Reial felt like an idiot Striding through the rain. That wasn’t to say he never considered himself intelligent in the first place, but he should’ve at least expected the weather to take a turn for the worse. It was spring.

Droplets of water parted around him as if he were a stasis dome, not once touching his skin or clothes. Though he still felt the chill of the air. Veil Striding was good for something after all.

He glanced down at his arms to find Charette with her eyes shut tight, her clothes waterlogged. Scorch’s head rested on her shoulder, the fur along his neck flattened and wet. How long would it be until the clothes dried themselves out? And what about their map? Had it survived the initial downpour?

Reial narrowed his eyes, peering past glowing red droplets of rain that ventured too close to his face. He wasn’t sure where he was, he wasn’t even sure if he was traveling on the correct road. That is until he skidded past a coach, generating a wave of water and ruby sparks that crashed into it. The vehicle swerved off the road and managed to stop itself before it crashed into a tree. Hope he’s not a Veil Seer.

Reial tightened his grip around Charette as he leapt off the road, hopping from tree side to tree side in order to avoid the oncoming clog of traffic. His boots struck trunk after trunk, forming an artificial pathway with his pull. If he closed his eyes, he could imagine that he was back home, racing through his mother’s garden. Hyvas, that dream. He still couldn’t get it out of his mind. It was a memory, a memory he’d forgotten.

A happy one. Even more so than the times before the accidents. Why was that? Was it because of that green-eyed man? What was special about him, and why couldn’t he shake him from his mind? The way water rushed in his ears whenever he spoke his name. It was peculiar to say the least.

Rain thundered past coaches and trees as the sky cracked with lightning, deepening the highlighted shadows that already glowed before Reial. He felt energized, like his entire body was made of the volatile energy. It was an alien sensation. One that came not from him, but from the voice.

He punched through a pocket of air and slammed his heels into the ground, breaking into a slide. Waves of ruby sparks danced through the open air, announcing his arrival as he came to a slow stop. The place appeared to be a sort of midway stop for travelers. Coaches were parked in an orderly fashion while marble pavilions stood erect around a large field of wet grass and paved stone. Behind that, there was a sizable wooden structure.

Reial breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe someone in the area had information about where they were. In this type of weather, even a Veil Strider would be pressed for directions. Striding to the nearest marble pavilion, he set Scorch and Charette down before collapsing onto a metal bench. The Essence had taken a toll on his mind.

Charette wobbled, her vision probably swimming still. If she had Veil Sight, she could’ve more than easily cured her motion sickness with a flick of that power. Finally, she fell in with him, taking a seat on the bench and putting a hand over her eyes.

“Where…?” She managed to squeeze out through a moan.

“At a midway stop.” He answered.

Charette nodded slowly, as if afraid of aggravating her eyes.

“I’m going to have a look around. Watch over her in the meantime, Scorch.”

The drog yipped, almost respectfully as if he were a soldier obeying his commander. He took his spot at Charette’s feet, sitting down solemnly. Reial smiled at the scene and left with a brief Stride, cutting through the rain and pushing past some glass doors that shattered upon impact.

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“Careful.”

“What is it now?” Reial asked it.

“Quit making trouble for yourself. I’m trying to rest.”

Reial ignored it, gently closing the door behind him so the remnants didn’t fall off their hinges. The building was pleasant, most likely due to a secondary stasis dome that kept the place smelling fresh. Around him were signs that pointed to restrooms and EBM machines. At the center of it all was a posterboard with a large map of the state of Aunesfern, and its surrounding borders. Apparently, he was near some city called La’Shenta. He’s never heard of it before, then again, he wasn’t familiar with every town and city in Aunesfern.

“Wonder when the rain will stop.” He said to himself. No response came from the voice. Good.

Wandering around the room, he pulled at his already drying clothes. It didn’t wrinkle like ordinary cloth thanks to the cosmocury fibers sewn into it; repairing the fabric on a microscopic level. After a few minutes, his jacket, shirt, pants, and even boots were returned to their ordinary pristine state.

Reial looked around the building and despite the number of coaches parked outside, the place felt barren. Like no one cared enough to come inside. More time to himself then.

Approaching the EBM machine, he searched for water and something tasty. Casseroles and seafood like crabs were a good go-to. Tasty, simple and filling. If anyone knew how to cook, it was his father. The few times he was around to whip up a dish were some of Reial’s happiest memories. Father… His guilt crept up on him, threatening to swallow him whole. Best not let it get in the way. He had to be strong now, he had to be that person Charette wanted to be around. At least for a short time. Then he can leave. She and Scorch would be better off without him, so why not give her a reason to be happy?

It made picking the EBM’s that much harder to do. Bringing up those happier times helped dull his guilt. Then again, he could only suppress his feelings for so long. Purchasing the items, he stuffed them into his bag. That’s when he read the little “water-proof tag” that hung underneath the flap. At least their stuff was protected.

Reial Strode back to the pavilion and found that Charette’s clothes had dried too, although judging from the distant look in her eyes, she was thinking. He took the EBM packets out of his bag and handed them to her.

“I brought us food.” He spoke.

Charette blinked, then looked to him with a smile. “Great, which one would you like?”

“You decide. I’m fine with whichever.”

Charette glanced down at the crab EBM, then back at him. “You always liked father’s cooking more, didn’t you?”

“Yes.”

She held the crab package out to him. “Then take it, I’ll have the casserole instead.”

Thanking her, Reial put his packet on the table and watched. Charette read the instructions on the back, ripping off a small silver sticker that contained the ingredients of the food. Reial watched closely how the almost invisible raw Essence twisted and turned around the sticker. Causing it to pop out like an exploding kernel.

It grew larger and flatter until it took the shape of a silver plate. At its center was a mass of dried powdered flecked with various colors. It grew moist with water, then clumped together, heating and expanding, becoming sharper with detail until it took the shape and color of the very same casserole dish as displayed on the packet.

She did the same thing with the water, though it was simpler in display. Ripping the utensils from the front of the casserole packet, she took her first bite. Whether she approved of the taste, she didn’t say.

“Mind helping me with mine?” He asked, waving his packet in her face.

Charette set aside her dish and took Reial’s EBM from him. He couldn’t do it himself, not anymore at least. Something about acquiring the power of a Veil Strider made it near impossible to twist and bend Essence at will. No one cared to explain why, then again, he didn’t ask in the first place.

Once it was finished, Reial offered her his thanks and took an experimental bite. It was bland. The texture was familiar, but the taste was absent. Should it have been that way? He cracked leg, then threw it at Scorch who gobbled it down faster than a Stride. No, perhaps the issue lay with him.

Suppressing a sigh, he watched Charette and tried to enjoy himself as he did back in Macoula. He wanted to feel that same joy, that same sense of purpose that had filled him when they carelessly threw on costumes and explored the city. He wanted to live in the moment, appreciate what he had, and not what was taken from him.

But he couldn’t.

He was incapable of it, so he sat there. Wearing a fake smile and nodding to Charette’s silly comments as he forced himself to eat.

The midway stop was devoid of activity because of the pouring rain. Devoid of life, devoid of happiness. Devoid of meaning.