A hollow mid autumn night

Part 8

Aumi learned returning her mother's life force. It was a delicate process, but strange sensations that felt both ancient and intimate. Jack shared his knowledge of human weaknesses and the brutal world outside the village Aumi grew up in. There are frictions of Jack's resentment towards humans bubbling to the surface, but they learned to navigate them.

However, a dark shadow loomed over their progress. As Jack absorbed her mother's life force, the time he could spend in wisp form grew shorter. He still resembled a young boy, but now his form flickered more often, becoming faintly translucent.

One evening, as Aumi held Jack's hand to sustain her mother, a terrifying realization dawned on her. "My mother said she used her blood to create you," Aumi whispered, dread creeping into her voice.

Jack looked at her, a flicker of sadness in his twilight eyes. "Yes," he confirmed.

Two years bled into one another, marked by the rhythmic glow of the potion bottle and the deepening connection between Aumi and Jack. The process was slow, a constant tug-of-war between life and death. Aumi poured every ounce of her strength into the transfers, her worry etched into the lines on her forehead. Jack was like a silent guardian, his form flicker more frequently but he presented a constant comfort.

The last rays of the setting sun painted the sky in hues of orange and purple. Aumi reached the note in her pocket, unfolded it, her breath catched in her throat as she read her mother's shaky handwriting: "I feel... alive again. Thank you, my brave girl." Tears welled up in Aumi's eyes, relieved, exhausted. She looked at Jack, his form barely there, a faint wisp of blue against the darkening sky.

"We did it," she whispered but her voice sounded thick.

Jack smiled, a genuine smile that reached his twilight eyes. "Indeed, we did." He held out his hand "Now, let's get you back to your mother." But as they were about to embark on their journey home, a familiar gruff voice shattered the peaceful silence. A group of heavily armed men, their faces obscured by shadows, emerged from behind a cluster of trees. Aumi's heart plummeted. She recognized the unmistakable broad shoulders and thick beard of one of the men – her father.

Panic clawed at her throat. The man who almost killed her and her mother years ago was working with these dangerous mercenaries. They overheard snippets of their conversation, enough to understand the men were searching for a powerful wisp. A cold dread settled in Aumi's stomach.

A quick glance at Jack confirmed her fears. The faint blue glow around him flickered erratically, a stark reminder that half of his power was still bound to the potion bottle Aumi held. If these men captured them, they wouldn't hesitate to kill them both.

Thinking fast, Aumi grabbed Jack's hand and pulled him behind a large rock. "We need to hide," she whispered urgently. "They can't see us."

Jack nodded curtly with the situation. They spent the next few days huddled together in the wilderness, their senses on high alert. A fragile trust had bloomed between them, forged in the crucible of shared danger. Aumi confided in Jack about her abusive father, to her surprise, Jack listened patiently, offering a silent understanding that went beyond words.

In those stolen moments of quiet, Aumi began to see Jack in a new light. The anger and resentment in his eyes had softened, replaced by a guarded curiosity. He, in turn, saw the strength and kindness that resided within her, a stark contrast to the humans who had hunted him. They were two souls bound by circumstance, finding solace and a sense of belonging in each other's presence.

One starlit night, as they huddled together for warmth, Jack hesitantly reached out and brushed a stray strand of hair from Aumi's face. His touch was light, tentative, yet it sent a jolt through her. A new feeling bloomed in her chest. Jack looked into her eyes, his own filled with a strange intensity. In that moment, unspoken emotions hung heavy in the air, a bond had silently grown between them. It was a nascent feeling that promised something deeper in their friendship. While fear gnawed at them, the shared vulnerability was deeper. Aumi, emboldened by Jack's silent support, began teaching him about human customs – stories, songs, even games played with pebbles and sticks. Jack, in turn, shared his knowledge of the forest, the language of animals, and the hidden pathways known only to his kind.