Chapter 119: Living and existing

"I am the hound of the dark. Call me Haliad."

At the introduction, Kael peeped out from behind Elias’s back.

"Haliad?"

"Why are you here mister?" Elias asked.

Haliad tilted his head. "I’ll be accompanying you from now on."

"Aah..." Elias turned away. "There are only two beds in this room. Get a different dorm."

"You don’t have to worry about me." Haliad continued to smile.

Kael was the only one that found the atmosphere suffocating. He strank back into the wall, watching Elias walk into the bathroom.

An awkward silence soon descended.

Kael began to mutter ridiculous prayers. It came out as mumble mumble mumble until Haliad glanced at him.

"You."

He flinched. "What..."

Haliad maintained the smile. "You’re dirty."

Kael cracked into two as Haliad turned away and began to serve tea.

"I’m...dirty..."

Elias turned a while later, and this was the first time Kael was ever happy to see him. He rushed over and grabbed Elias’s arm.

"Send him out!" He whispered.

"Why?"

"What do you mean why?! It must be a fraud. He cannot be Haliad! Wait... maybe it’s just the same name."

"No, I think he’s the actual one." Elias muttered. "I have seen him before."

"That makes no sense. Haliad is a myth, not a random butler in a dorm wearing strange clothes."

"That’s offensive." Haliad appeared behind him.

"Aargghh!" Kael disappeared from where he was standing and appeared behind Elias.

"Short term teleportation," Haliad tilted his head. "You can travel within the range of a metre to somewhere you have been before."

Kael’s eyes shook as Haliad continued to observe him.

"You can use it five times a day at least. No combat usefulness. Pretty useless."

"..."

The dorm fell silent.

Haliad turned away while Kael just stood behind Elias for a moment longer. He bit on his lip till it bled.

"I’ll...S..step out for a moment..."

"Be back before curfew." Elias replied.

He walked out, back hunched and head slumped. He didn’t even bother with closing the door. His fist trembled but he kept it at his side.

’Pretty useless...’

The word echoed his head.

He scoffed slightly.

"If only my father had said it directly like this, instead of giving me those eyes."

He walked to a particular bridge and climbed it. It was very high. From here, he could see the whole school.

The wind tugged at his clothes and hair as he stared into the night.

"I can only use it four times per day. Any more would result in a nosebleed or more."

As he continued to stare he didn’t realise that a person was walking to him. Her feet made zero sound, just like paper. She approached him and stopped behind.

"Are you planning to jump?"

"Aarrhh!" He flinched and turned around.

When he saw her, he recoiled further to the edge.

The girl herself wasn’t the main problem but the strange reptile creature with wings that she was carrying. If it wasn’t so peaceful, he would have thought a portal was opened and the beast crawled out.

"I can’t find another reason for someone to come up here, expect suicide." She mumbled.

He continued to stare at her.

What if she was a disposal that sneaked in. His heart hammered against his chest.

"What...is that?"

He had expected a different answer, like my pet, or something I brought to cause havoc. He needed something believable, but her answer shocked him greatly.

"I don’t know."

"Huh?!" He gasped. "You don’t know what you’re carrying?!"

"I picked it up," she smiled and snuggled the creature. "It was roaming the halls and clung to me as soon as it saw me. For some reason, it’s acting all familiar to me."

"That’s not enough reason to pick it up!"

She laughed. "It looked nice."

She stepped closer and stood beside him.

"Why are you trying to jump?"

"I’m not trying to jump!" He yelled back, then scoffed right after. "I was just... thinking..."

"Thinking is good. Don’t just do it at the edge of things. You might really jump without knowing."

He quietly stepped back.

"Good!"

He glanced at her. The reptile creature around her neck was sleeping. He looked at it again.

It was almost like a snake, but not quite. It had thick scales, a long tail, and three horns. Two on both sides and one in the middle. It didn’t look grotesque like any other creature, and he could fairly understand why she picked it up.

He might have done the same.

"Em!" He looked away. "Have you searched for who owns it? It cannot just be any random creature."

"I just came. I resumed today." She grinned. "My name is Rolarza. You?"

"K... it’s Kael."

"The second leading family son, Kael?"

"You know about me?"

"I read a few books." She muttered.

"Did the books emphasize how useless I am?"

"Not really. It only makes you look mysterious. At least, you got into a prestigious academy without using your ability. It’s cool."

"I didn’t use it because it’s useless."

She tilted her head. "You’re the type that seeks validation from others, right?"

"Huh?"

"Maybe mother...or father."

"Shut up!" He banged the railing.

She sighed. "You cannot live, until you live for yourself. Seeking validation from someone that is not you, is simply... existing."

The words hit him straight in the gut, and for a moment, he didn’t breathe.

"Live...for myself."

"Think of everyone as side characters," she demonstrated with her hand. "In the end, your world belongs to you alone."

"..."

She chuckled nervously. "I am saying odd things again. Just forget you heard that."

She turned around.

"Let’s go down."

He didn’t say another word. Strange as it is, she was the one who walked him to the male’s dorm.

"We should part ways here."

He snapped out of thoughts and turned around.

"Huh?"

"We’re here." She pointed towards the structure.

He glanced at the building and back at her. She was already walking away.

"Goodnight Kael. Let’s meet another time."

He stood perplexed, watching her till she disappeared into the shadows.

"My own world..."

He turned around and walked inside. He barely registered climbing the stairs because he was still lost in thought. What drew his attention was the door opening before he got to it.

Elias came out, fully dressed. As soon as he saw Kael, he paused.

Kael also stopped.

"Where are you coming to search for me?"

"Don’t flatter yourself." Elias snorted, going back inside.

He burst into laughter and ran inside.

"I can’t believe you love me this much."

"Welcome back." Haliad’s voice startled him.

"Are you back from throwing a tantrum?"

He snapped back immediately.

"Your outfit is weird! You look like something out of a horror cliche movie!"

Haliad laughed. "Puny human creature."

"What was that?! Say it again!"

Elias just watched them bicker and yell, almost waking up everyone in the building.

"Right..."

He walked to his own bed and sat down.

’Back to my problem,’

He summoned the system.

[Basic information][Ability][Stats][Inventory][Armory]

[Name: Elias Morail]

[Age: ??]

[Height: ??]

[Weight: ??]

[Species: ??][Description: ??]

[Occupation: ??]

[Status: ??]

[Innate ability: Creation]

[System ability: void]

[Level:02]

[Xp: 0/200]

[Skill: void erase]

[Skill :Void pull]

’Authority is back, but...’

[Strength: ??]

[Agility: ??]

[Vitality: ??]

[Endurance: ??]

[Will power: ??]

[Luck: ??]

[Stamina: ??]

[Talent grade: ??]

[Authority: ERROR]

’I can’t see my stats.’