Afraid of the Dark

Chapter 23: Something So Simple

They couldn't sleep.

Even before Reela showed up, they just couldn't relax. Not for a moment.

But after she left, it wasn't just restlessness. They couldn't stop thinking. They couldn't stop questioning everything. Why did Reela show up? Why did she sit and talk to them?

And why did they answer her?

Why, in their right mind, would they have told her anything that she was asking for? Now, they have no idea what might happen because of this. They just gave Reela a look at potential weaknesses. They showed her a moment of vulnerability. Why? They know she's dangerous, but they may have just handed her the loaded gun to turn on them.

Reela clearly doesn't have Mind Magic. She can't with her Tene-Medeis. So how did she manage to get them talking last night?

Or, it's something else. Maybe Reela wasn't looking for their weaknesses as a weapon, but rather, to try to... help? That makes even less sense. They've given her no reason to trust or even like them, and that goes both ways. Granted, Reela has yet to really deceive them as they have her, but what if this is her attempt at turning the tables?

Which brings them back to wondering if she's trying to weaken them.

That train of thought ran on a loop all the way through morning. After Reela was gone, they opened their bottle of wine and by the time the sun came up, it was empty.

And now they pace the floor of their room. Their fingers irritably tap their bicep with their arms crossed. Every other time they pass the mirror above the fire, their eyes fall to the scar across their cheek. Reela did that to them. She broke them.

And she's still breaking them.

This isn't even the work of her magic. The Dark is powerful, but Reela alone is a danger if she's able to poison people's thoughts like this. She worked her way into their head and somehow made them open up about things they've kept buried under six feet of ice and snow.

They need to know how she's doing it and why. But if they go to her so soon after their talk, she might realize that they're cracking. They can't let her see their fear of her. No - they simply can't be afraid of her. They shouldn't be. They've seen plenty of her vulnerabilities already. What's to stop them from exploiting them?

They stop in front of the fire to look up at their reflection. Something about their face looks different to them, but they can't place it. The scar distracts from everything else in their eyes. But they can't stare for long when there's a sudden knock at the door. They jump and their hands and the fireplace both flare up, but they take a deep breath and turn around to look at the door.

'Reela wouldn't be back already, would she?'

Avinalyn straightens out their shoulders and holds their head higher. "Come in," they say coldly, but their voice also sounds off. But still, they can't figure out what it is.

The door swings open, and Mog rushes in. "Hey Boss! Guess who's back!" she beams and happily bounces in her place. "It's me. It's Mog. I know it's been a while, but hi!" she waves enthusiastically from across the room.

Avinalyn's shoulders slump a bit and their head also drops a little, but they sigh. "Mog..." they clear their throat and try reassessing their mind to focus, but their thoughts keep nagging at them. "Welcome back," they say and Mog gushes.

"Aw, thanks Boss!" she hurries over and stops in front of them. "Utopia was great! Unity City is so fascinating in a 'wow, everyone here is in a funny sacrificial cult' kinda way! And I got you a gift," she reaches into her bag and pulls out a live pigeon.