Keoni’s source of income was gardening for some of the richer people who lived in Everton. She was walking home from work, which was trimming hedges and fertilizing flowers today, and watering everything. Taking care of plants was one of Keoni’s most favorite hobbies, and she got paid well. Today, her payment was also a good lunch, leftovers that the owners of the house were happy to give her. They often threw huge parties and had plenty of food left that would be wasted otherwise, and Keoni appreciated not having to cook for herself.

The streets were particularly crowded this time of day, specifically with construction workers, citizens, and Mir-Hunters. The Mir-Hunters were looking around, talking like every person they saw was a Mir-Cognate.

But there were Mir-Cognates around, as Keoni had seen. The stranger, Caste, stayed in her apartment for the night, sleeping on the floor in an awkward huddle. Keoni had even offered him her couch, but he strangely chose to curl up on the hardwood and fall asleep with no blankets.

Not only that, he’d been twitching the whole night. Keoni didn’t stay up to see, but she had fallen asleep and woken to the Cognate violently shaking. It was weird, but then again, so was Caste himself.

She passed the library, still on the busy streets. It was noisy, and quite crowded, making it harder for her to get home. On a whim, she turned around and pushed to the main doors of the library, calmed by the sudden quiet and the sight of Ryley working at the front desk.

Ryley spotted her too, lighting up. “K!” He whispered. “How’s it going?”

An overwhelming feeling of trust washed over Keoni. She trusted him more than anyone else. He’d been her close friend ever since her family was taken away. She could tell him about Caste.

Keoni leaned in, looking around to make sure nobody could hear her. Ryley got the memo and leaned in too.

“There’s a Mir-Cognate in my apartment.” She whispered, so softly that Ryley appeared to not hear her.

“A what?” He predictably asked.

Keoni sighed. “A Mir-Cognate.”

His eyes widened. “Are you sure?”

“Very.” Keoni leaned back and started pulling her finished books out of her bag.

Ryley stared in shock for a few seconds. “Can… Can I see it?”

Keoni placed the three books on his desk and he started checking them in, crossing out the stamp and placing them in his cart. “Of course. I trust you.”

With her words, Ryley smiled. “What’s it like?” His voice was still very hushed, but Keoni could tell he was starting to bubble with questions.

“He’s extremely weird, I’ll give you that,” She responded, trying not to be aggressive correcting him. It didn’t seem like he would be called ‘it’ after the whole interaction Keoni had with him. “Both in looks and in behavior. It’s pretty obvious he’s a Cognate.”

After checking his watch, Ryley picked up his book again. He was reading a book about identifying languages, his favorite subject. “I have twenty minutes until I’m free. Are you alright staying here?”

“Yes.” Keoni replied. The Cognate could wait.

. . .

The door creaked open as Keoni pushed it, turning on the functional lights. Caste was nowhere to be seen, and hopefully, he was the same way when there were Mir-Hunter searches.

“Caste?” Keoni called out, quietly. “I’m back.” She didn’t hear a response. Did he leave? Did he get captured?

No, there would be clear evidence if he was captured.

She started walking towards the kitchen, looking in her living room along the way. She didn't see him in either location, which worried her. Where is he? She wondered. Ryley seemed just as confused as Keoni, looking for someone as well.

Her bedroom. Of course! If she was injured and in a non-hostile environment, she would find the most comfortable place to rest and recover. She made a beeline for her room and looked inside.

In the opposite corner of her small bed, he was asleep, slouched against the wall with his head buried in his knees and arms. He looked dead. She thought maybe he’d opt for a more comfortable place…

Ryley was silent, but his face said everything. He was amazed, and shocked, and excited. Keoni was pretty sure her own reaction was horror.

“Caste? Please wake up. I brought a friend.”

At her words, the Cognate jolted awake, standing up at the speed of light and baring his teeth, showing filed-down canines and poorly treated teeth. He stood in a position of confidence, ready to fight. Something sharp, bright and white grew into his hand, like some sort of weapon. Keoni and Ryley flinched back, almost stumbling at the sudden threat.

His body seemed to catch up, as the white blade vanished and he fell to the floor again, shaking and panting. He started coughing as his pupils dilated to normal and his tense stance weakened.

“Woah…” Ryley whispered. “What did I just witness?”

Keoni was still trying to catch her breath. He looked ready to kill the both of them.

“I didn’t mean to scare you.” He finally wheezed, reminding Keoni of how weird his voice sounded. “Sorry.”

Ryley stepped forward, the fear in him buried by curiosity. “It’s okay.”

“Who are you? And Keoni, why is someone else here?” He started coughing again, barely standing on his own. The wrap he’d given himself yesterday was starting to fall off.

“I’m Ryley, Keoni’s step-brother.” Ryley said, taking another step toward Caste. He was looking over Caste, and the Mir-Cognate was doing the same. Ryley seemed to be trying to remember what Caste looked like, while it was almost as if Caste was sizing Ryley up. He gave up soon after.

Keoni responded too. “He’s not going to turn you in, or harm you.”

The Mir-Cognate was silent and weary. Ryley finally reached his hand out. “May I?”

Caste was shaking. Keoni still didn’t know why, as he wasn’t visibly scared or anxious or cold. It was almost like he was constantly having an adrenaline rush. Eventually, he gave a slow nod as Ryley gently touched his arm. The Cognate jumped with the impact, watching Ryley’s every move.

Ryley let go, walking over to Keoni and motioning for her to leave with him. He closed the door behind Caste.

“He’s basically dead, Keoni.” Ryley looked back at the door. “I don’t know how he’s alive. He’s skin and bones, and in a lot of pain. He hasn’t been cleaned in months. Either he’s very bad at taking care of himself, or something terrible has happened to him.”

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“He talked about terrible things happening to him, but today he’s just silent.” Keoni said. “Wasn’t your mom a nurse?”

“Yeah, and she had me tag along most of the time when they couldn’t find a babysitter. I learned a lot.”

He walked over to the kitchen, grabbing a banana from Keoni’s fruit bowl. “I’m going to see what I can do.”

He opened the door, stepping inside. Keoni also came in, sitting down on her bed. She regretted it seconds later as Ryley led Caste out to the couch to sit. Ryley opened Keoni’s closet to grab her first aid kit, then set it on the coffee table.

Peeling the banana partially, Ryley handed it to Caste. “Eat.” He waited until the Cognate took a weak bite, not taking his eyes off Ryley.

Ryley glanced over at Keoni. His eyes said “I’m going to be a while.” He then opened the first aid kit and looked around for a fresh bandage. Keoni eventually walked into the kitchen, grabbing three glasses and filling them with water, and heading back to deliver the two to Ryley. She took the third and drank a little, not realizing how much she needed it.

Her brother thanked her and had Caste drink a small amount after he finished his food, reaching down to prop up the Cognate’s leg to re-treat. “Sometimes I’m thankful I paid attention when my mom was working.” He said to both of them. “Too bad she would likely not treat you. She’s very afraid of Mir-Cognates.”

Caste was quiet for a bit longer. “The vast majority wouldn’t harm a flea if their life depended on it.” He finally murmured.

Ryley was the one not to respond this time. He just finished treating the wound.

More awkward silence followed. Keoni sat down in her chair, watching. Ryley spoke up again.

“Is there anything that hurts right now?”

Before answering, Caste looked up and down at Ryley, trying to size him up again. It didn’t seem to do any good, as Ryley was just calmly seated on the coffee table, waiting for a response. “My… my back.” The Cognate mumbled.

What’s going on through his head? Keoni wondered. Ryley motioned for the Cognate to turn around.

“Can I look?”

“Yes. Please do.”

Keoni was so lost in thought that she wasn’t expecting Ryley to lift Caste’s top up to reveal the rest of his back. The burn was there, but there were other markings, much more intense ones.

A lot of the fur was torn away where scarred lines were placed, along with old bruises and fresh, bleeding cuts. Some of it was pink and white, very infected. Keoni looked away, swallowing as her body heaved. It was one of the most disgusting sights she’d ever seen.

Ryley too, gasped. “How in Trin’s holy name has this not killed you?!”

His response was immediate this time. “My magic is preserving it. I’m too weak to do much more than stay alive.”

Keoni looked back, thankful Ryley’s body was blocking the horrid sight. How did I not notice that when he showed me the burn? She at least knew his shaking was from pain now.

“There’s not much I can do, but I’ll bring some materials tomorrow to help this.” Ryley replaced Caste’s clothing and helped him gently into a comfortable sitting position back on the couch. The Cognate was still watching wearily, not taking his eyes off of Ryley or Keoni. It was almost as if he expected both of them to try to harm him at any given moment.

“Thank you, anyway.”

Ryley gave a nod, replacing everything in Keoni’s kit and putting it back in the closet across the small room. He approached Keoni, whispering in her ear. “Make sure he eats and drinks, otherwise his body isn’t going to heal.”

She nodded. “Thank you for taking care of him. I didn’t exactly know how. He just kind of showed up and scared the life out of me.”

Ryley touched her shoulder. “Take care of him like you would for me if I got sick. That’s the best you can do.”

Something clicked in her friend’s mind. “Meet me in the attic tomorrow.” He was talking about the attic in the library where a lot of dated books were stored, such as the ones in need of repairs or donations needing to be marked.

Keoni didn’t ask why. She’d learn tomorrow, and there was no point when she knew whatever Ryley was planning was meant for that day.

Or perhaps she didn’t question it just because he often came up with brilliant ideas he struggled to word.

Either way, Ryley was headed out, likely going home so his mom wouldn’t worry. He waved his goodbye, and Keoni returned it, smiling. The door creaked open and shut as Ryley slid quietly out.

Caste watched the door for a few more seconds before glancing down at the water still in his hands.

“He’s my friend. You can trust him.” Keoni repeated. He looked up.

“There’s something familiar about both of you. His is negative, your’s positive. I can’t figure out why.”

When Keoni was quiet, he continued. “I feel like I’ve seen him before.”

“Maybe you saw his dad?” She suggested. “He worked in a lot of places.”

“Hmmm.” He grumbled quietly. After thinking for a while longer, he changed the subject. “Do you want to work on your magic?”

“Magic?”

He set the glass of water he was holding on the table. “I’d demonstrate if I could.”

“Oh, you already did.”

“Sorry about that.”

Keoni sighed. She was still a little surprised how much energy he had when he jumped up. Her second thoughts were a little less fascinated. Is he dangerous, like all the posters say? He just seemed so aggressive towards Ryley.

I think Ryley just scared him.

“Do you know anything about magic?” He had a look of almost concern on his face.

Keoni shook her head and frowned. She’d never actually specifically told him she wanted to learn magic, but she’d been too shaken to respond to him yesterday.

Did my parents know anything about magic? She couldn’t help but think once her mind was on the jarring memory from before. All of her memories felt like so long ago. It’d been six years since she last saw them, and she’d forgotten… everything. Every part of her begged to know why.

“Do you know what the Mirae is?” The Cognate asked.

Mirae… Mir? As in Mir-Cognate? That makes sense. “Not really.” Another thought popped into her head. “But was that white blade you made magic? It fascinated Ryley.”

“Yes. I didn’t mean to make it. It took a lot out of me. Usually it doesn’t, but he just startled me so bad… I… acted on impulse.” Caste sighed. “I’m sorry if I scared you, again. I could’ve done a lot of harm.”

Keoni didn’t know exactly what to say, so she went back to the original subject. “So what is the Mirae?”

In response, he held his hands forward again, just like yesterday. “I…” he watched as nothing happened. “Don’t know how to explain it. It’s where all magic comes from and resides, and another world, a mirror to this one. The only true way to explain it is to show you. Which I can’t do right now.” Caste answered, almost cryptically.

Well that wasn’t helpful. Keoni was growing more and more concerned that maybe, she’d just hospitalized a complete idiot, not a Mir-Cognate. She had so many unanswered questions, and any that were answered just left her with more.

She turned around with a sigh, seeing her dad’s small portrait. It was taken before Keoni was born, and in it he was smiling, shaking hands with someone Keoni didn’t recognize. When she asked about it, her dad would respond with “Someone I used to work with, a long time ago.” Keoni had held onto the picture since then.

And now I need to know more. According to Caste, her parents and sister could be out there, waiting for Keoni to come save them. They could be anywhere. And by Trin, anything could have happened to them. Keoni’s memory of them being taken had been almost wiped, completely suppressed from her. And now she had an opportunity to finally learn.

Her heart pounded with her newfound fear and excitement. She felt so young again, bubbling with curiosity. She almost ran across the small room to tackle Caste and ask him all the questions. But she knew he was exhausted.

She instead walked back calmly. “You should get some more rest. Your body will heal a lot quicker.” Keoni reminded herself to treat him as a guest, though he felt more like a stowaway.

He took his time responding, fidgeting with his own hands and letting out a loose breath. “It won’t heal my magic.”

“Still.” Keoni didn’t know anything about how magic worked, so she decided not to address that. “Your body needs to heal. I don’t think you can do magic if you’re… dead.”

He snorted. “Oh, alright.” He pulled himself into a tense lying position, closing his eyes. Keoni pulled her throw blanket over him. This was definitely an improvement from sleeping on the ground against a wall.

He’s already better than yesterday, I think. He’d talked(at least to Keoni) a little more and actually looked away from her for more than five seconds. Although he still was shaking, and was super wounded, the Cognate was actually moving, and eating and sleeping. Yesterday, Keoni offered him lots of things, and he’d declined. Now he was accepting some treatment and care.

Keoni paced back, glancing at her wall clock. It was hardly afternoon. She had nothing to do but… read.

She sat down in her chair, pulling out a random book from her bag, and opening to the first page without ever looking at the title. Tomorrow, she’d visit Ryley and see what was up, when he wasn’t working.

And possibly tomorrow, she could get some information out of Caste.