Chapter 248 Blooming like Lightning Flowers
"Kian Shaw? Why do you ask?"
Harker shrugged. He couldn't really tell her about his suspicions about 'Kian' being actually a shadow monster thing wearing his face, so instead he replied with:
"He's your opponent, right? I just found him interesting, being a freshman and all. I heard some things, like how he didn't come from a wealthy family and just got into the university out of pure intelligence and luck. Yet before, his grades weren't as good as in the entrance exam."
Artea rubbed her chin. "Yes, that's true. His former scores were average, but if not for his great performance in his college application, he wouldn't have been accepted."
Harker frowned. "Did the school not find it weird? They could have tried to investigate if there was any foul play involved in his application."
"There wasn't. And even if there was…." Artea sighed. "The school cannot expel him anymore. Not when he's enrolled and even allowed to campaign for president. That would be humiliating on their part."
Harker was a bit stunned by Artea's honesty. She didn't even try to cover up for the school that was owned by her family.
When Harker said this, she just laughed bitterly.
"The school is not ours. People keep pushing that idea. But Father Arthur is just a figurehead, a puppet ruler even as a headmaster. Yes, his family had this school built, but it had long grown into something else. He just stays to make sure that their legacy, the artifacts they found, and the reputation of the Holmwood name was being maintained."
This gave Harker quite a new insight. He really did think that since this was named after the Holmwood family, their sphere of influence over the school would be absolute. But that didn't seem to be the case.
Artea added: "I have no reason to be offended when people point out the failings of this institution. In fact, I'd rather have that so I'll know what to improve and what I could do to help. Being the SC President allows me to do that, I'm actually a more active force here than Father Arthur."
Harker found it interesting that she would often call her step-grandfather 'Father Arthur'. She recognized him as her father figure, but it was all too formal. Their relationship was quite complicated compared even to the usual adoptive parent-child relationships.
Speaking of that….
Kian was also adopted by an unmarried woman just near Bill's and Bob's Burgers. Laura Shaw was her name, and Harker remembered seeing her once or twice before.
Does she know about her son's….. abrupt change? Or did she just wave it off like Roland did?
Harker still had to check on BBB after all to see if the bosses' noticed the change, especially since his employee of the month picture was still there. And from what he heard, Kian was no longer working there for a long time.
He was also sure that after his three month's of disappearance, he was fired from the burger joint and replaced already. Not that it mattered, it's just…
It made him feel that nostalgic melancholy again of losing his past.
"It's good that you reminded me." Artea suddenly said, checking on her watch. "I have to visit Father Arthur before going to the next class."
Harker stood up. "Right. Do you mind if I join you?"
He just remembered that thing about the headmaster being related to whatever his father was up to. He got disoriented a little when a ringing returned to his ears…..
And he could almost see the face of that burning lady who gave him a burning kiss.
Harker knew that it was all just a dream, but also not completely so. The lady felt different, like she was actually there compared to... The other unsavory characters of his dream.
She was real, along with that screaming swirling creature tugging on his thread. And of course, there's the spider.
He doesn't know what to make of them. But what he does know was that the burning lady visited him, and knew about his existence. She gave him a prophecy that Harker very much would like to disprove.
"When your hurting becomes a desire to hurt everything….. You and I shall make a cute couple!"
Harker was repulsed by the jolly sound of her voice upon saying this. He had no interest in being a 'cute couple' with this lady of fire. This 'Pele'.
He wondered if the headmaster knew where she lived. He hoped so, but at least he learned from Samuel's visions that they knew each other. If he could be that one person who would lead to the answer to his questions, then that would be really convenient.
But Harker tried not to get his hopes up, or at least not make it visible on his face.
It's not actually possible, as the flaming eagerness was very much impossible to hide from his eyes.
Artea just gave him a stunned glance when he quickly bolted from his chair after she said she'd be going to the headmaster's office. She eventually nodded after blinking away her confusion.
"I suppose so…. Father Arthur was fond of Gulliver after all. He certainly won't mind if you came along." She said. "To be fair, everyone was fond of Gulliver."
Harker nodded, walking by her side. "Great. Lead the way, Madam President."
Artea doesn't really know what to feel about being called that. Sometimes she found it almost mocking her, though sometimes it would give an odd feeling to her chest. It was almost…. sweet, in a way.
Despite their differences, Harker still recognized her position that she had worked hard for.
They soon reached the door, and Artea knocked carefully. She spoke in a tone more polite than she usually had:
"This is Artea, Father. I am also with Gulliver Swift. May I come in?"
An aged man's voice came from behind the door, rough and breathy.
"You may."
Artea opened the door, and the man sitting behind the headmaster's desk was just as he expected. Old and wrinkly, with white thinning hair, a pristine suit, and a well-kept beard. However, he had one trait that Harker would never have anticipated.
On his skin were many white scars. Or more accurately, it was just one scar, branching off like a tree.
He recognized this pattern to be the Lichtenberg figure. It happens when there's an electric discharge that appears on the surface of insulating materials. They were sometimes called 'lightning flowers' as they often 'bloom' when something was struck by lightning.
In other words….
Arthur Holmwood had been struck by lightning, hence why those scars bloomed on his skin.
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