surreal.

    I imagined the gigantic bronze sculptures of those men coming to life, dancing with those light orbs as though they were pearls. I giggled at the thought of them becoming backup dancers. Or maybe they were part of the set design.

    Parkview Square. I blinked. Nah, who was I kidding. It had only been a day since that interview, right? Surely, they wouldn¡¯t reply so fast. Or maybe I was tempting fate after all. My handphone vibrated. I looked at the SMS and almost let out the greatest victory cry I could.

    ¡°Hey, Sissy, what say you if I took up an internship at Divyane for the next three months?¡± I asked.

    She made a dramatic turn towards me and just stared with wide eyes.

 Breaking the Ice: II

    ??-Samuel

    ¡°Kumar! What¡¯s up, asshole?¡± I screamed as I ran towards the bench that he was seated on in the eco-garden.

    I stopped in my tracks when I saw what was scattered beside him. Glitter glue? Neon pens? Did he steal those from Janice¡¯s room? Paper cut-outs lied on the ground like fallen leaves.

    ¡°Uh, Kumar? What are you doing?¡± I asked.

    He shrieked and jolted upwards, sending bits of paper flying into the air. I looked at each piece. BBQ stingray? Written in silver pen against the pink cardstock was `hello, mortal`, complete with a badly drawn smiley face.

    ¡°Fuck lah, bro! Can you not scare me like that next time?¡± he asked before he wrapped me into a hug.

    Feeling his tight biceps against my shoulders was a reminder for me to hit the gym soon and turn those four-packs into six-packs. I sat beside him and helped to pick up all the things that he dropped.

    ¡°Sorry, lah. You looked damn intense though. Your mortal is some pretty girl, is it?¡± I teased, nudging him with my elbow.

    He turned to face me with wide eyes, as though they held flashbacks to the time when we sent him to the UNO shadow realm. I glanced upwards, wondering what this could mean.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t get a girl. I got the girl. The French-Aussie girl. ¨¦clair Dubois,¡± he said.

    I shrugged my shoulders. Why was he making such a big deal out of this? She is just a girl after all. Why go through the effort of rummaging through his sister¡¯s stuff just for her?

    ¡°Okay. She managed to get into SJ through AEP alone. That means her art skills must be damn good. I have to make an effort, what!¡± he said.

    I somehow found myself sighing in relief knowing that he had not succumbed to white worship. He applied some glue to the back of the stingray photo and pasted it onto the cardstock.

    ¡°Don¡¯t put too much effort into this, okay? You still got another seven rounds of angel and mortal to go with your group! Oh, and later got the dance try-outs, right? Good luck, bro,¡± I said.

    Kumar dropped everything he was doing and smacked his hand against his forehead.

    ¡°Alamak, you¡¯re right leh,¡± he said.

    ¡°You sure you¡¯re okay going back to dancing? You haven¡¯t danced since that incident,¡± I said.

    Kumar packed his things into his pencil case and messenger bag. He brushed away a stray lock of hair away from his face and loosened his tense posture.

    ¡°Well, we are in a co-ed school now, so I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll have a problem with me here. What about you? You sure you can run for council with that discipline record of yours?¡± he asked back.

    And I ended up clicking my tongue. Funny how dance and discipline record became intertwined, eh?

    ¡°Hey, hey. It wasn¡¯t recorded, remember? They gave me a choice. Caning without record, or no caning with record, so I went with the former. I¡¯ll be fine,¡± I assured Kumar.

    He placed his strong hand on my shoulder, towering over me and inhaled a deep breath. How many times must I tell him that he was not responsible for what happened to me?

    ¡°But Sam, people will talk. So many of our former schoolmates are here with us. I don¡¯t want to see you getting hurt because of me again,¡± he said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll never know if I don¡¯t try, right? It¡¯s a risk I¡¯m willing to take,¡±¡¯ I said.

    He patted me on the back again. Though we weren¡¯t wearing those clapped Cat High shorts anymore, somehow it felt like we had never left those unholy grounds. He put his bag over his shoulder and wished me luck for the application.

    ¡°By the way, now that the other Jason went to RJ, can I call you Jason again?¡± I asked before he made his way for his trial lecture venue.

    ¡°Aiyah. I know you¡¯ll still call me Kumar anyway,¡± he said before saluting me off.

    ??-Kumar

    Why was I being so nervous over something I had been doing almost all my life? Was Sam right? That there was still that emotional baggage on my shoulders? I stretched my calves on the bench, reaching out for my toes as I warmed myself up for the try-outs. No. Would they even accept me to begin with? Would they deem my style to be a bit too classical? Or would I just be very rusty?

    ¡°Kumar? I didn¡¯t know you were auditioning for dance too!¡±¡¯ came a very thick but sweet Aussie accent.

    I jolted up when I saw her golden curls blocking my view of the science labs before us. Thank God my muscles never strained, sia! I sat back up, posture as straight as ever and let ¨¦clair sit beside me.

    How many levels of awkwardness had this encounter peaked already? How was I supposed to act natural in front of my damned mortal? What would Sam do in such a situation?

    ¡°Actually, I¡¯m kind of nervous. I haven¡¯t danced in a long time,¡± I admitted, playing around with my curls for a bit.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t even danced my entire life. I don¡¯t even know what to do for this audition,¡± said ¨¦clair as she hugged her messenger bag.

    Ah, yes. I remembered those jittery feelings to the first time I stepped into that dance studio, dressed in my PE shorts and shirt and being one of only four boys in there. But that private tutoring made it all the more awesome.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°Well, the first time I danced, I was just as nervous as you. But unlike you, I was actually told what to do,¡± I said.

    Well, shit. That probably wasn¡¯t going to help her. If anything, judging from the way she bit her lip, I might have made it even worse. I frowned and wondered what else could ease her nervousness from an experienced dancer to a new one.

    ¡°When you go in, if you don¡¯t know what to do, just dance what you feel for the past week. Everything you felt that you bottled up, just release it. Your body will know what to do,¡± I told her.

    She looked at me with perplexed emerald eyes, making her sort of resemble a bug with their largeness, but I thought it was cute. She repeated that last sentence that I told her.

    ¡°Okay. Let me try that again. Why do you want to join dance?¡± I asked.

    Wah. At this rate, I would probably appear in the fucking collection of men who make everything worse for women. Was I intimidating her too much? Could she handle the harshness of being a dancer?

    ¡°I¡¯ve always been expressing myself through painting, but never through my own body. So, I want to challenge myself,¡± she said.

    I nodded my head. Seemed like a legit reason. I looked at the people surrounding us. Part of me was hoping that the sheer volume of people trying out for dance didn¡¯t come because of K-Pop. But that was an unhealthy way to think.

    ¡°What about you? What got you into dancing? I haven¡¯t met a single boy in my life who¡¯s into dance,¡± said ¨¦clair.

    Before I could even answer her though, a senior from the club stepped out of the room and called my name out.

    ¡°Jason Jayakumar Nazareth? Please come in,¡± she said.

    I bowed my head down at ¨¦clair. She wished me a simply good luck to which I replied with a simple thumb up.

    The aircon stung my dusky skin. Seeing the mirrors for walls flooded me with memories of the first time I did a plie. The instructors for the dance club and student exco were lined up in a neat row of tables.

    ¡°What will you be presenting to us for today, Jason?¡± they asked as I browsed for my chosen song for the audition.

    ¡°Nutcracker Suite.¡±

    Cue the surprised faces and murmurs within the judging panel. I pressed the play button and let my body do the talking from then on, realising how familiar yet unfamiliar the wooden floor had become to my bare feet.

    ??-Albert

    The first and last lecture for H2 Literature came to an end. Why first and last? Because everything would be seminar style from now on. Not only that, I was going to take ELL anyway. Great job, Alb. Now you have to prepare for every class that you take, except for the H2 Math lectures.

    But now was my chance to fulfil this specific mission. My chance to give him the surprise of the year. I bid goodbye to my TSD friends and rushed straight to the lobby area outside the LT, my eyes targeting the many heads that walked out trying to find a boy wearing a red hoodie with a gigantic Mickey Mouse print in the front.

    As he walked past me, I brought my hands over his shoulders. He shrieked, sending some eyes darting towards us but I did not care. He turned around and as soon as he saw me, he let out a piercing squeal of excitement as he hugged me tight.

    ¡°Albee! Why didn¡¯t you tell me you were here at SJC too?¡± asked Minori with a single breath.

    ¡°I wanted to surprise you!¡± I said.

    And we hugged each other again, hands pressing tight into our ribcages. I could have sworn that Nori was shedding some happy tears, what with the right sleeve of my uniform turning damp.

    ¡°I knew you were here! How do you find the books?¡± I asked as I brought my arm over his shoulder.

    Despite our white shirts and navy trousers, just being able to be beside Nori was enough to make me feel like I was in VS again. It was great to have another familiar face too. Or maybe¡­he wasn¡¯t the only one.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m so nervous since I¡¯ve never done Lit before. Hey! Remember back in VS when I always said you were damn brave to do it! Wah! I couldn¡¯t image myself doing it back then,¡± he said, pushing me towards the left in the playful bounce that we always did with each other.

    ¡°Aiyah. You might have an even bigger advantage than me since you¡¯re starting from scratch. By the way, what are you up to after Math?¡± I asked.

    He fiddled with his necklace and muttered a soft ¡®ano¡¯. Then, his eyes lit up. ¡°Since we hardly get out of the east, I¡¯m planning to explore Ang Mo Kio and Serangoon a bit. Want to come with me?¡± he asked, his ever-big eyes sparkling with that same curiosity and excitement.

    Before I could even utter an enthusiastic ¡®hell yes¡¯, I remembered that I had to attend the Theatre Studies welcome session. My body slumped at the thought that this was what I signed up for ¨C that part of the unholy contract would involve spending less time with Nori.

    ¡°What is it?¡± asked Nori, his chirpy voice drooping with my posture.

    ¡°Well, I sold my soul to the stage. Gotta go for my first TSD session,¡± I said.

    He let go of my grip before drawing me into another tight hug while he repeated ¡®congratulations¡¯ over and over again.

    ¡°I know how badly you wanted this. I¡¯m so happy for you!¡± he said without a hint of irony.

    But when our eyes met again, I could see that sadness. I shared it with him as we did with our conversations on the breakwater at East Coast, our spying missions on TKGS and CHIJ girls (which were evidently never successful on his part), our birthday parties and so on.

    ¡°Hey, we¡¯ll still see each other on campus a lot, okay? It¡¯ll be just like in VS,¡± I tried to assure him, although I knew I could not believe in my own words.

    He nodded his head with a weak ¡®mhm¡¯ before extending his curled fists for our secret handshake. We bumped our knuckles and wiggled our fingers as we released.

    ¡°Wanna head for lunch? Let¡¯s go to the caf¨¦,¡± I suggested.

    ¡°Sure thing! Nori hungry!¡± he said.

    And with that familiar phrase, I gave a soft smile. Some things never changed at all.

    ??-Dae-hyun

    And there she was again, sitting on that stool under the dancing lights. Her head was hung low and droplets of sweat dripped from her dishevelled dirty blonde bangs. She was silent, save for that whimper that came out from her throat every now and then.

    ¡°Uhm, sorry, but can I play?¡± I asked, trying my best to speak in a hushed voice.

    I adjusted my beanie and tried to think of any possible follow-up to this. The last thing I wanted was to be known as Rhee Dae-hyun: Jerk of Semangat Junior College. She looked up at me, apologised in the tiniest voice and stood up from the bench.

    Still though, this doesn¡¯t feel right. I had stolen a very private moment from her after all. She bent down, took her tote bag, and proceeded to walk away.

    ¡°Wait. What¡¯s wrong? Did something happen?¡± I asked.

    She paused in her tracks and turned to make direct eye contact with me. They were puffy from all that crying, but still shimmering under the bouncing sunlight.

    ¡°Nothing. I¡¯m fine,¡± she said.

    I folded my arms, calling bullshit on that answer. I sat on the edge of the stool instead, patting the empty area beside me so that she could sit beside me and spill it all out.

    ¡°Okay. Just some problems at home, I guess,¡± she said.

    Problems at home. I clicked my tongue, wondering whether it was the truth or a means for her to push me away. Guess she didn¡¯t need my assistance. Thank goodness. I was the worst possible guru out there.

    ¡°Take care then, okay?¡± I requested.

    She nodded her head and walked off from there. Once she was out of sight, I caressed the fallboard, only to draw my hand back at just how hot it had become from standing under the sun for so long.

    I lifted it up and saw the same keys that I grew to love. Only except, I couldn¡¯t think of what to play. Clair de Lune? Too conventional. Too melancholy. After seeing her crying alone in this space, I wanted to spice things up a bit.

    I took out some sheet music from my backpack. Seeing my scribbles on the bars made me cringe. Did I really write these notes on my composition? I settled the disarrayed file on the sheet stand, placed both hands on the keys, and let my own voice fill this domed room.

 Breaking the Ice: III

    ??-Kenny

    The bright afternoon sun stung my eyes as I approached the top of the escalator leading up to the rooftop of NeX Mall. I pushed the glass door open and navigated my way through this airy, open space. Wah piang eh. Why must so many schools in Singapore use white uniforms? The only way to tell which one was Yu-chi was from looking at the number of silver buttons on the shirt.

    And there he was, sipping away on fresh bubble tea as he leant against the railing. I called his name out and he placed his tea on the floor, extending his arms. We hugged me tight and rubbed my head.

    ¡°Walau, eh. You know I don¡¯t like that. Only ze-ze is allowed to pat my head like that,¡± I pouted.

    ¡°Paiseh! I¡¯m just so fucking happy to see you again! You know, you were the only thing from SG that I missed when I was happily partying away with my family back home. Oh, speaking of which,¡± he said as he bent down and unzipped his backpack.

    I looked down and saw that it looked relatively empty except for the sloppily packed duty-free bag. He handed it over to me with a smile. While the pineapple tarts and packet of nougats were the main highlight, it was the smaller plastic bag with the word 9x7 that caught my attention.

    ¡°The treats are for your family. The 9x7? Aiyah, see for yourself, lah,¡± he said as he nudged me by the side.

    I opened the plastic bag and saw a tin of drawing charcoal and assorted inking pens. I grinned and gave Yu-chi yet another big hug.

    ¡°Gam sia! I was running out of ink for my last ones anyway,¡± I said.

    Now there was only the matter of making sure that Sok-ann did not finish the snacks that Yu-chi gave us, considering what happened to the batch given by Yu-hsuan.

    Yu-chi offered me the half-full cup of bubble tea. I thanked him for the treat and sucked up a few pearls. Then came the hardest question of the day. The afternoon sun was too hot, but there was nothing that bubble tea couldn¡¯t solve. Not even that question.

    ¡°Orientation, ah? Well, believe it or not, I made a female friend! Okay lah. Yesterday I kena caught playing truant with her, but she explained that she got this thing called¡­what? Agora something, and the teacher let us off sia! Wah, she really saved my skin,¡± I said, recalling that incident with Mei.

    Yu-chi¡¯s eyes grew even larger. There was a momentary silence, and then, he broke into laughter. He crushed the sides of the cup again and patted me on the shoulder.

    ¡°Please lah. Playing truant is nothing compared to what I did. Wah, you think you can usurp me, is it?¡± he joked. ¡°That being said, I¡¯d love to meet this girl. Seems like the rebellious type.¡±

    ¡°Well, she isn¡¯t actually rebellious. She really has a problem with crowds. She was recovering from a panic attack when I found her at the library,¡± I said.

    Just like that, our playful banter took on a more sombre atmosphere. Or maybe it was the fault of the greying clouds looming over us as they shielded the sun. Ah, some shade at least. Luqman and Mei¡¯s magic? I decided to keep that a secret from him for now.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry that she had to go through that. Agree with her though. Orientation can be really overwhelming, even if you know 40% of the students around you,¡± he said before heaving a dreaded sigh.

    Yu-chi turned around and decided to face Serangoon instead. Before us were rows and rows of HDB flats, along with the occasional commercial development or condominium. His sharp profile looked oddly glum, like he was defeated.

    ¡°They still look at you like that?¡± I asked, back still facing the view.

    He nodded his head. He rested his forearms on the parapet and inhaled a deep breath. Were his eyes starting to water?

    ¡°Aiyah. No matter what I do, I will still be Huang Yu-chi. The FT who¡¯s also a criminal. Yet, when I was home, I could forget that I had that stain to my past. Gan lah.¡±

    I placed my pale hand over his lightly tanned, rough ones. The surgery scars still lined his knuckles, but I quite liked the rugged appearance it gave him. Yu-chi looked up at me, and I just nodded my head.

    ¡°If those guys won¡¯t accept you, I¡¯ll introduce you to my new friends then. I think you¡¯ll like them,¡± I said.

    ??-Mei Xing

    Min laid out the souvenirs that Yu-hsuan bought for us from Kaohsiung. The thought of those sweet potato-flavoured nougats in my mouth was enough to make me salivate. Mak nodded in approval.

    ¡°Bee, ayo. Bisah membuat teh untuk kita?¡± asked Mak as she handed me the tin full of oolong tea.

    I nodded my head and started boiling water in the electric kettle. Min and Mak glanced at the array of snacks that he brought. If his family had financial matters, surely they wouldn¡¯t have the resources to buy this many snacks and souvenirs, right? Watching the curled-up oolong leaves unfurl as the water hit them was almost like magic. The water turned into a warm shade of yellowish-green. Now that it was settled, I placed the kettle in the middle of our rectangular dining table and invited everyone to help themselves.

    ¡°Wa simpan sikit untuk Bapa?¡± I asked Mak.

    She nodded her head. Ah, I could imagine Bapa¡¯s eyes sparkling once he set eyes on those snacks. My half-finished hoodie hung on the chair where he would usually sit, waiting for the embraided embellishments to be completed. Was my needle tucked into the pockets? I checked and puffed when I realised it was in there.

    I took it out from its temporary holding spot and continued my sewing project from there, not caring that I had not changed out of my pinafore yet. Min on the other hand munched away on the snacks while he flipped through his A. Math notes.

    ¡°Bee, lu belum ganti baju,¡± said Mak with what I assumed was a disapproving stare.

    ¡°Aiyoh. Nanti lah, Mak. Wa mau habiskan projek ini. You know, before class starts,¡± I said as the needle navigated through the lilac fabric.

    Sometimes, I wondered if I was like a needle indeed ¨C in need of someone to push me through this stubborn fabric called life. My left hand glimmered with that hint of starlight again. Mak placed her hand over it and looked at me with concerned eyes.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been using magic again, haven¡¯t you?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Mak, I used it for self-defence. Look, this boy could have been hurt, so I just did what I thought was the right thing,¡± I replied.

    She brushed my bangs aside, letting that ugly scar on my forehead show through. I put my needle and hoodie down and let her hug me. Maybe that was what I really needed after all, after having almost been killed by a crazy blonde girl. And I was lucky to be alive in my mother¡¯s arms. No, Bee. Don¡¯t cry. Don¡¯t let the tears show.

    ¡°You weren¡¯t seen by anyone else, were you? I don¡¯t want you to get into trouble with Divyane again,¡± she said.

    ¡°Mak, ini tidak sama dengan membuat Kuching terbang. Dia boleh mati! Wa tak da pilihan,¡± I confessed.

    Min dropped his pen and stared at us. He mouthed a soft ¡®wow¡¯ and gave a slow clap. If only I could steal his chocolate bar and wipe that smirk off his face.

    ¡°For once, you used your magic to do something useful instead of making your clone do PE for you or making Kuching fly. Or even better: cleaning your room!¡±

    And with that, Mak let go of me and gave me a disapproving shake of her head. I only gave her a sheepish smile back and secretly cursed Min for busting that secret out.

    ¡°I know that once an Anima Magi bonds with you, you¡¯ll be abusing your magic too for silly things like creating a barrier for our bathroom or that jar of sugee cookies,¡± I said, folding my arms.

    The whole table erupted into laughter. I glanced up at the photograph of the four of us where Mak and I were clad in kebayas, while Min and Bapa donned their best batik shirts. My eyes were listless, uncertain of my own place in this universe. But maybe, just for this moment, I might have found it.

    ??-Nora

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re the more athletic one, so you go carry the dry-cleaning!¡± Adik protested as we walked out of the laundromat.

    He lugged out the bag of suits and blazers from behind him, cursing Abang Faisal for always ditching his clothes in the laundry even after wearing them just once.

    ¡°Look, kau tak mahu masuk ke STOMP, betulkan?¡± I asked with a wink. ¡°Besides, I¡¯ve been solo-tanking the dry-cleaning for the past two years already!¡±

    And just like that, Adik surrendered and conceded defeat. The aroma of freshly-baked bread from the heartland bakery was heavenly. Same goes for the sweet nectar from the fruits at the stall nearby. Adik paused and looked at the packaged jackfruits and jambus.

    ¡°Anyway, Kak, you really sure you don¡¯t want to appeal to RJ?¡± asked Adik as we went past the hairdresser.

    ¡°Come on, SJC is also a top-tier JC, what. I mean, what difference would it make? Besides, if I go back there, the RGS girls will know me as the one that bailed out,¡± I said.

    A strange sight caught my attention though. The banyan tree in the middle of the town square was still in place, its roots dangling from above. Was there a balloon stuck within its branches though? A young girl kept hopping up and down like she was trying to reach for something. I told Adik to wait there while I approached her.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked as I bent down to reach her.

    ¡°There¡¯s a baby bird stuck up there. I want to help it, but I don¡¯t know how to climb trees,¡± she said as she pointed at that particular branch with her grubby finger.

    I peeked at the branch and the faint cooing of a chick spurred my attention. Perhaps it was a job for ACRES. Still, it wasn¡¯t right to just leave it there. I put my backpack down and planted my hand on the tree bark.

    ¡°Alamak! Kakak, what happened to ¡®do you want to appear on STOMP¡¯? You don¡¯t even know how to get back down!¡± Adik screamed from his waiting spot.

    And he was right. I looked down and gulped. I had no idea how to get back. No, saving the chick was more important. It shivered in the corner, a very distinct dot of pink against the brown branches. Judging by the lack of feathers, it seemed like a relatively newly-hatched chick.

    ¡°Hey, little guy! It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m here to help you, okay?¡± I coaxed it.

    It hopped towards me, but there was something off about the way it moved. It was limping. Definitely a matter for ACRES to handle. Worst of all? It was bleeding in its right wing. The little guy nestled itself in my right palm, nuzzling my fingers. I let out a soft chuckle, basking in that moment until I heard voices from below.

    ¡°You got it?¡± the girl cried out again.

    I gave her a thumb up. And Adik was right. I had no idea how to get down, especially when there was a fragile life in my hands. The girl said that she would find some help. Adik rushed to the base of the tree and got his arms ready.

    ¡°Kau gila ke? Your arms will break!¡± I protested.

    ¡°Aiyoh, Kak. Just¡­trust me with this. And hey, look! You¡¯ve got another pair of strong arms to catch you!¡± he said as he pointed to the new arrival who stood by his side.

    It was another boy who, judging by the way he stood beside Adik, was maybe only slightly taller than I was. His honey-bronzed skin combined with his chiselled facial features made him an unforgettable sight. The sharpness was balanced by his soft, downturned eyes though. They were gentle but brimming with nervousness. He rolled up the sleeves of his white shirt, revealing toned biceps underneath.

    ¡°Okay, I trust the two of you to break my fall, okay?¡± I said.

    The two of them began the countdown. On the third count, I let go and let gravity do the work, trusting my twin and some VS guy with breaking my fall. The bird squawked as we landed on the ground with a thud.

    I could hear Adik groaning and the other boy laughing instead. His red Nike shoe lied in a corner. Man, was the impact of the fall that bad? We got back up and dusted off our secondary school uniforms. The chick? Still safe and warm in my hands.

    ¡°You guys alright? No broken bones or pulled muscles?¡± asked the VS boy with his chirpy boyish voice.

    Adik pulled me up to my feet and asked me to let him see the chick. The girl peered over and stroked the chick¡¯s bare forehead. The other boy¡¯s eyes sparkled as it made tiny cooing sounds.

    ¡°It¡¯s so cute! And hairless! What are you going to do about it now?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m taking it to the vet. It seems like it¡¯s injured,¡± I said.

    ¡°There won¡¯t be any need for that,¡± came a new voice in the area. This time, it sounded deep and velvety.

    ??-Minori

    ¡°Are you from ACRES? Because if not, then you can¡¯t have¡­him?¡± said the ADSS girl as she peeked at the chick¡¯s genitals.

    Well, that was one way to make a first impression on me! Or maybe the man standing before us made a bigger impression. I mean, who wears a full business suit out in the Singaporean afternoon? He slicked his gelled hair back and asked her to hand the chick over to him.

    ¡°What? Are you a qualified vet? It needs medical attention immediately! Can¡¯t you see its wing is broken? Its limping too,¡± she said.

    Then, the boy with the huge bag of laundry nudged me by the side. He adjusted his spectacles and grinned at me.

    ¡°I¡¯m Andi. That girl is my twin, Nora. And you are¡­?¡± he asked as he extended his hand towards me.

    ¡°I¡¯m Minori. Nice to meet you!¡± I said as I shook his hand, not caring that the context was super inappropriate for self-introductions.

    Then, there was a deep rumble in the earth. The man bellowed at Nora, sending her bangs flying. She stood still and turned around to face us instead.

    ¡°Aiyoh, Adik. We¡¯re leaving. Bring the girl with us. I don¡¯t trust this guy one bit,¡± she whispered to the three of us.

    Andi nodded his head. He asked the girl to hold onto Nora¡¯s hand, but before she could even move, Nora shrieked in pain. Golden pulses of electricity radiated all over her before she collapsed onto the ground. I brought the girl into my arms and shielded her from the sight. The chick fell to the ground, lying limp beside her.

    ¡°Lari! Lari dari sini! Go!¡± I begged the young girl so that she could escape from whatever on earth was attacking us.

    She nodded her head and ran straight towards the void deck. Some passers-by watched on, their faces frozen in fear. My heart was racing. The moment Andi let out an ear-piercing cry, I could almost feel it rocket straight out from my ribcage. This was not safe for anyone. I ran towards the people watching us and begged for them to stay inside the shops. To my surprise, the girl helped out as well, dragging an ah-ma into the bakery.

    ¡°How dare you hurt my sister!¡± Andi cried as he tackled the assailant head-on.

    I shook my head. This was not good in the least bit. He just kept screaming as he swung that fallen branch in the air, failing to hit whoever it was that was circling them at super speeds.

    ¡°Kau boleh jaga orang-orang di sini?¡± I asked of the girl.

    She nodded her head and saluted me. Then, she told me that her name was Hafizah. I smiled, glad to know that we had a little leader in our midst. And just like that, I took off, humming along to lighten the many thoughts that were swirling within me. The man¡­the man who pestered Nora for the bird was gone.

    I swooped the chick into my hands and returned it to Hafizah before darting straight back into the battlefield, still humming so that I could muster whatever strength and courage I had in me. I couldn¡¯t let this happen to them, even if I had just met them.

    ¡°Stop!¡± I shouted as I stomped the floor.

    Light resembling ocean waves radiated from beneath my feet, travelling across the brick floor until it I heard a deafening shriek. Andi dropped whatever makeshift weapon he was holding and ran straight for his twin. I turned and saw the assailant and what greeted my eyes made me stumble backwards.

    Those green eyes met mine; the same green eyes that I saw this morning. Why? There was a distant clapping and that shady man stepped out from behind the banyan tree again. She stared at me, evidently just as confused as I was as she covered her ears.

    I helped Andi with Nora and watched as the man made his way towards us. Nora¡¯s round eyes fluttered open, and once she caught sight of the blonde, there was a rage that I had never seen before.

    ¡°Hand the bird over to me. Now,¡± he said.

    ¡°And why do you need it so badly? So much so that you¡¯re willing to attack us?! We did nothing to you,¡± Nora spoke back.

    ¡°That bird is a vessel for insanely strong levels of magical energy. Letting a mere ordinary person like you near it could kill you.¡±

    For a moment, there was silence. And Nora just proceeded to start laughing so hard, a snort emerged from her throat. I wish I had found it adorable but right then was the worst possible moment!

    ¡°Magic? Magic? Are you for real?¡± she said.

    And ¨¦clair¡¯s hands emitted light. She brought her hand back before thrusting it forwards straight for Nora. I stepped in front of her and just shouted ¡®no¡¯ again, sending a solidified soundwave colliding into the projectile that ¨¦clair created. Thunder crashed through the sky, like my voice had just created it.

    ¡°Oh? I see you do have a mage friend with you. ¨¦clair, fight him. Don¡¯t waste time on that girl and her¡­lackey,¡± he instructed.

    I stammered and shielded the twins with my arms outstretched. She¡­she was working for him? But she seemed like such a sweet person when I met her this morning, creepy question aside.

    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± she said.

    His tenuous yell vibrated across the town square, hitting every HDB flat and shop-front. Then, he glared back at us. Yet, when he looked down at her feet, his frown transformed into a cold smirk.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t over yet, you three. You will hand the spirit messenger over to me soon. It¡¯s for the good of this world,¡± he said as he grabbed ¨¦clair by the wrist.

    Her eyes never left mine, even when she tried to protest against his strong grip. Something was strange though. A dome above us began to shatter. Since when did that exist? The three of us took cover under the banyan tree and watched as the glass shards rained upon the town square. They just dissolved into sparkles once they hit the brick floor.

    Everyone was back to doing their regular business. Uncles were still chatting at that coffeeshop. Aunties were waiting for their perming appointments. It was like everything that happened around the perimeter of the banyan tree never happened.

    ¡°Abang!¡± Hafizah cried as she ran towards us.

    She glomped all three of us, thanking her god that we were all safe. Nora looked really pale and her body was still trembling, but she tried to force a smile.

    ¡°The bird is safe! It was so weird though. You guys were there one moment, and when I looked out again, you all disappeared. Then, you¡¯re back again!¡± she said.

    I only ended up raising an eyebrow. What did she mean by that? I mean, I could certainly believe in the existence of magic. I mean, I just saw ¨¦clair almost electrifying Nora.

    ¡°What do you mean we ¡®disappeared¡¯?¡± asked Andi.

    He must have strained his voice too hard because his eyes became even more bloodshot than they were a few seconds ago. He held on to his sister, not wanting to let go as her eyelids were getting droopier. The chick on the other hand decided that some questions were better left unanswered.

    It hopped out of Hafizah¡¯s palms and perched itself on Nora¡¯s broad shoulder. Oh wait, she did say it was a boy, right? He nuzzled her cheek and rested his bald forehead against it.

    ¡°What is it doing?¡± I asked.

    The chick began to glow with a warm light. I could feel its warmth from where I was kneeling. The light swirled all over us. It looked like little clouds drawn in smoke. Andi and I ended up huddling each other, watching as it took the shape of a ball and sank straight into Nora¡¯s chest. Hafizah let out a soft ¡®wow¡¯. Maybe Nora shouldn¡¯t have laughed when that guy talked about magic. If this wasn¡¯t magic, what was it? Alien technology?

    Even Nora just stared as the light filled her body. She sat up, as though she wasn¡¯t electrified a few moments ago. Like the rest of us, nothing came out of her lips. She just blinked and stared at the chick. And she just screamed.

    ??-Yu-chi

    When I reached the staircase landing of the sixth floor, I headed straight to the parapet to soak up the view. It wasn¡¯t much of a view, honestly speaking. All it faced was the HDB flat opposite ours, the playground, fitness corner, and badminton court. It was like looking into a gated community. I sighed and headed straight for my unit.

    Yu-wen and Yu-hsuan¡¯s shoes were sprawled all over the steps leading into our house. I shook my head and unlocked the door, putting their shoes on the respective racks. The dim light from the altar to Mazu and our ancestors brought a soft smile over my face. It was the closest reminder that I had of home here.

    ¡°Li ho! Chiak pa buey?¡± I asked as I closed the door from behind me, slipping out of my shoes.

    ¡°Chiak pa!¡± Yu-wen shouted from her bedroom.

    She eventually stepped out, dressed in just a singlet and shorts with her shoulder-length hair in shambles after undoing her braids. Yu-hsuan came out of our bedroom, still wearing his Dunman High shirt but with his just his boxers.

    ¡°Oh, Ah-bu called. She said she¡¯ll be OT-ing again tonight,¡± said Yu-wen.

    I groaned. That meant that it was either take-out from Old Airport or forcing one of us to go on cooking duty. The three of us sat on the couch and decided to settle this with a game of scissors-paper-stone.

    ¡°Wait. We¡¯re really going to go with ¡®loser cooks¡¯?¡± asked Yu-hsuan as he turned to face me with a grimace.

    ¡°Fine. What if the loser gives up their pocket money to buy dinner for everyone tonight?¡± Yu-wen proposed.

    Yu-hsuan pouted. I guess I would have to talk about him constantly borrowing money from Wei Min later. Oh, and his many ¡®outings¡¯ with him and Souk-ann too.

    We flung our gestured hands into the mi of our circle. Yu-wen groaned upon seeing that she was the only scissors against two rocks. She leant back and propped her feet on the glass-top coffee table, wondering to herself what to get for dinner.

    ¡°Oe, I-hian, this doesn¡¯t mean that you can go borrow money from Bin or go for your fancy dates together with Souk-ann, okay?¡± I warned him after he pulled his hand away.

    ¡°What? But he said that the snacks and gifts were sufficient payment,¡± he protested.

    I looked at Yu-wen, who was contemplating our dinner options with a game of toss. With that, I dragged Yu-hsuan into our bedroom and sat him down on my lower bunk bed. I took my place beside him and placed my hand on his shoulder.

    ¡°I-hian, I¡¯ll be starting my part-time gigs this year. We have to be tight with how we spend our money, okay? Ah-bu earns a lot, but it isn¡¯t enough to sustain all three of us. We still have to send money to our grandparents back home, remember? Why not for a change, ask Min to try living like yourself and Souk-ann?¡± I suggested.

    He turned away from me and looked at his handphone¡¯s wallpaper which displayed all three of them doing funny faces for the camera. Then, he hugged me tight and thanked me for being a good ah-hia. He eventually left our bedroom and headed straight for the dining table to study. Me? My lectures haven¡¯t even begun yet.

    I collapsed on that mattress and hugged Piyo-chan. At least I would still be meeting Kenny, right? I closed my eyes and let myself enjoy what could be my last afternoon nap.

 Spiral: I

    ??-Eclair

    When my left hand grabbed the brush, all I saw were the sparks flying from my hands as I attacked her. When I took the butter knife, I saw that knife-like glare in her eyes after she recovered from the first jolt. When I saw my dangling lantern, I saw his big brown eyes brimming with disappointment, anger, and surprise.

    ¡°Darling! You ready for breakfast? Bianca¡¯s cooked your favourite eggs benedict! She brought some prata from nearby too,¡± said Mama as she knocked on my door.

    The paintbrush spilled onto the wooden floor, staining it with gold and silver. I turned and nodded my head. I untied the back of my apron and draped it over the swivel chair before heading downstairs.

    The pungent smell of Mama¡¯s famous cheese platter was the first thing to hit me when I entered the dining room. Bianca stepped out of the kitchen with Dani and laid out all the good things for us on the glass-top table. But was this right?

    ¡°So, my little angel, how has orientation been so far?¡± asked Papa as he poured some fresh earl grey tea into his cup.

    I kept quiet, trying to get my mind off the Malay girl¡¯s beautiful face. Even when enraged, there was this dignified beauty to her with her large, round eyes and how they balanced the sharpness of her boyish haircut. And I had not only hurt her in front of her twin brother, but in front of someone who trusted in me.

    ¡°What? You already don¡¯t like it? I knew we should have just let you stay in international school,¡± said Papa as he placed his fingers over his forehead.

    He then gestured for Bianca to sit down and join us for breakfast. She turned to face the almost-full sink and apologised, but he insisted that she had to eat first.

    ¡°Papa, I think ¨¦clair¡¯s just tired. I mean, orientation can be very draining for an introvert like her. Once regular lessons resume, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be back to normal!¡± Dani insisted with a fist-pump.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to go out of the way to lie on my behalf,¡± I whispered when she sat back down.

    She dipped the egg prata into the curry and munched away, pretending that she did not hear that. When she was done though, she just gave me a sad look and ushered me out of the dining room and into the outdoor backyard.

    The jacuzzi wasn¡¯t bubbling, but the steady stream of water from the koi pond¡¯s fountain was enough to soothe me. We soaked our bare feet in the plunge pool and let the water cool us down. Dani placed both her hands on my shoulders before pulling me into a hug.

    ¡°¨¦clair, you can leave if you want,¡± she said as she let go of me.

    I admired the way the water distorted the images of our pale shins within it. It was so mesmerising, like looking through a kaleidoscope. I pulled the hem of my dress to my mid-thighs and heaved a sigh.

    ¡°It isn¡¯t that easy, Dani. I made a contract, remember? Even when we were back in Melbourne, he still insisted that we update him. We can¡¯t escape,¡± I said.

    Moisture hit me smack in the face, washing away some of the crumbs over my lips. My bangs clung to my forehead. Dani had splashed me with water. Her chest was heaving and her eyes puffy with tears.

    ¡°You¡¯re not the type to hurt people, ¨¦clair. He¡¯s making you hurt people! How did you feel after you electrocuted that girl?! ¨¦clair, please. This has gone too far,¡± Dani begged.

    My distorted reflection stared back at me in the water. She was right. I wasn¡¯t the type to hurt people, but I had done precisely that. The way she screamed and begged for it to stop¡­the way her twin cried out for her.

    ¡°No, I have to stay with him to protect you, Mama¡­Papa,¡± I said as I got up.

    She screamed my name again as I walked towards the sliding door. I turned a little to face her, but seeing my older sister, my idol, begging me was too much for me to bear.

    When I returned to the dining room, the adults were still engaged in merry banter. Papa asked Bianca how her kids in Cebu were doing whilst Mama helped out with the dishes. Nobody was aware of the great powers that they hid within themselves. How was I able to accept this normalcy when I had another life altogether, hidden away from my parents?

    ??-Nora

    ¡°No, Ibu and Ayah absolutely cannot know that I almost died and that we ran into some crazy mat salleh with electrifying powers,¡± I said as I climbed down from my top bunk.

    ¡°But Ayah can help out with the bird, right?¡± Adik asked as he pointed at its little temporary cardboard box dwelling.

    I lifted my shirt as I stared into the mirror, double-checking to see if there were any leftover scars. Well, the chick couldn¡¯t do much about the scratch scars on my toned legs, but I guess whatever scars I had from yesterday were more or less gone. Ibu did ask about why my uniform looked rather singed though. Thank goodness I was going to throw it out anyway.

    Andi carried the box with his two hands as I opened the door. My face fell when I saw Ayah still typing away on his laptop. It was Saturday for crying out loud! Ibu was in the kitchen, the hefty aroma of coconut milk tempting Andi and I to dip our fingers into the broth and taste it.

    ¡°Ayah! Boleh tolong kita?¡± I asked as I tapped him on the shoulder.

    He finally let go of his laptop. I spied on the display and saw that he was working on the previous year¡¯s wildlife audit. Adik pushed the box in front of him, letting him see the chick that we had gone through hell for.

    ¡°Where did you find this little guy?¡± he asked as he freed his palm so that the chick could hop onto it.

    ¡°Stranded on top of a banyan tree. Weirdest part is that there was no nest in sight!¡± I said.

    He lifted the bird¡¯s wing and stared at the thing that was lodged between its wings. Andi ran off to get the toolbox and first-aid kit near the television. With the help of pliers, Ayah removed the foreign object stuck there. It was a single glass shard. That has got to hurt.

    ¡°Nora, calm him down. I¡¯ll bandage that wing up,¡± he said.

    I nodded my head and patted his little head as Ayah rolled out the bandages. A glass shard¡­That man. He said the bird possessed incredible levels of magical ¨C No, Nora. Magic is not real. It¡¯s just some lie told to make our childhoods more magical. That man was probably someone with delusions of grandeur. Still, it was strange that the tree had no nest in sight. Maybe it really was being chased after.

    ¡°Judging by the wing structure and the shape of its beak, it¡¯s an oriental-pied hornbill. This is a very rare breed. You were lucky to have spotted it! I¡¯ll contact my co-workers, and we¡¯ll see what we can do about this little guy. In the meantime, you and Andi go get some mealworms for him. Faisal will get the other supplies,¡± said Ayah when he was done getting the bird back in shape.

    ¡°Well, when we come back from the pet store, should we ask Ayah if magical healing powers are part of this rare breed too?¡± Andi whispered.

    I laugh-snorted and covered my mouth when it got out. Ayah stared at me and gave a disapproving look as we retreated back into our bedrooms. My handphone sat on my personal desk as the notification light blinked.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    It was a message from Minori. He asked if I was alright with a smiley face emoticon. I smiled back. I hoped I would see him again in SJC. But what if that crazy mat salleh would be there too? I groaned at that thought.

    ¡°Should we give the little guy a name?¡± asked Andi.

    I crouched beside him and watched him attempt to peck off some of the fruit that we put in his temporary housing.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m scared that we¡¯ll get too attached to him and will pester Ayah to let him stay with us if we give him a name. He¡¯s a wild bird. He belongs in the wild,¡± I said.

    ??-Mei Xing

    ¡°You know, it¡¯s kind of weird for me to be here. Not alone. Yeah, with people,¡± I said as the elevator climbed higher through Parkview Square.

    Kenny pressed his palms against the glass, admiring the view of Rochor and the surrounding precincts. Luqman leant back instead, choosing to focus on the mechanisms that were visible to us through the capsule¡¯s glass dome.

    ¡°How long had you been a mage for, Mei? Or were you just born with it?¡± asked Kenny.

    We arrived at the 16<sup>th</sup> floor of the building and stepped out of the elevator. Kenny was the first to run out, only to stop in his tracks when he saw that we were at the ordinary part of Divyane. Well, it did look ordinary at least. Its logo hung high over the reception area, where Amrita was answering back-to-back phone calls. There were a couple of lounge chairs and a nifty aquarium at the waiting area, but that was about it.

    ¡°You said this place was for mages? I don¡¯t see any magic here,¡± Kenny whispered.

    ¡°Aiyoh, lah, Kenny. Sabar,¡± I said.

    Amrita was still on the phone. She did acknowledge my presence with a nod and smile though. She hung up and apologised for being so busy that day.

    ¡°You know, since we have to contact all the successful internship applications and whatnot. Whoo! So many entering uni, and for some reason, they chose to hire a guy with an O Level cert. Who am I kidding? Anyway, Mei. How can I help you today?¡± she asked.

    I gestured for Luq and Kenny to come over. They did and gave a shy wave and an overly enthusiastic ear-to-ear grin respectively.

    ¡°I¡¯m here to register them. Luq just found out he has magic powers and Kenny? Well, he saw us using said magic to save our asses,¡± I said.

    ¡°Ah, I see. Let me call up the respective departments in-charge. Meanwhile, you guys can wait over there by the aquarium? Help yourselves to the tea. Thank you!¡± she said as her dusky fingers reached for the telephone once more.

    We sat back down and sank into the plushness of the sofa. Kenny seemed rather taken aback by how soft it was, patting its surface constantly. Luq on the other hand just admired the art deco interior design.

    ¡°I think I was about five when it happened? I rescued a kitten from a longkang and the next thing I knew, I was already hurling starbursts at the people who bullied me,¡± I said as a delayed reply to Kenny¡¯s question.

    ¡°How do you think I got my powers, Mei?¡± Luq asked right after.

    I stared at him and noticed that he had a rather top-heavy figure with muscular calves showing through his Bermudas. His droopy eyes made him look like he was perpetually sad. I only spent two days with him, but he seemed decent enough.

    ¡°Maybe you did something good and an Anima Magi just chose you without you knowing. The Anima Magi chooses the host after all,¡± I said, tapping into my limited knowledge of Divyane¡¯s workings.

    The huge double doors leading to the heart of Divyane finally swung open. Greeting us at the doorway were a woman and a boy? Since when did Singapore say child labour was okay?

    ¡°Mei, meet Morgan Koh and her intern, Frankie. They¡¯ll take you to the relevant departments for registration,¡± said Amrita.

    The woman with a messy bun shook my hand, giving me a full-on smile accented by her dimples. Kenny and Luqman looked at Frankie, likely wondering what a child was doing here working as an intern.

    ¡°This was, please. I will take you to the Registrar¡¯s Office,¡± said Morgan as she pushed the gigantic doors.

    When the floating escalators came into view, Kenny more or less ran straight into the main lobby as suppressed squealing noises yearned to break free from his sealed lips. Luq walked in, his pupils dilating at the sudden wonder surrounding him. Morgan inserted her access card into the slot at the edge of the chasm. An escalator glided towards us.

    ¡°Frankie, I understand that this isn¡¯t your official first day of work, but would you like to join us for today? You know, just to get a glimpse of our operations,¡± Morgan proposed.

    ¡°Sure thing! I need to familiarise myself with this place too,¡± he said with his rough voice that sounded a little too deep for a secondary school student.

    When the escalator reached the main lobby area, we hopped on. Morgan closed the gate and off we went, gliding above the archives ¨C the only known place in the world to use teleportation technology. A flying carpet zoomed over us. Luq and Kenny ducked down before they poked their heads out, stared at each other, and screamed ¡®Aladdin¡¯ at the top of their lungs. Beside me, I could feel Morgan cringing.

    ¡°The registrar is going to have a fun time with them,¡± she groaned to herself.

    The escalator parked itself at the fifth floor of this space (I guess that was the official 21<sup>st</sup> floor of this building?). It began to move again and sent us to the upper landing. When all of us were out, it floated away again, waiting for its next user.

    ¡°Okay, Luqman. You saw a glass monster. An ang mor with psycho electric powers, and now, you just got off a flying escalator. Anything new?¡± he chanted to himself.

    ¡°Anything new? Wah, sia. Bring it on liao!¡± Kenny said with a jump.

    How long ago has it been since I went inside the Registrar¡¯s Office? Judging from the look of the hallways, it seems like they really gave the place a facelift. The carpet was replaced by a zen wooden floor and the white walls were now made of some wooden sliding too.

    ¡°Luqman, you¡¯ll have to come with me for your medical examination. Mei Xing, I trust that you¡¯ll handle Kenny on your own from here?¡± Morgan asked of me.

    I craned my neck to meet Kenny¡¯s eyes and nodded my head. We watched as Luqman followed Morgan into the medical wing of the Registrar¡¯s Floor. I guess, just like the first day of orientation, it was just me and Kenny again.

    ??-Luqman

    Dr Leong allowed me to put my shirt back on. I got up from the examination table and watched as she placed the glowing worm that just a few minutes ago, slithered over my chest in search of an Anima Magi, onto a weighing scale. Then, she headed straight to the computer where a series of lines and signatures intertwined and intersected each other in the programme.

    ¡°Pamela, please open up the database,¡± she said into the pager.

    With my shirt on, I stared at the projector that reflected what was on the computer screen. And the memories of that time with the glass monster ran through my brainwaves. The green lines looked like vines and roots ¨C the same lines that ran through me when I healed myself.

    ¡°Anima Magi detected. Type: Dryada,¡± said the computerised voice.

    Dr Leong¡¯s mouth was agape, like she was witnessing something unbelievable. She turned to me and stared at me with wide eyes. She picked the worm up from the scale and presented it to Morgan. It was shrivelled up and dry ¨C barely moving.

    ¡°This boy has great potential. An elemental Anima Magi has chosen him. That¡¯s only one level below an actual Elemental. Luqman, when did your powers first start surfacing? Any recollection?¡± asked Dr Leong.

    Frankie and Morgan sat beside me on the sofa, with the former inching closer to know more. I looked up at the pendant light hanging from the ceiling. Elemental¡­earth. Then, I looked at my hands. They were still grimy with dirt from the morning¡¯s gardening session.

    ¡°There was that one time when I was taking care of the plants in my school¡¯s garden last year. There was a dry spell and many of them died. I begged for them to come back to life, and somehow, they did,¡± I said.

    I ended up clutching my sides. Then, I felt a small hand on my shoulder. Frankie shook me a little and told me to calm down. But when? When did it choose to bond with me?

    ¡°Luqman, I think we¡¯ll have to put you through a training regime to gain better control of your powers. If unhandled, they might become destructive,¡± said Morgan.

    My hands were still trembling. The next thing I knew, I was in a room registering my details and surrendering my NRIC to some sort of scanner. It burnt Divyane¡¯s camphor flower insignia onto it with a white flame before disappearing into sparks. They handed my NRIC back and made me sign over eleven different forms. They ranged from confidentiality agreements to parental waiver forms. That was when I raised my hand.

    ¡°What if I don¡¯t want my mother and grandma to know about magic? My Nenek is quite superstitious. I¡¯m scared she¡¯ll call the bomoh, leh,¡± I said as I put the pen down before writing down Mak¡¯s contact details.

    The officer raised an eyebrow at me. Then, he asked me to present my NRIC again. He scanned it into the system, searching for the limited information that they had about me.

    ¡°Hey, ah boy. You never told me your father was a mage too, and part of the SPF¡¯s occult division some more,¡± he said with his raspy voice.

    Frankie gasped from behind me. My jaw hung at that instance. Bapa? When was the last time I had spoken to him? I knew he was a detective but occult division? That existed? And all those memories burst out from the ground.

    I stood up and apologised for the rash thing that I was about to say. Frankie looked at me with droopy eyes, clicking the tip of his pen aggressively.

    ¡°If my father is a mage, then, I don¡¯t want to have anything to do with magic. I don¡¯t want to see him or even bump into him. Do you know how much pain he caused for my mother? How we had to hop from house to house after we got kicked out? Frankie, please tell Mei that I¡¯ll be waiting for her at the lobby. I¡­I can¡¯t handle this,¡± I said before storming off back towards the main lobby.

    As I ran through the white-washed hallways, I could feel my eyes turning moist. Yes, they told me that mages cannot be biologically produced. They have to be bonded. Nobody is born a mage. But if this is the one thing that he had to leave behind for me ¨C to navigate through this new world on my own ¨C I did not want it one bit.

 Spiral: II

    ??-Frankie

    I do not remember Divyane¡¯s auditorium to be this cold. Even my blazer did little to guard me from its icy sting. The other interns seemed to be doing fine though. Isadora pointed at the presentation board, pointing out Divyane¡¯s values and its ties to the governments across Southeast Asia.

    Why did it make me think about Luqman? I looked at my fancy dress shoes and tapped my feet, letting what he said come back to me. Right. Because his father is a detective in the SPF¡¯s Occult Division, which has ties to Divyane as shown on the board. I wondered how he was doing. Maybe I should check on him via Mei after this.

    After the intern¡¯s orientation, Morgan led me to the Research and Development Department¡¯s exclusive floor. Joining me was Syafiq, a boy who was probably older than me by four years.

    ¡°So, Syafiq, you¡¯ll be with us until July, right? And Frankie, you¡¯ll start poly in April?¡± Morgan recounted as we descended the floating escalator towards the floor near the archives.

    He nodded his head. We stepped out of the escalator and landed on the platform. The automated doors flushed open as we made our way into the most elusive zones of Divyane.

    ¡°Our director, Nathaniel, will brief you on our projects for this year. I¡¯ll check if he¡¯s in at the moment,¡± said Morgan.

    We nodded our heads and watched as she disappeared into the corridors of private cubicles. Finally, I could put my hands in my pockets so that nobody could see my fingers trembling.

    ¡°Wah, you just finished O Levels? I thought you just finished PSLE sia!¡± said Syafiq as he patted me on the head.

    ¡°Walau eh! I just turned 16 last month, okay?¡± I grunted, folding my arms.

    He let out a soft chuckle and remarked how cute I was when I pouted. God, the only person allowed to do that was Sissy and even then, with discretion.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s your magic like?¡± he asked.

    And my pout became a smile. This was it. I held my right hand out and focused my Anima Magi on the lamp opposite us. Alright. Not too much energy. Just enough to breathe some life and¡­the pink beam of light emerged from my fingers. It danced around the stand. The head of the lamp began to move. It shone its light straight at us before hopping away like a little tin soldier.

    Syafiq¡¯s jaw dropped, and he clapped. I watched as it continued to hop towards the end of the corridor, confused over where to go.

    ¡°I¡¯m still working on it. How about you?¡± I asked.

    Before he could answer though, the second set of sliding doors opened, giving way to Morgan. Nathaniel was still on his phone though.

    ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll see what my intern can do about that. Will get back to you. See you in a bit!¡± he said before hanging up.

    Syafiq and I rose to our feet and greeted them. I gave Nathaniel a soft handshake and a firm smile. He placed his hands in his pockets after the formalities and gave us a tour of the departmental office. Thank goodness for the fully stocked pantry and easy access to the archives.

    My heart sank a little when I realised that we were being relegated to the hot-desking area for now. Well, it did make sense though. We were just interns after all. And the satisfaction of getting my own work laptop and tablet overrode that sinking sensation.

    ¡°The two of you have decided to join us at just the right moment. You see, we¡¯re embarking on a project to enhance Singapore¡¯s soft power and scientific capabilities. It¡¯s called ¡®Project Amitaya¡¯,¡± he said with a grin.

    Morgan placed a heavy stack of bound notes on our tables. I looked at the cover and flipped through the pages. Graphs and flowcharts attacked me first, followed by lots of terminology. Just the kind of work I was looking for.

    ¡°Frankie, for your first task, Morgan will guide you through using our patented technology through this tablet,¡± he said as he fished it out from his laptop bag.

    I took it with both hands and stared at my darkened reflection. Syafiq waved goodbye at me as his own supervisor ferried him away to another part of the departmental office. Morgan sat on the desk, her legs crossed after Nathaniel retreated back to his secluded cubicle.

    ¡°You told me you wanted to try not to be so desk-bound. So, we¡¯re giving you that chance! After you learn how to use this baby, you can start gathering data for us,¡± she said.

    A chance to be a part of something aside from a military band or cell group. A chance to contribute to something greater than myself. To advance science. I looked up at Morgan and nodded my head.

    ??-Kenny

    Our new uniforms lied crumpled in those free tote bags that we slung on our shoulders. I folded the receipt and stuffed it into my wallet along with the claimant form for the GO to sign and reimburse me with money.

    ¡°Kenny? You done?¡± Mei called out from behind.

    Luq stood beside her as he looked down at his Bata shoes. I grabbed my tote bag with the new purchase and walked towards them. It was damn weird to think that I would not be wearing my SASS uniform anymore or that Mei wouldn¡¯t greet me in her green pinafore. As we climbed the steps towards the library, I wished that we had floating escalators on campus too. Imagine the convenience! Swee lah!

    Before we put our backpacks into the pigeonholes for our belongings, an idea entered my head.

    ¡°Eh, Luq and Mei, you go and chope our little club spot. I¡¯m going to change for a bit!¡± I said as I grabbed the tote bag.

    They stared at each other before shrugging and marching into the library to pick our sacred spot. I ran into the toilet and changed out of my SASS uniform, shredding the navy pants and replacing it with SJC¡¯s olive green trousers. My shirt was the next to go. It wasn¡¯t that much different from my old one, lah, but it had more buttons and two breast pockets. The tie sat at the bottom of the tote bag. Heck care, lah. Dress code rules would only start taking effect on Wednesday anyway.

    I stepped out of the cubicle and straightened out my new uniform. Confirm I need to iron it but whatever. I grinned at my reflection. The Kenny in his SASS uniform was just an ordinary kid who wanted more. Of what though? I didn¡¯t know. The new Kenny in the SJC uniform though? He wasn¡¯t just Kenny Chew. He was Secret Keeper Kenny Chew.

    ¡°Secret Keeper Kenny Chew at your service!¡± I said as I pushed the door into our study cubicle.

    Mei and Luq nodded their heads in approval, but she pulled me down by my sleeve, her left finger over her lips.

    ¡°Remember. You signed the confidentiality agreement. Your details are with Divyane now and nobody else can know about our powers!¡± she whispered.

    I sat back down and groaned. Then, I remembered that I had to hide all of this from Yu-chi. Not just him, my whole family. I found myself staring straight out that window which commanded a damn great view of the under-construction Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Riverside Park.

    Just like the mood in that tiny space of ours, my life had taken a sudden change. No wonder why when Luq said he couldn¡¯t fill in the next-of-kin form, I came back home a little sullen.

    ¡°It¡¯s so weird. I used to share my entire world with my family and this one friend of mine. Our siblings are friends with each other, so I know everything going on in his life and vice versa. Now, skali, there are things I have to hide from them,¡± I said as I pressed my left hand against the window.

    ¡°Yeah. Now I know why my father was always so secretive. Why he couldn¡¯t tell Mak everything and why they started losing trust in each other,¡± said Luq as he stared at his thick stack of biology notes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, guys. I don¡¯t think I want to have anything to do with magic anymore. Not if it means breaking my family up.¡±Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    He wiped his eyes as he flipped to the next page, writing on the fresh pages with great pressure. Mei kept quiet, but from her hunched posture and the way her forearms were pressing against the glass-topped desk until it left marks on it, I could tell that she was disturbed.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay if you guys leave. I¡¯m kind of used to being a lone wolf anyway,¡± she said, her history notes untouched. ¡°I can¡¯t blame you for not wanting this. I also never wanted it when it first happened to me. I was already a freak back in kindergarten and when I shot that beam at my classmate who was bullying me, it became even worse.¡±

    ¡°But the three of us can still be friends, right?¡± I blurted out loud.

    The two of them looked up at me. I could see tears welling up through Mei¡¯s rectangular-rimmed spectacles. She broke into a tearful smile and asked if I meant it. I nodded.

    ¡°You¡­you really consider me a friend?¡± asked Luq.

    ¡°Of course! If not, I ask you guys to study with me, even though it¡¯s not related to magic, for what?¡± I asked back. ¡°Besides, we already know our dark secrets. No running away now.¡±

    I felt her arms wrapped around my waist. Luq burst into a smile ¨C the first time I had seen him do so ¨C and joined in. No running away now indeed. We only have each other now.

    ??-Samuel

    Let them murmur away in their dark green shorts for the last time. With the completed application form in my hands, I entered the waiting room for the interviews with my back straightened for the first time in months. Was Kumar right? That I was only engaging myself in a suicide mission? Aiyah, heck care.

    I faced the other Cat High boy beside me. His pupils were shaking and he averted eye contact with me. They know, Sam. And what if they use that against you? But it was never recorded now, was it? They whispered my name over and over again. Let them talk.

    ¡°Samuel Wong Chun Kit, Noraliah Nur Rashid, Gabriel Chan Duen Yue, Vishnu Ramaswami. Please come in for your interview,¡± said one of the council seniors after about twenty minutes.

    The previous group emerged out of the room, hushed whispers speaking of failure. Trailing behind them were the muffled noises of my former schoolmates. Pay no mind to them, Sam. The four of us stood up and strolled in, our heads held high and paying no attention to the way our secondary school uniforms clashed badly next to each other¡¯s. The only girl in our group? Despite her navy-blue pinafore, she might as well be a man with her boyish haircut and bulging muscles poking out from her sleeves. Hell, I think only I was more muscular than her.

    ¡°So, the four of you. Please tell me why you want to become part of the student council,¡± said the overweight teacher-in-charge.

    Noraliah raised her hand. She cleared her throat and placed her hands over her lap.

    ¡°While I have leadership experience as captain of my school¡¯s netball team, I¡¯ve always wanted a platform where I can make a more substantial difference and influence those around me to adopt values and ideas that could lead to a sustainable environment,¡± she said.

    The teachers nodded their heads in agreement. Well, that sounded legit enough. Only then did I realise that I was so fucked. Leadership experience? Me? Only in leading group projects, I guess.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to be real here. I¡¯ve never had formal leadership experience. The closest I can think was that one time when I tried to protect someone I didn¡¯t know from a group of bullies,-¡° the male teacher interjected me.

    ¡°You mean the incident that got you caned but wasn¡¯t recorded?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m not afraid to speak up about it. What I did was wrong, but it was the only solution that I could think of because if I had run off to tell a teacher, the victim could have had sustained actual injuries. It was dark and secluded. All I know is that I wanted the victim to be safe,¡± I said.

    That was probably the gutsiest or most YOLO thing I had ever done. There was some buzz between the other members of my interview group. I just kept my mouth shut and let my posture and seriousness do the rest of the talking.

    ¡°If we let you into council, can we trust that you will make less impulsive decisions?¡± asked Mr Seet.

    ¡°Of course. I chose to join council so that I could start my own inner revolution. That includes honing my decision-making skills,¡± I said.

    When the interview was over, the first person that I saw the moment I stepped out of that room was Kumar. His lanky figure leant against the railing, large eyes glued to his Physics notes.

    ¡°Hey, bro,¡± I said.

    He snapped his notes shut and pulled me into a hug. I hated that he was so much taller than I was. He let go and asked me how it went.

    ¡°Well, I guess the football team¡¯s waiting for me,¡± I said with a smile.

    ¡°Samuel,¡± said the whale-like teacher¡¯s gravelly voice.

    The two of us turned around. Only she was there. We stood up straight and bowed.

    ¡°It¡¯s very rare that we shortlist candidates right after the interview itself, but we were very impressed by the way you handled your past mistakes and that courageous display of leadership. You¡¯ll begin probation with the others starting next Monday,¡± she said.

    With that, she disappeared back into the meeting room, leaving Kumar and I to just stand there and blink. And it sank in. I mouthed the biggest ¡®hell yes¡¯ I could, and we slapped each other¡¯s palms into a triumphant hi-five.

    ¡°Bro, you did it, sia!¡± he said as he hugged me again.

    ¡°Only because I have someone who spurred me to do the right thing back then,¡± I said back.

    I could already imagine the look of shock and sheer horror on my parents¡¯ faces once I returned to Yishun with the news.

    ??-Minori

    I pulled the door of my wardrobe and faced the mirror. There I was ¨C decked in all-white. The VS badge hung above my breast pocket. My fingers struggled to work their way over the plastic buttons.

    ¡°Damnit, Nori! You have to let go,¡± I whispered to myself.

    The first button was undone. The next few followed. I removed the white shirt and let it hit the floor. Why was taking off a uniform so difficult? I turned around and saw the tote bag where the SJC uniform peeked out, the olive-green trousers waiting to be worn.

    I removed my white pants, leaving me in just my boxers. I wondered if things were this hard for Otou-san too when he removed his VS and VJC uniforms for the last time. I knelt down and opened the drawer where I kept my PE shorts. Then, my eyes darted towards the tote bag. I crawled towards it and looked at the SJC uniform. Well, there was a splash of colour after all! But even that bit of colour wasn¡¯t enough to make me smile.

    ¡°Nori-chan, dinner¡¯s ready!¡± Kaa-chan cried out from downstairs.

    I guess modelling the uniform would have to wait. I put on my old PE shorts and took out the first T-shirt I could get from the upper shelves, draping it over my broad shoulders before rushing down.

    The fragrant aroma of curry rice made me stop midway. I sniffed it and grinned. Keiko ran down the stairs of our maisonette apartment and settled all the cutlery on the dining table. Guess that meant I had to help Kaa-chan with the rice.

    ¡°Tou-chan! Will Otou-san be back for dinner?¡± I asked as I scooped up the rice onto each of our plates.

    ¡°Ma-kun¡¯s on the way! Mami, don¡¯t forget to leave some curry for him!¡± he called out from the dining room.

    After about five minutes, all four of us were seated at our glass-top dining table. We clasped our hands and said ¡®itadakimasu¡¯ before digging in. I glanced at our chores roster beside the archway into the kitchen. No, I should have memorised it by heart already. Alamak, what should I cook for the next day? Omurice? Bento? Nah. Too time-consuming. But it might be the last time I could prepare it in a while.

    ¡°So, Nori-chan, how¡¯s orientation?¡± asked Tou-chan as he scooped some fragrant curry.

    ¡°Well, Uncle Masahiro will hate what he has to say. Right, Nori?¡± Keiko asked with a mischievous grin.

    Kaa-chan burst into laughter when she realised what she meant. She was probably a bit too distracted though because there was a splotch of brown on her grey ANA uniform. She wiped it with a paper napkin and asked me to elaborate.

    ¡°Well, you see. Alb? We¡¯re back in the same school again!¡± I exclaimed with the brightest smile I could.

    That smile started getting weaker though when Tou-chan paused to take a sip of water. Keiko asked him if everything was alright. Oh man. Don¡¯t tell me Otou-san¡¯s opinions on Alb had rubbed onto Tou-chan.

    ¡°I¡¯m happy for you, Nori. Don¡¯t get me wrong. It¡¯s just that¡­I want you to try making new friends, you know? You¡¯re finally studying out of the East. It¡¯s time you step out of that comfort zone,¡± said Tou-chan. ¡°You¡¯ve made some new friends, right?¡±

    I stared back at that plate of curry. New friends. I could talk about Sam, right? But what if Otou-san just saw him as another Albert? What about Nora? I didn¡¯t even know if I would be seeing her at SJC. Hell, I was even lucky to come out of that meeting with Nora alive and be able to eat that curry. ¨¦clair.

    ¡°Nii-chan, what¡¯s wrong?¡± asked Keiko as she tugged my sleeve.

    ¡°Ah! It¡¯s nothing. I was just thinking about what Tou-chan said,¡± I replied.

    Ah, fudge. I lied to my little sister. Well, how was I supposed to tell her that I met somebody who almost killed my new friends and I? Or that I was stupid enough to trust someone and have said trust broken on the same day?

    The doorknob rattled. We all looked towards the front door as it creaked open, revealing Otou-san in the doorway. He apologised for coming back late for dinner and placed his laptop bag over the shoe rack before stepping into his indoor slippers.

    ¡°So, Minori, what subject combination were you assigned to?¡± asked Kaa-chan as she tried to steer away the conversation.

    Oh man. She knew. I was definitely going to get the talk before bedtime. I looked up at the pendant lamp and forced a smile.

    ¡°I got what I wanted. Biology, Chemistry, Math, and Literature!¡±

    ¡°Literature? Why? How¡¯s that going to be useful?¡± asked Otou-san as he took his place beside Tou-chan at the table. ¡°Besides, isn¡¯t it very time consuming? You have to handle five books, don¡¯t you?¡±

    Tou-chan placed his hand on Otou-san¡¯s wide shoulders and shook his head. He gave me a smile and gestured towards me.

    ¡°I think it¡¯ll be good for me to have an imaginative perspective towards the world around us. I think of it as something complementary to my studies in Biology. I mean, I¡¯ve always wanted to be a renaissance man,¡± I said, thinking back to the great scientists like Avicenna and Galileo.

    Otou-san adjusted his spectacles and put some of the curry rice into his mouth. Keiko cupped her hand over my ear and whispered ¡®that is so cool¡¯. I just stared at him, wondering why the only time he would ever talk directly to me had to be about my studies.

 Spiral: III

    ??-Yu-chi

    No longer clad in all-white, I was decked out in all-beige. I was grateful that my tanned skin made sure that I didn¡¯t look completely naked compared to my fair-skinned classmates strolling into the hall. He told me that when he put his new uniform on, he started a new life.

    What new life? I put on this beige uniform, I¡¯m still Huang Yu-chi. I sat there by the side, my copy of A Thousand Moons on a Thousand Rivers in hand while my orientation groupmates exchanged the usual greetings.

    ¡°Wah. Your Angel so rich until he can give you a voucher? Wah sia! I want also, leh,¡± said a person behind me.

    Just focus on the text, Yu-chi. Right. Speaking of text, I took out my handphone and looked at the subject combination that I was assigned to. Thank goodness I got CLL. Unfortunately, the teacher had not uploaded the syllabus yet.

    ¡°Are you sure we¡¯re just going to keep leaving him out?¡± whispered Tanya.

    I knew very well who they were referring to, even though the swimming hanzi stared back at me instead.

    ¡°You sure or not? He¡¯s an ex-gangster,¡± said Ryan out loud, as though he expected me to snap my book shut, stand up and engage in a fighting stance to prove his point.

    Gan lah. Let them say what they want to say. I have Kenny. He is enough. As I flipped to the next page, the scars on my knuckles stared back at me. Forget Ryan. That was enough to remind me of the strange status that I held here.

    During lunch, the only entity making eye contact with me was the bian mee that I ordered. Voices of all sorts surrounded me. Other students clad in the same beige uniform wisped past, their shadows following them on the tiled floor. Yet, that realisation sank in. It was just me and the bian mee. Yu-wen was no longer there beside me.

    I rose up and left, finding it weird that it was just me taking up a table meant for about six to eight people. Yeah, that was unlikely to help my already sullied reputation.

    I found myself seated at the edge of the canteen, but at least that fetched a view of the surrounding neighbourhood. Just another MRT stop away, I wondered what Kenny was doing. Probably having fun with his new friends, I guessed. I ended up breaking into a chuckle, laughing at the irony of my dual life and how different the life I lived last week was from the one I was living now.

    Everyone needed their own downtimes, I guessed. The wind hit my face, bringing with it the overly familiar humidity that never changed no matter where I was. I closed my eyes, and just let it play with my thick hair for once.

    ??-Dae-hyun

    My feet made a mad shuffle for the unused grand piano. My fingers scampered over the edges of the fallboard before I lifted it up. When the ivory keys met my eyes, I was certain that I managed to successfully choped it. I placed my feet on the pedals and let my fingers tickle the keys.

    No sheet music? Who cares? I was going to wing my own original composition anyway. I called it Lightning Strikes. Let this be the thunder that would consume the campus during lunch hour.

    Then again, they always said that lightning came before thunder. Just as I was about to get to the fortissimo, her petite figure greeted me on the other side of the grand piano. And the music came to a sudden stop.

    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked as I poked my head out.

    She had her left arm over her right, her green eyes facing her shoes. Well, at least the SJC uniform made her look much more mature compared to her previous sailor uniform garb. Alamak. What was I thinking?

    I scooted closer towards the edge of the stool, letting her sit beside me. She pointed at herself with her thumb, ascertaining again if I was willing to let her join me. I nodded.

    ¡°Dae-hyun, I know we don¡¯t talk much but something has been bothering me lately,¡± she said.

    I wanted so badly to glance at the stained-glass window above us and scoff. Me? A guru?  ¡°I think you¡¯ve come to the wrong place. Look, I¡¯m not the best person when it comes to empathy. You know, lone wolf and all,¡± I clarified with her.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay if you just hear me out,¡± she said.

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m listening.¡±

    Her back faced the keys and she leant a bit, letting the dancing lights entice her almond-shaped eyes. Then, she closed them and inhaled a deep breath.

    ¡°If someone asked you to hurt others when the lives of your loved ones are on the line, would you do it?¡± she asked.

    Was I in a young adult fantasy novel or something? What a strange question to be asking! I leant back and more or less shifted my attention to the way the splotches of light bounced off the white-washed walls.

    ¡°Are you taking KI or something? That sounds like something those KI kids would discuss, and frankly speaking lah, all this talk on ethics drive me nuts. Like, walau eh. You do something, there¡¯s a consequence. No matter what you do, someone¡¯s bound to get hurt. I don¡¯t believe that anything is truly mutually beneficial,¡± I said.

    Then, I gulped when I realised that I was starting to sound exactly like those KI kids. Okay, Dae-hyun. Stop tempting fate. But why would someone ask ¨¦clair to hurt others? My pupils started to dilate. This was bad. Really bad.

    ¡°Is¡­is someone threatening you? Look, I don¡¯t know why you¡¯d need to work for a loanshark but you have to report this right away. It¡¯s not right for people to ask you to hurt others,¡± I said as I straightened my back and looked straight into her eyes.

    She turned away from me and shook her head. With that, she rose to her feet, ready to flee and walk away. I grabbed her by the wrist as my mind swirled with all the other possibilities that she could be facing. What if this was a scumbag parent?Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    ¡°Look, whoever it is that¡¯s asking you to hurt others ¨C you have to tell them it¡¯s not right. Cut off contact with them. Or report them to the police,¡± I told her.

    She pulled my hand away and sighed.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t tell you about it. I don¡¯t expect you to understand anyway,¡± she said before walking away.

    I shrugged my shoulders. If she didn¡¯t expect me to understand, talk to me about it for what? Welp. The moment I planted my fingers on the key again, I found that I was playing the notes right. But something was off. What was it?

    ??-Kumar

    ¡°Wah, I¡¯ve never seen your room this clean before,¡± said Amma as she walked in.

    I landed straight on my bum, having lost my balance from that failed plie. Her eyes widened when she saw me sprawled beside my bed, clad in just my PE shirts. She extended her hand and pulled me up, groaning about how heavy I was as usual.

    ¡°Then you pull me up for what?¡± I argued back.

    She adjusted her spectacles and let her tight bun loose. She stood in the middle of the room and marvelled at how much space she had to walk around.

    ¡°Kumar, are you planning on doing ballet again?¡± she asked with a smile.

    I glanced towards the side, letting my tightly contorted body do the talking. With that, she brought me into a tight hug. Well, at least I wasn¡¯t the one squishing her to death with my muscles.

    Then, Badass¡¯ sweet barking sounded louder in the second floor of our maisonette unit. She leapt straight towards me, licking my face. Then, Janice stood by the doorway, coiling up the leash.

    ¡°Tomorrow, you¡¯re on Badass-walking duty. Don¡¯t care what time you come back!¡± she said with a peace sign before disappearing back downstairs.

    ¡°Jace, Jan, what pizza flavour do you want?¡± called Appa from downstairs.

    ¡°Hawaiian!¡± Janice screamed.

    I brought Badass into my arms and headed downstairs, trailing behind Amma. Appa already had the Domino¡¯s website booted up on his laptop screen, right beside his Outlook window. Man, it was already 7pm. Why was he still working?

    ¡°I¡¯ll take the Classified Chicken!¡± I said.

    I released Badass and watched as she scampered right towards her water bowl. We all huddled around the sofa, watching as Appa keyed in our choices. When he was done, he clapped his hands, and somehow, all of us cheered.

    Looking around my somewhat cramped living room, it was so rare to have all four of us at home at the same time. Janice sunk into the sofa, taking off her sweaty dri-fit shirt and just lounged in her sports bra. My parents were still clad in their office attire, but I guessed their heavy eyebags meant they had greater priorities than just changing clothes.

    ¡°So, Kumar! You¡¯re getting your class tonight! Managed to get the subjects you wanted?¡± asked Appa as he patted Badass¡¯ head.

    ¡°Ah. Thanks for reminding me. I haven¡¯t checked yet,¡± I said, taking out my handphone and logging into the school¡¯s online portal.

    My O Level results stared back at me on my personal particulars page. I had yet to upload a photo of myself. Well, at least my hairy legs would no longer be poking out of those awkward green shorts that made me look like an overgrown kindergartener.

    ¡°Fuck yeah! I got into Dance ¨C Professional Squad!¡± I said, pumping my fist in the air.

    I could hear Appa almost spitting his water out of his mouth. He cleared his throat and faced me; his deep-set eyes droopy. And my arm just limped back to my sides.

    ¡°You sure you¡¯ll be okay this time? I don¡¯t want people to bully you again because of your hobby,¡± he said.

    ¡°Hey, Sam got into council. Well, the first stage, lah. He wants to implement stricter bullying rules so that he won¡¯t have to fill in the gaps by himself,¡± I said, though I could feel the corners of my mouth drooping as I said that.

    ¡°What?! Sam managed to get past the interview round?! Not bad, sia,¡± said Janice, though the murmurings of my parents followed closely after.

    Then, I looked at the subject combination that was assigned to me. I shouldn¡¯t have pumped my fists earlier. This was a bad ¡®fuck no¡¯.

    ??-Albert

    The screen of my MacBook Air stood still as my jaw was left hanging upon looking at the flood of unread messages in my school email account. There was something from my KI teacher. Ah, right. That scary Malay man who administered the placement test. But the email that I was looking forward to the most was from my Civics Tutor.

    ¡°A warm welcome to 11A09,¡± I read out loud.

    Then, I logged back into the student portal just to see the full class list. I wondered where Minori went. CTRL+F was my friend. I smiled too upon knowing that our subject combinations and assigned CCAs were made available to everyone as well.

    My own details stared back at me. Albert Lau Ka Wai. 11A09. H2 Theatre Studies and Drama, Knowledge and Inquiry, Mathematics, and English Language & Linguistics. Drama Society. Somehow though, I pursed my lips knowing that half of my fellow TSD mates were all following me into Drama.

    Speak of the devil. A Facebook message from Minori arrived. He sent me an emoji with a worried face.

    M: Okay, alb. You and the other boys get the last laugh.

    A: Wah. What happened, bro?

    M: Guess who¡¯s the only boy in class now?

    And I burst into a peal of laughter, letting it bounce across every wall in my room. Sofian and Zach would be proud. I brought my hands together, amused yet worried for poor Minori. I looked his name up in each class. I found him in 11S24.

    A: Bro, no wonder why you¡¯re the only boy in class, lah! You¡¯re in the lit class, right?! Somemore, you¡¯re in biology

    M: Oh. You have a point there¡­

    Indeed. Everyone in his class was taking the standard Biology combination, but with Literature or KI instead of Economics. There were some PRC scholars who were obviously taking CLL. Some Malay girls. Oh man. This was ripe material to tease him with. Wait, no. Who was the other KI girl? Noraliah Nur Rahmat. I missed another one by the name of Jacqueline Loo. Man, Minori has no more excuses if he can¡¯t score a girlfriend. He has 17 options now!

    Screw that. Who were my KI classmates? I looked at the recipients of Mr Khai¡¯s message. Only then did I realise that he gave us assigned readings for our first class tomorrow. I could have sworn that my eyeballs rolled out of their sockets at that moment.

    A: Eh, sorry bro. Gotta go. First day of class kena assigned homework already. See you tomorrow for lunch?

    M: No prob! Good luck and good night! :D

    I opened the attached file and looked at it. Nice. He just had to assign us with Plato for the first reading. The next thing I knew, I was added into some Facebook group chat by some guy called Samuel Wong. No way. This was the guy who got called up for the mass dance forfeit, right?

    Noraliah and Jacqueline got added to the group too. Before I could even introduce myself, Samuel was already typing away. I had no idea what was going on. I could just sit there, frozen on my chair as Sam started compiling an actual summary of Plato¡¯s Myth of the Cave. Just for us.

    He ended off the summary with a simple ¡®you¡¯re welcome¡¯. The only thing I could do was to reply with a clapping emoji. No way. We just got the email from Mr Khai like 15 minutes ago. Unless of course, Sam has read the piece before.

    ¡°Kor-kor, I think it¡¯s still better if you do the full readings. You don¡¯t like to cheat, right?¡± said her voice.

    I looked up at the photograph of the two of us back in Hong Kong Sea World, happy face plastered over our faces. She¡¯s right. I downloaded the document anyway and decided to dissect it down to the T, even if it would take me all night. Better thank Sam for trying to help anyways.

 Spark: I

    ??-Nora

    The school¡¯s ICT portal said that I was allocated to 11S24. The school hall was no longer a splash of colour like it was a week and a half ago.

    I bit my lips, wondering where this odd discomfort was coming from. This plaid-patterned skirt? Seeing unwanted faces? I looked down on the floor in search of the placard for my class. I was near 11S18. It should be a few rows behind.

    The row seated beside the placard for my civics group was the opposite of what I saw at home every day. Or maybe that was a good balance. A classroom full of girls, and home full of boys.

    ¡°Nora!¡± cried a familiar voice.

    There he was, teeth showing through his bright smile and his hair still uncombed. I gave the widest grin I could as the blood rushed straight towards my cheeks. So, he was here in SJC with me! Minori had his hands behind his back while giving his best smile. He peered over my shoulder and his chubby cheeks turned red again.

    ¡°Crap. So, it is true that I¡¯m the only guy in class,¡± he whispered.

    I glanced at the class¡¯ demographics. I shrugged and nodded my head. Wait. Was he referring to my class? Without knowing, I beamed back at him and we exchanged high-fives.

    ¡°Well, looks like you won¡¯t be the only ¡®guy¡¯ now,¡± I joked back.

    We laughed to ourselves and took our positions, cross-legged against the hall¡¯s wooden floor. His face was still red though.

    ¡°Let me guess. You¡¯re still too used to boys¡¯ school,¡± I said.

    ¡°Wah! How did you know?¡±

    ¡°The moment you saw all the girls, you started looking very panicky. Well, don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s a change of scenery for me too,¡± I assured him. ¡°Andi had the same reaction once he entered the JC section of RI.¡±

    Nori¡¯s eyes widened. He placed his hands over his mouth and chuckled. And then his face fell. He scanned my body from the top of my pixie cut to the soles of my blue Adidas sneakers.

    ¡°You¡­you¡¯re still fine, right? No injuries? No¡­bruises?¡± he asked.

    I blinked, trying to figure out what he was referring to. I slapped my palm against my forehead, eyes shut tight. That incident on Friday.

    ¡°Frankly, I don¡¯t wish to talk about it. But thanks for checking up on me,¡± I said with a smile.

    I hugged my knees to my chest, not caring that my PE shorts were being exposed. Nori sat with one knee propped up as he tried to familiarise himself with our other classmates.

    ¡°What¡¯s your subject combi by the way? What CCA are you planning to join?¡± he asked with his chirpy voice.

    ¡°Bio, Chem, Math, and KI. I¡¯m planning to run for council. If that fails, I¡¯ll just stick to netball. How about you?¡±

    Or perhaps Friday¡¯s meeting was not so bad after all, even if I did want to erase those memories from my head to make way for legit examinable content. The doors were easier to pry open.

    ¡°I¡¯m taking the same as you but Lit instead of KI! I¡¯m in guitar. By the way, I know somebody else who¡¯s planning to run for council. Maybe I can link you up with him if you need a running mate!¡± he said.

    ¡°Really! That¡¯d be great! I haven¡¯t been able to find one since my OG¡¯s all scared of applying for SC. Can you introduce me to him?¡± I asked.

    ??-Kenny

    Our class was probably the smallest class in the Physics consortium. Not too surprising. How many of us actually took H2 Art with H2 Physics? Not many of us, probably. I looked around and felt myself turning from kueh tutu to ang ku kueh. Wah sia. There were so many girls! Then, all of the colour in my cheeks flushed out again after scanning the room.

    The crazy ang mor with the lightning powers was here in my class. She caught sight of me and turned away, like she knew I saw her that night.

    ¡°Chew Keng Swee, is there something bothering you?¡± asked Mrs Chong when she realised that I was a bit too focused on ¨¦clair.

    ¡°Oh, nothing!¡±

    ¡°Well then. Would you like to do the honours of being the first to introduce yourself to 11S12?¡± she asked.

    Wah piang eh. This was so sudden. What was I supposed to say again? My name, three things about me¡­CCA. Right? I stood up and turned to face the rest of the class, back facing the whiteboard. Wah. It was so weird to see girls in a classroom after years of being in a boys¡¯ school.

    ¡°Hi. I¡¯m Keng Swee, but you can call me Kenny. Three things about me? I self-taught myself illustration from borrowing library books. I love cats and playing street soccer. I¡¯m in J-fire,¡± I said, bringing my left arm to a pumping motion.

    I should be paying attention to the names of my new classmates. I mean, I was going to spend the next year and 3/4s with them. But actually, I only paid attention when ¨¦clair spoke up. All eyes were on her, as expected.

    ¡°Good morning. I¡¯m ¨¦clair. Before moving to Singapore, I was in Shanghai, so I can speak fluent Mandarin. I play the harp and I hope to be able to acclimatise myself to Singapore with you all. I¡¯m a member of the Dance Society¡¯s Professional Squad,¡± she said before sitting right back down.

    How was I going to break the news to Luq and Mei? That the psycho who almost killed us was in the same CG as me? What if she killed me for knowing about her own secret identity?

    ¡°Alright. Your class is pretty special since you¡¯re the only full PCMA class. Most of you are part of the AEP, some aren¡¯t, but it¡¯s okay. I hope you¡¯ll be able to share resources and take good care of each other,¡± said Mrs Chong.

    When Mei, Luqman, and I went to convene in the library in our private nook, the first thing I did was slam my hands against the table. Mei shot straight up, wondering what I was being so dramatic about.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    ¡°Yah sia, Kenny. What¡¯s wrong?¡± asked Luq.

    ¡°You won¡¯t believe who¡¯s in my CG,¡± I said.

    Mei put her highlighter down and leant in closer. Luq gritted his teeth. It was like he knew what the answer was. I looked out the window to that stunning view, only to find myself stumbling backwards when I saw her tiny figure through the faint reflections.

    ¡°¨¦clair. The crazy ang mor who almost killed us that day,¡± I said.

    The discussion room turned quiet. Too quiet. The three of us huddled close together, arms on each other¡¯s shoulders as we dived into a strange discussion circle. Our faces were about to kiss the table liao.

    ¡°So, how now?¡± asked Mei. ¡°And you don¡¯t have magic to protect yourself.¡±

    I hated hearing that, but she was right. Luq let go of us and placed his thumb on his chin, staring into his diagram of cellular structures.

    ¡°Mei, do you have some sort of tracking spell that we can use on both Kenny and ¨¦clair?¡± he asked.

    She nodded. I brought my hands together, rubbing the palms against each other like I was a super villain. More magic? Bring it on.

    ??-Samuel

    I wondered if there was a student in class who had a piece of raw meat that he really needed to keep in school for some reason. Share some with me, leh. The classroom was like a fucking freezer. No one told me that Plato or Diogenes ruminated in Siberia levels of cold.

    ¡°Ah. Samuel, right? You¡¯re late,¡± said the KI tutor.

    There were just about¡­what? 17 students in that classroom. They had already arranged the tables and chairs into a sort of circle where they could all face each other.

    ¡°Anyway, this is the first time, so I¡¯m letting you off. But for subsequent classes, please come early. Otherwise, I¡¯ll have a nice word with your CT,¡± he said as he folded his arms.

    I took my position beside a bespectacled boy with a fauxhawk. I looked at the name scribbled on his foolscap. Albert Lau. I scanned the seminar room to get a glimpse of the people who would join me for the next year and a half¡­or half assuming they get retained.

    Man, they weren¡¯t kidding when they said KI was a sausagefest. What? Six out of seventeen? The teacher headed for his desk and grabbed his attendance sheet.

    ¡°Well, welcome to Knowledge and Inquiry. The 17 of you went through a cut-throat placement test to get in here. 43 applied. Only 17 made it in. Give yourselves a pat on the back,¡± said the guy.

    ¡°I am Mr Khai, by the way. Anyway, KI is no walk in the park. This is a very rigorous course. I understand that one of you here is also doing Theatre Studies. Good luck to you,¡± he said as he stopped at our area.

    He leant in and gave Albert a very stern gaze. He returned a sheepish smile instead and stared back at his foolscap instead.

    ¡°Since there¡¯s only 17 of you, I expect all of you to support one another with your assignments, forum submissions etcetera. With that, I shall take attendance. Albert Lau,¡± he said.

    Albert raised his hand. He rose to his feet and cleared his throat.

    ¡°Hi. I¡¯m Albert. I was from Victoria School, and now, I¡¯m wearing this depressing uniform. I¡¯m taking KI because I thought it¡¯d go well with TSD, since it¡¯s about the quest for truth and all. Yeah,¡± he said.

    He sat back down. Mr Khai then turned to the next person. Brandon Soh from Xinmin Sec. It was just deep voices after deep voices. They had finally reached the first girl on the list.

    ¡°Noraliah,¡± he called out.

    Now that was one tall girl. She brought her hands hovering over her chest and glanced at all of us again.

    ¡°I¡¯m Noraliah, but please call me Nora. I was from Anderson Sec. As someone who wants to pursue a research career, I thought that KI would be a natural fit for my JC journey,¡± she said.

    When she sat back down, she turned to face me with a knowing look. I nodded back. No wonder why I felt that she was familiar. She was the only girl in my council interview group. At last, it was finally my turn.

    ¡°Hi, everyone. I¡¯m Sam and I¡¯m sexy, chill¡­and yeah. I¡¯m taking KI because I want to do something that isn¡¯t just exam-based and a lot different from what the regular subjects can teach you. Yeah.¡±

    Mr Khai nodded his head and pursed his lips.

    ¡°An interesting way to distract people from your late-coming, eh? Going in with a bang and all,¡± he said.

    I pumped my fist over my chest and let the next girl takeover. Alb scribbled something down on his foolscap. His cursive handwriting was a pain to read through. My exasperated eyes made out ¡®That was a bold move¡¯. I wrote back: I know, right.

    That was one way to leave an impression on my electorate, I supposed. Sure, it was just 17 people and they were still sorting out our CGs, but who cares?

    I smirked. This was just the start of my personal revolution.

    ??-Eclair

    ¡°He¡¯s in the same class as me, Lisias. What if he goes around telling others about our existence? About magic?¡± I asked as I paced back and forth in his living room.

    He pressed the butt of his cigarette hard against the oak coffee table and discarded it in the ashtray. He stood up and gestured at me to do the same and follow him. I straightened out my plaid olive-green skirt and followed him towards the kitchen.

    He knelt down and pushed the carpet aside, revealing a hatch that was built into the wooden planks. I gulped, knowing that cellars were half-the-time bad news. He grabbed the ringed knocker and pulled the door out, revealing a dimly lit stairwell.

    ¡°Ladies first,¡± he said.

    I pinched the hem of my skirt and stepped in. I freed my left hand and held out my index finger, watching as the sparks crept up towards it until that slender finger turned into a beacon in the darkness. His footsteps followed close behind me.

    With a click, the lights flooded the cellar. I was blinded for a while, overwhelmed by the sudden fluctuations in brightness. When my irises adjusted themselves, I broke into an ear-shattering scream and stumbled backwards, not caring that I had bumped into Lisias on accident.

    He placed his scrawny hands on my shoulders and told me not to worry. The man in the cell had his eyes glued to a laptop while his wrist was chained by a glowing magical bind. Then, my eyes shot straight to the people behind him.

    How long had they been slumbering for? How long had they been away from their families for? Could this have been my fate had I not accepted his deal? To become a living relic in this containment tube? I sank to my knees and covered my mouth.

    ¡°Wei-hsien, how¡¯s the data coming along?¡± asked Lisias.

    ¡°See for yourself,¡± said the younger man.

    He was pretty much reduced to skin and bones by now. His eyebags were so heavy, I started worrying for his drooping facial muscles already. A plate of untouched instant noodles sat beside him.

    ¡°Lisias. Why are you keeping these people down here?! Why?¡± I cried out.

    The other man stopped typing. He faced me, then stared back at Lisias.

    ¡°You two are the only other Elementals I¡¯ve found who could of be of some use to me. But now, I need you two to help me with one final task. Then, and only then, will I free you from your contracts,¡± he said with his hands on his hips.

    ¡°And why should I trust you? You took me away from my wife. My children. My parents and sister. I¡¯ve lost fucking count of the days I¡¯ve been put here, mining data and creating programmes for you,¡± said Wei-hsien.

    When he tried standing up, the binds wrapped themselves around his wrists even tighter. His face contorted as he struggled through the pain.

    ¡°Wei-hsien, you¡¯ll get your due compensation after ¨¦clair finishes this one task, okay? Then, you¡¯ll get to be with your wife again. Now, ¨¦clair. You want this man and yourself to be free right?¡± he said as he walked out of the cell.

    He inched closer towards me until I hit the wall. My hands grasped at anything that I could hold, but the bricks chipped my fingernails away instead.

    ¡°What do you want me to do?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I need to find two more specimens for my research. Once you finish this, you and Wei-hsien over here won¡¯t have to be my guinea pigs anymore.¡±

    Wei-hsien clutched the bars tight, mouthing words that I could not understand through his thin lips. Lisias lifted my chin with his hand and clicked his tongue.

    ¡°I need you to retrieve that Elemental Messenger for me. Not only that, I want you to find out more about that boy we met at the town centre. While you¡¯re at it, you might want to find ways to get rid of that new classmate of yours too,¡± he said before walking away.

    My eyes grew larger. The only thing I could do was lean against the brick wall and stop hiding those tears. How? How could I do such things to Minori and Kenny?

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this,¡± said Wei-hsien.

    I looked up and found him staring at the monitor again, his eyes listless.

    ¡°Yeah, I miss my family. I¡¯d love to go back to Taiwan just to tell my parents that I¡¯m fine. Or not. But if you¡¯re going to hurt people just to free yourself and me, it¡¯s not going to be worth it.¡±

 Spark: II

    ??-Albert

    ¡°So, you brought me here just to introduce me to my KI classmates whom I¡¯ve already met?¡± asked a very familiar raspy voice.

    ¡°Aiyah. Isn¡¯t that even better? That means we can have better connections with each other. Hey, Nori. Maybe you can become a fake KI student yourself,¡± joked Nora¡¯s own heavy voice.

    I shot straight up and turned around. I almost spat out my fish soup when I saw Minori walking straight in with Nora and Sam flanking each of his sides. How did my KI classmates know my best friend? They weren¡¯t kidding when they said it was a small world.

    ¡°Hey, Alb. Well. First time talking to you outside of class, I guess,¡± said Sam, his arms folded.

    I scooted towards the edge of the bench, patting the area beside me for Nori. He grinned and placed his bags down while our classmates followed. Then, I found myself examining all three of their faces. I suddenly looked like a ghost compared to their enviable tanned tones.

    ¡°Wait. Nori, how do you know Sam? Nora, I kind of get since you guys are in the same class,¡± I remarked.

    ¡°Sam? Oh! You didn¡¯t see us getting punished on stage for not getting the mass dance moves right?¡± he asked. ¡°Heng ah.¡±

    Sam¡¯s cheeks flushed a deep maroon. He nudged Nori by the sides before standing up to get his wallet. With that, he stomped his way towards the nasi lemak stall. Ah. Right. It made sense now. He was the Cat High boy with the super hairy legs queuing with Nori the other day.

    ¡°You know, Alb. If you can¡¯t help us with the campaign, it¡¯s totally understandable since you have TSD and all,¡± said Nora as she faced me.

    ¡°Yeah, Alb. It¡¯s okay. We¡¯ll find someone else who can help,¡± said Nori with his trademark smile.

    A few minutes later, Sam returned with his own plate of nasi lemak. Sambal was smothered all over the coconut rice. That was one stomach-ache-inducing meal. I continued slurping the noodles and watched as Nora and Sam more or less began spearheading the discussion.

    ¡°So, Nori. How did you get to know Alb?¡± asked Nora back.

    We glanced at each other, and I brought my arm over Nori¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°We¡¯ve been friends since primary school. He taught me English and really helped me to adjust to life here,¡± said Nori as he beamed.

    The four of us relished in our little ice-breakers, surprised at how we were somehow magically linked to each other. Then, with the entrance of Nora¡¯s notebook in the middle of the table, we knew it was business.

    ¡°Wait. Why are you dragging me into this again, Nori?¡± I asked as she settled her pencil case down as a paperweight.

    ¡°Remember that time when we did the Victoria Challenge? Maybe you can help them come up with some tips to make their campaign interesting. I really want them to get elected,¡± said Nori before pouting his lips.

    ¡°Hey. I like them a lot too. They¡¯re very sincere and clearly know what they¡¯re doing. Unlike my other classmates,¡± I lamented as I stared at the beams hanging above us.

    Would they have the necessary resources to launch a successful campaign ¨C and for exco positions at that ¨C in just one week? What we did took weeks of planning. There was no way they could wing it, right?

    ¡°Maybe I can help you guys with a theme song!¡± said Nori as his right hand shot up.

    ¡°And we can make it a music video!¡± I chipped in.

    Woah. Did that just come out? Nora nodded and wrote those ideas down. The words written with the biggest letters though were the main foci of their campaigns and ambitions for the college: Sustainability and Inclusivity.

    ¡°Now, we need to find a way to mesh these ideas into a coherent theme so that your campaign can help you guys look like you¡¯re on the same page,¡± said Nori as he peered over the little mind-map that she had drawn.

    ¡°Well, if the four of us are going to do this together, we might as well give our little group a name,¡± I joked to myself.

    ¡°Aiyah. The name can come later. If we get elected, Sam and I will definitely treat you to something nice!¡± said Nora.

    We burst into laughter before diving back into this strange realm of campaigning. For a moment, I looked out of the canteen and just admired the view of the neighbourhood around us. The sea was far from here, but I smiled.

    ??-Frankie

    ¡°You wanted to see me, Nathaniel?¡± I asked as I shut the door from behind me.

    He gestured at the swivel chair on the opposite side of his desk. I hugged the tablet close to my heart and sat down, wondering if I had already messed something up in the first week of internship alone.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to apologise for stealing you away from Morgan again, but I feel that you might be the only mage up for this very special task that I have for you,¡± he said.

    My feet kept swivelling sideways as I looked at the photographs that he had hung on the wall. Was it right? He wasn¡¯t my reporting supervisor after all. Yet, he was the director of our department and technically Morgan¡¯s higher-up.

    ¡°I think you¡¯ve developed a strong understanding of reading the statistics in our patented systems and deducing data during your assessments,¡± he said.

    My cheeks turned warm. I pressed my hands hard against my thighs and let that compliment sink in. The smooth mechanism of his in-desk drawer rattled the desk a bit. He pulled out a file and pushed it towards me.

    ¡°Project Elemental? What¡¯s this? You never told this to any of us during the briefing,¡± I said as I picked it up and flipped through the pages.

    ¡°Have you ever heard of an Elemental, Frankie? You might just think they¡¯re a fairy tale, but nope. They¡¯re just as real as you and I,¡± he said.

    I looked at the timestamp over at the bottom-right corner of the page. 2009. I raised an eyebrow, wondering why he would hand me a document from two years ago.

    ¡°The project came to a temporary halt after some¡­accidents,¡± he said.

    ¡°Then wouldn¡¯t it be better if you stopped it? I mean, it was put on hold for a reason, right? And this doesn¡¯t feel right. I¡¯m still a kid. Why would you put your youngest intern through a dangerous project?¡±Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    The door clicked open. Morgan stood there, her face red and holding her work shoes with her fingertips. She panted and called my name out with her haughty voice.

    ¡°Morgan! Why didn¡¯t you knock?¡± asked Nathaniel.

    ¡°I need¡­Frankie. Now! You may be my director, but that doesn¡¯t mean you can keep stealing him away from me!¡± she said.

    I crossed over my heart and stood up, excusing myself. Ah, right. I also put the document on the table and slid it back towards Nathaniel.

    ¡°No, you may keep it. Give it a read back home and let me know if you change your mind,¡± he said.

    I clutched it tight and followed Morgan out of the room. Morgan pressed her hand against the wall and tried balancing herself as she put her shoes back on. A huge blister rested against her heel.

    ¡°Morgan, I don¡¯t feel so comfortable around Nathaniel,¡± I whispered.

    With both shoes on, she dragged me towards the pantry and offered me a cup of hot milo. I took it with both hands, thanking her for the morning perk-up. With that, I finally let that hot air out with a huge puff.

    ¡°You look really shaken. Next time he tries to steal you away from me, just tell him that Morgan Jie-Jie already has something for you to do, okay?¡±

    I nodded. The malty flavour stung my tongue. I grabbed the kiwi from the free fruit day bowl and bit into it, skin and all.

    ¡°Morgan, do you know anything about Project Elemental?¡± I asked.

    Her eyes shifted all over the room. She hunched down and asked me to keep my voice low.

    ¡°A failed past project that wanted to investigate how Elementals work. Not many know about it, but they live amongst us. It¡¯s just that they¡¯re much better at keeping their powers hidden because their magic comes directly from an organ. It¡¯s a part of them. Because of that, you¡¯ll never know where they¡¯re hiding,¡± she whispered.

    ¡°Then, why was the project stopped?¡±

    ¡°Isadora decided that it was better we didn¡¯t mess with forces we don¡¯t know much about. Elementals are human, yet they¡¯re so much more than that,¡± she said.

    Ah, that made sense. I tapped my fingers over the counter as I attempted to ruminate over all the new information given to me. I think for now, it would indeed be better to stick to Morgan after all.

    ¡°Anyway, I was in a rush to find you because I have a very big job for you. A few days ago, we received news of an extremely strange occurrence at Ang Mo Kio. Can I trust you to investigate and get some clues for us, please?¡± she asked.

    ¡°So, look for things like magical residues, eyewitness accounts?¡± I asked again.

    She nodded. I did the same and fired up my tablet. First patrol duty during the first week of work! Just what I needed!

    ??-Yu-chi

    Ah-bu, Yu-hsuan, Yu-wen and I are seated on that round dining table. The steamed milkfish porridge sits in the middle, with plates of seasoned vegetables forming the petals of this decadent feast. The seat beside Ah-bu¡¯s is empty.

    A knock on the door sends Yu-hsuan rushing to his feet. The chopsticks clatter as they hit the protective glasstop. Yu-wen screams at him to slow down as he turns to doorknob. Ah-bu drops her bowl of rice upon seeing the figure standing by the doorway.

    ¡°Ah-pa! Chiak pa buey?¡± asked Yu-hsuan as he rushed into his arms.

    Yu-wen gasps in disbelief as tears started welling up in her eyes. He steps out of his shoes and walks into the house, giving all four of us awkward smiles.

    ¡°Chiak pa. Tsio-hoa, li ho bo?¡± he asks as he gazes at Ah-bu with the sickening tenderness that made all three of us groan whenever they had a private moment.

    She runs into his arms as her high ponytail comes loose. Yu-wen and I just stare on as they kiss in front of us, as though none of us existed at that moment.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for coming back so late,¡± he says.

    ¡°Where have you been?¡± she asks.

    I draw my hands underneath the table. Yu-wen places her hand on my toned shoulder and looks at me with sadness brimming through her already watery eyes.

    I look at those scarred knuckles again. The images swim through my mind again. Blood ¨C mine and his ¨C dripping through the gaps of my fingers.

    ¡°Giok-bun, Iok-kia! Say hello to your Ah-pa,¡± Ah-bu says, still locked in his tight embrace.

    When I look up though, I find myself no longer in the comfort of my home, but in that dark alleyway instead. The boy is clinging to my leg, still shivering in fear. The other gang member lies before me, blood oozing out from his head. His muscles are frozen, though his chest is heaving.

    ¡°You should come meet my friends,¡± says Kenny¡¯s voice.

    I turn around, and the alleyway is gone. I¡¯m at that very spot at NEX where we last spoke. His friends flank his side, their faces blank. Literally.

    ¡°Why would we want to be friends with that ex-gangster?¡± says one of the paper cut-outs.

    ¡°You¡¯re violent. Unpredictable. A bad influence. We¡¯ll never accept you,¡± says the smaller cut-out.

    I press my bloodied hands over my ears and sink to my knees, begging to Mazu to cast these demons out from my mind. Still, the voices keep coming. The images of backs turned keep flashing.

    I shrieked and found myself right in the comfort of this narrow single-sized mattress, the metal grilles of Yu-hsuan¡¯s bunk above my sky. I crept out of my blanket and hugged my knees to my chest. What was I thinking? What was I thinking telling Kenny that I wanted to meet his friends? My phone sat on my side table. I could pick it up. Tell him I had a sudden work shift to attend.

    ¡°Ah-hia, are you okay?¡± Yu-hsuan groaned from the upper bunk.

    ¡°Si. I¡¯m fine. Go back to sleep. You¡¯ve got another day of school tomorrow,¡± I told him.

    With that, I threw the blanket over my half-naked body and tried to get some sleep.

    ??-Dae-hyun

    The piano keys were still dancing in my mind as I raced up the stairs towards the dance studio. I glanced at my right hand, only to realise that there was no watch on my wrist. I kicked off my shoes and pushed the door into the studio.

    All eyes were on me. To be expected. Everybody else was already in their PE attire, sweating from what I presumed was a workout. I was still wearing the white shirt and olive-coloured trousers. And an awkward hand waved at me. The Aussie with blonde locks. Though this time, she tied it into a messy bun.

    ¡°Hello. Are you¡­Dae-hyun?¡± said the slender but toned woman standing in the middle of the circle as she read off a checklist.

    ¡°Yes, I am,¡± I said as I put my bag down beside all the others.

    I gave a sheepish smile as I tiptoed towards ¨¦clair. The tall Indian boy leant in closer towards her, asking who I was.

    ¡°Oh. He¡¯s Dae-hyun. Just an acquaintance,¡± she whispered.

    ¡°So, for the only one who came late, my name is Harini. I¡¯m the president of the professional dance crew. The other group is where casual dancers come together, but since you were assigned to be part of us, please come early next time. Discipline is vital in dance,¡± she said as she adjusted her high ponytail.

    Well, that was one way to mess up the first practice session ever. The entire room laughed as Harini decided that I would be the first to step forward for our icebreaker dance battle as punishment for my tardiness. She dipped her olive-coloured hand into the top hat, alerting me to the rustling of paper within.

    She pulled out a strip and unwrapped it, holding it high above her.

    ¡°Well, ¨¦clair, you¡¯ll have to dance against Dae-hyun!¡± she said.

    Everyone around us cheered. I haven¡¯t even gotten to know any of their names yet. Oh wait. Right. Because I was late. I rose to my feet, rolled my socks out, and dashed straight towards the middle of the circle.

    The other seniors who were not Harini turned on the stereo and instead of a generic KPop or EDM song, The Swan played through the speakers instead. ¨¦clair and I stared at each other, mouth agape and wide-eyed, not knowing what to do. The Indian guy that she sat next to mouthed something at her, but she responded by shaking her wrists.

    ¡°You know what, just let your body speak for itself,¡± Harini cried out, combating the volume.

    ¨¦clair began to approach the floor with a tiptoe, while I went with a heavier approach with an audible foot stomp. Not exactly swan-like, but that was how I interpreted the music. I should be focusing on my own movements, but the way she moved intrigued me. Every step she made seemed to be reflecting some sort of pain.

    Unlike her legs, her arms were not as fluid. Rather, they moved in precise manner, like she was a marionette. Little by little, the energy in her legs fizzled out, and she fell on her hands. The music played on. Was I supposed to continue dancing or what?

    ¡°I can¡¯t do this,¡± she whispered.

    The music came to a sudden stop. The Indian guy ran up towards her, with Harini tagging behind. Everyone started murmuring to themselves about the sudden change in atmosphere. I crouched beside her. Her breathing was heavy, like something was pressing against her chest.

    She pushed us all away and headed straight out towards the door, not bothering to put on her shoes. Harini shook her head and followed her out.

    ¡°You guys continue with the dance battle. Ginny, please take it from here,¡± Harini cried out as she ran.

    I just stared at the half-shut door and watched as her tall friend rushed after them. I shrugged my shoulders. I knew she was emotionally unstable, but not to this extent.

    ¡°What¡¯s up with her?¡± one of the Chinese girls mumbled to her other friend.

    I wish I knew too. I wish I knew.

 Spark:III

    ??-Luqman

    ¡°So, who¡¯s this friend of yours?¡± I asked as the three of us walked over the infamous pathway lined with mathematical equations leading to the back gate.

    ¡°You wanted a Mandarin teacher, right? This guy is a Taiwanese native. He takes CLL. Confirm plus chop he can help you,¡± said Kenny as he walked backwards.

    Mei had her hands in the pocket of her plaid skirt the whole time. Even her usually hasty footsteps were much smaller. Kenny¡¯s eyebrows drooped down.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked.

    As we pushed the turnstile, Mei let out a tense sigh and asked us to stop in our tracks. She held the strap of her sling bag this time and adjusted her spectacles.

    ¡°Do we really have to meet him at J8? I¡¯m sure there are many less crowded places out there,¡± she asked.

    ¡°Hey, remember how I first met you? You were panicking like mad from the crowd, right? Now, it¡¯s what? 4pm. Not so crowded, one. Just trust me,¡± he assured her.

    I patted Mei on the back. She gave a forced smile and continued on with the short walk towards J8. True enough, it was relatively less crowded compared to the hell that I usually saw after our Geography lectures every Thursday afternoon. It was just us students and the usual housewives doing their rounds of shopping.

    ¡°Told you it wouldn¡¯t be so bad,¡± said Kenny.

    He stepped in front of us and surveyed the area. I wondered how this mysterious Mandarin teacher of mine would look like. Probably like one of the members of F4? Then, he waved his left hand, shouting his name.

    ¡°Yu-chi! We¡¯re here!¡± he cried out.

    A boy wearing Nanyang JC¡¯s khaki uniform leant against the wall near Yoshinoya. He put his book down and looked up, allowing us to have a closer look at his face. That uniform definitely looked ghastly against his cool-toned tanned skin.

    ¡°Eh! Kenny!¡± the boy cried back.

    We walked towards him and began to introduce ourselves to each other. He was only a few centimetres taller than me, but next to Mei, she looked like a chicken standing beside a flamingo. Even his chiselled facial features gave him a much mature aura compared to the three of us with our wide faces and chubbier cheeks.

    ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Luqman. Nice to meet you,¡± I said as I shook his hand.

    When I let go though, I realised that his knuckles were lined with scars. I wondered where he got them from. I wouldn¡¯t be too surprised if it was from some repairing mishap since his hands were very calloused and rough to the touch.

    ¡°Hi, Yu-chi. I¡¯m Mei Xing, but please call me Mei,¡± she said.

    ¡°Mei! Ni hao ma?¡± he asked.

    Okay. That was a basic greeting that even I knew how to reply. Mei pushed back some locks of hair behind her ears and gave a nervous chuckle. Ah. I knew precisely why.

    ¡°Pai seh. I don¡¯t know how to speak Mandarin,¡± she confessed.

    The air had turned much stiller than a few seconds ago. Yu-chi gave slow blinks, like he could not believe what he just heard. Kenny cleared his throat and stepped forward.

    ¡°Yeah, Mei here didn¡¯t take Chinese for her mother tongue. She took Malay because¡­why ah?¡± Kenny asked as he realised there were some information gaps in his explanation.

    ¡°Kenny, it¡¯s okay. It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± said Mei.

    With that, he clapped his hands together and asked us where we would like to eat. I told him that anywhere Halal would do. Yet, my eyes could never leave Mei. She did look exhausted already despite being standing here for just three minutes.

    ¡°Yu-chi, are you vegetarian today?¡± he asked in a teasing manner.

    He responded back in Mandarin, leaving Mei and I just as confused and left out. She tiptoed and with a playful jest, said ¡°Nanti, kita cakap Bahasa Melayu di depan mereka.¡±

    I was not quite sure if playing back was the right thing to do, but it seemed fun. We grinned at that idea and headed into J8 for lunch at McDonald¡¯s.

    ??-Kumar

    Harini and I found ¨¦clair leading forward against the railing facing the football field and running track. She had let her golden waves loose and just rested her chin on her forearm. Before I could step forward, Harini stopped me with her left hand, giving me an assuring nod. Well, I couldn¡¯t complain. There were some things that girls were better at doing with each other.

    She walked towards her, calling out her name. ¨¦clair did not reply at all. I shrugged my shoulders, wondering if I should give it a go. But could I do it? It was always Sam or Haresh comforting me whenever I was down. And well, boys did things so much more differently.

    I disregarded Harini¡¯s instructions for me to step out of this and leant forward beside ¨¦clair anyway, enjoying the view of the soccer team¡¯s orientation. Ah, Sam should be down there. He did say he would join the soccer team during his probation period. No, Kumar! Don¡¯t look for Sam!

    ¡°You know, in those few minutes when you danced with Dae-hyun, I felt it. I don¡¯t know what it was that I felt, but I felt it,¡± I confessed, remembering how precise and mechanical her arm gestures were compared to her fluid legs.

    ¡°Something¡¯s troubling you, right? Back when I was in the ballet academy, my teacher once told me that you can tell what somebody¡¯s going through just by looking at the way they danced,¡± I said, remembering Coach Ivana¡¯s words.

    Harini mouthed a silent ¡®wow¡¯ at me, probably shocked at my dance background. Then, she stepped back and allowed me to take it from here.

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you what¡¯s troubling me. You won¡¯t believe me, and you¡¯ll probably think I¡¯m stupid,¡± she said with her muffled voice.

    ¡°If you want to talk about strange things happening, I¡¯ve probably seen worse,¡± I said with a chuckle.

    Well, Sam could definitely attest to that. Strange shit happened way too often at Cat High. I watched as the sports CCA members filed into the field, ready for their mass warm-up. True enough, I saw Sam already reaching out to his other team members. I smiled, knowing that he was still the same asshole that I loved.

    ¡°How can I have fun and be myself knowing that I¡¯ve kept such a deep secret from my parents? That I shouldn¡¯t be living the life I¡¯m living?¡± ¨¦clair finally said.

    ¡°Are you willing to tell me what¡¯s going on?¡± I asked.

    She suddenly stood straight; her eyes fixated on something on the field. Was it a friend of hers?

    ¡°She¡¯s here,¡± she whispered, her voice baring no trace of emotion.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    Who was here? I looked down and saw that she was focused on the netball squad. I winced in pain as a sudden surge of electricity jolted through my body. Okay, bad idea to hold onto the rail¡­

    ¨¦clair¡¯s hands were glowing. Sparks were flying out of her fingers. Harini shook her head and yelled at me to stay back. Oh, fuck. She¡¯s a mage. She drew her hands back, creating an orb of electricity in her left hand before shooting it straight for the field. There was no way either of us could stop her in time.

    ¡°Sam! Watch out!¡± I cried out from where I stood.

    He faced me and asked everyone to disperse in a radiating motion. I turned back to face ¨¦clair. Her chest was heaving even harder. What was her target? And she was prepared to charge again. Harini gasped and lunged straight towards her, sending the next orb towards the sky, creating vivid lightning that cut the clear-blue sky into two.

    ¡°What the fuck is going on, sia?!¡± cried some people from the fields.

    ¨¦clair was struggling to worm her way out of Harini¡¯s grasp. She kept screaming to let go.

    ¡°Harini! For your own sake, let her go or you¡¯ll be electrocuted too!¡± I screamed as I saw ¨¦clair¡¯s hands charging up again.

    ??-Minori

    Albert stopped filming and stood there as everybody made a calm beeline to the school hall. The lightning alert sounded despite the clear sky above us. Sam and the soccer team were the last to step in.

    ¡°That was so fucking weird, sia! We were just doing warmups and then skali, lightning struck the area near the netball team,¡± the other students whispered to themselves.

    ¡°Lightning? On a clear day like this? Aiyoh, what to expect. It¡¯s Singapore¡¯s weather,¡± said the girls behind us.

    Nora walked towards us; the left side of her t-shirt slightly singed from almost being struck by lightning. At least the rest of her was intact! She looked up at the sky, wondering how it happened.

    ¡°At least we managed to evacuate the rest of the students. That was too close,¡± she said.

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t worry. I got it all on camera. Now that was a spontaneous display of leadership, if I have to say,¡± said Alb with a proud smile.

    ¡°Alb! I thought we¡¯d give you the cue when it¡¯s your turn to film!¡± Nora grumbled.

    He sighed as his shoulders slumped down. I squeezed his shoulder and told him not to feel too discouraged. I mean, some people did almost die, so of course Nora and Sam would be on the edge.

    ¡°Sam!¡± cried a delicate and light voice.

    A very tall Indian boy ran right towards us, clad in his PE attire and wearing neither shoes nor socks. It was like he left in a hurry. He pressed his hands against his knees, catching his breath as he pressed his hand against the pillar.

    ¡°Kumar?! What¡¯s wrong?¡± asked Sam as he helped him up.

    He mouthed something to Sam. Magic. Even Alb just stood there, frozen. Maybe it was a good thing Nora had no idea what they just said to each other. Yes, lightning. We have seen that somewhere before.

    ¡°Nora, we need to get you out of here,¡± said Sam.

    ¡°Why? What¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked as Sam took her towards the dimly-lit area just outside the gym.

    Alb, Kumar, and I followed after them. My heart was starting to pound against the walls of my chest, sending not just blood, but something much more mysterious, pumping straight through my entire body.

    ¡°It¡¯s not real, right? How can this be the work of magic?¡± Alb whispered to me.

    ¡°It¡¯s my friend. I¡¯m really, really sorry about this. We¡¯re trying to get the situation under control. I hope,¡± said Kumar before his face just started drooping altogether.

    Nora stood beside me, folding her arms. Through the darkness, it was hard to make out just what was being written on our faces, but from the stillness of her silhouette, I knew she was in deep thought.

    ¡°I doubt I¡¯ve pissed anyone in SJC off that badly yet. Unless it¡¯s one of those girls from my secondary sc¡­¡± and that realisation hit her.

    The room was illuminated again and this time, thanks to yet another surging orb of charged light racing towards us. All five of us ducked down, huddling close to each other.

    ¡°That¡¯s it. I¡¯ve had it,¡± said Nora.

    ¡°Nora, don¡¯t! You¡¯ll get hurt again and Jambu isn¡¯t here,¡± I begged as I tried pulling her down by her forearm.

    She broke free from my grasp and stood tall, legs apart, so that she could face her. Standing right in the doorway was ¨¦clair herself. With her hair let loose, she looked wild. She was charging up even more energy with her clenched fists.

    ¡°Listen. I don¡¯t know your name. What I do know is that I won¡¯t allow you to hurt anymore students. Somebody could have been killed with¡­your powers. If it¡¯s me you want, then let¡¯s make this fair,¡± said Nora.

    ¡°¡¯Under control¡¯, you say?¡± Sam whispered to Kumar.

    He gulped. I stood right up and took my position beside Nora. I was not going to let her hurt her again.

    ¡°No, Minori. This fight is between Nora and I. You and me, at the field near the language centre. Now,¡± said ¨¦clair.

    The boys and I stumbled back. There was no way Nora was going to win this. Not when she didn¡¯t have any powers or Jambu to heal her. Nora nodded her head. Why were tears springing out of my eyes?

    ¡°¨¦clair, please. Whatever grievances you have with her, can¡¯t you do it peacefully?¡± Kumar begged.

    Behind me, Sam and Albert began muttering some phrases in Cantonese to each other. I was positive that I heard Nora¡¯s name being thrown around in that private conversation.

    ¡°Stay out of this, Kumar. Nora and I have unfinished business with each other.¡±

    ??-Mei Xing

    ¡°This milo is so diluted,¡± I groaned as I downed the last sip.

    Our burger boxes and cardboard fries holders were empty. Kenny rubbed his stomach and Luq continued drinking his iced lemon tea.

    ¡°Okay. First and last atas meal before June,¡± said Kenny.

    ¡°Same for me,¡± said Yu-chi.

    Rather than having his hand over his stomach though, Yu-chi had his over his heart. Well, I have heard of the saying that the way to a man¡¯s heart was through his stomach, but I never expected his heart to be where his stomach was too. His facial expression began worrying me though. His already large eyes were even wider than before and sweat started dripping from his temples.

    ¡°Wah. Yu-chi, you okay or not?¡± asked Kenny.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Maybe I¡¯m just feeling a little guilty for spending some extra money today,¡± he said to himself.

    ¡°If everything¡¯s okay, why is my chest glowing then?¡± asked Luq as he lifted his collar a bit to inspect his glowing Anima Magi.

    Even my own chest started glowing. Kenny stared at all three of us. Yu-chi? A mage? But his heart wasn¡¯t glowing. Luq stood right up, but not before stacking all of our trays together so that he could return them to the receptacles.

    ¡°Wait, what¡¯s going on?¡± asked Yu-chi. ¡°Why is this happening to us?¡±

    Kenny held his gaze at Luq and I. He did sign a confidentiality agreement after all and had to keep Yu-chi locked out. Yet, Yu-chi was already displaying some signs of being able to detect whatever magical activity was going on. Or maybe he just had strong psychic powers.

    ¡°He¡¯ll have to follow us,¡± I told him.

    After returning all our trays, we headed out of J8 and let the luminosity of our Anima Magi guide us. I kept searching for a thin, lilac line that were for my eyes only. Luq should have one of his own too.

    ¡°Will someone please tell me what¡¯s going on?!¡± Yu-chi begged as we headed towards the field near the MOE Language Centre.

    ¡°Someone¡¯s in danger. We need to help them. That was how I knew you were in trouble back then, Luq,¡± I said as I redirected my eye-contact towards him.

    When we reached the field though, it was empty. There was no sign of life, but our Anima Magi¡¯s lines of contact ended right in the middle of that field. Right on the opposite side facing the under-construction park was a boy with really dark skin and wavy brown hair. Wait. No wonder why he looked familiar. He held an iPad in his hands. He had the same look of confusion as us.

    ¡°Hey! Frankie? What are you doing here?¡± Luq called out as he cupped his hands over his mouth.

    The boy waved right back. Just as he raced towards us though, he disappeared into a ripple of light. Okay. This was definitely magic. Yu-chi just rubbed his eyes, his eyes staying wide-opened.

    ¡°Siao lah! That boy just disappeared! What even is going on?!¡± Yu-chi exclaimed in Hokkien.

    I turned around and asked him and Kenny to put one of their hands in either mine or Luq¡¯s. This was going to be one wild ride. Kenny held Luq¡¯s. What Yu-chi asked was something that only I understood.

    ¡°Mor huat,¡± I told him as I grabbed his hand. ¡°On the count of three, we charge right in. One, two, three!¡±

    With that, all four of us dashed straight into the invisible barrier. Yu-chi screamed, probably praying for Guanyin from little I can make of the distortion. Kenny just kept cheering. And after a while, we found ourselves spat back into the same field ¨C only except, there was life after all. Frankie was sitting on his bum, holding his iPad tight. His pupils were trembling.

    The crazy ang mor and a very tall, Amazonian-like Malay girl were standing face to face against each other. On each side were cages with electric pillars forming the bars.

    ¡°Mei?! Is that you?¡± cried a chirpy voice that sounded familiar yet distant to me.

    ¡°Well, look what we have here. The only other person who bothered in class,¡± said Sam.

    I turned to the source and saw¡­no way. Ohpochok. Minori and Alb were in the cage on the side of the Amazon. How did my primary school classmates and annoying CG mate get dragged into this?!

    ¡°This is bad,¡± said Luq.

    He was right. This was bad. Really bad.

 Factionalism: I

    ??-Frankie

    I could list down everything wrong with the tableau before me. Morgan was either going to faint from the information overload or probably break down from seeing so many aspects of basic mage protocol being broken.

    For one, there was the Warping Barrier. Who in this dome had access to it? All of them were clad in their school uniforms or PE attire. No way were they high enough in the ranks to attain a gadget that only the Investigations Department and SPF¡¯s Occult Department could use.

    Secondly, the numbers on my tablet were swimming before my eyes. They were rising exponentially from not just one mage, but four mages alone. How many of them were unregistered? I tapped the profile screen. Only Luq, Mei, the gigantic Indian guy, and myself were registered into the system. I shook my head. This was beyond bad.

    A bolt of lightning zipped past me and the next thing I knew when I opened my eyes, I was stuck in a cage of thunderbolt-bars just like the poor saps before me. I crossed over my heart. Oh, Lord. Please, help me. Huge cries came from the other side, and the three people who came to Divyane the other day were also imprisoned.

    ¡°Nobody can interfere now,¡± said the blonde.

    The muscular girl¡­did she have a signature? I counted the lines against the number of people in this field. There were only eight lines of magical signatures. I hovered the tablet over the figure of the butch and ended up dropping it altogether.

    ¡°Please! Don¡¯t do this! You don¡¯t have magic!¡± I cried out to her.

    She turned around to face me and gave me an apologetic look before standing her ground once again.

    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± she whispered. ¡°¨¦clair, we don¡¯t have to do this. Whatever grievances you have with me, please tell me. Tell me what I did wrong. I know I can sometimes piss people off, but I want to do better. So please. Tell me.¡±

    And there was cheering coming from her side of the field. The boy with a brilliant, bronzed tan pumped his fist, screaming ¡®Go Nora!¡¯ while his bespectacled friend gave a thumb up. Yes. This was it. Come on, Nora.

    ¡°The hornbill. I need him. You took him away from me!¡± cried ¨¦clair.

    I tried getting a look at Mei and Luq¡¯s team on the other side of the field. Her hands were glowing lilac while Luq pressed his hard against the grass. Roots crept up towards the bars. I mouthed at them with a grin. Kenny nodded his head.

    ¡°He¡¯s more stable now, so you can have him. Just promise me that you¡¯ll return him to the wild after this, okay?¡± Nora pleaded with her hands together.

    The glow on ¨¦clair¡¯s porcelain-like hands turned dimmer. On the other side, Luq managed to grow an entire rain tree with just his powers alone. Kenny was already climbing up the sturdy trunk as the girls tried to mediate the situation on their own. Mei held her hand out and he pulled her up.

    With the snap of ¨¦clair¡¯s fingers, the electric cages disappeared. Nora heaved a sigh and gave a soft smile at her.

    ¡°See? We can solve this without violence,¡± she said.

    Or maybe some things should be left for later. The cheery boy who pumped his fists for her? He was crying her name out loud as a huge orb of gas began flying towards Nora.

    ¡°¨¦clair! What the fuck were you thinking?¡± yelled the tall Indian guy.

    There were no screams after that though. Standing right between Nora and the projectile was Mei, her hand stretched out with her legs spread apart. She had created a shield that resembled a full moon. ¨¦clair¡¯s projectile still wanted to bore into it, causing her to be dragged back by the sheer impact. Nora and the tanned boy were sprawled on the floor together. I guessed he pushed her out of the way.

    ¡°I¡­I can¡¯t hold on much longer. Pai thok. Pai thok. Kiu lang o. Tolong,¡± she cried as her voice got weaker and weaker.

    The shield was indeed shrinking the longer the projectile bored against it. I dug into my sling bag, hoping to find something that I could breathe life into so that I could put a stop to this nonsense. What good could a pen do? I couldn¡¯t hurt ¨¦clair too, even though she was showing signs of being unhinged.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t want to hurt any of you, but you all know too much!¡± cried ¨¦clair as she directed her hands this time, towards Kenny.

    Mei collapsed to her knees and brought her arms over her chest. I ran towards her side and asked if she was alright. Another orb flew past but this time, it just disappeared in mid-air. A shrill shriek broke the tension.

    All of us looked up and saw ¨¦clair¡¯s hands being shackled to the ground as the more rugged-looking Chinese boy held her by the back. The taller one held the other ends of the chains.

    ??-Yu-chi

    At least I would be going vegetarian knowing that I had saved my friends. The chain rested in my hands. I created it. No way. I thought I had sworn off my powers. The ang mor continued to shriek, resisting the other boy¡¯s grip.

    ¡°Hey. I¡¯m Sam,¡± he said with a grin.

    ¡°Uh¡­hi? Wo shi Yu-chi,¡± I replied back, unsure if this was the best time for self-introductions.

    The little boy whom we saw on the other side of the field before he disappeared into this¡­kind of barrier world stood up. My eyes couldn¡¯t help but be focused on Mei though. How badly she cried for help as she tried to save us all. I doubt I could forget that.

    ¡°You two, keep her restrained,¡± the little boy ordered.

    ¡°What? You expect us to take orders from a primary school kid?!¡± asked the tall Indian boy on our side.

    The other guy slapped his palm against his forehead and grunted.

    ¡°Darn it! I know I look like I¡¯m 12, but walau eh! I¡¯m going to start poly in April. I¡¯m the same age as you guys!¡± he lamented as he stomped his feet on the wet grass.

    I nodded my head and tugged the chain harder until ¨¦clair was on her knees. She let out another defiant scream. Sam shook his head and held her even tighter.

    ¡°Hey, be careful. There¡¯s blood dripping from your¡­err¡­nails already,¡± I remarked, looking at Sam¡¯s very sharp fingernails.

    Were they even fingernails though? They looked almost like cat claws. I inhaled a deep breath and tried to assure myself that maybe this was a dream that the sleep demons had conjured up for me.

    ¡°There¡¯s a lot I¡¯ll need to tell my supervisor later,¡± said the boy after letting out another puff of air. ¡°What¡­what happened? How did you guys get a Warping Barrier? Why are there so many of you?¡±

    I sucked my lips in, wondering if this was a good time to bombard us with so many questions. The Indian boy stepped forward, making his name known to us. Kumar.

    ¡°We were just going about our regular CCAs and having a dance battle. Suddenly, ¨¦clair wasn¡¯t feeling too well. I chased after her and when she saw something on the field, she snapped and started going ballistic!¡± he said, giving his testimony of the events that led to this.

    Then, the boy pointed at me. With my free left hand, I pointed at myself, to which he nodded. I turned to face the three of them, all of whom were attending to the muscular girl and her companions. I wished I could be there to comfort them, but only I could keep these chains.

    ¡°Luqman, Kenny, Mei and I were having lunch at J8. Suddenly, all of us started feeling weird about something. That¡¯s when we saw you and followed you in. We didn¡¯t know what was happening that time,¡± I said.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    ¡°Lu siao lang! Siao lang! Gan lu! You could have killed our friends! Gan lu! Chekek darah kau!¡± Mei screamed.

    I winced. I could not let this go on any longer.

    ¡°Hey, Sam. You think you can handle ¨¦clair on your own? They need me,¡± I told him.

    ¡°Go ahead. We¡¯ll take her somewhere. All of us have a lot of things to discuss,¡± said the small boy.

    I let go of the chain and watched as it transformed back into two ordinary hair ribbons. I patted Sam on the shoulders, hoping that he wouldn¡¯t grip ¨¦clair too hard to the point of bleeding again. I finally rushed to Mei¡¯s side, kneeling beside her.

    ¡°Aiyoh, Mei. Bernafas,¡± whispered Luq.

    The boy clinging onto Nora was weeping, even though she was alive, albeit very visibly shaken, in his arms.

    ¡°How could you do this to Mei and Nora, ¨¦clair?! I thought you were a sweet girl who needed a friend. Now I know, you don¡¯t give a shit if people died from your actions!¡± he screamed as the other boys dragged her out of the field.

    When they reached the walls of the barrier, they disappeared, warping with the walls, until we could see them again just outside this dome. His large eyes were burning, livid with betrayal. His bespectacled friend hugged him from behind.

    ¡°Kenny, ni hen hao?¡± I asked as I brought him into my arms.

    ¡°Wo hen hao. Thanks for saving my life sia,¡± he said.

    It was time for me to turn my attention to Mei. What should I say to her? She almost risked dying just to protect all of us. Her right-hand had almost all the colour sucked out from it. I blinked back hot tears and patted her on the back while giving her back the hair ribbons that she lent me to make the chains.

    ¡°Gam sia li. What you did back there was really brave. You saved our lives,¡± I told her.

    She looked up at me, not caring about the ribbons that she loaned me. We locked eyes for the first time. Her tears must have eroded the anger away because I began to feel a very calm presence beside her.

    ¡°Pai seh. It¡¯s just that, this was nearly the second time she killed me,¡± she said with a puff. ¡°I think we should follow Frankie and the others and see how we¡¯ll take it from here.¡±

    The six of us agreed. Luqman ran towards the Malay girl, helping her up with the tanned boy whose ethnicity I couldn¡¯t really guess. Mixed Japanese and Malay? Chinese-Malay? It was hard to tell.

    ¡°I¡¯m strong enough to walk. Don¡¯t worry about me,¡± she assured them.

    We stepped out of the dome and found ourselves back in the realm that we were originally from. All of us definitely needed a change of clothes from the conflict just now. And a shower. A really good shower.

    ??-Samuel

    Yes. Keep the prisoner and ourselves in an abandoned corner of the school. Legit. Totally legit. How many times was Kumar going to say ¡®sorry¡¯ for tying ¨¦clair up to the chair again? Frankie sat opposite her, tablet still in his hands. At least we wouldn¡¯t be going straight to Divyane for this one. Ah, right. Blood.

    I held my hands up. My nails were more or less back to normal, but man. Yu-chi was right. ¨¦clair¡¯s blood had stained my cuticles too. I saw where I had ripped her sleeves on accident. Maybe I should apologise for that too. But almost killing Nora and Mei? No-go.

    ¡°Please understand, ¨¦clair. I don¡¯t want you to hurt yourself and others. If you tell us the truth, we¡¯ll let you go. Promise,¡± he assured her.

    ¡°Kumar, please lah. Even after Nora agreed to go with a more peaceful option, she still attacked her!¡± I protested.

    He stopped tying her up and pulled his own chair forward. The ear-piercing screeching of metal legs against the dusty, cement floor reminded me of the scene a few days ago when we introduced ourselves to our CG mates. I looked up and saw Kumar, genuinely at a loss for words as his eyes darted to every corner of this empty classroom.

    ¡°She said something about how we knew too much. ¨¦clair, you¡¯re hiding from someone, aren¡¯t you?¡± asked Kumar.

    His eyebrows were slanted downwards and his eyelids halfway down. The dim lights in this far-flung classroom were not helping the mood either. I pulled the binds down and turned on the front lights at the very least. The shredded fabric of her right sleeve was a stark reminder that in some ways, they were right. She wasn¡¯t the only dangerous one.

    I stared at her, wondering if I should be the bad cop. But a leader had to show empathy, right? What if Kumar was right? No, I had to trust my bro on this.

    ¡°She won¡¯t answer, but she¡¯s really showing signs of trauma. They were arguing over some bird, weren¡¯t they?¡± he recalled.

    Frankie stopped taking down his notes and instead turned his attention towards the scribbles he made on his notepad. They were energy signatures.

    ¡°A bird? Why were they arguing over a bird?¡± asked Frankie, his eyes probably taking up half of his face by then.

    ¡°That bird that your friend is nursing holds great magical power! If its power is left uncontrolled, it could hurt the balance of this world!¡± she protested.

    Okay. That was probably the most ridiculous thing I had heard in a while. Kumar carried the chair from the bottom and shifted to sit beside her. I folded my arms, wondering what he was about to do now.

    ¡°I know you wouldn¡¯t normally know these things. Who asked you to get the bird?¡± he asked.

    ¨¦clair turned away, looking down at the pallid, grey floor instead. I groaned and sank back into the chair, agitated that this was going nowhere. I rose to my feet again, standing straight for a change.

    ¡°Then, maybe it¡¯s time for me to play bad cop after all. Look, ¨¦clair. I know I¡¯m not a student councillor yet, but one of my priorities is to make this school one that is safe for others. You¡¯re making Mei, Nora, Minori ¨C hell ¨C all of us, scared of being even near you!¡± I said.

    Kumar was dragging me down by the sleeve. I yanked his hand away from me and folded my arms.

    ¡°I may not have the power to take action now, but I won¡¯t hesitate to inform the disciplinary board about this attack. Nora wanted to settle this peacefully but nuh-ah, you had to go on and try to kill all of us!¡±

    Then, I let out a yelp as Kumar dragged me out of the room by my collar. Frankie¡¯s jaw dropped as he begged for us not to leave him alone with ¨¦clair. He had a point. What if she tried to strike him with lightning too?

    ¡°What the fuck is wrong with you, bro?!¡± he asked as he let go of me.

    ¡°I¡¯m doing what¡¯s right. Hell, I¡¯m doing what I should have done years ago when I saved your ass!¡± I retorted.

    Kumar stammered, hitting the railing facing HDB blocks with a sharp clank. For a moment, his eyebrows furrowed before he just shut his eyes tight and let it all out.

    ¡°What the fuck, Sam? I look up to you because you listened to me and helped me out when nobody else would. Why couldn¡¯t you extend the same kindness that you showed me to her? She could be going through a lot, and you¡¯re not willing to offer her even a single shred of empathy?¡± he said, his usually delicate voice sounding hoarse.

    I inhaled a deep breath. There was no way I could sugar-coat this. She was a threat. Yes, she might have unresolved issues, but we all saw it with our very own eyes.

    ¡°She¡¯s refusing to cooperate. How can I know more about what she¡¯s going through if she won¡¯t even tell us what¡¯s going on? If you can think of something better to make her talk, then tell me,¡± I said.

    With that, he just walked back into the classroom. I groaned again, pressing my hands against my thick hair, letting the fingernails sink into my scalp. So much for our bro code.

    ??-Nora

    The door to the sick bay creaked open. Sam stepped in; his body hunched in a manner that was unusual for him. He gave an exasperated sigh before sitting beside Nori, pressing his palms hard against his cheeks.

    ¡°Fuck it, lah. She won¡¯t cooperate. Kumar tells me to be compassionate. Be caring. Be empathetic. I am, okay? But how can I when she won¡¯t even tell us what¡¯s going on with her?¡± he lamented.

    I sat up, refusing to take any of this lying down. Nori blocked me with his arm instead.

    ¡°I¡¯m not siding with ¨¦clair, but honestly, I can see why she wouldn¡¯t want to talk to you. I mean, you did scratch her pretty badly,¡± said Yu-chi as he stood up from his corner with his the¡­magic users.

    ¡°Well, what makes you think she¡¯ll listen to you too? You¡¯re the one who chained her up.¡±

    I bit my lips. Minori kept tapping his lower lip as his eyes were glued to the CPR poster opposite us. Yu-chi and Sam began arguing to each other in Mandarin, leaving the two of us to just blink slowly as we tried to make out the air from their tone and body gestures alone.

    Finally, Yu-chi raised both arms up and stormed out of the room. Kenny stood up, only to have Luq bring him down. He walked towards my bedside and scanned my body.

    ¡°Awak okay ka? Tak ada kecederaan?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m still shocked. That¡¯s the second time she¡¯s nearly killed me,¡± I whispered.

    I buried my face in my hands and let out a muffled scream. How many times had tears sprung out of my eyes because of her? What would Adik say if he knew? Should I have just appealed to RJ to be with him somewhere safer? I felt Albert patting my back. Minori offered me a piece of tissue, which I used to blow my nose into.

    My facial muscles were feeling the strain from all that ugly crying. I had allowed the people who were supposed to elect me see me at my weakest. I was too soft.

    ¡°Nora, awak mahu aku panggil Andi?¡± Minori asked.

    I shook my head. He did not deserve to spend 70% of his time in school worrying about whether or not I was safe.

    ¡°So, what are we going to do about ¨¦clair? Do we report her or¡­?¡± asked Mei. ¡°Because as far as I know, having her around is unsafe.¡±

    I could feel Minori tightening his grip on the sheets. His bangs drooped over his eyebrows, concealing his chiselled face.

    ¡°I feel so stupid for thinking she was just a sweet girl who needed help when I first met her. And I feel even more horrible feeling a little bit sorry for her,¡± he said.

    Mei and I pretty much had the same expression of shock written on our tanned faces. She placed her hands on her hips and started looking at him like a very fed-up Makcik.

    ¡°Nori, how can you say that?! That psycho almost killed you! Do you know that she almost got me, Kenny, and Luq killed the other day too? Besides, didn¡¯t you tell me just fifteen minutes ago that she almost got you and Nora killed too? She¡¯s a danger to us all!¡± said Mei.

    Sam nodded his head. Then, he turned to look at me. I brought my knees to my chest, looking at all the dry grass that had clung to my scar-laced shins. I wanted to stand in solidarity with Mei. To give a message that all this had to stop.

    ¡°But Sam, wouldn¡¯t this hurt our campaign?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Nora, we¡¯ve seen how you tried to solve this using peaceful means. You were diplomatic, but firm. You were fucking badass back there, okay? If anything, what you did will make people side with you more,¡± he said, finally giving a smile for the first time that day.

    When I looked around, everybody was nodding agreement with Sam. Luq gave me an assuring smile. Even Mei and Kenny who barely knew me began pledging their support for me.

    ¡°See? We all have trust in you,¡± said Nori.

    But would it be enough? I had to make a decision. Fast.

 Factionalism: II

    ??-Yu-chi

    ¡°So, somebody called for a big strong man to do the job?¡± I cried out as I burst into the room.

    Frankie shrieked and almost fell off his chair. ¨¦clair was still tied against the chair opposite him, her bangs still hiding the anger in her eyes.

    ¡°Wah! Just in time, sia! You think you can make her talk?¡± asked Frankie.

    There was sweat clinging onto his wavy brown hair. I couldn¡¯t fault him for being terrified of supervising ¨¦clair on his own. I just kept walking, pulled out a chair and sat right opposite her.

    ¡°Buyong le,¡± she whispered.

    Did she just speak Mandarin? Did this blonde, clearly Ang Mor woman just mutter a phrase in non-accented, almost fluent Mandarin? I shook off that thought and decided that was how I was going to approach this.

    ¡°Dui bu qi. For tying you up. I couldn¡¯t let you hurt Kenny or his friends. They¡¯re the only ones I¡¯ve got here. I couldn¡¯t let you hurt me too because if I did, who else would fend for my family here?¡± I said.

    I wanted to laugh at myself. No way I would consider Luqman and Mei Xing to be my friends. I doubt they felt the same too. We just met after all. Still, Kenny did treasure them.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry too. I really didn¡¯t want to hurt them, but I had no choice,¡± said ¨¦clair.

    ¡°Hey, sorry to interrupt but I don¡¯t understand Chinese, leh. Can you translate for me at the end? Or at least give a breakdown, please?¡± Frankie begged.

    I showed him my open palm instead. He drew his head back and pouted, clicking the tip of his pen all the way.

    The door then creaked open, revealing Kumar. He walked in, his footsteps almost silent. Frankie put his finger over his lips too. Kumar nodded and sat beside me.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± he asked.

    ¡°They¡¯re speaking in Mandarin. I have no idea what¡¯s going on myself,¡± said Frankie.

    ¡°Are you doing this because you thought you had no choice? It¡¯s okay. You can tell me. I¡¯ve been there before. See these scars? I got them because I did something stupid, thinking that I had no other choice,¡± I said as I revealed to her my knuckles.

    Then, I unbuttoned the top-most part of my shirt and revealed the scars lining the left side of my chest. ¨¦clair finally looked up with her bloodshot eyes.

    ¡°I hid my powers after that. Every time I look at these scars, I remember how my powers came out, hurting the other guy even worse than I intended. We all do stupid things in the heat of the moment, especially when we think there¡¯s no other way,¡± I said.

    I could hear some gasping from Kumar and Frankie. I shut my eyes tight knowing that after all four of us stepped out of this room, they might reject me. Tell Luqman and Mei Xing about my scarred past. Find myself alone in this world with just Kenny again. It¡¯s okay. I have him.

    ¡°He told me that nobody was allowed to know about my magic. That if others knew, my family would get hurt,¡± she said.

    ¡°Who is he?¡± I asked, thinking back to those religious cult leaders back home.

    She shook her head, hiding her eyes from us again. I sighed, wondering what was a better way to approach this.

    ¡°Okay. I can¡¯t force an answer out of you. But you know, Nora¡¯s right. There¡¯s always another way to go about things. I learnt it the hard way. Maybe you need to do the same too,¡± I said as I rose out from my chair.

    Kumar and Frankie called me by my name as I pushed the door. The world was bathed in a brilliant orange from the setting sun. My heart felt a lot heavier than when I first entered that classroom. I just stopped by the doorway.

    ¡°What¡¯s your verdict?¡± asked Frankie. ¡°Personally, I think we should take her to Divyane. She committed one count of assault and three counts of unlawful usage of magic!¡±

    I leant back against the frame. It was so weird to be the one having the reins for a change. To become Guan Gong.

    ¡°I say we have mercy on her.¡±

    ??-Albert

    ¡°I¡¯m her classmate. We do the exact same subject combination. I¡¯ll make sure she won¡¯t try to do anything funny,¡± said Kenny.

    I guess Mei hadn¡¯t changed much from primary school. She swung her legs back and forth as she sat atop the desk. With her arms folded, she let out the biggest groan she could.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe we¡¯re letting her off after she nearly killed us,¡± she said.

    I leant against the wall, left foot pressing against it. I guess my shoeprint would become proof that I was here at one point, watching the consequences of all those years of hardship.

    ¡°We¡¯re not letting her off, Mei. We¡¯re merely gathering intelligence on her through Kumar and Kenny. If she dares to hurt any of them, she¡¯ll have to answer to us, and we¡¯ll take action,¡± said Sam.

    Amidst all this arguing though, there was a really strange nagging feeling creeping up the nape of my neck. The hairs on my forearms were standing upright. It most definitely was not from the tension hanging in this cramped room. Neither was it from witnessing so much weird shit in one day.

    There was rustling coming from beside me. I doubt it was Luqman since he wasn¡¯t even moving his hands to control the potted plant standing there. The leaves still moved though, ready to go back to standing still.

    ¡°I hate to say this, but I agree with Sam. We need to show that we are the higher party in this conflict. We need ¨¦clair to trust us if we¡¯re going to get her to tell us the truth,¡± said Nora. ¡°Whether or not I¡¯ll forgive her is another question.¡±

    She folded her arms and turned her gaze away from all of us.

    Still, the lingering feeling that it wasn¡¯t just us in this infirmary was making my heart pound faster more than our judgement on ¨¦clair. I heard a bag unzipping itself. Minori seemed to have noticed it too because he shot straight up, searching all over the place for the source.

    ¡°Alb, is something wrong?¡± asked Mei.

    Even Sam¡¯s eyes started shifting all over the room. Should I feel relieved to know that I was not that sleep deprived yet?If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°You guys feel it too, don¡¯t you? That we¡¯re not the only ones in this room. Do you feel it?¡± I asked.

    Before we could even say anything though, the door opened from the outside. All of us turned to face the doorway. ¨¦clair was still tied up, and flanking her sides were Kumar and Yu-chi. Frankie walked right in first. They propped ¨¦clair down on the sofa.

    ¡°You guys made your decision already?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Well, what did you guys discuss?¡± asked Sam back.

    Kumar and Yu-chi glanced at each other and pointed straight at Frankie. He grumbled a bit and looked at the ceiling with a desperate look, eyes wide and mouth hanging low. Nora had to suppress her laughter at the sight. He did look like a little kid after all.

    ¡°Well, I wanted to send her to Divyane for disciplinary action. Yu-chi and Kumar think that we need to figure out her situation first before going further. You guys?¡± he asked.

    I guess it was our turn to choose our representative. Everybody¡¯s fingers flew straight towards Sam. He pointed at himself with his thumb and gave a cocky smile. Yup. Definitely worthy of being a student leader from what I had seen of him today alone. Maybe this happening was a blessing in disguise.

    ¡°Since Kenny and ¨¦clair are CG mates, we¡¯ve decided that he¡¯ll keep an eye on her during school. If she strays and attacks anyone, we¡¯ll report to Frankie,¡± he said.

    Kumar began to beam. He smiled at ¨¦clair and brought his hands together.    ¡°So, you¡¯re giving her a second chance?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Not a second chance. Probation,¡± said Nora, her voice cold.

    Minori stared at ¨¦clair. I knew that look a little bit too well. His droopy eyes for the first time in years looked firm. Yet, they were brimming with hope. He sat closer to Nora, probably to assure her that he would protect her.

    ¡°You try to hurt us or anybody else again, and we will inform Frankie. Have we made ourselves clear?¡± asked Sam.

    She glanced up at all of us. Her eyes were fixated straight on Minori. They were brimming with tears. He knew too well.

    ¡°I know you¡¯re better than this, ¨¦clair. I really want to believe that. But after today, I don¡¯t know anymore,¡± he said, his voice deepening.

    But the nagging thought that there was somebody in the room with us, listening to our every conversation and prying into our ever move continued to live in my head.

    ??-Kenny

    The moon was already hanging high in the sky by the time we concluded that little trial. Wah sia. Perhaps this would be one of the only times I would ever get to experience a courtroom setting.

    The rusty chains of the swings that we sat on creaked. The sound of my feet bristling against the sand was calming. Finally! Some peace after a hectic day. All this while though, I could not help but look at Yu-chi. His eyes were fixated on the twilight sky. He just let his body weight and muscle mass move the swing for him.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe we¡¯re subjecting her to the same punishment that they gave me,¡± he said in Mandarin. ¡°Gan lah. She should be punished. At the same time, I know what it¡¯s like to be in that position. It fucking sucks.¡±

    I heaved a sigh. I knew everything that he had gone through. And he was right. What we were putting her through was pretty much the same thing that he had experienced.

    ¡°You never told me you had these powers,¡± I said.

    ¡°Well, if I never used them, you would have died, right?¡± he retorted.

    I planted my feet on the ground and stopped swinging. I inched closer towards him and he buried his face in his hands.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean it that way. I never wanted to reveal my powers to you because they made everything so much worse. That guy needed surgery because I turned my knuckles into metal when I punched him. It hit him so hard, he needed to get a nose job and facial reconstruction, which neither of us could pay for,¡± he said.

    ¡°I never said I hated them. If anything, I thought they were awesome! Nah. Screw that. You were awesome today. Choosing to give ¨¦clair mercy. Defending people you just got to know. You¡¯re amazing,¡± I said with a smile.

    He looked at me with huge eyes. He gave some slow blinks before breaking into a smile himself.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d be able to do what you did today. Any of it,¡± I said, thinking back to our first meeting during that faithful Math Olympiad.

    ¡°Maybe my time at boys¡¯ home did help after all,¡± he joked to himself with an awkward chuckle.

    The roaring engines of a passing bus broke the silence. Yu-chi planted his feet on the ground once more and began to swing again. I followed after him, competing to see who could go higher.

    ¡°You know, it¡¯s weird, but today¡­I felt like I was home for the first time in weeks,¡± he said.

    ¡°What do you mean? You literally just came back from Kaohsiung three weeks ago!¡± I joked back.

    He shook his head. He stopped swinging, drew himself back, and catapulted himself further. His usually floppy hair flew all over as he soared.

    ¡°When Mei spoke to me today, I don¡¯t know why. Was it because she was using the same language I usually spoke back at home? I really felt at home. I wish I had spoken to her more,¡± he admitted.

    ¡°Well, guess what? You will. When you were interrogating ¨¦clair, Mei and Luq said they wanted to hang out with you more. Come join us for studying lah! Or maybe we can crash 3Squirrels,¡± I joked.

    He flung some sand at me with his sneakers. I kicked him back as we found ourselves laughing again.

    ¡°Better not leech off me, hor,¡± he warned with a grin.

    While I did almost get killed today, learn that my best friend had magical powers and saw a tree grow before me in less than fifteen seconds, today was indeed magical.

    ??-Kumar

    The streetlamps along Birdport Avenue began to flicker on, emitting a warm orange glow that still could not rival the brilliance of the setting sun. Throughout the bus ride from Bishan to Serangoon Gardens, ¨¦clair was quiet. Well, it was understandable. I was assigned to be not just her bodyguard but her spy. Or maybe something much heavier was hanging on those narrow shoulders of hers.

    Foreign domestic workers were out and about, walking their pet dogs or lulling their employer¡¯s children¡¯s backpacks behind. Oh shit! Today was my dog-walking duty day! Aiyah, let Janice scold me lor.

    ¡°Why did you push Sam to give me another chance?¡± she asked out of the blue.

    I stopped walking and glanced at the clouds above us. She was right. I barely knew her and saw everything for myself. How she tried to off Nora and Kenny for knowing too much. How she threw a lightning bolt meant for Nora.

    ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t know if I did it for you or if I did it to keep up that image of Sam that I had in my mind,¡± I admitted.

    Her steps became smaller as she clutched her backpack straps tighter than before.

    ¡°So, you do think of me as a bad person?¡± she asked.

    Great. Now I¡¯m the asshole. How was I going to salvage this? I slicked back my hair, running through a list of phrases that Jan told me was bound to piss off any woman.         ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant! I do genuinely believe that you, everybody, deserves a second chance. And I know that something is troubling you deeply. It¡¯s okay if you¡¯re not ready to tell us. We understand,¡± I said. ¡°And also because I know what¡¯s it like to have everyone going against you.¡±

    The trilling of bicycle bells and the buzzing of insects were the only sounds surrounding us. We faced each other, locking eyes for once.

    ¡°When I read your letters to your angel, I can tell you¡¯re a genuinely nice person. You just make bad choices. All of us do. Even Sam. Me. I know you probably think that I¡¯ve been sent on a mission to stalk you. Monitor you. But as your angel, I really want to look out for you too,¡± I said, almost wanting to facepalm at myself for giving away my identity.

    She turned away from me, and we just continued walking. Maybe that came out wrong. Creepy? One thing is for sure, Jan would tease the shit out of me if I were to tell her what happened today.

    ¡°So, you consider me a friend?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Of course! I mean, we both love dancing. We stand out wherever we go. And we were angel-and-mortal for a while, weren¡¯t we?¡± I said with a smile, confident of this answer at least.

    We kept walking along the sidewalk past the semi-detached houses and landed properties. It was so weird to finally be in the settlement on the other side of the canal. Okay, this wasn¡¯t Jalan Samarinda, but it did have a similar urban landscape.

    We finally reached house number 24. A gate made of lacquered wooden planks stood before us. She tiptoed to reach the intercom.

    Before she could press the button though, she turned to me again. Her eyes were glassy from tears. They dripped down from her heart-shaped face. Then came a smile.

    ¡°I promise. I¡¯ll learn to make my own choices from now on,¡± she said.

    She pressed the button. A Filipino accent came out from the speaker.

    ¡°Bianca, it¡¯s me. I¡¯m home,¡± she said.

    The gate¡¯s mechanisms were booming. They slid leftwards. ¨¦clair waved goodbye at me before disappearing into her own private sphere.

    I just stood there until I could no longer see her. When she was out of sight, I let out the biggest relieved sigh that I could, elated that this hectic and just really strange day was over.

    On the other hand, I was reluctant to leave the vicinity. I only wanted her to be safe and if what she and Yu-chi said about a mysterious ¡®him¡¯ was correct, there was no way in hell I would allow him to even go near her.

 Factionalism: III

    ??-Mei Xing

    It was so strange to be back with Minori and Albert again. His grandmother walked into the living room with a tray of traditional kueh and tea set. Alb rushed to his feet and took over from his grandmother, whispering some things to her in Cantonese.

    For an old woman around her age, there was a dignity to the way she walked; back straight, shoulders relaxed with large but silent footsteps. The cups rattled as he laid them on the coffee table. He gestured towards the tray. Our cue to eat! I picked up the ang ku kueh in its vibrant red paste.

    ¡°Hey, thanks for inviting me to hang out with you guys,¡± I said before taking a bite.

    White lotus paste filling? Delicious! Minori helped Alb to pour the tea.

    ¡°Drink up! We managed to stockpile a lot of these before leaving Hong Kong,¡± he said.

    I looked out the windows in his living room. The sea lied straight before us, dotted by those ugly container ships.

    ¡°So, you used your magic again,¡± Alb said as he sank down on his sofa.

    What else could I do but nod? My fingers were becoming sticky from the wet rice flour. Minori on the other hand helped himself to the almond cookies. The memories came flying back to me. The way I cried for him to stop. How I held my hand out and the next thing we knew, Nicholas was sprawled against the wall, his head bleeding.

    ¡°I gotta say though, at least you saved our asses. That was pretty awesome,¡± he said.

    I brushed away an untied batch of hair behind my ear and continued to drink. Minori remained silent all this while. Looking at the way he kept tapping his bare feet though, I knew there was something that he wanted to say. I nudged him by the sides.

    ¡°Alamak! What is it?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Ayo! Say something!¡±

    He rested his head on the sofa¡¯s frame, hands on his belly like he was doing one of his choir exercises. Alb put his teacup down and brought his arm over Nori¡¯s broad shoulders.

    ¡°That day when ¨¦clair attacked Nora and I, I used magic. I think. I don¡¯t know. I just screamed for her to stop and it was like my voice turned into some sonic wave that hit her,¡± he confessed.

    Alb and I gasped. Minori? With magic? We put our cutlery and plates down, leaning in close to hear what he has to say.

    ¡°Really! That¡¯s it! That¡¯s the only time I ever used magic! I swear!¡± he said.

    Then, Alb¡¯s eyes lit up. With his index finger up.

    ¡°No! I think there was an earlier instance. You said ¡®sonic wave¡¯, right? Remember that time when you played soccer and screamed so loud, the windows at the science lab broke?¡± he said.

    I grunted as I suppressed my laughter. Seems like things in VS were a lot wilder than I actually thought.

    ¡°Really meh? I always thought those windows were just fragile,¡± Minori retorted.

    It was really weird for me to be in Albert¡¯s circle for once. Back in primary school, it was always just him and Minori in their own little worlds. I mean, Minori and I were somewhat close since we were the only non-Malays in Malay class. But that was it.

    ¡°Anyway, Mei. I¡¯m happy you seemed to have found some friends now,¡± said Nori, clearly wanting to change the subject.

    ¡°Thanks, Nori. You should get to know Luqman though! He¡¯s in biology too,¡± I said.

    ¡°Oh! I¡¯ve seen him before during lectures actually! He always sits by himself. I wanted to ask him to sit with us but was always too shy,¡± he confessed.

    Alb gave a weak smile. As he sipped away his herbal tea, he looked listlessly into the family portrait that sat above the piano. I turned to look at the laundry hanging over at the balcony. His new TSD shirt was out in the sun to dry. Ah. Right. Maybe it was a good thing I didn¡¯t sell my soul.

    ¡°Man, things are really going to get busy from now on, eh? Sam and Nora with their council campaign. Me with TSD. Mei, can you take good care of Nori for me, please?¡± asked Alb as he put his cup down.

    ¡°Alb, of course she would! She¡¯s my Kakak, and I¡¯m glad to have her as my Kakak again,¡± said Nori as he hugged me tight.

    Ugh. I rolled my eyes, only to find myself smiling right after that. Maybe it was the sight of this boy with an athlete¡¯s build hugging me with my tiny and flabby frame. Minori never changed that much, I supposed.

    ¡°So, who¡¯s up for a game of UNO? Cards Against Humanity?¡± asked Alb as he walked towards his shelf of board games.

    All of us raised our hands, eager to enjoy one final moment of pure freedom before Project Work, common tests, homework, and school hit us like wrecking balls.

    ??Dae-hyun

    The weekend ended too fast. Shame I couldn¡¯t say the same about the damned bus that was supposed to take me to Clementi MRT though. All of us latecomers stood in a single-file, waiting for the warden to scan our NRICs or Ez-link cards so that our details could be recorded into the discipline system.

    I handed the warden my card and waited for that somewhat satisfying beeping sound. He directed me towards the direction of the meeting room. Great job, Dae-hyun. February has barely started, and you already earned your first strike out of three for late-coming.

    When I entered the meeting room, there were already a handful of students inside. No way. What was Harini doing in there? I gave her an awkward wave. Well, so much for calling me out on my previous late-coming when she couldn¡¯t even come to school on time.

    ¡°How¡¯s ¨¦clair?¡± I asked as I sat beside her.

    She tightened her high ponytail as she sighed. She shook her head.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if we can keep her in dance if she¡¯s going to continue being this emotionally volatile,¡± she said.

    From the way she fidgeted with her cuticles though, I could tell that she was not telling me one part of the story. Still, to know that she might be written off the dance team after just one session was enough to make me mouth a big ¡®why¡¯ to Harini.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s very fair. She could have been having a bad day. Maybe she was triggered by an unpleasant memory. The way I see it, she uses dancing and painting to speak words that she otherwise cannot,¡± I said.

    Man, if I could bury my face in my beanie, I totally would. Why did I not bother to tell her all that the day I met her crying at the piano?

    The door opened and another person walked right in. Instead of having a sullen face though, he gave a cocky grin and greeted the teachers with a casual wave.

    ¡°Samuel Wong? What a pleasant surprise. Come late after you¡¯re officially accepted into council and you¡¯ll have to surrender your badge to us,¡± said the discipline master.

    What was his name again? Ah, right. Mr Ang. Sam just gave a simple salute and took his seat next to me.

    Man, to come late to school when he was on probation as part of his journey to the council? That took really big balls. Where was I with Harini? Right, ¨¦clair.

    ¡°What did the other seniors say?¡± I whispered.

    ¡°Let¡¯s say I was the only one who vouched for her. Even after she tried to freaking attack me when I restrained her,¡± she said.

    I pulled down the edges of my beanie and tried to let out the steam building up in my head. I mean, sure. What she did wasn¡¯t the most professional thing a dancer from the professional squad could do, but couldn¡¯t the exco have some empathy?

    Sam poked his head out, leaning into our conversation. Walau eh! Has he ever heard of this thing called ¡®privacy¡¯?

    ¡°¨¦clair? Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ve got her under control,¡± he said.

    Just like that, he leant back against the chair, like that interruption never happened. My eyes shifted towards him without turning my head. His own cat-like eyes shifted back at me. Harini just stared on, confused by what was going on.

    What did he mean by ¡®we¡¯ve got her under control¡¯ though? I folded my arms and slouched back. Yet, I brought my toes together, letting all the strain be concentrated on my feet. It just didn¡¯t sound right.

    ??-Frankie

    I gathered all of the printed documents and headed back to my cubicle to analyse the results of Friday¡¯s incident. Note to self: ask Morgan if it is possible for anyone outside of Divyane or the SPF to procure a Warping Barrier.

    I settled the graphs and registered mage profiles on my desk, my coloured pens all lined up like soldiers awaiting battle. Tan Mei Xing, Luqman Hakim, Jason Jayakumar Nazareth, and of course: myself. Only four of us were registered. Yet, the graphs showed ten energy lines way above the amount that a normal human being could produce. Hell, four of those lines almost went off the charts!

    As expected, Mei and Luqman produced above average levels of magical energies. Two of the signatures were between the threshold that a muggle and mage could produce. Who on earth were the four with astronomical readings?

    I cursed myself for not taking photographs of the crime scene. Well, at least I had interacted with most of them for long enough to match their faces with their names.

    A sudden thud sent the mocha shaking within my cup. Instead of leaning against my personal corkboard, the documents that Nathaniel had sent me with regards to Project Elemental were lying over my stack of clear files. I sighed. I wanted so badly to ignore the mess, but it was just taking up too much headspace.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    I stretched my fingers out and tried making everything stand straight again. That is, until a graph that was very similar to the one before me poked out from the slightly yellowed pages.

    ¡°Huh?¡± I grunted as I picked that document up.

    I opened it and there it was. It was derived from the very same programme that everybody else had taught me to use ¨C just with a somewhat outdated interface. The values projected on that graph were around the same as the four insanely high energy lines.

    ¡°Elementals, unlike ordinary mages, are able to produce up to 200 times more magical energy. If harnessed correctly, this energy has the potential to¡­¡± I stopped reading out loud.

    The verb was scribbled out with a pen. Then, another word was squeezed in between the lines, only to be cancelled out again. The potential to do what? Was this why the project was halted?

    My eyes stared back at the data that I had collected. The gold, red, silver, and orange lines held astronomical values of energy, just like the sample on that page. I¡­I wasn¡¯t dealing with four elementals, right? Four of those good kids (except for ¨¦clair. No way would I consider her good.). They can¡¯t be Elementals, right?

    ¡°Unlike human mages, Elementals derive their magic from an organ called the Pectus Magi. This makes their magic purer and uncontrollable if we are able to prove the hypothesis that the Pectus Magi responds to the bearer¡¯s emotions and mental state,¡± I read to myself.

    The data stared right back at me. I could send Morgan the data. But what if Nathaniel were to procure it from her some way or another? And what? Experiment on those kids? On the other hand, this was my first internship. I had to do it right the first time. If I walked out of this with a sullied testimonial, there was no way in hell I would land an excellent internship in Year 2.

    I pressed my head against the headrest of my swivel chair. But Morgan¡­if she knew, she wouldn¡¯t tell Nathaniel, right? Besides, she was my direct supervisor. I tapped my pen against the armrest, letting my thoughts drown in that mindless knocking.

    I opened the drawer, hoping to find some leftover post-its. Instead, an application form for independent research rested inside, like it was waiting for me. I took it out with both hands and looked at the blank form. With shifty eyes, I scanned the office to make sure I didn¡¯t look overly suspicious.

    Topic of research? What if this was the only way to keep everything a secret? To make sure they were safe while also proving my own capabilities as a researcher? Maybe this was my own cheat-sheet for now.

    ??-Luqman

    I know I said just a few weeks ago that I wanted absolutely nothing to do with magic, especially considering how it might have indirectly torn my family apart. Yet, here I was, at the school¡¯s rooftop hydroponics garden with Mei and Kenny watching on.

    ¡°Hey, you two! Focus on your homework instead, okay?!¡± I nagged.

    With both hands held out towards the water lettuce nursery, I realised that I had no idea what I wanted to do with these plants. Grow bigger? Tie someone up?

    I ended up putting them down. Why would I want to use magic now, right? I wasn¡¯t in mortal danger like on Friday! And the plants? They were obviously very well-cared for. Why would they need a magical boost, right?

    I returned back to our study bench and let the spritzing mist from the cooling fans hit my back. My biology notes and annotated cell diagrams stared back at me. As long as it had a cell wall and chloroplasts, it would respond to me. Do my bidding. Would it?

    ¡°Mei! Luq!¡± a chirpy voice cried out from the staircase landing.

    All of us turned around and saw Nori with his right hand giving an enthusiastic wave as he skipped towards us. Somehow, that sight was enough to make me grin after a failed attempt at being a botanical orchestra conductor.

    ¡°Hey, Nori! Ready to start studying with us?¡± Mei asked as she pushed her bag aside and allowed him to sit beside her.

    His bangs flew up as he nodded. Kenny brought his hands together and I asked him to show me the biology flashcards that he showed me earlier before lecture.

    Sometime into our study session though, my phone vibrated. My eyes widened. Please don¡¯t let it be Nenek. Please don¡¯t let it be Nenek.

    ¡°Hey, I got to take this call. Nori, if you have any math questions, ask Kenny!¡± I said as I stood up.

    I headed towards the hydroponics garden and answered the phone. Instead of Nenek¡¯s smooth voice, Frankie¡¯s rather harsh voice greeted me over the phone instead. Why would he call me?

    ¡°Hey, Luq. Is now a bad time?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Huh? No. It¡¯s fine. I mean, I was in the middle of studying and helping Nori, but I can call. Make it quick though,¡± I said.

    The vibrations tickled my cheek as I heard him breathe on the other end of the line.

    ¡°I know you want to stay away from investigations and all, but maybe I can protect you guys from my bosses,¡± he said.

    Protect? I turned to look at my friends, blissfully ignorant of our little conversation as they began to drown in their lecture notes.

    ¡°Basically, the director of my department? He plans to revive this super sketchy Elemental Project¡­and I suspect that four of those people that we were caught up with on Friday? I suspect they¡¯re Elementals too,¡± he said over the phone.

    What did that have to do with me? From the way he spaced his words though, he must have perceived this to be a great threat. What were Elementals again?

    ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re talking about. If you need my help though, I¡¯m more than happy to assist you. But I need to know what you¡¯re going on about,¡± I said slowly.

    He huffed an impatient sigh. I could imagine that he probably had one hand on his hip, looking like a really pouty primary school student dressed in business casual attire over at Divyane¡¯s office.

    ¡°Okay. Look. I don¡¯t know which one of you guys are Elementals. But some of your friends might be in danger. I¡¯m working solo to protect them, but I don¡¯t know if I can handle it,¡± he said.

    He still did not explain to me what an Elemental was, but at least I understood why he sounded desperate. The director of his department intending to restart a controversial project? The hanging roots of the water lettuces began creeping up towards the tray, almost like they were trying to tell me something.

    They intertwined and weaved across each other, pointing straight at our table. I held the phone tight, squeezing myself into a secluded corner of the garden.

    ¡°If it¡¯s an investigation that you want me to help you with, count me in. I know it sounds crazy, but the plants told me to,¡± I said, eyes still on the roots.

    ¡°Great. Bring Mei and Kenny along if you can. And that really tall Indian guy too,¡± he said.

    The two of us hung up. The roots were still slithering towards them. I knew the plants meant no harm. That they were sending a message to me. I wondered why he was insistent that I bring Kumar along for the ride though.

    ??-Minori

    It was kind of weird being in my school uniform without Alb. That was like our reality. Almost everywhere we went, we were wearing something related to school, be it our bumblebee t-shirt or our VS or SJC uniforms. This time, he wasn¡¯t by my side for lunch.

    Instead, it was Andi, decked out in his all-white RJC uniform. Just less than four months ago, I was wearing all-white too. He dug into his nasi padang. For a rather skinny boy, that was a lot of fish.

    ¡°Nora? She¡¯s fine. Why?¡± he asked, his mouth full.

    My hands were hidden beneath the table, fingers fidgeting over one another. What was I supposed to tell him? That his twin almost died again because of the same girl?

    The clanking of metal cutlery against the plastic plate sent me shooting up. Andi leaned in closer, not seeming to care about how ridiculous he looked with that rendang moustache.

    The bustle of this coffeeshop died down with every inch he made closer towards me. Fudge! I was being too obvious. No, Nori. What was I supposed to tell him? That I failed to look after his twin?

    ¡°¨¦clair almost killed Nora again,¡± I said in one breath.

    I gazed down upon the nasi lemak that I ordered. Even that seemed unappetising. I was certain that Andi¡¯s expression would be even less palatable.

    His elbow banged hard against the table as he put his glasses down and pressed his fingers over his forehead. He shook his head, letting out a muffled cry.

    ¡°I knew it. I fucking knew I should have begged her to come to RJ with me. If she wasn¡¯t so freaking paranoid about the RGS girls recognising her, maybe this bullshit wouldn¡¯t have happened!¡± he cried.

    The fluffy coconut rice stared back at me. My fingers stopped fidgeting and just found themselves pinching the top of my olive-green pants.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best to protect her. I promise,¡± I said, finally choosing to look up at him.

    He still had his face hidden by his smooth hands. Then, he just looked outside the coffeeshop, facing the moving world outside. He laughed to himself before letting out another muffled scream.

    ¡°Ya Allah. I should have known! She keeps smiling every time she comes back home, acting like she¡¯s had an awesome day. Fuck lah! So, she doesn¡¯t trust me? Her own twin? Damn it.¡±

    So, this was what being the bearer of bad news was like. And I hated seeing this because this was exactly how I would react to Keiko hiding her struggles from me.

    ¡°We¡¯re doing everything we can to make sure the two stay away from each other as far as possible. Kumar will send ¨¦clair home every day, Kenny will check on her during all their classes,¡± I attempted to explain.

    But what could contain the rage of an angered sibling? Andi gestured at me to stop talking. Silence hung between us. He eventually leaned back and straightened himself.

    ¡°Okay. I¡¯m sorry for the outburst. I shouldn¡¯t have done that when it¡¯s clear that you really care for Nora. I guess she¡¯s never really changed much from last time, always insisting that she hide her weakness from everyone,¡± he said as he put his glasses back on. ¡°In fact, I¡¯m glad she¡¯s got someone like you that she can just cry in front of.¡±

    I got flashbacks to the day Alb was alone on that bench, eating out of a paper bag and just crying to himself after the funeral. Maybe I did have that weird superpower after all.

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep an eye out on Nora for you. Promise,¡± I said.

    Then, he shook his head. Why would he not want me to protect his sister? He continued eating, as though his near-emotional meltdown never happened.

    ¡°No. I suggest you ask her if that¡¯s what she wants. She¡¯s headstrong and doesn¡¯t like to be seen as weak, you know,¡± he said.

    I blinked. He is her brother after all. They were born at the same time. But for her to hide her pain from her family?

    As I walked back to Bishan MRT station, I had to blink back those tears. Were they tears of hate? Sympathy? I wanted to hate ¨¦clair so badly for ruining her life. For forcing her into this lie. At the same time, I couldn¡¯t. I knew she must be hiding a painful secret. But what?

    ??-Eclair

    The door to my bedroom creaked open, prompting my eyes to flutter open. It was another sign that I was still wide-awake. I turned on the wall lamp and saw Dani¡¯s slender silhouette walking towards me. As she drew nearer, I realised that she was in her casual clothes instead of her pyjamas.

    ¡°Shh. It¡¯s okay, ¨¦clair. It¡¯s okay. From now on, I¡¯ll be doing your missions for you,¡± she said.

    She pulled the sheets from me, revealing the tracking anklet that Lisias had given me. I tried yanking it out of her hands, but she kept tugging back.

    ¡°Dani, I can¡¯t let you do this.¡±

    ¡°Neither can I allow myself to see you drowning in guilt over the actions that you were forced to take. I rather take the fall for you,¡± she said.

    Her slender hands reached my ankles. I hunched down and covered them with mine. She tried pulling them out but the moment my grunting was audible, I surrendered, not wanting to wake our parents up with an escalated struggle.

    ¡°But what if he finds out?¡± I asked, placing my hands in hers.

    She brushed away the stray hairs covering my eyes. If I were to lose her, Mama and Papa would still lose it. He had not spoken to me too since the day of the struggle.

    ¡°I¡¯ll find my own ways. Meanwhile, I need you to do something for me. Keep yourself busy. Stay in the art studio. Drown yourself in dance. Anything that will keep you occupied. If he messages you to meet him, tell him that you have a school commitment. I¡¯ll distract him,¡± she said.

    She let go of my hand and stood up. I pulled her by the hem of her peasant shirt, not wanting her to go. And just like that, my arms were wrapped around her waist.

    ¡°How did you know what I was feeling?¡± I asked, burying my head into her shoulder.

    ¡°A nice boy from your school told me everything. The moment he saw me walking home, he asked if I was your sister. I proudly told him ¡®yes¡¯,¡± she said.

    It had to be Kumar. Before she could take another step further, I hugged her even more tightly than before.

    ¡°But are you sure you can handle this? Unlike me, your magic isn¡¯t as powerful. What if the Phantoms kill you instead?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ll manage. Promise,¡± she said.

    I let go of her and watched as she made her way out of my room. She shut the door, leaving me in the dark. Instead, I got off the bed and chased after her, not caring that my footsteps might wake my parents up.

    Looking down from the stairwell, I saw her unlocking the door from the inside. I mouthed at her not to leave, but nothing emerged from my throat. I scrambled down the glass steps, hoping to reach the door before she shuts it.

    The chilly night air embraced me when I swung them open. No noisy clanking of our gate¡¯s gears. Footsteps? Inaudible if there were any. I headed back inside, letting the gurgling of the indoor fountain drown my thoughts.

    When I went back to my room to search for my handphone, it was gone. The charging cable that I usually used was snapped off altogether, exposing the frayed wires underneath. Of course. Of course, Dani took it with her.

    I sank back into my bed, letting those tears spill-over onto the freshly laundered sheets. Kumar sending me home every day. Kenny keeping a close eye on me during class even though he refuses to say a word to me. Dani now taking my place as his test subject. This was supposed to be my operation. My struggle. And now, I had dragged so many people into this.

 INTERLUDE

    19<sup>th</sup> March 2011

    At least ¨¦clair was useful for something. She had led me to something far greater than any ordinary Elemental. She made my job so much easier. I should personally thank Nathaniel¡¯s intern and the other SJC kids for making it easier too.

    After two months of gathering data and observing the emotional patterns of this boy, I finally managed to obtain a better overview of his profile.

    Yes. It¡¯s that dark-skinned Japanese boy who interfered with my plans to get hold of that Messenger. He possesses enough energy to power the entirety of Southeast Asia and Taiwan alone. That is just him at his ¡®neutral¡¯ moods, and I must say, for somebody with lots of friends and with a loving family if the audio recording is anything to go by, that is very surprising. A shock, even.

    Then, on 13<sup>th</sup> March, just a few days after the tsunami, his energy levels had peaked. The recordings told me everything I needed to know.

    What are you, Minori Amami? What kind of creature must you be to produce even greater amounts of magic than an Elemental?

    What was even stranger about this boy was that whenever he sang, the tracker picked up even stronger levels of energy. I have yet to study the effects of his singing on the environment as I don¡¯t have the proper technology to do so. Hopefully Wei-hsien can devise something for me.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    I no longer need ¨¦clair. I need Minori. He is a greater prize than any other Elemental.

    Dearest Ah-ma

    How are you? I hope you¡¯re doing well. I felt the need to write to you instead of talking to you over the phone because what I¡¯m about to tell you is something that neither of us ever expected.

    It¡¯s no longer just Keng-swee sharing my world anymore. Just last month, I was invited to a small birthday celebration with his friends, who are now my friends. There¡¯s someone my age learning Mandarin from me. And best of all? There¡¯s someone I can speak Tai-gi with! Her accent is strange, but I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll get used to it. I even have a Japanese tutor now!

    Every Tuesday and Thursday after Japanese class, I¡¯ll meet them at Bishan Library where we¡¯ll study together. I¡¯ll help Sit-huat go through his math homework while he marks my Japanese assignments. Then, I¡¯ll teach Lok-man Mandarin with Keng-swee. Bee-tze? Her English is really good, so she helps me with my GP.

    Ah-ma, can you believe it? After getting out of that detention centre, I thought I would walk the rest of the path here on my own. Had Ma-cho heard my prayers? Or did karma feel the need to balance the losses that I suffered? Maybe none of those matter anymore. For the first time since I landed here, aside from the time Keng-swee opened his doors to me, I feel special.

    I¡¯ve attached a photograph of the five of us during Bee-tze¡¯s birthday celebration. It was just us at the caf¨¦ I¡¯m working at, but just seeing Bee smiling over a single candle on a small cupcake really meant the world to me. Perhaps it was the first time I had seen true happiness in a while. And now, I¡¯m feeling it for real miles away from Ko-hiong and the rest of you.

    I miss you dearly, and hope that the CLL learning trip this year will be to Tai-oan. That way, after it ends, I can hop on the HSR and be home again. Love you lots!

    -Iok-kia

 New Normal: I

    ??-Frankie

    How fast time flew by! There were only eight unchecked boxes on the calendar beside my work laptop. I groaned when I realised that meant that orientation would start soon. I chuckled to myself. I was starting to sound like the three of them the day they first came here to Divyane.

    My presentation notes were stacked neatly before me with a pink teddy bear-shaped paperclip securing the loose pages and post-its. No, Frankie. The Lord is with you. Once you pass this professional presentation, any presentation in poly should be a breeze.

    Then, there was a knock on my divider. I looked up and saw Morgan standing there. This time, her hair was tied into a high ponytail. She asked if then was a good time. I pulled out the spare chair beside me and gestured towards it.

    ¡°I saw your presentation slides and the data that you gathered. I have to say, I¡¯m really impressed. Divyane really could use an employee like you,¡± she said with a smile.

    I smiled back, hoping that the blush wasn¡¯t showing through my brown cheeks.

    Her eyebrows began to furrow though, almost like she was worried. She held my hands tight, almost like she was Sissy.

    ¡°I really want you to continue working part-time here, but it isn¡¯t safe for you to stay here in the Research and Development department anymore. Remember that Warping Barrier misuse that you reported two months back?¡± she asked.

    I nodded my head. She leaned in closer and heaved a deep sigh. My large eyes were saucers at this point. Was I going to get fired? Just a week before the end of my internship?

    ¡°Somebody smuggled it out of here. You did the right thing. But I¡¯m scared for your own safety. I suspect our own boss might have something to do with it,¡± she said.

    My eyes darted all over the office. CCTVs couldn¡¯t pick up audio, right? Why would I get into trouble for doing the right thing? Ah wait. That whistle-blower from City Harvest Church lost everything. But what if it¡¯s true that Nathaniel was the one who smuggled it?

    ¡°So¡­how now?¡± I asked.

    ¡°You¡¯re the finest intern that we¡¯ve ever gotten. Thanks to you, we¡¯re now more open to accepting O-Level graduates. Your research on the correlation between youth hot spots and magical energies? Brilliant. I really don¡¯t want to let go of a talent like yourself,¡± she said.

    I turned away from her and looked at the swirling patterns on the carpeted floor. I was definitely going to come out of this with a glowing testimonial. With my independent research too, there is no way the pharmaceutical companies and scholarship providers would turn me down.

    But to know that it might not be safe for me to come back here ever again¡­I puffed and looked up at Morgan again.

    ¡°I understand. If the suspect eventually finds out that I was the one who made the report, God have mercy on me,¡± I said.

    ¡°You did help us uncover one of our biggest unsolved crimes though. Thanks to your data gathering skills, we¡¯re able to deduce something much bigger too. One of your magical signatures matches that of our previous director. The mastermind behind Project Elemental: Lisias Kwok.¡±

    And suddenly, everything made sense. The Warping Barrier? Probably his. The sudden incidence of Phantoms? Probably his doing too. What¡­what was his relationship with ¨¦clair anyway?

    ??-Nora

    I took off my sneakers and placed them on the shoe rack by the door to our condominium unit.

    ¡°Assalamualaikum,¡± I said as I stepped onto the mat with my bare feet.

    ¡°Walaikum-salam,¡± Ibu greeted back.

    I sniffed the robust aroma of coconut milk and grinned. At least there was something to look forward to after getting my hands cramped from taking notes for that long council meeting.

    When I opened my room¡¯s door, Adik was already seated at his own section of our shared desk while he ruminated his Physics notes. Upon hearing the door creak, he stood up and pulled me into a tight hug.

    ¡°How¡¯s Jambu?¡± I asked, pulling the door to our balcony.

    ¡°He¡¯s fine!¡±

    The night sky hung high above us. I bet Sam was already at home, feasting on his favourite nasi lemak. Jambu was perched on the railing, his eyelids drooping.

    ¡°Hey, little guy. You know, you don¡¯t need to come back to us, right? You belong in the wild,¡± I told him for perhaps the 75<sup>th</sup> time as I rubbed his chin.

    His feathers had finally developed, making him look like a penguin with a really big beak. It was like my late tuxedo cat, Adam, had been reincarnated, but this time, as a hornbill. Well, at least that would explain his insistence in staying with us rather than living his best days in the wild.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that crazy man would call you a being of mass destruction. You¡¯re so adorable, don¡¯t you know?¡± I said as I stroked his back.

    Then, I sank back into the rattan chair and placed my tucked hands above my pelvis. Was it the windy night air that was weighing down on my shoulders and consequentially, my mood? Or was Minori right? That I had too much unresolved tension and just ignored them altogether, making me unable to take pride in any of my achievements?

    I could hear the door sliding open from behind me. Adik walked in, asking me why I haven¡¯t bothered to change into my pyjamas yet. I just shrugged my shoulders. He grabbed the stool beside him and watched the relatively dead open field before us.

    ¡°Kakak, is everything fine? Secretary duties burning you out?¡± he asked.

    I hunched my back. Everything should be fine, right? I managed to pass the school rule that would allow girls to opt for wearing the boys¡¯ Bermudas and trousers if they were not too comfortable wearing a skirt. My closest friend in class got elected as Consortium Captain. My family continues to shower me with all the love that I need.

    ¡°Okay. Hmm. Let me guess. Marcus didn¡¯t bother to wish you a happy birthday? Come on, Kak. I told you he wasn¡¯t worth it,¡± he said.

    I groaned and glared at him. He burst into laughter, spreading it to me. Well, he is my twin after all. He sure knows how to push my buttons.

    ¡°Looks like it isn¡¯t Marcus after all. Kak, I know I¡¯m a little bit late in telling you this, but I know ¨¦clair attacked you again,¡± he said.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    I crouched even lower as Jambu cooed away on the silver railing. Minori must have told him. Yet, I couldn¡¯t really hate him for telling him. Maybe my behaviour was noticeable after all.

    ¡°I know that even though you¡¯re smiling in front of all of us, you¡¯re actually still really traumatised. I really should have convinced you harder to come to RJ with me.¡±

    I sat back up, feeling the strain in my facial muscles as my eyes crinkled up in anger. No, Nora. Three deep breaths. He was right. If I wasn¡¯t in SJC, I wouldn¡¯t have to be reminded of the girl who nearly killed me twice.

    ¡°You¡¯re too hard on yourself,¡± he said as he squeezed my shoulder.

    ¡°I just didn¡¯t want you, Ibu, Ayah, Abang Faisal to worry about me,¡± I confessed.

    ¡°And I completely understand. But Kak, you need to learn that you cannot handle everything on your own. Hell, I remember your meltdown after breaking up with Marcus. That was pretty bad.¡±

    Jambu hopped leftwards, getting closer towards the artificial nest that we had built just for him. His limp from the glass shard was still in full force. Would he still be hopping and flying to us if I had not saved him from being stranded on that tree?

    ¡°Andi! Nora! Makan malam sudah siap!¡± Ibu called out from within the house.

    No time to ponder about my bad life decisions. The stomach needed to be fed.

    ??-Minori

    ¡°Alright. Thank you for paying attention, and please remember to complete the exercise for this week. Your tutors will go through them in class,¡± said Miss Leong before she put the microphone down.

    Nora, Luqman and I stuffed our pens into our pencil cases. Luq stared at what he had written in his lecture notes before deciding to close them and place it back into his sling bag. I looked at the digital clock above the lecture hall¡¯s podium. 3pm.

    ¡°Alright! Time for me to head for my meeting,¡± said Nora as she slung the straps of her backpack over her toned shoulders.

    ¡°Sure thing! See you tomorrow!¡± I said as we exchanged fist-bumps.

    ¡°Take care! You coming to mug with us tomorrow morning?¡± Luq asked.

    ¡°Of course,¡± she said with a smile.

    With that, she trotted down the steps and pushed the doors open. Luq and I stared at each other, shrugging our shoulders. It was our last class for the day. I looked at our shared schedule. Looks like the two of us would be the first to chope that study bench until Mei came back from History. Kenny was likely to be stuck in the Art room with ¨¦clair for the rest of the day.

    And just like that, my eyes drooped. But in the past two months, he never reported feeling unsafe or her hands charging up. I clenched my fists, hoping that Nora would not go past the art room on her way to the council room.

    Luq muttered a grateful ¡®Alhamdulillah¡¯ when he saw that our usual mugging spot was empty. He gave me a thumb up, prompting me to make a mad dash straight for it. He followed after, unzipped his bag, and put all of his study materials on the table.

    ¡°I guess it¡¯s just you and me today, Lulu!¡± I said.

    ¡°Alamak. Nori, it¡¯s been like this every Tuesday. Apa kau cakap?¡± he joked back.

    We took some time to just let the wind hit our tanned faces. It was so weird to not have Alb beside me, but Luq was just as comforting and reliable a presence.

    ¡°You know, there¡¯s something I¡¯ve always been wanting to ask you but never really dared to because I thought it was inappropriate,¡± he said.

    I gave a smile, but deep down, the inside of my head was all crumpled up. It better not be about whether Nora and I were dating or not.

    ¡°I¡¯ve had lots of Japanese students in my secondary school, but none looked so distinct like you. Alamak! Pertamu kali aku lihat awak, aku fikir awak orang Melayu!¡± he said.

    Thank goodness! Then again, Luq wasn¡¯t the type to ask invasive questions. I ended up chuckling since it was a statement that many people have told me. The memory of that time our clique made me wear a songkok and go to the mosque opposite school for Friday prayers with Firdaus as a prank replayed itself. Nobody found out.

    ¡°Nenek aku orang Melayu. Ibu kelahiran aku dari Okinawa. Aku fikir itu sebab aku sangat gelap dan mukaku berbeza dengan orang lain,¡± I said.

    ¡°Ibu kelahiran?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t stay with my birth mother. She died shortly after I was born, so I was raised by my aunt and uncle. My dad¡¯s still around, but he might as well be absent. He blames me for Mama¡¯s death.¡±

    Luq was silent. I could feel the table shake as he rose to his feet and sat beside me.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I hope your aunt and uncle give you all the love that you deserve. You¡¯ve made many around you happy. You made me feel accepted for the first time in forever. Nora managed to have another person she could relate to in class,¡± he said as he put his hand over mine.

    And just like that, I wrapped my arms around his waist and sobbed into his shoulders. Did I really deserve all that love? I¡¯ve already stolen the person most precious to my father the moment I was born. I was positive that I had burdened Tou-chan and Kaa-chan as an unwanted good.

    ¡°You mean it?¡±

    I could feel his muscles relax and contract as he nodded his head. So many thoughts were swirling in my head, building up into a whirlpool. But it was nice to have a reassuring trunk to lean on.

    ??-Eclair

    I followed Kenny up the sheltered flight of stairs leading up towards the rooftop garden and observatory-like library.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to have to sit with us until Kumar comes back from PE. Don¡¯t leave our sight,¡± he said as he made the final step.

    There they were. All four of them. Even Yu-chi was there, smuggled in by way of a spare PE T-shirt with the SJC logo that Minori had given him. I turned away from that sight.

    They were all smiles. The table was dripping wet with the condensation puddles from the vending machine drinks. Their lecture notes and flash cards were scattered all over in a disarrayed mess. Yet, there was a stunning beauty to that scene. I followed Kenny.

    ¡°Hey, guys! Anything I missed?¡± he asked as he sat on Mei and Yu-chi¡¯s side.

    I dared not look at any of them in the eye. I could see Yu-chi giving me a small wave though. As usual, all of them except for him ignored my presence. Well, there was Minori who acknowledged me, but even then, he turned away from fear.

    All five of them went about their study session. I was the definite white elephant in the room. Better stay away, as long as I was within Kenny¡¯s sight. I put my backpack beside one of the organoponicos and just let myself get lost within the school¡¯s urban farming garden.

    The fine mist pricked my skin as I leant over the railing. The view before me was ordinary but when bathed in the warm glow of the sunset, it was radiant. The forest at McRitchie from afar just seemed so much more alive. If I could fly right into it, I would. I would sit on a mossy log and just listen to the twinkling call of wood nymphs and faeries. Maybe I could belong there for a change.

    ¡°Nora! Sam! How was the meeting?¡± Minori cried out with his sweet voice.

    I could hear Sam and Yu-chi greeting each other in Mandarin, with Luqman following suit. Then, Nora¡¯s deep alto voice came in. I immediately crouched down, making sure that they could not see me hiding behind the hydroponics nursery.

    Laughter. Voices layering over one another, discussing different subjects. Mei and Sam having a little debate about the Cold War. Luqman managing to construct an entire sentence in Mandarin about how his grandmother made him watch horror movies with her, prompting Kenny, Yu-chi, and Sam to break into applause. I could have sworn that I heard a very concerned gasp from one of them though.

    I pressed my head against the farm¡¯s steel legs and let the tears drip onto the concrete floor. I had to act like there was masking tape plastered over my lips so that Nora would not freak out.

    She and Minori just had to spend some private time near the organoponicos. Trailing behind them was Sam, his arms folded. Seeing the vice-president of the student council acting like a bodyguard to the secretary should be a strange sight, but I had to make sure that she did not see me.

    ¡°I spoke with Andi last night. He¡¯s right. There are many things that I¡¯ve been keeping from everyone. And yes, I know you told him about what happened. I don¡¯t blame you though,¡± she said as she sat on the edge of the organoponico nearest to the vending machine.

    I heard her sniffle. Then, it degenerated into a badly repressed whimper.

    ¡°I¡¯m not okay. At all. I¡¯m lying to everyone and I can¡¯t live with myself for it. Every day, I lie to my family that I¡¯m fine. That I¡¯m doing well. I lie to you, Luq, Sam, Alb. I keep saying I¡¯m okay, but I know I¡¯m not. Nori, I can¡¯t live like this anymore. Yet, I don¡¯t want people to think I¡¯m incompetent!¡±

    The first time I saw her, I saw an Amazonian woman. It wasn¡¯t just because of her height or her defined muscles, but the way she outright carried herself before Lisias. That she approached him and talked him down with no fear.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but ever since the second attack, I found myself trying to hide my weakness more and more until I started not knowing what the true me was feeling. Or heck, who she even is. Is this normal?¡± she asked.

    I did this to her. I turned SJC¡¯s Amazonian woman into someone who perpetually wore a mask to hide her pain. I brought my knees to my chest and sobbed straight into them. It became clear to me why Minori refused to even speak to me, even if he did acknowledge my presence. I did this to his best friend. I shattered his trust.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. You¡¯ve been strong for too long,¡± he said.

    I could have been one of those people seated at that table, joking over our terrible handwriting or the lecturers¡¯ droning voices. And I destroyed that chance to be accepted.

    Crying was for once, the only way out.

 New Normal: II

    ??-Dae-hyun

    I looked at the attendance sheet and let out a heavy sigh. Her name had been missing from two sessions for a row already. Kumar was at the corner that they usually reserved for their private warm-ups, just by the barre bars.

    ¡°I know you and Kumar will protest. Hell, even I want to keep her here because of her potential. But if ¨¦clair keeps missing out on practice, we will have to demote her for real,¡± said Harini as she stuffed the sheet into her administrative file.

    Kumar himself looked stoned, his eyes distant as he propped his long, toned legs on the barre. I averted my gaze from him. Didn¡¯t want to catch the jealousy bug! That was one hot bod!

    Harini and the other members of the exco brought their hands together into a single clap. Time to do the official group warmup! I stood beside Kumar and we both dropped towards the floor to do a cobra stretch.

    ¡°Hey, Kumar, is ¨¦clair ponning CCA?¡± I whispered.

    ¡°¨¦clair? Well, she¡¯s been sick for the past two weeks already according to Kenny. We¡¯re damn worried for her,¡± he replied.

    Then, we got up. Time for jumping jacks. I grinned when I could no longer feel my thighs clanging against each other when we transitioned into jump-squats.

    After CCA ended, I headed straight to Kumar, backpack already on my shoulders. He looked up at me for once as he put his fancy Puma shoes on.

    ¡°What is it?¡± he asked.

    ¡°How is she getting her homework? Is she catching up with classes?¡±

    His knobby fingers tightened his gold shoelaces. Propping himself on one hand, he stood up, towering above me once again.

    ¡°Kenny and I take turns to deliver her homework. I drop by every three days to help her catch up with her work. In fact, today¡¯s my scheduled time to help her catch up with work. Have to hurry before her dad comes back. Why?¡±

    I pulled down the beanie from the back of my head and tried looking for a way to say it without sounding like I had a creepy obsession with her or something. What if he misunderstands and thinks that I¡¯m stealing his girl from him?

    ¡°Can I follow you, please? I want to check up on her. Since that day when she acted all weird, I haven¡¯t had the chance to talk to her much. She doesn¡¯t even turn up at the piano,¡± I said.

    Instead of giving me a death glare, Kumar¡¯s shoulders lifted as he gave me a genuine but slight smile.

    ¡°Sure thing! I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be happy to know that you still care,¡± he said.

    Sure enough, I was on the bus headed towards Serangoon Gardens with him. We stopped by one of the prata houses to get some well-deserved dinner for all of us.

    ¡°So, I realised that even though we see each other in lectures a lot and are in the same CCA, we never got to know each other really well,¡± said Kumar as we sat down on the stools outside, waiting for our orders to be fulfilled.

    ¡°What? You want to know more about me? Man, I¡¯m honoured sia. I think you know my name and all that already anyway. What is it that you want to know?¡± I asked back.

    Kumar glanced upward at the blinking neon sign from the shophouse unit next door. He perched his chin atop his knuckles, probably ruminating on some good, hopefully not overly-invasive questions to ask me.

    ¡°How come you¡¯re a year older than the rest of us?¡± he asked.

    Ah. Now how should I categorise that question?

    ¡°Funny story. I was actually accepted into SOTA. I was supposed to be part of their music programme. Then, I kena put into NA. I didn¡¯t really give a shit back then in primary school. Learnt my lesson. Did well for N Levels, then O Levels. Now, I¡¯m here,¡± I replied.

    All this while, I realised that my eyes were on the edge of the green linoleum table¡¯s edges. Maybe in the deep recesses of my mind, past the video game valley and the meadows of music, this little fact of mine was stuck in the sand dunes of shame.

    ¡°Totally understandable. I took a big detour myself. I really wanted to go to SOTA and do dance professionally. Once I got into the GEP, everything changed lor,¡± he replied, shrugging his shoulders.

    ¡°Order number 95!¡± cried the Indian worker from behind the counter.

    Kumar raised his hand and walked towards him to collect our dinner. I stood up, carrying my backpack by one strap. What would have happened if we had both never taken that detour? I smiled at the thought of having him as my junior. But really, I think I preferred this arrangement instead: one where we were equals.

    ??-Kenny

    ¡°You know, ah. The first time I stepped here with Kumar to pass ¨¦clair her homework, I don¡¯t know. I was scared. All these landed houses. So atas. Like, right behind my estate, there¡¯s also an atas area. I never dared go in there. It¡¯s like another world altogether,¡± I said to Yu-chi as we alighted from the bus.

    We walked a little further away from the landing area and took some time to absorb the foreign environment around us.

    ¡°Aiyah. To get to Chung Cheng, I also had to walk through a private estate. But yeah, it does feel weird to be here for other reasons,¡± he said.

    With that, we headed on the path towards ¨¦clair¡¯s house, walking past cafes that would probably cost me an entire week¡¯s worth of pocket money just for one item on the menu. Past the French grocery store with items whose names I could never pronounce correctly.

    ¡°So, how long has she not turned up?¡± asked Yu-chi.

    His eyes were never ahead. He took his time to soak in the architecture, the little differences between each of the houses, the cars.

    ¡°Two weeks already. Actually, I know it sounds weird for me to say, since she¡¯s almost killed us, but I¡¯m worried for her. I mean, no one skali falls sick and doesn¡¯t turn up to school,¡± I said.

    ¡°Well, if she¡¯s so sick, why isn¡¯t she in hospital?¡± he asked.

    Come to think about it, I never asked myself why either. The further we got into the road, we stumbled upon two boys clad in the SJC PE-shirt. Yu-chi had to restrain his laughter over their big height difference.

    ¡°Eh?! Kumar? Is that you?¡± I called out, raising my left hand.

    The two boys turned around. The boy wearing the dark-blue beanie looked rather familiar. Kumar waved back upon seeing the two of us. Okay, he never told me that he was coming over to help ¨¦clair catch up with the lessons that she missed.

    I ran towards them, with Yu-chi trailing behind.

    ¡°Eh? I thought you don¡¯t usually come to ¨¦clair¡¯s place on Wednesdays?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Oh. We have some dance stuff to catch up on. That¡¯s why Dae-hyun¡¯s with us today,¡± he said, gesturing at the guy with the beanie.

    ¡°Hey. I¡¯m Dae-hyun,¡± he said as he exchanged handshakes with the both of us.

    ¡°How¡¯s the homework load?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Enough to maybe make her vomit blood, I think,¡± I said with a sheepish smile.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    The strong fragrance of curry made me craving for some of it, even though I knew that it would make my tongue explode. Kumar looked at the plastic bag of food and rubbed the back of his head, apologising for forgetting about the two of us.

    ¡°Nah. It¡¯s alright. We¡¯re eating at home anyway,¡± said Yu-chi.

    ¡°Wait a minute. Kumar. Yu-chi, if you¡¯re from NY, how did you come to know Kumar?¡± asked Dae-hyun as he pointed at him.

    ¡°Oh. Yu-chi? We uh¡­met at a party. Yeah. Nora¡¯s birthday party,¡± he said.

    Okay. That was a close-enough shave. The four of us somehow began chatting about our woes with our Physics lecturers. When we reached ¨¦clair¡¯s house though, there was already somebody standing there by the gate.

    Was he siao? Who would wear black in Singapore¡¯s hot climate? He had one hand in his pocket as he stared at the topmost window. Kumar and Yu-chi started clutching their chests. Dae-hyun raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°This is not good,¡± Kumar whispered.

    Then, the man turned to face all four of us. He threw what seemed like a cannister of spray paint towards us. The domestic workers who stared at us rippled away. Even the poor pigeons that had nothing to do with this.

    Kumar clenched his fists, trying to suppress whatever he wanted to say. And with a stomp of his foot, he shouted a roaring ¡®fuck¡¯.

    ??-Yu-chi

    ¡°It¡¯s the exact same fucking bullshit that happened during the showdown,¡± Kumar grumbled.

    Then, it dawned upon Kenny and I. That was the barrier that concealed any evidence of ongoing magical activity. And now, we were stuck in it.

    ¡°Kenny, get Dae-hyun out of here. Now!¡± I screamed as I dodged a blast of fire headed towards me.

    Kenny saluted me and grabbed Dae-hyun by the forearms. The latter screamed, wondering what on earth was going on. Well, I would let Kumar do the talking since the two seemed pretty close.

    ¡°Take my hand,¡± Kumar ordered as he extended his open palm towards me. ¡°Now!¡±

    I interlocked my fingers with his and ran towards the others. Only except, they were sprawled on the floor, lying on their backs with blood dripping from Dae-hyun¡¯s nostrils. Kenny¡¯s forehead was purple-black. The barrier was locking them in.

    Then, another fireball zoomed past us, prompting Kumar and I to duck down. It scorched the hexagon-lined walls, revealing that life was still going on outside this dome.

    ¡°Hey. Who the fuck are you? Why the fuck do you want to attack a bunch of JC kids like us, huh? What the fuck did we do to you?¡± Kumar yelled.

    The man walked strutted towards us. I helped Kenny and Dae-hyun up, not wanting to make eye contact with whoever this siao lang was. He clicked his tongue before bursting into laughter at how dumbfounded we looked.

    ¡°I¡¯m just here to pay ¨¦clair a visit. Tell her that her services are no longer needed,¡± he said.

    Kumar was seething through his teeth. Dae-hyun rubbed his nose, almost shrieking when he saw that his fingers were lined with both mucus and blood. Gan lah! This is bad. Really bad. From the corner of my eye, I could see Kenny scrambling to take his phone out from his pockets. Call Frankie. Call Frankie. Call Frankie.

    ¡°You. You are the guy she keeps talking to me about! You¡¯re the guy who told her to kill Kenny, Nora. It¡¯s you!¡± Kumar yelled.

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s me. I¡¯m so glad that all of you came straight into my trap. Not to mention, you two haven¡¯t been using your powers lately, have you?¡± Lisias sneered back.

    ¡°Eh. Frankie? You there. Wah. Starhub must be damn good to still get reception from a magical barrier sia. Kumar, Yu-chi and this new guy¡­we¡¯re kind of in a very shitty situation. Can you-¡°

    The handphone fell to the ground with its parts being scattered everywhere. I clenched my fists and screamed. His family wouldn¡¯t be able to afford another phone for him.

    Kumar kept screaming my name, begging me to stop what I was doing. I did not give a fuck. This guy could easily pay for his facial reconstruction surgery. Kenny? His father would have to pray for more passengers and his mother would have to work overtime just to get him a new phone.

    ¡°You fucking bastard!¡± I cried as I delivered a swift punch towards the man.

    He laughed at how badly I missed. I gave yet another blow, and this time, I hit just the right target: his right cheek. Heck care if he would get facial lacerations.

    ¡°You think you can anyhow bully people like that, is it?!¡± I screamed.

    And those memories came back. The way the boy hugged my shins as he hid behind me. How the other guy had a parang in his left hand and lunged towards me.

    Just like that, the man lied on the floor, a tooth lying beside him. Without thinking, Kumar grabbed my hand, yelling at Kenny and Dae-hyun to hold on to him in some way. But my eyes were on the mess that I had left behind. On his cheek was a very deep wound. It happened again.

    The next thing I knew, all four of us were in the actual real world again. It was like we phased through the barrier. Blood was still trailing down Dae-hyun¡¯s face, and Kenny¡¯s forehead was still bruised. My own knuckles too were bloody, but the man that I punched was nowhere to be seen.

    ¡°It worked. My fucking powers worked!¡± Kumar cheered to himself.

    Kenny stepped forward and tapped the space in front of him. It rippled with every touch that he made. It was still there. Kumar grabbed my forearm again, and without thinking, all four of us charged right into the Dubois¡¯ house.

    We all landed straight on our chests, all piled up on top of each other on the driveway. Dae-hyun was the first to shoot right up. He scrambled for his beanie and shoved it back onto his head.

    ¡°You alright, Kenny?¡± I asked as I propped him up.

    He nodded. Dae-hyun though? He just spun around, not caring about his face anymore.

    ¡°What the fuck just happened?!¡± he yelled.

    ??-Kumar

    ¡°Are you fucking kidding me? You¡¯re trying to tell me that we ran straight into a fucking wooden gate and didn¡¯t get broken bones? What even is going on?¡± Dae-hyun stammered.

    ¡°Eh, Dae!¡± I cried out, pressing his shoulders down. ¡°Dae!¡±

    He stopped panicking. The door began creaking open. Oh fuck. Please don¡¯t let it be Pierre. Please don¡¯t let it be Pierre.

    Heng ah. It was just Bianca, although she had already armed herself with a feather duster.

    ¡°Guys! Why didn¡¯t you use the intercom?¡± she asked as she put the feather duster down and gestured for all four of us to come in.

    I pushed Dae-hyun forward when it became clear that his feet were cemented to the ground.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s just say that there was a damn scary guy following us so we uh¡­sort of climbed over?¡± I explained, my face contorting with that very blatant lie.

    Bianca called for ¨¦clair to come down. Upon seeing Dae-hyun¡¯s bloodied face, she gave a disapproving nod and escorted him towards the kitchen. Okay, maybe our injuries made it seem slightly more believable.

    ¡°Kumar? Kenny, what happened to you?!¡± cried ¨¦clair¡¯s songbird voice from the second floor.

    All three of us glanced up and watched as she floated down the steps. She was still clad in her silken nightgown, although she had tied her hair into a loose ponytail. It better be a sign that she was looking through my notes.

    ¡°Well. Guess what? We got attacked by a fucking mad man who sucked us into another dimension right in front of your house. Then, somehow phasing through walls became a thing,¡± said Dae-hyun as he stepped out of the kitchen with a white plaster above his nose.

    The moment ¨¦clair saw Dae-hyun though, she ran straight towards him and hugged him. Just acquaintances? And why were my cheeks feeling unusually warm?

    ¡°The man said he was here to pay you a visit. Who¡­who is he?¡± asked Kenny as he unzipped his bag to pass her homework over.

    ¨¦clair¡¯s irises started quavering. I could already deduce the answer, but I wanted to hear it from her own lips. She sank into the sofa beside Yu-chi and sucked in her lips.

    ¡°What did he look like?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Wearing a business suit. All black. You know him?¡± said Dae-hyun as he sat beside her, pressing down his bandage.

    She inhaled a deep breath, gazing up at the crystal chandelier dangling above the coffee table.

    ¡°He¡¯s the one who asked me to kill Nora and Kenny.¡±

    Yu-chi squeezed Kenny tight, almost as though he wanted to assure him that he would be alright. No wonder why he destroyed his handphone when he attempted to call Frankie for help. Dae-hyun¡¯s own mouth parted with realisation.

    ¡°No wonder why¡­that day at the piano. The question you asked me back then,¡± he said.

    ¨¦clair nodded. All my suspicions were right about that man. He was the one forcing her into this. Yeah, he deserved to get falcon-punched by Yu-chi and have those facial lacerations.

    ¡°How did you get involved with such people?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I saw a man at the fire staircase. He was fighting with that man. All of a sudden, he sedated him with some tranquiliser. I screamed and he noticed me. He¡­,¡± ¨¦clair clutched her bosom, over where her Anima Magi should be.

    Her eyes became glassy from tears.

    ¡°He grabbed me by the chest. Told me that my magical energies were just as high as the main he tranquilised. I told him I¡¯d do anything to stay alive. Since then, I¡¯ve been collecting data for him just to stay alive,¡± she said.

    Yu-chi immediately stood up and headed towards the indoor fountain area. Kenny followed after him, asking him if he was alright. Dae-hyun turned away from her with his arms folded.

    ¡°¨¦clair. He sexually assaulted you. He coerced you into harming others. You have to call the police,¡± I begged of her as I placed my hand over hers.

    ¡°This is fucking bullshit,¡± Dae-hyun blurted.

    I gasped, unable to believe what I just heard. Just a moment ago, the two of them were hugging each other. It was a genuine hug. And she seemed so happy to hear his husky voice again.

    ¡°What kind of monster is he? ¨¦clair, you should have told me this months ago! You know what? I¡¯m fucking calling the police right now,¡± said Dae-hyun as he fished out his handphone.

    ¨¦clair placed her other hand over his phone. She glanced at him, shaking her head. Okay, I agreed with Dae-hyun. This was bullshit.

    ¡°What if goes around hurting other girls the way he has hurt you? Man, Yu-chi should have just fucking killed him,¡± I muttered.

    ¡°I¡¯m scared that he¡¯ll kill me if I report him!¡± she begged. ¡°How will Papa take it if I¡¯m gone? How would Dani feel?¡±

    I pressed my hands over her shoulders and whispered for her to calm down. What did Sam do that time after we came out of the principal¡¯s office again?

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. We¡¯re here. We¡¯re here,¡± I whispered.

    ¡°If he tries to lay a finger on you, he¡¯ll have to answer to us. And ¨¦clair, let me ask you something. Are you really living?¡± asked Dae-hyun.

    She blinked back tears as she stared at him with her green eyes. Even I found myself blinking.

    ¡°Are you really living, ¨¦clair?¡±

 New Normal: III

    ??-Luqman

    Frankie¡¯s lips barely reached the microphone. I could see his upper body bouncing every time he pointed at his slides with an open palm. I was probably the only one around his age watching all the other reflection presentations.

    ¡°So, as you can see, it seems that magical energy does have a direct correlation with age. The levels radiating from Semangat Junior College, First Toa Payoh Secondary etcetera where much higher compared to those displayed at the Moral Centre or Tai-chi sessions that I observed,¡± he said as he guided the audience through his graphs.

    ¡°Yes! You have a question?¡± he asked somebody amongst the audience.

    The room manager ran to the back row and handed the inquirer a microphone. He patted the net-like top and asked away.

    ¡°Do you think the illegal usage of a Warping Barrier might have affected the results and data that you collected though? Recently, our department¡¯s been detecting high levels of residual energy from these spots that you have mentioned.¡±

    And that was why I was here today. After all the outgoing interns¡¯ presentations were over, Frankie and I adjourned for the buffet table and decided to head to the terrace area for our little discussion.

    ¡°We¡¯ve got the identity of the man who used the Warping Barrier that day,¡± he said.

    I blew a long-drawn breath. He gestured for me to come closer towards him as he scanned the area for any potential eavesdroppers.

    ¡°It¡¯s ¨¦clair¡¯s boss.¡±

    ¡°She has a boss? What? I didn¡¯t know they have part-time jobs related to magic sia!¡± I said, half-wondering if I could offer my services to NParks for real.

    Frankie nodded his head. Okay, I had to find the mage working in NParks and ask them if they could offer me any work like reviving dead plants or forcing the trumpet blossoms to bloom.

    ¡°Yu-chi, Kenny, and Kumar? They were attacked by him yesterday when they went to ¨¦clair¡¯s house to deliver her homework. Best of all? They managed to get ¨¦clair to talk!¡± he said with a grin.

    Then, his face just fell. He turned to face the endless stretch of high-rise buildings before us and asked me if I was ready. Ready for what?

    ¡°They told ¨¦clair to file a police report. But the thing is, I don¡¯t know whether the non-magical side is more salient than you know¡­the magical side. He was so horrible towards her that I ended up feeling bad,¡± he said.

    So, that was why he asked if I was ready. As a key witness in this case, there was no way I was going to be able to avoid bumping into my father. I scooped up some of the bee hoon, enjoying this rare opportunity for a decadent buffet. But the thought of meeting him made even the piping hot sweet-and-sour fish turn cold in my mouth.

    ¡°Have you told your supervisor?¡± I asked, hoping that she would continue pursuing this case on our behalf.

    ¡°Only about the Warping Barrier. I didn¡¯t want you guys to get implicated. And that¡¯s the problem. If we report that guy to the regular police, somehow, all of you will still get dragged into it and my department will find out about the unidentified magical entities. You guys have enough on your minds already,¡± he said.

    What did he do to her that warranted them to ask her to make a regular police report? Even I did not dare to question Frankie. In that moment though, everything started to make sense. Why she was dead-set on killing Kenny and Nora that day. Why she almost tried to end Mei and I for ¡®stealing her kill¡¯.

    ¡°There¡¯s also this concern that the Paranormal Department would be overtaxed. Remember those glass monsters that you mentioned to me the other day? The one that attacked you? They¡¯d been on the loose again, and nobody knows why.¡±

    I gulped the honeydew down as I tried to absorb all of this information. Yet, something was tingling within me, telling me that the resurgence of those monsters had something to do with ¨¦clair¡¯s ¡®boss¡¯.

    ¡°You really sure they¡¯ll continue with this case after you start poly next week? It seems like there¡¯s lots of behind-the-scenes that we don¡¯t know about,¡± I said.

    ¡°I trust Morgan. She even protected me from our director when he asked me to help him with some dead project.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Of course, I trust Morgan. It¡¯s just the HR and disciplinary board that I¡¯m worried about. What if they don¡¯t take action?¡± I asked back.

    Frankie gave a huge puff and shrugged his shoulders. Only then did I realise that his teriyaki chicken set was untouched all this while.

    ¡°You have a point. Especially since I found out that ¨¦clair¡¯s boss was the previous director of my department,¡± he said.

    The two of us fell silent. This was bad. Really bad.

    ??-Samuel

    Mei and I shuffled out of the classroom, lest Miss Cheng angrily demands to see either of us over some small matter. All this while though, she had a playful grin on her face. I folded my arms and asked her what she was so happy about.

    ¡°I actually really enjoyed that class! Like, no idea why. I just did. Like I really felt like for the first time in forever, everyone was enthusiastic and really thought through their arguments,¡± she said.

    I gave slow blinks. Miss Cheng was still packing up her teaching materials. Was Mei the teacher or Miss Cheng? That didn¡¯t matter. It was the first time in ages I had seen somebody leave class with smile like that. And on a lesson about the Cuban Missile Crisis at that!

    ¡°So, when are your mugger friends going to chope you?¡± I asked as we headed to the library.

    ¡°Usually after their bio lectures end,¡± said Mei.

    Ah, I started feeling bad for Nora since she often had to miss out on these sessions to slog with me in the council room. Well, bad timing to think about Nora. Right in front of the staircase landing, the two of us bumped into ¨¦clair and Kumar. At least she was back in school.

    Mei rolled her eyes as ¨¦clair shirked back, wanting to disappear behind Kumar¡¯s tall frame. How long had it been since we hadn¡¯t talked to each other? There were no ¡®hey asshole¡¯s or ¡®what¡¯s up bro¡¯s being yelled between us. It was too empty.

    ¡°I¡¯ll¡­I¡¯ll be at the Computer Room,¡± said Mei as she just made her way downstairs.

    Even ¨¦clair whispered to excuse herself. I guess she was going to retreat to the art room. It was just Kumar and I again.

    I should be comfortable enough to yell all the profanities I want. To spill anything that I wanted to say in his face. Nope. Nothing ¨C until we headed back to the Eco Garden.

    Nothing like a bro-to-bro conversation at the first place we officially reconvened in here at SJC! Hell, we were even sitting on the same damned log bench.

    ¡°So¡­uh, how¡¯s life?¡± he asked.

    I looked up at the grey sky. Yeah. That was more or less my mood. It shouldn¡¯t be that way when I was with him.

    ¡°Good. A little stressed from council stuff and homework piling up, but other than that, okay lor,¡± I said.

    My eyes were starting to tint towards green. Alb and Nori are lucky they don¡¯t have a woman standing between them. That or we¡¯re just heng ah that Nora is just that unproblematic as a bro.

    ¡°Hey¡­I¡¯m sorry for not wanting to talk to you the past few months. But I still feel that you should have given ¨¦clair a chance. We got her to speak,¡± he said.

    Of course, it had to be ¨¦clair. I groaned, but waved my hand so that he could carry on.

    ¡°All this while, I mean, before the attack, she¡¯d been working under this really unsavoury guy,¡± he said.

    That alone was enough to make me sit up straight for once, even though there was no back support on this bench. Unsavoury guy? I stared straight into the horticulture corner and tried piecing it all together. Alb said he felt there was someone in the barrier and infirmary with us the other day.

    Kumar kept rattling on, but all the hairs on my ripped forearms shot straight up, like someone jolted electricity through me. And it was definitely not ¨¦clair. Was that why deep down that day, I wanted to be harsh towards her but also not outright punish her?

    ¡°He¡¯s so fucked up. He fucking molested her, threatened to sedate her if she reported what she saw, experimented on her. And what? All because she isn¡¯t a traditional mage. Fucking crazy, right?¡± said Kumar.

    Then, he began hugging his own chest tight, as though his own trauma was being inflicted on him with every word that he said. I put my hands on his shoulders, asking him if he was alright. My hands.

    Oh, fuck it. I am a monster after all. I tore her skin and sleeves. I mishandled her, saw her as a monster when I was the one who refused to believe that she was just as hurt as Nora was. For not noticing the signs.

    ¡°Did you make a police report? Do her parents know about this?¡± I asked, turning to look him straight in the eye.

    He nodded his head to the first part but whispered a disappointing ¡®no¡¯ to the second. I pressed my fingers over my forehead, wondering why I had already failed in my duties as Vice-President even before induction. And well? Would she even dare approach me after I made her bleed?Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    ¡°How did you get her to speak?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Dae-hyun. Dance buddy of ours. He was outright brutal towards her. But he did what was necessary.¡±

    Dae-hyun? As in the beanie boy who always shared his fried chicken with me during detention? Man, I had to treat him to nasi lemak one day. I did remember how horrified he looked when his friend told him that ¨¦clair might be taken out of the Pro Squad.

    No, forget Dae-hyun. I stood right up and hugged Kumar tight, asking if he could forgive me for being not just a lousy friend, but a lousy human being.

    ¡°I¡¯m a fucking councillor who refused to show empathy at a time when she needed it most. Most of all, I was a fucking lousy friend towards you, avoiding you just because you told me the truth. Fuck lah. If you don¡¯t want to forgive me, it¡¯s okay. I understand,¡± I said.

    I let go of him but his kind, round eyes assured me that he understood where I was coming from.

    ¡°Yo, bro. You still tried to show mercy to her, even though she nearly hurt your running mate. I always knew your soft heart was still there,¡± he said as he poked that area.

    I groaned, hating that he still called me a ¡®softie¡¯ till now. But now, there was one thing that I had to do to make things right for a fellow student.

    ¡°I still cannot absolve her of her violent actions, but seeing that you guys managed to make her talk, I¡¯ll do what I can to support her through this case. I know the counsellor¡¯s fully-booked, but I can try to appeal for her case to take priority since it did affect her mental health for a few weeks,¡± I said. ¡°No promises though.¡±

    ¡°Totally understand, bro. But actually¡­I wanted to talk to you, not about ¨¦clair, but because I miss you,¡± said Kumar.

    I looked at him, my narrow eyes turning wide. He nodded his head. He pulled me back down so that I sat beside him. For the rest of the afternoon, I would make him feel salty for all the things he¡¯s missing out from not taking KI, and he would tell me about all the drama in dance. Just like the good days.

    ??-Mei Xing

    ¡°Yeah, sure. What happened to her was horrible, but Kenny, it doesn¡¯t justify her actions,¡± I said as I stormed out of the meeting room that we usually choped.

    ¡°No, Mei! Listen to me!¡± he begged.

    ¡°Listen? I wish I could. But every time I see her damned face, I remember how she almost killed Luqman and I! How she was more than ready to electrocute you! Why should I forgive her when I saw her making the same mistake twice?¡± I argued back.

    Why couldn¡¯t my tiny feet move any faster? With huge strides, I stormed out of the library altogether, not even bothering to get my bag out of the pigeonhole lest it bought Kenny time to chase me down and talk me into giving her another chance. Better stay far away from the roof too.

    As I headed down the stairs though, I bumped into Yu-chi, who was already wearing the spare SJC T-shirt that Nori gave him.

    ¡°Bee! Chiak pa buay?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Chiak pa. Pai seh, I just want to go somewhere far away from here,¡± I said as I planted my foot on the staircase landing.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he called out from above, his gentle voice echoing through the stairwell.

    I turned around, craning my neck and adjusting my spectacles so that I could look at him. His round eyes were inviting. Gentle and concerned even. He trotted down the steps and asked me if I was okay.

    I just shook my head, hand on my hip with the other in my skirt¡¯s pocket. He asked me if something happened.

    ¡°Mm shi. I¡¯m just really conflicted. I need to go somewhere far away to think,¡± I said.

    ¡°I see. You know, when I¡¯m lost, I turn to Mazu or Guanyin and ask them for help sometimes,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Mazu? We¡¯re not on speaking terms. Been that way for a while already.¡±

    And the next thing I knew, Yu-chi asked me to grab my backpack, told Kenny that he was taking me somewhere, and we found ourselves on the Northeast Line headed south towards Chinatown. In our half-uniforms. So much for the planned study session.

    ¡°Aiyah. Don¡¯t neglect yourself too!¡± Yu-chi told me as we approached the entrance to Thian Hock Keng Temple.

    Walking past the mural depicting the seafaring journeys of the Chinese migrants from Fujian to Singapore, it only amplified the surging meteor shower in my head. Those scenes that they showed were reflections of the realities of the 19<sup>th</sup> to 20<sup>th</sup> century. But it was a reality that neither side of my family could relate to.

    Stepping into the ornate and colourful halls of the temple after months of not paying respects to my family¡¯s guardian deity was a paradox. The strong aroma of sandalwood stung my nostrils. The bright carvings on the pillars along with images of heavenly deities attacked me from every corner. Yet, I glided in feeling welcomed.

    Yu-chi and I dropped a $1 coin into the donations box and picked up or bundles of incense. We didn¡¯t mind the peach-pink stains on our fingers as we lit the incense over the candles. It was something that we were too used to.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m skipping a study session to pray to Mazu,¡± I lamented.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I mean, you can¡¯t go in studying when your mind is cluttered with thoughts to begin with, right?¡± he said.

    I shrugged my shoulders and rested my knees against the yellow kneeling cushion. The smoke from my set of incense split Mazu¡¯s face into two perfect halves. Her demon assistants flanked her on each side. The wind turned her headpiece into an accidental windchime as the dangling beads knocked and collided into each other, creating a calming, twinkling ripple across the temple. Her eyes were painted, staring straight towards the exit where the sea once stood.

    What should I say to her? Ask her why I was sent here? Why I had to go through years of bullying and betrayal? Ask her whether I should forgive ¨¦clair? I turned to face Yu-chi, and there he was.

    His eyes were lightly closed as he brought his bundle back and forth. His voice was so soft, I couldn¡¯t make out what he was praying for. At least he had an idea of what he wanted to ask. Me? Too many questions were swimming in my head.

    Whenever we stood before Mazu at the Cheng Hoon Teng Temple back in Melaka, Mama would always wish for Min and I to have good health and to be guided by gentle waves. That Bapa would be safe during his offshore duties. That Mazu would watch over Mak. But what did I want answered?

    I shut my eyes and let the sandalwood fill my nostrils. Ah-ma, I seek your guidance. I¡¯m sorry I haven¡¯t seen you in a while. But I know you¡¯re compassionate and kind. I need courage. I need the courage to forgive. To forgive the people who hurt me in the past.

    Like Yu-chi, I brought the incense back and forth before giving the deepest vow that I could. Strange as it was, muscle memory ensured that I had never forgotten these key steps to prayer.

    We stood up and planted our incense into the receptacle in the courtyard. I looked up, admiring the way the smoke carrying our prayers climbed towards the heavens. Only except, the heavens were framed by skyscrapers. Back in Melaka, in another temple that we frequented, the smoke had nowhere to go but to be trapped on the dusty ceiling.

    ¡°It¡¯s kind of funny. Before moving here, I wasn¡¯t very religious. I didn¡¯t visit Mazu that often. After coming here though, praying to her became one of the ways I help myself to feel like I¡¯ve returned home. I know. It¡¯s a silly reason to visit her often, but it¡¯s what makes me feel at home,¡± Yu-chi confessed, his eyes too focused on the sky.

    ¡°I understand what you mean. When I prayed just now, it felt as if I was back in Melaka with my grandma again,¡± I said. ¡°I really want to go home.¡±

    My shoulders slumped at the realisation that I was so close, yet so far away from the people who loved me most beyond my nuclear family here. That the one place where I felt protected the most was so attainable, yet so far away ¨C a three hours¡¯ drive away to be precise.

    ¡°So, how are you feeling?¡± asked Yu-chi as he looked at me again.

    ¡°A little bit more clear-headed. I still feel like my questions haven¡¯t been answered yet though,¡± I said.

    Still, my heart wasn¡¯t racing as much like in school. It was like a wave of calm and nostalgia swept those anxieties away. Yet, I was still yearning for more.

    ¡°What got you so upset just now by the way?¡± he asked.

    Was it best to be bitter before Mazu and her all-seeing demon guards? To blurt hateful words before Guanyin? To deny somebody justice before Guan Gong?

    ¡°Kenny asked me to try to understand ¨¦clair. To help her recover. He told me everything and though I feel sorry for her, I still cannot find it in me to forgive her,¡± I said.

    Yu-chi walked away from the receptacle and stepped back into the shade. Both hands were in his pockets. He walked back and forth between the carved pillars, as though he was trying to find something to say to me.

    I bolted back into the sheltered space, hoping that he wasn¡¯t going to give me a long lecture on the power of forgiveness the way Kenny did. Instead, he looked at me and shrugged his broad shoulders.

    ¡°Forgiveness takes time. But that you tried to see where she was coming from is already a good step,¡± he said with a smile.

    ??-Albert

    ¡°Wei-hsien. Wei-hsien! Get up. We need to get out of here,¡± a deep voice, even heavier than mine, says.

    Wei-hsien? Who is he? The world around me is still dark, but I am most certain that my eyes are open. Then, I hear the switch flicking.

    What on earth was I doing in a damp and stinky basement? Since when did Singapore have such creepy cellars to begin with? I look down on the floor and find that my feet are¡­translucent.

    I scream, wondering if I had entered some sort of afterlife. No way. I am here, yet my physical body has ceased to exist in this space. I am still clad in my theatre blacks, like I had never left the liminal space.

    ¡°The police are after me. That good for nothing called the police on me. Not Divyane. The police. If they find out that you all are here, the project will come to a stop forever,¡± says the man.

    I cannot feel my physical body. I am just floating in this space, but what he says is enough to make the hairs on my shamefully hairy legs stand. Then, I turn to his direction.

    Wei-hsien, or at least, I presumed it was him, stands up. He is just skin and bones, his hair having reached his shoulders. How long has he been stuck here? All this while, he has been on a computer, the data still incomprehensible to me. The other lights are on.

    My jaw is just hanging, making my facial muscles ache. But I am certain that my guts wanted to lunge out of my body at that point. There are cylinders filled with people, all in a deep slumber, floating in some kind of liquid.

    ¡°Then, free us. If you free us now, the police will only charge you for the crime that you were accused of doing. They cannot charge you for kidnapping us and making us your lab experiments. I promise, I won¡¯t say a thing,¡± says Wei-hsien.

    The other man has brandished a syringe in his right hand. Wei-hsien lets out a peal of laughter.

    ¡°Please, lah. I may be skin and bones, but I¡¯m still willing to fight you. I was part of a gang back in Hualien, you know?¡± he brags.

    Okay. That is admittedly pretty badass. Yeah, you know what? If I had a bag of popcorn, I¡¯d be watching this fight and rooting for Wei-hsien.

    The man lunges at him. With his clenched fists at the ready, Wei-hsien blows a punch unlike any other on the man¡¯s cheek. Wait a minute. His right cheek is already badly scared¡­like somebody had punched him in the same spot just a few days ago. He places his hands on it and stares at the dripping blood.

    He drops the syringe and looks at Wei-hsien with wide eyes. The pupils were trembling while his chest rose slowly. He then points at him with his index finger, muttering some things in Mandarin.

    ¡°Yo¡­so the kid that punched me on Friday¡­no. No wonder why he exudes insane levels of magical energy like you. That¡¯s¡­your kid. He used the exact same move on me,¡± says the man.

    Wei-hsien drops to his knees. I gasp, wanting to reach out to him and prop him up. Wait, can I go through walls in this form? I take my first step ¨C sort of. Indeed, I phase right through the iron bars. I try to lift Wei-hsien up by his armpits, but my hands just go straight through his body.

    ¡°My kid? Which one? Which one of my two sons?¡± he begs.

    Instead, the man plunges the syringe right into Wei-hsien¡¯s stomach. I cry out a loud ¡®no¡¯ as he collapses towards the ground altogether. Then, I stare at the data on the computer.

    Voice recordings. A person¡¯s profile on the upper-right hand corner of the screen. The levels of magical energy are indeed extraordinary. My basic physics knowledge allowed me to guess that it might be enough to power the entire island for a few years. Then, I glance at the name.

    Minori Amami. B.O.D 7/7/1994.

    The white walls of the liminal space made the light bounce everywhere, blinding me as I woke back up into reality. My eyes stung.

    I shot straight up. I could feel the hard cement floor beneath my palms. I was still in my blacks. My chest was still heaving, and my stomach still felt like it wanted to purge itself out of my body.

    I wasn¡¯t dreaming. I was positive about it. I was in the middle of practice for my monologue and then, boom, I collapsed. And now, I had awoken again. The hairs on my skin were still erect.

    I was convinced that everything was real. That there had been a case of human trafficking in Singapore. That a man had separated someone from a father¡¯s loved ones. That a man was after my best friend. And this man was the one who had snuck into the infirmary. I knew it.

    But would anyone believe me if I were to tell them about what I just saw?

 Road: I

    ??-Samuel

    What was better than having a birthday party? Having a second, even better birthday party right at your friend¡¯s house! I climbed onto the stone bench beside the BBQ pit, raw beef in my chopsticks. I gulped it all down and clanged the chopsticks against the plastic plate.

    Nora, Alb, and Nori ended their conversations midway. Haresh walked around, asking all of our guests to pay attention to me. I pointed at myself with my thumb and gave that trademark grin at the crowd.

    ¡°So, thanks for coming to my private birthday party. Usually, Simon and I, we¡¯ll do it at East Coast Park, but Alb has generously loaned us his condo¡¯s BBQ pit and hall! So, three cheers for Alb!¡± I cried. ¡°Ah, wait. Before cheering, must look at the time. Don¡¯t want to kena tangkap by the police.¡±

    I asked gor-gor for the time. 7.43pm. Okay. With that, I gestured for everyone to cheer for Alb. His usually pale face turned red, but maybe it was just the trick of the pavilion lights. He gave a shy wave and bowed.

    The applause subsided when three new people stepped into the scene. Wow! For once, I wasn¡¯t the late one! Kumar waved, his height making him stand out. Haresh went towards him, exchanging their usual secret handshake. Dae-hyun, Kumar, and ¨¦clair decided to turn up ¨C all wearing Hawaiian shirts. Nora snorted beside Nori at the admittedly ridiculous sight. Then, when she saw ¨¦clair, her face sank.

    ¡°Sam, why did you invite her?¡± she whispered, Sprite spraying out from her thick lips.

    ¡°Chill, Nora. She won¡¯t hurt you. Not when Nori¡¯s around,¡± I assured her.

    And just like that, she stormed out of the pavilion, headed to goodness knows where. I shrugged. Let ¨¦clair try to prove herself to Nora later. Where was Mei, if you were wondering? By the pool with Yu-chi, already swimming laps with him. Kenny and Luqman decided to just stay at home. Come to think about it, I was pretty convinced that Mei decided to turn up just for the free food. Eh.

    ¡°So, Dae-hyun, did you bring your mom¡¯s fried chicken, as promised?¡± I asked, leaning in closer towards him.

    ¡°Oh. You bet!¡± he said, showing off his insulated bag.

    I clapped my hands and ushered him towards the BBQ area. Then, my face fell when I saw that somebody had taken a quarter of the chicken wings. Never mind. More chicken is always good news.

    Before I could even fist-bump Kumar, Alb grabbed me by the forearm, dragging me to a much quieter part of his condominium. Well, I couldn¡¯t exactly call it quiet when the traffic from the ECP was still roaring beside us, but okay.

    ¡°Sam, the strangest thing happened to me yesterday,¡± he said to me in Cantonese, probably to be sure that nobody could understand what we were saying in case they heard us.

    ¡°Spill.¡±

    He sucked in a deep breath and attempted to compose himself.

    ¡°Remember the day of the attack? You and I both felt like there was another presence in the room? I think I¡¯ve managed to identify the man. Here, I drew him out,¡± he said as he took out a folded piece of paper from his pocket.

    So, I wasn¡¯t crazy after all! But how did Alb know how he looked like? He unfolded it, revealing a middle-aged Chinese man clad in a business suit. His black hair was slicked back, and he had steely eyes. Man, no wonder why Alb was in the AEP back in VS. That was a legit good drawing.

    ¡°Where did you see him? How do you know this is the guy?¡± I asked.

    He just stared at me with big eyes. Ah, at least he no longer looked like a panda since the eyebags disappeared for a bit.

    ¡°I think I did an astral projection,¡± he whispered. ¡°Into his house.¡±

    Well, after all the weird shit that happened this year, astral projection was nothing in comparison. But he still looked shell-shocked. He shook his head and told me that things got worse.

    ¡°He¡¯s holding people captive. The problem is, I have no idea where this house is. I just know that he¡¯s holding these people in cylinders in an induced coma. That he carries around a syringe everywhere and worst of all, he¡¯s eyeing Nori for something.¡±

    Welp. Guess we are officially fucked. The two of us faced each other and agreed to split up to find Nori.

    ??-Eclair

    As Dae-hyun and Kumar chatted over fried chicken and a free-flow supply of satay, I snuck out of their little conversation group and headed towards the swimming pool to cool my feet down.

    When I arrived there though, Nora was sitting at the edge while Yu-chi and Mei swam laps. I never knew that she was hiding a somewhat impressive set of muscles under that petite frame. I sighed, wondering if approaching Nora was the right thing or not.

    She did retreat because of me. She kicked her feet back and forth as she looked up at the night sky. Seeing her on her own was so surreal. Back in school, she would always surround herself with her friends. Or she would be with Nori, Sam, and Albert.

    I took off my skirt and shirt, dressing myself down to my bikini as I sat beside her.

    ¡°If you¡¯re here to kill me, go ahead. Go and drown me. Or heck, electrocute me,¡± she said, her voice emotionless.

    Mei broke out of the surface and flailed her arms about the moment she saw me. Yu-chi on the other hand looked at me with his gentle round eyes. They exchanged words to each other in Hokkien, but somehow, I was able to make out what they were saying from the way Yu-chi held Mei¡¯s shoulders.

    ¡°Remember. Trying to understand is a good first step,¡± he whispered to her.

    She grumbled and swam freestyle towards the two of us. Only then did I realise that under the starlight, she was actually glowing with a faint lilac light. It must be the effect of her Anima Magi. She propped herself up, sitting beside Nora and hugging her tight.

    ¡°Say what you want to say, but if you hurt Nora, I won¡¯t hesitate to attack you,¡± said Mei.

    I couldn¡¯t really take her seriously when she kept squinting at me. She was without her spectacles after all.

    I dipped my feet into the water, watching the way the pool lights lit everything in an ethereal glow.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t want to forgive me. I know I¡¯ve hurt you deeply,¡± I said.

    Nora slammed her palms against the pool tiles and glared at me, her face already streaked with tears.

    ¡°Hurt me deeply is an understatement. Do you know how hard I tried to pretend that everything was okay? How I had to lie to the people around me that I had hives when I was hiding the scars you left me? Did you ever think about that?¡± she yelled.

    Mei held her back, whispering to her something in Malay. Mucus was already dripping from her nose as her round eyes turned bloodshot. She turned away from me, fishing her legs out of the chlorinated water. She wrapped her arms around her thick, muscular legs.

    She was right. I had reduced her to this. Despite her muscular frame and body that hinted at years of conditioning, seeing her shrivel up to becoming a fragile, wilting flower in front of me sent the weight of the world pushing hard against my narrow frame. And I had seen it for myself.

    ¡°I know why you did what you did. But that cannot excuse the fact that you forced me into pretending so that I could protect the others. It won¡¯t change the fact that you made me fear for my life, not once, but twice,¡± said Nora, her voice becoming clearer again. ¡°You could have chosen to do the right thing, but you didn¡¯t.¡±This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    I sniffled as those words pierced me all over. Mei nodded her head, as though she wanted to tell me the same thing. I guess she had run out of words to say to me.

    ¡°Do you know why I¡¯m especially mad at you? Because I know you¡¯re hurt. Yet, you chose to hurt those around you. I cannot forgive myself for acting like everything¡¯s okay in front of my family. For putting on a front just so I could become secretary and neglecting myself while I¡¯m at it. And I hate that I¡¯m angry at you because I know you need help more than I do,¡± she confessed.

    The pool turned still. Yu-chi had stopped swimming. He swam towards us, propping his thick fingers on the pool¡¯s edge. And he gave Nora a proud smile.

    But Nora was right. I messed everything up. Dae-hyun was right. The choice was right there, and I had refused to grab it.

    ¡°If you do need to talk to somebody about your trauma though, I¡¯m here. I¡¯ve been sexually harassed before. Not to your level, but I¡¯ve been through it,¡± said Nora.

    Mei gasped. She stared at Yu-chi, her eyes wide instead of squinted. How many people had she talked to about this?

    ¡°Nobody should have to go through what you went through. Likewise, nobody should have to pretend that everything¡¯s okay like I did for the past few months. I¡¯m glad you were able to come clean to your friends though.¡±

    She sounded almost apologetic. She stopped hugging her knees and extended her legs as she did flutter-kicks over the water¡¯s surface. Mei let go of Nora and stared at me. Her eyes were still glassy with raw anger. And I knew why she was angry.

    Mei stood up and draped her towel over her shoulders, not bothering to say a word to me. Yu-chi followed after her, not bothering about how he was dripping with chlorinated water all over.

    Nora just pressed her palms against the pool tiles and launched herself straight into the pool.

    ¡°We all need time to recover from the hurt you¡¯ve caused us. We hope we¡¯ll be able to forgive you one day,¡± she said.

    ??-Dae-hyun

    Sam let out a huge burp after finishing that chicken wing to the bone. Kumar, Haresh and I burst into laughter. Simon ended up rolling his eyes, wagging his finger at his younger brother.

    ¡°You sure you got enough room for cake or not after this?¡± he asked, nudging Sam by the sides.

    ¡°I had cake this afternoon. Maybe you can give it to Nori since he pretty much ate 1/3rds of all the food here,¡± said Sam as he pointed at Nori with his thumb.

    There he was, munching on more satay sticks. His plate was literally lopsided, leaning towards the right.

    ¡°If you¡¯re looking for Nora, she¡¯s taking a swim,¡± said ¨¦clair as she walked past Nori.

    Her soprano voice was grey. She didn¡¯t even bother to make eye contact with him. Nori put his plate down and headed straight towards where the pool was. Kumar and I exchanged anxious glances at each other.

    She sat down on the wooden bench, still clad in her bikini. Man, this was so not a good sight for a birthday party. Simon instinctively rushed in front of the three of us, shielding the other partygoers from this sight as he manned the BBQ pits too.

    ¡°How did it go?¡± asked Kumar.

    ¡°Nora seemed really vague. She said she understood me, but cannot forgive me just yet,¡± ¨¦clair replied.

    ¡°Well, I mean. You did nearly kill her twice.¡±

    Kumar glared at me after I said that. I mean, facts were facts after all. I couldn¡¯t fault Nora for being reluctant to make amends with her.

    ¡°And Mei? She never said anything to me at all. I thought Nora would be angrier but-,¡± I had to cut ¨¦clair off right there.

    ¡°Hey, ¨¦clair. Look. You can¡¯t anyhow tell people what to feel. Maybe what you did to Dwarf hit her in a super personal spot compared to the impact you made on Nora. If they don¡¯t want to forgive you, then they¡¯re the fools lor,¡± I said.

    Between the gaps of Simon¡¯s arms and hips, we could see the party still going on. Sam walked off with Haresh as they interacted with their secondary school classmates. ¨¦clair was still silent. Okay, maybe I was too harsh on her after all.

    ¡°You know what? No need to dwell on the past. ¨¦clair, take my hand. We¡¯re going to dance,¡± said Kumar as he rose up.

    He took ¨¦clair by the hand and asked Simon to move aside. Well, the song in the background was a soft, indie track from Alb¡¯s playlist. Danceable enough, I guess. I watched as they moved towards the centre of the pavilion, his hand in hers while her right hand landed on his hip. I had to contain my laughter seeing that gigantic height difference.

    As they swayed to the music, Sam sat down beside me, a can of cola in his hand. He dunked it down and just stared at Kumar¡¯s waltzing form.

    ¡°You jealous, ah?¡± he teased.

    Me? Jealous? The only person I could be jealous of was Claudine. I mean, her guitar solos always sent Mr Wang into a standing ovation during practicals.

    ¡°Nah. It¡¯s just that¡­hanging out with ¨¦clair just makes me wonder if that¡¯s why I didn¡¯t have many friends before coming to SJC. Because I¡¯m a jerk? I¡¯m too direct? Can¡¯t read the room? But I mean, what needs to be said has to be said, right?¡± I said, tapping my feet to the melody swirling around us.

    Sam placed his rough hand on my shoulder and offered me his can of coke. I thanked him and gulped some down.

    ¡°Still more of a pepsi person,¡± I said as I returned the can back to him.

    ¡°Well, Mei would love to have a debate with you on that,¡± he teased. ¡°But back to topic. It¡¯s not you. It¡¯s just¡­sometimes, people don¡¯t like hearing the truth. They stay away from us because well. Aiyah, it¡¯s hard to say. But I know where you¡¯re coming from.¡±

    I leant back as his words resonated within my headspace. It was good to at least have somebody who could see my point of view.

    ¡°So, is it our destiny to hurt others?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Destiny? Fuck destiny, lah. It¡¯s up to them to decide what to do with the hurt. Learn from it? Live with it? Let it consume them? I hope ¨¦clair will learn,¡± he said.

    Oddly, for the first time in forever, I no longer felt like Lone Wolf Rhee Dae-hyun or Jerk of SJC anymore. I mean, for one, I was actually invited to a birthday party. For two, I no longer felt the need to be on my own.

    ??-Mei Xing

    My body glowed with a cooling, silvery light as I sat underneath that starlit sky in just my one-piece swimsuit with a towel draped over me. My hair was still wet, the bangs clinging onto my forehead and hiding that ugly scar over there.

    Maybe that chat with Mazu had failed after all. I couldn¡¯t muster the will to show mercy or to forgive. What was I thinking? Why did I choose to turn to the gods again?

    ¡°Bee! Are you alright?¡± asked Yu-chi as he raced towards me, his feet bare.

    I stayed quiet and stared at the sky. Light pollution forced the stars into hiding. Didn¡¯t they know they were far more brilliant than anything we had created down here?

    Yu-chi sat beside me, joining me in my little stargazing adventure. Why was it that without my glasses, I could still see the stars without the need to squint? Why did Yu-chi still bother to chase after me even though I pretty much threw everything that he told me out of the window.

    ¡°Sit le,¡± I whispered. ¡°I ended up not listening to you. I hope you¡¯re not mad.¡±

    He shook his head. He threw back his arms and rested his head on the back of his hands, drawing out a long exhale.

    ¡°Mm shi. Maybe I was the selfish one for enforcing all that forgiveness shit on you. Maybe I wanted you to forgive ¨¦clair because I know too well what it¡¯s like to not be forgiven, and I didn¡¯t want to be reminded of that,¡± he said.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry for making you feel even worse.¡±

    ¡°No, no, no. I never said that! Instead, I actually understood you even more after that. It¡¯s okay to take your time, Bee. It¡¯s okay.¡±

    I turned my gaze away from the stars in that instance and looked at him. He gave me a warm smile as he put his arms down.

    ¡°Why are you still mad at her though? Even after hearing about what she went through?¡± he asked.

    And I just turned towards the heavens again. Perhaps the prayer to Mazu did work in its own weird way?

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯m frustrated at her. The first time we met, she kind of tried to kill Luqman and I for stealing her kill. We both tried to ask her why, but she chose violence instead. Same for when she attacked Nora. Like, why? Why wouldn¡¯t she just fucking speak up? And I know what she told the rest isn¡¯t the full story.¡± I said.

    I brushed my bangs aside, revealing the scar on my forehead. Yu-chi¡¯s lips were parted when he saw it.

    ¡°The last time I tried silencing myself and not explaining the full story, it led to this. I was just so frustrated that every time I saw ¨¦clair, she would always trap herself in this endless cycle of pain.¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, how did you get the scar?¡± he asked.

    I looked down at my bare feet, watching the way the water droplets slid down my thick calves. There was already a small puddle of water by my feet, reflecting myself for me to see.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know how to tell my Chinese kindergarten teacher that I didn¡¯t know how to speak Mandarin. I thought she would find my reason to be stupid. So, I just kept quiet. And one day, she just threw the textbook straight at me. I don¡¯t know if she meant it, but the spine hit me right there. I remember her calling me a brown dog when my parents took me to the clinic,¡± I said.

    I still remember the way her lips were sucked in. How the stapler was lodged into my forehead for a while. How I had hit my head against the bookshelf and bled from there too. When I opened my eyes again, I found that my palms were covering my eyes.

    My body was hunched down. Brown dog. Witch. Weirdo. Smartass. Somehow, all the insults that were flung at me from childhood surged right back at me.

    ¡°How¡­how can someone be so horrible to you?¡± he asked as he choked back tears.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe that¡¯s why before meeting all of you, I wanted so badly to leave this place. Start anew. Be away from all the outcasting, the name-calling, the insults. And to see ¨¦clair almost kill Kenny when he was there for me¡­I couldn¡¯t let her take away the one good thing outside my family. Knowing how badly she hurt Nori emotionally too riled me up even more. He¡¯s like a little brother to me,¡± I said as I finally looked up.

    His kind eyes were on me all this while. I turned to him and apologised for being overly personal.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. I understand you a lot better now. I think you¡¯re really brave for sharing all that with me. And now I can understand why you¡¯re having so much trouble forgiving her. It¡¯s okay. Take your time,¡± he assured me.

    I wrapped my arms around his waist and gave him a hug. He gasped, and hugged me back. I guess he had become the fourth person in my list of precious friends now.