“Where the fuck are they?”

Erik said exasperatedly as he stood facing the rebuilt kitchen wall. Jeria remained seated at the table, a blank look on her face, her eyes listless.

“It doesn’t matter.”

She responded monotonously. Her hands uncrossed as she sighed, leaning her head back lightly as Erik turned around and narrowed his eyes at her. He stepped towards her, his voice getting louder,

“Of course it matters! You got into an academy for chrissake!”

He stood next to her, looking down at her red hair as she turned up to look at him. She sighed, getting up from her seat, looking him in the eye as she reiterated,

“It doesn’t matter… to me.”

Erik stayed quiet as she moved past him towards the window.

“Really?”

Jeria stayed quiet.

“They don’t matter to you? After you brought me back to them, you say they don’t matter?”

Erik sharply spoke. Jeria didn’t grace him with a response, looking out at the night sky.

Erik -or rather, Jack- had a harder life prior. Sure he got beat down and broken in the first day he got here but to him, it was preferred to a life where he had to steal food for him and his siblings while his mother was out on drug binges day in and day out. He still remembers the first time the police were called. The officer had to kneel to look him in his terrified eyes and had told him,

“This isn’t the way kid.”

He was nine. He was only nine and shoplifting bread and bottles for him and his three siblings up until the day social services took them away. He wasn’t home when it happened. And after that, he didn’t bother with home. Not anymore. He didn’t need to anymore.

After that, it was just him and himself, places where no one would look or places too dangerous for a kid. Not the same place two nights in a row, never the same area in a week. Dumpster diving, begging, conning, begging, shoplifting, more begging…

Here, he was just given… a family, a home, food, water, warmth, love. Unasked. Here, he was part of something beautiful.

And now, it was slipping away.

Erik tried reasoning with Jeria,

“Ugh, just… why not wait until morning? Sun’s going down and it’s always better to move in daylight no?”

“Look, Erik. They knew about today. They knew how big today was and now… they’re gone.”

“Maybe something happened to them?”

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“Did you forget this week already? She threw us through a wall! They’re not in any danger!”

“...Point there. But-”

“No buts. I’ve been training for this day, this is my achievement. They weren’t there for me but you are here.”

Jeria stood up and faced Erik completely, her still eyes locked with his own.

“You were there to see me win. You are here, now, to see me… off.”

Jeria breathed out, her voice shaking, making Erik gulp. All he could do now was listen so listen he would.

“You’ve seen what I am capable of. Just…”

There was a brief pause as Jeria became silent, her eyes turning downwards onto the table, her breathing the only sound in the room. Thoughts were racing through her mind. Thoughts she couldn’t push away.

“Look, why don’t you come with me? We could figure something out for you along the way. Maybe Raka can get you a place near the academy and you could visit?”

“But mum and dad…”

Jack couldn’t shake the images of Lovia and Arlo from his mind, how they bantered for rebuilding a kitchen life. How she was hunched over a cauldron, making medicine that fixed up his pulverised ribs… of course she was the one that broke him but still…

And then Erik remembered how Jeria had saved him from drowning, carrying him on her back, explaining to him about the powers, the look on her face… Something that she couldn’t be there for him was him being powerless in a world of magic. He hadn’t even stepped foot out of his house and almost died twice. What would happen when trouble would come looking for him? What would happen when he would be surrounded by monsters, on his own?

Erik looked at Jeria and steeled his breath.

“...This is your life now, Jeria.”

She became quiet. A confused look on her face, hoping she was hearing something else…

“What are you saying?”

“I think we should go our separate ways from here.”

Erik reiterated in clearer terms.

Another silence descended upon them, Jakien’s muffled voice coming through from outside, a silenced argument between him and Raka. Jeria didn’t say anything. Erik continued,

“...So I suppose you just gotta get packed then.”

“Mhm.”

Jeria moved over to the room in silence, opening her cupboard and setting out some of her clothes and robes on the bed, neatly folded. From under the bed came out a wooden trunk which she began to fill up with her stuff.

Erik had a lump in his throat. His feet trudged him towards the door of the room.

“We’ll meet again, someday. ”

He said to her in a low tone.

“Mhm…”

Jeria continued packing in silence, closing the trunk and turning to leave the room. Erik stepped aside as she walked by him.

“Thank you. For saving me.”

“Mhm.”

Raka banged open the door and stepped inside, peering at Erik with her left eye.

“Alright brat, step away from my student.”

She said in a serious tone. Erik harrumphed at her,

“Just you wait, once I get mom on your tail…”

Raka narrowed her eyes at him as she stomped over to him, grabbing hold of his ear and pulling it up,

“Say that again.”

“Ow ow ow…. Once- ow.. I get mom… on you…”

Raka sighed. Such attitude from a powerless… He was insufferable. Now if he had some power or the other, how much more annoying could he be… she shook her head, trying to shake out the train of thought.

“Such a brat. I’m not taking you so don’t get any ideas.”

“And him? He’s too blue to be with you.”

Erik said of Jakien as she let go of him as he immediately caressed the reddened ear. Jakien’s eye twitched as he growled lightly,

“Why you little…”

“Zip it, he’s right. What are you still doing here?”

Jakien now looked at Raka with a dumb look.

“I’m not on an assigment per se so I can… be here? I’m leaving though, with you.”

“Alright whatever.”

Raka said as she beckoned Jeria to step out with her stuff. Jakien and Erik followed closely behind as they stepped out into the cold night. Jeria remained quiet, Erik now feeling conflicted. Raka stepped in front of the two and Jeria stepped ahead, heading out on the road. Something about goodbyes didn’t sit with her well everytime and for some reason, this wasn’t any different.

She turned around, calling out to Erik,

“Hey kid.”

“Yeah?”

“...Live hard.”

“...Okay toots.”

“...I’m gonna kill him.”

Jakien stepped ahead of Erik, waving her forward,

“Just go, come on.”

Erik called out from their home, his voice rising in the dead of the night,

“Goodbye, Jeria.”

No response… She kept walking ahead… and then she turned around, a smile on her face, tear in her eye,

“Goodbye… Erik.”