Another world, Celeste

Chapter Nineteen, pt 2

For the past week, Maya has been coming along with Bane and me to the sanctuary mainly because I don't have a security pass, unlike Maya who has an all-access pass. The other reason is that due to the incident with the unsealed tainted monster happening within the boundary of the sanctuary, that area is officially closed off until the investigation team comprising of only Lord Sol, Luna and Maya concludes there are no other threats. Additionally, the monsters' unrest is subsiding rather quickly as evident of me spreading 'Serenity' at various possible hotspots that Amber leads us to. All the while, I'm only blindly following her around as an awe-struck tourist soaking in the spectacles of spirits, monsters and magical beast co-existing in the same space.

Amber waves us over with a pleasant smile when we arrive and I don't have to turn my head to know that Maya already disappears off to somewhere without a word. Her vanishing doesn't even surprise me anymore since she does it often. One moment I would see her in the kitchen and when I turn my back just for a second, she's gone. A few hours later, I would find her either tending to the herb garden or coming out of the walk-in freezer, carrying potion bottles with murky liquids. Point is Maya would always reappear somewhere nearby and people are always coming to me when they need something from Maya like I'm some sort of her secretary.

Amber says today is the day to check on a long-time resident of the sanctuary. Along with a team of healers working with the keepers, we enter the rainforest where barely any sunlight passes through the tall trees. It's quiet, except for the sound of crying insects and the surrounding looks gloomy but not daunting, feels more like the glum of the world covered in grey during heavy rainfall. Everyone walks without saying a word and the healers are taking notes whenever we pass by plants and mosses and marking the location of their findings on their own map. Eventually, the quietness is disturbed by the sound of roaring water.

At the sign of the lead keeper, we stop then he turns around facing us and ask, "Alright, who wants to go?"

"Not me."

"Nor I. The least experience should do it."

"I was already my turn the last time. Someone else do it."

Me who is the only one oblivious to everyone's reluctance asks Amber for an explanation.

"There's a particularly stubborn resident that lives in a cave behind the waterfall. The previous director found him severely wounded and brought him here for recovery. Since then, he's been living in solitary and we have tried everything for him to mingle with a member of his kin, but it always leads to a fight instead."

"Could he be traumatised by something?"

"That is what we suspect, but we can't do anything unless he resolves to confront his fears."

It could be because I empathise with that emotion that I volunteer to go. Amber warns that I might not receive a warm welcome and that I should maintain my distance, but at times like these, my reliance on Bane's strength raises the expectations of the keepers. The lead keeper decides to accompany Bane and me to the site much to Amber's delight who is staying behind with her colleagues.