Until the Sun dies [English Version] [Hiatus]

Chapter 8.1 | Nurish

"...without delay. A body has been discovered," said the Director.

Nurish raised an eyebrow, half surprised, half impressed. His schooling was off to a strong start. The first death had taken place three days after the start of the school year; they had broken the record.

In its civilized aspects, Cigam Academy was just a giant arena where students fought to the death. Of course, the rules forbade murder, but it was enough not to get caught. And this year promised to be a carnage. The Lympyres and the Vampires had been dynamites waiting to explode for centuries, but the recent skirmishes between the two species were the spark that ignited the powder keg.

"A fight gone wrong or a cold-blooded murder?" asked C, fluttering happily around the boy. "What are you betting on? Oh, and what kind do you think the dead man is? Imagine, he's a Gold like you!"

"Can you take a look for me?" asked Nurish in a whisper.

"Okay, if you like!" replied C, as he passed through the floor.

The boy smiled before stretching. He didn't need to move – he was already in the Golds' study room, which was gradually filling up. Floating above him, another ghost screamed violently at him:

"He killed me! He killed me!"

"So what?" Nurish muttered, scowling.

"Avenge me, O you who listen to the grievances of the departed! Kill him for me!"

The Gold rolled his eyes. Did the most elementary politeness disappear at death? The ghost was giving himself the right to command him, and that annoyed him to the highest degree. With a quick gesture, Nurish drew a cross in the air towards the deceased to banish him from his vision. It was a bit like blocking it on his phone: he couldn't see or hear it anymore.

Communication with the dead was not always pleasant. Some retained the appearance they had had during their lifetime, others had the appearance they had at the time of their death, and still others resembled half-opaque rotting corpses. When he was a child, he would sometimes talk with ghosts that he thought were flesh and bones, and this had greatly worried his parents. But now, he knew how to detect the slight shimmer that differentiated them from the living.

The boy wedged his chin in his palm and patted his fingers against his cheek as he thought. He could turn this murder into an opportunity. After all, he wanted to join the Supernatural Investigators squad once he graduated. The role of head of the family, which was supposed to fall to him if he passed his studies, he gladly left it to his little sister. The latter was much better at this kind of thing than he was, but was still too young to enter the Academy. She would be part of the next promotion.

If Nurish investigated and found the culprit, it would certainly be a good point to highlight on his curriculum vitae that would help him land his dream job. He would announce his decision to C when the ghost returned.

The voice of the Director of Cigam rings out again.