Aestivus

4. campfire

JEREMIEL

The wind howled as they approached the camp. Rem was just grateful that they weren't out in a snowstorm. Aneirin brought out a glowing red gemstone, restarting the campfire. the firewood sizzled to life, ignoring the rainwater swept onto it by the wind. The raptor curled beside the campfire for warmth, still shivering. 

Rem glanced at the boy, and the pile of blankets he brought out of nowhere. He tried to focus on his intriguing aura. Whatever's its cause, it's burning his eyes. "let me see your arm..." Rem reached out, only for the boy to huddle closer to the corner of the tent. "It's gonna get infected if--"

"What happened to your eyes?" the boy whispered.

The entire camp fell uncomfortably silent. "I'll explain later. Ophelia, pass me the lamp please."

The girl with the lamp muttered something incomprehensible, and lit the lamp, casting a faint glow over the others, as Rem forcibly pulls out the boy's arm for inspection. But there was nothing. Scratches, teeth marks, not even a scar. The damage seems to have simply vanished. Not even on the other arm. "you can heal yourself... but don't seem to have a rune or anything. Who or what on earth are you?"

"I... can't remember anything. Well, a little. My name, my sister..." he whispered, "Before I got here, I got stabbed and fell down a really deep hole, there were flying ladies who tried to rip me apart and something that ate my leg..."

Rem looked down. Sure, one side of his pants were torn off at the knee, but both legs are intact. "How did you heal? Like, you didn't lose a leg. Or, do you not remember that either?"

He shook his head. "I'm about as confused as you are. I'm... just call me Ed. Nice to meet you."

Rem stared briefly, nodding at the others before stepping out of the shelter and into the rain. Any colder, and it'll start snowing. Closing his eyes, he could almost see the floral gardens back in his old university. But that's 20 years ago, he reminded himself. You left it all behind when you asked to be reunited with your sister.

He could see the concrete sinking beneath his feet when time seemed to stop as he was ripped into another dimension. So clearly, as if he experienced everything yesterday. "Nobody found her yet," a student reminded him that day. "You can't assume that she's alive, nor that she's dead. Perhaps you're still living with your sister in another reality." He looked away from them. "Kadek, we are just inhabitants of one reality. The realities decohered billions of branches ago. Even if we wanted to, we can't experience or know whatever happens in another reality." 

A clap of thunder snapped him out of his memories. They're just memories. Can't let them affect me... he whispered to himself as he climbed up the ladder to the watch tower. It was just a few hours till sunrise, when the team gets to return to camp and rest. He focused, staring at the tent. Ed's greenish aura leaked through the wooden walls of the shelter. "He's not human. Eliminate the threat before he realizes," whispered the rune embedded on his back. "He's more dangerous than you think."

"No." Rem accidentally spoke out loud. "You will not control me." "Bullshit. Remember how I saved your life?" It whispered back. Rem tore his eyes off the glow. "Fine, but I won't kill him. At least, not until we figure out what's happened to him."

"You should. I'm always right."