Beyond the Veil

Chapter 28

Sera was in shock and amazement at what she had seen. She saw something that wasn't meant for the human eye. She only wondered more about Saul and his life as a human. Every time she gets answers she seems to only have more questions.

They walked down the path of the mountain, the path down was much easier than the path up. They walked together slowly to her car, parked next to the Shadow Woods sign that hung under a flickering street light on the empty road. Sera didn't realize how late it was.

Sera didn't feel right. She felt very tired. "Saul, I don't feel well." He held her gently to give her support.

"The portal will do that. Let me drive you home."

She nodded and handed him the keys to her car. He opened the passenger side door for her, and she climbed in, sinking into the seat. It was really weird being in the passenger seat of her own car.

As he climbed into the driver's seat, the motor sprung to life, and he gently reversed onto the street. His hands and feet were so methodical, she didn't realize her car could drive this smoothly.

As she stared out the window, the glow of the moonlight cast its spell on the landscape. Shadows danced across the empty road as they drove, and the stars above twinkled like distant promises of otherworldly secrets.

The world she had come to know was beyond her wildest imaginations. She looked over at Saul, who was focused on the road in front of him, and found herself very grateful for the time they have spent together.

She must be very tired...

Sooner than Sera would have liked, Saul pulled into the parking lot of her apartment. Sera's lips fell into a frown. She didn't want this to be over.

"You know..." Sera started, "if you still need to be healed more, you can come inside."

He gave her a small lopsided smile, as he looked at her from the corner of his eye. "You seem tired." He protested lightly.

"No, I'm not. I promise." Sera said as a loud yawn escaped past her unwilling lips. A wave of embarrassment ran up her neck, as she pulled her purse more closely into her chest.

His smile widened slightly, "I'll see you off to sleep."

As he stepped out of the car, he got the door for her. She suddenly felt guilty for asking him to stay.

"Well... you need to be healed right?" Sera asked in confirmation.

"I sure do." He said, sticking his hand out to help her out of the car.

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Sera could not contain her yawns. She couldn't believe how tired she was, looking at the clock, it read 10:30. It wasn't that late.

She wrapped a blanket around herself and they went upstairs to sit in her bedroom. She was second guessing having invited him inside, but there is no turning back now. Even if it seemed like an odd offer, she didn't want him to leave, and she hoped he didn't want to leave either.

She sat on her bed, and looked to see him frowning at her broken bedroom window.

"The owner of this place wouldn't fix your window?" Saul asked with a frown.

"Well... I didn't tell him yet." Sera admitted sheepishly.

"Why not?" Saul asked curiously.

"Well... I'm just nervous." Sera admitted.

Saul's frown deepened at this. "I'll take care of it for you." Saul said decisively.

"No." Sera replied, her voice adamant. "No, I'm going to find someone to fix it."

It was hard to tell, but it looked like Saul scowled at this.

"It's not a big deal, I just can't afford to lose my deposit."

His frown deepened further, and he turned to study her temporary bed sheet contraption on the window. Although unhappy about her not wanting his help, he didn't say anything further.

After another yawn, Sera wrapped a blanket around herself and settled into her bed.

"I guess I should apologize for invading your house. I didn't know it was yours." Sera said as she thought about exploring the old house.

"It doesn't matter. Although I pass it every now and then, it has been a long time since I've considered it my home."

"Even still..." Sera didn't finish her sentence. She watched the ceiling fan turn, feeling worn out, but warm in the blankets. "You always arrive just in time, how do you do that?"

"I don't know, Sera. I worry about you. I try to stay close when I can." Saul replied.

"I felt you in the forest, when they took me away. I know how you felt." Sera said softly, feeling her eyelids weighing down on her.

"I was going to go after you, but I figured you were already stressed and I didn't want to add to it." Saul said, subtly changing the topic away from how upset it made him seeing her get ushered into a cop car.

It took him by surprise how quickly he began to care for her. He had experienced a lot of loss in his life, and he never expected to have to care for someone again. It was a lot of work protecting the fragile vibrancy that he cherished so much about her. Precious, sweet, delicate mortal life... A bittersweet smile graced his lips as he found himself lost in thought, reflecting on the time they had spent together that night.

Her curiosity and openness had touched something deep within him, reminding him of a time when he was still living in a world full of wonder and possibilities. As troublesome as it was, her determination and courage had not gone unnoticed by him, even when she used it against him.

She really had changed so much, and come so far, to be the formidable, tenacious, young woman, and the seeker of knowledge she is today. He had changed so much as well...

He looked over to her and watched her sleeping soundlessly in her bed. The broken window wrestled with the cloth she had upholstered upon the wall. He shook his head, she was such a silly, troublesome girl. It was refreshing.

In the serene night, bathed in the gentle moonlight, a profound realization washed over him. For so long, he had remained in distant solitude. Yet, in this fleeting moment, he pondered the significance of her presence in his life.

Amid his solitary existence, she had stirred something new within him—a warmth he had long forgotten. Watching over her, protecting her, and coming to know her, he had done so without a word, drawn to her spirit in a way he couldn't comprehend. Under the moon's gaze, he recognized the affection that had quietly grown for her—a revelation that both surprised and calmed him.

He cared for her deeply.

As the moonlight caressed the shadows he inhabited, he acknowledged the solace of the silence that consumed him, and realized that in the heart's quietest moments, he had unwittingly woven the threads of his profound affection for her.

In the stillness of the night, basking in the serenity swirling within him, he began to fade away, heading back to the forest for the duties that await him.