Wolves and ghosts

Chapter 36- Training

Training finally started, yesterday we only wanted to get to know each other, I asked them if they didn't want to start right away but Lucas, Jos, Wes, and Rose immediately protested, saying I needed to rest as much as possible.

...

I sigh. Exactly when did they become such worrywarts?

I feel the shadows around me waver as my mind got distracted by yesterday's memories.

Ah... I forgot; I have to focus right now.

"You got distracted again" Blacky mocked me. "But well, maybe that's a good thing since during the rescue you will be thinking of many things at once, so you might need to learn how to focus on many things while using your abilities".

I hold another sigh and stay quiet. While I know he's mocking me, it's not like he's wrong, it would be stupid of me to lash out at him.

I focus on the shadows again, I'm using other's ghosts' energies, Blacky refused to help since, in his own words, "I need to get used to using whatever I have close by", training with Blacky would be counterproductive since he would take the reins over my power.

"Allie!" I hear Rose.

I turn to look at her.

"Aren't you tired? Don't you need to rest? you've been standing in the same spot for 3 hours already".

I tilt my head, has it really been that long? I look around and noticed that the rest are already sitting on the ground, they have a nice picnic set up.

"...I see". I stop what I'm doing and sit down next to Jos.

"You should try this; you're going to love it~" Conrad says.

I smile a little at Conrad's voice. He sounds like a cheeky little boy trying his hardest to be loved.

I take the sandwich from his hand and take small bite after small bite. I would love to say I'm enjoying it, but it tastes like sand, it's not like the sandwich was bad by any means, it's just an annoying side effect of using my power.

"How is it?~" Conrad asks.

"..." ...what should I answer?

He keeps that fox-like smile and tries again with a little more insistence. "How was it?".

"...The way I would expect" I reply. It tastes exactly the way I would expect after using my powers for an extended period of time, I'm not lying, and I'm sure they wouldn't know I mean it tastes like sa-

"It tastes like sand, doesn't it?" Conrad chuckles.

I'm so surprised by his words that the sandwich ends up falling from my hands but immediately pick it up, it's not dirty or damaged so it's alright.

"I think you need to rest a little longer" he has a crooked smile this time, I guess it is because he's worried.

I tilt my head from side to side and decide to ask "How did you know?".

"Well, let's just say I've seen a lot of things in my life" he shrugs and gives no more details.

Does that mean he met someone like me? Maybe he knows where these abilities come from, but judging by his reply, I don't think he's going to provide any answers. I shrug as well, it's not like it matters.

I finish eating my sandwich and lay on the grass, taking deep breaths. I close my eyes and the world turns into a black empty abyss.

... but it didn't stay as an abyss for long. Soon enough, I started to see the flashing lights that appear after one has their eyes close for too long. I enjoy watching these little light spectacles.