Annoyance tasted bitter. Just like the tea. Headmaster Gnight stood at his window, staring down at the courtyard. Cinder walked below, side by side with a blond haired boy. She hadn’t written once in her journal. Figures. Despite her anxiety, she was perceptive. Or maybe it’s what made her so.
It was me and the Headmaster only. Any other retainer wasn’t here. They were watching this new toy. Waiting to intervene when it was convenient. Fun. Damning. Headmaster Gnight didn’t hold an ounce of concern on his face. It even looked like he was having fun. Of course he was. He was working with a girl who was about to live in a wish she didn’t want.
“She’s finally starting to take strides forward.” The first story was both the easiest and most unfulfilling. Headmaster Gnight needed research. If the subject hit their goal in one attempt, it made for a small sample size. More tests, more trials, more data. Story one was made out of people drawn to the main character, if not those already in their circle. An easy story to start, even for the most reluctant.
“The plot is moving behind the scenes.” My nails dug into my palms, hidden behind me. “It’s unlikely she’ll make it past act one.”
“Failure can be the most motivating thing.” Would the Headmaster slowly shift the stories from Abigail’s to Cinder’s? I couldn’t comprehend the choice of her over the other. On paper, the two were the same. Undesirable traits and impossible wishes. One was willing to dive in. The other would be caught in limbo forever.
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“The villain is playing their part more than I expected.” People were unpredictable. It wasn’t outside the bounds of what we could handle. “I assume it’ll accelerate the time it’ll take her to fail.”
“A shame. She won’t get as much experience as she’ll need for the next one. And I’ll have wasted all my careful planning. I expected as much. She has no motivation thus far.”
“Is her friend not enough?” I’d assumed so. It was her motivation to be here.
“The assumption her friend is safe from harm’s way is enough for her. She’ll be fine as is, until she becomes sick of this reality.” How many takes would she need? How many takes would I need to oversee?
I kept down the ‘why’ in my throat. He had made his decision. I had followed it through. Cinder Chávez was his next tool. A girl so uninteresting, his watchful gaze made little sense. Those who played the part valiantly and perfectly had gotten less attention from him in the past. Especially at their start.
“Continue keeping an eye out.”
“As you wish.” I inclined my head, ready to leave.
He stopped me, “Before you go, I have a request. Ensure the other one doesn’t make too much trouble.”
The other one. It’d been weeks since we’d last spoke. A relief, really. “I’ll make sure to observe him.”
“Thank you. I’m sorry to put you in this position. I know you don’t desire it.”
“I desire whatever you do.” He dismissed me officially and I headed out. On the landing, I looked out. The once vibrant yellows and golds were becoming muddy from grime. The rain and dampness trapping the dirt as it dried.
The light was no longer filtering in quite so clearly.