'These people…'
Mihel sighed as he let the fog engulf him completely in darkness. He could hear two agitated voices walk right in front of him, not giving him any notice. It was only when the two people were gone, did the fog dissipate and float back to the figure on top of the roof.
Mihel calmly stepped out of the shadow of the alley and walked towards the building in front of him. Vinelyn slid down from a loosely kept ladder. His coat fluttered behind him in the wind as he walked closer to Mihel.
"Why did you-" Mihel started but was cut off by Vinelyn.
"No. We are teammates, Mihel. You can trust us. You don't have to do everything alone. Once Riche comes back, we can head back to the apartment. Our little mission is over." He said shaking his head subtly.
Mihel looked into those defiant eyes and a deep sense of gratitude arose in him. He stretched out his arm, offering a hand shake and said, "I'm sorry. You're right. We are a team and that means we work together. Thank you for looking after me."
Vinelyn gripped it firmly and winked, pointing with his other hand to Riche coming out of the main entrance of the luxurious building. Riche was rubbing his hands against each other and grinned as he spotted Mihel standing alongside Vinelyn.
"And here's our trouble maker. Granny Mui got so angry about that man barging into the bakery and claiming there was a thief in the building. I intervened and helped escort him back." He said, brightly as he walked up to Mihel and knocked firmly on his palm.
Mihel only smiled weakly as they walked back towards their room. Seeing the happiness of his companions only made him remember the sad face of the girl in the bakery. Seeing her miserable state had invoked some strange desire to help her. The image of her broken legs and bloody face was etched in his mind and he couldn't seem to forget her gentle voice whisper to him.
"So Mihel, found anything worth the trouble?" Riche asked as they neared their familiar rotting building.
Mihel's mind snapped to the question and clearing all the racing thoughts inside he replied, "Yeah…I found the source of the wail we heard before…I actually found a girl, around our age, all wounded and badly bruised…she was just sitting there eyes red and-" His voice broke before he could finish.
"Was she held prisoner? Did she ask for help?" Vinelyn enquired as they entered the building.
Mihel simply shook his head. He couldn't form any words. He himself was surprised at the extent of impact this chance meeting with the girl had on him. He couldn't really explain it but seeing the crippled girl, disabled and miserable made it relatable to his own situation with Destiny.
"No…She only asked me to go…I think she heard someone coming to the room and warned me early…"
"Should we let Vidoria know about this? That girl could be hostage…" Vinelyn said, trying to find some solution that would help. "Or maybe we could take her to the Citadel's healers? They could definitely patch her up."
They were all reasonable suggestions but Mihel understood that if Mui wanted to, she could have also done the same. There was something special about the girl and it was due to that the toothless girl denied even the existence of the hurt girl.
'Mui has some purpose with the girl…for good or bad. Since only we are aware of this, it must be our responsibility to help her somehow.' Mihel pondered as they climbed upstairs.
The girls were waiting to hear an explanation. They felt it unfair that they always missed the exciting events. But the boys were too tired to explain in detail. Instead they gave them a short summary of what had happened. Barely satisfied the girls returned their Destiny pack, into Riche's safekeeping and bid goodnight.
Inside the boys' room, a important discussion was going on.
Who would get to sleep on the cot?
So far Mihel was sleeping on the cot since he was the most injured but now they felt it was time to split the days evenly among them. In the seven days they would get two days each and every week one of them would get three. This cycle of cot rights was agreed mutually with less debate.
They lay down in their allocated spaces, Mihel being allowed to continue in the cot for this week.
Mihel's head had barely touched the board when he was pulled into a deep sleep. His conscious spiraled slowly into a very vivid and realistic dream, one which he had no choice to accept and follow.
***
Mihel woke up in his cot...but something felt wrong.
He looked around and his room seemed the same. He was confused as he was certain he was fast asleep but alas he was wide awake now. Suddenly he heard a deep rumbling voice in the back of his head. It was both loud and quiet at the same time. Both filled with extreme cruelty and deep compassion.
His head hurt with only a few seconds of hearing it.
'Go. Out.'
Mihel couldn't understand why but his body obeyed. He got down from his cot and trudged out. He silently left the building and started walking to Granny Mui's bakery. He was more disoriented now. He was awake but all his senses were robbed from him, except hearing that strange voice.
Suddenly he stopped as he noticed a glowing figure standing in front of him. His eyes widened at what he saw.
It was the girl trapped in the bakery, except now she was standing on her feet and her face was without a mark. Mihel was shocked. Seeing her like this completely changed how he had remembered her. In front of him, she had long glistening white hair, falling down to her waist. She had big eyes which seemed to glow from within. She wore a simple robe, white and almost ethereal.
She smiled softly at Mihel. "Hello…sorry to steal you from your dreams…"
'So I'm still sleeping? Then how…What kind of power is this…' he mused, nervously as he checked his surroundings.
"I'm more interested in how you managed to do this? Who are you? Some High Circle Destined?" he asked with curiosity.
She simply chuckled. "No, I was born like-" Suddenly her figure started flickering and her voice cracked.
"What's happening? Excuse me…what's your name? Do you need saving? I can help!" Mihel shouted frantically into the street but it was of no use. The pale girl had disappeared leaving not a single trace behind. Mihel felt a sudden rush of wind as he was pulled back into his original position.
***
Mihel jerked awake, gasping for air. His mind was in a mess. He was unsure of what was real and what was a dream. Already what he had seen was moving to the darker recesses of his mind.
'That…must have been some twisted dream…how could a normal girl communicate like that…by manipulating dreams…and why me…'
He took in deep, controlled breaths before relaxing and sliding back into his cot. He had to be fresh for the next day's physical work.
'That girl…who is she…?'