Ivan slammed the door to his bedroom shut, leaned his back against it, and slowly slid down until he hit the floor, pulling his knees tightly against his chest.
Gylou was leaning against the wall. She had been standing there, watching him.
"You're thinking way too loudly."
"What was that?"
She sat on the edge of his desk and looked at him.
"The vessel fills with fear, pain, and the things people try to hide inside themselves. And when it reaches a certain point, the host loses control. The shells take over. That's why he attacked you."
She reached out and gently took his hand, turning it over to examine his palm.
She raised her eyes to him.
"Power is everything, Ivan. You're going to need it."
A few days later.
The school had become a place of rumors and whispers.
News of the two boys who had been found dead in the alley had spread throughout the school. Two days ago, both of them had been found. The first had his head crushed, while the second was lying on the ground, the cause of his death unknown.
The police were everywhere now. Officers in dark uniforms stood at the school gates, notebooks in hand, questioning students one by one.
Detective Miller, a man with tired eyes, had already approached Ivan.
"Did you see anything unusual? Anyone acting strangely?"
"I didn't see anything."
It was the same answer dozens of other students had given. To Detective Miller, it was useless.
The investigation came to a halt. There were no witnesses, no cameras in that particular alley, and the two boys appeared to have died under strange circumstances.
Ivan sat at the back of the classroom, his notebook open to a blank page. His eyes kept drifting toward the students around him.
Ivan walked home, his backpack feeling heavier than usual.
When he reached the front door, he opened it and stepped into the silence. He dropped his backpack by the door and headed toward his room.
Gylou was asleep on his bed.
She was leaning against his pillow, a book in her hand.
"You're late."
She slowly sat up, and the book slipped from her lap onto the mattress.
"The police are still around. You need to be more careful. Especially around Miller."
"Why are you here anyway? You can't keep showing up."
"I go wherever I want. And don't worry. No one will notice me here. No one can see me in your house except you."
"So you can just… stay? If you want to?"
"You need training. Your body isn't ready for what's coming. Those eyes give you power, yes, but your body needs to be capable of enduring the strain they put on it."
She leaned back again and picked up the book she had dropped.
"If you try to use that power without preparing yourself, you'll tear yourself in half. And I have no desire to watch you break."
Ivan looked down at his hands.
"When do we start?"