The Symbiosis

"Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention, please?" the principal said, tapping the microphone lightly. The chatter in the assembly hall died down and was replaced with a hushed silence. "The Heiss school board has made a change to the schedule of after-school activities. Night preps will now run from 7pm to 9pm, and students are not permitted to leave their hostels after lights out. Teachers will be stationed around the school to ensure compliance with this policy. These laws have been put in place for your protection, and violating them will result in serious consequences." She paused and surveyed the young faces watching her attentively.

"I also want to urge all of you to please stay on school grounds and do not leave without proper authorization," the principal continued, her voice filled with worry and concern. "There have been reports of strange occurrences happening outside the school boundaries, and for your safety, I am asking that you all obey the rules and stay within the school grounds," she continued, fidgeting with her glasses as her words hung heavy in the air. The students sat in rapt attention, the tension palpable in the assembly hall.

"Lastly, please give a warm welcome to our new student, Oliver Swells," the principal said, gesturing towards the back of the hall. Oliver stood up, he was a very handsome silver haired boy, his skin was white and extremely pale; like a cold corpse. His face wore a focused and indifferent expression as he walked towards the front of the room. The students clapped as he passed by, some of them whispering excitedly to each other. Oliver reached the front of the room and stood next to the principal who gladly shook hands with him.

Robert was sitting amongst the crowd of students as he watched the new student, Oliver, intently. "Does anything about that guy seem awkward to you, Poison?" he thought to Poison who did not reply. Robert could sense he was studying Oliver from behind his eyes. Something about Oliver couldn't sit right with him but he couldn't identify what it was.

As the final words of the announcement rang out, the students filed out of the hall, chatting excitedly as they dispersed to their classes.

Robert slowly climbed the stairs to his classroom, his mind reeling with thoughts of the new student. He had experienced a similar sense of unease before, when the new student walked by him with his luggage a few days prior. There was something unsettling about Oliver; a strange aura that made him feel very uncomfortable, as if he exuded danger.

He walked into his classroom, trying to shake the uneasy feeling and focus on something else but he noticed a familiar group of students huddled around a new face. It was Jackson and his friends, and they were all scowling down at the new student, Oliver. He felt a knot of apprehension as he walked over to investigate and was displeased at what he heard.

"Come on, your parents certainly left you with some pocket money. You know what you have to do in order to walk out of this in one piece!" Henry, the smallest among them threatened.

Jackson watched impassively as his boys did the extortion. The other students in the classroom seemed to pay no attention to the scene as they were preoccupied with their business or didn't want to get involved. The rest were playing silly games, laughing and generally making a ruckus.

Jackson's eyes narrowed when he noticed Robert approaching with a frown, and he cursed at Robert in his heart.

"Hey, give the guy a break, he's only just enrolled!" Robert snapped, his voice sharp with irritation. "Let him get settled in before you start mugging him!" He shoved Henry away. He noticed Oliver's skin was much more pale and white, he looked like a frozen corpse.

"And what are you gonna do? Hallucinate?" Frank mocked as he squared his shoulders, his friends' laughter ringing in the background.

"I'll make you feel the true meaning of PAIN, Frank," Robert replied, his voice low and dangerous. Frank sneered, then lunged at Robert with flailing arms. But before he could land a blow, a swift counterattack sent him flying and crashing to the ground. A solid thump to his chest was all he recalled before being lifted off the ground and hurled backward. He landed with a thud, several feet away. Stunned and terrified, Frank gazed up at Robert, then scrambled to his feet and fled the classroom.

Jackson muttered a curse, clenching his fists. Confident in his physical superiority over Robert, he wasn't intimidated by Robert's impressive takedown of Frank. He stalked towards the other boy, his eyes blazing with malice. "You think you're tough, huh?" he growled.

"I thought last night taught you that?" Robert replied with a small grin, unfazed.

"Last night you sneak attacked me, but I won't give you a chance to do the same again!" Jackson struck out, his fist connecting with Robert's cheek with a sickening crunch. He pulled back, expecting to see the other boy reeling in pain, but instead, Robert's face was unmarred, his skin as smooth and unblemished as ever. "What the-?" Jackson stammered, his eyes wide with disbelief. Robert stood there, his expression stony and impassive.

"Is that all?" Robert asked, his voice calm and even.

Jackson felt a surge of panic rise up in his chest.

"Pathetic," Robert chuckled and began to walk towards Jackson. He felt his palm begining to get much more sandier than usual.

"Stay away from me!" Jackson yelled with fright and turned to run but a handful of students had gathered to watch the drama and some of them pushed him towards Robert, laughing and calling him a coward.

Robert moved closer to Jackson, determined to humble him this time, but Dora stepped out of the small crowd of students and pleaded with him to calm down. Seeing her pleading with him, his resolve slowly crumbled. Dora was not just a close friend, he considered her unique and very special. One could even say that she had a place in his heart that no one else could fill, although he would never admit it, because it went against his image of being tough and unemotional. With a sigh, a smile spread across his face.

"What are you doing?! Hurry up and show that impudent child the consequences of angering the descendant of an Ancestor soul!" Poison cried in his head. Robert's hand got sandier and he felt stronger.

However, he only released an even warmer smile and turned towards Oliver, "Are you okay?" he asked. Oliver stared at him and for a moment, his pulpils twinkled, froze into white ice and returned to normal.

Robert was taken aback. What had he just seen? But Oliver surprisingly scoffed and whispered in a very low, hoarse and other-worldly voice, "At last," he then stood up and left.

The students suddenly erupted into a cacophony of noise as they rushed to their seats, the room filling with the sound of chatter and the scraping of chairs. Robert glanced at the doorway and saw the stern figure of Mr. Williams, the Hostel master for the 12th grade.

"Robert Manuel, my office, now!" Mr Williams ordered and walked away.

Robert followed loosely behind him.

"That kid," Poison said as Robert approached the office, "I'll see what I can do about him."

Mr Williams sat behind his large desk while Robert stood before him. The office was packed with files and sheets of papers.

"Take a seat," Mr. Williams said, gesturing to the chair opposite him. Robert sat down, his back straight and his hands folded in his lap. Mr. Williams leaned back in his own chair, his eyes fixed on Robert. The silence was palpable, as if the air itself was being sucked out of the room. Finally, Mr. Williams spoke with a stern and serious voice. "Robert, I understand that you had an altercation with a fellow student earlier today."

"He was the first to attack me, sir," Robert said and swallowed.

Mr Williams fixed Robert with a stern stare, his gaze unwavering as the seconds ticked by. After ten long seconds, he finally spoke. "Go to Miss Greene's office and get me a red pen, leave your belt behind, so I can ensure you'd do what I asked," Robert looked confused but reluctantly took off his belt and placed it on the large table. "Now go."

As soon as Robert walked out the door, Mr Williams reached for the belt and slipped a tiny, pea-sized black object from his pocket. He fiddled with the belt for a moment, then placed the object in a discreet location and put the belt back where it had been. His hands worked quickly and precisely, as if he had done this many times before. Then, he sat back and waited, his expression as unreadable as ever.

"Now I'll get to hear him talk with the Ancestor soul, then I'll move over to phase two, extraction," He muttered as he held out a fist sized glowing green orb.

"Well, let's confirm if he really has an ancestor soul," he said as he placed the ball in a drawer under his table and left it open.

Meanwhile, Robert had gotten the red pen from Miss Greene and on his way back, he noticed the strange plants in the flower pots that lined the corridor leading to Mr Williams' office. They looked like aloe vera plants, but with a few odd, alien-like details that set them apart. The other students had told tales of the plants dancing at night, but Robert dismissed them as mere rumours. However, as he passed by the plants, he couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. Nevertheless, he shrugged it off his mind as he remembered what happened back at the classroom.

"Poison, did you see that guy's eyes? It froze! It freaking froze! I told you there was something odd about him. When I asked if he's okay, he just replied 'at last' and left without even thanking me!" Robert jibbered.

"Listen, kid, you need to be careful. My father had a personal servant who also caught the curse," Poison said, sounding a little frightened. "Back then, he caused my brother and me all kinds of trouble. We despised him, and I think he became an ancestor soul when he died, and I might have done something that pissed him off greatly. He was a real ice freak, you don't wanna mess with him."

"Let me guess, another lame and made-up story?" Robert asked, wearing a jaded expressions.

"In a way, yes. But..." Poison started to explain, but his words were cut short by a sudden, pained outburst from Robert.

"Argh!" Robert groaned, stumbling into the office, his hands clutching his head as a wave of dizziness overwhelmed him. Mr Williams quickly put away the green ball in a hole under his chair and pretended to be concerned, "Robert, is anything wrong?" He asked.

Robert immediately felt better after the ball was put away. The feeling of relief and lightness that washed over him could be likened to the refreshing feeling of plunging into a cold shower after a scorching summer day.

"No sir, I just, uhh... felt a little dizzy, here's your pen," Robert replied, handing him the red pen.

"Thanks," Mr Williams said, receiving the pen. "You're free to go, and don't forget your belt."

Robert grabbed his belt and left the office hastily.

Mr. Williams watched Robert leave, a smile spreading across his face. He reached into his desk drawer and pulled out the crumpled piece of parchment, scanning it with glee. "Hehe, the predictions were correct. That kid's really got himself an Ancestor soul!" He giggled, then his voice dropped malevolently. "Identification and acquisition are all that remains."

Robert ascended the staircase leading to his classroom, his mind whirling with confusion and curiosity. The lingering sensation of dizziness weighed heavily on him, prompting a cascade of unanswered questions to spill from his lips in a flurry of words. "Poison," he murmured, "why did I feel dizzy all of a sudden? Is this to your doing? What did you do?"

"To be honest, kid, I've felt that before," Poison said, as if he had been waiting to answer. "The only thing I can think of that's capable of creating that sensation and making you dizzy while I'm in your body is the orb that sits atop my father's staff. Or perhaps you've got a fever or something, but that's not possible 'cus I'm in you and I granted you rapid regeneration abilities and all, so, I'll go with the former."

"Please, don't lie to me on this one," Robert muttered, wearing a jaded expression.

"Staffs like that are called Soul Sceptres," Poison clarified. "Extremely rare and potent, they shield against dark magic - shadow, blood, necromancy, and more. My father owned one and used it for protection. I once played with it, unaware of its true power. But I soon learned it can extract souls, severing the lifeline and causing fatal dizziness. If used on you, you'd survive, but I risk being torn from you, with disastrous consequences. The Sceptre's still out there, likely in that man's possession. Be cautious dealing with him, but for now, our priority lies with Oliver."

Robert looked puzzled and excited at the same time as he digested the information. "Magic?" He asked, "Like wizards? Are you magic? I mean, can you cast spells?" Poison did not respond.

Robert spotted Dora approaching and released a warm smile. She still wore her alluring smile and her charming scent filled the air as she stopped in front of him.

"Did Mr. Williams punish you?" she asked, grabbing his hand affectionately.

"Nah, how's Jackson?"

"He's ranting in class. He said he was so close to knocking you out before Mr. Williams interrupted."

They both shared a laugh.

"You're aware that strong perfumes aren't allowed in school," he remarked, smiling as he caught a whiff of the sweet scent while admiring her red hair.

"Ugh, why does it matter anyway?" she scoffed. "Most teachers would rather ask me about the brand than punish me. Come on, let's go to the canteen. You missed our ice cream break last time," she said as she held his hand, and they strolled casually.