When we fell from Earth

Missing My Shadow

Standing in the kitchen and preparing to start the day after the unfolding events of the day before, Youssef was not, in any way, ready to see Yuto standing on the table, with everyone pointing a Varten stone at him. When Yuto saw Youssef he pointed at him, "AHA! You woke up!" and Youssef contemplated putting his hand on his eye, summoning as much light as he can, and blind himself before the scene did.

Youssef walked to the coffee machine and turned it on, trying to ignore whatever was happening behind him because he was really out of the mood. Right after Yuto's shadow display of party tricks, Youssef went to shower then to sleep, and his dreams were filled with everything he hoped wouldn't be there. He dreamt that he was back in the summer camp as a child. The face in the fire. The burning building. His sister screaming. Her body not found.

Youssef didn't understand why he dreamt of Samar after meeting the King of Light, Marine, and Madiha. He thought he would be seeing a fragment of a memory or something, or even he would see a dream like the one of the girl in the white dress, then he shook his head. A memory would be better than chocking on sand.

Someone tapped Youssef's shoulder, drawing him out of his trance and he turned to find Zeina staring at him, "You good?"

"No. Yesterday I had the worst nightmares about my sister. It was not like the usual..." Youssef recalled the dream again and his whole body shivered. It was not just realistic, but Youssef could still feel the hotness of the fire and the dryness of the weather. The screams still echoed in his head, and he tried to keep them out, but he couldn't. Everyone turned to Youssef, and he noticed that he was either too loud, or his thoughts were somehow moved to the mental connection they had between each other.

They all gathered around Youssef, and he hated it. He didn't hate his friends, he was grateful for them, but he hated the feeling of being weak like that. According to Stephane, Youssef was the King of Hope. He couldn't just feel like that! He should be happy, smiling, cheerful, and most importantly, he should be hopeful.

He grinned at everyone, and laced it with one of his smirks, "Yuto, you finally decided to pursue a career in pole dancing?"

"Yes. You can give me private lessons since you're the best lap dancer I know." Yuto stuck his tongue out. "Anyways, we were waiting for you. We need to show you something."

They all walked to the living room and Yuto stood in front of a bare wall. He looked at Youssef, clapping his hands and snapping his fingers. "Light me!"

"What?" Youssef looked at the others, who nodded. Yuto looked at Youssef, "Do it. We need to confirm something."

Youssef nodded and raised a hand, closing his eyes. He felt the powers inside of him, and willed light to come out of his hand, and in a glance, light poured out of him and onto Yuto, illuminating him like human torch. Well, he then imagined Yuto on fire, and thought that Yuto would be happy if he caught on fire. Yuto's voice exploded in Youssef's head. "Yeah, yeah, but not now."

Youssef was still not used to hearing someone else's voice in his head like that. It felt like his intrusive thoughts were having a voice, and knowing Yuto, he would probably become the these thoughts.

Yuto looked at them and said, "Now, look behind me and tell me what you see."

Everyone did and Youssef raised a brow. "Well, there is nothing...?"

"Exactly!" Yuto nodded. "Where on earth is my shadow?"

Youssef blinked and looked again, noticing this time that Yuto didn't have a shadow, but how? Youssef saw Yuto's shadow yesterday, but with the attitude it had, Youssef wouldn't put past it to have just...left, but can a shadow leave someone like that? Youssef looked at his own shadow and hoped not. It would be weird to walk without your own shadow following you, but still, where would Yuto's shadow go?