NOVEL NEXT Chapter 8: A Mysterious Bauble
In the excitement of classifying so many Memories, Noble had forgotten that she had told Catphine to stay behind after class. Or rather, the professor had offered to help when everything was through.
The Sleeper sat frozen in her seat, unsure of what her next move should be. Her dewy eyes spoke of some inner struggle.
"You don't have to talk to me if you don't want to," Noble offered. "I am sorry if I made it sound like you had no other option."
"No." Cat swallowed. "You were very kind. I just…" Falling silent, the girl interlaced her fingers in her hair and held her head. Something was clearly wrong.
Noble stood from her desk and made her way up the steps before kneeling beside the student. "Does your head hurt?"
"Constantly." Catphine gave a weak smile. "But I'm learning to get a handle on it."
"I don't want to pry, but is it part of your flaw?" Noble was all too familiar with how devastating flaws could be.
They seemed to be tailor-made for the one who possessed them, almost as if each was woven into the very fabric of the person even before the Spell even infected them. Getting used to new limitations alongside new abilities was no small task.
"It is related to my flaw and aspect both," the student answered vaguely, "but I don't need help with that right now."
"What do you need help with?" Noble took up residence at the desk beside the girl.
Wiping at her eyes, Catphine took a deep breath and summoned a Memory from her Soul Sea.
A myriad of sparks revealed an orb about the size of her fist. But unlike Elle's Memory, which had resembled a dragon fruit, this ball was blacker than night and full of ominous energy.
"Was this what made you ask the question at the beginning of class?" Noble noted the girl's small nod. "What can you tell me about the Memory?"
Catphine looked down. "That's just it. I cannot tell you much at all. Only its name: [Portcullis Key]. Most of the information is a bunch of question marks. I am not even positive how I earned the Memory or from what creature it came. In my nightmare, I was struggling to cross a wasteland to reach my goal when I stepped on something through the sand. It shattered like glass and I got the Memory but no mention of a kill. When I went to search for a creature below my foot, I could not find one."
"Memories are bestowed somewhat randomly, not earned like in some webtoons. As for the creature–or rather a lack of one– that is most curious indeed." The teacher's lips tilted up slightly. She did like a good mystery.
"I tried using my intuition like you told Elle to do. All it did was give me a deep sense of foreboding and fear." The younger brunette shivered unconsciously.
Noble stood and motioned for Cat to follow. "Come on, let us put your mind at ease and see what Bee Two can tell us.
The android stood unmoving at the front of the room, looking both welcoming and forbidding at the same time. While not a nightmare creature or an echo, Catphine had no doubt that there was considerable physical strength behind the machine.
Holding out the smooth, reflective orb, Cat waited anxiously as it was bathed in a set of lasered lights. Bee Two whirred for a long time, paused, and whirred to life again. Pages piled up on Noble's desk. Rather than reading the copy of the results on her datapad, she picked up the top page and perused its contents.
Her expression became tense. "Bee Two are you alright?"
"I am as fit as I always have been. Androids do not get sick."
Catphine's shoulders came closer and closer to her ears as she waited for the professor's evaluation. "What do you see?" she asked when she could take it no longer.
Noble passed over the synthetic paper to the girl. Cat's hazel eyes stared blankly at the page. "I cannot read this…"
"That's the problem. Neither can I. Some of it is runic in nature, and some of it I cannot read at all. But if Bee Two is functioning properly, then that means something else is at work here. You may have really discovered something unique." Having no other explanation for the strange readings, the professor gave the girl what little answers she could.
This was a first. There was no information on a Memory like this before. Perhaps the ominous orb was interfering with the spelltech in some way? Something was amiss.
"Thank you for trying. I knew that would be the answer, sadly." Cat inhaled deeply through her nose. Her brow furrowed as she looked down at the trinket in her hand. It disappeared in a swarm of firefly lights.
"Wait, you knew?" Noble raised one eyebrow. Most students would have asked at least a dozen more questions, but Catphine seemed resigned to the lack of information. The professor was suddenly even more motivated to help the young woman. "Don't give up. Just because the technology has failed us does not mean that we cannot use our brains."
"I did not fail," Bee Two muttered in a metallic voice. "I gave you exactly what you asked for."
"Forgive me." Noble felt a little strange apologizing to the android but still felt like it was the right thing to do. "You did admirably. Thank you." Turning back to Cat, the professor resumed the original conversation. "You said it was called the [Portcullis Key]? That can give us a clue."
"It doesn't look like a key." Catphine had done all she could to try and manipulate it into something that might open a lock.
"There are many kinds of keys, but a portcullis does not usually need one. Gates like that were opened by chains or ropes attached to an internal winch. Do you know where or even when you were in the Dream Realm for your Nightmare?" Along with other scholars, Noble believed that nightmares were recreations of events of the past, so being able to place where the Memory was gained might possibly give some insight into its use.
Catphine pulled her mouth to one side. "I do not know where, but I could possibly figure it out. I would have to do some research."
"That seems like a good course of action, but I wouldn't invest too much time in that until after the Winter Solstice. Once you know where this key came from, you may be able to return to that part of the Dream Realm to search for clues."
Finding the origin of the Memory could be the key to unlock the [key].
"I don't ever want to return to that place, even if it is just ruins now." Cat paled. "I can't. If that is the only way to find out more about this Memory, then I don't want it. You take it, please!"
Noble shook her head. Teachers were not allowed to accept gifts from students. This was to protect the students from misconduct by someone who was in authority.
But Catphine had already grabbed her hand and begun to transfer the item to the professor without her consent. Noble felt her hand tingle as the Spell whispered in her ear.
[You have received a Memory.]
Before Noble could return it, Cat had already stepped away.
"How about this? I will figure out what it is and then return it to you. Until then, please keep this and feel free to use it as you see fit." It was the professor's turn to hurry forward before the other could object.
Catphine's eyes widened when she looked at what she had gotten. "Armor?!"
"I have plenty of suits of armor, but only a couple I like to wear. This one seems like it might suit you."
The younger brunette closed her eyes for a moment and when she opened them again, a huge smile spread across her face. "Thank you! It is just what I needed. If it is all the same to you, I would prefer if we just traded."
"I cannot agree to that as long as you are a student. Once I figure out its purpose, I must return it." Noble felt a little bad, but surely once the mystery was revealed, the girl would want her Memory back!
"Take your time, then," Catphine said. "You're going to need it."
Noble felt there was something off with her words. "Wait, do you mean I am going to need time or the Memory?"
"We shall see." Cat smiled, happy to be clear of what burdened her. She gathered her things and began to leave.
"May I ask one question? Your aspect. Does it have to do with seeing the future?"
"Perhaps," Catphine answered with a furrowed brow. "It's hard to say, but I suppose we will find out soon enough."
With that, she gathered her things and left Noble alone in the large classroom.
The woman sighed. 'Well, that wasn't ominous at all…'