"Seekers!" Czar shouts, seated on a chair, and eyes drifting through the paragraphs transcribed on the Stella Empyrean e-book. "Come out now, the air is safe."
Kallias's hand stretches out and undoes the zipper of the tent. The four of them slip through the gap opening; their routine steering them to the lake a couple yards from here.
On the way, they pluck pure oranges infamously as Flavored Purified Tear from the bushes. Catalina resists the urge to try it, heeding the warning from Crescent Hunter that one would suffer the consequences regardless of their guardian traits.
'He described them as spiritual energy in corporeal form and if we digest it raw, we suffer raw pain,' she thinks, halting in front of the lake. The murky water is pitch black, a puff of inky stream rising along the edges.
"Have you guys come up with an answer for the exit ticket?" Rhea asks, crouching and extending her free hand, eyes trained on the water as she maneuvers it.
"Marking history," Kallias says. "If you don't leave a sign of your life somewhere in the Elysian Cosmos, then there is no proof you existed, therefore all that you lived amounted to nothing. Death is nothing. That's what Vienna means, I think.
Catalina shrugs. "There isn't a right or wrong answer. Shadeen just wants us to ponder it seriously and answer it seriously."
"So, I can use Kallias words and she'll let me go home for winter break," Calix concludes.
"I'm pretty sure Miss Shadeen will notice if we copy off each other," Rhea says, opposing any help. "How does one grow if they take short cuts to bloom?"
"You say that, but I am confident you'll be asking Catalina for help because you have no idea how to even answer it," Calix chides.
Kallias snorts. "You're the one admitting to the desire to use my words, so if anyone is asking for advice or help, it's you, brother."
Surveying Rhea craft water cups, Catalina takes hold of one as offered and begins to squeeze three of the Flavored Purified Tear into her cup. The plump fruit dissolves into seeds of light and transforms the murky water into a translucent liquid.
Drinking the fresh water, she tunes out the conversation with a saved memory of herself watching an anime about reincarnating as a slime. The rumbling ground alarms her, and she instantly pulls out of the memory.
Vines erupt from the giant trees, structuring into a grotesque creature, its form of sinewy tendrils as wide as a man's torso, with bark beige armor cloaking it. The historical being moves anomalously, a toxic mist leaving afterimages.
Its lengthy vines shoot out like a spider web, capturing caught-off guard seekers. In response, the first year's bodies begin to rot, thick blood sprouting from their features as they begin to wither. Their screams jolt everyone back to the present.
Temporarily startled by the chaos, Catalina body shimmers, her transformation into Absolute Defense, Vixen Reptilian Armor, however, before it can fully embrace her, a massive dark purple dragon soars down.
His guttural roar shakes the trees' leaves, chest swelling as his teeth ensnare the creature, releasing ferocious fire. The bright orange flames engulfed the historical being, its shrieks coming from the bark of the trees surrounding the seekers, bordering them in a valley of screaming death.
As the inferno rages on, the first year's retreat, grouping in pairs of five and forming spiritual barriers to defend against the blistering heat. Drystan Sagan wings beat, carrying him upward as he circles overhead. His eyes gleam with iridescence triumphant, narrowing on Catalina's form below.
****
For the next two hours, they defend against creatures and continuously withdraw into a haven tent every ten minutes. A gruffly bark comes from outside, followed by the swooshing of a rapidly fluffy tail spinning in circles.
"It's Lyrielle," Kallias says with a smile, opening the tent, and the shadow of a luminous magenta wolf looms over them; his flaming silver horns danced with shadows, while predatory black eyes bore down. He barges inside with a woof, licking Kallias's pale face, and drawing a joyful laugh from him. "Haha, you missed me, didn't you, boy?"
Woof! Woof!
"Class is over," Rhea tells Kaltain as the girl nonchalantly steps out of the tent, slipping her jacket off with a relieved exhale. "Sir Czar told me to tell you that he would like to help you find a divine companion."
Catalina slices her hand through her smooth locks and nods. "Okay." Damped hair bounces around her alluring features. She ignores the bitterness and envy twisting in her chest as her peripheral vision absorbs Lyrielle form.
Rhea gained an astral wolf as a divine companion, leaving officially a hundred first years without one yet. Catalina is one of those who still doesn't have one even after wandering the heavenly realm for weeks. It pisses her off more than anything at the current moment.
'Why am I so unlucky?' If she ever asked that out loud, she knew of all the answers she would get without being a seer.
It's a northern thing.
****
In the backdrop, the moon arose in the stunning dark blue sky streaking with fractured lights and glaring eerily upon the campus of Lightless. Its silver hue blends well with the red structures. On their way back to the villa dormitory, Catalina asks the creature living on Daruin Island: "Does the teal fog involve you?"
"Yes," it replies.
"Why?"
"I don't know. My information comes from the roots of this island and anything I don't know doesn't belong on earth or hasn't been repeated on the island."
"And the river of teal for spiritual energy?"
"River of teal? I don't see or sense divine energies at all, but perhaps it takes after me. I have been around quite a long time."
"Really? How long?"
Teal's voice does not echo in her head, disappearing as swift as it emerges without answering. Catalina sighs, a bit annoyed, when a gasp tore from Rhea's throat, drawing her attention to the side, witnessing a notification pops up on Rhea communicator screen, and
"What is it?" she asks dryly.
"A council member died on campus. It's said the body was found in the river on the east side of Lightless and is reported to have drowned because he was under the influence of alcohol."
Death is common in this era. The person delivering food to you might end up dead by midnight, or the person you're training with can fall to unpredictable weather. The person mentoring you could pass from a disease. Maybe even the person dining with you can die just as quickly as they meet you.
Catalina's hand lifts her chin, her expression thoughtfully. "Well, I'm sure plenty of people wanted the old man dead. Does it say anything else?"
"How did you know it was an old man?" Rhea asks indulgently, suspicion rippling in her squinting eyes. "It could have been Mallory Nioma. Or one of the younger ones."
She stops in her tracks, a soft laugh tumbling out in an uncontrollable rush.
Rhea halts as well; her face shifting into bewilderment. "Eh, what?" She folds her arms, struggling to make sense of this sudden change due to not feeling the girl's emotions.
"If I didn't know any better, I would think you're accusing me of murder," rebukes Catalina.
Rhea looks away, guilt tingling in her chest.
"Oh, my lord, you are!"
"No, I just know you're quite dangerous and mysterious," Rhea mutters, a wave of calm dispelling the knot in her stomach. With newfound confidence, she faces her. "Okay, so maybe. Yes, I am."
"Girl." Catalina snorts, exasperatingly pointing to her eyes, which ice blue hue remains unchanged. "My sight. I can see your phone right here. It's literally no trouble at all."
"Ohhh." Rhea cheeks heat in embarrassment, her eyes turning brighter, then she clears her throat awkwardly. "Sorry. I meant no offense—truly. I jumped to conclusions."
"You're reall—" Catalina stops mid-sentence. 'A dumb bitch.' She sighs softly. 'And I thought I was slow. Jesus.'
"It's okay," she reassures instead, sparing the girl an unnecessary vixen attitude. "I wasn't done reading it."
A harmless lie. Anyone in possession of heightened sight can read faster because they see the entire page with one glance.
Rhea nods and flashes an appreciative smile. The black device expands to a tablet size, hovering between the two to read.
We regret to inform you that a curfew will be imposed. You are to be inside the dorms at 10:00 pm and no later. If you are found past curfew outside, you'll be suspended for an entire week and receive a bad mark. Danger is clear as the sky at Lightless, but in case outside danger is genuine, we wish all students and staff to remain cautious.