Probing Visions 1

Chapter 9 (Part 4)

     The next day arrives, and the sun continues its relentless ascent to the centre of the turquoise sky. Soft, white clouds traverse the broad expanse of the atmosphere, providing cover from the sunlight and reducing the glare. As the minute ticks by, students inside the university leave their classrooms and gather in the hallways, crowding every space.

     Jean wanders around the hallway, followed closely by his friends, Kevin and Gabriel. He stretches his neck and stands on his toes as he walks, trying to search for Professor Lenszcen in a corridor full of students. Once he spots the familiar bronze strands far ahead, Jean jumps and squeezes through the ocean of boys and girls, approaching Professor Lenszcen.

"Professor Lenszcen!" Jean called out.

Professor Lenszcen paused in his tracks and glanced at Jean. "Oh, hi," he smiled calmly.

"Sir. I... I've seen where your invention is," Jean disclosed.

Professor Lenszcen's heart began to race unsteadily. "...W-what do you mean...?" he asked anxiously.

"Your project. Your invention. It's inside your office, sir, secured within a glass pedestal," Jean stated.

"How did you know?" Professor Lenszcen queried, his voice quivering. "I- I mean! No, it's not!" he walked away.

Jean trailed behind him. "It is, sir. I've seen it with my own visions," said Jean.

"...Y-you're crazy. You've probably been doing demonic rituals. Should repent for it, boy, before it's too late," Professor Lenszcen muttered, hurrying away from Jean, his figure disappearing amidst the crowd of students.

     Jean halted and watched as Professor Lenszcen rushed away. With disappointment etched on his face, Jean sighed and lowered his gaze, his shoulders drooping. Pulling his lips to the back of his cheeks, he took a deep breath and contemplated about Professor Lenszcen's peculiar behaviour.

     As Jean stood in the hallway, surrounded by wandering students, he heard two pairs of footsteps approaching from behind. With a swift turn, Jean looked behind him and saw Kevin and Gabriel striding towards him. With downturned lips, Kevin and Gabriel stood before Jean and crossed their arms, executing a stony glare towards the direction where Professor Lenszcen went.

"Wow..." Kevin sighed.

"How dare he assume you're doing unholy rituals when in fact you're having legitimate visions," Gabriel scoffed.

"And the way he scurried? It seems like he's hiding something..." Kevin deepened his glare.

"What could he be hiding?" Jean wondered aloud.

"You've seen it yourself, Jean. He lied to you, telling you that someone stole his invention, when in fact it is inside his office, according to what you saw, and now when you came up to him to tell him about that, he's denying it," Kevin mumbled with a scoff. "He's certainly hiding something big... very big."

     Later, Jean, Kevin, and Gabriel wandered to the school's Enchanted Garden. There, they met the vast greenery and were welcomed with graceful waves from the swaying plants. The flowers bloomed, contrasting against the jade landscape, and the bushes and hedges curled into majestic motifs. As the sun hid behind the clouds, the weather allowed Jean, Kevin, and Gabriel to travel outdoors and sit on a wooden bench, facing a man-made canal.

Jean groaned with disappointment. "Ugh..."

"I know, Jean, I know," Kevin gave Jean a light pat on his back.

"I swear I saw Professor Lenszcen's invention inside his office in my vision. It is there. Honest!" Jean claimed.

"We believe in you, Jean. We know you're telling the truth," Gabriel told him with a mellow smile.

"Thanks, but..." A deep sigh lifted from Jean's mouth. "...What should I do to convince Professor Lenszcen his invention is inside his office? So that... I may have the chance to use his invention... so I can see who my mother really is..." he frowned.

Gabriel's mind instantly sparked with an idea, causing him to bounce on his seat. "Oh, I know! There'll be an annual meeting for all professors in the Gilded Chamber on Friday night this week! Maybe... just maybe, hehe, you can sneak into Professor Lenszcen's office and see it yourself?"

"What?" Jean gasped, scorning the idea. "That'll be a horrendous act. I want no trouble," he shook his palm.

"Well, what if that idea works out?" Kevin asked Jean, smirking.

Jean gazed into Kevin's sharp eyes, beginning to reconsider his thoughts.

     As days and nights pass, Jean finds himself wandering alone in a dark, unlit hallway. He gazes through the windows and sees the black sky dotted with bright stars as he walks forward. With light, quiet steps, he strides onward, careful not to make any noise or draw attention to himself. The silence inside the corridor feels suffocating, and Jean can feel his heartbeat reaching his ears.

     With a slow, considerate turn, Jean peeks from the corner and cuts to the left. As he marches forward, he begins to rethink this idea, causing his pace to slow and falter. The sense of dread becomes too powerful, pulling Jean back from his position, but he refuses to yield and surrender. Summoning his resolve, Jean takes a deep breath and walks forward, his steps silent and steady.

     Coming to an abrupt stop before a grand double door, Jean breathes in and pushes the door open. As he passes through, he quietly struts down another hall before meeting another doorway. As he stands there, he peeks through the crack and sees light inside the Gilded Chamber. And there, he sees a long table surrounded by professors in their vibrant clothes—one of them is Professor Lenszcen.

     The chamber bustles with noise, reaching Jean's ears as a muffled hum. As Jean peeks through the gap in the door, he observes Professor Lenszcen conversing with his fellow teachers. But, unexpectedly, Professor Lenszcen stands up from his seat and strides towards the door where Jean stands.

     Gasping, Jean scurries away from the door before Professor Lenszcen passes through. Quietly, Jean hides behind a pillar, pressing a palm against his lips as he tries to soften his breathing. As Professor Lenszcen crosses the threshold, he veers to the right and enters the restroom, oblivious to Jean's presence.

     Peeking from the corner, Jean gazes in the direction where Professor Lenszcen went. Swiftly, Jean rushes from the hall and leaves the area, running down the corridor. As he sprints, he seizes the opportunity and proceeds towards Professor Lenszcen's office, navigating the dark halls.