Appearing in his dorm room with a soft crackle in the air, Joseph rubbed the back of his neck, still laughing at the director's irritated face.
The room was an organized mess: a messy bed with crooked sheets, a desk cluttered with scribbled papers, and a half-torn poster of a rock band stuck to the wall.
He walked over to the wardrobe and yanked the door open. Rummaging through wrinkled shirts and jackets, Joseph found his black ulster coat, long and frayed at the hems.
"What was the room number again?... Hmm," he murmured, frowning as he slipped on the coat, the heavy fabric settling over his shoulders. He paused for a second, drumming his fingers on his chin, trying to fish out the memory. "Ten... that's it, room ten." A crooked smile tugged at his lips. "William's daughter, huh? This is gonna be interesting."
Adjusting the coat's collar, he cast a quick glance at the mirror hanging on the wall. "Not bad, Harrington." He could've created a wormhole to the first floor, but decided to walk — Joseph needed a moment to think about what he was going to say to the girl. Or, more likely, what he wasn't going to say to avoid getting into more trouble.
He opened the door and headed down the dormitory stairs, the polished wooden railing gliding beneath his hand. The smell of incense and burnt wax lingered in the air, remnants of the spiritual wards protecting the building. The sound of his steps echoed in the empty hallway, tall windows letting in golden shafts of light that danced across the wooden floor.
Upon reaching the first floor, he crossed the main hall, where the murmur of voices made him slow down. Two boys, both third-years like him, were leaning against the wall.
One of them, tall, with brown hair falling into his eyes, was holding a soda and laughing so hard he nearly choked. The other, with short dreads and an eyebrow piercing, shook his head, a sarcastic smile on his lips.
"...seriously, my first-year had a wind-blowing technique," said the one with brown hair, making a ridiculous pout with his lips. "The kid thought he could exorcise with a simple minty breeze! I let him screw up a bit before stepping in."
The one with dreads burst out laughing. "Worse than mine. The kid bit his tongue while reciting some chants. I nearly died of secondhand embarrassment."
Joseph was going to walk past them, but the brown-haired one spotted him and raised his chin. "Yo, Harrington! How was your first-year? Did you let him get his ass kicked a bit before saving the day?"
Joseph stopped, shoved his hands into the coat pockets, and turned his head toward them. "Mine? Decided to play Rambo and went in alone. Ended up as pâté for a profane spirit."
The two boys went silent for half a second, eyes wide, before bursting into laughter. The brown-haired one spilled some soda on the floor, coughing. "Dude, seriously? He died?"
"Yes, unfortunately," Joseph replied, with a crooked smile. "Now I've got two class-3 exorcisms to do before the end of the day, courtesy of William."
"Man... the director's probably out for your head," the guy with dreads said, stunned.
"Possibly," Joseph replied, already walking away with a lazy wave. "Try not to die out there."
Leaving the two behind, Joseph stepped into a hallway and walked up to the door of room ten.
Stopping in front of it, his smile faded for a moment. 'Why the hell did William ask me to take his daughter?' he thought, raising his hand and knocking twice on the door.
"Anyone home? It's Joseph. I... uh, I'm here on your father's orders," Joseph leaned against the doorframe, waiting and trying to guess what kind of person would come out — and if she'd be as intimidating as her father.
The door opened, and a girl appeared in the doorway. She was tall — as tall as Joseph — with vibrant red hair falling in loose waves to her shoulders. Freckles were scattered across her face, especially on her cheeks and nose.
Her green eyes were as sharp as her father's, scanning him up and down with intensity. She wore regular clothes, clearly not expecting visitors.
Joseph raised an eyebrow, not because of her appearance, but because of the spiritual energy radiating from her. 'Does she have more spiritual energy than I do?' He masked his surprise with a grin. 'Like father, like daughter, I guess.'
"You're the director's daughter, I presume?" Joseph asked, keeping his tone casual.
She tilted her head with a look that said he was a nuisance. "Yeah. So what? Spit out what my dad wants, 'cause I don't have all day to stare at your face."
For a moment, a grimace crossed Joseph's face before the smile returned. "Easy, redhead. Your dad asked me to take you to see two exorcisms."
The girl's eyes seemed to gleam for a second, but quickly returned to normal. "Why would my dad send me into danger with you? And don't call me redhead again!"
Joseph shrugged. "First, no idea, ask your dad. Second, fine, no nicknames... for now. So, you coming or not?"
"I... uh... fine. Wait while I get dressed," she said and shut the door without waiting for a reply.
'This is gonna be... a pain,' Joseph thought, still feeling the weight of her spiritual energy, thick as a storm. 'William's been hiding her, hasn't he...'
Two minutes later, the door opened again. The girl stepped out, now wearing a red jacket over a black shirt, cargo pants, and boots.
She didn't say anything, just gave him a "hurry up" look before walking past him down the hallway. Joseph raised an eyebrow, but followed without comment.
As they crossed the main hall, the distant murmur of other exorcists echoed, but no one approached them. Joseph pulled his phone from his pocket, fingers sliding quickly across the screen as he called an Uber. The girl beside him kept her eyes fixed forward. 'Let's see, where should I set the pickup point... hmm... this one's closer.'
Leaving the Exorcists' Center, hidden in a secluded area of the city, the fresh air surrounded them, carrying the scent of grass.
Joseph stopped on the sidewalk, his black coat fluttering in the breeze, and extended his hand to her with a teasing smirk. "Come here."
The girl looked at his hand like it was a personal insult, then lifted her eyes to his face with an expression that screamed are you kidding me? "I'm not gonna hold your hand."
He laughed, not the least bit fazed. "Oh yes, you will, or I'll vanish and leave you standing here, redhead." He corrected quickly before she could snap back: "I mean, girl who still hasn't told me her name. Our Uber is five minutes away, and I'm not keeping him waiting."
She frowned, clearly confused. "What are you talking about, dude?"
Joseph tilted his head, his smile gaining a touch of mischief. "I'm saying that to catch the Uber, we're gonna have to take a little jump. So, grab on," he insisted, shaking his hand in the air, "or you'll have to explain to your dad why you got left behind."
The girl huffed, her green eyes sparking with irritation, but she hesitated for only a second before reaching out with a defeated grunt. Her fingers touched his with the bare minimum of contact. "If this is some kind of joke, I'll kill you," she muttered through clenched teeth.
Joseph chuckled, and before she could say anything else, he snapped his fingers with his free hand. The air around them rippled, like reality had turned into water stirred by a stone.
The girl's eyes widened and her mouth opened just as the world blinked — one second, they were in front of the Center; the next, in a secluded corner of an open-air market, the scent of fresh bread and ripe fruit flooding the air.
The sound of distant conversations and the clink of coins echoed in the background.
"You... we... you just teleported us!" she exclaimed, her voice rising with a burst of excitement that completely shattered her grumpy facade. She let go of his hand quickly, looking around like a kid who just discovered a new toy.
Joseph started walking toward the front of the market, his smirk now clearly smug. "Not exactly."
She ran after him, red hair bouncing as she tried to keep up. "What do you mean, 'not exactly'? That was obviously teleportation!"
He raised a finger, shaking his head in a no with a teacherly air. "It's not teleportation, it's a wormhole."
The girl stopped for half a second, stunned, her mouth forming a silent "o" before she darted after him again. "Wormhole?! You're kidding, right? What's your technique? Huh? Tell me now," she demanded, now almost glued to him, her eyes shining in a way he didn't expect from someone so guarded.
"Hey, hey, keep it down, alright?" he said, laughing as he slowed his pace and glanced around. A few people in the market — an old lady picking apples, a guy pushing a cart — threw curious glances at the girl, who didn't even notice the attention she was attracting. "Keep your voice down or people will think you're on drugs or something."
She huffed, crossing her arms as she walked beside him. "Okay, okay, okay. Now tell me your technique!"
Joseph turned his face to her, his grin turning playful. "At least buy me dinner first. Something fancy, with dessert and everything. I'm not that easy, you know."
Before she could say anything, a gray sedan pulled up to the curb, the driver's window rolling down to confirm the name. "Joseph?" asked a middle-aged man with thick-rimmed glasses.
"Right on," Joseph replied, opening the back door with an exaggerated gesture of courtesy. "After you, Miss Charming."
She scoffed but got in without a word. Joseph followed, closing the door and confirming the address with the driver.
***
"Cozy little place," Joseph commented, eyeing the abandoned warehouse. "Ready to go in?"
"Y-yeah, l-let's go now," the girl murmured, feeling her legs tremble slightly. Something Joseph didn't notice before stepping inside.