“Where the hell is he?” Tim said, half-asleep, rubbing the corner of his damp eyes.

Where would someone go at this time of night? Everyone else was asleep, snuggling their blankets, their heads sunk into their pillows. If everyone was here, then why wasn’t Avery? The peaceful sound of rain overshadowed the man, his snoring filled with thunder. It was a hundred percent Roger. Curse that man.

Tim got up and headed to the hallway. He opened the door just for a bit of light to enter and closed behind him. He reached the main room, where the reception desk was. No one was there at this hour, not even the lady who checked them in.

He burst a long sigh and opened the exit door. The rain wasn’t giving up. Tim jolted outside, arms over his head, trying to block the rain from hitting his head. But in a way, the rain seemed pleasant.

The way the drops clumped together made small rivers down the streets, traveling wherever they wanted in peace until someone like him stomped on the river. Watching water move as it moved was soothing, creating new trails as the moon did nothing but watch. It reminded him of a game he used to play with Avery. They watched water glide down the windows, guessing where the streams would go. Whoever guessed correctly won. Remembering those silly times made Tim show his teeth to the falling water.

But how would it feel like being in a raindrop? Would he just float? If he tapped on its surface, would it pop? Would he fall to his demise?

Thoughts swung around, distracting him from his purpose outside. Within this storm, he was trying to find Avery.

He turned the corner and noticed a small spot the sky hadn’t touched. It was crammed with the corner of a roof, slightly hanging off. Water droplets dripped down the tip and landed in a tiny puddle. He stood underneath the roof, leaning against the wall, taking a break from running at random.

The sweet, earthy aroma entered his nostrils. A small, barely noticeable breeze struck his face. He took a refreshing breath and gazed at the gloomy sky above.

The yells of a group of people ruined his relaxing moment. Who the hell could be yelling this time of night? He couldn’t tell precisely the yells, but he could sniff out the anger from here. Do they mind shutting up for a second?

But why would they? Even if he pranced up to them as a superhero and told them to ‘calm it,’ they’ll most definitely slap him. Would they, though? If they did, Roger would pound their bones into the cobblestone. Or he’ll high-five them.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

The yelling was followed by the most bloodcurdling, horrible shriek ever. His head instantly turned to where the noise came from. Should he follow it?

What in the world was happening? Did an anime break free and gobbling up bones? Or perhaps a robber was messing around too much.

His curiosity got the better of him, and he followed the screams, which became louder the more he walked into the city.

From the corner of his eye, he saw someone sprinting away, wearing all black.

“Come back! Murderer!” It was a royal guard, bleeding through his stomach.

Murderer? Without even thinking, Tim dashed towards the murderer. In a matter of seconds, he was in Tim’s sight. He followed him through small alleys, dodging and weaning random objects thrown on the ground. Did he know he was being chased?

Tim sprinted like he was the one getting chased. Puddles flew with each stride. His clothes felt heavier than before. He constantly had to move his hair away from his face. The stupid rain kept pushing it down, covering his eyes.

The buildings and streets slowly turned into plain grass. Tim caught up to the murderer relatively quickly, but that’s because his prey stopped. Tim changed his sprint into a jog, trying to get close enough to see their faces and maintain a safe distance.

The murderer’s back faced towards Tim, their head down. Judging by the hands on his knees, he was out of breath. However, Tim himself was okay. He was used to running a marathon at a high speed.

All Tim wanted to do was find Avery, but his hunger for knowledge got the best of him. He was now outside the city with a killer of a strange object in his hand. Was that a weapon? It didn’t have a sharp tip, so it couldn’t be. Even if he tried to injure Tim, the distance was too great for Tim not to react.

Tim stepped forward, “Let me see your face,” he ordered. He wanted to see what a killer looked like. He wanted to know the type of people hell accepted.

The killer wore all black from shoulder to toe. His blonde hair reminded Tim of someone. He wasn’t sure why that image popped into his head. His empty hand met his face. What was he doing? Was he wiping the water off his face? It was pointless since it was still raining.

He turned around, head down, taking all the time in the world. His dangling hair prevented Tim from seeing the murderer’s face. Anyone within a mile could see the killer’s body trembling out of his clothes. His empty fist was clenched, holding nothing. Slowly but surely, the person lifted their head.

Forget the rain. Tim could only hear the sound of his own heart banging against his ears. It was similar to the heavy drumming of rain beating against the rooftops. He was lightheaded as his skin began to turn cold.

It was the face he knew. The face that brought him joyful memories as well as the painful ones. He once lost that face. It was four years ago when that face disappeared. Those years without him weren’t the same. Sure, he had Roger, Jill, and Owen, but there’s always that one person who makes life complete. And that was the man in front of him.

“Why… Why are you here?” Avery said, his voice shattering.