Zita hears this and slowly hovers a hand over his mouth, eyes focused and eyebrows arched as he ruminates, processing the choice laid out before him, and he has no chance to delay. He has to make this. Pause occurs as the two stay silent a second.

*... Go home, or learn how to exorcize ghosts? This... this is a lot... I...* Zita nervously thinks, trying to figure out what is right.

Sylvie sorely sighs in response to this.

"... I'll give you time. Check back with you in fifteen minutes. Think long and hard. Sorry."

And with that announcement, Sylvie vanishes behind the bars and leaves Zita on his own. He thinks long and hard about this decision.

*... I... I want to leave. I want to go home, I want to hang out with Pip, go to school, go to bed, I want to pretend none of this ever happened! I want to live an ordinary life and study, I don't want to be involved in any of this, it's all... but... I... I will be seeing these ghosts everywhere, whether I stay or not. I'll have to witness them, but not know a thing about them or why they're here. Or what can be done if they try to hurt people, like how that one tried to kill me... and, I won't get to see this world behind the scenes, with all these factions and secrets inside...It'll go on without me, forever outside of my view. I want to see it, I have to, but... urgh… how did I end up in this mess?*

Zita ponders the dilemma more, staring at the floor with locked hands as he argues with himself, wondering how he got into this mess and if he’s still dreaming. He can’t decide if the fifteen minutes felt like 15 seconds or 15 hours, but they end either way and the strange woman is back. She stands before him with crossed arms for a second before asking the big question.

"... so? You made your choice?” a pause washes over the two, but Zita’s lip parts and the answer emerges.

"... yeah... I... I think I have." Zita responds, anxiety and caution in his tone. He gulps before sealing his fate, giving the verdict on his life;

"I... I want to learn about ghosts. and what to do about them."

With that response, Sylvie gives a confident smile as the cell bars retract and upward, rising and letting Zita out of the cage.

"... Atta boy. Let's get started." a proud smirk across her face as Zita steps out into the light, a nervous smile across his face as he follows the woman outside the cage.

"Now, lets begin!" Sylvie enthusiastically declares as they walk out of a white-plastered cottage that you wouldn't guess to be the front for an underground holding facility. Before the two is a shiny black car.

"... s... so, where do we... start?" Zita asks Sylvie in a shy tone.

"Well~ first, it would be smart for you to get some first hand experience. You'll be assisting us on an exorcism! We'll tell you more when we get there." The black car's back door opens to reveal a woman in the same robe he saw the previous person wear, but with their hood down. She has lengthy raven black hair in a braided ponytail and small facial features. Her eyes widen from shock as she sees the boy in front of the car.

"Oh- he actually took the option?" The driver states in a surprised tone before clearing her voice. The black haired girl stares at him with a shocked look. Zita replies with an awkward lopsided smile.

"As I said, I teach this one. You'll be her classmate, if that's alright. And if it ain't, sorry, not much to do about it." Sylvie says as she walks to the shotgun side of the car. Zita slowly takes a seat and gives a small wave to the girl.

"... what… are you doing here?" She scowls at the boy next to her.

"... I... I want to learn about the ghosts..."

"I..." the girl stares at Sylvie with an annoyed look and crosses her arms in a sulk. The driver in the front, a woman with a blonde bob cut turns the keys as the car rattles, starting and beginning to move not long after.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

*... the awkwardness hurts, I... yikes. How am I already regretting this, before I’ve even met a ghost nonetheless?*

The road trip that follows amplifies the awkwardness to levels that the 2 didn't even know was possible. The driver remains quiet for most of the journey, whilst Sylvie hums to the radio. Meanwhile, the two in the back don't even say a word, the girl in the back staring out the window at the world passing by whilst Zita thinks of anything to say. Finally, Sylvie speaks.

"Oh- right. Zita, this is Assira Kaguya. Assira, Zita! Both of you will be learning from me during this crash course, so get along nicely!" Sylvie informs.

"Y- yes, miss!" Zira nods as he responds, talking anxiously.

"... yes, miss..." Assira responds, sounding like she's talking through gritted teeth, making Zita even more uncomfortable.

The black car travels quite some distance, the destination leads to the people inside weaving through the Welsh countryside, tracing the roads lining the valleys. The long journey gives Zita a lot of time to think.

*... What... What just happened? Why did it happen? How did it happen? Did... did I fall down the stairs in the bunker and this is all one big concussion dream? Would make more sense than being suffocated by thin air and the creepy statue taking a rock to my head... not to mention what the hell this creepy woman was talking about, aether and plasm and... look, I'll just... go with it. I have to know. I'll regret it if I don't.*

"So, Zita!" Sylvie announces to the boy. "We will be going on a mission, learning first hand. We'll help, of course."

"W- why so soon?" Zita asks.

"Aether comes from aetherplasm, which spawns from negative emotions. Mainly the fight or flight response. The best way to unlock aether control is through life or death stress!" Sylvie talks about life or death as naturally as she breathes, prompting Zita to develop an expression of shock and fear.

"B- but I don't want to die!-"

"You won't~ you'll live! We'll be here to protect you!"

"... o... okay..." sweat rolls down Zita's face as he finds that cold comfort. After this exchange, the driver speaks.

"Miss, if you may debrief..." the driver asks Sylvie.

"Rrrright people! Here's the summary of what's happened and whatcha gonna do. whatcha need to know; This mineshaft is known to be haunted." The lady says, as if what she is saying is completely standard to the two in the back. Assira simply nods with a blank face, robe hood down. Meanwhile, Zira is still taking time to adjust.

"Now then, this mineshaft..." Sylvie continues whilst twiddling with the branch in her hair, twisting it in her locks. 'It all started in the 1900's, dead early in it too. A mines owner did not pay enough on safety precautions because 'mah monah.'' She breaks up the serious topic with a goofy voice when talking about the money. "Due to this oversight, an coaldust incident and poor scaffolding caused portions of shaft to collapse, burying the miners still inside." Sylvie explains this tragedy in a casual and nonchalant way, resting her arm against the top of her seat whilst talking to the two students. "Ok then, Assira!" The teacher says to the girl, raising their index finger as she talks. "Pop quiz! Our new friend here just learned about ghosts and aether existing, so I'll test your knowledge and give our new guy here a crash course. Got it?"

"Understood, miss." The robed girl responds in a stoic and formal tone, if annoyed by their teacher's silly tone. Zita just sits there, a bit concerned as he twitchily nods and prepares to listen.

"Now! How are ghosts formed?" The teacher asks.

"Simple. Negative emotions radiate from living people in the form of an energy known as aetherplasm. Said energy then imprinting itself on surrounding objects and ground. human souls transfer into aetherplasm during traumatic deaths. Eventually the aetherplasm in the ground attracts each other, assumes the identity of the negative emotion and collective thoughts that created it, and begins to operate as a ghost. It will also attract negative emotions linked to the identity it assumed."

"Ding ding ding! Full marks! You got all that...? sorry, didn't get your last name." The teacher turns to Zita, her jovial attitude turning to a more curious one when asking the boy.

The boy turns to her nervously and stutters; "U-uh, it's malik, miss... Zita Malik. and, yeah, I think I understand... so manifestations of bad memories and fears, in short?"

The teacher looks to the ceiling whilst thinking about that name, as if remembering something. "Zita, huh... I like it! Anyway, yeah, that's a good way to put it!" The teacher responds, then clicks her fingers.

"Anyway, people like us- those who have been touched by aether by birth or events- can manipulate our aetherplasm to create aether, a more controllable form, the soul made plasma. Plus, access to aether allows us to perceive ghosts, something normal people can't. Also, We can manipulate our aether in many ways, everyone has their own individual method and technique. I'm sure you'll see it from Assira. On your mission" The teacher explains, then turns to the girl in question. "Speaking of, Assira. I trust you to look after our new recruit. You got him into this mess, so I trust you to look out for him whilst here." The teacher states in a more serious tone, yet still informal. Assira’s eyes widen in frustration and she goes to speak back, but doesn't open her mouth.

"Yes, miss..." she responds, tone radiating frustration. Zita watches, quietly, not wanting to say anything on the matter...

Zita's head is on fire and his stomach is in knots as he waits for the journey to end. He didn't know what the hell he's done to deserve being in this situation other than to be curious, but...

*I made this bed, guess it's time to lie in it!* he figured begrudgingly.

After an hour, the car pulls through an rickety metal fence, driving through a blackened and coal dust covered road and parks in the middle of an abandoned early 1900's coal mine. Derelict minecarts and eroded railways line the floor, scaffold towers flake rust and stand with wheels atop and dusty chimneys litter the skyline, the glum scenery emphasized by the signature welsh clouds hanging overhead. The students walk out the back of the car, Assira hastily slamming the door behind them and into Zita whom blocks it with an alarmed expression. The teacher walks out and leans against the car's driver side door and crosses their arms, the driver opening the window.

"We'll be out here standing guard. If something comes up, I'll be there in a split. I trust you though, you two got this. best of luck!" The teacher says to her pupils, smiling and with a cheery tone.

"Good luck, you two." The driver says, slightly more detached yet hopefully as the two begin to approach the pits.