Dawnpoint

Chapter 7

Micah hadn't slept.

His body hated him. His eyes felt like they'd melted into the back of his head, and his hands shook despite feeling heavy. Tingling sensations settled uncomfortably on his chest as he peered through his bedroom window after reading his analogue clock.

The once relaxing and soothing sunrays had morphed into wicked torches that burned his arms as he stood. His tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth, and he felt as though there was a leather binding around his throat, tightening with each swallow as he gripped the windowsill and flitted his eyes back and forth across the devilish environment in front of him.

The violence threatened by the atramentous sky littered with flecks of ash cast polluted energy to the withering oaks and wildlife. A noxious mist of his body odour veiled over him, and he gagged, finally looking away from the greying world before him. He threw his hand over his mouth and squeezed his eyes shut as the burning contributed to his throbbing head.

Casting a final, frantic glance outside, he gasped.

There were no withering plants, no volcanic ash swirling through the sky, only the flourishing town of Aeston with its inhabitants occupied with their ordinary morning routines.

He rushed to get a shower, wishing to rid himself of the pungent smell and ran downstairs.

Kato greeted him with a smile as she turned toward him and placed a plate of French toast on the table. She wore a thin jacket over her bed shirt and sat on one of her legs, the other dangling off the chair. He swallowed as she cut into her toast and saw small pieces of mold on the ingredients scooped onto her fork.

"Don't eat that," he rushed out as she put it in her mouth.

"Why?" she asked. "It tastes fine."

"There's mold." He pointed at her plate and then his. "The foods off. You're going to get ill."

She frowned and checked her plate, moving everything aside with her fork.

"Micah, there's nothing here."

And indeed, there wasn't.

When he looked back, the food was almost glistening with heat and no mold in sight.

"I'm just gonna get some fresh air," he excused himself.

He never even entertained the breakfast before he grabbed his coat and headed to the café, sending a message to Levi.

He greeted Ari with a small nod, and she served him his coffee before leaving him, knowing it was probably best to not start a conversation.

Checking the lid and liquid, he sighed as he saw it was perfectly fine and slouched in his seat, plugged his laptop charger into the wall, and began his research – ensuring he faced the other tables so no one could see his screen.

He swept through various conspiracy blogs and videos about alternate universes, noting down any possible explanations that could describe the bizarre events at Choi mansion. However, none of them truly fit what was happening, either not making sense or seemingly such a far stretch that it was impossible.

He exhaled sharply through his nose as he tried to read up on quantum mechanics, not understanding any of it.

The bell at the café entrance rang softly and a pair of light footsteps approached him as Levi perched on a chair at the opposite side of the table and grinned.

"Good morning," he said and pulled his bag onto his knee.

Micah grunted and closed his laptop slightly, taking his cooling coffee into his hands and sipping it. Levi pulled out his own laptop, turned it on, and shoved the bag on the floor, careful to not cause any pieces of paper to spill out.