Aletheia: Following the Luster of the Froth

Chapter I

Light and darkness. Two things are always opposite.

Without light we do not know what darkness is, without darkness we do not know what light is. They introduced each other without their own explaining.

So it was written in an old book with a dull red cover. The paper had turned yellow and the tip was torn, whether it was eaten by insects or done by a mischievous visitor.

The book tells the story of a fairy tale adventure. It distinguishes good and evil from light and darkness. But is light always good and dark always bad? For example, if you stay out in the sun too long, it's not good for your skin, and it's dark at night that helps people sleep. The girl who was reading the old red book did not like the concept of the book's story. Too absolute to stamp something.

This ginger red hair girl prefers Yin and Yang. A concept exists white in black and there is black in white, illustrated with a circular image of a tadpole-like swivel sticking to the tail end chasing each other.

An old library on the edge of town. Been standing there for fifty years. Not a big library. The walls are dull with some chipped parts. Wild vines live along the walls. When the wild vines flowered, the damaged walls looked a little pleasing to the eye. The dull and gloomy walls were covered by the beauty of the small, amethyst-colored flowers.

Gwanaelle used to go to the library. Usually from three o'clock in the afternoon to be expelled because they often forget themselves. Although the outside looks dilapidated, the inside is amazing. Dominated by durable brown old wood unlike the outer walls of its library, inside are also many ornamental plants in pots, from tall to short. The atmosphere seemed close to nature. There were only 2 floors inside the building and a circular staircase connected the two floors.

The old library is rarely visited by people. In a week can be calculated by the finger how many numbers come. Not until five. If the library has a monthly award for the most loyal visitor category, then Gwanaelle definitely gets one.

Because of this, the local chairman asked the library manager to move his books so that something more useful can be built on the land. The land has a local government. The library that was built was funded by the government about sixty years ago. The library manager who signed the letter of agreement agreed to move his books to the new library. Plus donation books and some from the government.

At the beginning of the opening of the library, people visited. Your fingers will not be used enough to count the number of people who come. Until a few years later people began to be interested in life in the advanced capital. Most of them decided to move. Now you could say the city of Arcadia is a fairly quiet city. However, maybe that is the attraction of this city. The atmosphere is not as noisy as in the capital. Suitable for people who want to seek peace of soul.

On the outskirts of Arcadia is a vast pine forest. The tree loomed high into the sky, sometimes during cold weather, its upper part was shrouded in mist. People usually visit the Arcadia forest to just enjoy nature or hunt something, such as wild animals and plants.

A few days ago local forest officials found traces of a ritual that allegedly practiced witchcraft in the forest. It was talked about by the locals. Residents only thought it was terrible, but what the forest officials were worried about was the possibility of the perpetrator damaging the tree, because a nail was found on the tree trunk at the scene. Not to mention the traces of red liquid instead of blood splattered on the spot, making the place look like the site of a massacre. Horrifically.

Not far from the scene that had been cleaned, someone in a hooded robe was drawing an intricate circle using a dull white liquid. Finished drawing, the figure began to commute. But then he reopened his eyes.

The robed person had to lift up his long robe that was dragged down by the ground while walking to grab his jeans pocket. He pulled out a penknife and scratched his fingertip to bleed, then dripped his blood at several points in a circle line.

A few moments later the circle began to glow. The light is bright to a dark location and originally only illuminated by moonlight, now it shines as if it were fitted with a fifty-watt lamp.

The man's veil covered part of his face, only his mouth and nose were exposed. From behind his veil, the person's eyes could see a glowing circle in front of him. His eyes glared happily. His lips were attracted, revealing a neat row of teeth.

A cold wind blew in through the open window beside the table Gwanaelle sat. His gray red hair fluttered and the old book sheet in his hand flipped over a few sheets. Gwanaelle hugged herself. Not because of the cold, but he felt something strange about the wind, making his chest heavy and his heart agitated. Gwanaelle got up from her seat with furrowed brows. He grabbed his jacket and brown sling bag. Leaving the library in a hurry.

He's felt this before. Like flying birds leaving their hunt and returning to the nest restlessly as it detects a storm. But Gwanaelle did not return home because of this feeling, she walked into the dark and cold pine forest.

It used to be that when this sapphire-eyed girl felt a sudden sense of danger like this, she trembled violently and her eyes bulged in all directions, trying to find something. His brother Zayn, confused. What happened to this boy? Is he possessed? After that Zayn advised his parents to take Elle to the priest for exorcism, but his parents instead hit Zayn on the head and brought Elle in.

Gwanaelle will never forget that feeling. At that time he was only a 7-year-old boy, but now it's different. He can act as he wants. He no longer trembled and just glared in all directions. He can step his foot to find out what it is.

Gwanaelle's eyes only focused on the obstacles in front of him. When there was a tree, he passed, when there was a log sleeping on the ground, he jumped over. Only his instincts guided him in the direction he wanted to go. The closer Gwanaelle is to the point of location, the more bristling the skin. It felt like Gwanaelle was walking on the wind, no, it was more like she was the one who became the wind, moving quickly forward, no, nimble turn to and fro avoiding the trunk of a pine tree high in the dark of the night.

The pine forest tonight isn't as close as last night. Because today there are no clouds covering the full moon, so the light can illuminate the city of Arcadia.

Gwanaelle came to a halt as she looked at the bright light in front of her.

Gwanaelle felt like a moth attracted to light. He walked slowly closer to the light. His eyes were filled with light in front of him, as if he had been blinded. But then his eyes caught the cloaked figure across the light. The figure began to raise his hand. At once Gwanaelle felt like a cat whose fur stiffened from the threat.

Gwanaelle ran without a second thought, passing through the sparkle of light that emerged from the ground. Targeting the cloaked figure in front of her, Gwanaelle pushed the figure to a fall backward. Gwanaelle also fell down with her knees landing first.

The light behind him grew brighter. Gwanaelle. This was not the time for him to grimace in pain. He got up and smashed the line formation on the ground by sweeping his shoes until the line disappeared. The more lines disappeared, the dimmer the light was.

When Gwanaelle was busy like an angry bull, it caused dust everywhere. The cloaked figure that turned out to be a young man looked at the girl in front of him in surprise. Even though his butt hurt a bit because it was the one that landed first, he didn't care. The young man immediately got up and cleaned his butt.

The young man walked up to Gwanaelle and placed his hand on the girl's shoulder, "Hey."

The still raging Gwanaelle slapped the young man's hand, looking at the young man furiously.

"Who are you, foreign girl?" The young man rubbed his hand that had just been slapped.

Gwanaelle fell silent in anger, then replied, "What is this?" with a low voice. He desperately wanted to dredge the ground under his feet and throw it into the sea, then conduct a trial on the young man in front of him. On the grounds of what this young man did made himself feel bad.

If this is really brought to justice, maybe Gwanaelle will be dragged to a mental hospital.

"I think it's clear what this is. It's a witch ritual, miss." The young man swept the veil that covered his face backwards. Blonde hair with the middle part of brown color is not painted. Then he continued, "Miss yourself, what are you doing getting into the woods like this? Pushing a young man to injury and destroying his masterpiece is like a trance?"

Gwanaelle was silent on the spot. Still staring at the young man, but it looked calmer.

The young man took a step forward and extended his hand to Gwanaelle's face. Gwanaelle took a step back. The young man checked the temperature of the girl's body by gluing her cold palm, comparing it to her own body temperature. "Are you sick, Miss?"

Gwanaelle retreated and turned her face away. "No!" His chest rose and fell from exhaustion.

The young man turned around and quoted his things. Then he went back to Gwanaelle. Gwanaelle was still staring at the remnants of the white line on the ground.

"Hey, Miss."

Gwanaelle raised her head and looked at the young man. The young man made a face of pain and rubbed his waist like an old man suffering from gout. "Thanks to you my waist hurts, it's an injury. It's likely to get worse if it's not treated."

Gwanaelle glanced at the young man's waist. "Is that really sick?"

"Yes. Wanna see?" Daniel wanted to lift his shirt and lower his jeans a bit, but Gwanaelle stopped him immediately.

"no need. I'm sorry." Gwanaelle closed her eyes, slightly lowered.

"Apardon won't heal my waist. Right, Miss?" The young man tilted his head, looked at Gwanaelle and smiled infuriatingly.

"... I'll pay for the treatment."

"Now tell me. What is a sweet girl like you doing in the woods at night like this? Also, please explain your actions earlier."

Gwanaelle was silent for a moment before replying. "It's a ritual..."

The young man was silent, waiting for Gwanaelle to continue.

"That's dangerous." Gwanaelle glanced at the young man with furrowed brows. The forest was silent, the sound of the wind filled the ears if you did not speak. Because the light of the circle had been lost, so now that illuminated the two of them was only the dim light of the moon. They appeared to each other faintly, but it was very clear they could see and feel each other's gazes. The young man slightly lowered his head in order to stare at Gwanaelle, and Gwanaelle had to slightly raise her face to look at the person in front of her.

"How do you know it's dangerous? And how did you get here?"

The road to the location of the young man was not easy to find. Because the path is complicated and there is no path that leads one to that place. The location was also far from the outskirts of the city, so there was no way one could see the light earlier. It took me half an hour to get to that location.

There is so much silence between them. The silence disappeared when Gwanaelle opened her mouth. "I know, things like this are common to me. The way I got here, I ...." Gwanaelle shut her mouth again.

Gwanaelle felt the man in front of her was not someone dangerous, but she could not just open her mouth and explain how she could get to this place. This young man will be suspicious. Although actually from the beginning he was already suspicious, he did not want to add suspicion.

The young man himself did not force Gwanaelle to explain. He extended his hand. Make the pose of wanting to shake hands in front of Gwanaelle.

"... What'sthis?" Gwanaelle stared at the open palm in front of her.

"I'm Daniel."

Gwanaelle understood, he shook the young man's hand. "Gwanael."

"Gr ...." Daniel remembered something. "Gwanaelle ... Gwanaelle D'archy .. So that's you."

Gwanaelle's eyebrows are again wrinkled. "What?"

Daniel laughed as he looked at Gwanaelle's expression. "Hey, Elle. You should be less-than-frowning like that. Your face will be wrinkled fast."

Gwanaelle increasingly frowned, confused by Daniel's words, as if this person knew him. Daniel laughed out loud. Now not only the wrinkles that appear on Gwanaelle's face, but also the veins of his face.

"Why are you talking like you know me!" Gwanaelle closed her eyes in annoyance, trying to refrain from yelling louder at the yellow-headed young man in front of her.

"We're in the same history and biology class, Elle."

"Stop calling me Elle!"

"Isn't that how people call you?"

"Only my friend can call me that."

"Aren't I your friend?"

Gwanaelle gritted her teeth with eyes glaring at Daniel. Daniel laughed and turned to take his bag and also a black bucket filled with items such as rope and knives. Daniel thrust the bucket into Gwanaelle's arms. Gwanaelle who saw the contents of the bucket felt his back cold, his face became a horror as if seeing a killer. Daniel who saw Gwanaelle's expression laughed, then explained that it was not what Gwanaelle's little brain thought. It was used for the ritual. The rope is used to create a boundary outside the circle.

Gwanaelle was eager to throw the bucket over Daniel's head, but he was unwilling to add to the debt. After arriving outside the forest, he would not see this young man again. He'll just transfer the money. So you have to hold back.

Along the way, Daniel rambles about how Gwanaelle doesn't notice a cool guy like herself in class. Then make plans to take Gwanaelle to lunch together in the canteen tomorrow. Gwanaelle who heard that immediately goosebumps and wants to run away. After all, this would be the last time he had to listen to this person's ravings.

Gwanaelle followed Daniel from behind while hugging the bucket. Along the way Gwanaelle thought about the incident just now.

Daniel could perform the summoning ritual and it almost worked if he didn't show up. This guy is no ordinary person. What is the purpose of this ritual? This question continues to surround the head of Gwanaelle. He wanted to ask, but was afraid that this question might expose something else. Daniel himself did not seem to intend to discuss the matter further. Although a little relieved, Gwanaelle was also worried.

The young man in front of him was busy babbling and Gwanaelle was busy with her own thoughts. Gwanaelle looked at Daniel's head with her hair waving in the wind.

The weather tonight turned out to be quite cold, Gwanaelle who realized just remembered that his jacket was missing. Thinking it might have been left at the location, but then seeing that his jacket was worn by Daniel. He was unconscious because his mind had been muddled by the situation.

Gwanaelle was angry with Daniel and asked for his jacket back, saying Daniel was disrespectful. But a shameless Daniel asks Gwanaelle to stop being angry and let him wear his jacket, arguing cold air is not good for a waist injury. Gwanaelle jacket is a fashionable oversized jacket, suitable for both women and men.

"How can you let a girl get cold and you yourself a big-bodied man steal the girl's jacket selfishly to warm yourself?!" Gwanaelle pointed at Daniel's thick face.

"Silence, Elle. I support gender equality."

"Gender equality is your ass!"

That night, the quiet forest became somewhat crowded with the sound of two people fighting. Arriving outside the forest. Gwanaelle asked for Daniel's account number and his contacts. Ask Daniel to tell him how much he has to pay. Daniel cooperated and gave what Gwanaelle asked for. Don't forget he's returned Gwanaelle's jacket. Gwanaelle still said it shamelessly.

"People would be astonished, right, if they saw that someone had suddenly walked out of the forest wearing such a sect robe."

"Then don't wear it!"

"But I want to use it during rituals, it looks cool."

The veins on Gwanaelle's forehead almost broke off. But he felt relieved as he thought he would soon part with this thick-faced creature. The question in his head can be taken care of later. He had to save his mental health first. Gwanaelle parted ways with Daniel in relief for now. He plans to see Daniel again next week to talk about this.

Daniel was still standing in his place, staring at Gwanaelle who was walking further and further away from him. From far away Daniel could see his golden red hair fluttering in the night breeze.

Tonight's events aren't something he can just forget. A girl appeared abruptly at the location where Daniel was and frantically removed the circle he had made. He did not talk about it further knowing that the result would only be bad if it continued. Judging from how the situation and the reaction of the girl. Daniel picked up his bucket and walked in the opposite direction. Disappeared as he turned behind a dark building without street lights.

***

The next morning when Gwanaelle reached the campus, Daniel stood there and greeted her as if they had known her from birth.

"Hi, Elle~"