I wish I have more time to explain but luck ain’t on our side. The story has to continue but I beg you to read on. The time will come when Syndesi needs our help. And when it comes, we have to be ready. If not...

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Syndesi opened the door to Class 1-A. It was the entrance to hope.

Probably. I mean, I don’t see how much worse this could be after returning from hell.

“Hey Syndesi!”

“Hello Syndesi!”

“Morning Syndesi!”

“Woah Syndesi, you are normally the first to reach school. What happened?”

“I had a long day yesterday haha, I guess I overslept a tad bit. Just a bit haha.” Syndesi smiled sheepishly while stroking the back of her neck.

What she said was true. Or should I say, partially true. She had a long day yesterday. No qualms about that. But overslept? You’ve got to do better, Syndesi. Lying ain’t your forte.

Syndesi chuckled awkwardly and scurried anxiously to her desk in small quick steps. Avoiding all other questions related to her punctuality, she sat down with the face of a fully ripened tomato. And she actually forgot to greet her deskmate. A daily practice she never failed to do for the past month in school.

This caught the eyes of her deskmate which were magnified by her wise glasses, big and round like an owl.

Syndesi nervously opened her bag like a thief ensuring her stolen goods were safe and sound. She took out a box of cookies from within. She did all this secretly under her desk. Timidly nervous to be spotted by others.

Well, a thief would have at least scanned her surroundings to realise the constricted pupils of the owl staring down at her. Alas, I guess her age explains her naivety.

“Please be okay!” Syndesi spoke in a low and indistinct voice. But this was picked up by the sharp ears of the owl beside her.

A sticky note, slightly crumbled, laid restless on the box of cookies. On it, it was written: “To be shared with everyone in class.”

Syndesi carefully opened the lid and bore witness to the change in state of the cookies. The neatly organised domino cookies lost their balance and crushed one another into a disorderly mess.

Fear. Dismay. Dread. Her eyes and mouth followed the same pattern. Wide open before they drooped southwards like a wilted flower. Her spirit lost vigour like the sinking stem.

And yet, the poor Hachikō dog was still subjected to the scrutiny of the sage eyes beside her.

Syndesi scrambled to close the lid but it took her buttery paws multiple times. She shoved the box of cookies inside her bag. Took out her pale yellow jacket and clothed herself with it. Wrapping her face with her arms, she laid on the table. Hoping the cotton fur of her jacket could provide some sort of comfort for her carelessness.

30 seconds later...

“Ruth, can you please help me tell Ms Sophia that I need to use the toilet urgently? It’s very, very, very urgent.”

Ruth remained speechless. She simply expressed her consent with a light nod.

Like a mouse chased by a cat, Syndesi scampered out of class. She took the shortest route possible via the back door to everyone’s surprise.

“Toilet.” Ruth’s one-word explanation shut the noise like an orchestra conductor. A particularly beautiful one.

The descent of an angelic voice mesmerised the hearts of all who heard. The commoners were hypnotised as if a deaf person could finally taste music.

The peasants would have begged for the notorious winter aura to freeze them to death if Ruth could just utter one more word. In that heavenly tone.

Meanwhile, Ruth simply didn’t care about what people thought about her. And she was never one to help someone.

But seeing how Syndesi was tearing up, the Ice Princess made an exception.

A rather questionable one.