CHAPTER 345: 345-WE LOST OUR CHANCE

Clementine:

We were in shock. Everyone thought we would come out of this nonsense now that we had been given a chance.

But when the headmaster announced that there had been one vote against the surrender, we all started looking around.

Our eyes landed on Oriana first. She was the only one who hadn’t been honest in a way that suggested she cared about anyone.

She could be vindictive, and she might also want to go back, probably to see this monster and seek its help.

"It has to be Oriana," Renee muttered from behind me.

Although I believed it, a part of me wasn’t sure I could truly accept it.

While everyone glared at Oriana, my eyes briefly shifted to Joshua.

"This is not fair. We don’t want to go back to North," Renee spoke.

"You were given a chance, and it’s ruined. If you want to reboot, you can use your second chance," the headmaster replied, and almost everyone started nodding.

"There will be no need," Ian interrupted.

As soon as he said that, I could already see that the others were beginning to stir trouble with him.

"Very well done. Then we will end this conversation here. Dinner will be served, you will eat, and then you will head to separate rooms," the headmaster announced, laying down rules as if nothing had happened, as if we hadn’t nearly reached the door before being pulled back.

Everyone looked defeated. Some glared at Ian for agreeing too quickly, while others had teary eyes.

And then there was Oriana, anxiously scanning everyone’s expressions, likely aware she would bear the blame for that one vote.

"Now, since there is a monster, Shadow Earth Eater, who controls minds and people, we don’t know if it has controlled anyone else," the headmaster said, his eyes locking on me.

I noticed the way others glanced at me and then back at him, trying to understand what he was implying.

"But it’s better if all of you sleep in separate rooms for your safety until we eliminate this threat. Have your dinner and then come to the main road. We will take you to different areas with separate rooms for each of you," the headmaster announced briefly before walking away.

Things were changing rapidly.

I began to wonder if we had made a mistake by openly declaring war against the ringleaders and the headmaster before gathering all the evidence ourselves.

Once he left, the ringleaders returned to their basement.

We were told to stay in the hall because one of us might be controlled by the monster.

The headmaster tried to make it seem like I was causing trouble, making others fear going north, but the others knew the truth, they wanted to go back themselves.

"Who could have done it?" Mira snapped angrily.

Everyone immediately turned toward Oriana.

"I swear I didn’t. Why would I want to go back there?" she protested.

I didn’t accuse her. I had my own suspicions.

"Clementine, you tell me. Do you think Oriana is telling the truth?" Sebastian asked, already shifting the responsibility onto me.

My eyes moved to the side, straight to Joshua, and the others followed my gaze.

"What did you vote for, Joshua?" I asked.

He lifted his head steadily and scoffed. "You already know. Why waste time asking?"

As soon as he said that, yelps and gasps filled the hall for at least a minute. That was how disappointed and upset everyone was with him.

"You voted against the idea? Why would you do that?" Renee questioned, disappointment and anger mixed in her voice.

It was saddening because we lost such a great opportunity to be released from this torture of going back and forth with the north and the monsters.

"Did you not lose the love of your life in the north? So why would you do that?" Mira almost screamed at him. But he looked unaffected.

I was disgusted and disappointed in Joshua. For an alpha, he truly had a stone for a brain.

"Exactly. I lost the love of my life there. I have no desire to stay alive. And in the north, I feel more connected to her," he explained, showing that he was still grieving.

He did not understand what he was wishing for, and sadly, none of us had considered helping him through his trauma.

If we had helped him earlier, he would not have jeopardized all our lives. But now he was the one who had taken the chance from us.

I was surprised when Troy suddenly spoke against Ian.

"And then Ian decided that we do not want the second chance," Troy stated, and the others began to hiss at Ian, giving him looks that clearly showed their disappointment.

I watched Ian, and it was obvious he had no intention of explaining himself.

It irritated me because I knew why he had done it. He had a solid reason.

So when he settled back into his usual state of not caring, I chose to speak up.

"We would have lost the second chance as well," I voiced, and everyone went silent, their eyes turning to me for an explanation.

"Do you not see? Joshua does not believe in surrendering from the north. If Ian had asked for an immediate second round, we would have lost our second chance too."

Once I explained, everyone started to nod and look at Ian with gratitude, except for my three mates.

They were still hostile toward him, and I could tell it was because of what had happened in the north, or what they had seen.

"And as long as I am alive, I am not surrendering," Joshua spoke. "You all have to suffer like I have suffered." He lifted his head, and I noticed a strangely comforting smile on his lips.

"I cannot believe I am finally free from the pain. The more you suffer, the happier I will become," he finished.

At this point, it felt like we were deep. Far too deep in all of it.