Once inside the building, Yuriel started inspecting the place. It was empty, silent, dusted, but well-maintained. At first glance, it would seem abandoned and not used anymore, but she knew that wasn't the case.

"This way." She gestured for Tachibana to follow, giving her a deadpan look.

Tachibana hesitated for a moment, then gulped before taking another step.

"How can you act so calm!?" she asked, scared. "This place is definitely haunted!"

"It's the Arcana club after all, that much is a given." Yuriel smiled faintly, then proceeded forward responding to her words.

The building, although small, was piled with multiple shelves and boxes that had not been opened for years. It was enough to conclude that this place had once been a storage room for school equipments.

Circling around the shelves, Yuriel finally found a cellar door that led to a basement. It looked much cleaner than the rest, with no signs of rust or any sort of deterioration.

Cautiously, she stepped towards it and knocked with her foot. They suddenly heard something, signs of movements, thumping, and inaudible voices.

Eventually, a response came: "What's the code?"

Hearing that, Yuriel didn't waste time thinking and knocked much louder. The basement went silent, then she knocked once more which seemed to annoy them.

The cellar door slowly opened, revealing a female student who had a tired expression. Behind her followed a young man, with demeanor that spoke elegance and mystery.

"Who the heck-!?" the female student shouted, before facing Yuriel.

She ignored her, then stared at the president whose lips is twisted into a wide grin. He looked at Yuriel in amusement, no doubt recognizing her.

"Miss priestess, you've come!" he greeted in a cheerful tone.

"The high priestess....." the female in front of him muttered, surprised.

Yuriel's expression twitched and she said: "Stop calling me with that nickname, please!"

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"Come now, as one of our members, you deserve a fitting name among our ranks." he replied, then bitterly said. "Although, it's just an excuse to hide the fact that you're a member in name only."

"Well forget it, I came here with a business...." Hearing his excuse, Yuriel can only shrug before turning to her side. "This is Tachibana Claudine, my recruited member."

The president stared behind Yuriel with narrowed gaze, asking. "Claudine of the Tachibana group, daughter of Japan's most famous corporation." He let out a forced smile. "What business do you have with my club? I mean, why join?"

Tachibana who had been silent all this time, sneered and glanced at the president: "Because it's the only way I can find you without being evaded."

"Hahaha, You flatter me." the president replied, then tried changing the subject. "Anyways, let's proceed shall we? This is not a good place to talk."

Inviting them to the basement, Yuriel and Tachibana was greeted by a chamber filled with strange antiques. There paintings on the wall, each quite distinct, but equally horrifying. The carvings and some statues were no better, making Yuriel question her choice of joining this occult.

Sitting in front of the president, Yuriel observed a few changes in his face. He no longer looked composed, at least, that's what Yuriel could see from the slight twitches in his expression.

"So... Your recommended member, let me think." The president begun, before receiving a cup of tea from his assistant. "Certainly, everyone hadn't found any recruit so where on a pinch. Right now, I'm in no position to deny someone..."

Tachibana's eyes narrowed, but didn't say anything.

"That said, your not willing to admit her as a member?" Yuriel says, taking a sip of her tea. "Why is that? Do you two have some sort of history?"

"As a matter of fact, yes." The president answers, grinning. "Are you curious about our past?"

"Not interested." Yuriel replied, then rose from my seat. "While you two settle this matter, can I go ahead and skim your archive."

"Your a member, so of course." The president replied, shaking his head in exasperation. "But, will you tell me why you recruited her?"

"......"

Yuriel didn't respond, then stared at Tachibana who blankly looked at her.

"Honestly, no idea. I can't even remember when it happened."

"......"

"......"

"......"

Both of them were left speechless, unsure how to react from her blunt and nonchalant words.

"Princess.... That was just yesterday! In the library!?" Tachibana exclaimed, visibly hurt by Yuriel's lack of care.

"Is that so..." Yuriel muttered, recalling the faceless girl she encountered in the dream. "I guess, that was her."

Meanwhile, the president didn't seem surprised, as he had always observed Yuriel to be quite forgetful. Often times, he'll find her in a trance, completely detached from the world.

"Sorry for brothering you then." The president waved his hand, then Yuriel proceeded to leave.

She went to the shelves, finding a series of books about the occult. Yuriel pulled one of them, flipping through its pages until she reached a certain point. The Arcana club, is a group that dealt with the secrets of the world, as it's name suggests. The president, Daryl Yang, was an enthusiast who poured quite the amount of money to spread his interest among students.

In fact, this building was owned by him, bought from the school itself. However, this club barely found success and only gathered around eight members in total. Each of them have a nickname, inspired from the tarot cards. Not to mention, all of them including Yuriel, recieved various boons that made their life easier.

If someone where to ask, Yuriel herself wouldn't lie and call this club a cult.

As she read through the books, Yuriel found herself unable to indulged in the wonders of mysteries. Yuriel could still overhear the conversation between Tachibana and the club president, not that she cares what they're talking about.

From the looks of it, that seems to be the business of the elite class. Yuriel didn't know much about the president, not his background or relationships. Though, she had once speculated his origin as being a chiness mafia which Yuriel genuinely believes.

Considering this is a prestigious international school, he isn't alone with a powerful background. Tachibana is one of them, and there are also foreigners from other countries, both elite and extraordinary. As for how she got here, Yuriel herself is excellent in academics, though, it's mostly because of her father's connections.

"Ah.... Well, I'd rather not get involve with them." She exclaimed, then continued reading through the collection.