Chương 40: Chapter 39: The Bond Between The Girls

Amidst pure darkness, two particular voices echoed around her. Both were men, and one was more familiar than the other.

"How is she?"

"She is healing quickly. Too quickly. There's not even a single scar on her chest. It's… unnatural."

"The healers must have healed her well. She's also a Ghost; that's normal."

"No, not for someone her age. Regeneration is a very painful and time-consuming thing to master. But her body already knows how to heal itself. You can't practice something like that. Are the other children like this as well?"

"You think we've tested their regeneration? Of course not. We don't know."

"Then you ought to do it soon. If it's because of the awakening… it won't be good news."

"And if it's just her?"

"Maybe good, perhaps not. Keep an eye on this one, Father Arno. Imagine how much damage she could cause if she succumbs."

"I'd rather not dwell on the thought." Alice fluttered her eyes open, and she was blinded by an intense blue light. She groaned as her sight acclimated to the brightness, revealing her surroundings inch by inch. She caught a blurry figure of a man wearing a long black robe, with a pair of round eyeglasses resting on his nose. Next to him was a hunched thing, clad in red robes and a steel black mask.

"She's waking up," the black-robed man said. Is that… Father Arno? Who… who is that beside him? The man in the black robe leaned forward, and it was indeed Father Arno.

"You're awake. Can you hear me?"

"Where… where am I?" Alice croaked.

"You're beneath the Cathedral. Do you recognize me, Alice?" Arno said.

"Ye… yes… you're… Father Arno…" Alice narrowed her eyes at the masked man.

"Who… who is that?"

"That is Gerald. He was the one that saved you," Arno said.

"Sa… saved me? I don't… what… what happened?" Alice's eyes darted to the large iron cabinets surrounding her, and the many steel tables scattered around the room. She could see pale rotted feet poking out of cloths and blankets, and she smelled the familiar stench of formalin in the air. Am I in a morgue? She looked down, finding herself stripped bare to the skin. Arno frowned at Gerald for a moment, before turning his gaze back to Alice.

"What do you remember last, Alice?"

"I… I was in the Garden…" Alice furrowed her brows, struggling to make sense of it all.

"And why were you there?" Arno said. Alice's eyes widened, as a familiar chubby face appeared at the back of her mind.

"Marley. I was there for Marley."

"And what happened after that?" Arno said. Alice drew in a cold breath and looked at her poor pale hands. A vision appeared in her mind, of her striking Marley's head again and again with a piece of rock, his limbs twitching with every hit. She could hear the squelch, and smell the stench of blood flowing down her lungs once more.

"I… I killed him, didn't I?"

"Why did you kill him?" Arno said.

"Because he succumbed. He tried to hurt me," Alice said without hesitation. It's not my fault. He was already like that when I arrived. He was… he was a good friend… and I… I killed him. No, Marley was already dead by then. That was something else wearing his skin and flesh. An unnatural wave of relief washed over her body, soothing her trembling thoughts. Why am I so calm? Shouldn't I feel something? Arno looked at Gerald again for a second. The masked man wrote something down in an old, worn-out notebook.

"I'm going to ask a few questions, and then you'll undergo spiritual testing. Do you understand?" Arno looked down on her, his eyes small and accusing. That look… does he think I'm going to succumb?

"Where were you before you went into the Garden?" Arno said.

"I was in my room, sleeping."

"Then why did you leave?"

"I felt a spiritual pulse. I knew it was Marley, and something felt wrong. I went to his room, but I didn't see anyone there."

"How did you know it was Marley?"

"We've… we've been practicing at night. He was in a bad mood, so we stopped early. I knew it was him because I've felt his pulse before." Did our practicing affect his soul? It couldn't be… something else must have triggered it.

"We found a pair of scissors on you. Were you intending to kill Marley?" Alice shook her head.

"I… I didn't know he was succumbed, but I was still scared. I just wanted to check on him. But when I found him, he was already… already gone." She looked down.

"You are very lucky." Gerald spoke, his voice low and gravelly.

"It had already killed two other children by then. If things had gone slightly differently, you would have been the third." Right… there were two bodies… I was about to run, but one of them got Marley's attention. Arno placed his palms on his knees and sighed.

"You should have called for an acolyte, or even a ghoul." Alice bit her lower lip and stayed silent. Goddess, I'm going to be punished.

"That will be all our questions for now. Can you stand up, Alice? We're going to test you now," Arno said. Alice took a deep breath and swung her legs over the edge of the steel bed. She planted her feet on the ground and stood up, grabbing the edges of a nearby table for support.

"I can walk…" She wobbled for a few seconds before stabilizing herself.

"Gerald. Help her," Arno said. Gerald shook his head.

"You should probably do it." Arno curled his arm around hers, helping her up.

"Come now. It's just in the other room." They walked down the center aisle and into an adjacent chamber. There was a metal chair in the middle, and a strange boxy machine with numerous buttons and switches on the side. Its top was hollowed out, revealing a roll of paper wrapped around a long metal cylinder on the inside. A tiny metal arm that ended in a needle point hovered inches above it.

"Sit right there," Arno said.

"What are you going to do to me?" Alice clenched her fist and looked at the metal chair. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. That doesn't look safe.

"We'll be testing your soul fluctuations. It will be quick, hardly a minute." Arno's lips curled into a comforting smile. Gerald went over to the machine, and flicked a few switches and turned a few knobs, and soon enough the silent metal box whirred to life. With a gulp, Alice sat down on the chair, feeling the cold steel against her buttocks. Arno opened up the side panel of the machine and pulled out a small disk attached to a long metal coil.

As he walked up to her, the coil stretched out and turned, as though it was connected to the very innards of the machine.

"Will this be painful?"

"Very," Gerald said.

"But it will be quick. It will be over before you even know it." Arno pressed the metal disk against her chest. Alice let out a soft gasp as she felt hundreds of tiny needles plunge into her skin, locking the disk in place. Arno went behind her, planting both his palms on her back, right below her nape.

"Is everything ready, Gerald?"

"Yes. We can start," Gerald said.

"Are you ready, child?" Arno said. I don't think I have a choice to be. Alice nodded without saying a word.

"One. Two. Three. Now." Arno sent a spiritual pulse through her back. Alice's eyes shot wide open and her legs rose upward and stiffened. She gasped as an agonizing pain swelled within her chest, spreading out to every inch of her body within seconds. She wanted to yell, but only a light croak escaped her lips. Help me! What are they doing to me?! Alice shut her eyes and peered deep into her soul.

Tides of bright blue light surged across the surface of her vessel, crashing into the thin and frail walls again and again. She could hear it creaking, as though it was about to crack at any given moment. Alice gripped the armrests and opened her eyes again. The tiny arm on the machine swerved up and down, writing oscillating waves on the parchment in bright red ink. The corners of her vision darkened, and she felt her grip loosen.

"It's done!" Arno removed his hands and yanked off the metal disk from her chest. Alice's legs fell limp, and she looked up at the cold white ceiling with a breath of relief. It's over… finally over…

"How are you feeling?" Arno said.

"It was painful." Alice groaned and reached for her chest. Though there wasn't any trace of the disk, she could still feel a faint coldness seeping into her skin. She looked back at the machine, and the arm stopped moving. Gerald grabbed the ends of the roll and slipped it out from above the cylinder in one smooth motion. He laid the paper flat on a table, his dim green eyes glazing over it in silence.

"What does it say?" Arno walked over to him.

"Her fluctuations are very high, but not outside the norm. Her average is around 155, and her lowest is 120. The highest is 180… no, it's 190."

"That's good to hear," Arno smiled in relief.

"What does that mean?" Alice raised her brows.

"It means you're safe, at least for now," Arno said.

"I could tell from your expression. I meant the numbers. What do they mean?" Alice replied.

"The machine records the fluctuations of your soul. If the difference between the lowest and the highest is more than a hundred, that means there's a severe abnormality. It could be a parasite, a curse, or… a possible succumbing," Arno said.

"So… what happens now?" Alice's lips curled into a frown. Arno reached into an upper cabinet, grabbing a familiar set of clothes and placing it on the table.

"You're free to go. Father Orlando might have some questions for you tomorrow."

"Do… do the others know?" Alice murmured. Arno paused for a second before nodding.

"They're aware."

"I… I see." Alice looked out of the door, feeling a foreboding feeling emerging within her chest. What would Evelyn think? I know Marley was already gone when I got there… but would she even believe me? Goddess, I don't even want to imagine… Alice rose to her feet and wobbled, as though her knees had turned into jelly.

"Easy now." Arno extended his arms, preparing to catch her.

"I'm alright." Alice took a deep breath and walked over to her clothes. It was a simple garb, composed of a loose linen shirt, pants, and plain old black underwear. She slipped into her clothes, patting down the creases along her flat chest.

"I can come with you, if you'd like," Arno said, his lips curling into a knowing smile. I don't want to attract any more attention.

"It's fine, I can get there by myself. And… thank you, Father."

"It is my duty," Arno said.

"And to you as well." Alice lowered her head toward Gerald. Gerald nodded.

"Good, good. You'd have died if not for me."

"I'll be going now." Alice murmured and went out of the front door. Her eyes widened as she looked up at a long and dark stairwell, with steps so tall each one nearly reached her ankles. She gritted her teeth and looked back at Father Arno.

"On second thought… perhaps you could help me." Arno let out a soft laugh.

"Very well. We'll take it slow and steady now." He walked beside her. Alice latched onto Arno's arm as they began hobbling up the stairs, step by step.

"Did anyone else die, Father?" Alice said.

"There were two others. Brian, and Marius." Alice nodded without saying anything else.

"Did you know them?"

"No. I didn't. Father… was it my fault that Marley succumbed?" Father Arno shook his head.

"It wasn't your fault. It couldn't be. It lies in us, child."

"It wasn't Marley that I killed… right? He was already gone by then… the book said when people succumb they die, and something else takes over their body." Arno paused for a second and nodded.

"That's right, child. You didn't kill Marley. There's no going back from an extreme succumbing like that." Evelyn understands… right? She won't hate me for this… Alice breathed in relief as they reached the end of the stairwell. She emerged into a long hallway, and she hurried over to the first window she saw. To her surprise, the skies were nearly pitch black, and the moon had long risen above them.

"How… how long have I been asleep for?"

"Three days." Alice gasped and stepped away from the window.

"That long?"

"You were badly injured when I took you in. Our healers are not miracle workers. Some of them even thought you'd never wake up." Alice held her hand over her chest and felt a light chill run down her spine. I was really about to die back then. Arno patted her back.

"Don't worry. You're fine now. Get a good night's rest and you'll be good as new in no time."

"If I died, would I go to Heaven, Father?" Arno smiled back at her.

"I think you would." He turned around, extending his arm once more.

"Let's get going, child. There's still another stairwell to conquer." Alice dryly laughed and grabbed onto his arm again. They walked down the hall, then another set of stairs to the dormitory wing. There was hardly a soul along the way, nothing but the spare ghoul servant, which hardly even had one in the first place.

"I can walk from here, Father," Alice said.

"Be careful from now on. If there's anything wrong, come to me immediately."

"I understand. Thank you again." Alice lowered her head.

"No need for that, child." Arno turned around and walked down the stairs, waving his hand back at her. He's a good person. I think I can trust him. Alice took a deep breath and made her way to her chambers. Thank Death, it's night. Everyone's already asleep. I can just sneak in, and deal with my troubles tomorrow. She pushed open her chamber door and instantly stopped dead in her tracks. Evelyn was lying on her bed, pressing her face against the bed sheets for a long and hard smell.

"E… Evelyn?" Alice gulped. Evelyn's back shot up straight, her pupils widening as she still gripped the ends of the white sheets.

"Alice? Is that really you?"

"Yeah…" Alice instinctively took a step back. Evelyn jumped off the bed and broke into a sprint, pulling Alice into her arms for a warm and deep embrace.

"I was so worried. Thank the Lady you're alright." She's… she's not angry?

"What are you doing in my room?" Evelyn pulled away and looked back at the bed, her cheeks turning a slight red.

"I was… I was waiting for you. But never mind that." She turned back her head and began walking in circles around Alice, as if taking in every inch of her.

"Are you alright? Are you hurt any—""I'm fine, really. The priests took good care of me."

"That's good. That's good." Evelyn breathed in and sat back down on the bedside. Alice closed the door behind her and sat down beside Evelyn. She looked at the older girl's face, noticing faint yet dark circles growing around her eyes, and her skin seemed a tad paler than before. She hasn't been sleeping. Is it because of me? Evelyn grabbed the frills of her dress and murmured, "Sorry for all of that. I was just worried… I didn't know when you'd get out. Father Orlando wouldn't tell me anything."

"I'm fine, I promise." Evelyn inched closer to Alice.

"I couldn't believe it when I heard the news. That Marley… Marley succumbed… and killed two of those boys… and nearly you too. Could you… tell me what really happened? Is it true?"

"I thought you already knew."

"Father Orlando barely spoke of it. He didn't want to tell us." Evelyn shook her head. So she doesn't know… she doesn't know that I killed Marley.

"After we stopped practicing, I went back to bed. I think… about an hour passed, and I felt his spiritual pulse come in. Again, and again. Did you feel it too?"

"I think I did."

"I checked on him, but he wasn't in his room. I looked out the window and saw those boys still hanging out by the tree. I thought of something horrible, so I ran. I ran as fast as I could to warn them. But when I got there…" Alice gripped the end of her bed.

"I was… too late." She looked back at Evelyn for a second. Her face was so quaint, so small, and her doe-like eyes were so precious. She doesn't need to know.

"One of the ghouls saved me." Evelyn grabbed Alice's arm and leaned against her.

"Why'd it have to be Marley? He didn't deserve that. He didn't deserve any of that."

"I don't know… I don't know… I'm sorry…" Alice gulped. Marley was already gone by then. It was a monster, wearing his skin.

"You didn't do anything wrong." Evelyn gripped Alice's arms tighter.

"I'll… I'll miss that fat bastard." Evelyn gulped, tears swelling in her eyes.

"I'll miss him too… he was a good friend." Alice murmured. I will won't I? But why do I feel so calm? Is this normal?

"It's scary… what if someone else succumbs? What if this happens again?" Alice instinctively reached out and clutched the back of Evelyn's head.

"The priests will protect us." Evelyn sniffled.

"They'll protect us…" She repeated softer, burying her face into the nook of Alice's neck. She doesn't need to know.

"Hey, Alice…" Evelyn whispered.

"What is it?" Evelyn pulled back, tears running down the corners of her eyes.

"Can I stay here for a bit?"

"You can sleep here if you'd like." Alice smiled, wiping the tears away with her hand. Evelyn embraced Alice again, tighter than ever before.

"Thank you…"