The Sight Beyond The Haze

Chapter 11: Someone Following Closely Behind

Maybe the reason why I dreamt of that masked person that night was that they did not really showed their face to me. After that, I never saw Haziel Imbert again for the past week, but I have seen glimpses of glowing butterflies all over the places I have been.

I felt I was being watched, but I never felt I was being intruded upon. Perhaps it was even comforting, to have the warmth and glow of the butterfly close to my person.

It still looked fragile and delicate.

There was a feeling when I looked at them that it would only take a touch to their refined wings before they would crumble down or be crushed. A smallest pressure to the gentle flying creatures.

At night I would still lay in my bed, warm blanket up to cover my chest snugly, and a two or three butterflies would come over to me. Sometimes they would perched atop Bianca's lamp, or sprawled over the blanket I was using, they would even go as daring as perching on the tip of my nose. It was those moments when they land on my face that their glow would dim just a bit so they wouldn't blind my eyes.

They still emitted a certain comforting heat while they draw their presence closer to me, not as evasive as they were at their first days. They wouldn't shirk away from me or slip away from my sight.

What I was concerned about was if Bianca, whose bed was only beside my own and just an arm's length away from me, suddenly woke up at the middle of the night and see the fluttering wings around our room. The butterflies could not completely snuff their lights as I have noticed from before, and their glow would be hard to ignore in this dark room. They could easily hid behind bushes and falling leaves when the sun was rising above the skies, but, in the darkness, they would be shining beacons amidst the ocean of darkness that surrounds everywhere.

One. Two. Three.

There were three delicate butterflies on me. I closed my eyes and felt their heat soreqding through my body, warming me in the gentlest way possible. In the haze of the butterfly's vibrant light that was perching on the tip of my nose, I was slowly lulled to sleep.

I do not fear the dreams invading my sleep.

I was not just comfortable of having them. The dreams I have of Zachriel also drastically changed from his face cracking to him standing above me. I remembered that the goes like this:

I would wailing over something. I was not certain, of course, what it was about, but I was really crying. Someone would held me down on a bed, cruelly pinning me on the hard bed. The bed was cool to the touch. It was not frequently used, I guess, based on the dirt that was clinging on my exposed skin that had come in contact with its coolness.

A person would be dedicated on holding each of my limbs out and I would not be able to move with those hands. I don't think they exerted strength to push me though, they were merely touching a skin on each of my limbs. Like that was what it all it would take to make me surrender under their fingers, just a slight contact of skin as if it wasn't violating me in any way.

"Don't! Don't do this to me! Let me go!" I would scream, but for what ever sick reason no one would come to my aid, no one would listen to me.

I was not in pain in any sort, but I was uncomfortable under their gazes because I could them watching me. With that, those pairs of eyes, watching me struggling beneath their mere touch, I felt naked and violated.

"Let me go!" I screamed.

Then someone would appear above me, it was that familiar features on a pale face. His eys were as cold as the time he turned his back on me and that was all that would happen. Zachriel just staring down at me as if he was some pagan god or that he controlled my fate.

Then I would wake up with the sun already high above, its light going through the mirrors of the dormitory room. The butterflies would not be there to comfort me anymore, but I would always see Bianca who was already halfway on her morning routine.

That was how my mornings past by this whole week.

I would still see Zachriel, Hermes, and Layla around. Specifically Zachariel who would often hang around the premises of the library. I would stay close to his seat, deciphering his odd and disturbing appearances inside my very dreams. It was not that I wanted him to appear, but he suddenly did and if there was something I could do about it, I would.

Our gazes would often crossed their paths. I have a strange feeling that he was just waiting for me to watch him or that it was the other way around, that it was him who actually watches me instead.

I do not dally with that thought though; it was better not to do anything and let things unfold without my meddling on anything. What sort of meddling I could do anyways? I already asked Hermes for something, any information about Zachriel, but he graciously refused and I politely accepted his refusal. There was nothing to be done with that, I was not going to force him in any way to do anything for my bidding if he doesn't want to.

If a chance has passed by and has been foiled at the first try, it does not mean that if a person once again try, it would provide any favorable outcome. Maybe the outcome of the first try would be even come to worse terms the second try.

And I was not stupid as to do that.

Caspian, however, was a persistent soul to the point that I have to avoid him. He always comes to close to me that the personal space I provided for myself was reduced to nothingness. He did do do anything untoward to me, but with his proximity almost intruding upon my person, I would like to take offense.

Of course, I never did.

With Caspian came Layla and her friends flocking around me and tweeting like birds all over the place. They were almost annoying, but when they noticed that I wasn't in for their definition of talking and fun, they would be dispersed by Layla. It was almost a relief really, being rid of their company. They were not that bad, but I just could not tolerate any more noise than what Bianca would provide for me.

For this weekend, I decided to get out of Academia Amitiel for once.

With some laundry on the duffle bag I have brought with ne, I walked towards the tall gates of the academy. I have already informed the dormitory supervisor of my departure, while Bianca said she would surely be lonely once I leave her all alone in our dormitory room.

"I'll be back by Monday," I softly reminded her, "I won't be gone for long."

"You're gonna miss an opportunity!" she protested and jumped up and down on her bed. "We're having a sleepover!"

I just smiled at her and politely refused.

"Then would it be better not to have any outsiders than be imposed into accepting someone you barely knew?" I asked her.

Bianca opened her mouth and closed it again, seemingly speechless of my question directed at her. She tried protesting once again, but it was in vain. At first glance, her friends seemed to have already accepted me in their circle, but there was still an indifferent ambiance of when they talk to me. I knew I should have exerted more effort on coming into good terms with other people except Bianca, but the only thing that was pushing me to be in good terms with her was only because she was my roommate.

But would I really deceive myself into liking people when I do not want to have any business with them? It seemed nugatory and hypocritical.

Even I could admit to myself that Bianca was only befriending me for the sake of the containment of the peace in our room. Then again, there wasn't wrong with that.

And so, I started to pack my things first thing in the morning this day and, after confirming my departure to the dormitory supervisor, I left Academia Amitiel.

But there was something odd. I looked down at the duffle bag I was carrying. While I continued walking onwards, I unzipped it for a fraction and counted the butterflies inside. They carried on with their glowing inside, only subdued in the closed confinement of my bag.

One.

Two.

I frowned.

Where was the other one? Another butterfly of the usual trio was missing. I was nonchalant at first, there were other times that the butterflies would only be two less or even two more. Missing one of them was no problem. Maybe it was lost somewhere behind me as it perched on something it thought as a flower.

I do not really know any lepidopterology or any useful thing about caring for butterflies. I wasn't also sure how they were attracted to flowers.

But after a few minutes, when I unzipped the duffle bag again and looked inside again, the remaining two butterflies were flapping their glowing delicate wings. I was almost certain that they were agitated or some sorts. Their brilliance also came in periods; dimming and then suddenly shining. It happened repeatedly and I realized they may be trying to tell me something.

I inconspicuously looked behind me.

There was nothing behind me though. I frowned, my brows almost meeting in the middle. There was something with these butterflies.

"What?" I whispered to the butterflies stupidly as if they would answer me.

I looked behind me again, but saw nothing yet again. I looked ahead of the street I was walking on, I then, very discreetly, looked at my periphery and saw a person following me. It was not the masked person though, I would know since the other butterflies seemed to be connected to him and also often fly around him.

I frowned yet again and tried to touch the butterflies. Although I did that, I did not really thought that it would do anything to calm their agitated state, but when I did, one of them immediately went to my palm. I did nit know why but I always thought they would be as light and delicate as a flower. They were surprisingly tough though, and strong. The butterfly felt solid and it kept on crawling on my opened palm. Its touch was tickling the exposed surface of my skin that it was crawling on. From an outsider's point of view, I was only rummaging through my duffle bag, but it took me a few moments to realize what it was actually doing.

It was actually writing on my palm, instead of just crawling.

T

U

R

N

Turn, it wrote in my palm.

I frowned at it, and I walked some more distance. I was way off the direction I was supposed to go. By this point, I was actually going to stop since it was already the bus stop that could get me near to Mr. Tharraleos' expansive property.

When I thought that I have already walked further enough, I casually took a turn on a dark alley. I flattened myself against a wall, and waited for a good while when the person, who was wearing an all black outfit, also took a turn on the alley.

The two butterflies from my unzipped duffle bag burst out of it and attacked the person. My eyes widened a fraction when the mysterious person yelped, and both the black facial mask and cap he was wearing flew out of him revealing his identity. The one missing butterfly of the trio perched on one of his shoulders, pinning him to the ground as if it was a heavy boulder rather than a thing as light as a feather and as delicate as a flower. The other two butterflies flew by my side, going back when they have already done their part of the job.

"Zachriel," I said incredulously, my voice was not indignant, not even the slightest tremor that could indicate my surprise of founding him out. And I think that kind of surprised him a bit. "What do you think you are doing here?" I asked coldly.

"Why the chilly tone?" he snorted, there was a certain thing on his voice that finally made up my surprise; it was irritation.

"Why the stalking?" I snorted back.

He glared at me, or maybe more accurately he glared at the butterflies fluttering around me. Their light was dazzling the dark alley which the sun that hung high above the sky cannot touch. When I noticed how deathly his glare was to the butterflies, I reached out a hand to coax them. There was a moment of panic on his face when the butterfly caressed my outstretched finger and perched on it comfortably.

"Those things—!" he said with restraint, but he took a deep breath before proceeding. "Those things are dangerous, Seraphim. Don't..." He paused, his glower towards the butterflies intensified though his expression and even his tone was relatively calmer compared to his initial outburst. "Don't just touch them, or they will bit you back. They are vicious creatures, I don't even know why three of them would hang on your presence."

"Do you admit it then?" I demanded. "There are..." This was the time that I paused myself, wondering what was the righr word that would describe everything. "Odd and peculiar things that are happening around."

He only looked away from me. Just like the masked person, he would rather evade of answering such question.

"Why?" he suddenly asked me. "Why are these vicious creature on you? Do you know the truth already?" he asked yet again.

What was the truth?

Even I was not certain of that.

But there was a promise that I have decided to become my truth; a pretense that I have known the magic was real.

I looked at Zachriel Legrand's familiar face while thinking of how he could be part of the said truth. I have my own preservations, and I won't run around to wag my tail at someone like Zachriel that have not showed me anything. I do not even know him, how come he expected me to answer his question?

I stepped closer to his body while he was still lying on the dirty asphalt ground, forcibly being held down by a single butterfly.

"Who are you?" I answered, there was that curiosity breaking through the coldness of my voice and even I could tell that much. "You are familiar, like I have seen you before. I will let you go," I promised him when his expression turned a shade darker, embarrassment lightly grazing his cheeks though he remained calm and rather collected. "But you have to tell me first what is the meaning of that peculiar feeling of familiarity towards you."

I never mentioned the masked person in the fear that maybe Zachriel Legrand does not know of them.

If he exhibited such reluctance over the presence of these butterflies around me then I can almost certainly say that they, as in the masked person, was not affliated with Zachriel and the others (and when I said the others, I meant the real Haziel Imbert, Hermes Run, Caspian Cashel, and even Layla Gwen).

With the slight irritation on Zachriel's face, there was also hesitation.

Before he could even open his mouth, his feet was suddenly enveloped with thick black liquid. There was the strong scent of tar that enclosed the whole alley in a trice.

"A mudtrap," Zachriel said calmly even though half of his legs were already being devoured by that thick fluid. "But what— just exactly what this kind of thing is doing here?" Then he spoke again in a lower voice that I couldn't quite hear. "In the same alley, what a happenstance it is."

The two butterflies around me, one perched on my finger while the other was freely fluttering around, became even more agitated. I looked around me, it was still smelling strongly like tar and the only part of the alley that was being illuminated was the entrance where Zachriel was lying and where the two butterflies giving off their glow.

"Come," I ordered at the butterfly sitting on Zachriel's shoulder without knowing if it would understand me or follow my order. I held out my hand to it, where the other was sitting.

Obediently, the butterfly fluttered its wings and flew to my finger to perch itself on. Zachriel immediately sat up, unable to pull his feet up, so he was stuck on the groun.

"Seraphin," he called out to me, "I cannot fend for myself," he admitted, but there was resilience on his eyes when he directed them to me.

He was still calm, his voice was not wavering, and when he asked for my help, there was not even an ounce of shame.

"You are physically stronger than me," he confessed in a steady voice, "if you could command those butterflies, you would be able to pull me up using them."

I stole a glance to the golden butterflies. When I looked at them, they were almost translucent that I feared if I do so much as to pinch them, they would vanish, reduced to nothingness.

"But if you pull me up," he continued in same assured manner as though there was not a doubt I wouldn't be able to pull him up, "the creature that is trapping me here would also get out to try to trap something else instead. Three options are you attack it first, be engulfed by it, or let me be devoured by it instead."

I looked at the thing that has already succeeded on grappling with his legs. It was now on his thighs, Zachriel struggled to get as much of his body out of the black liquid he was falling into.

The thing was like a quicksand devouring everything on its vicinity, but it gave off the strange odor of tar and rotten vegetables. I quickly assessed the situation and decided.

"I understand, I'm ready to fight," I relied to him. I turned to a butterfly and whispered to it in a gentle voice, "pull him upwards, would you? Do not let him down until I said so."

Moving flittingly with its graceful almost translucent wings, the butterfly heeded my command and flew straight to Zachriel. In a swift swoosh upon the air, the butterfly, with its delicate appearance, heaved Zachriel upwards just as I have instructed. The next moment, there were sharp icicles of black liquid speeding to my face.

The remaining two butterflies became my sword and my shield. While I told the other to protect me from the onslaught of the assault of the creature just as how Zachriel have relied to me. The other butterfly, however, looked pitiful against the massive wave the creature have become.

I grasped one of the black icicles the creature threw at me as it almost grazed my face and ran towards it. With a violent maneuver and the butterflies covering my sides, I rammed the wickedly sharp object to it.

Meanwhile, Zachriel who looked like he was flying effortlessly with a butterfly on his shoulder told me something.

"Seraphim, they cannot be killed," he said as I turn around to avoid the black liquid another onslaught with the liquid trying to enevelop me, "you could only seal them into a thing, then I will tell you the incantation of how to seal things."

"How do I do that?" I asked as the butterfly dodged another attack and I stabbed it with another vioent thrust.

The creature was odd, that was one thing I was certain. It was liquid, but at the same time solid. It would solidify if it would attack so it could stand like a semi-solid wave in front of me. When I stab it with its own substance, it would create an incisor where I would be able to see the other side of the alley, but it would quickly regenerate.

"Hold a container, then repeat after me," he said to me. I quickly rummaged around the duffle bag that was still hanging on one of my shoulders, unbothered by the chaos.

I gripped a plastic bottle of mineral water, only half devoid of water and opened it with a flick. The lid landed on my mouth and I held out the plastic bottle in front of me.

"The incantation!" I demanded at Zachriel while my other hand was fending off the black icicles that was being throw my way. The butterflies were working even harder, guarding my sides and, at the same time, fiercely trying to land a hit on the peculiar creature which only evaded with every strike.

"Free in the air, roaming around unrestrained," Zachriel started, still hanging up on the air.

I quickly grasped at the words and repeated in a clear and unwavering voice.

"Free in the air, roaming around unrestrained," I said forcefully.

"In this, I whispered your form, restricting access to outside," he continued.

"In this, I whispered your form, restricting access to outside," I repeated yet again in the same forceful voice.

There was a great flourish of air around the alley. In an instant, with a noise as loud as an elephant snort, the semi-liquid and semi-solid which resembled an ugly gelatin, was hauled to the plastic bottle. I thought it would not fit considering the length of it, but the plastic bottle resumed on siphoning the odd creature until it was no more.

I immediately slammed the lid that was still in between my teeth on the plastic bottle with my other hand that held a chunk of black icicles earlier that turned into a puddle of mud. I raised the transparent plastic bottle and looked closely at the swirling thing inside.

"Put him down," I ordered the butterfly that was holding Zachriel up while I was still examining the creature and how the plastic bottle held on as it contain it.

When Zachriel finally safely landed on the ground, I threw the plastic bottle to him which he caught easily with a hand.

"How does it work?" I asked.

"The seal ritual? It would only work on someone or something weaker than you," he explained, "and the state you are in such as environment and where you would seal a thing would play a role on the seal ritual."

I looked back at him.

Interesting, I thought, and Zachriel Legrand couldn't do that.

"Don't even think about performing the ritual on me," he warned, "it won't work."

I did nor give any comment on that, but my head tilted upwards, to the top of the buildings where a shadow moved and disappeared.