The weeks of winter break had passed. Snow still befell the school heavily as a few inches of snow had nestled on the ground. And it was still december. For an odd reason, the winter season starts at november. And it ends in march. So the break lasts only two weeks. From November thirty to December fourteen.
The process of choosing the security force weapons had gone excellently. They all have their preferences of weapons now. And coming in with perfect timing with the Magic path invitation that almost every year one student had received. Due to all of their excellent performance in surviving the tournament, many of them had attained an invitation.
The person who had the most invitations to many magic paths was Zhu. With over two hundred invites to so many unique paths. The whole year and almost all the teachers were shocked and happy for her. In the end, she chose the magic path of the flowing stone.
So far there was equal progress on both sides of the security force. An alliance with the smithers was successful. They have a garden going and soon a room for brewing potions.
And on the side of the soldiers of Hanlerk. They had gained some crucial information. Urkum's coil entrance is present in this country. And that's already bad news. It's for certain that the Red Hand seeks for the entrance. They had come closer to achieving their goals. And so did the Red Hand.
Since class had started, the trio was separated from the others. Aurora was settled into the Zyortis class while Karasu was settled into the Grinshar class. Which does propose some problems. But then there's another small problem that has arisen.
The trio was settled in math class with Mrs. Scott, while they discussed about the problem, "Fucking ghosts..."
"Whatta ya mean?" Donovan asked Gary.
"Ever since school started again, there's been rumours of a ghost lurking in the building. Who always stayed in the class of Silkaneth. Madhav said that he encountered said 'Ghost'." Gary said.
"Ghosts don't really exist." Samuel stared at the math board, "If they do, I would have spotted them by now."
"Course you would mate." Gary chuckled, "Madhav said that the ghost was a 'confusing one'. They couldn't discern any visible or concrete appearance of them. Some said that it looked like a woman, then some a man. Anytime they tried to approach it, it sort of disappeared. Like poof."
"Poof..." Samuel repeated. While he was listening in on the conversation, his mind was elsewhere. On someone. Rovanne. Even as the weeks passed, he tried to keep his attention towards the mission, but he couldn't help but change that focus towards the raven girl. Her purple eyes, lush black hair. Due to his eyes, he could see her appearance in a more meticulous way, and sees her as perfect.
He was so focused on thinking about her that he didn't notice Gary and Donovan calling out to him, "Earth to Samueeeel...?"
"Huh? What?"
"Bro, you good? You just spaced or something?" Donovan mentioned.
"Yeah I'm good. It's just about the raven girl..." Samuel said.
"Rovanne?" Donovan and Gary looked at each other, a sly glint shined in Gary's eyes, "What about her Sammy?"
"It's just that she's so cool. Like...Like she's like Spider-Man. Path of the binder can be used like Spider-Man and stuff. And...And the fact that she can turn into ravens. It's awesome! A-And like...purple eyes are so cool. I uh..."
"Liiiiike herrrr...?" Gary scooted closer to Samuel with a smug smirk.
"What?! No!" Samuel spoke outloud.
"Shhh! Quiet you three!" Mrs. Scott told the three off, "Focus on class!"
"Sorry miss!" Donovan reassured the teacher. She continued to face the board again, "Keep your voices down..."
"Sorry..." Samuel whispered, "But I do not like her!"
"You sure 'bout that?" Gary nudged him, "The way you talked about her man...ooooooh baaaaby. My boy is gon' get a girl. I thought I'd never see the day..."
"Shadaaaaap..." Samuel kicked Gary's shin.
Donovan shushed both of them, "Lower your voices...But come on Sammy, it's obvious man. Take the leap and go for it."
"Go for whaaat?"
Both Gary and Samuel palmed their faces, "Go ask her out mate." Gary said, "You like her man, take the leap."
"I can't Gary. What if she says no? Then I'll look like a complete fool." Samuel held his head in his hands, "I'm ugly as shit as well."
"Ah don't say that man. Mate, if I can land Aurora. You have a way better chance than me. And Donovan especially." Gary nudged Donovan's leg, "I'm surprised you ain't got anyone yet. Especially not back home."
"The girls there are just not it mate. They're either batshit crazy, or just...I dunno man. I don't like anyone from there. And I doubt they like me." Donovan said, "Can we not talk about this? We gotta focus on two things right now."
"Which is?"
"The artifact that Sammy...Y'know. And the so-called 'ghost'." Donovan fixed the hat on his head, his body is mostly healed now, he can fight like normal, it's just that his magic is still not fully recovered yet. He exhausted it way too hard in the tournament, "They had requested the security force to deal with it somehow. Honestly, I don't think the others can do it but us."
"Wonder what it's up to now..."
***
The Silkaneth class currently had an unexpected guest. Sitting in the top corner of the room, a blurry mirage of a figure sat quietly. Their hand holding a pencil and notebook infront of them. Most of the students were unnerved by this figure. Especially Madhav who was sat a few meters away from him. The teacher attempted to calm them down by making them focus on the work on the board.
But Madhav could not shake an odd feeling out of his body, he felt as if the ghost was staring at him specifically, "A damn Bhūta...I knew there had to be a student who died here..."
All of the sudden, the blurred figure stood up from its chair. Everyone in the class turned around as it slowly walked towards someone. Madhav. Madhav stood up from his chair and spun towards it, "Om nama shiva!" Madhav held his hand out, trying to utilise a recently learned spell from his magic path of the lightbender. A bright light emerged from his hands and blinded most of the class.
As the light died down, the figure had disappeared. While the class recovered from Madhav's light spell, he noticed that a flower was nestled in his palm. A lotus flower, "Didn't do this the second time..."
The ghost didn't disappear entirely. Instead, it had took a leisure stroll through the school, exploring every corner and rooms. It appears that this ghost was a mischievous one. There were a few S-rank students who were walking in the halls when they encountered the figure.
To one, it looked like a boy. But its face wasn't clear, as everywhere in his body was a blurry and hazy mess, while the only clear thing it had was luminescent teal eyes.
But then to another, it took the figure of a lady, with the same teal eyes as it glided through the halls, peeking its head through different classes and doing a small act of mischief. In one, it entered and sat in the English class of Firbol year one. Where it blew some papers, scribbled on the board, and annoyed the students. Before running away when the whole class attacked them.
Then it came across the drama room, where a few year two and three students were rehearsing for an upcoming play that will occur during the Yuletide event. That will span the whole week. From December twenty second to twenty seven. That's where the third week of winter break would technically be counted.
The ghost quietly ran in. And watched the rehearsal carefully. As the actors slowly reached the big shock of this horror and Christmas themed play, The ghost found the perfect time to jump in.
"If Lord Horjan is dead...I will be the one to claim the throne!" A girl acted her heart out.
Two sets of hands emerged from behind, and grabbed her head and arms, before turning the actor around. Something was off, wasn't it supposed to be her being grabbed by the arms, who was holding her head?
As the supposed monster screamed directly infront of her face, revealing its row of jagged teeth, there was a second layer of the fright. The head of the monster shook uncontrollably before a pale mist of horror emerged from its face. Screeching loudly.
"HRAAAAAAKH!!!"
"AHHHHH!"
The girl's scream of pure terror was too realistic. It was then when it dawned on the rest of the actors and crew, this wasn't planned. The pale mist released the ghost from its grasp. Leaving her shrieking in terror.
Even the actor of the monster was shocked and cowering away. The ghost ran off the stage and out the door, giggling like a maniac. That was the most fun it had in a long time. Soon enough, it wandered aimlessly through the halls again. Before exiting the building and deciding to head towards the training center. In this time of day, it should be empty. It's the fourth time it visited its favorite place this week.
As it entered the dark and silent center. It felt at home. The emptiness allowed it to do almost anything. Its particular favorite was to play with weapons around the area and try the obstacle courses that were laid out previously.
With every step it took, it enjoyed the silence of its home. Mixing in the life of playing pranks and scaring the students, it was a good life. Though, it still wondered how it even managed to be here. And wondered why it didn't really want to attend the classes.
But none of that matters now, what matters is that its favorite weapon is right infront of them, a bo-staff with a black wrap and golden plating on each end. It was truly gorgeous. The figure had placed it next to a mirror, and because of that, it caught a glimpse of something from the reflection.
A figure appeared from the shadows. Its body and appearance was blotted out by the darkness of the room. The ghost couldn't believe the size of the figure. It was towering above them easily. With a wide, and bulky body that could crush a car with its hug. But then had pure white malicious eyes of an unnatural being, one that doesn't belong in this world, that stared down towards the ghost.
"HRAGH!"
The ghost yelped and leaped forwards, barely avoiding its grasp as it took the Bo-staff and jumped off from the wall. Pushing itself away from the figure, "Fuck! Nearly caught ya! Donovan!"
"On it!" To the side of the ghost, a figure with a black-wide brimmed hat that had an animal skull accessory and a long, black and soft trench coat with a golden outline that reached all the way to his knee had jumped into the action, holding out his hand and releasing a bundle of hisses and whispers.
The ghost stood still as a net emerged from thin air and flew towards it. However, instead of catching it in its net, it flew through the apparition. Proving ineffective.
"What?"
"Donovan! Left!" A third voice yelled out.
He turned to his left, just as the figure appeared with the Bo-staff and swung towards Donovan's head. Donovan managed to dodge the strike, and felt as if something was wrong with that strike, as he realized what it was, a hard material struck Donovan's leg and swept him off the ground, "Agh! You-"
The ghost had fooled Donovan with the strike. But that move felt off for Gary and Donovan. But there was no time to dawdle. As they have a supernatural being to capture. Before the ghost could slam the Bo-staff down, Gary charged towards the ghost. Chanting a spell in his arms, "Let the dead fall under me, Soul net!"
The ghost was too late to react, as Gary closed the large gap in an instant and tackled the apparition. Yet, he didn't catch anything at all. The figure disappeared yet again, "The fuck...?"
The ghost reappeared again and attempted to slam Gary on the face, but then a boy appeared from out of nowhere, the ghost remembered his appearance exactly. Brown curly hair with pitch black sunglasses nestled on a freckled nose on a lighter skin tone than most Brazilians the ghost knew. He caught the Bo-staff with his new weapon. A large glaive-like spear with a silver blade and golden engravings. With a majestic black handle decorated with even more engravings. The blacksmiths really love their engravings.
Samuel pushed the Bo-staff away and swung his new weapon, after being recently taught by Aurora. And mixing in his own style, "How the hell did that fail?! Wasn't that spell supposed to capture ghosts or something?"
"It is." Donovan said as he stood up.
"But that's the thing, if it fails, then this is no ghost." Samuel twirled the glave, "It's an illusion. Back off, I'll handle this myself."
The ghost started to panic, did he find out her secret? How? Could it be due to his glasses? Or whatever he's hiding under them? But it had no time to think as Samuel charged towards him with blinding speed.
He swung his glaive multiple times in under a second, surprising the ghost with how fast he moved, before it could retaliate, Samuel threw the glaive towards the ghost.
It went right through the figure, but Samuel charged in and grabbed the glaive, swinging around and shooting his legs everywhere with the support of his weapon.
"I nearly caught you..." Samuel jumped back down.
"Nearly, but not quite..." The ghost spoke for the first time after a while. Letting out a nervous laugh.
In an unnerving moment, Samuel snapped his head like an owl towards a certain direction of the center, "Now I did!" Samuel charged forward. The ghost attempted to swing the Bo-staff to push him back.
But Samuel deflected the strikes and firmly planted his foot on the ground. His eyes darted directly towards a small distortion in the air. Like the wall is visibly off to Samuel. It was the most miniscule of detail, ones that would never escape his sight.
"There!" Samuel swung his glaive towards the Bo-staff and knocked it away. Just as he knocked the staff out of the ghost's hand, he saw a small trail of magic leave the blurry figure. That's the secret, it could never be seen with the naked eye without the most intense focus and the best sight.
Samuel leaped in and threw the glaive one last time right beside the trail. Before latching onto it and swinging his legs around. Ending up striking something hard on the face, "Agh-!" as the impact left its mark, a visible blur of the figure appeared.
"Found you...!" Samuel let go of the glaive and lunged in, grabbing the figure's neck with his hand and slamming him against the wall.
"Oooh hoo! Nice one Sammy boah!" Gary cheered from behind.
Donovan grabbed Gary up and slowly walked towards the two of them, Samuel tightened his grip on the figure's neck as he squirmed under the surprising iron grip that Samuel had.
"Agh...Easy on the neck will ya?" The figure rasped out, "I got a head on these shoulders...Akh!"
"Yeah if you don't wanna lose it. Start talking." Donovan flicked his finger on the figure's face.
The figure chuckled, before his blurry hand waved over his face, revealing their smooth feminine face, "Well, not expecting a kiss aren't ya?" she winked.
Gary grabbed a nearby chair by the legs and slammed it on the figures face, "AAAOW!"
"If you don't wanna lose your face as well, start fucking talking." Donovan said one more time.
"Alright alright! Calm down man! Gosh, was the chair necessary?" The figure reverted back to her blurry silhouette, "Listen, the ghost thing was fun alright? While it lasted. I never really wanted to attend classes..."
"Well that's good to know, what's your name?"
"Dani Lloyd...Pleasure to meet ya..."
(Note to my friend: DANISWEEEEP!)