Chapter 28: Duality
Casanova told him about this? Gray steadied his breath, calming his nerves down.
'Today is the third of December, right?' he asked himself.
"It should be a bit less than a month," he said, deciding to add a façade of nonchalance to his words.
Franz covered his mouth. "Interesting…"
"And you managed to learn the first step of Intra that fast?"
'I see—Casanova told him about this too…" he narrowed his eyes. "How much does he know?'
"That fast?" Gray echoed with confusion, scratching his hair.
"I did learn it somewhat quickly, but I don't really have a point of comparison, so I can't know if it's the same for other the other Nephilim."
'It was like something like thirty minutes, if I remember correctly.'
"Gray," Franz's tone was tense.
Frankly, it was slightly scary.
"To learn the first stage of Intra, an average Nephilim takes days, if not weeks, to complete all the steps—and that's taking into consideration if they had someone who taught them about it."
"What?" Gray blurted out, mouth agape.
For all his life, he thought of himself as someone with a bland personality and a bland life.
He was a bystander amongst bystanders, so naturally, it seemed preposterous for him to be 'that' amazing in something.
"You see, to us Nephilim, learning Intra is something similar to a bird learning how to fly."
"While we have to nullify and then regain our Ego to comprehend it further, they have to nullify their survival instincts to learn how to fly— and this requires a certain range of trial and error for both cases!" Franz explained carefully. "For young birds, learning how to fly is something traumatic. They launch themselves from high places, learning how to glide mid-air, guided by their instincts.
"What follows can be pain, or even death."
He took his glass of wine, shook it, and while 'looking' at the red vortex, he spoke.
"Remember, no being is born with knowledge. Innate instinct can only show animals the way, but they are the ones who are supposed to thread it."
"While we Nephilim don't have to truly lay our lives on the lines, learning the steps of Intra is damaging to the mind. The act of abandoning the self is something traumatic too, and can be considered as a diminished form of death."
"While it's true that the ones who are not talented in this regard will have to abandon their self over and over, threading through the nothingness of non-existence, this process is necessary for one to truly grasp Intra!"
"Did you follow what I've said about instinct?" he raised his head.
"You said that an innate instinct can only show the way to an animal, and that they'll have to be the ones who are following it." Gray responded, curious of what the mysterious man would say.
"I don't know if it was innate instinct or 'something else' for you…" Franz seemed serious, yet his voice was almost ecstatic. "…But somehow, you were able to skip the whole road."
"…" Gray was unsure of what to say.
"Is it something bad?" he asked worriedly.
"Something bad?!" Franz echoed, breaking in a fit of laughter.
Gray looked at him with confusion, almost concern.
He wanted to ask him what was going on, but since he felt that the man was having the time of his life, he diverted on breaking his happiness.
When Franz calmed down, he took a deep breath, and with a smile on his face, he said, "I completely understand Casanova's words. You know, I have never heard him talk about someone as positively as he does with you."
The young man, although he barely understood what Casanova was praising him about, couldn't help but feel slightly happier.
Casanova always seemed as a stern man, always brief with his words, only saying what was necessary. To know that he was praising him made him feel proud of himself, and gave him the force to pursue his training even more.
Franz silently watched him, his smile growing, turning almost maniacal.
He wanted to utilize Gray's lack of knowledge about the Nephilim to ask him about his ability, but felt as if it wasn't right, for it would betray Casanova.
Only then did Gray remember that he had to give him the briefcase.
He immediately apologized for the wait, handing him the item.
Franz quickly placed it the floor close to their table and eagerly resumed the talk with his guest.
The two talked about many topics, and when they branched off their personal lives, Gray withheld his most important information, changing many details to avoid being traced.
Although Franz was someone who was trusted by Casanova, he felt that such act was still necessary.
Gray quickly noticed that the Nephilim was extremely intelligent.
He was tremendously good at explaining difficult concepts simply, so that even a five year old child would be able to understand it, and then explain it to his whole class.
He also knew a lot of things about many different topics, be biology, anatomy of the human body, psychology, and even theology, one of Gray's favorite interests.
When the two talked about theology, Franz seemed especially excited to have someone who was knowledgeable to have a worthwhile conversation in such unpopular matters.
…
"I hate of how the professors never teach about the beliefs and cultures of other countries—there are really a lot of important matters students need to be taught about. It would help with misinformation and racism brought by various political parties…."
"I completely agree." Franz nodded. He stood up, grabbed a different wine bottle, and then poured the red liquid into his glass. "To understand something, one must have the full picture."
'Having the full picture… That is something I would like to have.'
Gray then checked the time—9 o'clock a.m.
He was amazed to see that time had passed so suddenly, but even then, he was aware that when one was having fun, it would pass quickly.
Only then did he remember about Kathy, who was still sleeping, and would probably wake up soon.
What would his sister think if she were to awake up and see him missing from their home?
She would be scared shitless!
Since Gray didn't want that to happen, he quickly informed Franz that he needed to go home.
In turn, Franz seemed slightly upset about it.
Franz reached for his pocket and handed Gray a silver colored business card with his number written on it, advising him to call every once in a while, so they could have a chat.
Gray took the card, thanking him.
Since he truly seemed like a good person, Gray was looking forward to knowing more about him and the Nephilim as a whole.
Since he was someone chatty, he also hoped that he would reveal more information than the silent Casanova.
The Nephilim guided him through his maze-like halls, helping him to find the exit.
As Gray opened the patterned door by himself, Franz stood behind him, saying his goodbyes.
…
Our conversation was pretty fruitful, I said to myself.
I'll be forever grateful to Casanova for showing me someone as interesting as him.
He's pretty knowledgeable too; it's something you don't really see anymore in this generation.
It would be such a shame if he ever were to get in the hands of other Nephilim…
Casanova wouldn't ever let that happen, obviously.
But I wonder… What would happen if a Nephilim were to use his body for their means?
I started to think of all the possibilities, and I couldn't help but shudder.
'Well, that's pretty terrifying to think of.'
Just there, I remembered of how Casanova had told me to inspect his Mercurial Fragment.
'I was almost about to forget it… Nonetheless, I still have some time left.'
I wanted to remove my blindfold, to inspect it with more clarity, but if Gray turned around, it would mean exposing my 'secret.'
I decided to pump my eyes with quintessence—and I started to feel my vision improve exponentially.
I began to see the fibers in his clothes and the microscopic beings who thrived off them.
As soon as I enhanced my eyes even more, I was able to see Gray's bare body. Respecting his privacy, I decided to digress on looking at the more 'private' parts.
After some milliseconds, I was able to break through his skin.
There, I started to see the condition of his muscles.
From the damage I'd seen on them, I could tell that he was training his body.
In a few days, his muscles would regenerate stronger than before, augmenting his muscle mass. The amount would be minuscule, but in due time, if he kept on being consistent, he would gain a pretty muscular physique.
My vision then broke through, and I was able to see his bones.
I had to be fast or he would leave, so I pumped even more quintessence in my eyes.
Finally, I could see his soul.
It was full of intricate markings, jumbled letters, and strange shadowy clouds, unreadable faces, and images.
I looked at the latter more in depth, to understand what they were, but I…wasn't able to?
Being unable to see something annoyed me—it always did.
It made me want to try to see further in the darkness, but I knew I didn't have enough time.
I had to inspect his Mercurial Fragment like Casanova asked.
I scanned his soul, and then, I was finally able to…
What the hell? I stopped myself.
I saw two Mercurial Fragments orbit around each-other like a gargantuan, binary star system.
Never in my life, had I ever seen something like that.
How was it possible that Gray, someone who had just been turned into a Nephilim, had two fragments?
One was formed by a multitude of ever-changing, silvery forms.
I saw bell-like flowers morphing into crows, pigs morphing into bleeding carcasses, and snakes eating their tails.
I tried to inspect the pitch-black Fragment orbiting the shapeshifting one, but my eyes started to burn terribly, like I was not meant to see this view.
I felt as if someone had inserted and kept on spinning an hot rod inside my orbital cavity, melting my optic nerve.
Then—just then, I saw something impossible.
I saw dark, pulsating tendrils come out of the pitch-black Fragment, followed by abyssal-like, crackling lightings.
And t-they…
They pierced the shapeshifting one.
A sudden air of shuddering, ancient malice shoot across Gray's soul, and I had to hold myself back from puking.
By then I was trembling.
How was it possible that something so hateful, so maddening could come from him? How was it possible for him to bear something like this, in a place as important as his soul?
The pitch-black Fragment slowly unraveled like a flower, while the shapeshifting one squirmed for some moments, to then change form.
I didn't even bother to look at it, for I felt that something horrific was about to come.
I knew something was about to come, somehow—just somehow, I knew I had to escape.
I tried to pull away, but I felt attracted by that pitch black Fragment.
I wanted to free myself from my hidden restraints, to scream, and most importantly, to get away.
But I couldn't. Somehow, I just couldn't.
It was calling for me. I could feel His blood-curdling stare etched upon me. I knew He saw everything about me. He saw my secrets, He saw my fears, He saw my past and he saw my dreams.
I tried to close my blistering eyes, to avoid seeing the unraveling of the pitch black Fragment, but I couldn't.
By then, I knew he wanted me to see what was about to come.
He wanted me, one who's able to see beyond what no other can, to stare into his true form, to absorb the forbidden knowledge coming from him and for my body to collapse into that ravaging stream of cursed wisdom.
I was about to gaze upon his wretched form; I almost felt deep cracks forming in my own Mercurial Fragment, when suddenly, the world seemed to lengthen. And then, like a ripple, the connection got cut off, making me return to my dear, living room.
I looked at the closed door, and then I understood.
Gray had unknowingly saved me by closing it.
Blood kept on pouring from my eyes, causing my bandages to change color, becoming damp.
My knees failed me, I fell into the ground, and started to expel the contents of my stomach.
…
Gray quickly turned around, feeling a similar sensation he had felt when someone was watching and inspecting his soul.
"Could there be…?"
In the previous days, Casanova had told him that the Nephilim senses were naturally heightened by the quintessence in their systems, so they were more prone in picking up signals from the unknown.
Whether it explained all of the cases where he felt watched, however, was unclear.
Not wanting Kathy to get worried, he quickly went away from Franz's house, speeding off into the distance.
He kept on running even when his muscles started to ache, but was pleased to see that his endurance had improved significantly.
His speed had improved too, but not as much as it did with his endurance.
Even in his childhood, he was pretty fast, so it was rather normal for him to not see much progress.
After twenty minutes, he finally reached his house.
He entered inside it slowly, walking on his tiptoes—to avoid waking his sister up.
Noticing that Kathy wasn't in the living room, he silently walked in the hallway that connected to her room.
When he reached her sleeping haven, he carefully opened the door, and after seeing his sister sleep blissfully, he smiled, closing the door.
"Sleep well, Kathy."