"Everything was blurry..."
"Screams echoing in the background, few humans, inhuman."
"The sky wasn't bright although it appeared to be day; rather it was dyed red, broken like a shattered mirror at a few intervals."
"The shattered parts appeared dark and hypnotic as if inviting everyone inside, and someone would actually feel like entering them if it wasn't for the weird-looking creatures who were manifesting from within."
"The majority of them looked ugly and dark. However, it was too blurry to properly look at their forms, but it was clear that they weren't humans or any terrestrial creature found on earth."
"Someone was talking... no... shouting... desperately... as if dying."
"'No'...'don't'...'need'...'have to'... were they different people, or maybe the same person?"
"Then someone shouted, 'Do, or we all die!' It... it was the most clear voice... out of all."
"Then it turned so... so, so bright that it was blinding..."
"It felt as if that light swallowed... all those hypnotic dark broken cracks in the sky, then... then it moved towards me... swallowing... swallowing me..."
"It's fine Jivika, breathe, slowly," Luv said, holding a hyperventilating Jiya, describing her nightmare, in his embrace.
Jiya was covered in cold sweat, although it wasn't the first time she woke up after midnight in a similar state after facing weird nightmares. Of course, Luv knew this, even when her own parents never knew.
How could he not? He was present at her every episode since Jiya was thirteen. Since the time they met.
At that time, to help Jiya and Luv's relationship grow, the parents promoted sleepovers between their kids. Generally, it was Mayra who would comfort Jiya, but in her absence, it was always Luv, a situation that had turned permanent now.
"Breathe, Jiya," he said in a soft, gentle voice near her ear, while patting her back. "Breathe with me: in-out, in-out, in-out."
Jiya followed his soothing voice as she finally felt air reaching her lungs. As her breathing normalised, Luv stopped speaking and patting her back, instead just holding her, occasionally caressing her back or head.
It was night, though it wasn't silent; this unstable world could never be silent or peaceful. However, after a long time, Jiya's heart was stable, comfortable... silent.
The silence was stretched; after what felt like hours, Luv finally broke the silence.
"Jiya?"
"Hmm," Jiya replied from his embrace, eyes closed.
"Do you remember what I told you yesterday?" Luv asked, voice gentle and tentative.
Jiya slowly opened her eyes, nodding.
"It's fine, you can go for the field work, I will wait for you."
"Are you sure? I can always postpone it to tomorrow; it isn't a rift with a close breakout date."
"No, no, it's fine," she said as she got up from Luv's embrace. "I'll be fine." She took Luv's hands in hers and continued, "You shouldn't stop your work for me. You should go."
Luv gave out a chuckle, defeated. "Fine, if you say so," he said, slowly getting up from the bed.
"I have to report in an hour at the field, and before that at HQ." He hesitated but then continued, "So, I'll have to leave now."
The room went silent until Jiya finally spoke: "I-it's fine, I am fine now."
The small hesitation in her voice didn't go unnoticed by Luv.
"Jiya," he spoke again, "how about for today you go to your friend's house, hmm?"
"No, no," Jiya's response was almost immediate.
"I don't have any friends." Something unrecognizable flickered in her eyes—maybe it was fear, maybe something else—but whatever it was, it clearly meant discomfort.
But Luv still pushed her; he couldn't leave Jiya alone today, he just had this feeling. And of course, he didn't want to make her uncomfortable, which is why he had lied to Jiya about the outbreak date to make her calm so that she could give an honest answer about needing or not needing Luv's presence.
After all, Luv was not called until the rift was high grade or close to outbreak.
"Then, then what about that chubby girl with curly hair?" Luv asked, desperate, although his voice was nothing but calm and composed.
"She doesn't like me," Jiya said, turning her face away, remembering something she probably didn't want to remember.
"Then what about Ms. Pia? Didn't she used to follow you around?"
"No, no, not her... she will tell everyone about it." Jiya started to tremble again.
She turned her face towards Luv again. "Tell me, brother, are you that desperate to send me away as well?" She spoke, her voice choking and eyes turning teary.
Luv couldn't take it anymore; he sighed as he embraced her trembling form again. "No, I wouldn't," he said in a gentle voice.
Jiya pushed herself out of his embrace just a bit. "I-I'm fine, brother, believe me. Just finish your work fast and return to me."
"Beep... Beep... Beep... beep beep beeeeeeepppppppp...."
A sudden beeping sound startled both of them. It was Luv's watch; the screen turned red with an alert that won't go off. Luv looked down at his watch and frowned.
"What happened, Luv?" Jiya called out.
Luv looked at Jiya and smiled again. "It's nothing, they are calling me at HQ. I have to go now... should I?" He framed it as a question although he knew he had to go, but...if Jiya wanted him—oh God, he didn't mind if the rift broke out or the barrier, as long as he could protect her.
Well, I say this because the alert on Luv's hunter watch meant only one thing: an emergency deployment at a rift about to break or already broken.
But Jiya was persistent "Yes, brother," Jiya said again.
Luv got up from the bed and sighed, "Fine then, I'll leave," he said as he held Jiya's face, bent down, and gave her a light forehead kiss. "I'll go; take care of yourself."
He smiled at her one last time as he picked up his gear, looking at Jiya's face worriedly, one last time. "Sleep some more; it's still early."
Jiya nodded and Luv left the room, closing the door behind him.
Jiya sat there for a while, hugging her blankets, until the dawn arrived and she decided to leave the bed for good.