In the afternoon, Hayel is sitting on his dining table eating bread and little bit of meat he has bought this morning. Meat is expensive, it costs around 7 coins, so Hayel eats it only once a month. Sadly for him, his weekly salary is 8 coins. That means he monthly earns around 34 coins. The other food like vegetables and bread cost somwhere between 1 and 4 coins. Of course, Hayel mostly buys the ones that don't excede 2 coins.
'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'
While he is eating, his mind still lingers on last nights events. The dream, the reality and the connection between them and that being in the forest that also showed up in his dream is clear yet at the same time vague. He understands that everything that happened last night has something to do with what happened in the forest, after all he has never had things like this happen to him before that.
However, is the dream just a product of his imagination and are the later events that happened not connected with it… or does that being have the power to come visit him even in his dreams, making his life a total hell after he wakes up?
The answers do not come and he starts fearing the moment when the night falls again.
Frankly speaking, he feels on edge the more he thinks about it. The thing is, is that being just toying with him, trying to make him feel scared? If so, what's the point? Can that being that was inside the house kill him? It didn't do anything except drag him by the leg last night. If it can kill him, why didn't it? It didn't even hurt him. Just like that being inside the forest. Eventhough it did leave him temporarly blind, it didn't do much except that.
'Just what is going on?'
"Hayel!" *bang* *bang*
Hayel almost jumps out of his chair.
'Damn, that scared me.'
Eventually he gets up, opens his front door and sees Layla. She is a nice looking girl, with light brown hair and light brown eyes. Her features are mostly soft, but her eyes are quite sharp. Layla is also taller than most girls, she is around the same height as Hayel, and he is 178 centimeters tall. He is a bit taller than most boys his age. But of course, while he will probably be handsome when he is older, right now he looks a bit scrawny.
"Just where have you been these past few days? I knocked on your door yesterday morning, the morning before that and the morning before that too!"
Hayel stares at her, shocked. While he wasn't home yesterday morning it seems, he was defenitly at home the morning before that! He even hanged out with her the day before he went to the forest!
'Just how long was I knocked out..?'
"Are you just gonna stare?! Answer me!" Layla shouts.
Now, it would be a very dumb idea to tell her he went on a suicide mission inside the forest and somehow didn't return for three days at least, so he chooses to lie.
"I stayed in the library for the past few days, sir Kinnel needed help with something." Hayel says with a stoic face.
"Wow… Really? That's the best you've got?"
"I'm not lying."
Layla groans "God! Okay, whatever you say! Just don't ruin your reputation even further, at some point someone might even stop selling food to you! Just tell me next time you go somewhere, I was seriously getting worried."
Hayel agrees "Okay."
"Right, I've got to tell you something!" Layla says all excited, pushes Hayel and shuffles her way inside the house.
Hayel closes the door and turns around to sit at the dining table across from Layla.
Layla begins "So… You know how I said I..had a little crush on Max right? Here is the thing, I went to the city yesterday to buy a new plate because I broke one a few days ago, next thing you know, we bumped into each other! Okay maybe I stalked him but that's besides the point! Anyway, he actually started a conversation with me! We also had lunch together! He he he"
Hayel sighs "Layla, you know he is the son of The Lord right..?"
"Yeah, so what?" Layla asks.
"Well… I mean, he is rich and most rich people are not good people."
"Oh please, can you stop being sooo pessimistic? Even if he is a bad person, it's not like I want to marry him straight away! I'm only 16! Plus, can't a girl just dream?"
'Pessimistic..? What does that mean..?'
"Do whatever you want Layla, I'm just sayin." Hayel finally says.
"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 cought your eye?"
"No"
"What?! I thought boys your age are, you know…"
Hayel cuts her off "Stop. Please."
"HAHAHHAHA" She bursts out, laughing evily.
'seriously…she is just a year older.'
After she is done with her hysterical laughter, she finally says "Well, whatever you say Hayel, whatever you say… Anyway, I gotta go! The food won't sell itself! Ha ha ha… Don't dissapear again. Jeez, you are such a troublemaker actually."
She gets up and starts leaving, but Hayel stops her "Wait!"
"What?"
"Well, you see…" Hayel looks to the side.
"…"
"Spill it out man, I don't have all day." Layla urges him.
"I… I think I got an ability."
"WHAT!?"
"…"
"And you are choosing to tell me this now when I gotta go?!"
Hayel sighs again "Well, we can just talk about it some other day."
"Seriously?! You know what, why am I even suprised at this point?" Layla wonders aloud.
She continues "Well then, I will come tommorow again, don't dissapear!"
And with that, she shuts the door behind her.
Silence descends inside the house, leaving Hayel alone missing the company of another person. The quite keeps him on edge again, making his mind go through the memories of these past few nights.
'Right, she says I dissapeared for three days at least. That's worse than I thought… Good thing is, eventhough I cannot see very well still, the ability makes me seem as if nothing's wrong… I don't know what I would have said if Layla figured it out, I don't want to scare her.'
He kept on sitting for a few minutes, realizing he hadn't eaten his food completely.
After he finished his food, he washed the dishes and prepared to go to work.
————————————————————
The Blue City is not huge, but definitly more glamorous than the village. The buildings are tall with up to four stories with beautiful carvings on them. Blue flowers can be seen all across the city.
As Hayel makes his way towards the library, he wonders when he should go test his ability. He can't go today, the testing takes place in the mornings.
'So.. maybe tommorow?'
Finally, he steps into the library. It's beautiful, with thousands of books and dark brown interior. It's two stories tall, with tall ceilings and beautiful chandeliers.
He starts his job, sweeping the floors, sweeping away the dust….
And as he is done, Marco Kinnel asks him to come to his office.
Inside the office, Hayel looks at the floor. Sir Kinnel doesn't seem very happy.
Marco sits at his desk across from Hayel, completely still. The room is spacious, with more books sitting at shelfs and on the desk.
"Boy, where have you been?"
Hayel, feeling a bit nervous, answers "I was sick."
Marco stares at him, looking at him up and down.
After a while, he says "Next time tell someone to notify me. I will be taking this out of your pay."
"Okay…"
And as the day comes to an end, Hayel realizes he didn't ask Marco about the levels of abilities.
'Maybe it's a good thing I didn't ask, after all I'll be paid less this week anyway…'
And as the sun sets, Hayel goes back to his house. Fearing the darkness of his own home.