"What did you just say?!"
Austin couldn't contain his shock. His blood turned icy, a sudden chill running down his spine.
The matter of him going to the Art Faculty Building, as well as the entire incident, was supposed to be known only to him. After all, it came from his dream. So, how did Alysia come to learn about it?
Did I mumble the entire event in my sleep, and Alysia overheard it?
But, such a coincidence was really unlikely, right?
So, was yesterday's incident real, and not a mere dream?
Which one is the truth?
Alysia grinned, watching Austin's confused face. "I said, it was a shame for you to leave a beautiful girl like me all alone."
Austin instantly snapped out of his daze, looking at her with a mix of frustration and helplessness.
Can't this girl be serious for once?!
He wanted to be angry, to yell at her like some domineering alpha male and demand an immediate answer. However, he had this strange hunch that if he dared to do that, he would regret his choice. Not to mention, the scene of Alysia throwing a knife earlier still gives him an unsettling feeling.
After all, for a person to throw a knife from a few meters distance away and have it embedded deeply into the concrete wall like a dart, they must possess inhuman strength!
So instead of being angry, he could only express himself with a mix of anxiousness and respect.
"Miss Alysia, you claimed to be aware of the entire incident inside the Art Faculty Building. Can I assume that yesterday's events actually took place?"
"Yup,"
"So it wasn't a dream..." Austin mumbled to himself.
"Heh, you actually thought last night was all a dream? No wonder you perceive us to be the strange ones." Alysia had a sudden realization.
"So, you did engage in a fight with that blonde ghost and... stabbed me?" Austin asked again,
"Yes, everything you saw was real." Alysia rested her slender arms on the chair's armrests, leaned her head back, and closed her eyes, appearing relaxed.
Although he had steeled himself for her response, her answer still managed to rattle him.
Ghosts exist. Entities resembling witches, like Alysia, also exist!
Holy!
This is such a big news!
The debate about the existence of magic has been ongoing for a long time. Some argue that it's pure fantasy, a product of imagination.
Some claim that in times when mankind hadn't delved deeply into science, anything unexplainable or anomalous was regarded as magic
Others claim that magic did exist in the past but has long gone extinct since then for an unknown reason.
In conclusion, the debate seemed never-ending.
However, today, he unexpectedly stumbled upon the truth.
Magic does exist!
The entire confrontation between Alysia and the blonde ghost yesterday served as evidence.
While it was not as flashy as depicted in fantasy comics, where witches throw fireballs or summon lightning bolts from their palms, it was undeniably still a bizarre experience for a mortal like him.
However, he soon catches something important from her words.
"Why?"
Why are you trying to kill me? Do you intend to silence me? But here I am, still alive. So, why?
He left the rest of the words unsaid, but he knew Alysia was smart enough to deduce what he was referencing.
"Why? Which one do you mean by 'why'?" Alysia inquired.
"Huh?"
"Choose one. The reason the blonde ghost targeted you or the reason I tried to kill you."
So, that's what she meant...
But can't she just answer them all?
How stingy!
"Then, I'll go with the latter," Austin responded after a moment of contemplation.
Alysia tapped her fingers rhythmically against the armchair and hummed lightly before answering. "Do you watch horror movies?"
"I do," Austin nodded, puzzled. What does watching horror movies have to do with me getting stabbed?
"Then, you should know what fate awaits those who fall victim to ghost possession," Alysia said thoughtfully.
"They get possessed and lose control of their bodies?" Austin replied, unsure.
"Yes, but the truth is more horrifying than depicted in those movies. Not only would the victims lose control of their bodies, but their consciousness also remains intact. Can you imagine it? When your body is no longer under your control, and you have no way to stop it from wreaking havoc. It's one thing if it's a stranger your body is affecting, but what if it's your own family?"
Alysia paused, her gaze fixed on Austin's face as it gradually tightened. She resumed. "You might be forced to kill your own family with your own hands, and all you can do is watch the horrifying scene unfold helplessly. While the ghost moves on to possess another host and repeat the dreadful act, you'd be burdened with perpetual guilt, haunted by your own conscience and judged by the world. You'd be remembered as the son who murdered his own family!"
"But that's not the worst part. What if the ghost chooses to spare your family? Consequently, they would not only have to coexist with this 'fake' version of you, but there's high possibility that they might remain completely oblivious until the end of their lives to the fact that the real son they brought into the world has long been replaced by a spectral existence!"
Although Alysia's words were all based on 'what if', Austin can easily imagine the horror through her words.
"So, you attempted to kill me because of those reasons?" Austin asked, his heart slowly returning to its normal rhythm.
"Yes."
"But I didn't die," Austin said, puzzled.
"Who said you didn't die? Well, to be exact, you had died once."
"Huh? But I'm clearly standing here, healthy and fit. My heart beats loudly too," Austin argued.
"That's because I resurrected you," Alysia responded lazily. However, before he could make any comments, she cut him off. "Explaining would be too much hassle. I'll just let you glimpse into my memory."
"Close your eyes," Alysia ordered.
Austin still felt a bit hesitant and concerned about Alysia's intentions, but witnessing her serious expression, he decided to relent.
This is for the sake of truth!
He finally closed his eyes.
After a while, he sensed a subtle shift in the air, signaling something drawing near.
Then, a gentle touch graced his face, soft and delicate.
It was a breath. A warm, alluring breath, carrying a captivating fragrance of mint.
Is Alysia right in front of my face right now?!
Afterward, he felt something gently poking his cheeks. It continued to graze over his face, and that's when he realized it must be her hair.
Then she continued closing in until their foreheads touched.
Thump!
Thump!
Austin felt his heart thumping loudly. He feared that if this continued, his heart would break free from his ribcage. But there's no way to control his emotions.
Therefore, as the distance between them closed in, his emotions became a chaotic mess.
He could feel something rising, but it's not a shield hero.
If he opened his eyes, would he see her alluring face in intricate detail, those captivating pink lips drawing nearer?
...
Just as the thought crossed his mind, he heard Alysia's voice, just an inch away from his face.
"If you dare to open your eyes, I'll make sure to break your legs, heal them, break them again, and continue the cycle for a whole day!"
Gulp!
Austin instantly shook that thought off his head and focused his mind.
After a few seconds, he sensed something.
It was his vision.
From being pitch black, it now blurred, akin to a TV finally tuning into a signal.
Soon, the scene changed, and Austin found himself back in the familiar hallway.
"Isn't this the hallway where I encountered that blonde ghost and got stabbed by Alysia?"