Chapter 49

Chapter 49

The Strange Research Club

Sirone was adrift in darkness. He found himself in a quiet, cold expanse scattered with innumerable stars—an overwhelming universe. The seemingly frozen landscape suddenly accelerated, and the stars stretched into lines.

I’m being pulled in.

Among these converging stars was an indescribably vast sphere of rock and gas.

No! Sirone shivered as the stars collided, but then the planet started disintegrating, defying the laws of physics. Time is flowing backward.

As the stars retreated, his body began to scatter, and along with it, his consciousness faded away. Yet, I still exist.

The final essence of what makes humans human lingered, although Sirone couldn’t quite define what it was. Still, he existed, feeling as if the entire universe was compressing into a single point. At the convergence of light, time, gravity, and universal gravitation, what emerged was... Vibration.

The very light vibrated. As he delved deeper, the light turned into bubbles, popping in and out of existence. The whole space was inundated with light, and even Sirone’s last trace blended into this luminous expanse. He experienced an overwhelming sense of unity. It was like a massive explosion.

“Aaaah!” he screamed, jolting awake in his bed.

As if he’d been caught in a downpour, he was soaked with sweat. Surveying his room, he found it silent, bathed in the melancholic glow of moonlight. The familiar scent of books lingered in the air. Reality dawned on him as his gaze fell upon the photon theory books scattered across his desk.

“Ugh, another nightmare.”

After taking a deep gulp of water from the cup placed next to his bed and opening the window, the cool summer night breeze helped dry his sweat. Why does this keep happening every night? What’s happening to me?

Ever since his speed gun exam and his journey into the realm of infinity, this recurring dream had haunted him. Although not a terrible nightmare, waking from it was always jarring.

Something is not right. He was overcome with a sense of unease. Ever since experiencing what mages referred to as Immortal Function, Sirone felt a dissonance within himself.

A fresh wave of chills swept over him, prompting him to hug himself for warmth. Nightmares are one thing, but... The true concern was the odd sensation that persisted even in reality. It was difficult to identify precisely what it was, but it seemed like a specific sense had become excessively sensitive.

But what exactly is it? It wasn’t an enhanced sense of smell, touch, sight, or hearing. It’s beyond the five senses. It’s as if... It was like a new sensory organ had emerged within him.

“I’m not being haunted by a ghost, am I?”

The sound of piano music drifted down from the ceiling. Startled, Sirone noticed the dawn breaking. Tired, he made his way to the bathroom.

It feels like I haven’t slept at all. With the conclusion of the practical evaluation for the advanced class, regular lessons were resuming today. Maybe that’s for the best. Being occupied with training might help me ignore these odd sensations.

Sirone changed, grabbed his bag, and left his room.

***

The atmosphere in the advanced class was calm. With the competition behind them, the students had returned to a friendly rapport, their conversations mainly revolving around the speed gun exam. Typically, each class would produce its own standout performer after practical evaluations, but this time was different.

The impact of Class Five’s performance on the first day had been too profound, especially considering that two students from the advanced class had scored above 1,200 points.

“Look, it’s Sirone,” a student whispered to another.

Walking toward the advanced class building, Sirone sensed his elevated status. He had transitioned from being seen merely as a promising student and Amy’s boyfriend to an elite student.

As a result, even the upperclassmen from Class Four now approached him first.

“We saw your speed gun performance. Let’s be friends.”

“Yes, Mister Sirone!”

The strict hierarchy existed because promotions were challenging, but exceptionally skilled underclassmen couldn’t be treated lightly. In this regard, Amy’s early recognition of Sirone’s potential was remarkable.

Upon greeting the upperclassmen, he was soon surrounded by students from Class Six.

“Hello, Mister Sirone!”

“I’m a fan! Can I study with you from now on?”

Originally, Class Six had been quite perturbed by Sirone’s swift promotion. His leap from Class Seven to Five couldn’t help but make them feel uneasy about the disruption of ranks, but many of the Class Four upperclassmen viewed him as a potential rival for the graduating class, leading them to adjust their attitudes.

“What are your plans after classes today? We’re organizing a magic demonstration and were wondering if you would like to join.”

“We’re going out this weekend with our club. Join us. I’ll be your partner.”

Politely declining several offers, Sirone finally reached Class Five.

“Sirone! Sirone! Sirone! Sirone! Sirone!”

As he opened the classroom door, a classmate grabbed him by the neck and pulled him inside. Before he could even put down his bag, Sirone found himself the center of attention, surrounded by his curious classmates.

“What’s going on?” he asked.

“It’s almost the end of the semester, and we’re forming a club within Class Five for the performance evaluation. Since it will be an open topic, it will save us time and be fun. You should join us.”

“Hmm...” Sirone had consistently declined invitations to join any club.

“Consider it. I heard you haven’t joined any because of your studies. Many of us in the club are the same. But we still have to do the performance evaluation. That’s why we’re forming a temporary group. We’ll finish the project quickly and disband, leaving us more time for personal study.”

“Ah, I see.”

It was a practical approach. The performance evaluation, with its open topic, wasn’t much different from theoretical or practical exams. Joining an existing club just to leave after the evaluation might be seen as opportunistic. Their plan, on the other hand, involved establishing an entirely new club—a project group—specifically for the evaluation.

Suddenly, Nade burst into the room. “Hey! What are you all up to? You can’t have Sirone! He’s with me!”

Amid the surprised expressions, a classmate aware of Nade’s intentions said, “Come on! You’re just trying to recruit him into that weird club of yours, aren’t you? Sirone, don’t join it. It’s better to join any other club, even if it’s not our own. I’ve never seen Nade do a performance evaluation here.”

Despite its long tradition, the Paranormal Science Club rarely engaged in official activities.

Hearing this, a classmate asked, “Wait, Nade, you’re in a club? Which one?”

Nade quickly shifted his eyes, using his usual tactics to deflect. “Of course, I have a club. Do you think the most popular guy in school doesn’t belong to one? Anyway, Sirone won’t be joining your club, so I’m taking him.”

As Nade dragged Sirone away, the other student called out, “Hey, Sirone! Think carefully! Don’t join that club! And Nade, don’t interfere with his studies. Just let him join somewhere suitable.”

“Ha! Too late!” he replied. “We’ve already crossed the forbidden line!”

“Wait! What do you mean by—”

The door slammed shut, cutting off Sirone’s words and leaving the students in the classroom bewildered.

“What did he just say?” one student wondered.

“This is bad. Nade really plans to recruit Sirone. He shouldn’t fall under his influence,” another student remarked with concern.

“Well, it looks like he’s already influenced. But why did they leave? Class is about to start.”

***

In the hallway, Sirone briskly shook off Nade’s grip.

“Hey! What do you mean by the forbidden line?” he asked.

“Ha! I’m not wrong. You’re the only one who has seen the true nature of the Paranormal Science Club.”

“The true nature? But there wasn’t much to see.”

Nade, scanning the corridor, guided Sirone to sit. “Just sit for a moment.”

“Fine, but stop pestering me.”

Nade lowered his voice. “You’re the only one who’s been inside our club room, so you can’t tell anyone about it.”

“Like anyone would bother to ask.”

“Anyway! We have barely any members, and the school administration is considering shutting us down. We need to keep it under wraps. Don’t even whisper the word ‘paranormal.’”

“Fine. I wasn’t planning on talking about it anyway.”

Sirone had already sensed the club was teetering on the brink of extinction. Yet, there were those secretly plotting to preserve the Paranormal Science Club while the school authorities pushed for its disbandment.

“By the way, Sirone... Are you really thinking of joining that temporary club they’re forming?” Nade asked.

“I’m considering it. Why? Should I not?”

“Absolutely not. Joining any club just for the sake of the performance evaluation is a waste, especially for someone like you aiming to be the top student at the school. Every point counts in your case. You’re better off working alone or joining a well-established club.”

In Class Four, where students were gunning for the graduating class, even a one-point difference in the performance evaluation could be decisive, particularly when there were perfect scorers in certain subjects.

But handling the performance evaluation alone could be too time-consuming. Sirone mulled it over. “What if I join the Paranormal Science Club?”

“Really? You would?”

“Yeah. It sounds like the club doesn’t engage in many activities, and both you and Iruki need to do the performance evaluation too. It seems less disruptive to join your club than to impose on another active one.”

“That makes sense,” Nade easily agreed with a laugh.

That was also why he couldn’t invite Sirone in the first place. Alpheas School of Magic, boasting a storied forty-five-year history, had ushered the majority of its students from academia to societal roles. However, hidden from common knowledge, a secretive society thrived within its halls, alive with a diverse array of characters immersed in extraordinary undertakings. The Paranormal Science Club was one such enigmatic entity.

Sirone pressed further. “Well, my joining was just a joke, but what do you think about the three of us—you, me, and Iruki—teaming up for the performance evaluation?”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea? I’d be thrilled to have you, but to be honest, it’s not your typical club. I can’t explain in detail, but it’s certainly not what you’d expect.”

The reactions in the classroom earlier were sufficient for Sirone to deduce that the club was shrouded in secrecy. However, the idea of joining a club merely for academic gain, devoid of genuine interest, didn’t appeal to him.

“The thing is... It’s not just about the performance evaluation,” Sirone said honestly.

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“I’ve been feeling off lately. I was planning to ask you guys about it. Since it’s related to paranormal science, maybe you guys could explain what’s going on with me.”