This had to be the tenth time I was knocked unconscious within the last few weeks. Well, maybe not literally, but the number was adding up. My eyes were still squeezed shut, but I was awake. My head was throbbing with an intense headache, one that I guessed I had received upon impact with the ground. I tried to move my arms, but only one of them was functioning.
Of course, the worst possible thought occurred to me. Did I break it in the fall? Will I even be able to get up? Thankfully, I was still able to move, but hardly. I opened my mouth slowly and croaked out very dryly, "Jeremy...?" To my relief, I was given a very quiet but audible reply. Thank goodness he's still alive. Next I called out Niall and Edith's name, and also received a faint response that let me know they were alright.
"Where are we?"
I pried open my eyes and found that I was lying in a dark, gloomy, and mountainous place. The atmosphere was rather mysterious, and it put me on edge, causing me to feel incredibly nervous and even a little ill.
"My guess is we're in Jean's natural habitat," Edith muttered.
"Who-"
"Jean Ortega," Niall answered. "The boy Karm mentioned earlier."
"I see..." A sudden thought crossed my mind, so I asked, "Is this Jean character a member of the Midnight Legion?"
"No," said Niall, "but he and I go way back. We're not on the friendliest of terms, so I'm not too keen on running into him, especially in a place like this." He scanned the area and shuttered, looking like a whole tray of ice cubes had been slipped down his back, and possibly other areas, too.
"Well, what do we do now?"
"I suggest we find a way out of here," said Edith. "But considering we fell from all the way up there..." She pointed a finger at the shroud of darkness above us and sighed deeply. "...I don't think that's going to be as easy as it sounds."
"Master, are you alright?" Niall asked in a concerned voice. "You appear uneasy."
I can't lie to them... "I think I sprained my arm," I confessed.
Niall's eyes grew wide and began to tremble as he stared at the limping arm at my left side. He soon crawled over to me and began to examine it. "May I pick it up?" I nodded hesitantly. He took my hand in his and lifted it slightly, and immediately I felt a surge of pain run through it.
"What's wrong?" said Edith. "Is it broken?"
"I don't know, I'm not a doctor." Niall's head fell and rested against my shoulder. "I'm sorry I couldn't protect you, Master..."
"Don't apologize, please. It wasn't your fault," I insisted. "It's probably just a sprain anyway. Forget about me and let's focus on a way to get out of here, okay?" Niall looked up at me with misty eyes and nodded slowly. Then he took my other arm and swung it around his shoulder, bringing me to my feet. "It's a miracle you guys didn't have any major injuries though," I remarked, trying to hide the annoyance in my voice. What are they, immortal?
"Edith and I are currently in our Reaper forms, meaning our stronger and more invulnerable selves, and Jeremy is part machine," Niall explained. "You are in your human form, so I can understand why you are the only one who was severely damaged."
"If you say so..." I sighed.
"Hey, you guys. I think I see a light up ahead."
I turned to Edith, who was suddenly on her feet and peering into the distance. "What do you think it could be?" I asked.
"Ten bucks says it's the house of that Ortega kid," Jeremy muttered. "I bet he knows we're here."
"I say we should go to him," Edith suggested.
"Absolutely not!"
Niall was beginning to act defensive again.
"Did you miss the part where I said he and I are not on the friendliest of terms?"
Edith narrowed her eyes at her brother harshly. "No offense, Niall, but I think it's best if you put aside your childish feuds and think of it this way; Jean is most likely our only chance at getting back home. If we don't get on his good side, there's almost a guarantee we won't make it out of here alive. And besides, our duty is to protect Hanako, correct?"
Jeremy cleared his throat to get our attention and announced, "Um, hello? I believe that's my job."
"Stow your crap and let's get going."
Edith then started off down a crooked, rock path that looked as though it would lead to the lighted house. Without choice, I soon found myself being led in the same direction by a very reluctant Niall.
+++
Before I knew it, we were all standing at the door of the house. It was honestly nerve-racking, considering everyone was just standing as still as rocks, staring at the door and appearing too afraid to open it. The house itself was decently small on the outside, and I guessed that this Jean guy lived alone. If he and Niall were really enemies, that made me all the more curious of the guy. "Is someone going to-"
"Fine!" huffed Jeremy, and he rapped furiously on the sleek wooden door. Silence followed the echoing sound his gauntlet fist made, and every one of us froze. What seemed like a long while later, the door slowly creaked open, and a short, blonde boy stood on the other side. This must be Jean, I thought.
His face was small and round, just like his circular blue eyes that were partially hidden behind the thin strands of hair that fell in front of them. He was wearing a sleeveless white shirt—which confused me because of how cold it was outside—along with a pair of white pants and a black leather belt. His thin pink lips were bent into a pouty frown, and he blinked several times upon seeing Jeremy's face at his door.
"U-uh...hello...?" Jeremy attempted to sound polite, but it came out instead as a forced grunt. The boy tilted his head to the side and blinked again, before slowly turning around and walking back into his house. He waved his hand a couple times as a gesture for us to come in as well. And so we did.
I glanced around the interior of the house. It was nicely furnished, especially for a place of its size. The room we had walked into was what I had guessed was the living room. The walls were a pastel red, the carpet a solid green. There was a sofa and an armchair sitting a few feet apart on the other side of the room. "Pretty impressive for a tiny house standing in the middle of nowhere," I said aloud without second thought.
It hadn't occurred to me that there was a chance this could have been offensive to Jean. What made me feel even worse was that he didn't even respond. He just stood there, arms flat at his side, emotionless expression plastered on his little face. This boy looks pretty young—preteen, most likely. He couldn't possibly be living alone, could he? There's got to be someone else here...right...?
"I-it was kind of you to let us in..." I offered, yet he still gave no reply. This boy is kind of creeping me out...I wish someone else would say something. As if to answer my thoughts in an unwanted way, Jean looked up at me, and his eyelids drooped.
Get on his good side, Edith said. Well he doesn't look too happy! Did I say something wrong?
The next thing that happened was completely unexpected. Jean got on his tippy toes and seized my arm that was around Niall's neck, then draped it over his own. Next he walked over to the small cream sofa across the room and gently let me down. He then made his way back over to Niall and proceeded to give him a stare down, still with the same, unchanging expression. And finally, to top it off, Jean extended his knee into Niall's stomach, causing the wind to be knocked out of the man, and he stumbled backwards.
Suddenly, it was as if the calm and silent boy I had met just moments ago had changed in the blink of an eye, and he had soon hurled himself into an uncontrollable rampage.
"You abandoned me, you cowardly, dirty, good for nothing scumbag!!!" Jean's voice was surprisingly low for a boy who appeared to be a child, in a rather dark way. A volcano of rage had just erupted inside his little head all at once, and all the anger and frustration he held towards Niall was delivered in that one, deliberate knee to the gut, which I had to say looked incredibly painful, even coming from a little boy. But Jean didn't stop there. He continued to strike Niall, whereas the demon—fully capable of retaliating—did nothing but stand there and take the beating like a helpless victim.
"Hey!" I shouted, unable to watch it anymore. "Don't you think he's had enough?"
"You shut your mouth, brat!" Jean snapped. And somehow, Jeremy had the nerve to laugh at this.
"Ha, he called you a brat!"
"Well, Jeremy, I'm glad you're getting a kick out of this," I said bitterly. "Aren't you going to help Niall?"
"Nah, I think Blondie's reached his limit."
I glanced at Jean, who was standing over Niall's bruised body, breathing heavily from exhaustion. He collapsed beside him and rested his head against the demon's shoulder. "You...idiot. Underestimate...me...and you pay," he wheezed. "Even in...your Reaper form...you were...no match...for me..." To my surprise, he then looked at me, and said, "So who are you anyway?"
To be honest, I was glad he asked. It'd been a while since I had actually needed to introduce myself to someone. Up until this point, every new person I met knew and addressed me as the infamous Shadow Keeper. I smiled slightly at Jean and said, "My name is Hanako. And these are my friends, Jeremy and Edith. I can see you're already well acquainted with Niall..."
Jean's eyelids drooped again and he sighed as he stared at me with an irritated expression. He shoved Niall's head away and got to his feet. "Whatever...why are you here anyway? Come to think of it, how did you get here in the first place?"
Jeremy laughed through his nose and scoffed at the boy's question. "Two words: twin demons."
"I figured...fools."
"Yeah, I know, right?"
"No, not them, I mean you," Jean scoffed.
"Excuse me?" Jeremy lifted up his chin and shot an aggravated look at the blonde.
"Is something wrong with your ears, grandpa?" Jean squinted. "I said you're all fools."
"Haven't your parents taught you that you should respect your elders?"
"I'll have you know I'm seventeen."
"Yeah? Well, you talk big for a short kid."
"You better watch your mouth, you machine...what's with that eyepatch anyway? Looks like something you picked up from a thrift store."
"You want to see what this eyepatch can do, you little twerp?"
"Bring it on!"
"Jeremy!!"
I was both shocked and impressed that Edith had managed to repress her accumulating anger for so long, but apparently she had at last reached her limit. "You're acting like such a child!" She exclaimed, turning to Jean as she shook her head apologetically. "I'm deeply sorry for his irrational behavior, Mr. Ortega. We mean you no trouble."
Jean let out a huff of air through his nose and crossed his arms stubbornly. "Hm. At least one of you numbskulls has some manners. Very well, I suppose I can forgive you. Now what is it you wanted? I know Niall wouldn't have the guts to come and see me if he didn't want something from me."
"We need a way out of here," said Edith. "Could you help us?"
"On one condition."
"Really?" Edith's eyes brightened with a sense of relief. "What is your condition?"
"Niall stays behind."
+++
The next thing I knew, Jean and I were seated on the surprisingly comfortable mats surrounding his small table—it was quite old, it seemed, with splinters from aged oak wood—each with a steaming cup of chamomile tea in front of us. Edith was tending to Niall's wounds, and Jeremy had taken a step outside for some air. As for Niall, he was unconscious. So it was just the two of us. How Jeremy and Edith could just walk away after Jean had said such a thing was beyond me...
"Why exactly do you want Niall to stay behind?" I asked in a worried tone. "By the looks of it, you guys don't really seem to be good friends or anything.
Jean's expression morphed from that of a furious curmudgeon to something a bit more melancholy, perhaps even on the depressed side. Or even vulnerable.
"He abandoned me."
"What?"
Jean's eye began to twitch, and he rubbed his glass mug in a circular motion with his thumbs, and I couldn't tell if he was irritated, or just afraid to tell me what was on his mind.
"Niall...was my guardian..."
I couldn't help myself. I was in shock, absolutely aghast, so I instinctively spit out my tea. Thank goodness Jean wasn't been sprayed by it, for I greatly feared I'd probably get the same beating Niall received. "Sorry," I apologized, wiping the tea off my mouth with my sleeve. "Niall was your guardian?"
"That's what I said," he replied with a hint of disgruntlement underlaying his tone.
"Well, what happened? Why were you two separated?" I asked. A sudden, startled expression appeared on the boy's face, and I then realized that maybe I was sounding a little too interested, and not to mention I was leaning halfway across the table. I backed away and bit my lip nervously, then let out a sigh. "Sorry again."
"No, it's fine, don't apologize," he said quietly.
Huh? Is this the same Jean that had that insane temper tantrum just a few minutes ago and was so rude towards us all? Now he's telling me not to apologize? Come to think of it, he seems a lot calmer now. I wonder what's wrong. "You can tell me—well, that is, if you're...comfortable with doing so," I told him. "I can keep a secret. Promise."
Jean's tense eyes softened at this, and he sighed gently. "Very well. I'll trust you this one time, Hanako," he said. "You know about the Midnight Legion, correct?" I nodded. "Yeah, I thought so, seeing as you're with Niall and Edith. Anyway, a while ago, each of the members of the Midnight Legion was assigned a family or a specific person to protect in preparation for the coming of the Shadow Keeper.
It was supposed to be some sort of training exercise, or some way to make them stronger. At least...that's what I was told. Niall was assigned to me. We got along well at first, and actually became good friends. But then something happened, and our relationship just went crashing to the ground. It..." He stopped himself mid-sentence, and for a moment I actually wondered if he had done so intentionally, just to leave me on a cliffhanger.
"What?" I whispered. "What happened?"
Jean took a deep breath and let out a huff of air. "It all started 10 years ago...that was when I first met Niall. Even then, before this place came to be the dark, forsaken realm that it is now, I was still surrounded by many things that were unsafe and mysterious to me. Like Niall. He hasn't changed the way he looks at all. Foolish hair color, unusual clothes..." He sighed deeply, but I knew it wasn't because he was ashamed or disappointed, but rather that he was glad, or even amused. "He's still an idiot, I see," Jean continued. "He was always...such an idiot. He had so much light in his eyes then, looking as though he thought he life couldn't get any better than it already was. As the years went on, that look in his eyes only brightened. But seeing him now, it honestly depresses me. That light has gone out almost entirely. And it's all thanks to me.
"I should probably mention that my father died due to an incident with a demon, so you can guess that I would try my best to keep Niall a secret from my mom. You see, when I was twelve, I went out walking on my own near my house, just for some fresh air. But like I said before, even then, I lived in a dangerous place. There were wild beasts roaming around occasionally, and my mother would always tell me that it would be wise to stay inside. But I didn't listen. I was a little, foolish boy who was curious of the great outdoors.
'Anyway, I was just a few yards from the house when suddenly, out of the bushes came a giant, disgusting looking creature. It's teeth we're sharp and dripping slobber onto the ground as it stared at me...its prey. Then, it lunged at me. It would have gotten me to, if it hadn't been for Niall. He couldn't have shown up any sooner. But he couldn't fight the beast with his bare hands. So he did the only thing he could do. He transformed. He transformed into his Reaper form and killed the beast right in front of my eyes. I was relieved and thankful at the time, but as soon as I turned around to head back home, I saw something I wish I hadn't.
'There, by the front door, stood my mother. There was a horrified, astonished look on her face, one that made me feel as if my heart had been stabbed. She saw the whole thing. All her emotions were jumbled, but I knew that first and foremost...she was ashamed of me. She was frightened, confused, heartbroken, but mostly just furious that I had kept this from her. And naturally.....she vented this anger on me. She took me by the ear, dragged me back into the house, and punished me severely. The whole time she was shouting, yelling, and barking at me, she was crying tears of sorrow and frustration. She even beat me. And the whole time she did this, Niall stood watch as my mother lost all control. She kicked over a table and broke a vase, then picked up a piece of the shattered glass and threw it recklessly, intending to hit Niall, but it missed him...and cut me instead."
Jean tilted his head slightly to the side, revealing a long cut down the side of his face.
"Then...she blamed my injury on Niall. She shouted at him and told him that it was his fault, even though it was clearly hers. Shortly after this incident, my mother left me...left me with Niall. After she had stormed out of the room, I looked up at Niall, and my heart broke. His eyes were trembling, and soon, he snapped as well. He burst into an uncontrollable fit of tears, and not even I could stop him. I tried my hardest...to convince him that it wasn't his fault, but no matter what I said to him, nothing worked. And gradually, his own thoughts began to eat him up inside. Then...one day, he left me too. He apologized and said that he thought I would be better off without him in my life.
'But he was being blind...he couldn't see how this would affect me in such a way...such a painful way...he was stupid...such a stupid, foolish man. And after he left, everything became dark. The sky you saw outside used to be the brightest sky of them all, if you can believe that. More ravenous creatures came out of hiding. The temperature dropped drastically, as if his heart and the vast sky above were truly linked, as he had claimed. But I could never bring myself to leave this place. I hoped that one day, he would return to me. And what do you know, here he is. But seeing him now, I know that he hasn't forgotten just how horrible he felt that day."
I had always been quite the sensitive, empathetic person—the kind most guys would mock and tease without a moment's hesitation—so, as I did my best to place myself in Jean's shoes, inside of his bitter memories, I felt an unequivocal ache in my chest. He shocked me. He honestly shocked me. It just goes to show how you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, huh? If I had never sat down to listen to him, I never would have discovered something very similar between us.
We both understood the feeling of being abandoned.
"I'm sorry to hear about your father..." I paused. "...and your mother. I wish I could say I know how you feel, but my mom's never gone that far. I gotta admit, you sure do a stellar job masking things you don't like with anger. I try to do that, but I'm...not quite as tough as most guys. Then again, I'm sure you've gathered that by just looking at me."
"There's nothing wrong with being in touch with your sensitive side," Jean insisted, as though he were attempting to sound supportive. And I'm sure he meant it, too, but somehow I had difficult accepting this as a form of encouragement.
I breathed a sigh of blatant exasperation. "That's what my friend tells me."
I heard him hum softly—it was a thoughtful, prolonged hum, one that lasted until the very moment his attentive eyes fell upon my arm. Specifically, the injured one.
"You haven't lifted that since you got here." He quirked an eyebrow so as to virtually insert a question mark into the conversation. "Mind if I ask?"
He's observant. "I, uh, sprained it when I fell from the game board," I replied, without giving thought to how bizarre my answer would sound out of context. "You know...Karm and Charis."
An amused smile unexpectedly shattered the deep frown on Jean's young face, and he let out a quiet chuckle in spite of me. "So the Shadow Keeper really isn't any different than an idiot teenager, is that it?"
There it was again. Shadow Keeper. I could feel the color in my face vanishing as sweat drops threatened to take form. Honestly, I didn't know why the mere sound of that name made me anxious, but there was no sense in denying it either. Jean meant no harm. I assured myself of this several times until it quickly became somewhat of a muscle memory.
"So I'm not fooling you either, am I?"
Jean shook his head. "It may be invisible, but not to me, not here," he explained briefly. "I can see that sword on your back. You can relax, though; I don't plan on turning against you any time soon."
Hearing him voice these words erased the tenseness in my shoulders almost instantaneously. I soon found myself slouching in order to regain what comfort I had lost within the time I spent with my back as stiff as a board. This was precisely what I needed to ease my restless mind: an ally. Honestly, it seemed as though all I'd been doing lately was making enemies and running from them. This was a nice change of pace.
"Hanako?"
My train of thought came to a slow stop at the sound of a familiar voice. Tilting my head slightly, I gazed over my shoulder and found Edith standing there.
"I'm finished treating Niall's wounds," she said. "Would you like me to take a look at your arm?"
"Hmm? Oh. Right." I glanced down at my left arm and sighed. "Only if it's no trouble."
"Not at all," Edith insisted, and she took my right arm and helped me on my feet.
Before she led me over to treat my arm, I turned to look Jean in the eye and smiled warmly at him. "Hey, Jean," I said. He looked up at me curiously. "Thanks for the talk. I feel like you trust me now."
He didn't say anything, not a word or gesture of confirmation, but luckily, such a thing wasn't necessary; his eyes did the talking.
Edith sat me down on the sofa and began to examine my arm. It wasn't a long period of time before she said, "Thank goodness. It's just a sprain."
I let out a sigh of relief. "Yeah, I thought so. It would've been a whole lot more painful if I actually broke it."
Edith was silent for a minute, and she appeared deep in thought. "Mr. Ortega?" She called. Jean lifted up his head to show that he was listening. "Do you by any chance have a cast for Hanako's arm?"
To my surprise, Jean stood up immediately and walked over to a small side table, then opened up a drawer. He took out a black leather cast and held it up for Edith to see. "That'll do," she said. And so he gave it to her. Edith carefully slipped the cast over my arm. It only reached about three inches passed my wrist, but I figured it was better than nothing. How convenient it is that he just happens to have one of these around.
I shook my head to bring myself back into focus, and Edith chuckled at my stupid expression. "I'm sorry," she laughed softly. "Your face was amusing. Anyway, your arm should heal soon enough. Just try to refrain from using it, alright?"
"Sure." I stood up slowly and waited until my sudden headache calmed down, then stumbled awkwardly over to Jean. "Jeeean..." I whispered.
"What is it now?" He groaned, now sounding slightly irritated.
"I have a favor to ask of you."
"What is it?"
"Can you...help us out of this place?"
Jean's eyelids drooped, and he gazed sorrowfully at the ground. "Yeah, I suppose."
"...did you really...want Niall to stay behind...?" I asked hesitantly.
The boy clenched his fists and inhaled sharply, then muttered, "There's no point. If I made him stay behind, I'd never be able to shake the feeling of guilt I have for ever having met him. The longer he stays here with me, the more he'll remember about that day. And I'm afraid...if that were to happen...Niall might...kill himself...just to end his own suffering. And there's no way I could do that to Niall. He was my best friend. My only friend, in fact. He appears to be slightly happier with you, so I'm letting you have him."
Letting me...have him? That's how he words it...? "But-"
"Do me a favor, okay? In return for what I've done for you..." Jean's figure stooped, and his eyes closed thoughtfully as he whispered the words, "Take care of Niall for me."
"Of course," I assured him. "You have my word."
"Thank you," he said. "I know I can trust you. Now about getting out of here, all you have to do is go to sleep. This world we're in right now isn't real. Karm and Charis sent you into a dream, and all you have to do to wake up is fall asleep. Then you will find yourself in the last place you were before the twins trapped you. Also, your sprain, it's not real. The pain induced by the fall wasn't real either, but rather a trick your mind played on you. Once you're awake, your arm will have healed, so don't worry about that."
Without realizing it, my eyelids began to grow heavy, and my mind started to wander.
"Good night, Hanako. And take care of yourself."
"W-wait...J-Jean, I~..."