Chương 26: Chapter 25: Will a pig learn to fly?

After the blessing, the four of them went into the canteen and ate lunch together. The others spoke, laughed, and cheered as though nothing of the sort ever happened. Alice looked at her pale soup and bread, feeling a strange emptiness in her stomach, something that food could not quite satiate. Afterwards, they played about in the gardens, and this time Evelyn challenged Jack to a duel with sticks. Jack quickly shook his head and said, "Hell no."

"Why not?!" Evelyn pouted and stomped her feet. She then turned to Alice with an expecting smile.

"What about you, Alice?"

"I'm… I'm good," Alice said.

"Aww… no one wants to play with me."

"I think that's for the better," Marley chuckled. It doesn't bother them at all. Maybe it is normal. I probably shouldn't think about it much then. When evening came, they attended the last mass of the day and quickly returned to the refuge of their rooms. Alice let out a sigh of relief as she closed the door shut behind her. She patted flat her bed sheets and shook off any specks of hair or skin stuck to her plump pillows.

Her journal and the two books caught her eye for a moment, but when she lay down on her bed and spread her arms and legs, every atom of motivation evaporated into thin air. Oh… this feels good. I think I'll sleep early. I can always write tomorrow. She looked up at the bulb shining down on her and grimaced. Ugh… I have to stand up again. Or… She grabbed a pencil from her bedside table and flung it at the light switch with extreme precision. With a loud click, the light turned black. There we go.

Alice crawled beneath her old covers, clutching one of her pillows tight against her quaint bosom. She closed her eyes, letting the lull of slumber claim her. Just as her thoughts and musings faded away, a hair-raising pulse passed through her body, her own soul throbbing in response. What is that… She squirmed on her bed, gripping the pillow even tighter. The hairs on her skin stood up, and a prickling feeling prodded at her chest. Right when the sensation vanished, another pulse came by.

Her eyes shot open, and she looked around her dark and empty room in confusion. That's a spiritual pulse. Where is that coming from? After a few seconds, the same sensation pulsated through her body, entering through her right side. Her eyes flicked over to the right wall, squinting in worry and confusion. It's coming from another room. But it's… it's too strong to be one of us. I didn't feel anything like this during practice.

She bit her lower lip as it pulsated through her once more, her soul throbbing like a bell that was gonged. I can't sleep like this. With an irritated groan, Alice crawled out of her bed and opened her chamber door. She peeked into the dimly lit corridor, gazing at both ends and spotting not a soul. Should I? It's nothing dangerous, right? It's the Church… we're safe here. She reached over to her desk and quickly shoved a pair of silver scissors into her pocket.

Just in case, she thought, and stepped out of her room, gently closing the door behind her. She walked down the corridor, passing by many a door as she followed the spiritual pulse. I wonder if anyone else feels it. Or is it just me? If it's someone practicing, I swear to the Lady… She stopped in her tracks as it pulsated directly through her left side. Her head twisted, looking at the particular red door to her side. 101. Isn't this… isn't this Marley's room? Alice took a deep breath and raised her hand to knock.

It's alright. If you're wrong and he's asleep, you can just apologize. She rasped against the hardwood thrice.

"He… hello?" Silence replied, and soon the spiritual pulse also died. It's him.

"Are you… are you alright in there?" Alice said, keeping her voice to a minimum. A set of heavy footsteps echoed on the other side, and the door slowly creaked open. Marley peered out of the open gap, his face half shrouded in darkness. But amidst the shadows, his reddened, sunken eyes shimmered lightly.

"Oh my, you look horrid," Alice said without thinking.

"What are you doing in there?"

"Nothing. I was just sleeping. It's late at night," Marley said.

"No you weren't. That was you, wasn't it? I could feel a spiritual pulse coming from in here." Marley lowered his gaze, biting his lower lip.

"Evelyn probably felt it too. I couldn't sleep, and I was all the way at the end of the hall." Marley's head shot up, and his eyes widened.

"E… Evelyn?" He looked back into his room for a second, then turned back to her.

"Alright, get inside, but don't tell no one." He stepped back, fully opening his chamber door. This novel's true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. Alice went inside, and it was dark, nearly pitch black save for the faint moonlight trickling through the gaps of his velvet curtains. His room was no larger than hers, though it reeked of a certain stench she couldn't quite ascertain.

"So what were you doing here?"

"I've been practicing my spiritual sight." That was practice? Evelyn can't produce a pulse like that, not even me.

"I could tell." No I couldn't.

"But is it really the right time? People are asleep." Marley sat on his bedside.

"Mother told me that spirits are more active at night, and in the dark. We're Ghost bloodlines; we should be practicing like the dead. Not early in the morning." Alice furrowed her brows, looking at Marley unconvinced. The priest knows what's best for us. Why is he doing this? Marley sighed.

"Okay, you don't believe me. But I've been making good progress here, more than our morning classes."

"Don't you think this is a little dangerous? Maybe you should slow down and ask Father Orlando for help," Alice said. Marley gripped his fist and yelled, "Everyone else can already do it! I'm already slow as is!" Alice took a step back, her hand reaching for the scissors in her pocket out of instinct. Marley's face suddenly shifted, his muscles relaxing in regret.

"I… I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell."

"It's alright."

"I… I need to ask a favor. You could sense my spirituality, right? Could you… could you watch me while I practice? Tell me when it's going to burst, so I can control it." Marley shifted in his seat.

"You can't tell yourself?" Alice asked, her voice more confused than insulting. Marley chuckled and sighed.

"No… it's too heavy… too fast. It always feels the same; I can never tell right." Damn it… I'll feel bad if I tell him no. And if I tell him no, I don't think he's going to stop. And if he's not going to stop, then I'm not gonna be able to sleep. Alice rubbed her eyes.

"Fine… I'll help you." Marley's lips broke into a wide smile.

"Really! Thank you!" He lowered his head, almost as if he was bowing. What is he doing?

"I promise I'll repay you one day," Marley said. Are all nobles like this? They're strange.

"Enough of that, okay? Let's just get this over with."

"Right, right. Apologies." Marley straightened his back and took a deep breath.

"Ready?" Alice funneled spirituality up into her eyes, and the world turned a slate of white and black. Specks of blue light floated in the air, and fainter stains ran all over the walls. Marley was already covered in a faint, glowing hue of his soul.

"Go ahead." Marley closed his eyes, and a bright blue light began emanating from his chest, coiling up his sternum and then into his throat. It was like a miniature river surging through his body, swerving and twisting into his brain. My Goddess, how much spirituality does he have? Soon enough, Marley's eyes began to glow, his spirituality spilling out of his closed sockets. His face contorted in pain, and his legs squirmed.

"Wait! Stop!" Alice said. Marley opened his eyes, releasing his spirituality in a blinding burst of light.

"What is it?"

"I want to test something." She placed her hand directly over the flab of his chest. Marley averted his gaze, his cheeks turning slightly red.

"What are you doing?"

"I've got a good sense of spirituality. If I can feel how it goes, I'll be able to tell better." Alice said.

"Now do it again."

"If… if you say so." Marley gulped and closed his eyes once more. His chest shimmered brightly once more, and Alice felt his spirituality surging out of his soul like a thick flood. The hairs on her arm stood up, and her own soul throbbed, feeling the reverberations in the air. She furrowed her brows as it swept upwards, and his eyes started glowing like a pair of miniature suns. The spiritual flow never abated; in fact, it grew faster and stronger with every passing moment.

"You're using too much! Control it!"

"Control it? How? I… I can't—" Marley opened his eyes, releasing the pent-up spirituality. He heaved and looked down in disappointment.

"Damn it all, what am I going to do at this rate?" He then peered at Alice, almost like a child looking for an answer. I don't think I'd be able to control that either. Oh God, why is he looking at me like that?

"What if… what if you try making a seal around your soul first?"

"With my spirituality?"

"I don't see what else you could use."

"You can do that?"

"With yours, probably. My spirituality is thin and free-flowing, but yours is thick, like an unstoppable sludge of sewage." Marley's expression faded away.

"S… sewage?"

"Right, sewage. Since it's so thick, maybe you could wrap it around the soul's opening. Then make a small enough gap that just enough flows through," Alice said. Marley cleared his throat and took another deep breath.

"I'll… I'll try that." He closed his eyes and seemingly focused into his soul. Alice watched like a curious cat as she saw a light gleam in his chest and felt something rising and abating inside.

"Now… now what?" Marley said.

"Try using it," Alice said. Marley nodded.

"Here it goes." The glow in his chest brightened, and his spirituality squeezed out of his soul in a thick flow of energy, rising up to his sternum, then to his very brain. It was much more controlled than before, and it didn't seem to grow as time went on. Eventually, Marley's eyes shimmered a faint bluish light.

"Now, open them," Alice said. Marley's eyes fluttered open, his pupils widening and his mouth parting open in shock.

"By the Lady, it's working." His lips curled into a wide smile, which froze when he looked upon Alice. Then something snapped in his chest, and his spirituality spewed outwards in an unstoppable flood. Oh shit. Alice paled and deactivated her own sight, not wanting to see the resulting mess. Marley cried out in pain and covered his eyes with his hands.

"Fuck!" He gritted his teeth, tears flowing down his cheeks.

"Are you… are you alright?" Alice said. That's not my fault, is it? Marley heaved like a broken dog, and he looked away, out at the veiled window.

"I'm… I'm fine. I just got a little too excited."

"Do you… do you want to try again?" Alice said.

"I'm… I think I'm good for tonight." Marley rubbed his eyes and turned towards her, his whites turned a slight bleeding red.

"Maybe… maybe tomorrow? If that's alright with you."

"Maybe… let's see." Alice cast a relieved smile. I thought he was gonna die. I'd be in a hell of trouble if that happened.

"Thanks, Alice. I owe you," Marley said.