Spaces Between

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•Chapter Thirty-Four•
Why It's Not Good For Your Health to Run Away
Feat. Giant Blue Men
(EARTH)

The night air was cool but humid. With it being so late in October, I wasn't surprised, although thankfully, the storm caused by the Draugar had ceased. I could only hope that they had left. But that didn't mean that I didn't carry my dagger in my hand as Alrekr and I stalked across the grass.

I figured that someone would eventually spot us on the cameras and come out to drag us back in, but I didn't care. I needed air. I needed to calm my head like Koa kept telling me, and that would not have happened if I hadn't gotten out of that wretched building. Alrekr was going to come with me regardless of what I said and that was probably a good thing. At least with him with me I wouldn't try to do something stupid like trying to break into the interrogation room.

"They should have told us," I grumbled, kicking at a stone lying in the grass. Alrekr brushed his shoulder against mine but didn't say anything. "I mean, we have a right to know."

"We do, but you have to look at it from their point of view."

I huffed out a sigh, "I know. I'm impulsive and easily angered."

"That's not what I mean," Alrekr murmured, "we have been through a lot—you have been through a lot more. And Mr. Stark is right, we are both children—"

"—teenagers."

Alrekr snorted, "teenagers. No teenager should have to go through what you have endured. They were trying to protect you."

I shook my head, "I don't need to be sheltered."

"Perhaps not, but they care about you. And they are worried about you."

I sighed again, looking back up. I didn't want to admit it, but he had a point. No, he had more than a point—he was right. I breathed through my nose and laid my head on his shoulder.

"Thank you."

Alrekr laced his fingers through mine in response. Several minutes passed, and the sky continued to darken. I didn't know how late it was and my watch had broken at some point during the fight. So I passed the time listening to the crickets and Alrekr's heart beat.

Looking through the trees, Alrekr and I saw it at the same time. A bright, almost blinding flash of white light nearly half a foot ball field away from us. We both stopped in our tracks.

"What was that?" Alrekr whispered. Out of the corner of my eye, I tracked his hand fall to his waist on the hilt of his sword.

I shook my head, "I have no idea."

It didn't take long for me to completely unsheathe my dagger. By then, we were already at a steady pace towards the light we had saw. This was probably the stupid thing I was talking about earlier, but at least Alrekr was just as curious.

The star light glimmered off both of our blades as we walked closer. I didn't have a single clue to what the light had been, but the closer we got, the more the hair on my neck seemed to stand on end. Something was telling me that we were ending towards danger, and I think both of us realized that.