Irony

The yellowish orange skies illuminated through the bedroom window, directly kissing the face of a young girl who wrapped herself with her soft and thick comforter, forming a human size cocoon. The blinding dawn never seemed to bother the girl as she continued with her beauty sleep, unbothered until a few sounds of a knuckle lightly hitting against the door echoed through the room.

“Vuschia! Wake up!”

Slowly, Vuschia’s eyes fluttered open as she tried to process what was happening. As soon as her gaze met with her not-so-pleased mother and the blaring sound of alarm greeted her ears, she bolted out of her cocoon state and ran straight into the bathroom.

Not long after, she ran towards the road with her undone ponytail while trying to stuff a few books into her backpack that she held against her chest single-handedly. Seeing the bus in the distance lit her eyes with hope, but they turned into a panic once the bus began to take off.

“WAIT! WAIT! WAIT! NO!”

She threw her bag on the ground as a defeated cry escaped her lips. “NOT AGAIN!” She threw her hands in the air, staring at the skies above as if directing her frustration to the unknown above. She slowly hung her head, staring at her frayed bag, before bending down to lift the bag with one hand as she dragged her feet back to the house. “Mom will definitely chew my head off.”

“HOW MANY TIMES SHOULD I REMIND YOU, VUSCHIA SALVIELLA?! SLEEP EARLY. WAKE UP EARLY. NOW LOOK AT THE TIME!”

Vuschia pursed her lips, and her brows furrowed while looking outside the window, but the scenery was not really helpful to tune out her mother’s voice. Her day began rather unpleasantly, and the nagging from her mother was not helping. Despite the high desire to talk back, she remained silent and mentally prepared herself for the worst to come later.

“Alexius, 60 marks.”

“Timothy, 72 marks.”

Vuschia fidget in her seat as she awaits her turn to receive her mid-term result for Mathematics. Her eyes fixated more on the teacher’s face than the stack of papers in her arms.

I’m doomed.

But I tried my best, so it should be fine…

Right?

“Marcella, 82 marks.”

“Tisha, 40 marks.”

But Teacher Cillia dislikes me…

What if I fail to get a B?

“Armar, 0 marks. Tsk tsk…”

Oh, there is someone who got a 0 on the test.

She won’t scold me if I don’t get a B…

Right?

Wrong.

“Vuschia, 59 marks.” Teacher Cillia sharply stared at Vuschia, which made her gulp. “C again, huh? This paper here should be thrown.”

The world felt dark in just a blink as her heart shattered into a million pieces, watching her test paper thrown across the class as if it held trivial meaning. The tension in the class thickened, and everyone’s eyes focused on the heartbroken girl whose silence was too loud picked up her paper on the floor, wrinkled and covered with dirt, tainting the whiteness with specks of earth.

The bell rang, and the sound of chairs scraping against the floor, followed by the chatters of students, filled the place. Soon everything gradually went quiet as everyone eagerly quenched their hunger at the canteen. Everyone but Vuschia. The paper earlier lay under the desk abandoned just like her. As always, she was ostracised by her classmates.

“I don’t want to be here. Can’t someone help me?” Vuschia was forced to change schools due to her father’s work, which required them to move to another state. However, being someone who takes time to open up is a challenge to be accepted by most. Her classmate ostracised her, and her teacher harbouring an unknown personal grudge against her made it even worse. She clenched her fists till they turned white as tears threatened to fall, but a growl from her stomach made her snap out of her crestfallen state as she wiped her eyes vigorously. “Let’s eat Vuschia. After all, full belly, happy heart,” Vuschia consoled herself as a forced a smile formed on her damp face.

At the back of the sports storeroom…

A firm yet scarred chest was heaving deeply as if he was struggling just by breathing. He was limping, which made him use the wall as support, but soon his legs gave away, making him fall on the ground with his back leaned against the mouldy, damp wall. Slowly, he outstretches his long legs, which was supposed to be an effortless action, yet it almost took his breath away.

Vuschia walked towards a vast shady tree near the sports storeroom, her usual go-to spot during break time. She made herself comfortable on one of the bulging roots, taking a short moment to bask herself in the so-very-familiar scenery before her. Yet, no matter how much she looks at it, the serene feelings always comfort her. With a soft sigh, she took a piece of chicken-filling bun out of her pocket, letting the mouth-watering scent enter her nostrils. As she was about to bite the bun, her ears picked up the groaning sounds. Groans of pain.

The groans came from behind the storeroom.

Slowly she moved closer to the storeroom and peeked from behind the wall to see what or who was making those painful cries. She was flabbergasted as soon as sight of a strange male about a few years older than her in a rather battered condition.

“U-um-”

Upon hearing another voice, the male snapped his eyes open and gazed at the female, who peeked only her head from the wall on the other end of him. He narrowed his orbs, filled with suspicion laced with warning.

Vuschia, who sensed the flight or fight in him, immediately stepped out from the wall with both arms up. “I come in peace, I swear. I just heard someone’s groaning, and now here I am.” Seeing that she was not emitting any danger or armed with any weapon, his body relaxed slightly, but he kept his eyes closed on her, anticipating her following actions. The girl sees this as a cue to slowly close the distance between them. She could observe him better from this distance and winced as she scanned through his badly injured figure. The huge and long fresh scar across his chest was the most noticeable to her.

“Did someone bully you?”

“…” Her question was left unanswered and instead greeted with a lingering stare, but this did not phase her since she knew that trusting a mere stranger is not easy.

“It looks painful. I wish I could help you, but I am powerless myself.”

“…”

“I don’t even have first aid with me, nor am I brave enough to call the police or ambulance.”

“…”

“I know that it is not much, but-” She took out something from her pocket and placed them beside him, still making sure to keep her distance so as not to instil discomfort in the person in front of her.

“…”

This time, instead of just silently staring at her, he looked at the two things given to him with his head slightly tilted in curiosity: a bun and a small water bottle. Vuschia’s eyes softened upon seeing the change in his behaviour as a soft smile graced her feature.

KRINGGG

The ringing sound of a bell cued at the end of the break made Vuschia startled before giving him an uneasy laugh. “It seems like I have to go. I hope you’ll get well.” She turned her back, and a voice made her freeze as she was about to walk away.

“Sigurd.”

“What?” Vuschia turned to look at him, taken aback to hear him speaking to her.

“I’m… Sigurd.”

A bright smile stretched onto her face as she took that as a way for the male, Sigurd, to thank her in his own way. “Thank you.”

Nightime, the same day later, in Vuschia’s bedroom…

The white, almost transparent curtain danced lightly as the cold night breeze entered the open window; the moon illuminated the feature of the girl who slept soundly on her bed with her comforter wrapped around her like a burrito. A masculine figure stood by the bedside, hidden in the shadow, shielded away from the light of the night. He gazed pierced onto the sleeping female before him as a strange glint reflected from his eyes. He inaudibly muttered something whose hairs on her arms stood out as if she could listen to those words in her unconscious state.

Clueless…

Helpless…

Precious…

12 years later…

“Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to Vuschia! Happy birthday to you!”

Vuschia took a few seconds to silently state her wishes and prayers with both eyes closed before blowing the candles as a sign that the wishes had been sealed, and soon round claps greeted her ears once again. The corner of her eyes creased as a wide charming smile decorated her face as she softly gazed at her most trusted friend. “Thank you, Devana.”

“Boohoo, little Vuschia has turned 24 today. Oh, I’m a proud mama.” Devana wiped her fake tears as she made an imitative sniffled sound which caused her to receive a smack on her shoulder.

“Pfft, don’t be so dramatic there, Diva na.” Vuschia playfully mocked her friend, who gasped dramatically, and she flipped her hair before placing both hands on her waist.

“HELLO~ Who is DEVANA or DIVA-NA without any drama? Pfft PUHLEASEE~ DRAMA SPICE UP YOUR LIFE BESTIE~.”

The two soon broke into a peal of laughter before moving to hug each other tightly, swaying each other body side by side. Vuschia broke the hug first and asked,” Are you excited?”

“Heck yeah, you bet I do, baby! First opening day of Café Di’vuschiana isssssss tomorrow~.”

Vuschia chuckled at her friend’s antics but nodded nonetheless. “I always have dreamed of opening my own café. Finally, it’ll turn into a reality tomorrow. All is thanks to you for always being there with me.”

“Haish pfft-” Devana waved her hand dismissively. “You deserve it. All I did was just sponsor here and there. No troubles~.

The two averted their attention when the nightly news was displayed on the TV attached to the wall of the café.

“Yikes! That’s mark the fourth death in this month alone.” Devana winced at the news as Vuschia frowned and occupied with her thoughts while her eyes glued to the TV. “What’s the matter?”

“I... recognise her,” Vuschia said before she looked straight into Devana’s eyes. “She was my ex-teacher back in primary school, Madam Cillia.”

Both of them shivered as they felt the chill creep into their bones.

A few weeks after, at the sideroad, night-time…

Countless thoughts ran through Vuschia’s mind as she walked along the side road, alone since she had to stay behind a little longer at the café earlier to tend to something. Over the past few years, more than 20 people have been killed, mainly around the living hood where she lived.

However, that is the slightest concern for her right now. Instead, there is one thing that could not escape her mind which was the cause of her sleepless nights these few days. Vuschia usually minds her own business, but once something sparks her curiosity, she will research until she finds the answer that satiates her curiosity. That is precisely what she did these past few days. Of course, with persistence in nature, she usually finds something to soothe her mind and this time, no exception.

“The victims… the place… all connected to.. me. They are all people with whom I acquaintance and share the same location settings: my primary school or, specifically, my… classmates. The last victim was 3 weeks ago, my ex-primary school Mathematics teacher. I wonder what’s the motive behind these killings.”

Will I be next?

Should I give this information to the police?

What if they thought that I was the murderer?

But after all these years, there is no single clue about the identity of the murderer.

Nah… I was just overthinking this. There’s no way I, who have zero experience in police work, can figure this out. I’m sure it was all just a coincidence.

But… what if I’m right?

The sound of someone coughing and wheezing snapped her out of her monologue, and it came from the alley just a few feet ahead of her. She slowly peeked into the alley, and her blood ran cold. She saw a man being lifted in the air by his neck by another taller man single-handedly as if he weights nothing. Clearly, the taller guy intended to choke the smaller guy to death. The inhumane strength made her gulp nervously; her hand shakily reached into her pocket, taking out her smartphone. Should I? Should I not? As her grip on her phone tightens, she finally has made up her mind.

“Hey! I have called the police! Let him go now!”

Silence filled the whole area for a moment before an amused laugh erupted from the taller man. “All these years and yet not even a speck of my identity was known by them.” Vuschia put on her brave facade despite feeling intimidated by the laugh that shook her to the core. “Tell me, my dear, what makes you think that your-so-called-the-police will change anything?”

“ACKKK”, Vuschia shrieked when suddenly a body was thrown at her feet. Her eyes widened when she saw the lifeless body that belonged to someone that she recognised well, her toxic ex-lover, Benjamin. “You monster!”

“Hmm? You should thank me for cleansing this world from a cheater like him.”

Vuschia squinted suspiciously at his statement because how could a stranger knows about her love life. “Resorting to violence is a no-hero deed,” she stated firmly as her guard heightened. The killer slowly stepped out of the shadow, fully revealing himself to her, which made her breath slightly taken away.

How could someone look so ethereal and be so cruel?

“Oh, my clueless dear, a hero will sacrifice you for the greater good, and I, I will destroy everything for you.”

“For me? What are you implying at?”

A smirk formed on his face as his hand moved to rip the fabric on his chest, revealing the old yet prominent big, long scar. Vuschia’s mouth was agape in realisation as the memory from years before flashed into her mind.

“Sigurd?”

His smirk widened upon hearing his name escape from her lips. “Did you know that my name means guardian and victory? It is fated that I become your protector, which is a victory to me.”

“W-wha…” Vuschia was too speechless by a surge of confusion intruding her mind.

“But it seems like you have a keen interest in attracting dangers, which made my work harder. Maybe I should… lock you up instead and take care of you myself.”

“No... N-no…” Vuschia slowly stepped back as panic engulfed her whole body, but she back-collided with the wall making the distance between her and Sigurd smaller. As he reached out his hand to her, everything went dark.