CHAPTER 213: CHAPTER 213: THE ARCHITECT [3]

It often took a considerable amount of time and research for many to quickly get accustomed to their new Stigma and know more about their abilities, so there werr some who revealed their Stigmas to the academy in a sort of exclusive partnership, as long as the details remained sealed.

Alexander was one such person.

Ever since he manifested the white flames, he felt... something about them. So he hadn’t hesitated to reveal it to the Academy.

And he was right.

"Hmmm. It seems the power of your flames are somehow tied to your emotions and perceptions."

Staring at the tablet screen in his hands, Instructor Wells made a deeply contemplative face.

"Alex, tell me. What were you thinking of when you first manifested your stigma. What were you feeling?"

He looked at Alexander with furrowed brows and the white haired boy frowned for a second.

’Feelings...?’

Alexander expression pulled, becoming long and wistful as his kind thought back to the moment of his despairing confrontation against Nicodemus.

His breath hitched at that moment, an inexplicable sense of emptiness gouging a whole deep inside of him. Alexander’s eyes turned glassy.

"I..."

His lips parted to speak but trembled in a struggle to gather his words.

Instructor Wells watched his reaction closely for two seconds before withdrawing his gaze from the young man with consideration.

"Ahem. You don’t have to say it if it’s hard. In fact, I’m sorry for forcing you to recall things you might not want to."

It was only at his words did Alexander finally snap out of his strange solemn state. He blinlef his eyes, his lups parting and pausing. Eventually, all he could only muster was a simple, "A-ah. Yes, thank you..."

Instructor Wells didn’t linger too much on such a reaction or response; it was expected. He already knew plenty about what happened in rhe Dungeon, and about Alexander who was one of the key players towards the end. It was understandable the male cadet still wasn’t fully ready yo speak about such things.

"In any case, it’s going to need more experimentations and exams. There are far more unique properties to your flames than just its unusual white and incorporeal state. It’s destructive power is also something to talk about, but more is it’s nature to your will and emotions."

Apparently, Alexander’s Stigma had something to do with his thoughts, feelings, and state of mind — his emotions and perceptions, so to say.

Alexander only nodded silently, turning to stare back at the debilitated wall before him. He recalled a familiar sound he imagined hearing before at the Dark Castle that was the clangour of chains.

But before Alexander could say anything about that, the green eyed researcher shifted on his feet and spoke first, staring at the time from the tablet.

"Oh my. We’ve already lost track of so much time. I apologize, Alex, I got too carried away and kept you here more than intented. You’re free to go for now, it’s already quite late."

He turned around and began walking back to the panel from across, his female assistant silently following behind.

Alexander just stood in place.

"Then..."

"There’s no need to worry. We’ll continue to do more research on the current data we have. You’ll be requested for, if there’s anything more qe might need later again. Huhu, i guess we’ll be seeing each other a lot more often, and soon too."

The Instructor laughed lightly with mild excitement, waving at the white haired boy as he turned away, diverting his entire focus now to the tablet.

With all that said and done, Alexander no longer had any more reason to stick around. After changing out of the white vest, he promptly took his leave and stepped outside the building.

Just like the instructor had said, the time really had gone by behind their backs. It was now well into the night — the big wide and full silver moon boldly hovering in the dark night sky.

Everything was quiet, the night of the Research Faculty illuminated by various street lamps and poles.

Alexander stepped outside the building he was in finally, feeling the cool breeze brush his face, and looked around. He had been frequenting this district a lot often just recently, and he had to admit — it didn’t seem the Research Faculty ever went to sleep.

Even now he could still see a number of personnels in white coats and uniforms busily walking around like it was day time. And the whole streets, hallways, and roads were illuminated brightly by lamps as if it were day.

Alexander didn’t linger to long on the sight and made his way across to the Cadet residential and dorm areas. It was already long past curfew, but Alex had returned with a special Pass from the Instructor that allowed him to easily return back to his room this late without any problems or queries from his dorm manager.

And so it was smooth sailing from the Research department to his room. He pushed the door open, shutting it close behind him, before changing out of his uniform blazer with a long, winding and exhausted sigh.

Classes had yet to barely fully resum properly, but Alexander found himself even busier and more exhausted than before. He had to keep attending to summons and tests and all sorts of questionings all day everyday like today.

And there were still the bits and pieces of revelation from earlier in the day that took up parts of his mind...

No.

Alexander shook his head.

For now...

He just wanted a bath and hit the sack.

And so Alexander took a step towards his bathroom...

And froze suddenly.

His body suddenly became stiff and rigid, and the hair all over his body rose and prickeled on end. Alexander’s eye’s flickered, his head jerking to the side and stared straight outside his window. An indescribable sense of surrealism washed across his back

But it was only for a brief moment. Like a passing draft, it was over.

’What...’

Alexander blinked, his body returning to normal and his instincts no longer screamed or reacted so strangely.

A confusing sort of expression made it to his face as he walked up to the window. The sudden change he experienced was brief and almost seamless — like a subtle change in the air flow or atmosphere pressure, but strangely more distinct.

It was hard to properly describe.

But Alexander felt something, nonetheless, he wasn’t entirely sure he just imagined it as evident by his heartbeat which had risen slightly.

But staring out the window, he could no longer tell what it was.

’Strange...’ he frowned.

’I must be more tired than i thought.’

With nothing else to go by, he simply tried to attribute it to his exhaustion and shrugged it off to turn around.

But the moment he did, a certain image of a certain someone flickered in his head.

Alexander froze again, his eyes blinking as he once again stared out the window — his lips parted on its own.

"Victor...?"