As the sun dipped beneath the horizon and the first stars began to sparkle against the deepening night sky, the students of Solar Springs High School, having just finished dinner, gradually made their way to the classroom block for the evening prep session. The school grounds were awash in electric lights—strung around tree trunks, mounted on lampposts lining the walkways, spilling in dazzling blue from the central fountain, and affixed to various points across the outer building walls. The entire compound was brightly illuminated, making it seem as if it was still daytime, but beneath a dark sky.
Now, if one were to observe this scene closely, they might notice a subtle deviation in the crowd—a lone student breaking from the slow, orderly stream of dark-blue casual wears and quiet chatter. With a stack of textbooks tucked under one arm, she moved with purpose, veering off toward the large, grey, four-storey building that stood to the left of the main classroom block. Her dark-blue gown and rubber slides marked her as one of the girls, indistinguishable at first glance—until you looked again.
That was Vanessa.
This quiet detour had become part of her nightly routine. She had more or less claimed the lab as her personal prep haven ever since she had earned the post of Student Laboratory Manager earlier in the academic year — a role awarded for securing first place in a notoriously gruelling five-hour examination written for that purpose. The exam had been open only to a handful of candidates—four others in total—all handpicked from the 11th grade science class by their teachers based on academic excellence. The exam had become something of a school legend. Students often jested about it being so demanding, it had driven a student mad before.
Moving forward, the day before, Vanessa had invited Robert to join her in the lab for their studies that very evening, which he'd agreed to. Now, as she unlocked and pushed through the main entrance and climbed up the stairs past the primary labs to the seminar hall, her quickened pace betrayed her excitement and anticipation. The thought of spending uninterrupted time with Robert sent a quiet thrill through her. As the laboratory's designated student manager, she enjoyed free and unrestricted access to the building and she rarely passed up the chance to make use of it.
Stepping into the seminar hall at the top floor, she flipped on the lights, and the room came to life under the soft glow of overhead white lights. Vanessa let out a small sigh of satisfaction as her eyes swept over the space—the walls painted a muted grey that gleamed faintly like brushed metal, the wooden seats arranged in evenly spaced rows, each with its own built-in desk bolted neatly to the floor. She made her way to the front row and settled into a seat, placing her books on the desk before her and glancing occasionally toward the door in quiet expectation of Robert's arrival.
Robert, meanwhile, slipped away from the students proceeding towards the classroom block and made his way toward the lab building, but his movement wasn't towards the main entrance, but instead, he veered around the side. He was careful to avoid being seen, knowing that no student should normally have any business there at that time. Now away from the school lights, and now at the back of the building, he moved through the soft underbrush, guided by the dim silverly glow of one moon. The other remained hidden behind a thick cloud.
Robert treaded through the low shrubs, seeking a suitable settling spot, his footsteps hushed on the damp ground. He could see the tall concrete fence not too far away.
The night was unusually still, cloaked in a kind of breathless quite that made every sound, even leaves rustling, seem heightened. Reaching a small, open patch, Robert stopped and stood in the darkness. He waited. Something about the calm—both eerie and serene—made the moment feel strangely suspended, like the world itself was holding it's breath in anticipation. Robert listened to the chirping of onacoes and the rustling of leaves in the breeze for a moment, expecting something to happen.
Nothing did.
"Alright voice, I'm here," he whispered and waited for... was it a reply? Or some sort of being to crawl out from those taller shrubs not too far from him.
The gloom seemed scarier now.
Ten seconds of silence passed before the voice suddenly lit up his mind. "Very well, you are one brave boy. Now let's get this started, shall we..?" And with that, Robert felt a strange sensation of extreme weakness wash over him suddenly. He felt his legs buckle beneath him and he collapsed to the ground. A piercing pain radiated through his chest, and he looked down to see a translucent, brown, ghostly figure emerging from his body. The figure stood before him, a glowing apparition with a benevolent expression on its face. A faint, shimmering silver cord connected the figure to Robert's body.
"What the heck are you?!" Robert asked, his expression betraying his fright.
"Me?" The phantom asked, "Oh, you can call me Poison."
--------------
Vanessa flipped through the pages of her notebook, her eyes darting back and forth between the words on the page and the door. Several minutes had passed already, but Robert was nowhere to be seen, and she was starting to feel anxious.
"Where could he be?" she thought, "I've waited like ten minutes..." the door swung open and she looked up with a warm smile. For a moment, she thought it might be Robert but her hopes were quickly dashed as Jackson unexpectedly walked in. He stopped in his tracks as he glared at her and a smug grin appeared on his face.
"Ah, my hypothesis has been confirmed. You are indeed meeting your lover here tonight," he said, letting out a short cackle.
"Jackson, get out of here or Mr. Bouse's gonna hear about this," she threatened, rising to her feet while pointing a finger at the door.
"I still don't fully understand why you chose that weirdo over me. Didn't you read the papers today? The guy talks to himself. Why the heck would you want someone like that?" Jackson blurted, voice rising gradually in frustration.
Vanessa gave no response, only glared at Jackson in silent hatred.
Jackson began inched closer to her, but she did not move. When he got close enough, his hand stretched out gently to touch her. She flinched as his fingertips brushed against her arm. Then suddenly, his hand was on her cheek, his face close to hers. Vanessa was so horror stuck by the sudden moment that she froze, unsure of what to do. Then, as if from nowhere, she found the strength to react. With all her might, she slapped Jackson across the face. The sound echoed through the room, and Jackson's hand flew to his stinging cheek. He stumbled back, staring at her in disbelief.
"You little wretch!" He snarled, his face turning red with anger. He grabbed hold of her arms and shoved her against the front wall, pinning her in place. She thrashed and struggled, but he was too strong. His eyes were blazing with fury, and she could feel his grip tightening on her arms.
"Let me go!" she screamed, her voice filled with fear and desperation.
"Oh, I will," he said, his voice low and menacing. "But first, you'll have to pay for what you just did."
— — — — —
"Yeah, at least that was what I was called back then," the phantom said and chuckled again.
"So... Poison, you're telling me that you are the soul of an ancestor of mine, and you've roamed Kreete for countless centuries waiting for me?" Robert asked, confused.
"Something like that."
"Why?"
"A crazy witch cursed me," Poison replied with his otherworldly deep voice, feigning a sad look.
"Really? Do I look stupid?"
"Fine, a wishing well misunderstood me," Poison chimed in quickly.
"Are you kidding me?"
"Alright, alright, I'll tell you."
"You'd better."
"Okay, long story, but during my time, I had the worst brother ever," Poison began dramatically, with an expression that suggested he was lying.
"Another lie," Robert quipped.
Poison ignored him and continued, "he hated me and I equally reciprocated the hatred. Our father always advised us about love, tolerance, and peace but we never heeded them. So one day, we had a quarrel and it escalated into a brawl. We destroyed our entire house but unknown to us our father was asleep in his room at the time of the confrontation and the house crashed down on him."
Robert cut in, "You two destroyed an entire house while fighting? Is this some sort of joke?"
Poison ignored him again, "As a result, my father suffered a horrifying injury... You should have seen it—very gruesome. Before his passing, he placed a curse on us, stating that our conflict would persist even after death. He warned that our souls would wander every corner of Kreete unless one of us obtains his most precious possession, referred to as the ancestors' seal. This object not only had the ability to lift the curse, but it would also bestow upon the bearer boundless powers, allowing them to seal their soul into the unconscious zone, granting them eternal peace."
He paused, observing Robert's blank expression, "We needed to merge with the body of a future descendants who possessed the potential to locate the seal. However, a few years before our deaths, my brother conveyed his intention to use the seal's power to accomplish acts I'd rather not talk about. Fortunately, I have found you and we must work together to safeguard your... your people of this time period, and assist me in confronting my brother and obtaining the seal before him. I believe that one of his descendants attends this school and might be aware of my presence, and my brother may attempt to use this descendant to eliminate me... I mean, you. Therefore, you have a choice: either confront him and find the seal before he does, or perish and I will seek another to fulfill the task," Poison concluded, his tone and expression serious for the first time since he appeared.
Robert stared at him for five seconds without a word.
"Why do I get the feeling I just got bombarded with lies?" he asked, his expression barely concealing his skepticism.
Poison sighed in exasperation. "Kid, give me a break, will you? I tried so hard to fabricate that story!"
"I knew it, that story was made up." Robert blurted, snapping his fingers. "I was almost starting to believe you for a moment there."
Poison sighed again. "Look, that's the 'kid-friendly' version of events, okay? I may have altered some details or maybe even the entire story," he admitted with a sheepish grin. "There are aspects of the truth that you're not yet ready to hear. The most important thing is that you're aware of my presence and that you're about to enter a new phase of your life. You need to be prepared for what's ahead, 'cus like it or not, you're gonna face them eventually," Poison's expression relaxed as he spoke, his words conveying his earnestness.
"Wait, wait, hold on a second, another question. How could your father give you the name, Poison?" Robert asked with a mixture of curiosity and excitement. Despite his trepidation, he couldn't deny that there was a part of him that felt strangely elated. Perhaps it was because he'd always dreamed of having unique and strange experiences—yes, what he was experiencing now was a dream come true. Still, having someone's dead ancestor's spirit after him wasn't the kind of strange he had in mind.
"I told you," Poison replied to his question, "That wasn't the name I was given. Only my brother called me that. I also gave him a name, Doom."
"Whoa, sounds pretty scary."
"Yeah, that's right."
"Okay, okay, so how exactly would I find this seal thing? And also, wouldn't I need some kind of exceptional ability to fight off this Doom person if he's what you say he is?" Robert asked, throwing an inquisitive look at him.
Poison smiled. "You know, it's quite amusing that you fail to understand the magnitude of your situation, kid. This isn't like your weird imaginations where you get to zap monsters with sparks and emerge the victor. There's a high probability you'll perish," His smile gradually faded.
Robert's brows furrowed. "Hey, how did you know about my imaginations...?"
"I have access to your memories, kid," Poison replied matter-of-factly. "And I must say, you're quite an intriguing character."
"And why don't I have access to your own memories?" Robert demanded.
"Well, clearly because I'm the superior entity here. Now, back to your question about exceptional abilities, you don't seem to know anything about magic, do you?" Poison asked.
"Not much but, go on."
"Alright, I'll put it this way: since I possess your body, you'll find that you can move more quickly than usual. You'll also be able to heal much faster, and you may even feel stronger than normal. And on top of all that, you should be able to make yourself invisible whenever you want. And for the cool magic part, you would be able to turn into something called an elemental." Poison said, smirking. Was it with pride or playful mischief?
"Wait, hold on. That explains the events that took place during the springball game two days ago. I could..."
"Yeah, yeah," Poison cut in nonchalantly, "It's was all me, you're welcome by the way. Ever heard of wizards?"
"Of course, but there's very few of them in Kreete, no one has ever seen one," Robert replied.
Poison's face abruptly fell blank in surprised incredulity, as if he couldn't believe what he just heard. Then, he burst into laughter. He laughed so hard Robert feared someone might hear him.
"What? Are you trying to say that wizards are still a thing?" Robert asked, his eyebrows raised.
"Kid, what I'm trying to say is that either that was a clumsy attempt at a joke, or you're outrageously ignorant — I mean, extremely, unbelievably, clueless."
"What do you mean—"
"Or perhaps you're one of those modern cavemen people who'd lived in the countryside all their life. Where are you from? That doesn't matter. Anyway, you should go up this building, I have reasons to believe there's something happening up there that might interest you." Poison said, before transforming into a mist of brown light and disappeared into Robert's body.
At that instant, Robert suddenly remembered he'd agreed to study with Vanessa at the lab... now!
He sprung to his feet and began to make his way through the undergrowth. The night had grown darker; both moons were completely hidden behind clouds now, plunging the surroundings into near darkness. The only source of light came from the top floor of the laboratory building, offering just enough illumination to guide slow steps.
"Hey, what are you doing?" Poison asked.
"Getting out of here... what does it look like?"
Poison gave a low, mocking chuckle. "Perhaps you didn't quite hear my answer earlier... when you asked about 'exceptional abilities.'"
In that instant, Robert felt a chilling sensation wash through his body.
— — — — — —
"What are you gonna do now?" Jackson asked, staring into Vanessa's eyes, who stared back, her fiery glare betraying every bit anger bubbling within her. "Manwell's not here, it's just you and me, as it should be. All I'm gonna do is kiss you. Just this once, please kiss me. Then I'll walk away and let you decide."
As he leaned in, drawing closer to her face, Vanessa shut her eyes and tightly pressed her lips together.
His lips had already touched hers when, all of a sudden...
BANG!
And Jackson was sent flying sideways, crashing on the ground with a heavy thud. He hastily looked up and beheld Robert's figure standing tall, a satisfied smirk on his face.
When did he come into the hall?
That was Jackson's thought as he scrambled to his feet, ready to retaliate. He rushed towards Robert and was about to land a blow on his face when, with a sudden movement from Robert, everything went black and a searing pain shot through the back of his head. He crumpled to the floor unconscious.
Robert walked towards Vanessa and released a warm smile.
"You know, it's always the jerks with the toughest heads," Robert said, a playful grin on his face as he dramatically rubbed his hand. "He's gonna have a nasty headache when he wakes up."
Vanessa ran towards him and wrapped him in a tight embrace. He could feel her chest pressing hard against his and for a moment, he allowed himself to enjoy the sensation.
"She's beautiful," Poison's voice rumbled in his mind.
"Isn't she?" he replied.
Poison quipped dryly. "You do realize you don't always have to speak me out loud, right? I can hear your mind voice just fine."
"Really?" Robert muttered. "Why am I not surprised."
Still wrapped in the warmth of their embrace, Vanessa slowly pulled back, her brows lifting slightly in curiosity, a faint, expectant smile on her lips. "What?" she asked, her tone light but puzzled.
"What?" Robert echoed, visibly confused.
"You just said something," she replied, her smile fading into a faint frown as her eyes searched his face.
"No, no," Robert said with forced casualness, clearly scrambling for footing. "I just… sighed. That's all." Then, steadying himself, he added more clearly, "I'm just really glad you're okay. We should get outta here. Maybe study together in my classroom... or yours. I'm sorry I didn't make it here before... this." He nodded towards the unconscious Jackson.
Vanessa offered a small smile. "It's alright, I'll just head to my class, you go to yours," she said gently. "We can try again another time."
Robert nodded, reflecting her smile. Truthfully, he hasn't been all that eager to study with her in the first place.
Without another word, the pair left the hall, dragging the unconscious Jackson out with them. They propped him up lazily against the corridor wall before heading out of the building.