Chapter Three

Upon hearing the chime of the grandfather clock, I groaned and shifted in bed. Slowly opening my eyes, I sat up and directed my gaze towards the source of the sound. Rising from my slumber, I made my way towards the clock while running my fingers through my hair.

To my frustration, I struggled to locate a button that would silence the incessant ringing. The bell continued to sound, much to my dismay, lasting longer than a few seconds. Desperate for it to cease, I began to wonder why it persisted. It seemed broken, as it typically stopped ringing after a short duration. Letting out a sigh, I straightened up and narrowed my eyes at the clock.

It appeared that I would have to employ my magic to bring about its silence. Closing my eyes, I extended my hands forward and recited an incantation that resurfaced from my memories. The sound of magic reverberated in my ears, and a purple light enveloped the clock, casting flashes of illumination on my skin until the ringing finally ceased.

Upon opening my eyes, I crossed my arms and observed the clock for a few moments. "Hmm... I'll need to have my clock repaired later," I muttered to myself. Glancing back, I noticed the room bathed in sunlight streaming through a large window. A desk, a bunk bed, a bathroom and closet door stood in close proximity, all welcoming me to the new day. Everything appeared immaculately clean and tidy.

The only sounds that reached my ears were the echoes of students' conversations from the hallway. The fresh scent filled my nostrils, bringing a sense of tranquility, and the warmth of the sunlight touched my skin without causing any discomfort. Letting out another sigh, I spoke to myself, "Right now, I must make my way to class." As I headed towards the bathroom to prepare for the day, I knew that my thoughts were not solely focused on that task. I also needed to locate my former self and the young lady accompanying me, as well as uncover the identity of the murderer.

She must be somewhere around here. She must be. And I'm set on finding out the truth.

After preparing for the day, I glanced at the vacant bunk bed and let out a sigh as I made my way to the front door. The absence of a roommate made me wish for some company, even if just for a brief moment.

Upon stepping outside, I cautiously peered from the room and observed my former self leaving the dorm alongside another young woman, after checking both directions in the hallway. She was a stunning blonde with glasses and emerald eyes, my supposed roommate whose name I couldn't recall, a fact that I regretted. Watching them bid farewell and depart, I contemplated entering their room but refrained due to the presence of too many people in the hall. I needed to investigate when there were fewer people around. This was my chance to tail one of them, but the question remained - who should I follow?

Eventually, I decided to track my former self down and uncover the identity of the lady I had been spending time with. The other young woman could wait for another time. My current focus was to shadow my former self and gather any information about the culprit. It was imperative that I did so. As I pursued my targets, thoughts of where I had been with my murderer flooded my mind, memories of an event preceding my demise that had long been buried.

"Hey, Elona," the young woman who had taken my life greeted me.

"What's up?" I responded.

"Where did you find that?" she asked, her eyes focused on the special necklace as she heaved. "I've been searching for it everywhere."

"Oh, this?" I held up a blue amulet and presented it to her. "I stumbled upon it near one of the trees."

"Really? That's fascinating. I've heard that those amulets possess potent magical abilities.”

"Ah...quite fascinating," I murmured, my gaze fixated on the amulet before me. I pondered for a moment, contemplating the potential spells it could possess.

Curiosity piqued, my companion suggested a visit to the library after school to uncover its secrets. Agreeing with her proposal, I closed my eyes briefly and nodded in agreement.

Suddenly, my eyes widened as I realized I was in a classroom. This revelation provided a valuable clue about the whereabouts of my potential murderer. However, I was still unable to ascertain her identity.

This narrowed down the list of suspects to either the young woman I encountered yesterday or my roommate. If neither of them were responsible, I would have to gather more information at the library. My initial suspicion leaned towards the young lady from the past.

Shifting my attention to the lobby area, I secretly observed my surroundings, ensuring that I remained unnoticed while spying on her. I patiently awaited the arrival of my suspect, as I had yet to discover her dorm location. Finally, she appeared, and I smirked, rising from the sofa.

Now was the opportune moment to tail her discreetly. I approached them, eager to overhear the lady's name. As I drew closer, I strained my ears, but the conversation did not mention the amulet. However, I did manage to catch the name "Annabelle" being uttered.

So, this was Annabelle, huh? I hoped to gather some information about the amulet before the bell signaled the end of the period.

I continued to eavesdrop on their conversation, but unfortunately, no further details about the amulet emerged before the bell rang. Although this cast doubt on Annabelle being the murderer, I remained determined to gather more information about her before drawing any conclusions.

Upon finishing my breakfast and hearing the school bell ring, I ceased following the crowd and began my search for the bathroom due to the lack of an official class schedule. It was crucial that I kept my ability to create schedules a secret.

Once I inquired about the restroom's location from a fellow student, I made my way there. Upon reaching the women's restroom, I found solace in an empty pink stall.

Closing my eyes, I summoned the schedule into my hand. After reviewing it, I carefully folded it and placed it in my uniform pocket. Eager to leave the unpleasant bathroom odor behind, I hurried out.

Heading straight to class, I hoped to find Annabelle there. It would be disappointing if she wasn't there, so I needed to confirm her attendance myself.