Shadow of Andromeda: The Soul Lodger

Chapter 2: Mysterious voices.

When the bell rang, Ethan stood up, packed his books, and prepared to go to the cafeteria. He looked up and saw Emily in the front row, gazing at him with a mix of curiosity and inquiry. He nodded to indicate he was fine, and Emily smiled slightly, seemingly reassured.

During lunch, Ethan walked to the cafeteria with Jack. Jack continued to tease him, "Hey, bro, you really surprised everyone this morning. How did you suddenly turn into Einstein?"

Ethan shook his head with a bitter smile and lamented, "I don’t know, Jack. This morning was really strange. Last night, at the stargazing spot on the hill, I saw a weird blue light and then remembered nothing. When I woke up, I was already at home with a headache."

Jack stopped, looking at Ethan, his smile fading. "That does sound pretty eerie. Are you sure it wasn't a dream?"

"I wish it were a dream, but it felt too real..." Ethan frowned, sensing that something was increasingly amiss.

"You need to be careful, Ethan. Maybe you should talk to someone, see if you can find any clues. If it weren't my sister's birthday today, I'd go with you to Notting Hill tonight." Jack patted Ethan's shoulder, a hint of worry in his expression.

"Yeah, I think so too. After school, I plan to go back to the stargazing spot. Maybe I'll find something. My telescope might still be there." Ethan nodded, determined to uncover the truth.

The scorching afternoon sunlight streamed through the classroom windows, casting a bright glare on Ethan's books, causing his mind to wander. His thoughts kept drifting back to the previous night's experience at the stargazing spot, and the way his classmates' perceptions of him had changed served as a constant reminder that something extraordinary had happened.

"Alright, everyone, P.E. class is starting! Get ready for my special training!" The tall, brown-haired Coach Wilson's booming announcement pulled Ethan out of his reverie, signaling the time for his dreaded P.E. class. He and his classmates headed to the field, preparing for the day's physical education.

On the field, Coach Wilson led the students in warm-up exercises. Emily stood nearby, secretly observing Ethan, who now seemed like a stranger to her despite their years of friendship.

"Is everyone ready? Today we'll be doing some basic coordination training." Coach Wilson announced, then began demonstrating a series of movements.

Ethan followed the instructions, but something felt off with his body. His movements were slow and uncoordinated, as if he wasn't in control. He tried to focus, but no matter how hard he tried, his body remained stiff.

At that moment, Coach Wilson demonstrated a side roll, asking everyone to imitate it. Ethan gritted his teeth, trying to keep up, but as he rolled, he accidentally fell, his hand hitting the ground hard and getting cut by something sharp, causing a deep wound. Blood flowed freely, covering his palm.

"Ethan!" Emily rushed over as soon as she saw what had happened. She helped Ethan up, her brow furrowed at the sight of his injury.

"Are you alright?" Emily asked with concern, her voice tinged with urgency.

Ethan gritted his teeth and shook his head. "It's nothing, just a minor cut."

Coach Wilson approached, seeing Ethan's bleeding hand. "Emily, take Ethan to the nurse's office and have it checked out," he instructed immediately.

Emily nodded and supported Ethan as they made their way to the nurse's office. Her doubts grew deeper with each step. Ethan's behavior today was exceedingly abnormal—this morning he was a math prodigy, yet now he struggled with simple physical exercises.

In the nurse's office, the nurse examined Ethan's wound and cleaned it with antiseptic. To Emily's astonishment, the wound began to heal unusually quickly. What was once a deep cut now appeared as a faint scratch, as if some magical force were at work.

"This is strange. Your hand was covered in blood, yet the wound is so shallow. Are you sure this is all your blood?" the nurse asked, her eyes filled with surprise. Nonetheless, she bandaged the wound for safety.

Emily stood by, her curiosity intensifying. As she helped Ethan out of the nurse's office, she whispered, "Ethan, do you think this is normal? Your wound healed so fast."

Ethan looked down at his bandaged hand and shook his head. "I don't know, Emily. Things are getting stranger and stranger."

Emily frowned, deep in thought.

Ethan looked up at her concerned eyes, feeling a warmth in his heart. He nodded and smiled, "Thank you for coming with me. But I'm fine now. Let's go back."

Emily opened her mouth to speak but said nothing.

In the afternoon, as the school bell rang, students poured out of the classrooms like a tidal wave. Ethan and Emily packed their bags and left the school together. Living nearby, they had known each other since childhood and were in the same class, often walking home together, chatting and laughing. The summer sun's lingering rays cast a searing warmth on them, but the doubts and unease in Ethan's heart remained undiminished.

The two walked silently for a while. Emily, who was taller than Ethan, finally couldn't hold back any longer and said, "Ethan, you've been acting strangely all day. Solving that calculus problem this morning, and then your wound healing so quickly—it’s all very unusual, as if something has changed. Can you tell me what exactly happened?"

Ethan remained silent for a moment before deciding to tell Emily about the previous night. "Last night at the stargazing spot on Notting Hill, I was waiting for the meteor shower when I accidentally saw a strange blue flash, and then I remembered nothing. When I woke up this morning, I found myself lying in bed with a severe headache, and I have no memory of how I got there."

Emily frowned deeply, completely at a loss. "A blue flash? Could it be connected to what happened this morning?"

Ethan shook his head. "I'm not sure, but this morning during math class, a clear solution to the problem suddenly appeared in my mind, as if a voice were guiding me."

A flicker of surprise crossed Emily's eyes. "A voice? Are you sure you didn’t mishear?"

"Yes, it was very clear. Then during P.E. class, my movements became sluggish, and it felt like my body was out of my control. After I fell and got injured, the wound healed unusually fast. I think all of this is related to the flash from last night."

Emily pondered for a moment before resolutely stating, "Ethan, we need to figure out what’s going on. Otherwise, you'll be constantly troubled by this."

Ethan nodded. "I think so too. Tonight, I plan to go back to the stargazing spot. Maybe I can find some clues."

Emily sighed in resignation. "I just remembered that tonight the ‘Brave’ climbing gym is short on staff, and I promised Kelly I'd help her. If you’re going to the hill alone, be careful. Call me if anything happens."

The two continued walking toward their homes. As they passed by Emily's house, her dog, Kiki, dashed out from the yard, joyfully leaping towards Emily, wagging its tail and appearing exceptionally excited.

"Hi, Kiki!" Emily crouched down with a smile, gently stroking Kiki's head. Kiki happily licked her hand, displaying great affection.

However, when Kiki saw Ethan, she suddenly became alert, emitting a low growl, her eyes filled with a hint of hostility. Ethan instinctively took a step back, puzzled, and looked at Emily.

"Strange, Kiki is usually very friendly. Why is she so hostile towards you today?" Emily frowned, gently patting Kiki's head in an attempt to soothe her.

"It's okay, maybe she's just tired." Ethan forced a smile, but the unease in his heart only intensified.

"Maybe," Emily said, standing up and watching Ethan leave. "See you tonight, Ethan. Take care."

Ethan waved and continued walking home, his mind brimming with questions but no answers. His heart was restless, his thoughts a tangled mess, unable to calm down and think clearly. Ethan couldn't help but sigh, "Is this what they call the confusion of youth?"

After returning home, Ethan had dinner with his mother, but his mind was completely elsewhere. Mary called his name several times, but he didn’t respond.

After dinner, Ethan told his mother he was going out for a while and would be back soon, then hurriedly left the house.

The slender Mary stood by the window, her lips tightly pressed, silently watching her son leave.

As night fell, the air carried a slight chill. Ethan rode his bike along the mountain path, his heart filled with both questions and anticipation.

Arriving at the stargazing spot, Ethan stood once again where he had seen the blue flash the previous night. He carefully observed his surroundings—a flat clearing on a high spot with only some low weeds, not even any shrubs. His telescope was exactly where he had left it, and his backpack lay beside it. However, no matter how hard he tried to find any clues, everything around him seemed calm and ordinary, with no signs of anything unusual.

Feeling a bit disappointed, Ethan was about to give up and leave when suddenly, the same voice from the morning echoed in his mind: "Hi, human."