The Enemy Beside Me + The Liar Beside Me (Book 1 and 2)

Chapter 23

EIEN HAS REQUESTED PERMISSION to go off for a gander in the garden. Seeing as there was nothing to do aside from eating and drinking, Alasdair gave us a single nod.

Declan is sleeping, mostly because he's eaten too much. He now occupies the settee. If he were awake, I'm sure he'd have shoved me and yelled at Eien to choose him instead.

The garden is much simpler than I initially thought. There's a huge stone shaped like a cone. Wait, no. It's a mountain; its top is painted white, y'know, like snow. Surrounding it are unusually shaped rocks. I don't know if I'm reading too much into it, but somehow, they look like deformed humans, as if they got cursed and are now trapped inside these rocks forever. Their screams are unheard. Well, that's too creepy, so I shake my head, willing those negative images to go away.

Not so far from the rocks is a large pond. It's the home of those colourful and beautiful fish. I've heard of these fish before but can't recall what they're called. All I know is that people think they bring luck. People who don't worship the right God, I bet.

It strikes me as wrong. Alasdair is the last person I would have thought who had faith in fortune.

There's a temple that seems to have been abandoned for a long time now. To get there, we have to cross an arched bridge; its gap from the pond is big enough for a boat to pass through. I know this because there is a boat underneath it.

I whistle, scanning the environment with wide eyes. 'Now, this is what I call a garden! I can have this too, but you know, I'll need a mansion first, and I don't have that.'

'By your tone, I assume you are amazed?'

'Yeah? Duh.'

'But knowing Yamato-kun so far, this could have been...bigger. Better.'

I stare at him sceptically. 'Chap, this is already an extravagant garden. But yeah, this should be bigger, knowing Alasdair. And I say that ironically, since the purpose of a garden is to embody a simple lifestyle. Unless I got that information wrong? The Yamato had built this garden next to a mansion that screams, "Hey, we are too freaking rich, see?" Get it?'

'I get it,' he says, avoiding me again, creating a distance between us.

I then notice a small bamboo fountain. It pours out water endlessly onto the jagged stone beneath it. 'What a beautiful place. I wouldn't mind if I got locked in here,' I say.

'Could you please be normal at one point?' Eien says, with a flat voice. He isn't looking at me. I doubt he's interested in me at all. He's occupied with everything but me. The boat rocks as he draws a circle in the air. Envy pinches me. How does Eien effortlessly manage his power despite being a small child?

He taught me how to breathe last night, and let me tell you: it was so damn right impossible! When I first heard that we had to do some breathing exercises, I laughed at him. I told him, 'You think this is a challenge? Come on...' Yes, I made myself a fool. Not only couldn't I empty my mind, but I also couldn't sit down still, even for a minute.

Words and images crowded my mind every time I tried to shut them down. It was as though they refused to go. The penny had dropped. I listen to loud music, watch rubbish videos, and imagine nonsense things to distract myself.

When Eien said I could try again tomorrow, I cursed and chastised him, telling him how stupid and cruel he was for putting me in such turmoil. Then guilt scattered all over me, but I couldn't bring myself to apologise, as always. Eien didn't take it personally and said he'd expected it to be a failure on the first try. 'But just because you've failed now doesn't mean you can't try again.'