Among Stars - 6

[Gabriel pov]

Stars blinked in and out of existence. Snoozing like some sort of lazy animal. One that could at one moment be sleeping peacefully and in the next viciously attack.

I understood, inherently that this was little more than a natural consequence of stress. Stress that I had felt so intimately today. Yet I had kept my calm, answered every question that I could. 

Found solutions to those I could not answer.

I knew that I would not be the best and that stung. For that was my goal, no my demand. That I had to be the best.

Yet as I was led through the door. The twins, their weird souls intertwined together fading to the background.

It was only then that something caught my eye. A wounded animal. What it was didn't matter. For it was the injury that brought me relief.

I tore myself from the hand of my caretaker. Letting her stand there as I stumbled over to the wounded.

Moments passed as I let it sniff my hand. A nuzzling that showed trust.

I smiled and while she sniffed at me activated my power. Pain fell through my body. But I showed none of it. For this amount was nothing.

Sooner than I wanted the pain ended and the visions too. I had to let go of her and let her go back to her family. Where she could better care for her little ones.

Still, she sniffed my hand once more, nuzzling closer to me. Placing a smile on my face.

"Go, now." She obeyed, scurrying off until I couldn't identify that small soul of hers any more than I could any other random soul.

"Are you finally ready?" A voice interrupted, and I nodded. I closed my eyes, letting the fading souls turn into nothing more than a void.

"Good."

She took my hand forcefully, massaging the burning areas, where the pen had bitten into my body. It was a small effort but one I appreciated.

What I didn't appreciate was the lustful gaze her soul gazed over me with.

But I couldn't have everything. So it was the least I could do to ignore that. After all, it wouldn't do to address it so soon.

I didn't want to sour our relations. For Abigail. For my family.

The silence continued for what felt like ages, where she just walked, following a premade path to bring me to the office. Where she would give my papers to whoever it was that dealt with them.

I wasn't expecting to be stopped. My back pushed against some wall? Tree?

What was that? Her voice was a growl, no, that was just my imagination. Running wild.

It was more like a command.

But even still it frightened me. The force that she held, the grip over my neck as she choked the breath from my mouth.

"I-" stuttering, fear filled my mind. Not for my life. But for those that I could not save. 

For those that had expectations of myself.

But I could try. Her grip had loosened at that, and with it I was allowed to talk a bit more. It was the only saving grace of that gasping breath.

"I healed the poor thing… was that… was that some sort of crime?" I couldn't help the shake to my voice.

And I couldn't help the dirt that filled my fingers, my body, as I was pushed against the ground.

No, it was more like I was thrown against the dirt.

"No healing can be that potent, not without some long ritual. Or some terribly boring prayer. So tell me…" She drew closer, her voice nearer to my ear before she begun again, "What was that?"

"I- I can't answer that."

"And why, pray tell."

"I don't actually know myself."

Her soul flickered with some unknown emotion. Only to settle back a moment later.

I heard her click her tongue, all before she forcefully grabbed my hair.

"Stay here. I will bring your papers to the office. So do not move a bit."

I nodded. Fear still reigning over me.

…

Her soul, Miss Julian's that was.

It was not a pretty sight. Not the blazing inferno that seemed to wrap the world with its presence. Nor was it the angelic hug that was my sisters. Nor the any other thousands of pretty souls.

No, it was a powerful soul. Young and powerful. But it held a certain malice and lust that seemed to just overwhelm any beauty that the power would have brought it.

And when it clashed against another. Filling its presence around the room and against the others frigid cold. It seemed even more sinister.

Like it was some sort of evil presence.

Except I had seen evil, and that was not evil. It was merely… merely…

I had no word for it. As it was just that weird. It was on the brink of evil yet it wasn't evil. What truly was that?

Or maybe, just maybe, that was a true human soul. One that had not been tempered by empathy, but by greed and lust.

By hate and anger.

And as I looked around. Gathering the emotions and colors of others. Of those intentions of theirs. I found it less unique. 

The miraculous colors I had thought so common seeming rarer by the second.

And when the ice left, storming out with a huff. I found myself curious. Was there some way to fix that, did it even need to be fixed? Or was it some kind of innate trait, that every being came with.

I didn't know and seeing that I could maybe heal something that I had never been able to heal before. It brought me immense joy.

Only for that to be doused with a cold shower as that same evil/not so evil so took my hand in hers. Pushing my body against hers.

"A room won't be given until you are officially enrolled and even after that you must pay."

"That…" I thought, "makes sense."

"Of course it does." She bulldozed through my protests, "After all it wouldn't be economical to give a room to every random girl, only because they took the test."

"That is true." I agreed. For some reason feeling much more talkative than usual. It was like the words were just flowing from my mouth.

Weird, but not too much.

"It's getting late. I'll guide you back."

I nodded and took her hand, walking back through the garden of souls. Waking and sleeping, both. Yet there was an abundance of exhaustion within the depths of their souls. And it begged the question of whether I would end up like that or not.

"How much longer~" I complained. 

"Not too much."

"Mmkay." I nodded. My eyes feel inexplicably heavy, as if there was some sort of invisible weight pushing them down.