Harm and Harmony

-Chapter 89-

Day: 120

Days Left: 5360

Lives Saved: 0

Spluttering and coughing out water, Harmony dragged herself along the shore then collapsed on the sand. Her body trembled and heaved from the cold, now drenched from being in the sea. Finally catching her breath, Harmony sat up and placed the lantern on her lap, the emerald wisp swirled around inside.

She had been using the wisp to find her mask that she had lost in the ocean. Not only was the wisp a good light source to be able to see down in that abyss but also would be drawn to anything magical, like the mask. Unfortunately, the wisp made no reactions and had sensed no mask. Harmony knew it must be somewhere nearby, but in her human form, she was limited in how far she could swim. Her gut told her that the mask was likely where the water nymphs inhabited, creatures that she would stand little chance against with her weak body.

She needed to become stronger.

She needed her mask.

Standing up, Harmony squeezed her hoodie, wringing out as much water as she could. She gazed up at the darkened sky where the closed portal was, at least where she thought it would be. Without the rock spire, it was difficult to pinpoint the exact location. All that was left was a crumbling pile of rocks that peeked out on the low tide.

After a long moment of silently staring up at the sky, Harmony heard whispers and footsteps coming from further up the beach. She glanced in the direction of the noise, spotting the pack of imps watching her from a distance. They muttered amongst themselves, occasionally pointing at her.

Hoping that they would not initiate a fight, Harmony kept her ground. If she tried to run or leave, they would likely see it as fear or weakness and attack. But if she acted like she wasn't afraid then perhaps they would leave her alone. Whatever she chose to do, Harmony knew that she couldn't let them know that she had lost her mask.

The imps inched closer, their spears directed at Harmony. Eventually, they were only a few metres, the tip of their blades almost poking at her legs and arms.

Harmony gave them a sideways glare whilst still pretending to be occupied with something else as if to show that their presence was of little threat.

At first, startled and jostled by this, the imps huddled closer together and continued to move forward.

On instinct, Harmony took one step towards them and let out a ferocious roar.

The imps were silent, staring back at the young woman. Then they broke, erupting into high-pitched laughter and cackles. Skipping, they circled around Harmony, chanting and singing, occasionally jabbing their spears at her, finding that she had no mask.

Harmony made a swing for one of the imps with her shortsword, but it easily evaded, her movements too slow. One of the imps lunged forwards, and she retreated back, closing her eyes. After a second, realising that she had not been hurt, Harmony opened her eyes, seeing the imps in a hysterical laughing fit as the spear's blade had stopped right before her.

Circling once more around the young woman in victory, the imps then left out of sight, still cackling and pulling faces at her.

As soon as they had disappeared, Harmony collapsed onto the sand, clutching at her chest in a futile attempt to calm her thunderous heartbeat.

How could she have frozen at such a moment? How could she have been scared?

She had faced more terrifying, more dangerous foes than a pack of imps. Even before she had her mask, she had defeated stronger monsters. But having spent so much time as The Chimaera, she had forgotten how to be strong as a human. Without the armour of the monster, all that was left was human weakness and fear.

She needed her mask back.

With the day drawing to a close and the night now in charge, Harmony returned back to the house, hoping that tomorrow would be more fruitful.

*

Closing the front door behind her, Harmony noticed Corinna was asleep on one of the armchairs with her notebook in her hand almost slipping out of her fingers.

Looking down at her damp clothes and how they hung to her figure, showing how thin she was, Harmony didn't want Corinna to wake and see her. So, quietly, she tip-toed over and gently took the notebook, placed it on the coffee table, then covered the sleeping woman with a blanket.

"Harmony?" Corinna stirred awake, her eyes flickering open. A slight warmth enveloped in her cheeks, seeing Harmony tucking a blanket around her, then the feeling faded as she noticed the young woman's damp hair and clothes. "You're trying to find your mask, aren't you? That's what you've been doing whilst I've been at Ivette's these past few days."

"Yeah..." Harmony nodded.

"Any luck?"

"No..." Harmony sat down in the armchair opposite. "I think the tide must have taken it further away."

"Oh... I'm sorry."

"It's alright." Harmony forced a smile. "I'll probably get a replacement eventually." Her eyes caught a glimpse of dried blood on Corinna's shoulder, where her dress sleeve had been torn. "You're hurt-"

"It's already mostly healed. Nothing big," Corinna covered it up with the blanket. After a moment of hesitation, she continued, "it was the woman with the glasses. The one that tried to steal our food."

Harmony remained but silent, but listened, hearing the pain in Corinna's voice.

"She lost all of her memories. I- I thought that she would feel better if I told that I was to blame. She... didn't take it very well. I think I felt that I needed to tell her because it would make me feel better instead. Of course, it wouldn't help her..." Corinna swallowed, wiping her watering eyes. "She said she woke up in The Land of the Lost."

"Yeah. She'd be safer hidden there than out in the open where any monster could eat her." Harmony paused, realising wondering why Corinna brought it up. "Why? What happened..."

Hesitating, Corinna answered, "she was trapped there for three days."

"She..." Harmony covered her mouth, imagining what it would have been like. "I'm sorry, it's all my fault, I-"

"No." Corinna shook her head. "It's mine. I told you to take her, to deal with her. I just wanted the problem to go away, to disappear..." Her voice breaking, Corinna allowed her tears to finally escape. "I should have helped her."

"Corinna..." Harmony knelt down in front of Corinna, placing her hands on top of hers.

Corinna wrapped her arms around Harmony's neck, pulling her into a desperate embrace which the young woman immediately returned. "You would have wanted someone there when you woke up and had no memories... wouldn't you?"

Harmony wavered. "Yes." She clung onto Corinna tighter. "I would have."