Chapter 3. The Village of the Elders

Vero’s journey was long. The night was almost didn’t pass, and not even a second Vero could close her eyes.

The figure of a man covered in blood flashed through her mind, and she covered her mouth every time she remembered the incident.

The sun formed a faint orange line across the horizon, making Vero realize where she was. The road the car passed was so winding, flanked by mountains full of pointed pines.

For a moment, Vero forgot her problem and was stunned at the sight. She pressed the button to open the window and the cool air caressed her, causing Vero to close her eyes for a moment while taking a deep breath.

“We’re almost there, Miss,” said the driver who escorted her, Elijah, as the car swerved down and over a bridge.

The bridge spans over a ravine. At the bottom of the cliff, there is a river and beside the bridge, there is a waterfall that is so high and flowing fast.

“I’ve seen no buildings at all,” said Vero after being satisfied with looking at the waterfall, whose voices were bustling like heavy rain.

“After going through the tunnel up ahead.”

Vero turned her gaze to the windshield and saw a tunnel under a lush hill. Vero frowned at the sight. The tunnel looks dark and mysterious.

“Have you been here before?” Vero asked Elijah.

Elijah nodded. His gray hair moved slowly with the movement of his head.

“One time,” he said. “I have come here once. It’s been a very long time. But I’m almost certain not much has changed there.”

“Where?” 

The car they were traveling in had now entered the tunnel. There were only dimly lit orange lights stuck to the tunnel walls. And the tunnel itself looks like a hastily dug and left with its natural stone walls. Only the smooth asphalt road and the wall lamps show the existence of civilization.

When the car finally came out of the tunnel, Vero gasped. Down below, in a gorge surrounded by snowcapped mountains, lay a city blended with forest and lake.

The lake is so big, calm, and blue that it looks like a giant mirror from a distance.

“Duradel, the village of the elders.”

Vero was amazed. She would live in this hidden place that looked like heaven? She felt her lips move into a smile. Her parents really kept their word, sending Vero to an amazing place and making sure she was safe. 

The car was now driving through the streets in the middle of the city, and Vero saw pastel-colored houses that looked like they were built in the Middle Ages.

Every time Vero passed residents who were walking on the sidewalk or sweeping their yards, the residents stopped their activities and stared questioningly at the car.

“Why are they looking at us?” asked Vero.

“It’s a little town and we are strangers,” explained Elijah. “And these times are not the time for new student admissions.”

“Where is the university?”

Elijah pointed to a large building on top of a hill. “There.”

But instead of heading up the hill, the car turned and drove down the road that led to the lake. The sun’s reflection over the lake made Vero squint, and when the car drove down the road by the lake, Vero saw several magnificent houses opposite. The houses were a settlement separated from the city as if not part of Duradel.

“Those houses,” Vero pointed across the lake, “Do you know who they belong to? Has this village become some kind of vacation spot for the super-rich?”

“No, Miss,” answered Elijah.

Vero expected an explanation, but he said nothing else.

The car stopped in front of a red multi-story building overlooking the lake. Elijah came down and opened the door for Vero. “We have arrived.”

Vero came out and looked once more at the lake and the large medieval-style houses opposite, before turning and looking at the red-painted buildings that towered over and looked striking.

“You will stay here,” Elijah explained.

“This is… a dorm?”

“Yes, sort of.”

Elijah carried Vero’s suitcase and walked into the building. Vero stopped for a moment at the gate and read the writing written on the curved board above the gate.

Aeterna Nocte It’s Latin for Eternal Night.

Vero frowned. Quite an odd name for a dormitory.

They arrived at the entrance hall and the driver turned into a room marked administration room. There was a woman with black hair with very pale skin behind a long desk. The woman stood up and smiled. “Welcome,” she said. “Are you Verona Windward?”

“Yes, she is.” It was Elijah who answered the question. “On behalf of Mr. and Mrs. Windward, I’m sorry for this sudden moving.”

“No problem. The school year just started two weeks ago, so Ms. Winward will have no trouble adjusting.” The woman held out her hand, and Elijah shook it. When the woman reached out to Vero, Vero hesitantly extended her hand, and they shook hands. The woman’s hands were icy cold.

“My name is Felicia. You can call me Feli.”

“Hi.” Vero nodded and immediately withdrew her hand. Her skin felt stiff and almost frozen.

“I will finish the administrative matters in a moment. You can wait here.”

Vero and Elijah sat in a row of benches by the window. Vero repeatedly glanced anxiously at the door. Worry and fear came back to haunt her. Hopefully, her parents really can sort things out so she can come back soon.

Although the scenery in this small town captivated her, Vero wasn’t sure she would feel at home here because this place didn’t have the glitter of a big city that she used to enjoy. Vero would ask her father to buy or build a house here so she could come back any time for a vacation. Maybe someone sold one of the mansions across the lake.

“Ms. Winward,” Felicia called. Vero stood up and walked over to her. Felicia handed over a few pieces of paper and asked Vero to sign them, then she took the papers and handed her a key and a filled-out form, and a list of the dormitory rules. “Your room is on the fourth floor of building B. Meet the head of the dormitory there and give her this form.”

Vero nodded and thanked her. Before leaving the room, Felicia told Vero the location of building B and now Vero was heading there with Elijah. They walked down the hall across from the administration room, which led them to a garden with a path that ran down the middle.

Like the view of the city, this dormitory is also quite a treat for Vero’s eyes. She even hummed and was in a good mood when suddenly Elijah grabbed her arm.

“Ms. Windward.”

Vero stopped humming and turned to him. “Yes?”

“I have to get back soon,” he said. “We part here.”

Vero nodded, frowning. For someone who was bidding farewell, Elijah’s tone was strange and the look on her face was… terrified. “Okay,” said Vero as she pulled her hand so that Elijah released his grip.

But instead of understanding Vero’s movements, Elijah’s fingers tightened around her elbows, making Vero wince in pain. “Listen to me,” said Elijah suddenly. His voice was low and heavy and almost a whisper. He glanced around as if making sure no one else was around. “This place… this place is dangerous.”