Chapter 125: “Getting to Know Each Other”

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Nina was completely unaware of the myriad thoughts swirling behind Shirley’s uneasy, forced smile. For Nina, the experience was exhilarating and awe-inspiring; she had never been so close to someone she genuinely believed to be supernatural. Her usual visits to church didn’t compare to this encounter. Her understanding of the paranormal was based solely on books she had read. To her, Shirley, whom she believed had infiltrated their school under the guise of a “supernatural illusion,” was an enigma, sparking her imagination and filling her with wonder.

Nina was so enthralled that she momentarily set aside any doubts about Shirley’s honesty, consumed by curiosity about Shirley’s supposed life of supernatural escapades—a life mostly conjured from her fertile imagination. “Where do you usually reside? Do you have a hidden sanctuary or base? Are you part of some covert mystical society? Do you take refuge in underground tunnels or secluded caves? Do you have a warehouse filled with arcane relics and artifacts? Were you born with these powers, or did you acquire some sort of magical object that bestowed them upon you? Are you one of those legendary ‘Arcane Mages’? I’ve read about this ancient class of spellcasters who don’t rely on deities for their abilities, drawing instead from their lineage. What’s your diet like? Do you consume peculiar teas or perhaps the blood of animals? Oh, you eat just like everyone else? Really?”

Nina’s rapid-fire questions overwhelmed Shirley, making her increasingly anxious, not because she couldn’t answer but because Duncan was nearby.

From the beginning, Duncan had quietly observed the interaction between the two girls, his expression one of warm, welcoming engagement, akin to how a parent might greet a child’s friend who had come over for a playdate. He appeared friendly, approachable, and entirely without malice.

Yet every time he laughed, Shirley felt an involuntary shiver, breaking into a cold sweat.

“You seem unusually frightened of my uncle,” Nina observed. Though she often missed social subtleties, she couldn’t overlook Shirley’s odd demeanor. Recalling Shirley’s previous behavior at the museum, she felt compelled to ask, “What… what exactly happened between you and my uncle?”

“Nothing… absolutely nothing!” Shirley responded, nearly leaping from her seat as she fervently waved her hands dismissively. “What could have possibly occurred between me and your uncle? I’m just a child, after all…”

Overhearing the exchange, Duncan sensed something wasn’t quite right. Realizing he couldn’t let their conversation continue unchecked, he deliberately cleared his throat to interrupt Shirley. “Actually, the issue isn’t anything grave. Shirley was caught dodging her fare on the public bus, and I just happened to be the one who caught her in the act.”

“Really? Just because of that?” Nina turned her eyes towards Shirley, clearly surprised. “That doesn’t seem like something that would cause such emotional turmoil. But, my uncle is correct; fare-dodging is wrong.”

On the verge of tears, Shirley responded, “I swear, I’ll never fare-dodge again, okay?”

Nina nodded. Then, as if struck by a sudden thought, she scrutinized Shirley intently. “So, what is it that you’re really investigating here? Is your friendship with me merely a component of this ‘investigation’?”

Shirley straightened her posture, her eyes shifting to one side as if to evade the question. But just as her gaze began to drift, it collided with Duncan’s unwavering stare.

“I’m investigating a fire that occurred eleven years ago,” Shirley finally admitted, lowering her head slightly as if coming to some realization or perhaps relenting to the notion of full disclosure. “The event officially known as the chemical leak at the factory in the Sixth District.”

“Eleven years ago? The fire?” Nina’s eyes widened in shock, her voice tinged with astonishment. “Hold on, you’re saying you know about that massive fire from eleven years back?”

“You’re aware of it?” Shirley was equally taken aback, springing up from her chair abruptly. “Were you also affected by that fire?”

“Absolutely, my parents perished in that fire. I was only six at the time, and it was Uncle Duncan who rescued me,” Nina explained, her hands gesticulating as if trying to paint the scene more vividly. “But ever since that incident, everyone told me I was confused due to the toxic fumes in the air. They all insisted there was never a fire. Even the newspapers later claimed it was nothing but an industrial accident…”

“I was also six that year. My parents also died in that very fire, and my memory of it is crystal clear,” Shirley declared, locking eyes with Nina. “Now it makes sense why Dog sensed something familiar about you.”

Before she could elaborate, Duncan interjected. “So it was Dog who guided you to get close to Nina and infiltrate the school? Even you weren’t fully aware of the reason behind it, which is why you appeared so stunned when Nina spoke just now?”

Confronted with Duncan’s composed gaze, Shirley nodded hurriedly in affirmation. Nina, on the other hand, appeared confused. “Dog? Who is Dog?”

“Dog is…” Shirley began but hesitated momentarily. Her eyes flickered to Duncan, then back to Nina. “Dog is my companion, my friend. He’s always with me, but you might find his appearance to be a bit… unsettling.”

As Shirley spoke about Dog, she felt a strange, almost paradoxical discomfort welling up inside her, largely because Duncan, far more terrifying than Dog, was seated right next to them. It was bizarre, treating Duncan as if he were a harmless human being while portraying Dog as the most fearsome presence.

Shirley had faced danger before, relying on Dog’s mind-bending abilities to move undetected, engage with secret cults, negotiate truces with law enforcement, and deal with priests in secluded churches. However, the cumulative tension and excitement from all those past experiences did not match what she felt in the ten minutes she’d spent in this antique shop. The shop felt like a portal to another realm, a gateway to sub-dimensional spaces beyond most people’s imagination.

Meanwhile, Nina focused on trying to locate Dog, Shirley’s enigmatic friend. After surveying the room intently for some time, she finally broke the silence. “Why don’t you let ‘Dog’ come out and meet me? If he’s your friend, then what’s there to be scared of?”

Just as Shirley was contemplating a response, Duncan gently tapped on the table and addressed Nina, “You might want to brace yourself emotionally. I’ve seen ‘Dog,’ and it’s not what you’d call aesthetically pleasing.”

“Now you’ve made me even more intrigued,” Nina replied, her curiosity reaching new heights, emboldened by the cautionary tones of both her Uncle Duncan and Shirley. “I really want to meet this ‘Mr. Dog’ and find out why he has such an odd name.”

Duncan shook his head, then turned to Shirley with a resigned expression, “Alright, if she insists, let Dog make his entrance. He’s technically a ‘guest’ today, isn’t he?”

Under ordinary circumstances, Shirley would guard her secret pact with Dog zealously. In a city where order reigned supreme, associating with demonic entities was extremely taboo. Even a hint of demonic aura could bring the full might of the Storm Church, complete with heavy artillery and machine guns, down upon her.

Yet here she was, being asked by a creature from subspace to summon Dog into this plane of existence.

“…Okay,” she conceded softly.

With a nod, she slowly extended her arm upwards. The room’s atmosphere began to change dramatically.

To Nina’s complete astonishment and burgeoning unease, a flurry of dark flames erupted around Shirley, accompanied by a thick plume of smoky air. From within these flames, chains materialized, unfurling and extending into the haze. As the dark fire and smoke billowed, the form of a demonic entity gradually emerged, materializing at the other end of the extending chains.

Within seconds, the dark hound curled up into a tight ball, its front paws covering its head as if trying to conceal the most alarming feature of its appearance. Surrounded by a haze of dark smoke, it spoke to Nina with a somewhat muted but clear voice. “Good evening, Miss. My name is Dog. I serve as Shirley’s friend and protective companion. I’m aware that my physical form may not meet typical human standards of beauty, but if you approach my appearance with a sense of abstraction and open-mindedness, you could say I’m merely a creatively arranged collection of bones encircled by a fascinating medley of colored flames…”

Duncan looked over at Shirley, his face showing no discernible emotion. “I must admit, I’ve never encountered a creature like Dog that expresses itself so… eloquently. It’s actually rather endearing.”

Nina was spellbound. She stared at Dog in slack-jawed wonder for what seemed like an endless moment before finally blurting out, “Ah!”

Thinking Nina was frightened, Shirley hastily interrupted, “I did warn you that he might be—”

But before she could finish her thought, Nina continued her previous exclamation with an enthusiastic, “This is absolutely amazing!”

Shirley was bewildered. “…Really?”

Seizing the moment while Shirley was caught off guard, Nina cautiously initiated conversation with Dog. “Mr. Dog? Or is ‘Mr.’ not applicable here?”

“Entities of my nature do not possess gender,” Dog replied, its voice somewhat muffled but tinged with an element of surprise. “However, if it makes you more comfortable, you may address me as ‘Mr. Dog.’ You… you’re not frightened of me?”

“Okay, you’re a bit intimidating to look at,” Nina admitted, pausing to collect her thoughts. Then, her face lit up with a glowing smile, “But I’ve got a pretty strong constitution when it comes to this sort of thing!”

The room was filled with an unusual but palpable sense of camaraderie. Even amidst the swirling, dark flames and lingering clouds of ethereal smoke, there was the unexpected but unmistakable feeling that, in this peculiar moment, something like friendship could flourish.

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