The sun had become mellow, its ray simply illuminating the forest. However where the sun had become more temperate, I had become agitated. Birds and other animals resided at my side peacefully, but Green’s stormy eyes looked down at me as if reading a book. I didn’t like that she knew more about me than I knew about her, and I especially didn’t like not knowing what she wanted from me. It felt like looking up at a mountain and feeling intimidated by its sheer height. Her gentle smile seemed to be a facade for something more sinister, but I couldn’t put my finger on what it was.

Rachel came over, heaving her basket which seemed to be full.

“What happened? You look as pale as a ghost,” she exclaimed.

“Nothing much…” I could tell my voice was shaky. In the corner of my eye I could see that she raised an eyebrow, but she didn’t press for more.

“Well, if we’re doing here, we should really get going. There are things that I still need to gather.” she proceeded to stand up, wiping the dirt off her dress. She began to step towards the entrance and I stood up to follow.

“Wait, Magnus.” Green stepped in my path, almost tripping again. “I need a word with you. In private.”

I looked at Rachel, she took a look over her shoulder before proceeding out, leaving me behind with Green.

“What do you want?” I asked, clearly uncomfortable. I felt nervous, not having any power over this conversation. I was surrounded by an ambiguous atmosphere, like something was going to go wrong.

She waited until Rachel was out of hearing distance before sitting down on a branch, her gaze fully directed towards me.

“Does she know?” I continued, my previous question still lingering in the air.

“Nope. She has no need to know, this is between us.” she answered. “As for your first question, I want to know a few things. Where did you meet Asura?”

“In a land far away, you probably won’t know where it is. Why do you ask.”

“Might tell me where the other demon lords might have been imprisoned.”

“What makes you think that the other lords might be alive?”

She laughed mockingly. “The elves believed that the first demons were not born from the world underneath us. They were right. They were cast down from the heavens. If anything, demons are ironically the closest thing to godhood. No human magic would be capable of completely killing off a demon lord.”

“Right, all I can tell you is that it was at an abandoned ruin, I wouldn’t even be able to tell you what it was before it fell.”

“That’s not helpful.” she sighed, as if unsatisfied with my response. “What deal did the two of you strike?”

“I wanted power, and he wanted a host. We both found what we needed in each other, nothing more.”

“Simple… too simple. Asura wanted something else, didn’t he?”

I remained silent.

“I see, I believe I know what he wanted anyways.” she waved her hand. “More importantly, what do you plan to do now?”

“I don’t know.”

“You have the blessing of one of the most powerful creatures to have ever walked this world. Surely you don’t plan to get yourself killed so soon?”

“Like I said, I don’t know yet.”

She sighed, as if disappointed in me.

“So much potential, yet so little ambition.” she turned away like I had just lost her interest. She took a step forward but then turned towards me, the disappointment written all over her face. “Why hide your powers?”

“You don’t need to know.”

“Rachel doesn’t need to know either, but I could just end up tell her.”

“Is that a threat?”

“It’s a suggestion.” she smiled nonchalantly. “All actions have consequences, it’d be best to remember that.”

I looked down for a second, wondering how I ended up in this position again.

“Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” I muttered. “There was once a boy that lived in a large house. His whole life was decided for him, from the day of his birth, to his marriage, to his future and to his death. He would live a long and fulfilling life, no pain nor suffering. He didn't complain. After all, why risk straying from the path in a dark forest when you can see the light up ahead?” I played with my thumbs, slightly anxious. “But one day his house was burnt down. He had everything taken from him, including the right to his future. There was nothing separating him from a caged beast, because they now held the same value. And what did that boy learn from all this? He learned that in a world where everything is volatile and never absolute, that it is strength and power that paves the road. Not the size of your house, not your fame, nor the amount of gold that lined your pockets.” I looked up at Green. “This boy realized that power is what pushes the world forward. He successfully saw that it is power that runs the world. That it is those that have power that decide what is right and wrong.”

I stopped for a second, taking a deep breath.

“It wasn’t long before he found himself one foot into the doors of death, when he thought that the world had abandoned him, something called out to him. Was it a stroke of luck? Coincidence? Fate? Who knows what caused these two entities to meet. But regardless of the cause, this boy met a being who offered him a choice. A very simple choice. A choice between dying in vain or living with might.”

“Asura came to you?” she seemed surprised.

“I don’t know.” I shook my head. “We met under rather coincidental circumstances, I can’t say for sure. But I can assure you that when we met, I needed him and he wanted me. All we did from there on was come to an agreement.”

I stood up.

“The boy decided that if god would not answer him, then he would turn to the devil instead,” I concluded.

I began walking towards the exit. A strange silence lingered over the air, as if there was nothing more to be said.

“Magnus.” she called out in a mixed tone.

“What?” I looked over my shoulder. “Make it quick.”

She had a gentle look on her face, as if relieved - perhaps even happy. The sun shined behind her, casting a shadow over her face. But even in the black I saw a smile, as if reminiscing about something. I swore I saw her eyes glittering, but I couldn’t tell for sure. Like the forest itself, nature shrouded her figure and protected her, surrounding her, almost as if hiding her from me.

“Welcome home.”

I didn’t know how to respond.

“Know that even if all of mankind turns you away, that even in the darkest of times, my forests are welcome to you. That will never change.”

“Is that for me? Or for Asura?”

“Both. You are now one and the same to me.” She wore a simple smile, but it also looked as if she was in pain somewhat.

“I suppose… I should thank you.”

She bowed her head a little, tree roots extending out of the ground and raising her, gently carrying her back into her tree. As the leaves and vines began to surround her, I heard a gentle and quiet echo pass by my ears.

I love you.

I turned away, a strange feeling inside of me. That message wasn’t meant for me. Even a monster like that thing inside of me had found love during his life. What did I have?

I walked the stone path, my steps tapping against the aged brick. The chirping of birds and the gentle summer breeze seemingly brushed past me again. I looked back, the path to the grove had closed up, vines and assortments of nature hiding it from sight. Rachel was waiting for me outside, humming a tune and picking up more plants.

“Hey.” I said as I walked past her, placing her basket down.

“Seems you had a long talk with Green.” she calmly commented without looking at me.

“That’s correct.”

“You’re hiding something.”

“You’re quite the perceptive one.”

“I take it that it’s a personal matter?”

“You could call it that.”

“Oh well, help me gather more of these plants.” she raised a hand over her shoulder, gripping a violet petaled flower. I grabbed it, smelling it a little. An aromatic scent flowed into my nostrils, clearing my head just a little bit.

“Got it.” I responded, picking up the basket again and heading over to a different bush. I shifted through the thickets, looking for anything that resembled what she had shown me. I found nothing. I continued off the path, looking for more things to pick up.

Some time passed. I lost track. But all that time, I felt like something had been dancing on my chest. I recalled old memories. Images of battlefields, fire and death filled my mind, like a small selection of pictures specifically chosen to haunt me. In all my visions, a familiar face came up. She was in my arms, her soft skin resting against mine. Her beautiful crimson eyes peered into mine, only for me to realize that they were lifeless - completely unmoving and unreactive, and I was again reminded that nothing would change that.

“Magnus.” I heard a voice behind me.

I turned around, Rachel stood behind me. Her expression softened. I found my grasp on reality, pulling myself together.

“What’s wrong.” she said, raising her hand to my face. But before she could touch me

grabbed her hand, stopping her. Her wrist was small, matching her slender arms. For some reason, I didn’t push her away or lash out. I just looked at her with a blank face.

“Nothing.”

* * *

By the time we were done, an awkward silence filled the air. We walked back to down together, our baskets full to the brim with ingredients. The scent of fresh flowers and an assortment of fungi leaked out from the basket, blending together to create a strange smell. We barely talked along the way home, and I kept my distance from her. I wasn’t sure what I was doing. Old memories began to flare up. I felt like someone was clenching my heart, like I was suffocating. I caught up to her side.

“Sorry about that.” I tried to break the awkwardness as we walked back, the yellow rays of light lighting up our path as the sun began to set. Rachel walked beside me, her eyes gleaming in the light.

“No worries. Seemed like Green brought something up.”

“How’d you know?”

“She seems to know more than she’s letting on. Like I said, dryads don’t allow you to find their grove unless they want you to.”

“Yea, I’m not sure if I can trust her just yet.”

“Well, at least tell me what you and Green were talking about.”

“It’s about that thing inside of me… the thing that can probably see.”

“I see.”

“You won’t press for more?”

“Personal matters are personal matters,” she surprisingly seemed pretty cool about it.

“I see… thanks… I guess,” I wasn’t entirely sure how to respond either.

“But in the case you want to talk, you can always come to me.”

“Thank you for the offer.” I was surprised.

“How dense can you be?”

“What?”

“What do you think friends are for?”

“Friends huh?” I said softly under my breath.

“What was that?”

“Nothing.”

She sighed, followed up with a smile. “Although I do have to say, today was enjoyable.”

“It was?”

“Why are you surprised?”

“You didn’t seem that different from your usual self.”

“I usually go alone. It felt nice knowing that I had someone to watch my back. There aren’t too many that are interested in alchemy, and fewer that dares to enter that forest.”

“Hm… in that case would you like me to accompany you next time as well?”

As the sun’s rays began to shimmer, I saw a gentle and soft smile on her lips.

“Of course.”

The guards at the gate greeted us as we passed through. Their eyes still followed me, but didn’t seem as suspicious as before. We nudged our way across small crowds as they dispersed and people began to return to their homes before night came. We stopped by a stall, buying bread along the way. She also purchased a variety of fruits as well. She brought a small pouch of different berries, and seemed very familiar with the fruit merchants. A couple of them smiled at me as I passed by, and I returned the gesture. Rachel put the pouches of berries on top of her basket, carrying them on top of it and we began walking again.

“Got anything planned for tomorrow?” Rachel asked suddenly.

“Nothing so far, why?”

“We have ingredients, we need to use them for something before they spoil.”

“I suppose, but I might have to do some things tomorrow in the afternoon.”

“Like what?”

“Thinking about going to the library and a tailor, running out of reading materials and clothing.”

She looked at me from head to toe.

“You definitely need a change of clothes.”

“Thank you for your input.”

“Is that your business tomorrow in the afternoon?”

“Yes, I also need to go to the library. I want to see if there's any books of interest to me.”

She tilted her head, as if thinking. “I’ll come along.”

“Don’t you have work tomorrow?” I was somewhat perplexed at how casual she was.

“I’ve told the others I might not be able to make it to work for a couple of days, they’ll cover up for me.”

“How irresponsible of you.”

“I was responsible enough to tell them ahead of time.”

That made me grin a little bit. She must have noticed, because she looked at me and smiled as well.

“So what are we doing in the morning tomorrow?” I asked, suddenly remembering that she needed me for something initially.

“Making use of our ingredients, they’re not going to cook themselves.” she responded in a somewhat sarcastic tone. “My room, just knock when you want to come.”

“You have a lab in your room?”

“Is there a problem?”

“I don’t feel good knowing my first floor neighbor can blow up the building at any moment.”

She let out a small laugh, but slowly regained her usual composure within seconds, returning to her usual stoic look.

The two of us went back to our building, returning to the usual small talk we made. Slowly but surely, I felt myself loosening up. By the time I closed the door back to my room and took a seat, I realized that everything had gone back no normal. I no longer felt trapped and suffocated, but instead back to my normal mood. I put my fingers on my wrist, checking my pulse. It was back to normal as well. I sat down, thinking. Why were human bodies so frail? Why are we so impulsive? Why do we feel pain and discomfort even though there isn’t a reason to? Why was it to difficult for me to understand myself? I sighed, thinking about my own irrationality. There was no point in contemplating about things that I myself cannot explain. I took out a book, losing myself in the reading. Before long, I looked out the window to see a glimpse of a crescent moon illuminating my room. It was becoming harder to read by the table, so I went to my bed so that the moonlight would help with the lighting. The smooth edges of the paper brought me comfort. As a child, reading had always been my escape. I recalled the countless hours I spent in the library, selecting from a wide arrangement of books. The different handwritings that lived in each book. The different stories and arrangements that made each book unique and interesting. But that was a long distant dream, from a time long lost. I found myself slowly getting tired, and soon, I fell asleep with my book in my arms, entering a peaceful slumber.

* * *

When I came to, I was in an upright position. My book was still in my hands, and I yawned. I cast a shadow across the room as I stretched my body stiff from sleeping in an upright position all night. I groaned, not exactly the morning I imagined for myself. I scratched my head, recalling what I had to do today. I looked at myself. I was still wearing the same drab old clothing that I had been provided with. I needed to go to the tailor in the afternoon. I suddenly remembered that Rachel had told me to see her when I woke up. I wasn’t that hungry yet, so I went down, dragging myself and found myself standing in front of her door. I knocked three times. No response. I knocked again, and the door peeked. Rachel’s stuck her head out from behind the door, as if checking for intruders.

“You smell.” she commented.

“Good morning to you too.”

“Go take a shower, and bring some bread on your way back.” she slammed the door shut. Not off to a great start, I thought to myself, walking outside and heading towards the bathhouse. I looked at my tattered clothes. Okay, perhaps she had a point. As soon as I arrived, I was met with a small group of people. I had a quick rinse, and along the way back I brought some bread. I recognized the merchant from the other day. He waved at me and we talked for a moment before I returned back.

This time, she actually let me in. Her room was much more spacious than mine, probably because mine wasn’t intended for living purposes. She had a large living room connected to two smaller rooms, probably a bedroom and a kitchen. A large blue carpet adorned the floor, there was a table and chairs in the room in one half, while a large couch was placed next to a window on the other side of the room. There were a few cabinets, glass jars and vases lined the sidelines filled with flowers and an assortment of plants. It reminded me a lot of Eve’s shop, minus the claustrophobia and the feeling that one of the plants might try to eat you. There were actually things in the room and everything was neat, unlike my rather simple and boring room.

“Take a seat.” Rachel yawned, tying her hair with a headband into a ponytail. She wore a light blue shirt and a pair of long white pants.

I head over to the table closer to the kitchen, waiting for further instructions. The room smelled fragrant, like herbs and flowers. It made me feel somewhat drowsy, but at the same time, I reminded myself that there was work to be done.

She opened one of the doors, leading to a small kitchen that also seemed to have a small lab in it. I was somewhat concerned.

“Don’t tell me you mix poisons and cook food in here…” I blurted out.

“I don’t make poisons in my room, idiot.” she looked at me. She had that look on her face that shouted out, “Seriously?”

“I can make other potions other than poisons, I’ll have you know.”

“Enlighten me.”

“Come here, start by helping me make breakfast.”

“So much for alchemy.”

“Don’t cut yourself.” she smirked as she passed me a small kitchen knife. I grabbed it and went by her side. I wasn’t exactly sure how to use it properly. She passed me a tomato, and I held it in my hands, unaware of exactly what I was supposed to do. She noticed that I was just staring at it.

“Look.” she said, holding a tomato of her own. She showed me how to carefully cut it into slices, and I followed suit.

“You’re holding it wrong.” she smiled, as if entertained. “For someone always using swords, this wasn’t what I imagined you’d be like in the kitchen.”

I actually found that pretty funny and I broke a small laugh.

“That’s the first time I’ve heard you laugh.” she commented.

“Is it?”

“Indeed it is.”

“It can be quite hard to entertain me.” I added.

She continued showing me how to slice the tomatoes. She showed me how to hold the knife properly and how to use my other hand without hurting it with the knife. She laughed a lot during the process, and it was vaguely fun for me. I had never tried cooking before. She told me to wash and prepare other simple ingredients, probably because I was a lost cause. I washed vegetables as I watched her work. Everything indicated that she did this on a daily basis. By the time she was done, she had made something that looked like toast with some kind of tomato sauce on top.

“Try it.” she said, handing me a spoon. I took a small chunk of it. It tasted heavenly.

“My god, it’s good.” I exclaimed.

She smiled as if satisfied with my response. “Good. You don’t seem like one to be picky about their food.” she said, sitting down in front of me and started eating as well. I had a couple more bites.

“There’s sauce on your mouth.” she said, grabbing a piece of cloth by the side of the table and wiped some red sauce off of me. It was weird, having someone do this for me. I was slightly shocked and must have had a surprised look on my face because she was looking at me amusingly.

“Thanks.” I wiped off whatever look I had on my face.

“Alright, after we eat now we’re making something else.”

“Like what?”

“You’ll see.”

We returned to the kitchen shortly after, and she took out two large baskets, the ones we used to carry the ingredients from the forest back to town. She began taking them out, telling me to wash them and taking out even more utensils.

“Here, grind this.” she handed me a mortar and pestle with some sort of red plant in it.

I decided against asking questions and doing as I was told, as it seemed as if she was the better alchemist among us two. She threw instruction after instruction at me, and I tried to keep up. I could barely name the ingredients that we had, but she seemed like she had everything down by heart. By the time I was done, she had begun boiling a few of the ingredients together. Salt was used as a catalyst and a strange but fragrant smell rose over the kitchen. When she opened the pot, there was a thick red liquid in it. It bubbled from the heat, and as it settled down it became more fluid and less viscous.

“Get flasks from the cabinet under there.” she directed me.

I went over, taking out several small flasks which I handed to her immediately. She took out two mittens decorated with cats that looked like it had been drawn on it by a child. I raised an eyebrow and smiled, and she immediately noticed.

“Anything from you and I’ll kick you out.” she threatened before putting the mittens on.

“Nothing to say at all,” I raised my arm up in the air in defense.

I held the flasks for her as she poured the slightly warm mixture into the vial. It rapidly cooled off, and we sealed them off.

“What’re these for?” I asked, sitting at the table. About an hour had passed since I arrived here.

“Healing properties. Pour them over your wounds and it should at least help with the pain, seems handy for someone like you. I’ll be making more batches later. Help yourself to a few.”

“Alright, thanks for that.”

“You’re welcome.”

She stretched and yawned, her perky chest stuck out like a sore thumb. She glared at me as I stared and scowled.

“My eyes are up here, doofus,” she lowered her arms and leaned down on her arms.

She looked outside the window, checking how high the sun was.

“Not noon yet,” she yawned yet again. “Food might get cold if I make it now. You said you had some business in the afternoon?”

“Yeah, I did.”

“Mind going now?”

“Not at all.”

The two of us stood up, I went over to the front door while Rachel went to the other room, which I assumed was her bedroom. She closed the door and came out a moment later dressed in a simple white gown, but now had a cap on to hide her ears.

“Let’s get going. Where we stopped by first?”

“I suppose I want to get to the library before anything else.”

“Looking for anything in particular?”

“Information on beasts in this region and anything historical that interests me. I wouldn’t mind anything on magic either.”

“I see, I suppose you’re doing history for information on demonology?”

“Yup. Almost nothing so far.”

“It’s too far back, there’s very few records of them left. Although… the eleven capital might be able to help you with that.”

“You say that as if I could just walk in there.”

“With me, you might.” she smirked.

We passed through town, making our way across the town square. Yet another vibrant morning. Eventually we reached the same district as the White Daisy, which was where the library was located. The building was slightly larger than the building I was living in, but much colder. It was made of bricks, but the age was shown through the worn structure. We entered, and the inside was much more impressive than the outside was. It was quiet, like most libraries were. But the interior had aged much better than the exterior had. The walls looked fine and the large shelves that held books look neat and tidy, as if it had been well-managed. People walked about the place, I recognized nearly nobody. Rachel walked me to the reception, where we were met by an old man. He wore baggy clothes and had a cane by his side.

“Who might this be?” he asked in a shoddy manner. “Whatever, bring whatever book you want and pay for it here.”

Not the kindest person, but that also meant that I wouldn’t have to talk to him. What a relief. The two of us walked deeper into the library, large walls of books separating the library into smaller sections. There were others walking around in silence, looking through rows and columns in order to find their desired books. As for me, I immediately headed towards the back, where I hoped to find older books or records. Rachel followed me, and along the way she picked up a book of her own.

The back of the library was a bit musty and was heavy with dust. However I immediately spotted older books. I opened them immediately, hoping to find an established timeline. Two thousand years ago was the furthest they went back. I checked other books nearby, and took about half an hour to look through them carefully. Tch. Nothing of use here. I closed the book, carefully placing them back into their appropriate shelves.

“You handle these books very calmly for someone that looked so angry.” I heard Rachel whisper beside me.

“Books are delicate creatures,” I whispered back.

“Wow, you treat books better than you treat your friends.”

“Can’t say that’s inaccurate.”

We made our way towards another section of the library, where I picked up a book on mythical creatures located in the Eastern Kingdom. It was titled “An Adventurer's Guide to the Mythical Beasts of the East.” What a mouthful. Another book I picked up was a general geography and the topography of the Eastern Kingdom, so that once I left I would have an easier time navigating across the land. A third book caught my interest, “An Anthology of Basic Alchemical Formulae.” I might not need it, but I was hoping I could scour something new out of it. Nothing else seemed to catch my attention. I walked around a few more shelves, looking for anything else that might be of use. A final book caught my attention as I looked through the shelves. A red, leather covered book. It was somewhat dusty, and had seen little to no usage beforehand. I picked it up, what caught my attention was the title.

The Death of A Sun

I recognized that name. From many moons ago, in a far distant land. From a very old friend. I immediately grabbed it, feeling somewhat happy that I found it, but at the same time sad at the memories that it brought along with it. I flipped the book, open, reading the first few pages. It was like she said. Wholy nothing but the truth, writing about life the way it truly is - a tragedy. I closed it, as I heard soft footsteps approaching me. I turned to face Rachel.

“Done yet?” she whispered.

“Let’s get going.” I whispered back. We paid for the books at the reception, costing only a few coins. The books were pretty cheap, not that I was complaining. I put them into my bag as we left, the high noon sun greeting us at the entrance. We began walking.

“What books did you get?” Rachel asked, holding a book of her own.

“Just ones for information gathering. And one for kill time.”

“Which one?”

“The Death of the Sun.”

“Never heard of it.”

“It’s not that well-known.”

“Then why do you know about it?”

“A recommendation from an old friend.” I smirked at the thought.

“What is it about?”

“A strange tale. One where a vampire falls in love with a human, a tragedy.”

“Never took you once for reading romance,” she looked at me with a surprised look.

“I have no predilection on it.”

“Ever fallen in love?” her tone seemed playful.

“Why so curious?”

“Just because.”

“Maybe.”

“It was a yes or no question.”

“I chose another option.”

“What does that answer even mean?”

“You might find out, but not today.”

“Ever the mystery,” she pouted.

“How about you?” I asked her in return.

“Huh?”

“You ever fallen in love?”

“Never.”

“Why not.”

“You might find out, but not today.”

I smiled at her response. “Ever the mystery.”

We arrived back at our building, and found both Leon and Celeste waiting at the doorstep.

“Hey!” waved Celeste from a distance. They were both dressed casually, but Leon still wore that large cloak that he always wore. It covered his body, making his massive body frame look slightly smaller.

“Hi.” Rachel greeted as she walked past Celeste, ignoring her body language and opening the door to her room. “Get in.”

The three of us settled ourselves down in the room as Rachel went off to the kitchen.

“Should I help?” Celeste asked across the room.

“As long as I’m alive, you will never ever make a meal for us to eat.” was Rachel’s response.

Leon laughed while I covered my mouth and pretended to cough.

We greeted each other, and made ourselves comfortable as Rachel set the food down The smell of spices and meat floated across the room.

“You know some people believe that elves don’t eat meat.” I commented.

Rachel looked at me like a foreign object. “Meat is good for you. We don’t live thousands of years by eating like rabbits.”

Leon and Celeste talked to me a bit more today, asking more questions. They seemed to trust me a lot more now that I had gone on a job with them. It felt nice, just the four of us. Small talk crossed the table, and we cracked jokes and caught each other up on what we were doing.

“So let’s talk about our next job.” Celeste cut in.

“Anything you got your eyes on?” I asked.

“There’s a griffin out there, it attacked again today morning.”

“Again? It’s barely been a week since the last attack.” I raised my eyebrows.

“Yup, and it’s gotten bigger again. Much bigger since the last attack. They’ve raised the reward by a couple bags of gold.”

“I assume you’ve already taken the job?”

She held up a piece of paper, it had the signature of the guild on it.

“Great, saves me the trouble,” I leaned back in my chair.

“I guess we’re all set then!” Celeste seemed enthusiastic.

“Now I suppose we just need a plan.” I yawned.

“I’m coming this time.” Rachel added.

I almost choked on the air I was breathing.

“What?” I blurted in surprise.

“I’m coming along.”

“I got that part, but why?”

“You really think you can take down a griffin with just a group of three?”

“I suppose you have a point.” I backed down, I hadn’t really put any thought on our group.

“On top of that you only have one spell caster, what’s your plan? Wave your swords until it starts getting hungry?”

“Fine, fine. You win.” I conceded.

“She always gets her way.” grunted Leon.

“Yes she does.” I smirked. We had a good laugh, and continued eating. Eventually Leon and Celeste left, as they had other business to attend to, leaving me and Rachel behind. But they wanted to eat out again tonight at the Hearth, and ensured that I would come as well. It was quite troublesome.

After all was said and done, I laid down on Rachel’s couch, worn out from talking all day. It was surprising how just talking with others was able to get me this worn out. I took out the book, Death of a Sun.

“Tired?” Rachel asked as she set down a cup in front of me.

“Very much so.”

“Have some tea.”

“That stuff again?”

“You don’t like it?”

“It’s not that, it’s just… strange.”

I took a sip. The same earthly and herbal taste danced on my tongue. It warmed up my body, and actually felt quite refreshing.

“But I do have to say, it does clear your mind really well.” I added.

“Glad you like it.”

I went to the side of the couch, indirectly offering Rachel to have a seat. She accepted, picking up a cup of her own and taking out her own book. We began reading in silence, and I lost myself for a little bit. The story was quite compelling, from the perspective of both the human and the vampire. Such a shame that while their love was absolute and unwavering, the strings of fate’s servitude would ensure that their love would never prosper or bloom.

“You seem to be enjoying it.” I heard besides me.

“I am.” I answered without looking at her.

She leaned in from outside my field of view, surprisingly. I didn’t like it when people got too close, but I was more surprised than annoyed.

“Let me take a look.”

I handed the book to her, allowing her an opportunity to take a look. I yawned, looking out the window. The sun was setting. Just how long had I been reading? I stretched my arms, my body still sore. I would have to sleep in a proper position tonight. I leaned my head back, resting my head for a moment. Rachel was next to me still, close by. She herself was immersed in the first few pages as she flipped through them. This moment. Wasn’t this what I always wanted? I was lost in thought, contemplating on what I was doing when I heard Rachel pouting.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“What?”

“Your hand.”

My hand had grabbed the tip of her hair, and awkwardly held it in my palm. I didn’t really know what I was doing, or what compelled me to do what I had done.

“Um.” A variety of excuses ran through my hand. None of them made any sense.

She just looked at me with a blank face. I heard a crash.

Bam

Rachel’s front door swung open as Celeste stood on the other side.

“What do we have here?” she asked. “Is this what one might call a romantic moment?”

Rachel threw my book across the room, and Celeste caught it while giggling.

I sighed.

Me and Rachel head out once again, this time to the tailor to buy some clothing. I stayed back as she chose something stylish and something that “suited me”, whatever that meant. She chose two sets of clothes for me, one that I could wear while I stayed in town instead of what I was wearing right now. And that was probably for the best. She chose a nice black vest that felt comfortable to wear and move around in, and I couldn’t complain about her choice at all.

An hour later, and we found ourselves at the Hearth - again. Not that I was against the idea. Alice was there, and she brought us our food. She noticed that I was reading.

“Hey, Magnus! Mind if I take a look too?”

I smiled at her enthusiasm.

“Well, I suppose I don’t mind.”

She sat down next to me, looking at the words in the book. She began to read, albeit at a slower but calm pace. It was hard to hear her with all the chatter, but I could tell if she made a mistake. She told me that was able to read, but because of her job and work she was unable to commit much time to anything else. Her free time was spent outside with her friends, and that reading was something that she rarely had time for. I taught her new words, and helped her out when she was incorrect.

Rachel came by. She looked tired as well, from all the chatter and seemed weary.

“How you doing.” she grunted, dropping in the seat next to mine.

“Same as before. Dead tired.”

The both of us sighed, taking a sip of wine before leaning back.

Rachel smiled at Alice.

“Whatcha doing,” she said, as if talking to a kid.

“I’ll have you know I’m older than I look.” pouted Alice.

“The same can be said for me.” Rachel winked at me. I smiled, wondering if this was one of those elf jokes.

“Lemme read along with you!” Alice seemed really excited.

Rachel leaned in close to Alice as she began guiding her through the sentences, taking over my job. They had a good time together, and it seemed as if she was the better teacher. I pulled out my own book and continued doing my own thing while keeping an ear out for anything interesting. I smirked behind my book as I heard jokes being thrown around and hid my amusement. Eventually a somewhat tipsy Celeste found her way to our table. She sat down in front of us, both of her hands placed under her chin like a bridge.

“Hmm.” she made a sound, as if observing.

“What can I help you with?” I asked, looking up.

“You three look like a family. How perfect!”

Me and Rachel sighed once more, as if we hadn’t done enough of that already.

* * *

Unsurprisingly, I found myself walking back together with Rachel in the lonely night. Although this time, both of us were far too tired to come up with a coherent conversation. We simply dragged ourselves back home and said our farewells. Back in my room, I landed flat on my back on the bed, dragging the sheets over me.

Wasn’t this all that I had ever wanted?

A simple, normal life?

To have a place where I could call home?

After drifting from town to town, for so long, spending countless nights in some broken ruins, receiving nothing but cautious glares as I closed myself out from everyone, hoping that I would pass by without trouble.

What was I doing?

I raised my hand, my sleeve rolling down.

Black runes revealed themselves to me again, and reminded me once more of the path that I had chosen, the storm that awaited me ahead.

Such was the consequence of my decisions. I knew that no matter how hard I tried, I could not defy my fate or my destiny, that no matter what I did, I would have to walk the same path again.

I closed my eyes, asking myself why the hell I had allowed myself to make it harder to say goodbye. Eventually I drowned in my sorrows, and my worries lulled me into my nightmares.