Academy’s PTSD Chaplain - Chapter 61



61 – 61. Yearly Duel (10)

The train races on.

Through scorching deserts under the blazing sun, across fields of verdant plains, and amidst rugged mountain ranges.

The imperial transcontinental train, traversing the vast territories of the empire, moves tirelessly, overcoming various environments.

On this imperial transcontinental train, night fell.

An ambitious night. Inside the train that runs on the moonlit tracks, illuminated by the rising moon of Hwiyoung-cheong, numerous young talents responsible for the empire’s future were on board.

“Ugh….”

Among the passengers bearing prestigious titles, Cloe, groaning incomprehensible sounds, woke up from her sleep.

Cloe rose from the soft bed. Within the bedroom equipped with two bunk beds, the moonlight streaming through the window delicately draped the surroundings.

As the imperial transcontinental train endlessly traversed the lengthy tracks penetrating the empire, it provided sleeping quarters for the passengers, and the quality was on par with the dormitories of the Caldian Imperial Academy.

Enjoying the exceptional quality of the bed, Cloe realized she had woken up in the early hours of the morning and groggily shook her head.

“What time is it…?”

She raised the wristwatch she had left by her head. The hour hand indicated that it was currently two in the morning.

Cloe buried her face in the soft pillow. Due to overwhelming drowsiness, it felt like she could fall back asleep at any moment.

Until, suddenly, before frightening thoughts could arise. Cloe glanced at the window that allowed a view outside.

The rapidly changing scenery beyond the window seemed eerily approaching. Watching it, the frightening story that Daniel had shared came to mind.

– A passenger is on the train, and someone looks out at the sound of tapping on the window. However, a woman is running at full speed, chasing the train. Moreover, she’s keeping up with the swiftly moving train…

“Ah….”

Cloe sneakily glanced under the bed. Ellyn’s arm, sleeping on the lower bunk, was briefly visible.

Vivian and Sofia Bujeh on the adjacent beds were also sleeping, their backs turned, making it difficult to see their faces.

It would have been okay if she met the gaze of another person, but in this situation, it made her more uneasy.

Cloe tucked her foot, sticking out from under the blanket, back into the blanket and wrapped herself tightly with it.

Although it was a midsummer night, the heat quickly rose, but being inside the blanket provided an extra sense of security, so Cloe endured it.

The intense immersion in the terrifying stories told by Daniel and Vivian was the cause. Even when she tried to close her eyes and sleep, the ghost depicted in the frightening stories of Daniel and Vivian came to life in her imagination.

In the place where there should have been eyes, a woman with disheveled hair and flowing dark red blood appeared…

“Ah…!”

Suddenly, Chloe felt an unbearable urge to urinate and sat up in bed. Her body, which had been sweating under the heat of the blanket, shivered upon encountering the cool outside air.

“B-Bathroom…”

Chloe bit her lip and hesitated, then slowly descended the ladder from the bed. She had considered waking Ellen up to accompany her, but seeing her sound asleep made her abandon that thought.

In the end, Chloe had no choice but to go to the bathroom alone. With shaky hands like ferns, she grasped the doorknob and slowly pushed it aside.

Squeak—

Beyond the softly opened door, a hallway engulfed in chilling darkness came into view. Although the ceiling of the corridor had several lights that illuminated it, the sight only created a sinister atmosphere.

“I’m scared…!”

Chloe swallowed a dry gulp. Trembling with fear, she took a hesitant step towards the corridor filled with cool yet suffocating air.

“Let’s quickly go to the bathroom. Let’s quickly go to the bathroom…!”

And so, Chloe slowly made her way towards the bathroom. She believed that if she went there quickly, she would be able to sleep comfortably again.

Squeak—!

“……”

If only the door beside her suddenly did not open. Shocked, Chloe froze without even being able to scream.

That door was undoubtedly the door next to the bedroom where Chloe had been sleeping. From inside the darkened bedroom, something black and large slowly approached.

“…Hiccup!”

Chloe sobbed and hiccuped without even realizing it. She could hardly catch her breath.

And then, at that moment.

“…Student Chloe. What are you doing at this hour?”

From inside the open bedroom door, a very familiar, soft voice resounded. Chloe cautiously opened her tightly shut eyes.

The person who appeared after opening the bedroom door was Professor Antinelli, the faculty advisor of the Occult Research Club, including Chloe.

Seeing his usually quiet face, Chloe unexpectedly let out a sigh of relief.

“Oh, Professor Antinelli….”

Of course, it would have been a secret if she had let slip that she had almost blurted it out.

* * * * *

Why am I here? What am I doing standing in front of the women’s restroom?

If asked that, I could confidently answer.

“I don’t know.”

“Oh, Professor Antinelli. Are you still outside?”

“Yes, I’m still here.”

Chloe’s trembling voice echoed through the bathroom. I answered her from outside the women’s restroom, exhaling softly.

Tonight, sleep came more easily than usual, but overcoming the nightmares induced by Professor Armstrong’s conversation was still a challenge.

Awakening from an unsettling dream, contemplating whether to light a cigarette, I was about to leave the bedroom.

And then, inexplicably, I came face to face with Chloe, who was stumbling with tears in her eyes.

I toyed with the cigarette case in my hand, ultimately placing it back in my pocket.

Even though it was just the entrance to the restroom, smoking in the hallway where others passed by was not appropriate. Especially in front of students.

Instead, I took out the Bible. It was a small one, palm-sized, always carried conveniently in my pocket.

In the life before possession, I had no particular religious affiliation, but this world seemed to vividly manifest the power of the Lord. If one did not believe, it would be a blatant lie.

Of course, Helena’s influence played a significant role. I briefly thought about it, then shook my head to dispel unnecessary thoughts.

And so, I wondered how much time had passed as I quietly read the Bible.

Shwaaa—

Right after hearing the sound of flushing from the bathroom, the sound of water running from the sink followed.

A moment later, I could see Chloe coming out of the restroom, wiping off the water on her hands with a puzzled expression.

“Have you finished what you needed to do?”

“Uh, yes…”

“Then, go back and get some rest. The inter-grade training starts tomorrow, doesn’t it?”

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After hearing my words, Chloe hesitated for a moment, glancing at me before squeezing the hem of her skirt and mumbling in a hesitant voice.

“Um, if you could…?”

“Please speak up a bit louder.”

“I mean, could you… go back with me?”

As someone who was about to send Chloe back to her room and head to the smoking room, it was an uncomfortable request. However, I had no intention of refusing a request from a student under my care.

I nodded silently and led the way towards the bedroom, with Chloe slowly following behind me.

We walked through the train corridor in silence. The tepid night air inside the corridor was not to my liking.

“Professor Antonelli…”

Suddenly, Chloe spoke from behind. I turned my head to face her.

Chloe flinched at my gaze, but soon continued.

“Did you wake up because you couldn’t sleep?”

“…Chloe, there’s no need for you to worry about that.”

“Still….”

Clara, who had hesitated for a moment, immediately dropped her head with a dejected expression. I ignored her and tried to move my feet…

“Phew….”

I stopped, taking a deep breath. It was a bonus that Clara, who had been following me closely, bumped into my back.

“Oops…!”

“Student Clara.”

“Yes, yes.”

I turned around and looked straight at Clara. She also looked back at me with a tense expression.

“Are you feeling sleepy right now?”

“Uh…. No, I’m not that sleepy….”

“Then it’s fine.”

I could roughly guess why Clara was trembling with fear. Perhaps it was because of the terrifying stories of Daniel and Vivian that had continued throughout the train ride. I remembered how Clara was particularly afraid of things related to ghosts during the incident with the finger incident.

And the fact that Clara seemed to enjoy the cocoa that I had offered.

I turned my steps towards the bathroom instead of heading towards the bedroom. Clara, who was following behind me, looked at me with surprised eyes.

“Are you in a hurry to use the bathroom too, Professor?”

“No.”

After passing the bathroom, we were faced with a cozy lounge.

* * * * *

Clink.

“Please have a seat.”

Clara glanced at the mug in front of her. The mug contained a dark brown liquid, emitting a warm aroma and a sweet smell.

“T-Thank you….”

The warm cocoa flowed down her throat and spread throughout her body. Unknowingly, Clara shivered at the rich sweetness that tickled her taste buds.

Strangely enough, her fearful heart gradually settled down. It felt as if the fog in her mind, which had been testing the limits of her imagination with various ghosts, was becoming hazy.

Drinking cocoa on a summer night felt a bit out of place, but in the air-conditioned lounge, it brought a warmth of its own.

In the lukewarm summer night air, the warm cocoa melted Clara’s body and mind. Unconsciously, her expression relaxed.

“Ahh….”

In front of her, Professor Antonelli sipped his fragrant tea and quietly gazed out the window, lost in his own thoughts.

As Clara savored the rich flavor of the cocoa, her expression softened when she saw Professor Antonelli’s face.

“This person, really….”

Truly, he was a person one could never truly know. Chloe thought so.

Even at the beginning of the semester, he had left a terrifying impression with his icy tone, strict teaching methods, and harsh remarks towards Laura von Adlerheid.

However, those thoughts gradually changed as the classes went on. It was the same when they hid in the academy with the Occult Research Department, and when he enabled them to use sacred powers.

And even when he collapsed after warding off Giovanni, the head priest’s ghost.

Having experienced such events, Chloe couldn’t help but think this way while watching Professor Antonelli, who continued to show unwavering kindness just like before.

“Perhaps…. it could be that his social skills are just lacking.”

Professor Antonelli was known for being kind and warm-hearted.

Perhaps because of some past incident that had caused deep wounds… a pitiful person, Chloe thought.

Staring blankly at his exceptional face, Chloe thought so.

The faint moonlight that adorned his face was truly dreamlike.