Episode 17
1035 Words
“Please... keep your distance,” Jack implored softly.
Jack carried with him many secrets. The truth of his origins, the whereabouts of his sisters, his reasons for being here, and above all, the mighty secret of his own existence. His occasionally unstable and uncontrollable body was just another burden alongside these secrets, weighing heavily on his heart. Often, he found himself in the grip of loneliness, wishing he could share his truth.
Yet, he couldn't. He couldn't risk others getting entangled. He knew too well the methods his pursuers employed. But what if someone were to uncover his secrets of their own accord? Especially if that someone was the powerful yet gentle Professor Branden?
Just the thought filled him with a longing for a time when he might sit by a fireplace with her, recounting stories of his past. In his daydreams, Professor Branden was still the old woman he had imagined, so upon returning to reality, seeing the young silver-haired woman before him always gave him pause.
“What have you gleaned from me, Professor?” Jack asked uneasily, his pink eyes sparkling with sincerity. Anyone looking at him would be hard-pressed to deceive such an earnest young man.
Branden had no intention of misleading him, but she was perplexed by what exactly he hoped to hear—did he genuinely not know what lurked in his own thoughts, or was there a peculiar satisfaction in forcing someone else to voice such things? Her expression was conflicted as she searched for something appropriate to say.
“Jack, I learned that... you are, without a doubt, an incredibly lively young man,” she finally remarked, failing to find a more subtle way to hint at what she'd seen.
“Excuse me?” Was she commending his work ethic? Clearly, he hadn’t understood.
Branden sighed, resigning herself to clarify, “From your dreams, I glimpsed a... passionate encounter with a woman, both of you barely dressed.” In truth, they weren’t dressed at all. The sounds of breathless sighs and creaking furniture were best left unmentioned. Covering her face, she forced herself not to relive the imagery.
She was sure she’d been plain enough, but still the youth's face bore only confusion, until realization began to dawn on him seconds later. “You used mind-reading magic on me while I was asleep, didn’t you?” he inferred.
Branden nodded, having forgotten to mention it earlier, though she doubted whether it made much difference—after all, dreams often revealed more truth than waking thoughts.
Unexpectedly, Jack's expression contorted with something akin to anguish at her affirmation.
Branden watched him closely, unsure if she should probe further into his distress. Who would have thought someone could be so troubled over something as mundane as a passing fantasy? It baffled her.
Jack, silent and pained, seemed worlds away from the smiling youth he’d been moments ago. The light in his eyes had dimmed, leaving Branden to speculate if perhaps his dreams harbored a deeper sorrow—had the woman in his mind once been real to him, now parted or gone forever?
A lover to meet only in dreams. Yes, perhaps even fantasies could carry grief.
She tentatively asked, “Would you tell me who she is?”
Jack shook his head. “Professor, it was just a dream, not reality. I don’t know her, she could be anyone.”
Branden’s mind reeled. “You’re awfully laissez-faire about that!” she muttered under her breath.
As Jack glanced back at her, he added, “But I assure you, it certainly wasn't you.”
Branden murmured to herself, “...And why not me?”
“Pardon?”
“I meant... ensure you get enough rest,” she redirected, biting her tongue. As regrettable as her slip had been, Jack had been her preferred choice from the start, her specially chosen companion.
How things had evolved to this state baffled her. The way he gazed at her was so innocent, brimming with respect, with no hint of any deeper desire. How could she invite him to stay the night bearing such naive eyes? She imagined he'd report her to the Mage Tower, and her indiscretion would become the stuff of national gossip, with Samantha personally delivering the mockery.
"Branden, is this what you’ve descended to since Peter left?"
She could all but hear Samantha’s quip in her mind, and she made a silent vow to herself: She wouldn’t be the one to make the first move. She’d wait, remain patient until Jack himself sought her out.
“Professor Branden, my admiration for you has reached its zenith,” she imagined him saying. “Please, let me recreate in reality what we dreamed.”
Her fantasy was abruptly cut off as the real Jack spoke, breaking the illusion.
“Next time I fall asleep, please... keep your distance.”
“Why?”
“Because it might be dangerous.” Jack maintained his serious stance.
Branden stifled a chuckle; she wondered if Jack was truly unaware that she was a grand mage, practically untouchable by anyone in New England, least of all a novice mage like him. But given the effort he put into their shared tasks, she conceded, “Alright, the next time you’re sleeping, I promise to stay far away.”
She believed her words should soothe him, yet noted the deepening sorrow on his face, his expression tangled in even darker emotions.
“Though, being just a little closer... wouldn’t hurt,” she heard him mutter under his breath after a long silence, the words barely audible yet so contrastingly layered with the opposite meaning from before.
Branden marveled at his contradictory nature, noting the earnest plea beneath his quiet words. After a moment's deliberation, she nodded.
The smile returned to his face, releasing a breath of relief she couldn't quite place.
Torn between trepidation and hope, Jack worried about losing control and causing harm, while simultaneously desiring her presence in those moments. Ultimately, he yearned for her understanding, for her to know him wholly.
Inwardly, Jack made a silent wish, subtly watching the professor as he did so, that she might venture into his mind once more.
- Writer
