1

“...”

I awake to something creaking above me.

My throat is as dry as can be. All I want right now is a glass of cold water, and my life will be complete.

A warm, muted orange light gleams through my half-open eyelids.

Above me is a ceiling fan, wobbling with each spin it takes. It looks like it’s about to fall apart at any second. When I try to move, the soft texture supporting my back groans ever so slightly.

It takes me a second to realize I’m laying down in bed.

The ceiling is white, and the walls around it are… pink.

Judging from the stony look, I’ll have to assume that this is probably one of the homes in the town.

As much as I want to jump out of bed right now, my vision slowly starts to fade back into slumber. Getting myself comfortable, I turn my body to the side. A deep breath is all it takes for me to notice that there’s something in front of me.

“Oh? Going back to sleep?” a breathy voice tingles my open ear.

“Don’t worry. I’ll be sure to keep you absolutely safe. You just lay there looking all cute. That’s all the payment I need. Ah, but don’t sleep too much. If you do, I’ll have to give you an earful later, ‘kay~?”

“...”

I open my eyes. I knew it…

“What are you doing, Cynthia?”

Her face is remarkably close to mine. Each breath she takes gently breezes across my face. The orange light coming from behind me illuminates her skin into a vibrant glow. She seems to be less tired than I am.

“Aw boo. I knew I shouldn’t have said anything.”

She places her hand on my head. The fabric that rustles from her movement makes me twitch. Her slender fingers course through strands of hair, each stroke of her movement loosening my muscles.

“I hope you’re not doing this to everyone. I don’t know if this is a God-approved activity,” I say weakly.

Chuckling, she continues her assault.

“You’re acting so shy. Any man would love to wake up next to a beautiful young lady. Well, I guess that part about you is what makes you cute.”

Her fingers curl around the back of my neck, playing with the ends of my hair.

“Again, not very holy of you.”

As much as I want to retaliate harder, she’s making it exceptionally hard to do so.

“Taking in a vampire isn’t exactly holy either, you know.”

I sigh. “I don’t know if I’ve seen anything in the Bible that mentions vampires.”

“Deuteronomy 12:23.”

“Gh… I guess.”

“Though I’ll argue that it doesn’t exactly apply to Evi…”

“Hm~? Did you say something?” she whispers while running her fingertip down my neck. This woman…! She knows exactly what she’s doing!

“I didn’t notice until now, but you have a really pretty neck.”

I feel like I’m forgetting something.

“It looks so pure and defenseless, it makes me want to bite it.”

What am I forgetting? What am I…

“I’m going to take a piece~!”

That’s right.

“Cynthia!” I leap up from the bed with intense speed. “Where’s Evi?!”

After a second of silence, the impish temptress pouts her cheeks, pointing at the corner of the room. When I look where she’s directing me, I see Evi sitting on a wooden chair against the wall, out like a light.

Seeing her peaceful slumber brings my shoulders back down.

“Thank God.”

“Just so you know,” Cynthia sits up, “I wasn’t going to let her take the bed with you. There’s no telling when a vampire would get hungry and try to attack you. Be grateful, I had to stay up all night keeping watch.”

Though her words linger, I look over to the nearby curtains. Pulling them away shines bright noon sunlight straight through the window. Realizing my critical error, I slam the curtains back shut.

That was close. I forgot vampires are weak to sunlight.

“Ngh…” Evi groans awake, scrubbing sleep from her eyes rather fiercely.

“Evi? Are you okay? The sun didn’t hurt you at all, did it?” She stares at me with a doll-like blank expression. Without saying another word, she hops off the chair and walks toward the curtains.

Placing her small hand on the fabric, she slides it open ever so slightly.

“Huh?”

Fixating on the unforgiving sunlight on her skin, I half expect it to start burning out of nowhere. But nothing happens. Just like nothing would happen to a regular human.

“Wait, but you said light hurts you,” I blurt out.

So wait, is she not a vampire then? What is going on?

Plopping back on the bed, Cynthia rolls around the sheets like a yearning cat. She’s wearing the spare nun habit that I had back in the car. She must have gotten it while I was out cold.

Seconds pass, and nothing happens to Evi’s arm. Does that mean she’s completely safe from the sun?

Grabbing the curtain myself, I slowly peel it to the side. Despite more of the sun pouring in, Evi doesn’t move an inch. Unable to stop myself, I continue until the entire room is covered in light.

Evi’s golden blonde hair shines in the sun, her skin glowing like a lightbulb. Amidst all that, her crimson eyes still stand out. Her serious expression fades into a smile as she places a hand on the window, looking out to the town.

“Rom, can you close the curtains? I’m trying to get some sleep here.”

The call of my name brings me back to reality.

“Huh? You’re going to sleep right now?”

“Yeaaah,” she stretches, scratching her arm in the meantime. “I was on lookout all night after all. The other vampire probably won’t attack you in the morning. At least, I hope so.”

“I’m surprised. You’re not worried about leaving me alone with Evi?”

“I am. But I also know you’re not weak enough to the point where a child would be able to get the upper hand on you. The Noblique guy will probably not attack you in the morning anyways, so we have some time before nightfall.”

Evi isn’t affected by sunlight, so there’s no telling Noblique isn’t the same… right?

There’s a clock just behind the bed, indicating that it’s 3 P.M.

“I see… I’ll uh, head out to investigate the town some more, and maybe find something to eat.”

Cynthia waves into the air dismissively, digging her face into the pillows.

My hand reaches out to grab Evi’s. There’s no strength in her arm, and she accepts it without any resistance.

“Do you wanna come with me?”

“You better take her,” a muffled voice remarks one last time before I hear snores a few seconds later.

I giggle. “I guess we should get going.”

Evi gives me a single nod.

…

We make it outside.

The humidity and harsh heat hit my entire body like a truck. Within seconds, I can feel sweat dripping down my armpits and forehead. In contrast, Evi seems to be completely fine. In fact, her cold hand refrigerates my own.

Still, that little bit of chill isn’t nearly enough to cool my entire body.

Now that it’s evening, I can see the aesthetic of the town much more clearly.

Every home we passed by last night is colored uniquely. The house we came out of is a vibrant pink, while the one right across the street from us is sea blue. Another house in the distance is yellow.

It reminds me of the sign I passed by, where each letter was also a different color.

“Ready to go? You’re sure you’re going to be okay?” I ask one last time.

Evi nods once.

2

We’re close to the plaza. As we walk through the empty town, Evi’s head spins left to right in a constant, rapid rhythm. Just before we enter the wide, open area, something alluring draws me in.

Long, large stairs all painted in white. It’s a bit hard to see where it leads. As much as I want to hurry, everytime I pick up the pace of my steps, I’m pulled back by Evi’s desire to take her time looking around the scenery.

“Oh!” It’s the first time I hear Evi gasping.

She’s looking at two large wooden doors to our left. On top is a sign painted with colorful letters, “Museo Comunitario Yucu Saa.”

It’s a building that doesn’t have any semblance of artificial color painted on it. The bricks are gray and look washed out. Despite that, it definitely has a sense of mystery. I’m no Spanish expert, but I guess that’s a museum.

“Do you want to go in?”

She doesn’t even answer, instead just tugging away at my arm.

“Okay, okay.”

Reluctantly, I follow her lead. She pushes over the door slightly, making it creak open.

The interior is rather dark, with little to no lights. There are multiple sunroofs for natural lighting, but the corners of the rooms are left relatively isolated. The museum seems a bit underwhelming, with there only being a few displays.

Letting go of my hand, Evi quickly rushes over to the carved stone blocks resembling a serpent and crocodile.

Evi doesn’t hesitate to plaster her hands all over what I assume to be an ancient artifact.

I instinctively lunge over to stop her, but halt midway. I guess there won’t be anyone to appreciate these artifacts anymore. Still, maybe I should tell her to leave history alone.

Besides stone carvings, there are closed glass boxes containing miniature clay pots. Still, even a humble museum is enticing enough to keep her entertained.

It’s been about ten minutes now, and she keeps circling around the same eight displays over and over all while smirking ear to ear. Each time she eyes one of them, it’s like she’s seeing them for the very first time.

If she really is royalty, I doubt she’d get this amused by something so random.

“Rom! Look!” she beckons me.

Her snowy pale fingers point at pictures of people behind a small, wooden boat. The pictures have people posing on top of the boat at sea. Since we’re in the mountains, I’m guessing this is from a nearby pond or lake.

Every single one of them is brimming with life. Some have fish on their hands, while others are simply pumping their fists into the air.

Squatting down, Evi inspects the worn down boat like a sacred treasure.

My lips curl into a smile, “Evi, do you want to do this one day?”

She cocks her head to her shoulder.

“After this is done, I’m pretty confident I can cure you from your vampirism. After that, we can come back and take this boat out for one last spin. There’s nobody else here anymore, so we might as well.”

“Yay! I. Want to!”

“It’s a deal then.”

She darts toward the exit with uneven little steps. Just as we do, my stomach grumbles. Evi suddenly turns around with concern coloring her face.

“Hungry? Need. Food?” she points at my belly.

“Yeah. I am kinda hungry.”

She nervously scurries away, desperately looking for something. I follow closely behind her, but she gets faster and faster with each step she takes. Lifting her head into the air, she sniffs loudly enough that even I can hear it.

“Dog?”

Hearing me, she sideeyes me, before continuing her search.

After a few minutes, we come to a sudden stop in front of an orange truck. On the surface it looks like an ordinary food truck, but Evi wastes no time in drawing her animalistic claws, ripping apart the metallic door on the side.

She crumbles it up like paper, before promptly tossing it to the side. The loud slam of metal echoes into the air, as she hastily makes her way inside the vehicle. I peek my head, and see her opening cabinets with little to no rhyme or reason.

Items fly over my head and bounce inside the truck. I guess this truck is one of those that keep their ingredients inside their vehicle. She opens the fridge, and takes out a piece of steak.

Evi rushes over, shoving the steak onto my face as if conducting a sacrificial ritual.

“Steak. Food. Blood.”

“Blood? Ah, I don’t need to drink blood to survive.”

Her shoulders deflate, as if disappointed in herself.

Does that mean she doesn’t remember eating food like a regular human?

Wait, so does that mean she’s been a vampire her wh⸺

“Sorry…” Evi’s cracked voice interrupts my train of thought. I accept her steak without another shred of hesitation. She raises her head, as if checking for my reaction to her offering.

“I can cook this up. Thank you, Evi.”

I place my hand on her head, rustling it with care. She forces her eyes shut, her hands closing into a fist as her head bobs side to side.

Strange. She hasn’t reacted like this before.

On the wall of the truck is a printed piece of paper. A menu of what the person running this truck used to sell. They’re pizza-like dishes that seem to be made of tortillas.

“Huaraches? Isn’t that a shoe in Spanish?”

“Well, I guess I can try to make this. But first…”

Grabbing the handle, I open up the concession window. Its metallic, bumpy sounds shaking the entire truck. As I do so, the sun gleams through, shining the metal grill and refrigerator inside.

Evi wastes no time hopping on top of the service counter, kicking her legs back and forth idly. Leaning forward, Evi places her elbow on her thighs, propping her head up on her hands.

“Looks like you’re excited to watch me cook.”

“Do you want anything? I remember you saying you don’t eat anything besides blood, right? Or, maybe I have that wrong?”

“I eat!” She points to herself.

“Alrighty then, prepare yourself for my exquisite skills.”

Glancing over the instructions back and forth, I lay out all the ingredients.

“Roll the masa harina into a ball, then smash down on the press until it’s flat.”

I piece together what little words I know from Spanish.

“Cook for… two minutes? Okay.”

…

“Spread black refried beans. I guess I’ll cook the meat while I’m at it.”

Snapping my focus away for just a second is Evi’s attentive stare. Each time I move, her eyes snap towards what I’m doing.

“My parents loved to cook.”

She looks at me curiously.

“Actually, my dad used to love cooking. My mom was good at it, but she hated it. I might be more on my mom’s side when it comes to that. Though, I wouldn’t say I’m necessarily good at cooking.”

“I. try.” she raises her arms up excitedly.

“Guess I’ll have to impress then.”

Crackling stovetop fire. The sweet aroma of seasoned meat. Sound of sizzling.

I lose myself. When I’m done, I realize nearly thirty minutes have passed. On my hands are two porcelain plates, both holding huaraches.

After placing them down on the service counter, I put my hands together into a ball and close my eyes.

“Father. Thank you for this meal…”

When I peek my open a bit, I notice Evi’s doing the same. Is she religious, or just imitating me?

“... I pray that we all end up a-okay at the end of this. Amen.”

“Aymen.”

When I unbundle my hands, Evi does the same, and she begins to dig in on the piping hot dish almost immediately. I guess she was hungry. I’m still not sure how her hunger situation works with normal food. Hopefully it actually does fill her up.

“Rom. No eat?”

“Ah, I’ll eat. Sorry.”

I grab onto the soft tortilla, pulling it up close towards my face. It’s piping hot, but its colorful presentation and irresistible aroma makes me bite down regardless. I was scared I might not have followed instructions correctly, but this is really, really good.

Judging from Evi’s rapid eating speed, I’ll have to say she likes it too.

3

I put the last of the dirty dishes away and step out of the food truck. Stretching my body, I let out a loud groan. Evi jumps down from the service counter and stands right next to me, reaching out for my hand.

“How was the food? Did you like it?”

She nods enthusiastically.

“I see. I’ll make you some more in the future then. I wasn’t expecting to like it that much.”

The sun’s still shining diligently. After closing up the truck, I start heading towards the main plaza. Surrounding us are long buildings with its gates closed shut. Near the top edges, faded letters tell me their purpose.

“Biblioteca. Municipio.”

Well, I know what biblioteca is.

“Hey, Evi.”

She turns to me curiously.

“Dónde está la biblioteca?”

Her face remains absolutely still. Realizing my mistake, I awkwardly turn my head back forward. Our shoes click against the stone floor, its sound amplified due to the emptiness of the town.

Eventually, we reach the large stairway that I was curious about earlier. Without hesitation, I start making my way up alongside Evi. There’s a white gate with metal bars at the top, but the letters are so faded that I can’t really tell what it says.

From the corner of my eye, I see the town we’re promptly leaving behind. It looks so full of life thanks to its abundant colors and culture plastered all around, but without its people, it feels like I’m exploring a gigantic museum or archaeological site.

When we reach the top, I immediately recognize what kind of world the gates were protecting.

“Escuela Progresista.” is written just on the furthest wall.

A primary school. The small doors on the gate is wide open, as if inviting anyone to step inside. Evi is a bit reluctant at first, but decides to go inside with me once she realizes that the gates are actually harmless.

The moment we enter, we’re greeted by an open hybrid between a soccer and basketball court. There are miniature buildings scattered all around it. Evi slides her hand away from me, and sprints all across the open area.

Just like at the museum, she’s drawn towards the classrooms. Instead of windows, there are white metal bars. They look rather rusted and could use a good replacement, but I’m more surprised they didn’t decide to have windows at all.

Come to think of it, every single classroom is like that.

Inside are wooden chairs and tables. Some look more ragged than others, but there isn’t a single one that looks pristine or new. Not to mention, they’re covered in splinters and broken pieces. It’s as if someone just contracted the local carpenter for this.

Well, since this is a relatively small town, I guess that isn’t entirely impossible.

Evi sprints inside of the classrooms, toying around with whatever is inside. Just as I get closer, I hear the sound of a closing zipper. By the time I make it to the class Evi is in, she has a blue backpack strapped on her back.

Peeking inside, there are countless materials and belongings still left behind.

Backpacks on the floor, half open textbooks, and even a cup with what smells like spoiled coffee on the teacher’s desk.

“I guess not even the children were spared…” I mumble to myself, before turning my attention back to Evi, who’s cheerfully twirling around in place.

“Do you like that backpack?”

She stops spinning, but stumbles around a bit.

“Oop. Did you get dizzy?”

“Mhm.” she nods while falling into a crouch.

Walking over to her, I start taking the backpack off her. She grips my hand, unwilling to let go of her new discovery.

“Evi. That belongs to someone else.”

“But. Nobody. Here.” she replies defiantly, her cheeks puffing in annoyance.

“I’ll get you one that belongs to you, how about that? Even though nobody’s here, this backpack probably has really, really important memories for someone. It’d be wrong to take it for yourself.”

She hangs her head in disappointment and reluctantly lets me take the backpack away. After returning it to the classroom, I come back outside to see Evi sitting on the ground, curled up with half of her face digging into her chest.

“Evi… I’ll get you a new one.”

Shaking her head, she says something in a muffled voice.

“Huh? What was that?”

“Where. Others?”

Ah. So that’s what’s going on. Vampire or not, she is a kid after all.

I sit on the ground across from her, leaning my back on the classroom wall.

“I’m sorry, Evi. I actually don’t know where everyone is. We actually came here to find that out. Are you feeling lonely?”

She gives me a noncommittal nod.

“Aw.” I pat her on the head, “I’m sure we’ll find everyone eventually. Once we do, everything in this town will be back to normal. Then, we can eat all the huaraches we want.”

Nothing I say seems to brighten her mood.

Sighing, I lean back.

“Evi.”

She raises her head slightly.

“Obviously we don’t speak the same language. Maybe if I was a bit more attentive in my studies I would have been able to decipher a word or two from you by now. It sucks that we can’t communicate properly, and it sucks that the only person you could talk to, was Noblique.”

“Everyone’s missing. I hope we find them. But for that, I doubt that Cynthia and I will be able to take down Noblique alone.”

“To be honest, I want to let you stay behind to be safe. But we both know that’s not going to happen. For one, we have someone who just absolutely doesn’t trust you one bit. And I guess I don’t want the risk of you getting attacked by another monster or something.”

Evi crawls to my side, resting her head on my arm.

“I know it’s hard, but I hope you know Cynthia hates you because of how she was raised. Once we cure your vampirism, I bet she’ll warm up to you in no time. I haven’t had the chance to tell you this, but thank you for saving her in battle last night.”

“She’s someone extremely precious to me, and I don’t know how I would have gone on without her. It really, really means a lot to me that you saved her.”

She rubs her head on my arm affectionately.

“Heh. You really do remind me of a dog. Or maybe you’re more of a cat.”

This time, she doesn’t pout. She doesn’t even look at me.

I wonder what she’s thinking about.

I wish I could understand her.

“Ah, I have a great idea!” Evi looks at me with a perplexed face.

“Once we finish all this, how about you teach me your language, and I teach you mine? That way, we won’t ever have trouble understanding each other.”

For a split second, I see her smile, before she reverts back to the position we were in. I really, really don’t know what she’s thinking.

The warm sun, the exhaustion. It all makes me so weary.

It doesn’t help that we ate a bunch earlier too. Before I know it, Evi’s already fallen asleep beside me. Her little chest rises up and down rhythmically. Her mouth is half open, but seems to be relatively at peace.

Seeing her like this makes me want to sleep as well.

“Ahh… I bet you also stayed up all night, didn't you?”

“What a lucky man I am, to have two women looking… out…”

“For… me…”

My eyelids forcefully come to a close. No matter how much I try to fight it, not an ounce of strength jolts my body back awake. As my consciousness fades into the land of dreams, I see a distinct, dress-like silhouette in the distance, standing on top of one of the building’s roofs.

That’s funny. It looks like…

Before I can conjure another thought, I succumb to slumber.

4

“Agh. She’s going to kill me…”

I messed up. I fell asleep for far longer than I should have because it’s already nighttime. Evi’s still fast asleep, her arms are wrapped around my neck and I’m carrying her on my back like a backpack.

My arms are locked on her legs, which poke out forward from my middle sides. I didn’t notice earlier, but going just right from the school gates leads to a sloped road, which takes me directly back to the house.

I can see its unique silhouette in the distance, but the lights don’t seem to be on.

The sand and the sloped road nearly makes me slip for the fourth time. Then, a grumbling sound muddies my hearing.

“Hm? Are you hungry, Evi?”

She’s still asleep.

As I draw closer to the house, a familiar silhouette slowly fades into my line of sight. She’s leaning against the wall with one leg behind her and her arms crossed. Despite being sandwiched between two streetlamps, she’s somehow found a small unlit spot to wait in.

“She’s going to kill me. I’m going to die. Evi, I might not be able to fulfill my promises after all.”

Once she notices me, her eyes narrow into a fiery glare. Immediately I feel the sting, making my skin crawl. It’s the same look she gives her enemies just as she’s about to kill them.

Raising my hand, I greet her as casually as possible, “H-Hey, Cynthia.”

No matter how hard I try to force it, the fear still manages to slip inside my tone.

“My, look who decided to come back~!” she calls out to me with an unmistakable edge in her voice. She’s smiling, but not at the same time.

I stop in front of her. Not far enough to where I need to speak up, but just enough to run away if necessary.

Though, I doubt I’ll be able to outrun her.

“Hey there, Cynthia.”

“Hey Rommy. Would you mind telling me where you’ve been this entire time? I would definitely love to know. Ah, and don’t even try to tell me lies.”

R-Rommy? Oh no.

“I can explain, Cynthia. I just got a little distracted, is all. You were really tired, right? I figured if I was out the entire day, you’d be pumped and ready to go by nightfall. In the end, it all worked out.”

The nun stares at me blankly. If this was a cartoon, I’d definitely see her pop a vein.

“Hmmm, you got distracted, is all. I see.”

Her words and tone imply complete opposite things.

“I guess if you get distracted by sightseeing, cooking, and even napping, then I guess it’s something that just happens. Something we just brush off with an oh-well. After all, my cute partner Rom Sivongsa would never slack off, right?”

“Slack off is a bit harsh, don’t you think? I was still investigating the city.”

“Were you now?!” She exaggerates a dropped jaw before returning to a deadly smile. “I see then! Can you tell me if you managed to check up on the corpse the vampire was feeding on back at the market? Is the body still there?”

I gulp audibly. The sound is all that she needs to let out an exasperated sigh.

“I knew it. Well, I knew from the beginning anyway.”

Wait. Yeah. How did she know I did all those things with Evi in order?

Could that silhouette I saw on the classroom roofs have been…

“While you were asleep, I had to check it out,” she interrupts my thought. “As expected, the body isn’t there. As of right now, we’re at a dead end.”

“Wait, Cynthia. Before we continue, were you watching from a distance? If you weren't, that's fine, but I was just curious since you happened to know stuff that happened throughout the day.”

She comes closer to me. Her steps echo in this otherwise silent night.

Leaning forward, she whispers into my ear, “What do you think?”

Well, clearly she doesn’t trust me enough to be left alone. Wait, does that mean that the silhouette I saw at the school was…

“Nmgh…” Evi rubs her forehead against my back, lifting her drowsy face. Unwrapping her arms, she rubs her eyes.

“Oh look. The disgusting bloodsucker is awake.”

“Come on, Cynthia, there’s no reason to talk about her like that. Vampire or not, she still has feelings. Plus, look at some of the upsides. She did save you earlier from our fight against Noblique.”

Her face darkens at my last remark. This is nothing like the vibe she was giving just a few seconds earlier. She’s seriously mad. I have to back away now or she’ll have no problems ripping me a new one.

“That’s right. The vampire did save me. Ahhh, if only I died back then. If that happened, then I wouldn’t have been tainted by some sinful creature.”

“Hey. That’s not fair, and you know it. For all we know, Evi could have been turned.”

Taking another step forward, she stares deeply into my soul. No matter how hard I try to look away, all I see are her blank eyes.

“Evi this, Evi that. I’m doing you a massive favor for even willing to entertain the idea of curing a vampire. She might have helped us push back Noblique, but she was NOT necessary to win.”

“Okay, listen. I’m sorry. I’ll do better from now on.”

Cynthia clicks her tongue and starts walking away. After a few seconds, she stops, glaring over her shoulder. “I’m going to look for Noblique. Are you coming with me? Or are you going to tuck her into bed too?”

…

Ugh…

I let Evi off.

“Evi, are you okay to keep looking for Noblique?”

Staring deeply at Cynthia’s back, she nods without even giving me a glance.

“Okay.”

Hearing my confirmation, the disgruntled nun continues to take the lead on her own.

“What’s with her?”

It could just be the lack of sleep. If she really did spy on us the entire way, that means she didn’t get any at all. Anyone would be easily volatile when they’re sleep-deprived, so I understand that part.

Grabbing Evi’s hand, we start walking forward. Even though she’s only a few feet away from me, it feels like there’s an uncrossable gap between the two of us. Her movement is rigid and tense, as if she’s ready to fight at any moment.

Every part of my body is telling me to call out to her, to apologize. But the words just don’t come out.

“Cyn⸺” I stop myself. I don’t know if she heard me or not.

I close my eyes for a mental reset. That’s right, I’ll have plenty of chances to apologize later. I think if I said sorry now, then she might end up getting even angrier.

Something pointy prickles my backhand. Thinking I have some plant stuck somewhere, I gaze down at the source, but only see Evi’s pale hand.

Just then…

I see a shade of red coloring her hair.

“Evi…?”

My call makes her jolt, and everything snaps back to how it’s supposed to. The prickle on my hand immediately disappears, and Evi creaks her head towards me as if nothing happened.

I might be going crazy, but I swear she seemed like an animal just now.

Hold up⸺

“Cynthia, wait!” My instincts get the better of me, breaking the barrier seconds after it was erected.

She turns around, standing still with a hand on her hip. Her hair sways freely as the wind howls.

“Evi, do you think you can sniff out Noblique?”

“Noblique. Smell? Dog?”

I try to hold in my laughter. “Yeah, like a dog.”

Pouting, she punches my leg lightly before raising her head as high as she can in the air. With her eyes closed, she starts making her way forward, eventually overtaking Cynthia. She doesn’t seem at all aware that we’re standing still, and she doesn’t stop to check either.

Shrugging my shoulders at Cynthia, we follow closely behind her.