Phantom Hunters | Saphir Casters Academy

52 | Brewing Suspicions

LII | BREWING SUSPICIONS

    Kly should have been at the arena to watch the rest of the students fight blighters to pass the tests. It was a breach of policy for him to be wandering around, leaving his duties as a proctor behind. Anélá probably had a lot to say about that.

    Still, Kly couldn't care less. He wasn't even paying attention, anyway. Instead, his focus had been on the growing discomfort in his arm, and what felt like a trickle of water running down his fingers.

    He had stood and left without a word, not even sparing Anélá a glance when she tried to get under his skin with another snide remark. It would arise suspicions, he knew, but it was better than letting anyone find out about his condition.

    He didn't even have enough time to walk all the way to the Silver Wolf Den, having to resort to finding a public bathroom instead. Luckily, most of the people in the academy were watching the test going on in both arenas, and the only stragglers were those looking to buy food.

    Calming his breathing, Kly slid off his coat and let it drop to the ground. He swallowed hard when he saw the soaked linen around his arm, and with great care, he began to unravel it. The bandages came off easily enough at first. Then, as Kly got closer to his flesh, the material stuck to his skin, and he had to pull it off like a sticker to reveal his arm.

    It took a lot of effort to not pass out from the sight. Even as someone who studied medicine and had been in the same room as corpses with exposed ribs and rotting, blighted skin, Kly could barely stop himself from hyperventilating from the sight. It was one thing to see this on a dead body. It was completely different to see it on living tissues and on his own arm, no less.  

    He was sure his skin was melting off. At least that's what it felt like. A black, pulsing mark oozed with a dark liquid like blood, a symptom from Kly's body trying to fight the corruption. It was unusual for this much corrupted fluid to flow out, and he worried he was losing too much blood. He turned on the tap and ran water over the hideous mark, watching the fluid, transparent shower turn dark as it swirled down the drain.

    Carefully, Kly bent over to pick up his coat and dug through its pockets until he found the elixir that temporarily appeased the terrible beast. He popped open the cork and gently let the purple mixture trickle down the mark. It dribbled down his arm and dripped down into the drain.

    The black gunk was clotted, and Kly focused on wrapping a fresh set of bandages around his arm. He had just finished tying it off when a familiar voice sounded from behind him, sending him rigid in the fear of getting caught.

    "I had a feeling something was wrong with you."

    Kly tried not to panic. Scrunching the old, soaked linen into his fist, he steadied his breathing and slowed his heart before turning around to face his old friend.

    "What are you doing here?"

    Nox flashed his trademark grin, offering a joyous two fingered salute. "I could ask you the same. Personally, I'm here for a toilet break. Gotta find some way to get away from the stalls, you know?" He winked, and for a moment, Kly let himself believe that Nox hadn't seen anything.

    "How typical. I gotta go now. Anélá will have a fit if I don't return soon."

    Nox shrugged. "Anélá always has a fit." His grin faded away, and from the way his sharp eyes flickered to the bandaged arm, Kly knew that he wouldn't be leaving without answering a few questions.

    "I had my suspicions about that since you came back," Nox said, pointing at Kly's arm. "I'm guessing it happened during Paraiba?"

    Kly shrugged. "Maybe."