The Emissary of the Flame

The Fourth Chapter: Confusion

Bradley could not explain what emotions were now overwhelming his body. Confusion, distraught, and doubt; these words were not even enough to define what he was feeling right at that moment. The only obvious thing right now is that his long-time companion and a man who treated him as his own son was now dead.

He wanted to speak, but there were no words that were coming out of his lips. His eyes tried to find out about his surroundings; everyone was either shocked or confused because of the sudden announcement by one of the kitchen servants of Ainsworth's Cafeteria. He wanted to walk, but he could feel his legs were wobbly.

"Mr. Thompson is dead?!"

"How is his wife?!"

"He is too young to die."

"How about his children? They are still too young to lose their father."

He heard the people around him were trying to guess what would happen to the family of the deceased.

There were too many emotions that wanted to come out of him. He wanted to scream out of anger and despair. Why? What happened?

Why would a very kind man like Mr. Thompson die in a very tragic ending?

Ugh, why the hell did those rebels include civilians in their plans to destroy the Empire of Great Britain?

Mr. Thompson is an innocent civilian to die at the hands of those rebels! He wanted to shout to tell you how painful this death was, but he noticed an even more confusing situation. He was about to take a step when he saw a more surprised person attract his attention inside their workplace.

He did not expect her reaction to be like that. Though he knows that she had a close tie with Mr. Thompson, knowing he was her coachman, could not understand why the lady beside him reflected not only confusion but rather greater remorse.

Her orbs reflected fear, terror, and horror. He could see how she was fighting to breathe properly, and she was struggling too. She was almost crying and screaming in anxiety.

But why? He knew all of them were surprised at this sudden event, but her reaction showed how horrified she was because of Mr. Thompson's death. He could see how afraid she was, and it automatically gave him the desire to comfort the said lady.

I can manage myself, but ain't Julia.

The young man was about to help the lady when he noticed Zen was also in a trance while looking at the poor lady in front of them. It was like he was also observing what was happening to her, but his gaze was unreadable.

Well, if he were not planning to help her, he would be the one to do it. "Julia, are you alright? Can you stand up ---"

"Oh, my dear Julia! What happened to you? Are you feeling sick?" He heard Mrs. Clara approached them. "Mr. Bradford, could you please help me to take Julia into her room?"

His words were interrupted when the newly hired kitchen servant suddenly held her in his arms and assisted him to stand up. "I will lead the way, Mr. Bradford. Please follow me!"

Bradley could feel that Julia's aunt was also in distress. Well, who would it not be? He was also confused and afraid at the same time because of this sudden turn of events, but the panic attacks of the lady were not ordinary. It was like she was suffering, but from what? This was the very first time they saw a lady in such a situation.

His eyes followed the image of the young lady as another man in his arms was holding her.

Well, Bradley only wished this view was not a metaphor of a possible conclusion to his story with Julia.

I am not going to see him being held by another man rather than me, right?

---

When they reached the lady's room, Mrs. Clara immediately assisted Loryzen in lying with her niece on her bed. "Thank you, Mr. Bradford, for helping her." Her voice was wary, "Could you please take care of her for a few minutes? I will get a paper bag to help her exercise proper breathing."

When the said aunt had left the room, the young man abruptly scrutinized the lady that was now lying unpeacefully on her comforter. "Julia Ainsworth..."

The lady did not respond to his call. He could not stop asking himself, was it her? Was she the very reason for his mission? Was she the person the White Order had been looking for for thousands of years?

But is it possible for an innocent civilian who does not know about the world unknown to her to be the wielder of such power?

His eyes reflected what occurred a while ago when the other servant announced the coachman's death to them. Everyone was shocked, and it was customary to feel horrified because he was their companion, but this lady... Julia showed an even queer reaction when she heard of this news.

"No, this is not happening...My visions... they became real..." These were the words she was saying while she was manifesting remorse because of the said circumstance.

He had observed how terrified she was. And from her words, he guessed that she had already predicted what was going to happen to Mr. Thompson. Ah, no, that was an understatement; rather, she was able to witness what would happen to him.

If his hypothesis is true, how in the world could she envision such an undesirable scene?

Could she see the future? But how?

No, that isn't the question he wanted to ask himself right now. If his hypothesis is true, then how could her eyes see that vision?

Could she be the---

"You can leave, and please tell the other kitchen servants if they can continue to do their tasks, then let them continue, but if they were too surprised and wanted to grieve because of Mr. Thompson's sudden death, they can ponder first and leave for their own safety." He heard Mrs. Clara.. "They can return after Mr. Thompson's funeral."

Zen's deep trance was disrupted because of the restaurateur. He wanted to contemplate Julia's peculiarity further, but he needed to obey Mrs. Clara's request. He sighed.

He is losing so much time finishing his mission in this place. He should find what the White Order had told him to reclaim before a possible greater collision might take place because of those eerie creatures, who are also seeking for the same reason, he was here.

For now, he should pause for a second before these people become suspicious of him and discover his true intention as to why he had applied to this cafeteria.

He nodded, "Alright, Mrs. Clara, I will leave now."

"Thank you, Mr. Bradford, for helping my niece." Mrs. Clara tried to pull a smile, but her worry was still visible from her lips.

"Mrs. Ainsworth, Mr. Campbell called me. He told me that you wanted me to have a physical assessment of your niece." Suddenly, a man wearing a long black coat and whose age was in his mid-'40s entered the said room.

"Ah yes, would you please examine Julia? I cannot understand why she was experiencing a panic attack because of the news a while ago. This is the very first time I have witnessed her like this." He guessed he was a doctor.

He pulled the doorknob and went outside. He was about to close the door when he suddenly felt a sinister atmosphere inside the room.

His gaze returned to the very man who was now examining Julia using a stethoscope. He could not understand what he discerned, but he knew the room had this eerie atmosphere. He was not able to identify it a while ago, but why now?

"Mr. Bradford, could you please close the door?" Before he could even ponder what was happening inside the said room, the doctor faced him.

"Please give us some privacy, little knight and shining armor." It was the doctor's last words before he pushed the door to close.

---

"Julia..."

"Mr. Thompson?" She could not see the owner of the voice, but she was sure it was him.

"Why didn't you tell me that I was going to die?" Those words were enough to wake her from her deep sleep.

"I didn't know!" She immediately lifted her torso when her thoughts were awakened because of her nightmare.

She was panting for air. It was not too hard for her to even comprehend what was now happening around her. Every bit of the incident from a while ago was still registered inside her mind. The very moment the older man had died was still fresh inside her.

"Mr. Thompson is already dead..." Words came out from her lips. "And I was not able to warn him about it."

Anxiety once again overcame her whole system. The young lady wanted to believe that she was innocent of this occurrence and that her vision was not the coachman's doom. But then, she could not stop condemning herself.

Am I to be condemned because I chose to distance myself from Mr. Thompson rather than tell him about my vision?

She did not expect that what she had witnessed would become reality. She could feel how heavy her heart was, and tears were flowing out of her orbs.

Ugh, why did she even have such a vision?! Why?! What is going on with her?!

She closed her knees and laid her head on them while she was weeping. Now she was beginning to believe that she might be different, which was why her parents had left her in the orphanage.

Had they known that I have such a peculiarity in me?

Julia was still on the verge of breaking down when she heard the fainting sound of a knock from her balcony. She glanced at the clock at the top of her bedside table. The young lady realized it was already eleven forty-eight in the evening.

Who would cause such noise at this time of the night?

Her tears halted, and wariness became visible in her orbs. She could not stop herself from thinking, what if there was a burglar in front of her window? Ugh, yes, she might not be okay because of the incident a while ago, but she had to straighten up her thoughts and ponder properly.

She slowly stood up and walked towards the door of the balcony. She was not feeling good about it, but the noise was not stopping at all. The only way to know who was the reason behind this ruckus was to face whoever was knocking on her window right then.

This is all or nothing.

Julia unlocked the window, and immediately a small stone had entered her room. She wanted to scream because she had proved someone was trying to get her attention, but when she stooped down to see who was the culprit for this mystery, she realized it was the very young man whom her fondness for was too obvious to her own likeness.

Her eyes blinked when she realized the very person who was trying to get her attention was none other than Bradley.

The young man she wished to see at this most confusing and doubting moment of her life.