Elena let out the biggest yawn of the day as she stumbled into her bedroom. She barely had the energy to climb up the top bunk before collapsing onto her bed, the springs and metal frame creaking in protest. She desperately needed sleep.
The end of her shift at Tenang lined up with the first morning train which was convenient. When Elena reached home, the place was quiet without signs of Vivian. Elena figured her sister had already left for college. That girl always has classes the whole day plus extracurriculars and she would not see her again until nightfall.
Elena stared at the ceiling, letting out a long sigh as the events of the previous day ran through her mind. Her first day as a Mambang was highlighted by another fight with an Unseen Being.
She rubbed the spot on her arm where the Being had slashed her.
"Feels weird…" There were no signs of injury or pain, but a strange sensation lingered in her mind. She recalled learning that a Mambang's Aura protects them from physical harm and injuries however those injuries translate to mental or spiritual pain instead.
Her mind started to wander about her first day as a Mambang at Tenang. The agency is small which matched the size of the office space. She wished the office surroundings could have been better maintained and had less moss on them.
Joe was such a character. She might need some time to adjust to his volume and energy but he seemed helpful. Ram had this warmth to him and with his deep voice, he reminded her of a headmaster figure. The kind ones.
And then there was Arif. After their encounter with the Being, the rest of the patrol had been uneventful and they headed back to the office in silence. Arif was kind enough to take the task of reporting the incident with the child-like Being and explained some of the processes and protocols after an encounter.
Yet, Elena felt a coldness to Arif that she could not shake. There was a sense of aloofness and reluctance in his actions. From the moment they'd met, he'd been distant, his responses curt and his expression guarded. It was like trying to read a book with half the pages missing.
Elena rolled onto her side, staring blankly at the wall. She couldn't help but wonder if she'd done something wrong, if there was a reason he seemed so reluctant to take her under his wing. Maybe he doubted her abilities, or thought she wasn't cut out for the job.
But she has always been a fast learner. In all her previous jobs, she absorbed knowledge quickly and made employee of the month in no time. Maybe she needed to show him more of her abilities.
Elena rolled onto her back and stared up at the ceiling. It was concerning that her own mentor had a barrier erected around him. If she wanted to make it in time, she would need all the help she could get to catch up and learn all the necessary things to be a worthy Mambang.
Elena reached out for her phone. Through the cracked screen and at the corner of the wallpaper of a selfie of her and Vivian, was a small square widget. In big round letters were the words '345 days left'. It was the number of days left for the next Bayangan recruitment drive which she discovered back when she was at Bayangan's HQ.
"I hope Arif opens up…seems there's a long way left. Like I can't sense those Beings at the apartment until it was that close to me."
"Maybe I should set a progress check-in date…"
Elena fiddled with her phone for the calendar app but the laggy input and screen transition made it hard for her. This phone has been with her for the better part of the decade, tethering towards the end of its life, but Elena simply could not afford a replacement now.
Scrolling through her calendar app through the lag, she set a reminder for a month from today. Writing in, 'Check in progress.' as the reminder's name. She set her phone to her side and let out another long sigh, closing her eyes as exhaustion settled in.
"I wonder…if I can do it. Will all this be enough?"
As that thought came across, a vivid memory played in her mind. The voice of an older female very familiar to hers started to shout in her head.
"Do you think this is enough? I don't work hard just for you to get to 85%! Useless!"
As Elena set the reminder on her phone, a vivid memory resurfaced, transporting her back to her childhood home. She could almost feel the rough texture of the kitchen table under her elbows as she sat hunched over her report card, her mother's disapproving gaze boring into her.
"85%? That's the best you can do?" The familiar older voice was sharp, each word cutting into Elena like a knife. "You think this is enough? I don't work hard just for my daughter to come home with this result. Useless!"
Elena's throat tightened, hot tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. She wanted to defend herself, to explain how hard she'd worked, but the words wouldn't come.
The memory faded, but the sting lingered. Elena sighed, rubbing her temples as she shook that memory off, she was way too tired to be revisiting those times.
A lone strand of sunlight peeked through her curtains, shining directly on her eyes, eliciting a grumble from Elena. She reminded herself to get a sleeping mask.
She turned her body away from the window, letting the fatigue bring her to slumber.
***
Across town, the first rays of sunlight crept into the Tenang office. Ram entered the office, clocking in at the start of his work day when he noticed a certain employee hunched over his desk by the window.
"Oh Arif, you're still here?"
Arif glanced up with puffy eyes from being awake through the night. "Mornings, Ram. Yeah, just finished this report. Elena and I fought some Unseens at the Sri Mutiara apartment last night."
"Already? I thought that place would be fine for a few more weeks." Ram walked over to Arif's desk. "But it is way passed your shift, you need to sleep."
"Yeah, as annoying as paperwork is, I rather get this over with." Arif brought his shoulder blades back, stretching them. "Plus, I live upstairs remember? So, commute is non-existent." He said in a matter-of-fact tone.
"I'm not carrying you upstairs if you collapsed from exhaustion." Ram jabbed back playfully.
"How was Elena?" Ram continued.
Arif's face clouded with worry for a brief moment before he replied, "She's fine. Took out an Unseen by herself. It's just..." He trailed off, seemingly hesitant to continue.
Ram's brow furrowed, sensing Arif's unease. "Is there something important you're not telling me?"
"No, it's fine," Arif insisted, shaking his head. He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Am I really the right person to train this rookie?"
Ram fixed Arif with a steady gaze, his voice firm but understanding. "Yes, that's what mentors do. You've seen Elena's profile. She has great potential."
"But why me?" Arif's tone has a tinge of annoyance. "Wouldn't Joe be a better fit? He is the most senior Mambang here."
"Joe's going on that surveillance gig you passed up, remember?" Ram reminded him gently. "And Hani's not suited for frontline work. That leaves you, Arif."
Arif opened his mouth to protest but paused, realization dawning on him. Ram was right. He had passed the surveillance job to Joe, and now he was stuck with paperwork and mentoring a rookie.
"I guess I should've taken that surveillance job after all," Arif muttered, defeat creeping into his voice.
Ram chuckled softly. "Honestly, even if you were busy, I would still pick you to mentor her."
Arif gave his boss a puzzled look. "But why?"
Ram turned around, opening his office door. "You were once mentored by someone amazing, right? You, out of anyone else here, know what that looks like."
Ram's words struck a chord, and Arif found himself at a loss for words. He knew who Ram was referring to.
As Ram disappeared into his office, Arif leaned back in his chair, staring blankly at the ceiling. His hand instinctively slid into his pocket, fingers brushing against the familiar contours of a metallic keychain.
"Well played, Ram." Arif muttered under his breath.