A Thriller Academy (Transmigration) - Chapter 2

Perhaps because morning classes had already begun, the corridor was empty, leaving Tao Lesi standing there alone to contemplate her life.

A cracked, grimy mirror hung on the wall. Tao Lesi walked over and looked at her reflection.

She saw a girl with delicate features, deep brown eyes, a pale complexion, and long black hair. She was dressed in an outdated, faded plaid shirt and a striped pinafore dress. Her appearance bore a slight resemblance to Tao Lesi herself and looked exactly like a typical victim from a horror novel.

Tao Lesi took a deep breath. Reading a novel for entertainment was one thing; actually becoming a character in it was quite another. Surviving after Hecate’s descent currently seemed like an impossible feat.

Maybe I should try to find a submachine gun and just mow down everyone in the school?

“Would you like to head to class first? After all, you’re the only student left in your major; skipping class wouldn’t be a good idea,” Aisibi prompted timely.

Tao Lesi felt that while Aisibi lived up to its name (S.B.), its words made a fair amount of sense.

A cardboard folder lay on the corridor floor. On the cover, the name “Dorothy” was written in elegant cursive—it must have dropped when she felt dizzy earlier.

She leaned down, picked up the folder, and opened it. Inside were several pages of sheet music with curled, well-worn corners. Tao Lesi scanned the notes; they seemed to be selected from Czerny 740 Etudes, along with a Scarlatti sonata.

The music looked… quite difficult.

Although Tao Lesi had learned a bit of piano, her level was only around “John Thompson’s Modern Course” Grade 3. As Dorothy, a student specializing in piano at this academy, her playing ability should at least be at an undergraduate level…

“No way, no way—is someone actually worrying about their professional skills instead of survival after transmigrating into a horror novel?” Aisibi mocked. “Don’t worry, you’ve already inherited Dorothy’s piano skills. Go forth with confidence.”

The music academy consisted of two buildings in a Bauhaus-inspired style. From the outside, they were grey and unremarkable. The building facing the street was for teaching, while the slightly smaller building behind it served as the student dormitory. Between them lay an open courtyard featuring a dried-up fountain with a rusted sculpture at its center. In reality, a massive secret chamber lay beneath the academy, laid out like a labyrinth. At its center was an altar—the place where the Goddess Hecate would eventually be summoned.

Tao Lesi walked briskly across the courtyard and entered through the back door of the teaching building.

The first floor housed the dance studios. Through the transparent glass panels on the studio doors, Tao Lesi saw a dozen or so students in dance attire doing stretching exercises. A lady in a long black dress walked among them, greeting them one by one.

“…Catherine, good morning, is your sprained ankle feeling better? …Good morning, Hannah, my dear… Morning, Shoshana…”

Tao Lesi stared at the lady in black. For some reason, she found herself unable to look away.

The lady was tall and slender, with her hair pulled back into a neat bun. Her high collar reached her chin, and her hemline brushed her ankles. When she walked, she moved with the grace of a crane, but when she stood still, she looked like a statue.

“Hello, that is the Principal, Hilda Stan. You may call her Hilda or Madam Stan,” Aisibi explained.

The novel mentioned that Hilda was originally a dancer, which was why she poured so much effort into the dance department, often teaching classes herself. Consequently, the dance students were relatively hardworking. As for the instrumental department, it was crudely divided into wind, strings, and piano, and the students were largely left to their own devices.

Hilda circled the studio and then retreated to a corner. As if sensing Tao Lesi’s gaze, she suddenly turned and met Tao Lesi’s eyes through the glass.

Madam Hilda was clearly no longer young. Time had carved distinct lines on her face, yet it had not diminished her beauty. She had a long neck and sharp, well-defined features. She looked calm and detached, showing neither joy nor anger, nor any emotion at all.

When those dark eyes looked at Tao Lesi, they seemed to see right through her. Tao Lesi hurriedly looked away, turned, and walked quickly down the hall.

She wasn’t afraid of Hilda Stan. In fact, she felt a deeper sense of interest in this woman—stronger even than when she was just reading the book.

The practice rooms were on the second floor. When Tao Lesi pushed the door open, the piano teacher, Mr. Judith, was standing by the window waiting for her, pipe in hand. He was a middle-aged man with a small mustache and a kind demeanor.

“You’re late, Dorothy. Still no news of Anna?”

“I’m not sure, sir. She hasn’t been back for two days,” Tao Lesi said. “I think she ran off with her boyfriend.”

“The boy from the cigarette factory?” Mr. Judith tucked his pipe away. “Well, I shall speak with the Principal about it. Let’s start the lesson; you’re the only student left now. You didn’t play well enough last time. This time, I require every note to be correct, and then we’ll increase the tempo. We’ll start with Czerny No. 31, shall we?”

Tao Lesi began to play. She found that it wasn’t very difficult at all; it seemed the original Dorothy’s skills were indeed solid.

At first, Mr. Judith stood behind her, beating time. Eventually, the tapping stopped. When Tao Lesi finished the piece and turned around, the room was empty. Mr. Judith had disappeared to who-knows-where.

It seemed that with one less student, the teacher had lost his heart for instruction.

Tao Lesi stood up from the piano stool and walked to the window. From this angle, she could only see the road outside the academy. A large building across the street completely blocked the view.

She could faintly hear the music and rhythmic counting coming from the dance studio downstairs. Since Shoshana was the protagonist, the novel focused heavily on the dance department. According to the setting, dance practice was usually accompanied by cassette tapes and a recorder; the school also employed an accompanist, Mr. Meyer, who only came once or twice a week. Right now, the muffled sound of recorded music drifted up.

To Tao Lesi’s ears, the music sounded incredibly modern, not like something for ballet. Could the dance department be teaching hip-hop or modern dance? Given the time period, hip-hop seemed unlikely…

Tao Lesi stood by the window, lost in thought as she watched the street.

The school bordered a road that was nearly empty. The morning sky was terrifyingly overcast, and the street looked desolate, with only a few pedestrians hurrying past.

Tao Lesi saw a figure appear behind her in the reflection of the window. Thinking Mr. Judith had returned, she turned around, only to be surprised by the sight of Hilda Stan in her black dress standing at the door.

“I asked Mr. Judith to step away for a moment because I wanted to speak with you,” Hilda said as she walked in and sat on the piano stool, facing Tao Lesi.

Tao Lesi leaned against the windowsill and remained silent.

“I want to talk about Anastasia,” Hilda said. “She has been missing for two days.”

“I believe she eloped with her new boyfriend,” Tao Lesi said.

Hilda shook her head. “I think she has made up her mind not to return. You are the only student left in the piano department now. I hope you will stay at the school.”

Tao Lesi didn’t respond.

Hilda’s presence was even more commanding than she had imagined. Although her tone was gentle—as if they were just having a casual chat—Tao Lesi felt it took a great deal of effort not to be silently intimidated.

“Are you afraid?” Hilda asked.

“No, I am not afraid,” Tao Lesi replied.

The two were silent for a moment.

Tao Lesi suddenly asked, “Madam, if it’s possible… could Anna… still be alive?”

Hilda raised an eyebrow slightly, showing a look of surprise. She took a cigarette from her pocket, lit it, and blew out a puff of smoke.

Why does everyone here love smoking so much…

But Hilda smoked with great elegance. Her movements were subtle, and when she exhaled, it was like she was wearing a veil of mist. She studied Tao Lesi through the smoke, looking pensive.

“My dear, I also hope Anna is well. Men cannot always be relied upon,” she said, the cigarette held between her long fingers. “I hope she mastered the piano, and I hope the same for you. When you have a skill, you will find that relying on yourself is much easier than relying on a man.”

Tao Lesi nodded.

Hilda stood up and walked toward the door, but suddenly paused.

“I have been rehearsing a new dance lately. The music is entirely new and there is no recording. I need a reliable piano accompanist. Mr. Meyer cannot come every day, and Mr. Judith’s playing does not meet my requirements. I had hoped Anna would accompany me, but she ran away. So, I would like you to try.”

“If Mr. Judith isn’t up to the task, I doubt I can meet your requirements either,” Tao Lesi said.

Hilda shrugged. “Mr. Judith lacks the ‘feeling’ I need. Because he is male, his playing is like a carpenter doing manual labor. I believe you should be different. After dinner tonight, in the dance studio downstairs—I’ll just take a little of your time.”

She opened the door and left, her footsteps almost silent.

Tao Lesi stood by the window, her mind struggling to catch up.

“What she just said… means what I think it means, right?” she asked Aisibi.

“Probably exactly what you think it means,” Aisibi said. “Meet me at the ‘shop’ after school.”