Shadow Beings

2. A Mess of Emotions

"Why are they at a hospital? They know they can never go to a large one without all six of us being present."

I spoke quickly and took a deep breath, looking around as calmly as possible. The only mess in view was some displaced furniture in a corner, probably due to hasty movements, and I already had an idea who was responsible for the decision in question.

Speeding ability, speedy in life.

Galen removed a small black box from his pocket, showing that there were five calls and seven messages from Conrad.

"They must've figured that we would join them after we're done. Conrad tried to contact us, but our communicators were turned off. If he didn't stop by to tell us then there must've been some sort of emergency," Galen replied, focusing on the screen.

"Those devices are useless, we don't need technology. My abili-"

Galen lifted a hand in a relaxed manner, remaining composed with a somewhat stern expression.

"Not the time. Let's go."

I nodded, tightening my grip around the bunch of keys in my hand. We left the house immediately though I locked the door carefully, taking my time. I never got it right when I did it in haste.

"We'll run since it's only a kilometre away," I said, earning an attentive nod from Galen. Gentle, evening sunlight fell on the evenly placed buildings around me, but my vision blurred and the road ahead was all I could see, my mind filled with concern for my friends. Although Galen and I came home from the opposite direction, I was surprised I couldn't sense the presence of the demonic creatures from such a short distance. Hospitals tended to attract demonic creatures easily, which is why we dealt with each in our city once a month, properly.

Only six days had passed after this one's inspection, and I knew my friends wouldn't go there without reason.

I thought I had mastered my ability such that I could sense the entire city's aura to get an overview of all the cases at a given time, and it usually did work. While our communicators gave a map of negative energy and its intensity, it didn't tell if the latter was caused by large numbers or something else.

The moment I reached the large blue complex in question, the obstruction of a hollow aura in the atmosphere was enough to tell me both indicators were sorely mistaken.

A slender arm shot up in the air, waving her tanned hand frantically.

"Evelyn!" I cried in a loud whisper, pulling Galen's as we silently approached the four shadows who stood in a line. Silhouettes of fragile, bony figures appeared by the windows in the three levels of the hospital, emitting a dark and bruised aura of green and blue. Each floor spanned a large area and the entire building catered to only major health cases.

The light blue tint of the walls appeared fresh, but the aura of the creatures inside warped the light around it, as if it were a confounding and ghastly illusion in the modern world of a city full of life.

Sights were a distraction, they would do no good.

Conrad clenched his defined jaw and a tightened fist was at his side as if ready to spring into action, but he maintained a level head and focused on the matter at hand, a determined expression on his face. He glanced at Evelyn with a frustrated look, though Elek seemed to apologise with a smile on her behalf. The girl stood taller than everyone else and looked straight ahead, paying no attention to anyone other than the demonic creatures. That was enough to confirm that her impulsive nature was the reason all of us were present at that hospital.

Trina too stood straight and turned towards me, but her stance was loose yet alert. I could tell her focus remained on the creatures inside. It was a little difficult to see her, not just because of her short and thin frame hiding seamlessly behind a tree. It was as if she was shape-shifting her aura; I could make out her presence fairly well only because of my ability, and because I had known her for so long.