I wash my face time and time again. I couldn't believe I just did that. That was the ultimate discourtesy that no adult should've ever done in public. Damn it, mistake after mistake! It seems that I have become undisciplined. Remember Zama, a lowborn has nothing but himself! What are you except for your head and your manner? NOTHING! So, make this the last, ever!
"Ady?"
"Huh?"
"Ady, are you okay?"
I turned my head and found Yusia approaching me.
"Stop right there. Don't get any closer. I'm stink . . . of failure."
Sigh. How can I even face her now? Anyone will turn a long face after seeing such a pathetic display of a man. Haha, she must have turned away by now. What can I say? That much is a -
When I was contemplating with my mind, suddenly, I had a handkerchief being pushed up my nose.
"W-W-What are you doing?!"
I was so surprised because I couldn't hear her footsteps thanks to the flowing water of the faucet being so noisy. I thought I was all alone again, but of course, she won't listen, will she? I figured out that she's the type who hardly listens to people. . . but what is this?! Why is she pinching a handkerchief to my nose?!
"Deep breathe from your mouth, and exhale from your nose. Hm . . . That is what Mom would have said, probably."
Is she trying to take care of me? For heaven's sake, this girl.
*Snort*
I ended up accepting her kindness and cleaning my face with her handkerchief. When I was done, however, she intended to peek at the dirtied part of the handkerchief. I don't know why and I don't even want to stay around to figure it out. I immediately took the handkerchief from her hand.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! DON'T LOOK! ARE YOU CRAZY?!" I screamed embarrassedly.
After that, I told her that I would give back her handkerchief as soon as I had it cleaned thoroughly. Then, we walked back to the class together. At one point, I asked her what she was doing out there, and she said that she was just extremely bored just sitting around and listening to people chattering.
"Why don't you join the talk then?"
"I tried."
Ah, I bet her voice was just so small that the others failed to notice. I guess she is the socially awkward type, I got a good laugh just by imagining it.
"Ady, are you feeling better now?"
"Yeah, I think so. Thanks, Yusia."
"Now that everyone is here, let us resume our class. Is there anyone willing to share their experience?" Master Hou Chen begins the lesson.
Daniel, the only male student aside from me, raises his hand. His big hair bun never fails to get my attention.
"Daniel! Please tell us what you went through!"
"Yes, Master! Honestly, I don't see that much of things. I only feel myself lying down in the backyard of my home and everything is black and white. At first, I couldn't hear a single voice and it got boring I almost fell asleep. Yet, at one moment I hear the voice of a bird singing. I try to chase it for a long time, and when it's just within my reach, I fall down a hole and wake up."
I see. So the experience is different from mine. However, I cannot draw any conclusions yet to determine what that ritual-like activity actually means. I need to listen more to others.
Every student ended up telling of their experience one by one, and the hypothesis matched. The experience differs from one the another. One person found herself floating in the sky, the other one just simply sailing on a boat, and there are also some who couldn't even explain properly.
When it came to her turn, Yusia told everyone that she saw a young boy get crushed by a carriage on the side of a road. She said everything is surrounded by something hazy and obscuring as if the world is filled with mists. She doesn't understand what it means, and she said it scares her. Soon afterwards, she woke up after closing her eyes all the time ever since she saw the accident in her barrier world.
I feel bad for her. Why didn't she tell me earlier? Heck, now I feel like detesting myself even more. How come I, a fucking MALE got taken care of by a female who had her own trouble to mind? There is only one way to describe a guy like me; a pitiful, weak-ass, mopey, vomit-launching, devolved loser.
"And you, Adrian Zama. Please, share with us what you experienced. Tell us everything."
Gulp. I-Is it just me or does Master Hou Chen look rather intense? Uhm. Anyway, I might as well tell him.
"At first it was all black . . . A total darkness. Then, I closed my eyes trying to sense anything that I could so the vexing feeling of being the only thing that conscious goes away."
In my pause, the look of Master Hou Chen keeps looking at me while stroking his beard gives me quite an uneasy feeling. It's as if I was hurried to continue my story.
"The next thing that happened, when I opened my eyes, the total darkness was starting to be filled with some glittering things and colours that were thrown all around. At first, the colours were just red, blue, and yellow. Then I saw everything split open and shatter, and the nothingness became a rose, coloured like an oil painting. A moment later, some big round objects came floating on my way."
"Then, my dulled senses turn alive. They became more and more vibrant and keen, and I ended up overwhelmed and . . . hallucinating I suppose. Thus, I woke up and felt like my chest collapsed, and my stomach got churned."
The wind blows into the vast garden where we studied under Master Hou Chen. The master himself throws a gaze to the sky, smiling like someone who finally ended his search for something. He looks so exalted and peaceful that everyone ends up looking at the sky also.
The tranquillity of the atmosphere doesn't last too long. We heard the peal of an eagle and saw one flying down from the southern sky. The eagle carried with it a small white pouch in its clawed legs. Master Houchen extended his arm, and the bird perched itself on it. Everyone was quite thrilled by it and whispered to each other.
"Allow me to present you, Lady Hua! My pride and joy! What do you think, class? A fine lass, isn't she?"
"Whoa, she looks so pretty!"
"Is she your familiar, Master?"
"Familiar? No no no, she's just my companion pet. An extraordinary one, to be fair."
I'm not an expert on ornithology, but if I have to guess, I think that's a Bluespark Eagle. It's a native bird from the mountainous range of Terramonte. Famous for its blueish tail that appears like a flame when it dives down from the sky to snatch its prey, hence its name; bluespark. I thought that species are becoming more and more endangered, and the association now strictly regulates its license of ownership.
Master Hou Chen took the pouch, and he approached the students one by one. When my turn comes, I take a look at what it is that he has been handing out to us.
"What is this, Master? A . . . fruit?" asked Julie.
"Good guess, but a little amiss. It's a candied plum. Now! Eat it, everyone. It will help you all feel better."
As soon as I put it in my mouth, my mind melts. I feel so relaxed and blank. What is this strange feeling? It induces a lethargic feeling, but it's certainly not sleepiness. It's like the scalp of my head is being massaged, and my hair is pulled up and then loosened softly and repeatedly. The next thing I knew, I was already lying my back on the ground, staring at the sky.
"It feels weird . . . but not bad."
Yusia who was just sitting beside me a moment ago is now lying down with me, and so is every other student.
"Yeah. This is such an absurd class. Alana . . . huh?"
"But it's so much fun. I experienced a lot of things today," Yusia stretched her hands up as if trying to fetch the clouds.
"Hm . . . Master Hou Chen is truly something, isn't he?"
"I agree."
For someone who had so much fun, she doesn't smile or laugh that much. Yet, somehow I can notice the pleasant expression on her face. Well, I guess she's right. A lot of unexplained things happen in such a short time. To think that most people would keep going on with their lives without ever knowing all these absurd things, maybe I was lucky to be here?
Magic . . . is fascinating indeed.
I was enjoying the atmosphere when I felt something strange inside my mouth. It tastes like . . . paper?
*Belch*
I took it out and I was beyond surprised to find a small letter inside the candy.
-3pm. East Market, Twin Gate-
I immediately sat down and looked for Master Hou Chen. When our eyes met, he didn't say anything but smile and nod. Ugh, what was that even supposed to mean?
"What's wrong, Ady?" Yusia who was relaxing and closing her eyes, is now sitting down also.
"Nah, nothing," I told her while hiding the scrap of paper in my pocket.
.
.
.
Whatever, man. What will be will be. Let's not put too much thought into it. Thus, I lay my back down again and just let the universe flow.
