Howling (2)

"Core is the source of life for any supernatural creature."

"Don't they breathe oxygen, bleed, and have brains too?"

"Of course they do, but unlike humans, supernatural creatures can regenerate, use magic, use superior senses, age slower, shapeshift, etc." Daniel explained, then pointed his firk to Randell. "Where do you think those beings get those extra powers that humans don't have?"

Nida gasped upon realization.

"Then do I have a core? I have this dust. Does this come from the core too?" She plays with her dust, then forms a fork and eats the egg using her dust.

She made a simple breakfast for the three of them, and they are now leisurely eating together while chatting.

"Are you even listening? Humans don't have a core. "

"Are you even listening too? I am asking because I suddenly have powers of which I don't know the source."

She frowned because their conversation was never done without being sarcastic towards one another.

"You become a priestess. You don't read books or know about gods and deities? "

"I don't have a thing to cult."

"C-cult? It's not a cult!" He slammed his hands on the table, making Nida look the other way because she didn't expect him to get annoyed.

"T-then explain it to me so I will know."

"Haa— how can she even pick you."

"Pick what?"

"Your God, priests are mediatory agents between humans and deities. Our powers come from God, so we don't need the core. It's divine powers."

"Am I like a saint!" she exclaimed.

"How can a saint be too tainted like you? Ew." he looked at her up and down.

"Fuck you."

"See, can a saint curse like that?"

"Why? I never thought a priest could be a clean freak too!"

"Ehem!" Randell made a fake cough because their conversation was becoming more burglarized.

"Sir Olitoquit, She was asking about the core because she found out that the genie didn't have one." Randell asked instead of Nida, who was running out of patience.

"Yes, why would a genie not have one? Even a ghost has one, so why wouldn't a genie?" She interjected, but Daniel ignored her.

"Just call me by name. I know you'll still be respectful even without using honorifics, unlike the other being here." He side glanced at Nida, pertaining to what he was talking about, and Nida just rolled her eyes and continued to eat.

"Anyway, genies are created by deities. They weren't born here. Like the priest who doesn't have a core, their source of power is from the gods. However, they are not considered living beings, unlike humans who have a physical body."

"Is that why they are inanimate objects?" Randell asked.

"Yes, and they gain physical bodies by using humans as vessels."

"Doesn't there have to be another way for them to gain physical body?" Nida asked seriously.

"Yes, there is." Daniel finally responded to her question.

"How?"

"Ask God to give them a core."

"It was like you were telling them not to dream of having a physical body."

"How can you even talk to God?"

"Who knows." Daniel shrugged his shoulders while drinking his morning coffee.

Nida also continued her breakfast silently as she thought about what he did to the genie last night.

"I hope what I did wasn't wrong." she mumbled.

/////

At the office...

"We respect you for returning Aileen's body to normal and giving me a core. I am really grateful for it ma'am. " The genie respectfully bows down.

"Core?" Randell and Nida asked at the same time to clarify what they thought they misheard.

"Yes ma'am, I thought you would just seal me inside a stuffed toy. But what a gracious person you are! You give me the core that genies don't have. Because of that, I became a living person! I am not a genie anymore! " He happily reported, but the two who were listening to him were frozen in place.

"Nida."

Randell only called out her name, but anxiousness could be felt in his tone.

"What? Am I fucked up again?"

Nida felt a strong sense of iffyness.

"I d-don't, How can I even give you one?" She denies what the former genie said.

"Hey genie, you might be mistaken?"

"Sir Randell, I am not a genie anymore. The Dark priest grants me this identity, so call me Rudy."

"You know, Daniel? When did you talk to him?" Nida was surprised as she thought about how the genie contacted Daniel when they were together this morning.

The genie tilted his head. "Who is Daniel, ma'am?"

"Every time someone wants to occupy a free identity like Sir Rudy, they will ask permission from the Dark Priest, via mail," Randell explained, but whispered his next words. "No one knows Sir Daniel was the dark priest, only a few know."

"Then how did you know?"

"I am an alpha."

"Alpha? The strongest wolf? Who leads the wolves? you?" Nida looked at him from head to toe in disbelief.

She can't believe that he is an alpha because he's been acting timid and soft towards her. She even knocked him down once with her dust.

"Umm, excuse me?" The soft and cute elephant cautiously speaks. He is feeling out of place since the two are whispering at each other, leaving him out of the conversation.

"a-ah. Anyway, it's not me. How can I even give you one."

Nida walked past the elephant and finally reached for her chair.

She looked at the time and looked around the office.

They have been talking for thirty minutes. She wonders if Manager Bungal sees them, she might get punished again.

Fortunately, Manager Bungal was not at the office.

"I am sure it is from you, ma'am. I know we cannot repay you immediately, but we pro—."

"Wait." Nida cut him off as she raised her hand.

"Sit here." She pushed the office chair to offer it to the elephant, "Don't talk so loudly. Your appearance may not bother them, but your voice will."

The huge plush elephant toy nodded his head and sat on the chair Nida offered.

"Listen. There's nothing to be thankful for. There's nothing to repay me. I did not give you any core. I did not turn her back to normal. What I did last night was to seal you inside the toy and safely rebuke your contract with Aileen. That's all that I did. Okay?" Nida sternly said, hoping that the former genie would not mistake her for something else.

She thought that maybe something happened to the two after she left them and had mistaken it for her work.

"But ma—."

"Okay?" She grabbed both of his shoulders and narrowed her gaze to the elephant to ensure he understood what she was saying, but the elephant has a different opinion.

'How could a creature exist like her? She doesn't even want anything in return.'

The plush elephant thought as he looked at Nida with admiration.

"Understand? It was not me." She repeated this until the human-sized plush elephant nodded her head cutely.

"Anyway, I was curious about something, but..." she removes her hand from his shoulder. "Can I examine your core?" She innocently asked, but the eyes of the elephant shook.

"A-are you taking away the core that fast? Did I offend you?" the elephant asked, shaking.

"Huh? No. I-I'll just touch it for a second, I just want to check something."

something strange happened while she got contact with Randell's core which she want to comfirm if it is the same with the other.

The elephant let out a long sigh of relief, then smiled brightly as he opened up his arms.

"Feel free to take a look, ma'am."

Nida stared at his fluffy chest first before raising her hand.

She gently touched the elephant's chest as she concentrated to make her hand pass through his chest for her to reach the core.

"Excuse me." she said after she successfully grabbed the marble like core. She gripped the ball the same way she did when she was grabbing Randell's core last night.

"Fuck." she cursed once she pulled her hand off the elephant's chest.

"What did you confirm, Nida?" Randell asked, wondering what Nida needed to confirm since he didn't know a thing about her powers.

"Nothing. Do your work, it's office hours." she coldly speaks.

She moved her chair near to her computer and started to process documents while frowning.

"Did her mood just change?" The elephant asked Randell, feeling strange about Nida's reaction after checking his core. "Did I do something wrong again?"

Randell didn't respond to the poor elephant and continued staring at Nida worriedly.

"How can I let her tell me her concern?" he asked to himself while clenching his fist.

Randell could still feel the distance between them despite being close to one another.