Chapter 5
739 Words
Kael and Darya remained in silence for a few minutes until Kael sat cross-legged on the ground staring blankly forward.
"Was that the future or the past?" he eventually asked Darya who sat beside him.
Darya turned to him without answering the question.
"Feeling better?" she asked.
Kael let out an amused scoff and turned away from her. He had barely known this woman for an hour, yet she felt so disturbingly familiar.
"It's both" she eventually replied and Kael turned to her again.
"Why did you show that to me? How are you here?"
Darya smiled at him and shook her head.
"I didn't do that, you did."
Kael's brows shot up and he tilted his head at her.
"I did" he asked but she would only smile back.
Kael stared at her a while longer and she calmly kept her gaze. Seeing those gentle eyes staring at him, a familiar sharp sting made him tighten his jaw.
"Why does it hurt when I look at you? Who are you to me?" he asked.
Darya shook her head and rose, reaching out her hand she said, "Get up, there's not much time, the fix should end soon".
Kael hesitated to react but eventually he took her hand and stood.
"It's in the kitchen," he suddenly blurted.
Darya paused and turned to him but Kael wore a confused expression, he had no clue why he just said that.
"Hold on, I'll get you, you just-"
"Lay down and rest your head for a minute," Kael muttered, completing her words.
Darya stared at him for a moment and smiled.
"Resist the urge to do any of that outside this house. If they catch you leaking, there won't be another reset."
Kael nodded despite not understanding what she was saying. He watched her leave then stretched out his arm and studied it, his skin seemed a touch darker than he was familiar with but that wasn't the strange thing. He felt more in control. He stretched out his arm then retrieved it and feigned a punch.
His eyes widened and his lips parted at the result, at the spot where his fist stopped, space shattered inward like a broken glass. Kael stared at the point of impact and slowly reached out to feel it, it was like touching a door handle where even the temperature felt familiar. It felt so natural, like he had done this a hundred times over.
Just then, Darya rushed in.
"Fix it now!" she roared.
"What?" Kael turned to her.
"Fix it Kael!"
"I don't know how"
"Fix it!!!" Her tone turned more urgent.
"I can't!"
"Just fix the damn thing!"
Kael, not knowing what else to do simply reached out to touch the c***k and wipe it. Amazingly, when he pulled his hand back, it was no longer there.
Kael stared at the spot dumbfounded.
"How did you do that?" Darya approached and asked, her tone scolding.
"I don't know, I just punched and..." Kael made a fist and was about to do a punching gesture when Darya grabbed his wrist.
"Let's...not do that" she shook her head at him.
"I'm sorry" he apologized.
"If you would tell me a bit more, I could avoid putting us in more danger."
Lips tight, Darya nodded.
"What am I?" he asked the first question that came to mind.
Darya grinned amused and shook her head.
"Space is fragile during each fix and it's reacting to you right now. If you continue, they could find us through that effect." she explained clearly for the first time.
"Who's they?" Kael asked. This wasn't the first time she'd made that reference.
"You killed one, and they're not the ones you should be afraid of," Darya shrugged and walked away again, leaving Kael staring at her retreating figure.
As he watched, the room faded and the colors seemed to brighten, Darya stood in front of him grinning widely as he slowly helped her put on a necklace.
Kael smiled and she turned around slowly looking up at him with her gentle clear eyes.
As Kael stared back, the scene faded.
"I remember," he said. This wasn't a manifestation in space, it was a memory.
"It's not a memory Kael, you're just catching up. You already know how it ends." Darya replied as she entered the kitchen away from Kael's view.
Kael remained staring at where she had disappeared, his expression grim.
- Writer
