"Hey, Phil! Are you okay?"
I froze as I felt Dave's hand on my shoulder.
"Yeah, I'm okay."
"Need me to bring you to the clinic?"
"No, no I'm okay really."
"You sure?"
"Stop pestering him Dave, you just want to cut class again. Are you okay Phil? Seems like your out of it."
"Thanks, Susan. I'm okay no need to worry."
I smiled at my classmate Susan and she smiled right back she dragged Dave with her as she walked out of the classroom.
It had already been a week since then. My mind was filled with the scenes where the gigantic maelstrom has given me a glimpse of what truly lies inside the abyss.
I haven't been feeling well ever since I saw what had happened inside the plains of sleep. The gigantic maelstrom kept on popping inside my mind, whispers in my deepest consciousness whisper inside my head to look at the bottom of the abyss, to search what had caused such event, to reach out to such a godlike being and beg it for power. Whispers that no matter what I do keep on buzzing inside my mind.
En was no help as well, he had not been answering my question after hearing the anguish scream of the creature that caused the maelstrom. Something is wrong with him, but I do not know how to help him.
My motivation to find a safe way to travel the miasma has been dwindling. I kept on having a second thought on trying to help my best friend. Whatever it was that caused that event should not be trifled with by a mere kid.
My hands kept on shaking and my breath become shallow as I remember the countless nightmare origins hidden inside the miasma by which the maelstrom has given me a glimpse of how truly dangerous it is to travel such a place. But as a sign of respect to my best friend, although I am reluctant I did not stop on my practice to try and bring the sextant with me inside my dreams, it is my way to try and not disappoint my best friend and keep my promise to find a way to travel the miasma.
But I will not give him the chance to do so, although it might sound cruel, I will give him the way to travel the miasma after his mother has passed away, he might be mad at me and resent me for not giving him the way to travel the miasma sooner, but by doing it this way I will save my friend from the dangers that lurk inside the abyss and hopefully by the time he decides to travel inside the abyss himself, the guardian that En has spoken about before should have solved the problem inside the abyss.
Even Sonja was getting worried about me. The first few days after I saw the maelstrom was horrible, I kept on seeing nightmare origins blend into reality, opening portals like the one I saw inside my dream during my sleep paralysis peeking inside them, hungrily eyeing the people that they saw.
I slowly walked towards Seth's office with an unstable gait. I arrived at his door but to my disappointment, a note was attached to his door.
'Out for a seminar, will return next month.'
I looked sadly at the piece of paper pasted on the door. The only person that I could talk to and know that they will not think I'm crazy has left. I wanted his advice on how should I tackle my case but it seems I could not do so. I do not want Sonja to hear about my predicament, she's already worrying with Eric, I do not want to add my problems.
I decided to go home and rest but as I neared the school's gate, I saw Eric, his back leaning at a tree as he gazed at the ground. His eyes were empty, his complexion was pale, bags under his eyes clearly point that he hadn't had a goodnight's sleep. I merely glanced at him, but I did not want to talk to him, so I looked on the ground as I slowly pass him.
"Hey Phil, can you hear me out for a minute."
I flinched as I heard his voice. I wanted to run away from him, too guilty to talk to him since my ideas of giving up on his mother because I'm too scared to travel the abyss had been running inside my head these few days
"My mother. She's getting worse. A week ago she convulsed and scream, like a pig in slaughter. My father and I could not do anything but watch as she slowly suffered. I hate seeing my Mom in that state, Phil."
Tears streamed down his face. It was rare seeing Eric cry, no matter the hardships and problems that the world threw at him, he only smiled and slowly came up with solutions to the problems. But this time, he was truly hopeless. I could see deep in his eyes, he was traumatized by what he had seen when his mother suffered.
"Please tell me, Phil. Don't you have a way to travel the miasma? Please answer me honestly."
"I...I...I don't."
I quickly ran and escape. I glanced behind me and saw Eric on his knees crying, but I can't stop, he doesn't know what truly lurks beneath the abyss and if he was in my situation he would understand. Would he?
I was panting hard as I arrived at the door of my house. I had run from school until I arrived here, the thoughts of Eric begging me as he cried on his knees for a way to travel the miasma kept on running inside my head. The whispers had been getting louder, all they want was for me to travel inside the abyss. I wanted to go to sleep, to speak with En and the being that had given me power. I wanted to know why was I the one chosen to be the bearer of this power and why was I the one to witness what had happened inside the plains of sleep.
I opened the door to my house and quickly closed it. I rushed towards my bedroom and covered myself with the blanket, I tried to calm myself down first before diving into my dreams but I could not help but notice the wooden box which contained the sextant. I slowly walked towards it and opened the wooden box, inside was the sextant that I had been trying to bring to my dreams for the past weeks.
En said that such artifact has a soul, would it listen if I tell it about my problems?
I held it in my hands as I walked towards my bed and sit on it leaning my back against the wall. I looked at the sextant with a pleading gaze, I wished for it to help me repel the miasma and help me to look for Eric's mother one last time. I do not wish to travel the abyss once more since now I knew what sort of nightmarish creatures lurk beneath its depths, but looking at Eric who was slowly breaking down or it might be the whispers inside my head, gave me the resolve to travel the abyss one last time, after this, I will end my journey inside the plains of sleep. I will throw away the book and return the artifact to my grandfather's house.
Taking a deep breath, like I have been practicing for the last few weeks I slowly dove inside the plains of sleep. The scenery quickly changed until it went all black and after I opened my eyes again, the everlasting field of grass welcomed my return.
"En, En can you hear me."
"..."
Still no reply. This has been happening ever since that day, I sighed sadly.
My eyes went wide, I just noticed that something was in my hand. The sextant was in my hand. I smiled with glee, I have finally succeeded in bringing the artifact inside my dreams. I wanted to brag about it to En but remembered that he would not answer. The level of joy I had was suddenly tuned down by a level, it's really lonely not having En.
I stared at the sextant, I wondered if it can transform into soul form like the porcelain doll Vicky did.
"Hello...Mr. Sextant Sir?."
"..."
"Hello? Can you hear me?"
"..."
"HELLO!!!"
"SHUT UP KID!"
A rough female voice echoed inside my head and made me dizzy for a moment. I was surprised that the sextant could really speak to me, but I'm more surprised that the soul inside the sextant was a female. Artifacts can often be affected by their owners and take their form once they develop a soul, like Vicky who had taken the form of Annie's mother's soul. There is a greater chance that the original owner of the sextant was a female seafarer at some point.
"Uhm, hello ma'am, what should I call you?"
"Speak up kid! you're a boy, not a white slave! In fact, white slaves are not soft as you. So you better man up and speak up!"
"WHAT SHOULD I CALL YOU MA'AM!"
I stood in attention like a soldier preparing for war.
"Much better. Name's Eclaireuse. I heard your story kid, and I'm willing to help you."