The library at Eryndell University was supposed to be a place of serenity, a quiet sanctuary for those looking to read, study, or perhaps even find a moment of peace. But today, it was anything but. It was a battleground, with students scattered in various corners of the library, each attempting to pretend they weren't on the verge of collapsing under the weight of finals, group projects, and the looming alumni party in three weeks.
At one long, polished table by the window sat a chaotic group of students who, despite their best efforts, were failing at pretending to work. It was, after all, their first time truly sitting down together for their Essence of Souls project. And like any project involving this collection of strangers, productivity wasn't exactly the first thing on anyone's mind.
Loot sat back in his chair, one leg thrown over the side, chewing on the end of his pen like it was a piece of candy. His focus was somewhere else, probably lost in the infinite void of his thoughts or the distracted hum of the library. He glanced over at Lux, who had her nose buried deep in her notes, scribbling furiously like she was trying to outrun the clock.
Peach, meanwhile, was lounging on the opposite side of the table, absentmindedly tossing a stress ball in the air as she hummed some strange tune. She was in her own world, completely oblivious to the fact that she'd been doodling squiggly lines for the last ten minutes instead of contributing to the project. Every once in a while, she would make an odd comment, not necessarily directed at anyone in particular, but still breaking the silence in the most chaotic way possible.
"So," Peach said, as if she'd been waiting for the perfect moment, "do you think a soul can get gassy? Like, I mean, I know we're all supposed to have these essences or whatever, but can they get bloated?"
Lux blinked at her, unblinking. "What?"
Peach smiled widely, clearly delighted with herself. "I'm just saying. If souls are a thing, maybe they have gas, too. You don't just let a soul exist in this—" She waved her hand dramatically, as if referring to the entire world, "—without expecting some kind of... soul bubbles." She squinted at her notebook like she was solving a mystery. "Soul farts, anyone?"
The silence that followed was deafening. Lux looked at her, her mind trying to process the nonsense.
"You can't be serious," Lux muttered. "That's... that's not how any of this works, Peach."
"Oh, I'm super serious." Peach's grin widened as she leaned forward, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "And you, Lux," she said, tapping her chin, "could totally be the gas expert in our project. Think about it—essence, soul, and the potential for bloating! It's a key detail in the human experience."
Lux didn't have a response to that. She simply stared at her, unable to formulate words. "You're unbelievable," she finally muttered, rolling her eyes and returning to her notes, but she was clearly losing the battle against the chaos.
Umber, who had been silently scrolling through her phone, finally looked up, her face one of pure mischief. She had been quiet long enough, and clearly, it was time for her to enter the fray.
"Okay, but hear me out," she said, her voice practically dripping with sarcasm. "What if souls just get stuck in a loop, like a hamster wheel? Like, you could have your soul's essence and just… be stuck running forever." She paused dramatically. "It'd be like, the ultimate soul grind—a lifetime of just—" she mimed running on a wheel with a weird expression— "spinning in circles."
Lux looked up, her eyes narrowing. "Umber, we're supposed to be taking this seriously."
"Who says I'm not?" Umber shot back, her lips twitching into a smirk. "Have you ever tried to imagine being trapped inside your own soul, running in place, forever? Sounds like a nightmare. Can you imagine the existential crisis?"
Loot chuckled from his chair. "You know, Umber, I think you might be onto something there. Souls on hamster wheels, gas bubbles—maybe we're not that far off from reality."
"Exactly," Peach chimed in, bouncing on her seat, clearly delighted by the idea. "I think you're all just not thinking big enough. Think about it, a soul trapped in a hamster wheel, producing gas, which then feeds back into the essence! It's a perfect cycle!"
Umber clapped her hands in agreement, looking at Peach with a mock serious expression. "That's genius. I think we've just cracked the soul formula, people."
Lux buried her face in her hands. "I can't believe I'm doing this..."
Blade, who had been quietly observing the chaos unfold, finally spoke up with a soft laugh. "So, uh, are we really gonna put 'soul gas' as a section in our project report?"
"Only if you're willing to embrace the truth," Peach said with a wink. "You can't just hide from the facts. The truth about soul gas is out there."
"We might need to rethink our approach," Lux muttered, her voice tired, but there was no denying the faintest smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Maybe 'soul gas' will be our project's... theme."
"That's the spirit!" Peach cheered, bouncing in her seat. "We're all about vibes and essence now."
"How are we even going to explain this in the presentation?" Lux groaned, rubbing her temples.
"Simple," Umber said with an exaggerated air of confidence. "We'll just say it's all hypothetical, like a thought experiment." She grinned, clearly pleased with herself. "You know, like when you don't know the answer to a question in a test, and you just... make something up. Super scientific."
"Great," Lux sighed, "we're going to fail, and it's going to be because of you two."
"Failing is just a social construct," Blade said from his seat, chuckling softly. "I think we're doing pretty great, honestly."
Peach, who was still bouncing on her seat, added, "And the alumni party is in three weeks. That's all that matters right now. Can you imagine—Grey, the top-ranked Keeper, could show up. And you know, maybe we could talk about soul gas with her. Wouldn't that be fun?"
Lux's eyes widened a little at the mention of Grey. "Grey... might come?"
"Yeah, apparently she's a graduate," Violet added, his voice low and conspiratorial, "and her name's been circulating. The top-ranked Keeper could show up to an alumni event. That's... massive."
Lux froze for a moment, her heart skipping a beat. There was something in her chest that fluttered at the idea. Grey... Grey. Second-ranked Keeper, a force of nature, with that mysterious, icy demeanor. And Lux, who prided herself on her focus and her ability to ignore distractions, could feel that tiny spark of excitement flicker in her chest. She didn't want to admit it, but she was definitely intrigued by the idea.
"I... I mean, it would be cool to meet her," Lux muttered, trying to sound nonchalant. "But I'm more focused on the project right now."
Peach raised an eyebrow. "Sure you are," she teased, but Lux didn't seem to notice.
"What if we talked to her about the project?" Loot suggested, leaning in with a mischievous grin. "Maybe she'd give us some pointers. And, you know, we could ask her... about soul gas." He winked at Lux, who glared back at him.
"Oh, my gods," Lux groaned, sinking lower into her chair. "I'm surrounded by lunatics."
The group erupted into laughter, and even Lux couldn't help but let out a reluctant chuckle. The project was a disaster, the vibes were a mess, but somehow, with these people, there was a strange kind of energy.
It wasn't exactly a good energy, but it was... something.