KINGSTON, ⁿᵉᵗᵉʸᵃᵐ

IV.

꒰ 🥥 ꒱ؘ ࿐ ࿔*:･ﾟ
CHAPTER IV.
otherwise known as

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-ˋˏ ༻ Hideout ༺ ˎˊ-

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Night was always the quietest time compared to the day.

People traded in their voices for their dreams. Animals slept soundlessly. Leaves swayed softly in the wind. No waves clashed against the grainy sand. Everyone and everything understood when it was time to settle down.

So why was it that Neteyam couldn't do the same thing?

He was most definitely not a night owl. He was the type of person who would go to bed early in order to wake up before others did; it made him feel more productive. He viewed sleeping in as wasting your life away. Being an early bird was the only way he functioned.

Yet there he was, laying in his bed and staring at the ceiling. He had already tried different methods to help him fall asleep — counting down from a hundred, blinking rapidly, meditating, everything he could think of. Still, not an ounce of drowsiness made itself present.

Neteyam sighed quietly as he sat up and looked at his family fast asleep around him. His eyes settled on his brother's huddled frame, where he snored loudly. He softly nudged Lo'ak's back with his foot to shut him up, but then kicked harder when it only prompted his snores to become louder.

He rolled his eyes in annoyance. Even in his sleep, Lo'ak found a way to get on his nerves. The eighteen year old untucked himself and stood up, stretching to get rid of the tension throughout his body. He slowly made his way outside, making sure to do so as quietly as possible to prevent waking his family up.

A light breeze passes by just as he steps out of his home. He inhales a deep breath as he takes in the quiet atmosphere. He wondered if all nights were like this — calm and peaceful — or if it was because somehow the world knew he needed this. A gentle smile washes across his face when another breeze passes by. This time, however, a familiar scent follows, making him freeze in his place.

For a second, the air smelled like brine and seaweed. Others might have assumed it was just coming from the ocean and shrugged it off, but to Neteyam it was different. There was a distinct sweetness to it.

His gentle smile turns into a full on grin as he begins walking to the direction where the smell came from. His steps were silent and calculated to avoid alerting the other residents and the person he was following. He was on high alert as he carefully watched for any movement.

Although, the further he went from the premises and into the wood section of the island, the less confident he became about who he was following. To make matters worst, the familiar smell was becoming more and more faint. He was relying on the footsteps markings left on the soft dirt ground that led him to a tree, before suddenly disappearing.

He was left puzzled. How? I was right on her tail, he wondered. It's like she vanished.

"Why are you following me?"

Neteyam let out a shout of surprise at the sudden voice behind him, whirling around as he held his hand to his heart. There Fysuru'u stood, a glare fixated on him and her arms crossed defensively over her chest. She was slightly scowling, one of her sharp teeth barely peeking out from her top lip.