The Regenerates (16 page)

Ven felt a thud in his stomach. “So…just now. Was that just…”

“Hmm? Oh! Sorry.” Coralie sniggered at his expression, her face redder than ever. “I didn’t think it through when I said that. I don’t go around kissing people who are just my friends, Ven, for goodness’ sake.”

Ven burst out laughing. He hadn’t felt this happy in ages.

“Why are you laughing, you idiot?” she exclaimed, throwing the half-eaten potato at him.

He clutched his stomach. He had no idea why he was laughing. Was there such a thing as laughing out of happiness?

Coralie rolled her eyes and kicked the water in the canal. Try as he might, Ven couldn’t get the dumb smile he was wearing off his face. He glanced at Coralie.

Her bravery amazed him. While her personality was far different than it had been back home, there was nothing on her face that showed what she had endured. Ven debated whether or not it was an act.

“Coralie,” he said after they had been sitting for a while, “are you sure you’re alright?”

She didn’t answer him. Moments later, tears began rolling down her cheeks and onto the wooden deck.

“Dammit, I –”

“I’m sorry,” she said hastily, wiping the tears with the back of her sleeve. “Just ignore me. I get like this when I’m hungry.”

But Ven knew it wasn’t hunger that was causing her tears. He opened his mouth again but she got up to leave, and was gone as abruptly as she had come.

All of a sudden, Ven realized just how spoilt he was.

The next morning, Ven and the others set out once more to find someone who would point them in the right direction. They decided it was best to put their heated confrontation behind them for the time being. Coralie was right; they couldn’t waste any more time.

This time, they were choosy about who they approached. The first young miner they spoke to had only one thing to say.

“Do you three want to die? Because there’s a mountain range standing in between you and Hygon Pass, and it’s not a forgiving mountain range.”

Trying not to feel dejected at being given information they already knew, they continued on for the rest of the afternoon. They stopped at a lonely, run-down café to take a break. Ven nibbled at the bun he had bought, wrinkling his nose at the bland taste.

After several minutes of silence, Kayn put down his cutlery and stared at Ven.

“What do you want?” Ven snapped.

“Uh…” Kayn was clearly struggling to say what he wanted to say, now looking back down at his plate. He looked awful. His hair was rumpled and he hadn’t bothered to adjust the scarf on his head. There was also a greenish tinge in his cheeks. It made sense to Ven, considering the amount of alcohol he had to have consumed earlier. “Sorry,” he muttered. “I shouldn’t have tried to go that far yesterday.”

Coralie let out a raucous laugh and Ven gaped at him.

Should he forgive Kayn? If Elias hadn’t intervened, Ven wouldn’t be here now. At the same time, Ven almost wanted to forgive Kayn just for apologizing. It would be very difficult to forget the things he had done, but this whole ordeal would be so much easier if everyone could just get along. Still…

“Are you insane?” said Ven, still stupefied. “If it wasn’t for some magical little ghost boy, I’d be dead right now. I shouldn’t even be sitting within ten feet of you.”

For a moment, Ven thought he saw Kayn’s face fall, almost like a child who had been disciplined.

“I was drunk.”

“And that makes it okay?”

“I never said that. I meant that my judgment was severely impaired and I acted without thinking.”

Ven tried to let Kayn’s hugely out-of-character statement register, but it wasn’t happening. The silence at their table was becoming a little too awkward for his taste.

“Fine. Whatever, Kayn.” No one said Ven couldn’t
pretend
to forgive him. If forgiving him meant he could put a temporary block on Kayn’s hostility, then it was a small price to pay. Although Ven still couldn’t put together why in the world Kayn would want to apologize to him at all.

Kayn picked up his fork and began eating again. Ven could see Coralie glaring at him in his peripheral vision and tried to ignore her. He knew Coralie wasn’t likely to forgive Kayn anytime soon, which was understandable.

Coralie wolfed down the rest of the food on her plate. Then she stood up and walked away, towards a bookshop nearby. She stared into the window, but Ven knew she was just pretending to browse. Ven got up and walked towards her.

“Coralie–”

“I know it’s unfair,” she interrupted, checking to see if Kayn would hear her. “If you want to forgive him so easily for attempting to murder you, that’s fine. You’ve always been ridiculously nice, Ven, and that’s an admirable quality. I know it’s not right for me to force you to feel anything. Just because I hate him, that doesn’t mean you have to. You haven’t been wronged the same way I have.”

“Are you serious, Coralie?
I
haven’t been wronged by him?”

“Then how could you possibly forgive him?” Coralie exclaimed.

Ven ran his hands through his hair. “Just because I say I forgive him, that doesn’t mean I’m going to ignore everything he’s done. But at the same time, I can’t ignore the fact that he apologized. I’ve lived in the same building as him, Coralie, and I’ve seen how horrible he can be. The fact that he summoned up the courage to say sorry to
me
of all people is a big deal, and it would be stupid to ignore that. Can’t you see how much easier all of this is going to be if we no longer have him as an enemy?”

Coralie looked away from him. “You…you have it so easy…”

“I’m not saying you’re wrong for not forgiving him,” said Ven. “I would never say that. You can feel whatever you want to feel, and I have no right to say otherwise.”

As Coralie continued to shoot Kayn deadly glares, something in the bookstore window they were standing by caught Ven’s eye. Ven walked towards the door and pushed it open.

“Where are you going?” said Coralie.

“I just want to check something.” Ven entered the small bookshop.

The shopkeeper looked up from behind the desk. “Welcome,” he said. “Can I help you with anything?”

“There’s a book in your window, on the Haze Theory. Do you mind if I take a look?” said Ven.

“One of those, are you? It’s quite fascinating, if you understand it. There’s a whole section this way.”

The man led them to the far end of the shop and pointed to a row of shelves.

“Thanks,” said Ven, picking up one of the books. It was rather new and had a glossy cover.

“That’s not the same book as the one in the store window,” said Coralie.

“I know. I still want to read it.”

Coralie scanned the shelf, picked up one of the books and buried her nose in it.

The book in Ven’s hand was on famous Haze theorists of the current century. One of the passages was particularly interesting.

“Coralie, listen to this.” Ven read aloud.

“Argrave Heap, this century’s most renowned Haze theorist, was the first to discover that Haze energy can be transmuted. Heap became famous among theorists for discovering that what was potentially the Keepers’ Realm is accessible through soul travel and astral projection. He also discovered that it is possible for Haze energy to impact brain function and thought processes.

“He and a group of his colleagues conducted tests whereby subjects were made to separate their souls from their bodies. Results from these tests through advanced machinery stated the amount of Haze energy in this state of existence was extremely prominent. Those who returned from this state were reported to have altered brain functions, varying from a sudden increase in intelligence, to the decline of basic cognitive functioning. Furthermore, Heap discovered that Haze energy can also be channeled and contained into objects and even places.

“An apple was placed in the hand of one of the subjects during the test. The apple was then sliced and given to four different subjects to eat, to study the impact Haze had on physical objects. Two of the subjects who ate the slices were dead within days from mysterious illnesses, while the other two obtained supernatural and inhuman physical abilities.”

“Do you know what this means?” said Ven. “Coralie, that boy I met after Kayn tried to kill me said that my soul was there in that weird library and my physical body was back in the warehouse. Doesn’t that mean I was astral projecting, too? What if that library was the Keepers’ Realm?”

“But the book says that people who returned were affected somehow, either in a positive or a negative way. You don’t feel any different, do you?”

“No, but the explanation still fits, doesn’t it?”

“Does the book say anything about Keepers?” said Coralie.

Ven skimmed the passages. “There’s a bit here,” he said, reading aloud again.

“Keepers, supernatural and powerful beings said to exist beyond the human dimension, have been a subject of speculation and intrigue. Their story has been twisted throughout the ages, therefore actual recorded facts have yet to be written. However, Argrave Heap and a group of others have claimed to have seen these beings and interacted with them during their soul travels. Whether or not their sightings are true has been a subject of debate.

“In the city of Cor, the subject of Keepers and the Haze theory became taboo following a shrouded scandal that involved the murder of a Haze theorist at the hands of Coran officials. This event took place many years ago, during a time of extended conflict in the region. The reasoning behind the murder is unknown as of yet.

“Even in the present age, the Haze Theory continues to evoke wonder and intrigue throughout the world, and Haze theorists continue to discover more and more as time progresses.”

Ven and Coralie looked at each other, eyes wide.

“Did you know this?” Ven asked.

“Not likely. That would explain a lot. I wonder if Kayn knows.”

“It’s probably not a good idea to ask him,” said Ven.

They left the bookshop shortly after, disturbing thoughts plaguing Ven’s mind. He thought of the strange boy named Elias and the old library and then imagined those test subjects dying after eating an apple exposed to Haze energy. He tried to ignore the jolt of fear that struck him and followed Coralie back to the café.

Kayn said nothing when they returned to their seats. Ven, still disturbed, didn’t touch the food on his plate.

When they finished, they left a handful of Koins on the table and gathered their things.

“It doesn’t look like we’re going to get any help from these miners,” said Ven, as a group of them glared at him from beside the café. “It’s still early. Should we at least try and stock up before we do anything else?”

“Sounds good,” said Coralie. “There isn’t much else we can do.”

Lamparth was even busier in the morning. The lingering smell of brick dust and seaweed from the murky canals was stronger than ever, and they had to dodge the oncoming traffic of mining carts along the cobbled streets. Lamparth’s side shops displayed their merchandise haphazardly, with goods arranged at random on a blanketed surface. Shop owners yelled out prices, each trying to be louder than their competitors. Along the sides of the roads and the narrow bridges connecting the canals, ragged panhandlers held out their empty hats in an attempt to illicit sympathy from busy townspeople.

They stopped in front of a fruit stall. Coralie and Kayn began to examine the various fruit. Ven picked up an orange and was inspecting it when he spotted something out of the corner of his eye.

A boy around his age was going up to random shoppers and tugging at their sleeves, trying to hand them a piece of paper. He was rather sloppy, his clothing torn in places and his face dotted with soot. His blond hair was spiked and messy. As he got nearer to them, Ven began to make out what he was saying.

“Share some Koins with me, and I’ll make it worth your while,” he said, tapping people on the shoulder and waving the papers in front of their noses. “C’mon, no takers?”

Kayn and Coralie didn’t seem to notice. Ven wrinkled his nose, hoping they’d be finished before the boy got near them. The shoppers irritably shrugged him away. After a few moments, the boy tapped Ven on the shoulder.

“Hey, friend,” he said. “I’ve got something interesting to show you. Do you have a minute?”

“No thanks,” said Ven firmly. “We’re a bit busy–”

“You sure?” said the boy. “No offence, but you look a little wimpy. You might like what I have to show you.”

Ven twitched. “What did you just say?”

The boy raised his hands in surrender. “Whoa there, I said no offence, didn’t I? Take it easy. Say, you lookin’ to try out something amazing? It’s this new opiate called Vigor. Try some, and you’ll feel invincible. You’ll never lose a brawl again.”

“An opiate? You mean drugs?” said Ven suspiciously. “Once again, thanks but no thanks.”

The boy shrugged and was about to move to a new target when Ven suddenly stopped him.

“Hold on,” he said. “There
is
something you could help me with. I’d pay you, if you knew.”

The boy’s gaze sharpened.

“We’re looking for the quickest way to Hygon Pass. Think you can help?” Ven pulled out his map and led the boy away from the crowded fruit stand. The boy took it and began to examine it. After a moment, he frowned.

“Your map is a bit messed up, friend,” he said. “I don’t know what century you’re from, but last time I checked, there was a city here, not a forest.” He pointed to a spot on the map. “And see here? There’s been a road closure there for years. If you showed up there now, Muran’s Border Authority would have you arrested for trespassing on top secret military ground before you could turn your feet around.”

Ven’s heart sank. His intuition had been right all along.

“You might want to get a new map,” said the boy. “I can’t really help you now, but if you come to my place, I’ve got some friends who’d be happy to help you if you paid ’em.”

“But I’m already paying you!” said Ven. “Don’t be a cheapskate.”

“Man’s gotta eat,” he said. “Take it or leave it.”