Dream Walker

Chapter 23 | Explorers

"What do you want to do with your life?"

Though the sand felt coarse beneath her hands, the surface felt soft as a pillow beneath Callie's back. Her gaze was directed to the sky, rather than the glowing water, but she could still hear the rhythmic crashing of waves. She felt content and full after the chicken and couscous dish Alex made them for dinner. Honestly, with the pleasant temperature, the wave sounds, and the comfort of laying on the sand, she was close to falling asleep. Alex's response, which followed a pause of careful thought, interrupted her daze.

"I've trained my entire life to be a Guardian. My parents work for The Order, my brother works for The Order, so, naturally, I went along. I never questioned my life plan much." Alex's voice was wistful but not sad.

Without turning over, Callie knew he was stretched out like her, looking at the sky like it contained the answers they both sought. If only she had the ability to bring them both peace. "Then why bother with a college degree at the random school I chose? You could've just stalked me without taking classes."

He groaned. "I'm not stalking you."

"Says the professional stalker," she retorted.

"As for college," he continued, "I wanted to learn something outside what I've learned my whole life. Sure, I learned about the natural world and mathematics and writing during my training, but I wanted to...I don't know...feel normal, for once?" The words were soft and hesitant, as if he were confessing a sin. Callie understood exactly how he felt.

"If you weren't a Guardian, what would you do?" Callie asked. She was intrigued by the thought that his life had an inevitable course, just like her own. Neither had chosen their path but had instead been born into a certain life.

Alex let out a long breath. "I guess—I don't know. I've always been interested in history. When I was younger, I would watch videos about amazing discoveries at archaeological sites. I kind of wanted to be an explorer. Travel the world, find something that changes history as we know it." His laughter was awkward and embarrassed. "It sounds stupid now."

Callie chuckled softly. "I wanted to be a bus driver when I was a kid. You know, so I could see the world. That's what happens when you live in a small town." She dropped the humor from her tone and continued, "I think that's great. I hope you get a chance to pursue your dreams someday."

She turned her head to look at Alex. He was already gazing at her with a soft smile. "Maybe I'll run away to Antarctica, discover a lost civilization." The blue luminescence coming from the waves glinted off his white teeth and the ends of his glossy hair.

"I don't think there are any lost civilizations of humans in Antarctica. Penguins, maybe."

"Penguin explorer sounds good to me."

She shifted her gaze back to the sky, away from his playful mirth. Her guard had begun to drop around Alex. If anything, she should be more cautious talking to him, since he was probably required to report everything back to his secret illuminati overlords.

"So, what exactly is your job? Following me, reporting details of my life, interrogating me in alternate dimensions?" Callie asked neutrally. She felt Alex's eyes digging into the side of her face but refused to turn to meet them.

"I'm obviously failing at my job, since you shouldn't even know about it." His words were still light. He always avoided being serious when answering her questions.

"You've already failed, so why not tell me what I'm up against? What does your organization want with me?" Frustration began to seep into her voice.

"I told you, we protect humans from the dangers beyond our world, and you have the ability to open doors into those worlds. Until recently, you were unaware of your abilities. I was watching out for strange things. Once the attacks started, I began tracking down anything that had escaped through the veil to prevent it from doing any more damage." He spoke earnestly, yet she sensed there was more being held back.