🧸-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.”

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 – the first time I had seen him do so – 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 – 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. Éclair.

“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.