In the afternoon, Hayel sat at his dining table, eating bread and a small portion of meat he had bought this morning.
Meat was expensive, it cost around seven coins, so he only allowed himself to eat it once a month. Unfortunately for him, his weekly salary was eight coins. That meant he earned about thirty-four coins per month. Other food like vegetables and bread cost between one and four coins, and Hayel usually bought whatever didn't exceed two.
It's not fun walking around while being almost blind. The ability helps, but I barely saw what type of meat I was buying… Well, at least my vision is returning. If I stayed blind, I don't know how I would have managed that.
As he ate, his thoughts drifted back to the previous night. The dream. The reality. The strange overlap between them. The being from the forest had appeared in his dream as well, too clearly for it to be dismissed as coincidence, yet too unreal to fully accept.
He understood that everything that had happened last night was because of what he had seen in the forest.
But was the dream simply his imagination, warped by fear? And the later events… were they unrelated?
Or did that being have the power to reach into his dreams, to haunt him even when he slept, turning his own mind into a place he couldn't escape from?
No answers came.
The thought alone made him dread the moment night would fall again.
The more he thought about it, the more on edge he felt. Was that being merely toying with him, trying to scare him? If so… why? If it could enter his house, could it kill him? Last night it had only dragged him by the leg. It hadn't hurt him. Was it a different monster from the one in the forest, or did that thing just simply become smaller? If they were different, how were they connected?
Just what is going on?
"Hayel!" bang bang
He nearly jumped out of his chair.
Damn, that scared me.
He stood up and opened the front door. Layla stood there, hands on her hips, clearly annoyed. She was a nice-looking girl, with light brown hair and light brown eyes. Her features were soft, but her gaze was sharp and expressive. She was taller than most girls, almost the same height as Hayel, who was around 180 centimeters tall. He was slightly taller than most boys his age, though he still looked a bit scrawny for now.
"Just where have you been these past few days?" Layla demanded. "I knocked on your door yesterday morning, the morning before that, and the morning before that too!"
Hayel stared at her in shock. He hadn't been home yesterday morning, that was true, but the morning before that? He had definitely been home then. He had even spent time with her the day before he went into the forest.
Just how long was I knocked out?
"Are you just gonna stare?! Answer me!" Layla shouted.
It would be incredibly stupid to tell her he had wandered deep into the forest and somehow failed to return for at least three days. So he chose to lie.
"I stayed in the library for the past few days. Sir Kinnel needed help with something," Hayel said, keeping his face as neutral as possible.
"Wow… really? That's the best you've got?"
"I'm not lying."
Layla groaned. "God! Okay, whatever you say! Just don't ruin your reputation even further. At some point, someone might stop selling food to you! Just tell me next time you go somewhere. I was seriously getting worried."
Hayel nodded. "Okay."
"Right, I've got to tell you something!" Layla suddenly said excitedly. She pushed past him and shuffled into the house without waiting for permission.
Hayel closed the door and sat down across from her at the dining table.
Layla leaned forward eagerly. "So… you know how I said I had a little crush on Max, right? Well, I went to the city yesterday to buy a new cup because I broke one a few days ago, and guess what? We bumped into each other! Okay, maybe I stalked him, but that's besides the point! Anyway, he actually started a conversation with me! And we even had lunch together! He he he…"
Hayel sighed. "Layla, you know he's the son of the Lord, right…?"
"Yeah, so what?" she replied instantly.
"Well… he's rich. And most rich people are not good people."
"Oh please, can you stop being so pessimistic? Even if he is a bad person, it's not like I want to marry him straight away! I'm only sixteen! Plus, can't a girl just dream?"
Pessimistic…? What the hell does that mean..?
"Do whatever you want, Layla. I'm just saying," Hayel muttered.
"Of course I'll do whatever I want! Nothing can stop me… Damn, he is just too handsome…"
"…"
"Okay, well, so… Right! Has any girl caught your eye?"
"No."
"What?! I thought boys your age were, you know—"
"Stop. Please," Hayel cut her off immediately.
"HAHAHAHA!" she burst into laughter, almost evilly delighted.
Seriously… she's just a year older.
When she finally calmed down, she stood up. "Well, whatever you say, Hayel. Anyway, I gotta go! The food won't sell itself! Ha ha ha… Don't disappear again. Jeez, you're such a troublemaker actually."
She started walking toward the door, but Hayel called out, "Wait!"
"What?"
"Well, you see…" Hayel looked to the side, hesitating.
"…"
"Spit it out, man, I don't have all day," Layla urged impatiently.
"I… I think I got an ability."
"WHAT!?"
"…"
"And you're choosing to tell me this now, when I don't have the time to stay? When I have to go?! When you know that curiosity is going to literally kill me?!"
Hayel sighed. "Well, we can just talk about it some other day."
"Seriously?! You know what, why am I even surprised at this point?" Layla muttered. "Fine! I'll come tomorrow again. Don't disappear!"
With that, she shut the door behind her.
Silence settled over the house once more.
Without her presence, the quiet felt heavier, more oppressive. His mind immediately drifted back to the events of the past few nights, replaying them whether he wanted to or not.
Right… she said I disappeared for at least three days. That's worse than I thought… Good thing is, even though I still can't see very well, the ability makes it seem like nothing's wrong… I don't know what I would've said if Layla figured it out. I don't want to scare her.
He sat there for a few minutes before realizing he hadn't finished his food.
After eating the rest, he washed the dishes and prepared to go to work.
————————————————————
The Blue City wasn't huge, but it was definitely more glamorous than the village. Buildings rose up to four stories high, decorated with elegant carvings. Blue flowers grew throughout the city, giving it a distinct and almost calming appearance.
As Hayel walked toward the library, he wondered when he should go to test his ability. He couldn't go today; testing only took place in the mornings.
So… maybe tomorrow?
Finally, he stepped into the library. It was beautiful—thousands of books lined dark brown shelves, the interior warm and polished. It had two stories, high ceilings, and ornate chandeliers that cast soft light across the room.
He began his usual work, sweeping the floors and clearing away dust.
After a few hours, once he finished and it was time for him to go home, Marco Kinnel called him into his office.
Inside, Hayel kept his gaze lowered. Sir Kinnel did not look pleased.
Marco sat behind his desk, perfectly still. The office was spacious, filled with even more books stacked on shelves and scattered across the desk.
Behind Marco was a window with red curtains which were tied away to the side, the sunset gave the room a slightly golden glow.
"Boy, where have you been?" Marco asked coldly.
Hayel felt a flicker of nervousness. "I was sick."
Marco looked him up and down in silence.
After a moment, he said, "Next time, tell someone to notify me. I will be taking this out of your pay."
"Okay…"
That was a surprisingly short conversation… He better not talk to anyone from the village or else he'll have my head for lying.
As he was walking through the city, Hayel realized he had completely forgotten to ask Marco about the levels of abilities.
Maybe it's a good thing I didn't ask… I'll be paid less this week anyway.
As the sun completely disappeared, Hayel made his way back home.
And despite everything, he found himself fearing the darkness inside his own house.