OJTTEG-Chapter 39: Short Story - Scholars' Church (Part Two)

Mira's father had mentioned that this organization was divided into various factions. He belonged to the moderate faction, which conducted research for the sake of gaining more knowledge, with the ultimate goal of benefiting humanity.

"......"

A somewhat noisy sound comes from outside the car, and Mira looks up to see Greer walking past her car, his steps unsteady, muttering to himself.

"This is the parking lot. Why is he here? Isn't he the star of the meeting?"

Curiosity compels her to open the car door and follow Greer. He runs straight out of the underground garage. It's raining outside—what on earth is he doing?

Without thinking much, Mira grabs an umbrella from the car and follows him.

"...die."

What?

Mira furrows her brow and jogs to his side, finally hearing what Greer is saying.

"Just obediently die... find a reasonable way, obediently die."

"Mr. Greer?"

Mira forcefully pulls off his mask.

Underneath, Greer's mouth is half-open, repeatedly muttering the same phrase. His expression is extremely vacant, with saliva mixed with rainwater dripping from his chin to the ground.

"What... what's wrong with you, Mr. Greer?"

This is beyond her understanding. Why has he become like this?

"...die."

Suddenly, Greer quickens his pace, his movements wildly unsteady. Mira instantly realizes what he's about to do because there's a truck on the slope ahead, about to start. The driver has already closed the door, and the headlights are on.

The rain intensifies.

"Wait! Someone's in front!" Mira shouts desperately, but it's too late. Greer has already thrown himself under the truck, eagerly placing his head near the wheels.

The vehicle starts, honking twice. When there's no response, the driver presses the accelerator.

In an instant, the massive wheel crushes his head, and Mira hears a sound like grapes being squashed. Red fluid slowly seeps from under the truck.

The driver, panicked, pushes open the door and rushes out. Seeing a person crushed beneath his tires, he crouches down, pounding the ground in despair.

"I honked! The drunk didn't move! Oh God, he's wearing such expensive clothes, I'm done for!"

"Damn it!" The driver frantically looks around, and when he spots Mira, he approaches her through the rain, his face full of distress.

"Miss! I'm calling the police right now, you have to be a witness... What?"

He suddenly gapes, rain pouring over him, his gaze fixed on something behind Mira.

Trembling, Mira takes a few steps back, ignoring the driver's reaction. Her mind is overwhelmed, unable to process so many unknowns.

"What happened to the meeting..."

Before she can finish, the sky brightens.

Why would it brighten now? It's only around 8 PM.

What could it be?

With this question, she looks up.

It's a point of intense light, growing larger by the second, and Mira's eyes widen in shock.

A meteor. One that's moving incredibly fast.

Just how fast?

As she ponders this, the meteor is already right before their eyes.

Can meteors really be this fast?

"Whoosh!"

In front of her, the villa is struck by a meteor beam descending from the sky. First, there's a blinding flash, and then the villa seems to enter slow motion, revealing white cracks that spread across it. Finally, like an overfilled balloon, it bursts violently, with the house's fragments and the people inside disintegrating into nothingness in the stark white light.

The terrifying heat wave evaporates the rain overhead, creating a vacuum.

Ah, is this what the dinosaurs saw before they went extinct?

Is this a scene I can witness? Whose missile is this? Little Boy or Fat Man?

Is the world ending?

"Boom!"

A visible shockwave sweeps over Mira's body, and the ground shakes violently. She has to crouch down, adopting a textbook protective posture to shield her head.

She doesn't know how much time passes before silence returns. In the distance, she hears the commotion of voices, seemingly accompanied by the wailing sirens of ambulances.

……

"Miss, are you alright?"

Two men in suits slowly approach her. One extends his hand, helping Mira to stand, and she realizes her clothes are soaked through.

"Thank you..." Mira sneezes.

"Miss Mira?" one of them speaks first.

"Mr. Ormond?" Mira exclaims in surprise, "What are you doing here?"

"Ah, my friend and I were just passing by."

Ormond discreetly adjusts his suit, but Mira catches a glimpse of the familiar blue lining.

Wait, where have I seen that blue lining before?

A chill climbs up her spine.

"You..."

"It's alright."

Just as Mira is about to scream, Ormond gives her a charming smile and whispers in her ear, "Go home and get some sleep, Miss Mira. Take a hot shower and hold onto what you wish to hold onto."

The urge to shout subsides, and Mira gradually calms down.

I'm feeling a bit tired. Maybe I should go home and sleep.

"Alright." Mira nods, somewhat mechanically, and starts heading towards the basement.

It's so cold... Why am I here?

I've forgotten.

"Mira?" the companion beside her asks, "Is this lovely lady your wife's successor? Uh..."

Before he can finish, Ormond punches him in the stomach.

"Mira also studied at Miskatonic University, and I was her teacher."

"Is that any way to treat your master, Mr. Blood Bag?"

"Just because I drink your blood doesn't make me your blood bag," Ormond replies.

"According to vampire logic, you drinking my blood helps you heal quickly, and me drinking yours efficiently replenishes my energy. It's a win-win."

"Then you should call me your lifesaver, not a blood bag."

"Whatever," Johnny chimes in. "By the way, that Mira just now, is she alright?"

"She's the daughter of a friend and was once my student. She's a good kid."

"She probably showed up to attend that scholars' conference. Shouldn't we get rid of her?"

"No need. She knows nothing about the human experiments, just here for the conference. She's part of the academic faction, and I know her character well."

Ormond rubs his temples, looking a bit weary.

"Give me some more of your blood. I need to rest early today. I've used too much magic. That guy named Greer injected himself with troll serum. His sanity is higher than most, making him hard to hypnotize."

"Yeah, and you summoned such a massive meteor," Johnny laughs. "You found a loophole, Ormond. By making yourself the target, no matter the outcome, you'd be the focus. If I hadn't pulled you out in time, you'd have ended up like that villa."

"At least it was satisfying," Ormond murmurs. "Though the cost was a bit high."

"Luckily, these scholars belong to different factions and rarely communicate. If it were the group from three years ago... well, they're all dead now, and no one knows we had a grudge."

"Joining the Scholars' Church comes with its consequences. That's something everyone should understand."

"I never thought you'd go from being a moderate to suddenly killing people."

"Not quite. When a person starts killing based on their subjective will, they can no longer be called human."

Ormond casually tosses two dirty janitor uniforms into the bushes, which mysteriously ignite without harming the surrounding plants.

"And what about you?" Johnny scoffs. "Haven't you taken enough lives?"

"If you're trying to discuss philosophy with me, spare me. I can only say it's a crime now but beneficial in the long run," Ormond rolls his eyes. "You can just think of me as a hypocrite."

"Alright, hypocrite."

……