When Caelan got back with the groceries, he saw Sam wrapped in blankets, a big book in her hands, humming a soft tune. She seemed unaware of his arrival, despite all the noise. After putting everything away, he peeked over her shoulder, smiling at what he saw. The book showed photos of vibrant flower fields, a chaotic mix of colors.
“Hey, Blood Sworn.” She bent backward to give him a kiss. “Alicia found this in my old room, together with a few other things. Thought I would like it back.”
“I remember this one.” He chuckled, leaning over to take a closer look at the ancient artifact. “Saved up all you could for weeks to get this. Still don’t see the appeal.”
“Oh, come on! You can’t tell the world before Impact Day wasn’t amazing.” She flipped over the images. They showed famous gardens from around the world, immortalized in paper form. “So much color, so much life! I hope the Purification Zones work out, so we can get them back.”
Caelan knew the reality, however. Even if they managed to find samples or seeds outside the Safe Zones, they would be far too corrupted to be of any use. And his constant excursions into the Dark Zones more than proved it. By the time humanity could achieve her wish, both wouldn’t be alive to see it.
But at times, the kindest act we can give others is to offer a gentle lie.
He almost told her the truth, but the brightness in her eyes made the words stick in his throat. She kept saying how she would make her own garden. Going about the colored stones forming pathways and wind chimes for musical flair.
So, instead of bringing her down, he kissed her cheek and buried the thought. “And I hope you get your wish and help me with dinner. Without touching knives. Or the stove. Or the potatoes.”
“Oh, come on!” She placed the book down on the coffee table as if it was made of the finest crystal. “That happened just twice! No way I’m making the same mistake again.”
“Famous last words."
-----
"Well, lad, this is it!” Professor Holt, hands on his hips, gave a booming laugh as they all looked at the building. “With a new coat of paint, some spit, and determination, we can make this a great place to live!”
“It’s a shithole.” Leopold had at last broken the silence he had maintained since the hearing from the previous day.
Caelan gave a mental shrug. “Slept in worse.” Still, the crumbling walls and peeling paint felt fitting. A forgotten place for a forgotten man.
“If this place were any worse, even the cockroaches would pack up and move out.”
One story high and lacking many tiles on the roof. Not to mention the smell of mold and dust permeating like decayed perfume. This is where Caelan would live for the immediate future, thanks to Dorne. With him claiming he shouldn’t be allowed at the traditional dorms anymore. To avoid “disrupting other, more proper, students."
“How long has it been since this place stopped being used?” As he said that, he noticed the single largest centipede crawling from a window.
“We haven’t had a special needs pupil in at least a decade.” Professor Falkner adjusted his goggles. A mask covering most of his face to better protect from the dust. “The former headmistress always tried to have it repaired, but never got support.”
Caelan spared one look at the humanoid constructs wielding cleaning tools. “Is that why we're cleaning it ourselves?”
“Technically speaking, Dorne said you weren’t to receive any help from the maids and butlers.” Holt rolled up his sleeves. Cuts, bruises, and burns adorning all his tanned forearms. “Didn’t say nothing about the faculty. Or Falkner’s toys.”
“For a man with such love for the power of words, he sure can be careless with them.” With a tap on a panel by his wrist, all the machines started moving as one. “But forget about that. I already have seventeen different remodeling designs ready for the place, so let’s get to it.”
They started in the morning, right after Caelan left the hospital. Still recovering from Maia’s tearful goodbye, he made sure she would return back home. Their efforts went well, for the most part. If you forget the sack of spider eggs that fell on the Aethertec Master’s hack. Making its occupants hatch. Caelan vouched to erase the hellish memory from his mind.
Forever.
Despite so many hands, they finished the cleansing only after the sun had set halfway.
A quick shower later, the instructors spent some time explaining the facilities. A kitchen, five bedrooms, shared bathroom, all very basic. Also, a courtyard with a weight lifting set of barbells and dumbbells, courtesy of Holt. And an upgraded training room in the basement being Falkner's contribution.
In exchange for the kindness, Caelan made a quick meal for them all. An omelet filled with rice, which made the Hunt Master ask for the recipe. Falkner just noted down all the ways he could improve it.
Once they left, Caelan made his way to his new bedroom and crashed on the bed, Leopold in tow. No word had come out from him yet, which the displaced soul felt grateful for. For the first time in days, the exhaustion in his body overpowered the noise in his mind. As he sank into the thin mattress, he welcomed the silence—however fleeting it might be.
-----
Holding onto a tree for support, Caelan let the wheezing breaths out. Each intake of air like a burning rod coming inside his chest. Back home he could go for an hour-long run at some decent speed without issue. Now on Leopold’s body, he could only last a minute or two at a crawl. With his calves burning all the way through.
The ghost floated behind him, arms crossed, looking like he had swallowed a bucket of lemons. Deciding that the silent treatment couldn’t go on any longer, Caelan turned to him to end that charade.
“Would you stop pouting already? What’s done is done; no point in being angry about it.”
The way the specter looked at him felt more like he sneered at a particular kind of bug. “I still think you shouldn’t have used Veylor’s trauma against her.”
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
Caelan waited until he had hydrated himself to respond. “I didn’t see you coming up with a better plan yesterday.”
Expression darkening, Leopold thought long before retorting. “I’m not the one holding all the information until it’s convenient. Like you not mentioning the fact the bloody Messiah is coming back! Not to mention you went with it before ever discussing the possibility.”
“It's called improvisation, Leopold.” He forced himself to breathe—nose in, mouth out—fighting through the burning ache. Leopold wasn't all wrong, but a tantrum wouldn't help either of them. “Not to mention how we would be out the gates by now if I hadn’t done that.”
“You know, I thought the word partner meant equal weight on both parts. Guess I am wrong, as always, right?” Leopold moved ahead, so he could face the walking man. “Best I keep being the convenient parrot whom you only listen to when it's convenient. Isn't that so?"
Caelan paused again, leaning hard against the tree, cursing under his breath. “Do we need to do this now? Trying to lose this infernal fat you kindly left me.”
"Wanna hear the best thing about being a ghost?" He went through his own body's head, before coming back out. "I can be the most annoying little shit, even more than normal. And you can't do a thing to stop me. So, how about we discuss the arrangements of our deal while I'm in a good mood?"
As Caelan returned to his walk, he smirked a bit. "That's the best part? The limits of your imagination never fail to impress me."
That made the specter click his tongue. “You asked for it.”
Leopold began to sing. Or at least how the abominations from the deepest hole in the abyss version of it. At first, Caelan raised an eyebrow, continuing on his run. But several minutes without interruption gave him a massive ache between the eyes.
"Stop acting like a child!"
He stopped long enough to remind him that he needed no lungs. Then he continued his opera for his single audience member. Tune alternating between grating high notes and guttural growls. Like a banshee auditioning for a metal band.
"FINE!" Back against a tree, Caelan slipped to the ground. "Fine, I'm sorry for making you feel unneeded, okay?"
"And?"
The young man had to take an extra deep breath before answering. "And I'll do my best to act like an equal partner in our alliance."
Leopold puffed out his chest, hands on his hips like a conquering hero, a grin splitting his face. "See? Not so hard now, right?"
Caelan sure regretted making a vow to never swear again. The feeling had never been as strong as it was in that moment. "Sometimes I miss my old sergeant."
"Heh, at least I'm more adorable to look at." Hands behind his head, he reclined as if lying on a couch. "Besides, you'd miss me too much if I'm ever gone."
To that, Caelan gave only a grunt in response.
Right at that point, they made a turn into an open area, leaving the denser forest they had been trekking. Upon looking at the scene before him, Caelan froze in place, dropping his water bottle. Noticing that, Leopold gave one of his snarky comments. Only to tense up when noticing how his companion didn’t respond. Leopold waved both hands with vigor, spectral fingers passing through Caelan’s face. “Hey! Earth to meathead! Please tell me you aren’t short-circuiting in my body!”
Spreading as far as the eye could see, a field of flowers. The scent of wildflowers, sweet and sharp, hit him like a wave. The wind chimes swayed in the breeze, their gentle tinkling mingling with the rustle of petals. And the colorful myriads of stones composing the pathways evoked memories long gone. Eyes going damp, Caelan stepped forward in a daze, Leopold’s yelling a distant gibberish in his ears.
"What is this place?" He looked back at his knowledge of the games, unable to recall such a place.
Leopold looked around him. "One of the gardens open to the general public. I think the last headmistress built it. The one before Veylor, in fact." He got closer to his body again, eyes glued to its face. "Seriously, you are starting to freak me out."
Caelan kneeled down, brushing one of the vibrant blooms. He wanted to confirm how real it felt, know he hadn't lost his mind. Leopold yelled something right then, but all he cared were the plants. Right as he felt the delicate petals at his fingertips, a sharp hit the side of his head. A rolling ball, the likely culprit, rolled away as he tasted the dirt.
“I told you to dodge!” Said the four Leopolds spiraling around. “Fucking Wastes!”
Fighting back the dizziness, Caelan got on all fours, unable to rise any further. A shadow loomed over him, their voice scratching at his now oversensitive hearing. “Oh crap, I’m so sorry! I didn’t think anyone would come out of the woods like that! Are you okay? No, of course you aren’t okay. Do you need anything? Water, a hug, painkillers, maybe?”
Caelan raised his hand, managing to have them stop talking. “Just… give me a moment, all right?"
After some breathing exercises learned in the army, everything felt cohesive once more. Looking up, he found a pair of deep purple eyes looking at him, their owner sitting down hugging her knees. “Oh boy, you are bleeding!” She yanked a handkerchief from her pocket, pressing it to his nose. he wanted to retreat from the touch, but his body hadn't regained full control yet. “I’m so, so sorry! I swear I didn’t do it on purpose. Oh, I shouldn’t have touched you without consent.” She lets go of him, but still kept the cloth staunching his nostril. “Normally I can aim my kicks better than this, I just got distracted by a bee, and…” She kept moving her hands around her, illustrating all that came out of his mouth. Sometimes taking off the cloth from his nose, causing a new trickle to come down. Then she would hurry to correct thee mistake, as quick as possible.
At some distant corner of his mind, Caelan felt nostalgic, beneath all the pain. Like going home after a long month of deployment. Or taking a hot shower after an intense session at the gym.
"How is she even breathing?” Leopold had a hand over his mouth, failing to conceal the smile beneath his fingers.
"Could you at least pretend to be worried?"
"No one ever died from a ball to the face, dear Caelan."
“I’m fine, thanks.” Caelan took over the task of keeping his nose from leaking. Without anything to keep her hands busy, the girl kept fidgeting.
Her sun-kissed skin and lean, toned muscles spoke of countless hours spent outside. The tan on her skin had faint, pale lines interrupting it. Marks left by hours spent practicing swimming. Dark brown hair pulled into a neat ponytail swayed as she moved. With it, a faint citrus scent, sharp and refreshing emanating from it.
Caelan's stomach swirled. That reminded him of the shampoo he had at home. The one going unused for weeks.
“You sure? I live nearby; we can go there to have you patched up.” She reminded him of a small animal cornered by a predator. With the way she kept playing with the cords of her sleeveless hoodie.
He once more ensured her of his well-being. Also deflecting all her attempts to offer compensation. For his part, Leopold giggled like a child at Christmas night, enjoying every second. “Oh, I like this one. Hope we see more of her in the future.”
The injured man felt a vein pop on his forehead. “Didn’t you feel the pain too?”
“Enjoyed seeing you drop down waaaay more.”
It took some time, but once his nose stopped bleeding and he noticed it didn’t break, he decided he had enough for the day. Accepting the bowing of the girl and refusing to let her take him to a hospital, he made his way back to his dorm.
His gut kept telling him to avoid her. That feeling saved his life more times than he could count, so he obeyed. Whenever she spoke, his confused mind kept conjuring memories. Ones he would rather not face, at least for the moment.
Because of them involved someone he would never get back.
“You know… there’s one positive to come out of this.” Leopold had settled into a laid-back position once again, hands behind his head.
“Which is?”
The ghost closed his eyes, as if about to take a nap. “I’m not mad at you anymore.”
“How delightful.” Said Caelan with an audible groan, not bothering to keep it within his mind. The girl’s voice and actions still resonated with him. The displaced couldn’t help but think of how Sam would have liked the peculiar new acquaintance he made.
Oh… this girl is like her.
This idea brought both warmth and a cold shiver. The wind chimes swayed in the distance, their song carrying echoes of another time, another life. His steps faltered, but he forced himself forward. Some wounds were better left unopened, no matter how they called to you.
Regardless of how much you wish to.