The police reported the event as a murder-suicide planned by the cab driver on two random college students, a freak incident, but I knew it was far from that.
Arden was a Phantom Seer, but she didn't know it yet. Her reaction at Mystic was fair, considering she likely believed the Spirits to be apparitions made up from her own mind, but they were real. So real, in fact, that they possessed an innocent cab driver and attempted to kill her and her friend.
According to the nurse, Arden was recovering steadily from fainting, but I remained seated in the small hospital room while she slept anyway. After the event, I definitely owed her an explanation, but trying to begin explaining the reality of Phantoms was the reason why she ran away from me and got into that predicament in the first place.
I sighed, leaning back into the seat beside the hospital bed. Arden's jeans and shirt had been exchanged for a light blue hospital gown. Her long black hair flowed around her face like a halo, and her heart-shaped face remained relaxed as she slept. I remember initially groaning upon the assignment of my first recruiting mission, but upon seeing her photo in her file, my spirits lifted significantly.
"What landed her on our radar?" I had asked our intel specialist, Irene, a week prior and she explained how the Seer Agency had recently recovered documents from a psychiatric hospital.
"Amongst the documents was Arden's file when she was 10 where she described visual apparitions that line up with symptoms of high spiritual affinity. The doctors wrote it off as schizophrenia, but upon further investigation, we confirmed it wasn't."
Unfortunately, those with high spiritual affinity could go their entire lives without knowing they were a Seer. Like Arden's case, they were diagnosed with mental disorders such as schizophrenia or personality disorders, and as a result, suppressed their ability in order to not be shunned by society or succumbed to the apparitions.
Recently, it was learned that people have begun dying at a mysteriously high rate from Phantom-related attacks. The residuals from the Phantom remained at the crime scene, but were invisible to the naked eye. That was why it was important to find the existing few who were unaware of their power and try to recruit them, but how was I going to convince her about her ability without pushing her away again?
I didn't have time to ponder this question as Arden stirred in the bed slightly. She moved the stray locks of hair away from her face and rubbed her eyes slowly before eventually settling on me. Her brown eyes widened and she clutched her blanket closer to her.
"Where's Carla?"
Carla? Her friend? "Your friend is in the room across the hall, but she'll be fine. She believes she was in a car crash."
Arden's brow creased, and she scanned the room around us silently. "Was it not a car crash?"
I met her brown eyes that wavered slightly. I think she knew the answer, but my confirmation would make it all the more real. For a moment, I hesitated. I wished I could lie and say it was a freak incident by a crazy cab driver like the police report said, but more denial meant putting more lives at risk. I couldn't.
"No." I exhaled heavily. "And deep down, I think you know what really happened."
I watched as her eyes drifted down to her hands which gripped the hospital blanket tighter. "So, why are you here?"
Her voice was quiet and fragile. She stared with a blank expression that was nothing like the confident aura she portrayed at the club.
"To help you." That was a good answer, right? People wouldn't refuse help, and we were technically helping her. "There are others like us, and we can help."
Her brow furrowed slightly and I could practically see gears turning as she slowly processed my words. "But, I don't want your help."
I crossed my arms, leaning back into my seat. I figured she wouldn't make it easy. "And why is that?"
"I don't want to hurt my friends anymore. Carla, she could've-" She paused, choking up as a tear slid down her cheek. She grabbed the sides of her head and brought her knees to her chest. Her words were barely above a whisper. "I think I need to be put in an institution again."
I gazed down at the floor. For long moments, we remained silent. The only sound was the faint ticking of the clock hanging on the wall.
"It must have been painful being alone at that hospital." I said slowly.
She looked surprised, but didn't say anything. I continued, "This curse we have is one that can save people, depending on how it's used, Arden. As you saw, the Phantoms have grown strong enough to penetrate the physical world and other Seers like us have formed institutions to find ways of preventing further crossover, which is how I found you."
Arden's lips thinned into a hard line, and she wiped away her tears.
"The veil between the two worlds is lifting as we speak, so regardless of if you decide to side with the Agency or a hospital, innocent people will get hurt. If you learn to control this power, you can protect people, such as your friends."
Her eyes met mine. "If this is true, where is this Agency, exactly? And how come I've never heard of it?"
So many questions. They didn't teach me about this part at the Seraph Academy. I rubbed the back of my neck. "You will understand if I bring you there, but that would require trust, and I understand if you don't trust me."
"I trust you," Her words were firm for the first time. My eyes widened at her expression which was now rigid like stone. "If it means protecting my friends, then I trust you."
Huh. I underestimated her. I chuckled and crossed my arms as I rose to my feet.
"Now, that's the spirit."