Chương 43: Chapter 42: The Faceless One

"Why did it have to be Jack? Why him?" Evelyn clung to Alice, her voice half muffled with her sobs. Alice gritted her teeth and held Evelyn tight. What am I supposed to say? I don't know what to say.

"There are so many other people! First Marley, then Jack! It's not fair! It's not fair! It's not fair!" Evelyn burrowed her face into Alice's neck and wept. She slammed her fists against the bed sheets, her words devolving into unintelligible cries.

"It's okay. It's going to be okay." Alice cradled the back of Evelyn's head.

"No, it's not… they're dead…" Evelyn wheezed, her tears staining Alice's shirt. Alice glanced at the clock on her desk. It was already 8: 50 in the morning. Ten more minutes… what am I thinking? Forget about class, this is more important.

"We don't need to go to class if you'd like," Alice said. Evelyn breathed in, her feeble sobs quieting down.

"No…" she whispered.

"No?" Evelyn raised her head, looking up at Alice with her small, glassy eyes.

"They might think… something happened to us."

"Oh… right." Alice nodded, feeling a light pang of disappointment. Evelyn sniffled, rubbing the corners of her eyes.

"I should get going. I'll meet you outside my room." Alice grabbed a handkerchief from the bedside table and offered it to Evelyn.

"Here, use this."

"Thank you…" Evelyn wiped her tears away with the handkerchief. Goddess… I don't like seeing her cry. It hurts. Evelyn put the handkerchief back down on the bed and cast a soft smile.

"I'll get going now. Don't make me wait." She stood up from the bed and walked back out into the corridor. Alice let out a soft sigh as Evelyn closed the door behind her. I hope she'll be alright. She glanced at the wet handkerchief stained with Evelyn's tears. Without thinking, she held it up and pressed it against her lips. She took a long, deep breath, savoring the smell. What am I doing? I should get ready. She lowered the handkerchief and hid it under her pillow.

She rose to her feet and changed into a simple gray dress, with a pair of brown shoes. She looked at herself in the mirror and brushed her hair down, flattening the tangled and frizzy strands. After she was satisfied, she went out of her room and hurried down the hallway. To her surprise, Evelyn was nowhere to be found. I can't be… A dreadful feeling set in her heart. She hastened her strides, stopping in front of Evelyn's chamber door.

"Evelyn? Are you there?" Alice knocked thrice.

"I'm getting ready!" Evelyn's voice echoed from the other side.

"Okay." Alice let out a sigh of relief. I'm being paranoid. It's Evelyn. She won't succumb just like that. Alice leaned against the wall, tapping her foot against the pavement. I haven't seen my parents in a while… I wonder when they'll visit next. I want Evelyn to meet them. After a good while, the door swung open and Evelyn stepped out wearing plain pants and a buttoned shirt.

"We're already late. Let's hurry." Alice nodded, and the two of them went down the hall and quickly descended the stairwell. They made their way toward the classroom, passing by many ghouls and a few white-clad acolytes. Alice pushed open the classroom doors and stepped inside, drawing a few gawking eyes. Father Orlando let out a light smile of relief—maybe even joy—as she passed him by. Alice spotted two empty chairs at the far-left back row, and nothing else. Alice and Evelyn took their seats.

The red-haired girl instinctively looked to their side, only to find empty pavement. The classroom was sullen and silent, save for the children's light breaths and heaves. Father Orlando cleared his throat, hiding his hands behind his back.

"There will be no classes for today. All of you are going to be retested, using a different method." Some hushed murmurs and whispers broke among the students. Some faces twisted, others looked down and covered their faces, but most were silent.

"Hopefully it isn't as painful…" Evelyn murmured.

"We will wait outside the infirmary, and I will call for you in batches of four. I don't have to remind you to behave yourselves and remain quiet out there. Do you understand?" Father Orlando said.

"Yes, Father." A few voices replied.

"Very well. Get in line and follow me." Father Orlando opened the classroom door and looked back at them in expectation. The students formed a line, with Alice and Evelyn standing at the very back. When they were complete, they followed Father Orlando out of the classroom and toward the infirmary. It only took them four turns to reach the infirmary doors—three fewer than what Alice remembered the other day. Father Orlando stepped beside the doors, but his gaze wasn't on them.

It was as if he was looking at something else in the distance.

"The first batch will go in. Alyssa, Roland, Klein, Martel." Orlando opened the infirmary door ever so slightly. A blond girl and three black-haired boys of similar heights parted from the line and went inside the infirmary. For a second, Alice caught a glimpse of the sterile white tiles and a series of long blue curtains dangling from the ceiling. Orlando closed the door, sealing off the infirmary. Alice expected to hear screams and shrieks burst out at any moment, but there was nothing.

There was only silence inside. Some of the others began murmuring to each other.

"Do you think it's going to be painful?"

"It probably is…"

"Goddess… I don't want to be tested again…" Evelyn tapped Alice's shoulder.

"What is it?" Alice looked back.

"How long do you think it'll take?" Evelyn said.

"The last one was only a few minutes… but I'm not sure about this one," Alice replied.

"I'm praying this one is better," Evelyn murmured.

"Yeah…" Alice said. The method they used on me wasn't effective. Someone got through the gaps and succumbed. I don't even know who it was… A good ten minutes went by, and the infirmary doors finally opened. The girl came out paler than before, her eyes slightly reddened. The boys followed; one was clutching his chest, while the rest looked as if they'd seen better days.

"Go to your rooms and get some rest," Father Orlando said. All eyes focused on the four as they walked past the line. They said nothing, and they didn't even glance back at the others, as if they themselves weren't there.

"James, Rayne, John, and March," Father Orlando said. Four boys walked up toward the infirmary doors. Alice's eyes narrowed, recognizing the dirty blond hair on one of them. The rest had black hair, and she could vaguely remember their faces from somewhere. Wait, that's them. Those boys in the Garden. The one that Marley attacked. The four of them vanished into the infirmary, with Father Orlando closing the door behind them. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent.

Report any appearances on Amazon.

"It probably isn't so bad. Rayne looked alright to me," one of the other kids said.

"You said that last time," another one replied. Evelyn murmured, "Hopefully we'll go in the same batch. I don't want to wait for you. It's scary."

"I don't want to wait either," Alice replied. Another good ten minutes went by, and the boys emerged from the infirmary, each as sullen as the last. The first one had black hair, and the second and third ones did as well. The blond one never came out. Father Orlando closed the door. Evelyn's eyes widened in shock.

"Where is he?"

"Maybe he just got delayed," Alice murmured.

"Heather, Maria, Paige, Lauren. Get inside," Father Orlando said. Why did he call four? What about the other one? He's still inside there.

"Father, what happened to March?" A tall, lanky lass raised her hand and spoke out.

"When there are anomalies spotted, you will be transferred to another chamber for inspection. Don't worry, you won't be harmed. It's just for your safety, and for everyone else's." Father Orlando said.

"Get inside. The Healers are waiting for you."

"O… Okay." The tall lass approached the door and looked behind her shoulder, waiting for the others. Three girls stepped up, with the last having brown wavy hair. The tall lass sighed and led the rest of them into the infirmary. Alice glanced at the rest of them. Save for her and Evelyn, there were only three girls left. They all waited in silence, waited and waited, with every second passing like a minute, and every minute feeling like an hour. Eventually, ten minutes went by, and the door swung open.

The tall lass stepped outside, her eyes mindlessly staring at the open window in the back. Then followed the black-haired one, then the blonde, and then—no one. Another one. Goddess, that's two too many. Orlando peered inside and let out a sigh. Then he turned back toward them and called out, "Lara, Robin, Helena." The three girls went inside one by one. Father Orlando shut the door behind the last one. Only Alice and Evelyn remained outside. So two of them were taken away.

If this one is so effective, why didn't they use this before? The Clergy isn't stupid. There must be a reason, and they're not telling us. The wait was nearly unbearable. Evelyn grabbed onto Alice's arm, holding the younger girl tight and close, while the two closed their eyes and prayed in silence. Ten minutes went by, and the door swung open. One by one the girls walked out; the first came, then the second, and the third, and at last the fourth stumbled out, her fists clutched into balls.

They walked right past them, disappearing into the ever-twisting halls. Father Orlando left the door open and gazed at the two of them. He said nothing, but his intentions were clear. Alice took a step forward and felt a tug on her sleeve from behind.

"Alice… I'm scared," Evelyn whispered.

"It will be alright. I'll be with you," Alice replied. Evelyn bit her lower lip and nodded. Alice walked past the door and into an aisle surrounded by tall blue curtains on each side. A pair of ghouls armed with iron maces stood at the far back end, their dark gray eyes unblinking and unfeeling. The curtains to the right opened up, and Father Arno greeted them with a comforting smile.

"Are you the last batch?" Arno said.

"Yes, Father," Alice replied.

"I see. Don't you worry. This will be over before you know it." Father Arno walked in front of them, gesturing for them to follow.

"What's going to happen to us, Father?" Evelyn said.

"It will be just like the past test. The only difference is, you won't be tested by me. Rather, by the heart of a Watcher." Father Arno stopped in front of a curtained cubicle. He gestured to the tallest boy in the group.

"Come inside. The Healers will take care of you." The tall lad gulped and soon disappeared through the curtains. Father Arno led the second boy to the adjacent cubicle, and he emerged alone, his smile slowly fading.

"Don't be so nervous." Father Arno led them to another set of adjacent cubicles.

"Our souls are more sensitive. It's more painful for us. Of course we're nervous, Father," Evelyn said.

"You won't remember much of this in the end. Bear the pain, and you'll forget all about it after," Arno said. Evelyn let go of Alice's hand and said, "We'll see each other later, right?"

"Yes, Evelyn," Alice nodded.

"Okay, okay." Evelyn gulped and walked into the right curtains. Goddess protect her. Alice parted the curtains to her left and entered the cubicle. And for a moment, she stopped dead in her tracks. She met gazes with a thing wearing a hooded leather mask shaped like a large bird, with lenses covering its blue eyes. It was clad in a long white apron, draped over all-black inner wear, and it had thick blue gloves. Every inch of its skin was covered up. Alice wasn't even sure if it was a ghoul or a person.

A distorted yet distinctly female voice rang out from the thing.

"Do not be afraid. We've healed you before. You might not remember." Then Alice noticed the name tag on the thing's right chest. She was called Lydia. We? Another similarly dressed person stood at the back of the room and waved back at her like a long-lost friend. Her green eyes glowed behind her lenses. Her name tag read Michelle.

"Cut the chatter, Michelle," Lydia said.

"I was just trying to be friendly." Michelle snorted, rolling her green eyes. Alice's eyes roamed around the room, spotting a steel chair fitted with leather restraints in the middle, and the familiar Soul Testing machine at the back. But there was something else. A still-pulsating gray heart on an iron stand, attached to a flat metal disk that extended into a wide copper tube. The heart was as large as Alice's head, and it squirmed. That's the heart of a Watcher… Father Arno meant it literally.

How is that thing still beating? Lydia pulled the curtains closed, while Michelle fiddled with the machine and said, "Take off your top." Her voice was muffled by the mask. Alice gulped and unbuttoned her dress, then pulled her arms out of the sleeves, letting the cloth fall around her waist.

"Sit down," Lydia said. Alice lowered herself onto the steel chair, feeling the cold surface against her bare back. Lydia pulled Alice's limbs over the armrests and through the leather restraints.

"Are these really necessary?" Alice said.

"It is for your own safety." Lydia pulled on the restraints, locking them around Alice's arms. Then she grabbed the metal tube connected to the Soul Tester, placing the disk-shaped end against Alice's chest. A gasp escaped Alice's mouth as she felt a thousand tiny needles bite down on her chest, holding the disk in place. The nurse grabbed the other tube connected to the heart and went behind Alice.

"Move a little," Lydia said. Alice inched forward, her toes curling in response. She inhaled sharply as she felt a similar sensation on her back, a thousand tiny needles burrowing into her flesh.

"Operator. We will begin on three," Lydia said.

"Of course," Michelle said. Alice gritted her teeth.

"One." This is it. Surely it won't be more painful than the last one.

"Two." This is supposed to be better, right?

"Three." An ear-piercing wail rang out from one of the cubicles, making the first nurse look up in confusion. Goddess help me— Michelle pulled the lever down. Alice let out a bloodcurdling shriek and rose up from her seat, both her arms and legs flailing around in their restraints. An indescribable pain exploded from her chest, spreading to every inch of her body. Her scream rose to a higher pitch, and then her vision turned black, her voice cut short. A deafening silence came through.

She couldn't feel her arms or legs, as if her soul had been ripped away from her body. Yet the pain was still there. It was everywhere yet nowhere at the same time. It was so unbearable that her thoughts churned and slowed, turning into strings of nonsense and gibberish. Amidst the darkness, a faint light flickered in the distance. It was a tiny, barely noticeable dot, but it grew brighter and bigger as the eternities passed, as if it was approaching her.

After seconds or years, she could finally make out what it was. It was the blurry face of a woman, with long black hair and pale white skin. Her features were obscured by an ever-shifting layer of blurs. She was unrecognizable, save for her bright silver eyes that shone through the veil every so often. A disturbing blurt of static echoed into Alice's mind, repeating itself again and again like an ancient mantra.

But as time went on, Alice began hearing certain words, then certain phrases following the lines of static.

"Warn him… warn our Fa… Alistair… They know about the… Do not trust the Priest…" It echoed again and again, repeating itself without stop. Who… are you…? What… are… you? The voice halted, and the face stared back at her in silence. What… what… are you?

"I am… Alis… daughter…" In the furthest reaches of darkness, a bright wave of light surged forward, painting everything in its colors.

"I must… go… warn him… warn… Father…" The face vanished. Before Alice could question the sight, she was blinded by the white light. The pain faded away, leaving her with nothing—just a ball of crumbling thoughts floating about in a world beyond her own. Then she opened her eyes to a gray patterned ceiling. She rose from the steel chair, feeling the restraints tug her back down. With a pained groan, she looked about and saw the two nurses looking at a long parchment of paper.

"This isn't in the parameters. What is that?"

"I'm not sure, but it's an anomaly."

"Call for Father Arno." One of the nurses nodded and went out of the cubicle curtains. Alice looked down at her sweat-covered chest, noticing brown faint marks in the shape of the disk around the center.

"What… did you do…" Lydia went over to her.

"Goddess, you're awake. How do you feel?" Alice gasped and touched the brown marks on her chest.

"Dizzy…"

"Do you remember what happened?" Lydia said. Alice closed her eyes, but a sharp pain throbbed at the back of her head as she tried to remember.

"I can't… it… it hurts… am I… going to… succumb?"

"Just wait for the Father, child. Everything will be well," Lydia said. Soon enough, Father Arno pulled the curtains open and stepped inside.

"What is it? What happened?"

"She fainted, but there's something else." Lydia handed the parchment over to Arno.

"Do you know what that is, Father?" Father Arno furrowed his brows at the paper. All the while, Alice leaned on the armrest and gazed at the cubicle in front of her. Evelyn… But all she saw was an empty steel chair, lined with a light splatter of blood.

"This is within the parameters." Arno handed back the paper and quickly unstrapped Alice's arms from the restraints.

"Are you alright, my child? Can you walk?" Alice grabbed onto the armrest and pushed herself up.

"I… I think so…" She took three deep breaths as she stabilized her footing.

"You can go, my child." Father Arno stepped aside and gave way. Alice strode out of the cubicle and went down the long aisle, passing by the other two empty cubicles. They're all gone… Don't tell me all of them had succumbed? No… they said I fainted. Maybe they've already left. Alice pushed the infirmary doors open and saw Evelyn arguing with Father Orlando outside.

"That can't be right, Father. Alice hasn't shown any signs. I've been with her all the time! I'd have noticed!" Evelyn said.

"There isn't anything—""Evelyn!" Alice widened her strides, nearly tripping over her feet. Evelyn's eyes widened and she caught Alice in her arms.

"Goddess, what took you so long? I was worried."

"I'm fine… they said I was free to go." Alice breathed in Evelyn's scent and felt a wave of relief wash over her. Father Orlando frowned in confusion. He opened the infirmary door, only to find Arno standing right in front of him.

"Father Arno—What… what happened?" Father Orlando said.

"There was a slight malfunction. But she's free to go," Father Arno said. Father Orlando frowned but nodded without saying another word.