Hannah and I entered the school complex together and stopped in front of a large map mounted on the wall.
"Looks like the principal's office is all the way at the end," she remarked, tracing the route with her finger.
"Guess we better start walking," I said.
As we made our way down the corridor, Hannah turned to me. "Say, Sansula..."
"Yeah?"
"Why did you apply to this school?"
I thought for a moment before answering. "I wanted to experience something new. Something different."
She tilted her head slightly. "And what was your life like before coming here?"
I hesitated. "I can't disclose that."
Hannah sighed, then smirked. "I already know you're a soldier. And that you've been assigned to guard Princess Maeve while attending this school."
I tensed. How did she know that? Had there been a security breach? Did she hack into the system?
"Hey, relax," she said, sensing my unease.
"Did you—"
"Don't worry," she cut me off. "I didn't do anything illegal, like hacking classified military files."
"Then how do you know?"
"Zipporah told me."
I frowned. "Is she even supposed to know that?"
Instead of answering, she grinned. "Aren't you going to ask why I applied to this school?"
I sighed. "Fine. Why did you?"
"Because I was bored and needed some excitement in my life."
I raised an eyebrow. "That's... an interesting answer."
"Let's get along, Sansula," she said, flashing a bright smile.
I returned it. "Sure, Hannah."
By then, we had reached the principal's office. I knocked on the door.
"Come in," a deep voice responded.
We stepped inside to find a tall, imposing man seated behind a large mahogany desk. Standing beside him was none other than Zipporah.
"I, Nathan Mazzi, welcome you both to Utrecht Metropolitan Self-Development School, Sansula Badila and Hannah Katz," he said. His voice was calm yet commanding. "Congratulations on your admission and on achieving perfect scores in the entrance exam."
"Thank you, Principal Mazzi," we said in unison.
"You're probably wondering why I called you here a month before school begins," he continued.
"Does it have to do with our perfect scores?" Hannah asked eagerly.
"Partially," he admitted. "You two aren't the only ones who aced the exam. However, you are the only ones who demonstrated exceptional intellect, character, and athletic ability. You both embody what every student at this institution should strive to be."
Hannah flushed slightly at the compliment. "Oh... thank you very much!"
The principal leaned back in his chair. "This school is divided into five ranking classes—E being the lowest and A the highest. But above them all, there exists a special, almost mythical grade: Class S, also known as 'The Classroom of Eden.' Only one male and one female student can occupy this rank at any given time. The two of you have been placed in Class S before the school year has even started."
"That's incredible!" Hannah beamed.
"But," the principal's voice turned serious, "with great power comes great responsibility. There is something I need the two of you to do for me."
I straightened. "What is it?"
"You have the option to walk away now," he said gravely. "To turn back and pretend you never enrolled. Because what I'm about to tell you—what I'm about to ask of you—is something you won't be able to refuse. Are you certain you wish to proceed?"
I didn't hesitate. "Yes. I have a duty to perform. Protecting the princess is my responsibility, and I do not abandon my obligations. A person who breaks their word is no better than a coward."
The principal turned to Hannah. "And you?"
She grinned. "This sounds like it could be interesting. I'm in."
The principal exchanged a glance with Zipporah before making a shocking revelation.
"The woman standing beside me is the clone of my late daughter, Zipporah."
Hannah and I both stiffened.
"I am a scientist," he continued. "And with my laboratory team, I developed the ability to create homunculi. The first generation consisted of eight individuals—all female. They were created using genetic material from seven infertile couples. However, there was an unforeseen complication... Each of them was born with a personality defect."
Behind him, a large screen flickered on. Images of seven young women appeared. My breath caught in my throat.
I recognized them immediately—my sister, Benesha. Princess Maeve. And alongside them... Mandane, Haniya, Eliza, Kayla, and Minah.
This revelation was far bigger than I had expected.