"There is another thing needed for this to work"
Lyfa's ears perked up.
"What is i—"
Thwack!
"!!"
Before he could even finish his sentence, Laya had already lodged her pale hand into Cale.
"W-What are you doing master!"
Lyfa flustered at the rash action his master made.
"Getting this"
Retracting her hand, her pale fingers showed the 'Ego Shard' in Cale's soul.
"Now then"
Twisting her body, she walked to Iye and.
"Ugk!!!"
Inserted Cale's 'Ego Shard' forcibly into her.
"I-Is this okay"
The moment she finished with her action. Laya plopped to the floor.
"Yes, now we just wait"
"Wait? For what?"
Lyfa asked, tilting his head in confusion.
"For Natura to handle the linking of both of their 'Lives'"
Laya's mouth stitched itself closed, resting after overexerting the power Natura bestowed on her feeble being.
*
*
*
A migraine was the closest thing he could describe what he was currently feeling.
A splitting headache drilled into him, digging out everything and fusing it with other memories he considered at first to be foreign to him.
But as time conversed, he began to see them as his own. Yet despite this acceptance, he held doubts when looking at the smooth surface of the desk that mirrored his appearance unnaturally accurately.
'According to these memories....I'
His breath hitched.
"Shouldn't look like this"
Staring at his deep-cerulean eyes that flicked off the mirror, he also noticed that his skin was slightly getting paler as time stretched.
"It's like the sun hasn't hit my skin in ages"
Gripping onto his chest. A prickling sensation filled him from within as he spoke.
As if someone were weaving something carefully inside him. Its touch, soft and gentle as if afraid to rattle Cale.
'...Maybe I should wait till this headache subsides'
Then he would start organizing everything in chronological order, albeit crudely. Despite this, Cale just couldn't shake his thoughts of the final memory.
"....."
The mere fact that he committed suicide had been a shock, of course, its impact was deflated since he didn't exactly 'feel' it and only had memories of it.
But it was still shocking nonetheless, he had never expected that he could change that much in just a few days of torture.
Blinking once, he felt his eyes burn from being exposed to the rays of light.
Blinking twice, he let his pupils gaze fall onto the smooth desk.
'But, what exactly is this?'
Currently, in front of him was a collar, the kind you'd put on a dog.
'Do they think I am a dog?'
There was no manual that could tell how this could be used. And he was not awake to hear what that teacher said beforehand.
'He said something, just what did he exactly say?'
Cale winced at himself for stating to be fast asleep on the floor when such important information was being given to him. He could only look at the 'gift' he thought it to be.
'Should I put it on? Or maybe no?'
The best way to find out what it did was to put it on. Although, in the process, pride will be harmed.
'Doesn't matter, I think I'd eat poop if it could get me out of here'
Raising the collar to eye level, he opened it with a click and brought it to his neck.
Click!
Fastening the collar onto him, Cale immediately felt something.
'Tight'
The collar constrained tightly around his neck. But that was all, nothing else noteworthy could be felt.
It was an ordinary but uniquely made antique, if it could even be called that.
Click!
Removing the collar with a click, he set it on the table, looking at the gem shaped a bunny, he raised a brow.
"Is this one of those....what was it called again?"
Optical Illusions was the word.[1]
It took a while for Cale to remember the word, only after rummaging through information from his memories did he remember it.
Where the eyes were supposed to be, two bright red gems shimmered in the spotlight the sun set it neatly. The grey gemstone remained a whole beauty.
Cale only thought of it as somewhat creepy, especially so when the gem on the collar looked like it kept staring at him.
No matter which direction he stared, it always looked to be staring at him. Even from behind.
"Maybe it's a crown?"
There weren't many that could say that a crown had to be a generic gold after all. Though, this was purely Cale's childish imagination taking root.
Setting the collar onto the crown of his head, he didn't feel much.
Save for the hand that had grasped onto his head.
"What is this?"
The English teacher said, clearly in a state of mild confusion.
"A collar"
Cale replied, for the first time with brimming confidence towards a teacher.
"I can...see that"
The teacher wanted to ask the why? But held herself back.
"I will take this and give it to you back when class ends"
Taking the collar, she put it on the desk and as she sat, she called out to Cale.
"Ah, also you are on the third team"
'Third....'
Looking back, he could see one third of his classmates talking and not holding a care in the world.
Cale didn't really like them, he felt as if he'd lose his marbles if he stuck around them for long.
They didn't look his direction, and Cale also didn't.
"Now that that is done with, let's continue with the quiz!"
Taking out a laptop, the teacher played a video that plastered multiple options onto the screen.
"Now~ Now~ First team, listen to the video carefully and answer as a team what you think"
With a bright smile, like she were a granny, she began talking and hearing the chaotic answers from the team.
Sighing slowly, Cale thought this was a perfect opportunity to organize everything and make sure he could actually use what he knew.
He drummed his fingers on the porcelain and crossed his legs together, his mind drifting into deep thought.
Time passed, and Cale still did not know what this test was all about.
'Is it really just a quiz?'
It didn't seem like it.
So far, even though he passed the first test, he still could not understand the point of it.
It seemed easy....in concept at least.
Just don't get scared and do the work assigned to you diligently.
'Maybe it depends on the person?'
If that was the case, then Cale couldn't draw up any other assumptions.
'A show of courage perhaps?'
He thought of many other things, but those were the only two that seemed to be close.
But, he also let it be since he could not know.
After all, hadn't the envelope said that he failed?
He pondered the point of trying when he already failed.
'Still, am I missing something?'
Trying to organize everything in his mind, Cale couldn't help but realize the inconsistency in his memories.
The envelope had told Cale that he had failed, yet Cale. Could not remember taking the trials in the first place.
'Whatever'
Sighing, the strange silence made him want to check the progress of the teacher.
Thud
On Cale's desk, a laptop landed with a soft thud, its fans whirred and spun to cool the insides that were blazing hot.
"Gather up kids~"
Kids popped their heads over Cale, looking at the video playing slowly. Its options laid at the side.
══════════════════════(๑>•̀๑)═══════════════════════════════
Q1. What is the individual you see on the screen, talking and running away from a cat cosplaying as?
✦ Skeleton?
✦ Ghost?
✦ Dog?
➥ Choose Wisely!
══════════════════════(¬`‸´¬)═════════════════════════════════
An easy question. Leaning on his wood chair, Cale spoke after the video ended.
"Obviously option number—"
"A ghost"
"....?"
Cale blinked his eyes once, staring at the girl who said it.
"You sure? Could be a dog?"
Cale's brows twitched at the other nonsense that defiled his eardrums.
Eventually, after everyone kept on speaking wrong answer after wrong answer, he looked at the figure donning a skeleton costume.
'Is this perhaps a test of.....'
His thoughts drifted and he sharply exhaled.
'Patience?'
Something that he was also not particularly too fond of.
[1] Ruining the fun huh, Narrator-chan?