As I walked home from St-Lazare, which was still the closest teleportation location to my house, I allowed myself to take some time to process everything that had happened this evening. It felt like days, if not weeks, were spent in that art gallery and later at the restaurant with Mr Muller. My life had always been so quiet, and dare I even say quaint before I had reincarnated into this world. It was in moments like these that I couldn’t help but wonder if I didn’t have some bigger role to play here, as these coincidences and overall weird occurrences were getting stranger and more frequent by the day.
I sigh and watched the white puff of air that had come out of my mouth vanish into the winter night. Thanks to the runes embroidered in my dress I did not feel the cold on my skin. And yet, I felt a different kind of creeping sensation under my skin; loneliness. Etienne was still on his work trip, and there wasn’t anyone else in this whole city I was even remotely close to.
As I turned the corner of my street, a dry and perfectly formed snowflake landed on my head. It was soon followed by several others, and I hastened my pace, not wanting to stay out in this weather. But when I approached the entrance to my building, I saw a small figure sitting on the single stop that led indoors. He wore a long black parka and heavy outdoor boots. His face was buried inside his knees and hidden under thick, unbrushed red hair. For a second I wondered if I was hallucinating, and in doubt, called out:
“Cain?”
His head snapped up as if he’d just been startled out of sleep. His eyes met mine and there was no doubt left in me. It really was him. But what was he doing here, and why had he come back?
While I stood there, perplexed, he slowly got up and dusted off his jacket before stomping toward me.
He pointed a finger in my face, with anger boiling in his eyes. Just as I opened my mouth, he interrupted me:
“How, by the five lords, could you abandon me there? Did you think you just leave me there and be all like 'he’s out of my hair now', ‘he’s no longer my problem’. You don’t do that to someone! And then, cherry on top, you stab yourself? I thought you were dead! Can you even imagine what that feels like?! Do you even have-”
I cut him off as I dropped to my knees and wrapped my arms around him, bringing him into a tight hug. He didn’t protest, and after a few moments, he wrapped his arms around me as well.
“You’re stupid, and mean, and I’m mad at you.” He mumbled into my shoulder. I could feel from his irregular breathing that he was trying not to cry.
“I know. I’m sorry.” I whispered back. “I thought – I thought it was right. That they were your family, and I-”
“Well you thought wrong!” Cain exclaimed as he pulled away.
The anger that had briefly vanished from his tone had returned once more.
“Those people were-” he paused and looked to the side. “Urgh! I can’t even say it!” He threw his hands up in the air in frustration. “And you killed yourself! Why would you ever do that? I-” he shook his head, seemingly unsure of what to say next. “I really thought you were … dead.” He quietly spoke, before quickly wiping his eyes with his sleeve.
I remained silent, waiting for him to say everything he had to say. I was also feeling a mixture of emotions at this moment, one that I wasn’t even sure how to put into words. I was so glad and happy that he’d come back, but at the same time, I felt horrible and guilty for not talking this whole thing through with him in the first place. I would never had thought that he’d have such a strong opinion on the matter, or that he was even capable of such an outburst. Perhaps I was always too focused on seeing him as a means to an end, an NPC whose words and actions fell into predictable categories, that I was never able to see him as a real person. And then there was also confusion as to how he got here, especially if he thought that I was dead (which was something I felt I’d never be able to apologise for enough).
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“So what, you live on the street now?” Cain asked once he’d wiped away his tears.
“Yeah, I had to sell the apartment after the drain got clogged with red fur.” I joked.
Cain made a sound not dissimilar to a chuckle. I smiled as well, as the atmosphere had lightened up. We’d still need to talk about many things, but at least it seemed we’d be able to do that without any strong emotions getting in the way, and perhaps even as early as tomorrow morning (although there was an argument to be had about whether or not it was morning already).
“Come on, let’s get inside, I didn’t do much to your room, I’m sure it’ll do for the night, then we can sort things out tomorrow-”
Mind Stop
Effects of Fear negated
Reaction time * 2
“Fuck, what now?” I swore as I spun around.
I wasn’t even surprised when a large floating mass of dark tentacles looked right at me with beady dark eyes from the other end of the street.
MP - 2
My trusted blade appeared in my hand for the second time this evening, and I ran towards the creature. I wanted to get this over with fast, so I could go to bed. Too much had happened, and I needed some time away from it all to process it. But before I could reach the creature, Cain dashed passed me.
He changed into his half-wolf form and sliced through the creature’s side. Its tentacles shifted around, covering up the wound with fresh flesh. Cain had already dashed away, before quickly attacking it from a different angle. The creature slowly spun on itself, to face him again, but he was once again gone. He repeated that twice more, in a matter of seconds, before the creature fell to the ground.
However, it hadn’t died yet but changed its attack strategy. Its tentacles spread through the sidewalk and emerged all around it. It almost managed to grab his leg, but he leapt up, changing his form completely to a wolf one, before falling onto the creature. He smashed it into the ground, and while it was stunned, he ripped away half of its body with his fangs, and threw it a few meters away.
The creature spasmed as the tentacles it was made out of unravelled, and fell limp to the floor.
Cain promptly returned to his human form, before hastily, almost desperately, saying:
“See, I can fight! I can be useful. I won’t be like before, I promise!”
There was something in his tone, and the way his eyes glistened with intense anxiety, that made my heart ache. I felt like an absolute dickbag for bringing him to Canada. I had felt bad before, sure, but not to this extent; not like now when I finally understood what the poor kid must have been thinking.
“No, I-” I began my explanation about not wanting him to fight.
But then I shook my head. This wasn’t really the time nor the place for that. I’d tell him later.
“Please…” Cain suddenly pleaded. “I don’t want to go back. I’ll do my job properly this time.”
“That’s not what I wanted to say.” I shook my head. “Of course you can stay. I already said you could. And I really am glad that you’re back. So how about we go inside now? It’s almost morning, and it’s not getting any warmer.”
Cain nodded, but his expression remained wary.
“You’re not going to do anything weird like kill yourself again, are you?” he asked.
“No.” I shook my head. “And I promise that I will explain these things about myself to you tomorrow morning. But not now, alright? I’ve had a long night, and I assume you have too.”
Cain nodded, before silently following me inside.
I let him through and quickly glanced outside, in the well-lit Parisian street that was still littered with the remains of that monster. It was empty. I wasn’t quite sure what I’d expected; perhaps a third monster, perhaps someone from Cain’s village who’d come for him. I clicked the lock and shook my head, before following Cain up to my apartment.
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