It was another night in school, still, peaceful and quiet.
Lying faced up on his bed, Elias stole a glance at Seven, who was lying on the opposite bed beside him.
Seven was facing the wall, so he assumed he was fast asleep.
If he didn't have so much occupying his mind, he'd at least be more curious about the identity of his new roommate.
The guy had thick white lashes, but even that didn't prevent him from seeing his ghostly white pupils.
He was different.
'Things will change...'
Back to battling with sleep, he wasn't wearing his glasses, so his light brown eyes were in full view as they reverted to the white ceiling.
His forehead glistened with sweat, betraying his chaotic emotions.
He trembled slightly as he fought to stay awake. But not before long, with his eyelids the weight of lead, he gave in to the call of nature and slept off.
Drifting off, he immediately found himself in a hallway he recognized too well. It was his family home, pictures lining the walls telling tales, good and bad alike.
Tap, tap, tap!
His little legs ran across the wooden floorboard on their own accord. His light brown eyes fixed on a very young boy with brown hair, the same color as his mother's. The boy occasionally looked back, his face filled with smiles.
Increasing his pace because he was bent on catching the kid—his younger brother—he took a detour only to fall face flat on the floor because he missed a step.
In a desperate attempt to win, he outstretched his hand and grabbed his brother's leg. The next scene could only be described as gruesome and tragic.
Thud!
His brother fell, his heart too, dropping to the depth of his abdomen at the dreadful sound his body made with the floor because he had grabbed his leg.
Looking down through the opening of the rail, his eyes blurred as panic set in. His younger brother lay there in the pool of his blood.
With cracking sounds, Elias saw his brother reform, his face morphing into something that could only come from hell. His eyes were wide with swirling darkness, a grin spreading across his face.
"You can't escape me!"
Desperately trying to get up and run, Elias saw the entity from downstairs suddenly just a few meters away from him, staring hungrily at him.
As he struggled to get up, he crawled backward, horrified out of his senses. Soon, the monster was upon him, but before it could bury its fingers in him, Elias woke up with a gasp.
Panting heavily, he trembled terribly, unable to shake off the nightmare. It lingered in his mind as his pajamas stuck closely to his sweaty skin.
'Every single damn time!'
---
The next morning at breakfast, not just Seven but some of Elias' friends, who usually sat with him, noticed his strange behavior. He looked to be on edge, and his dull eyes were a testament to his fear.
'I'm guessing he didn't sleep much last night either,' Seven thought, trying hard to focus on finishing his breakfast as his mind kept wandering off.
He was going to let his friends worry about Elias. One of them was the girl he met at the tree—she looked considerate even with her tough exterior.
Watching from the side, it was a weird circle, but who was he to judge?
The familiar scent of ozone and damp earth filled the air, and his shoulders relaxed, expecting an unwelcome voice.
"Something's up with Elias, don't you think? He's been off since morning, but I didn't pay much attention. Now, it's just too obvious to ignore," Zephyr leaned closer and asked.
"Hmm," Seven nodded, stealing another glance. "If he's got your attention, too, do you think it has something to do with the tree?"
"I'm not sure, but I don't think he's ready to talk about it. Whatever it is, it's eating at him. You might want to keep an eye on him."
Frowning at the additional responsibility, Seven reluctantly nodded.
Soon, there was bustling in the canteen, and Seven snapped his head toward the noise to figure out the commotion.
"He's dancing again!"
"Whatever's wrong with these seniors... You mean Jace is at it again?"
"I promise! He's down the hallway—you should see him sway!"
Seven's sensitive ears caught on to the voices, filtering out the unnecessary chatter.
Staring at his food, his brows furrowed in confusion. He dropped his cutlery and made his way to where the commotion was at its peak.
Getting there, using his height to his advantage, he saw a senior moving gracefully. The steps were intricate and precise, the control of a seasoned dancer.
He had black, neatly combed hair, and it might have been a great sight for entertainment—had his eyes not felt so hollow, his face not so pale, and his lips not so chapped. His outfit was nothing close to a dancing costume either.
As Zephyr approached, knocking shoulders with a girl too engrossed in her discussion to notice the abnormality, they both heard the girl speak:
"It's the second time this week."
Zephyr smiled widely, outstretched his arm to place a hand on Seven's shoulder. The cold grasp startled him a little, and when he turned, he saw Zephyr with his usual grin.
"Well, you must be very close to stupid if you can't see this sweet piece of puzzle in front of you."
'Never considered myself smart, all these make zero sense to me...' he thought, lowering his head. 'I hate this!'
---
Shrinking deeper into his blanket as a crisp wind brushed past his skin, Seven twisted and turned, a lump forming in his throat.
"I guess it's my turn to not sleep much either," he muttered, exhaling loudly as he turned once more in his bed.
His eyes subconsciously went to where Elias was supposed to be sleeping. Then it hit him: Elias never came in that night.
Staring at the ceiling, his left hand was thrown behind his neck to support his head. Seven sighed...
The hints he had all pointed in different directions.
The tree. What did anything have to do with it? The dance? The hums? What secret did it hold?
The dead boy in his visions...what happened to him
And why was he getting involved?
He could feel a connection between these unrelated things, yet...
At the same time, they felt too far apart. The feeling of almost grasping it, only for it to slip away at the last moment, was the worst.
'Life could be so much easier, with just history and calculus to worry about...'
All of a sudden, he felt a sharp change in the atmosphere. He pulled his blanket in one swift motion, his whole body beginning to heat up.
His entire body glistened with sweat as his body rolled off his bed sheet. He kissed his tooth and climbed up from the floor...
A little disoriented by his lack of sleep, searing heat, and foggy mind, he bumped his legs a few times before he got to the window.
With pain grounding him, he was almost at the edge of cussing loudly.
He opened the curtains, the moonlight illuminating his pale, sweaty face. A soft breeze brushed against his frame, but his white hair was already sticking to his face and scalp like he had just taken a shower.
Before he could turn back, his peripheral vision caught a fierce red glow between the largest building that served as the school and the farthest female dormitory—if you were to look from the gate.
"That's the garden!"
He thought aloud, rushing out of his room in his gray shirt and black shorts.
"The garden is on fire?!"