Perched atop the Den's rooftop, the Rustler found solace in the stillness of the moment. The vast expanse of the city's slums sprawled before him, stretching out like a chaotic tapestry of faded hopes and forgotten dreams.
The cool breeze caressed his face, whispering secrets of the city as it rustled through the decaying walls of the old mansion. It was, from the moment that the Dae Odoe girl arrived, a rare moment of tranquility, where the world seemed to fade away, leaving only him and his thoughts.
While many would see him as alone, he was not. He truly was not. A girl seen only by him stood just a few feet away, her silhouette framed by the setting sun.
The Rustler watched her, his gaze tracing the lines of her figure against the fading light, and a flicker of nostalgia sparked within him.
Without a word, Men'ma approached him, her steps unhurried yet purposeful. She settled beside him, her presence a silent acknowledgement of the unspoken connection they shared. From her unspoken presence alone, the weight of their respective burdens seemed to dissipate in this rare moment of shared solitude.
They sat side by side, their gazes fixed on the horizon. There was no need for words as the fading sun painted the sky in hues of orange and gold. As rare as it were when awake, the Rustler found comfort in the stillness, knowing that for this brief moment, he had found a companion in the vastness of the world.
As the evening sky deepened into twilight, their contemplation was interrupted by the sound of someone’s footsteps approaching. While initially assuming the footsteps to be that of Kae, the Rustler quickly realized it was those of the younger sister, Rae.
“Am I interrupting something?”
“No.” The Rustler simply replied. “Did something happen?”
“No nothing,” she denied before revealing with a lower voice, “It’s just that Men’ma noticed you were nowhere to be seen.”
That woman…
“ —Don’t worry, Kae is taking care of her.
While it has only been merely a week since she arrived the girl arrived in that grand entrance of hers, she’d seamlessly integrated herself to the Den and its denizens, more than the Rustler ever did having spent more than three years by their side.
Ever since learning more about her from the shopkeeper, the Rustler had been anticipating the local authorities to appear unannounced at the den's doorstep. However, as the days passed, he found himself growing more convinced that such an event would not occur. And he had recently come to understand the reason behind it: himself.
"I see," he simply replied, returning to his peaceful silence. But his tranquility was soon interrupted by the girl's inquiry.
"Say," she began.
"Hm?
“There is something I have always wanted to ask?”
Gazing at the girl, he understood that she was really shy at asking questions, so with a nod he answered yes. Upon being nodded at, she continued.
“When you lock yourself in that room and stay in that golden cocoon for weeks and even months, what does it feel like?”
“What does it feel like?” He mumbled, taken aback by the weird question.
“Yes. If you don’t mind me asking. If you don’t want to answer that, I’ll understand.”
It was simply a question, no one has ever asked him before, so naturally he didn’t know what words exactly would be appropriate to describe what it felt like except, “I’m dreaming.”
“Dreaming? I don’t… What’s that?”
Rae’s answer, her look of confusion was the same as that of hers years ago.
"Sorry, I meant sleeping. It's like sleeping, but it's not just sleeping. It's silent and peaceful. I am alone, yet not lonely," he explained, trying his best to convey the sensation.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
Rae's confusion lingered as she tried to grasp the concept of dreaming. However, her curiosity didn't waver, and she mustered the courage to ask another question.
"You like it? When you described it, it felt like you liked it... being alone," she hesitantly inquired.
The Rustler contemplated her question, for a short but silent instant, and answered her honestly.
"I neither liked being silent nor alone. I have been there before, and it wasn't a pleasant experience for me," he replied.
Unbeknownst to Rae, his answer was not directed at her but instead to the one who had sat by his side long before Rae's arrival.
"I see, so you don't like being alone," Rae mumbled, her voice filled with poorly concealed surprise. "I always thought you did."
Hearing her words, the Rustler understood that with his words, he might have created a misunderstanding, but after a brief moment of consideration, he decided that it was fine for the time being to leave things as they were. However, her next question immediately made him regret that decision.
"Say, Rustler, the other night, when she attacked us, Men'ma called you Alexei, didn't she? That's your name, right?"
From that early morning he met the girl for the first time onward, he had never revealed his actual name to the sister. It was not long after they settled into the Den, that the nickname the Rustler was somehow assigned to him, without him knowing exactly when it came to be.
“Kae and I were always wondering what your name w—” she commented before being interrupted by the Rustler cutting her mid sentence.
“That name is not mine.”
“What?”
“That name is not mine. Alexei is a name that belongs to the past, to a person who no longer exists. As of now I am no-one—”
“Before that wouldn’t you still be Ethereal Breeze,” voice suddenly cut.
Interrupted, the duo looked back to where the voice came from to see Men’ma standing there just behind her with an exasperated expression, Kae.
Interrupted, the duo turned their attention to the source of the voice and saw Men'ma standing there, Kae just stood behind just with an exasperated expression.
“What are you two doing here?” Rae asked.
“I’m here because I was looking for him, Ethereal Breeze,” she promptly replied, “I just happened to overhear your discussion.”
From the way she voiced it, it was clear she held no regret for eavesdropping on their conversation.
“I hope I wasn't interrupting anything,” she even added, tauntingly.
Rae seemed about to answer, but Alexei spoke up first, saying, "No." He paused briefly before continuing, "Actually, this falls well. I was just thinking about calling you. We need to talk.”
Surprised, a "oh" escaped Men’ma lips as she processed the Rustler's sudden answer.
Sensing the need for privacy, the Rustler glanced towards the sisters, silently asking to be left alone. Understanding his unspoken request, Kae spoke up, saying, "Rae, let's go." She called for her sister, who appeared hesitant to leave the scene. However, upon hearing Kae's call, Rae reluctantly took a pause in front of Men'ma before finally turning away and exiting the rooftop. Before leaving completely, Kae turned around and issued a warning to the duo. "No taunting or battling on my rooftop, you both hear that?"
Men'ma met Kae's gaze with a steady look, "That depends on him," she replied, pointing at the Rustler. In response, the Rustler simply nodded, silently acknowledging her warning.
Left alone on the rooftop, Men'ma and the Rustler stood in a charged silence, the weight of unspoken words hanging in the air. It was in this moment of anticipation that the silence was finally broken, shattered by Men'ma's voice. Her words held a teasing undertone, an observation tinged with amusement.
"I must admit, I was taken aback when I realized how little the Den and its denizens knew about you," Men'ma remarked, her tone laced with a touch of playful taunting. "But it seems that despite the limited number of people in your life, you still maintain a certain closeness to a select few. Close and humane enough for that kind of feeling to develop."
The Rustler furrowed his brow, slightly puzzled by Men'ma's words. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
"Onesidedly, it seems," Men'ma's eyes while hidden behind the visor she wore, he could tell, sparkled mischievously as she continued, "though I assume that's for the best. Having that kind of relationship with you would be nothing but trouble, after all, you're none other than the infamous Ethereal Breeze."
Upon hearing that alias from her mouth, forgetting about everything she had said before those two words, anger surged within him. His eyes narrowed, and a warning tone permeated his voice as he interrupted, "Do not call me that."
“Why? Is Ethereal Breeze dead as is Alexei?”
Her words, which undoubtedly, under normal circumstances would've only served to ignite anger in his heart, had the opposite effect. Instead, they triggered a realization within the Rustler, reminding him of the reason he had wanted to talk to her in the first place.
Men'ma's teasing, almost antagonistic expression faltered for a moment, taken aback by the sudden shift in his demeanor.
"Yes, he is. I am not Ethereal Breeze. Having lost his raison d'être, the purpose for which he became known as he was, Ethereal Breeze is no more." Before she could utter a word, the Rustler added, “you're a very annoying person, and I have been thinking what I’m going to do about you?”
She leaned forward, her voice dripping with intrigue. "And what did you think of, 'Rustler'?"
“I’m going to give you what you want then we’ll see.”
A mix of surprise and anticipation washed over Men'ma's face. "You mean..."
"Yes," the Rustler affirmed, his eyes gleaming with a newfound resolve. "I'm going to tell you what happened to that girl—that Odoe girl whomst this Odo belongs to and what I've been doing these past four years."