Fingers (2)
One common trope in academy novels is the protagonist staying out late without returning to the dorm, only for some incident to occur.
And I knew next to nothing about this novel's plot.
All I could do was prevent such incidents from happening in the first place.
Before starting my duty shift, I'd already confirmed Chloe heading back to her dorm. With the protagonist out of the picture, nothing should go wrong. Maybe I could relax a bit and sit comfortably.
"Father Lucio."
Sophia the deaconess called out to me. Not in the mood for anything, I quietly closed my eyes.
"Father Lucio?"
"……."
"Don't pretend to be asleep."
Sharp as ever. I cracked my eyes open slightly. Sophia stared at me with an exasperated look.
"What is it?"
"Your name follows the Holy Nation's naming conventions, doesn't it, Father?"
"It does."
"So, are you from the Holy Nation, by any chance?"
Sophia's eyes sparkled, brimming with anticipation that I might be from her homeland.
"No. My father is."
"What about your baptismal name? What's yours?"
"Benedict."
"Aha."
Sophia nodded with a smile. We chatted idly like that for a while—how long had it been?
"Ugh... I gotta hit the bathroom!"
"Will it take long?"
"Um... it's 11 now, so I'll be back in ten minutes!"
Sophia left for the bathroom. I kept reading theological texts until my eyes grew tired. I took off my glasses and stretched. Sitting so long had left my body stiff and sluggish.
"Hoo..."
"Mmm... smack smack..."
Esther Garrett, who'd been buried in her papers, had face-planted on the desk and fallen asleep. I glanced at the wall clock.
It was 11:30 p.m. Dusk had long settled, and outside the window, pitch-black darkness blanketed everything. Only the occasional streetlamp flickered dimly.
I stood from my chair and did some simple stretches to loosen up.
Per academy duty rules, after curfew—thirty minutes past students' bedtime—the on-duty staff must patrol.
On weekdays, curfew was 10 p.m., but on Fridays before the weekend, it was usually 11.
In other words, patrol time.
After shaking off the stiffness, I approached Esther, who was still smacking her lips in her sleep.
"Professor Garrett."
"Mmm... who..."
"Professor Garrett. Time for patrol."
"Mmmph..."
Esther rubbed her sleepy eyes and woke. She stretched her arms, twisted her waist every which way, yawned hugely, and pushed back her chair to stand.
"Yaaawn... So sleepy. The old academy had night duties too, but... lately, everything's been so exhausting."
"The lounge is too warm."
"True. Heating's great. Where's Deaconess Sophia?"
Esther looked around for her. Come to think of it, Sophia had said she'd just use the bathroom...
"……."
"Professor Antonelli?"
I hurriedly checked the clock. 11:33 p.m. She'd left at exactly 11.
"...Constipated, maybe."
"Pardon?"
"Nothing."
Well, I could check the bathroom while patrolling and fetch her. With Professor Garrett here, even the women's room wouldn't be an issue.
"Shall we patrol, then?"
"Eek... Kinda tense."
Professor Garrett and I left the lounge. The dim hallway greeted us.
"S-Sophia, Deaconess~."
"……."
We were at the women's bathroom on the first floor of the main building, where the lounge was. While I waited outside, Professor Garrett had gone in to look for Sophia.
"Professor Antonelli. No sign of Deaconess Sophia."
"Hm..."
Odd. She'd left the lounge saying she was going to the bathroom, but she wasn't here. I pondered.
Sophia wasn't an idiot; she wouldn't skip the bathroom right next door for one on another floor.
Maybe she'd finished and wandered off somewhere. With her playful curiosity, it was possible.
Professor Garrett emerged from the women's room, looking puzzled.
"No one's inside. No occupied stalls."
"Sigh... If not the bathroom, then where...?"
"Maybe we crossed paths? She could be back at the lounge."
"Makes sense. Logical."
I rubbed my chin, mulling it over, as she offered a solid hypothesis. Agreeing, I turned back toward the lounge.
But when I flung the door open...
"...Not here."
"Nope."
Only the warm heater air escaped; no Sophia.
Now an uneasy premonition stirred. I shook my head hard, suppressing the creeping anxious thoughts.
"What now? One of us stays in the lounge? She might return while we patrol."
I chewed on her words, then shook my head.
"Better to patrol together first, then return. More eyes, faster search."
"Good plan."
We left the lounge again and walked the darkened main building halls for a while.
The midnight academy corridors, unlit and filled with early spring's chill night air, exuded an eerie chill. Beyond chill—goosebump-inducing silence.
But no Sophia.
"Where the heck did she go...?"
"No idea. Damn it..."
"Sh-Should we split up?"
"...No. Scattering rashly isn't wise."
The cold air had set in since leaving the lounge. If it were just the temperature drop, fine—but something felt off.
Professor Garrett seemed to sense it too, nodding silently. Then she suddenly plastered herself to my side, clutching my left arm like a lifeline.
"Cold?"
"N-No, not that... Just scary. Weird... Never felt this on patrols at the old academy. The size, maybe?"
"Possibly."
We walked. Our footsteps echoed in the cold hall for what felt like ages.
"Where on earth..."
No Sophia.
We'd searched long, reaching the hall's end, but she hadn't appeared. Vanished into thin air.
No more spots to check, so we headed back to the lounge.
As we neared the bathroom we'd checked first...
"Professor Antonelli."
Professor Garrett bent down and picked something up.
I looked at her hand. When she opened it...
"A hair?"
Blond, shoulder-length.
I'd seen it before.
"Deaconess Sophia..."
She'd come this far. But then, poof—gone.
We both stared at one spot without a word. Between the bathroom and lounge: a pitch-black passage, emergency light blinking red overhead.
The connector from main building to annex.
The boundary line. We faced each other, nodded silently, and headed straight for the annex.
Caldea Imperial Academy annex. Once the main building, now used for club rooms in old classrooms and offices for longstanding departments.
An old structure, its halls far chillier than the main building's.
"Way colder here. Good thing I bundled up..."
Professor Garrett still clung to my left arm. It kept me from shivering too, but...
"What if you're on duty alone next time?"
"R-Right... Ugh, I hate scary stuff."
But I got it. The annex halls were deathly cold and silent.
As we walked slowly, something caught my eye.
Stairs to the annex's second floor. Beneath them, in the empty space, something white flickered faintly. Like hair.
I whispered to Professor Garrett.
"...Professor Garrett. See that?"
"Eek?!"
"...?"
My quiet whisper made her jolt and squeeze my arm harder.
Aside from the real-time squish of something soft against my arm—my arm might actually break.
She realized late, loosening with an apologetic look.
"S-Sorry. Jumped."
"Fine. Look there."
Her gaze followed my finger to the stairs. She trembled like a leaf and pressed close.
"Wh-Wh-What's that? A ghost?"
"Let's check."
"C-Can't we skip...?"
"We need to find Deaconess Sophia."
Her lips quivered, then she drew her staff resolutely, muttering.
"...Be careful. If anything pops out, I'll blast it with magic...!"
"No need. What if it's a student..."
I approached the stairs cautiously. Closer, the pale hair sharpened in view. And a sound tickled my ear.
"Sob... hic..."
This was... crying?
Someone stifling sobs with all their might. Not a ghost, like Professor Garrett's wild imagination.
As I neared slowly, the white hair twitched at the presence, turning toward me. I recognized the face.
"...Laura von Adelaide?"
Adelaide's haughty lady, Laura von Adelaide. Sweat-matted bangs framed eyes shaking nonstop at me.
"Ah...?"
I called her name softly; her rabbit-wide eyes stared blankly, as if seeing someone unexpected.
And from beside her, another familiar face popped out.
"F-Father Lucio...?"
"Deaconess Sophia was there too?"
I stared at them dumbfounded; they gawked back, then both lunged into my arms.
"Waaah... Father Lucieee!"
"Hic... sob..."
"What the..."
Caught off guard in their embrace, I felt my priestly robes soak with tears and slowly stroked their heads.
"...Calm down. I don't know what happened, but you're safe now."
"G-Good... Not a ghost..."
As I soothed Sophia and Laura, Professor Garrett approached, relieved for the wrong reasons.
"Back to the lounge first."
As I tried leading the still-clinging pair, Laura—face buried in my chest—jerked up in alarm.
"Pr-Professor. Professor Antonelli."
"Yes?"
"Something weird here."
"...Weird?"
Laura nodded furiously, pointing with a trembling finger down the hall.
I followed her gaze. Nothing. Just thick, dark, ominous shadow blanketing the corridor.
Gulp—
At the sinister sight, I swallowed unconsciously.