Chapter 16; Dusk Catcher
"I'm here." Canova said, his voice static due to the walkie talkie's interference.
Gray decided to inform the man about Nekare's supposed abilities, sure that Casanova's experience would make him find a better theory than his.
He also wanted to ask him to formulate a plan on the spot so to help in being prepared in the case of every dire circumstances.
Immediately, he began to speak.
"I have some information you must know."
"I started to tail Nekare from a distance as soon as break started. Since the hallways where I was following her were full of people, I had to follow her until we entered inside a place without any disturbances."
"Once I found that place—which was the same stairs where we met—I decided to use Dusk Catcher. She got away at the last second of the activation period, though. But the strangest thing came after it! When I ran out of the staircase to follow her, she disappeared completely!"
"Could it be the work of an ability that allows her to turn invisible, or teleport?"
"Then, worrying that she was still inside the hallway in a way I wasn't able to perceive with my senses, I avoided to call you, not wanting to expose our connection. I was tempted to use Dusk Catcher to find for her position, knowing that, if it activated, it would've meant she was there.
"But even then I was still worried about being caught—or attacked, so I digressed."
"And since teachers don't allow students who are of a different gender to go into the bathrooms at the same time, I used this as a fool-proof, non-dangerous way to inform you,"
After some seconds of delay, Casanova finally replied, his voice still static.
"Your first guess was correct."
Just like his past feeling dictated, she was a Nephilim. Thus, he had been right all along.
"As I was watching over you, I saw Nekare's figure disappear in thin air. If she were still looming next to you, however, is unknown, even to me."
"Refraining from exposing me was an excellent decision, and the same can be said from using the teacher's rules to benefit your goal. Next time, however, you must fulfill your duty."
"Yes," Gray whispered, not wanting to be heard by someone who was inside the bathroom, for he was afraid that someone might decide to confiscate his walkie-talkie.
Recalling the strange images he had seen before, he continued his speech.
"Earlier, Genesis activated while I was still awake, giving me a prediction about a strange connection between me and Nekare. From what I've understood, the symbolism was that we will become closer. However, since my dreams don't show me the future as it is, the connection we might have isn't necessarily something good."
Thankfully, I've gotten a new revelation in the real world. I can use it as a loophole to tell him about the improvement of my ability while avoiding to talk about The Monolith…
Casanova suddenly blurted out with shock—an emotion he had never seen coming from him.
"Are you certain? Did your ability truly activate outside of a dream?"
Confused about the man's sudden reaction, Gray confirmed his statement.
"…Is there something wrong with it?" he asked in a low voice, afraid of what Casanova was going to say next.
"No…" the man murmured. "It's just…unusual."
"Your reaction makes it seem worse than unusual!" he silently complained.
"Young man," Casanova said, his voice exuding a tone of seriousness.
"Y-Yeah?"
"Are you religious? Have you prayed in the past twenty-four hours?
Gray Montoya thought for a moment and started reply to Casanova's question, "Although I do believe in the existence of a superior existence, dictating the rules of life and nature, I don't follow any particular religion."
"I haven't prayed because of this. Why do you ask?"
"…"
"It's better to avoid trivial matters, for now. You still have to use Dusk Catcher on Nekare; direct your attention towards her." Casanova tersely said, deciding to avoid his question.
How am I supposed to not worry about it if you're acting all secretive?
The man then continued, "Did you formulate a strategy capable of aiding you with discovering Nekare's intentions? If yes, let me know."
I preferred if you had done one… he silently complained once more.
Gray agreed. "I've made two, but one of them failed. The first plan was made incase she was still inside of school. The strategy was focused on tailing her until she was inside a place devoid of any people. If only she hadn't activated her ability, thought, I would have finally unraveled the mystery between her identity.
He coughed lightly before continuing his speech, "…We."
"It's your eye after all. As I was saying, the second can only work if she's outside. I was planning on entering inside an empty classroom facing the courtyard to use Dusk Catcher on her."
"There is one issue, thought. From what I know, Nekare doesn't like talking to people very much, thus making the chances of her going outside—a place packed full with people, very slim."
Gray thought for a moment, and after realizing of having ignored an extremely important piece of the puzzle, suddenly blurted,
"But Casanova, why would she use her ability in such a way? From what you've said, the Nephilim regard secrecy as an essential tool for their survival. Did she discover my intentions? Did she use her invisibility as a means to get away from me?"
Casanova, acknowledging his worries started to speak, "From what I've seen so far, this girl doesn't seem to harbor any sort of issue with you. Her ability is perfect for assassinations. Therefore, if she had really wanted to murder you, she would've done it long ago."
"That is—unless she's not proficient with her ability, of course. Nekhare might be avoiding to kill you because she still can't 'turn' other people invisible."
"If she were to eliminate you, she wouldn't have the necessary skill to hide your corpse."
"Schools are filled with people. Dragging a bloodied corpse around it is nigh-impossible. The trails she would leave are immeasurable."
"And since she doesn't ask an another Nephilim to do that, it's plausible that she's not in contact with any groups."
"Nonetheless, while I was watching over you, I've noticed that her ability was proficient enough to conceal the objects making direct contact with her skin. If she hadn't been good enough, she would have had to remove her clothes to become invisible."
"If you're unable to find her intentions before her ability improves, she might eliminate you, dispose of your corpse, and eliminate every trail she had left with her new-found powers."
He sighed.
"The chances are low, but not null. Hence, you shouldn't regard my opinions too much; let Dusk Catcher do all the job."
I understand.
Gray was about to ask about what he meant by, 'contact with other groups' when Casanova suddenly exclaimed, "Don't make a sound!"
After a few seconds, he heard the door open.
Worried of the consequences lest he dared to disregard Casanova's orders, he stayed as quiet he could.
In his mind, he was afraid that Nekare had entered inside the men's bathroom, possibly looking for him. But when he heard the bathroom stall next to his open, and a manly voice groan from pleasure with the sound of rushing water in the background, his worries faded.
"I was so afraid. Turns out it's just a random person…" he sighed.
He then heard the person exit out of the bathroom—all without washing his hands.
Casanova ordered in an authoritative voice, "Now, go to class, calm your nerves, and when break starts, find Nekare."
"Your plan is more than good enough," the man smiled, although Gray wasn't able to see it.
"Forgive me for underestimating you."
"N-No, don't worry. I'm practically a normal person, after all." Gray replied ashamedly.
The man then ended the call; the walkie talkie emitting a "tsk" sound.
…
Inside a room filled with cables and wires; two kilometers away from Gray's school, resided Casanova, lying on the floor facing a small window.
On its ledge, a dark sniper rifle with complicated patters, hieroglyphical-like markings was positioned.
The man silently looked at Gray's moving figure through the scope that magically saw through the walls of the school, his finger resting close to the trigger.
"He still thinks of himself as a normal person…" Casanova said under his breath.
"No Onironaut capable of predicting the outcome of events without entering 'that place' can be considered as such…"
…
Knock! Knock! Knock!
"Come in…" an older man said weakly.
Gray slowly opened the door and entered his classroom, catching the attention of every student.
Slightly embarrassed, he silently sat close to Rowan—who was glancing at him suspiciously.
After noticing his friend's gaze still posed before him, he turned around. "What's wrong?" he said, slightly annoyed.
Rowan then interjected suddenly. "I'm the one who's supposed to ask you that. You're acting weird these days—what's up with it."
"What are you even talking about?" Gray asked, feigning ignorance while wondering if his behavioral changes were obvious.
"Come on, you know what I'm talking about. You try to mask it, but your work is sloppy; it's as if you always have something in the back of your mind."
"You know, you can tell me anything, man." Rowan said worriedly.
You're wrong. I can't, not this time.
"You're just focusing too much on the details." Gray sighed, "I'm serious."
"I've always been able to see when something bothered you; we both know it. Are you and Kathy having issues?" he then moved closed to his friend, so nobody could hear. "Are you two having issues with money?"
"You know about my family's finances, and you're aware that we can support both of you without any issues. So please, if you need help I would be more than glad to help." Rowan whispered, furrowing his brows.
"No, it's not because of that..." Gray whispered back, seeing his point.
Rowan, just as soon as he heard his his dear friend's mistake, couldn't resist blurting out, "So you do admit it!"
"Shit,"
When the professor heard Rowan, he started to scold the young man, remarking of having him sent inside the principal office if he dared to talk again during his lesson.
Some students, after hearing his 'sentence' snickered, attracting the teacher's anger like a magnet.
When the elder was satisfied, he started to talk about his lesson once more.
…
Finally, after thirty minutes, the bell suddenly rang.
While sitting on his desk, Gray slowly sat up, knowing what had to be done.
"This time my plan will work—it has to," he thought.
Like the last recess, he immediately turned around to face Nekare; she was drawing something inside her notebook, but he was too far to see the contents.
Worried that she might draw during the whole break, he couldn't help but feel a little scared.
But luckily, after some moments of staring, or rather 'stalking,' the girl closed her notebook and went out of the class.
His face darkened, and like a predator, he started to follow her.
After a couple of steps, however, an hand suddenly posed on his shoulder, stopping him in his tracks.
Annoyed, Gray turned around, and as he expected, the hand belonged to his friend, Rowan.
"Not now." he tersely said as he anxiously looked at the door.
He couldn't dare to waste a second.
If he were to lose Nekare, his chances of his—and Kathy's survival might decrease exponentially.
He had to protect Kathy, for this is what his mother would've wanted!
"Yes, now. Just tell me what's wrong so we can get this shit over with." Rowan said in an annoyed voice.
"I'm telling you that nothing is wrong." Gray remarked as he clenching his teeth, still looking a the door.
Rowan then asked, "Is it about Kathy?"
"No!" Gray shot back, attracting the attention of some students.
Seeing Rowan's face drop with shock, he recognized the error he made—especially to the he regarded as his best friend.
Trying to calm himself down, he slowly shook his head. "It's not about her. We'll talk about this later."
He then walked out of the classroom, all while Rowan stood motionless in the middle of the classroom with an indecipherable expression marked on his face.
I'm sorry.
Inside of the hallway packed with people, he tried to search for the girl, quickly noticing the lack of her presence amidst them.
Knowing the girl's behavior, he decided to avoid the places with an high influx of students.
He ran inside the hallway, only slowing down when a professor was near—his actions attracting the attention of some students.
He decided to go to inside the library.
Perhaps the girl would enjoy the type of silence it brought. In fact, it would be what he himself would have done in the times of need.
After a minute, he finally reached the class.
He slowly walked near the book shelves, doing his best not to be spotted.
Since the room was empty, he felt the chances of Nekare being becoming higher and higher.
He checked and checked, but the girl wasn't there.
In his mind, Gray hoped the girl wasn't invisible the whole time; nonetheless, he knew that to be sure, he had to search thoroughly.
"Where could she be… What does she enjoy…?"
Recalling her fondness for drawing, he suddenly realized that the girl could be an artist of some kind, causing him to start running towards the art room.
He swiftly turned around the corners of the hallways, and since the clock was ticking down, he even stopped slowing down when the teachers were near. He even heard their shouting voices, ordering for him to stop and threatening to call his family.
But was he truly going to stop? Had he came this far just to comply with them?
No. This is the last chance.
He then reached the art room.
He slowly opened the door.
Paint was splattered all over the walls, while various canvases were placed in front of the teacher's desk.
However, the girl wasn't there.
"T-This is not possible… Where is she…?" he was shaken.
"What can I do?"
Realizing that he didn't have a clue of the girl's position, he suddenly began to chant, mimicking Casanova's 'prayer' he had heard in his dream.
This was his last option.
Although nobody would rely solely on a flawed plan, it was the only thing he had.
"Genesis," he said, taking a deep breath. "I require your help."
A cold silence permeated the classroom.
He gritted his teeth.
"Please, work. I beg of you…"
There were no flashing lights, no images, and no signs of the future, however.
As he expected, nothing happened. His ability didn't bring any revelation about Nekare's whereabouts.
"I knew it," he mumbled under his breath, his expression ashen.
I just can't rely upon you."
Since the bell was about to ring once more, he exited the classroom, deciding to wander aimlessly through the school, hoping to find the girl.
With no other option left, he decided to go on the courtyard, thinking that maybe—just maybe there was a spot far away from any people.
After a moment to gain his breath back, he started to run once more.
…
Just as soon as he was done running down the staircase, he opened the school's gate and went inside the courtyard. He walked for some moments, when then, he suddenly saw her.
Nekare was sitting on a bench away from all the other students—who she avoided like the plague.
He subconsciously froze in tracks.
"She's there!"
He was tempted to take out Dusk Catcher, but after seeing the sheer mass of students in the courtyard, he reconsidered it.
Some had seen his past behavior, so they were looking at him with suspicion, making his situation even worse.
"Please don't move from there," Gray silently pleaded.
He started to retrace his steps, deciding to find an empty class facing the courtyard.
Luckily, his class and the one next to his were one of them!
…
To his dismay, after slamming his door's class open, he noticed two students—Veronica Sacramento and one that he couldn't recognize, kissing passionately.
"Did you really have to do that now?!" he asked inwardly.
He immediately slammed the door shut and entered the class next to his, noticing the presence of some girls who gossiped with each other, making him switch to the last one.
His brows furrowed. "This is the last class that faces the courtyard. If it's not empty, it's over."
He slowly opened the door, and was faced with the sight of twenty or so students inside the classroom.
They were playing hangman.
With great difficulty, he slowly closed the room, almost falling to his knees.
For as much as he knew, Nekare was a time bomb.
If she were a dangerous threat as he expected, and he didn't know her intentions for long, the likelihood of his death would increase dramatically.
She was a Nephilim, after all.
He slowly put his hands to his face in desperation, starting to think as hard as he could.
"T-This can't be possible, dammit!"
"There has to an empty place that faces the courtyard. Think, Gray, think! It's our last chance! What would happen to Kathy if we were to fail?!"
As no options came in his mind, he cursed loudly, his eyes bloodshot.
"FUCK!"
But then, he suddenly froze in his tracks, a new idea slowly emerging within the confines of his mind.
His eyes slowly widened, and with it, his jaw dropped.
"W-Wait, can it be…?"
The roof!
It was the only place high enough for nobody to see him while using Dusk Catcher, and the only place where nobody was going to go!
Immediately after his realization, he sprinted once more, even faster than earlier.
Knowing there weren't any ways for him to go on the roof, he had to go on the back of his school; near the parking spots, where the emergency stairs were located!
He kept on running, all while he thought of having two or less minutes left—gave him the motivation to go even faster.
…
Gray then slammed the door leading the parking spots open, jumping over the three small steps, and started to climb the stairs in a hurry.
However, while climbing, he noticed the presence of three students. They sat on the stairs with cigarettes in their hands.
Refusing to back down from his mission, he suddenly shouted,
"The teachers are coming!"
The three guys, once they heard his voice, had their faces turn ashen.
After looking at theirselves, they immediately threw their cigarettes down the emergency stairs.
They then proceeded to climb down, thanking him.
He had finally reached the end of the emergency stairs.
Seeing that there wasn't any way to reach the roof, he decided to climb on the stair rails while he used the wall to support himself.
But the roof was too tall, therefore, he had to jump to grab its edge!
Mustering his remaining strength, he jumped, grabbing its border.
Gray slowly raised his body upwards, his hands trembling. He then stood up, his jet-black hair flowing thanks to the cold, aggressive wind.
He then moved towards the other roof's edge, and thanks to it, he could able to see every student with clarity.
…
Once Casanova saw Gray's performance, he grinned.
"Forgive me again, kid, I really did underestimate you."
It's now or never.
He slowly took out Dusk Catcher from his right pocket, and with his hands shaking and shivering from the cold, he slowly unraveled the tissue covering it.
After that, he pointed it at Nekare's figure.
1.
2.
3.
The work was done; he was sure it activated, now.
Worried about Dusk Catcher's response, Gray prepared for the worst outcome.
Once he felt ready, he slowly turned the eye around.
Its iris was milky white, signaling that Nekare wasn't planning on harming him.
His knees—after all the anxiety and wear they felt, couldn't help but fail him, making Gray fall on his back.
There, greeted by the sight of the same sun that gave him hope, Gray couldn't help but laugh.