A Wish

“I don’t want any complaints! NOW GO AND SCOUT THE AREA!!” Lisa commanded as she pointed at the direction where Risette was located. She noticed Luke’s odd behaviour upon arrival, “How’s Stein?”

Luke just shook his head as he ran a hand through his hair, “He’s suffering.” He said as he watched Lisa’s underlings fly to Risette’s location. He glanced at Lisa, “I take it that you like the little miss?”

“If you mean Risette, then yes...” She replied. She grabbed something from her pocket. It was a bracelet. Lisa gave it a fond look, “Strangely enough, Risette was very endearing...”

“So you’re saying that you’d do something for someone you’ve just met?” Luke said, not exactly meaning any harm. Upon realizing his own words, Luke immediately apologized, “I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean that!”

Lisa shook her head in response, “Don’t worry, I kinda noticed it.” She smiled as she remembered Risette’s smiling face. She returned the glance to Luke, “There are tons of people you get to meet every day. It just takes you a little effort to find people worth keeping.” Lisa released a warm smile.

Luke felt his heart skip a beat, “Uhh... I... I should go...” He awkwardly pointed at a random direction and went there only to trip himself with a stone he hadn’t seen. He fell face first then got back up. He scratched his head and tried to fix himself. He looked at Lisa who was surprised then giggled at his actions. Lisa’s smiling face just made his face bright red like a ripe tomato. After that he clumsily got away from Lisa.

He shot up to the sky and covered his red face, “It has to be illegal to smile that way!” He mumbled as he flew to the others.

Meanwhile Lisa was left in her own territory, smiling as she watched Luke’s clumsiness unfold before her. Noticing that she had taken a liking to the guy, she quickly shook off the thought then replaced her smile to a scowl.

While Luke was soaring in the sky, he forgot to tell Lisa that Stein is going to force his way to Risette. He stopped midway then flew back to Lisa.

“Lisa!!!”

Lisa just raised a brow at Luke’s re-arrival, “Yes?”

“I forgot to tell you that Stein is going to force himself to help with the mirage barrier!”

“WAIT!”

After that, Luke flew back to track once more, leaving a Lisa who was still in the middle of comprehending the situation. A few second later, the information finally sunk into her head then she stomped, “You’ve got to be kidding me!”

Lisa looked around in hopes of finding Grim’s inventions. She rummaged around her items. She was ultimately worried about Stein because, one, he’s implying that he’s willing to die for Risette, two, he’s in his worst condition yet, and three, he’s about to attempt to push his limits. Grim was Stein’s master and creator. If anything was going to happen to him, it would result in mayhem. That was why Grim entrusted his inventions to Lisa who was a close friend.

She rummaged around her things and found one of them. It was a numbing potion. Lisa remembered why such a potion was given to her in the first place. The idea of internal friction was disgusting as she thought, that’s why she used the numbing potion to suppress the urges. She checked the amount left, nodding to herself then headed to Stein’s house.

She headed outside then spread her bat-like wings. Her territory was above the ground, which explains her isolation from the society. She turned around and fell back. She felt the heavy air brush against her as she let gravity do its job. She opened her eyes to view the view before her. She saw the endless sky stained with dark, heavy, contrasting clouds. She looked at the ground and saw different types of houses from her perspective. The people on the ground looked like ants. They were so small yet so many.

As she reached the ideal altitude, she spread her wings, significantly slowing down her fall and gliding across during the process. She scanned the houses in order to find Stein’s house. The sooner the better, she thought. Her keen eyes managed to magnify Stein’s house and headed there as soon as possible. Upon seeing her destination, she folded her wings and rushed inside Stein’s house without a second thought.

“STEIN!” She shouted as she slammed the door open.

Stein wasn’t there.

Lisa panicked as she didn’t find Stein in his bed. She looked around further inside his house.

Stein was evidently in here, the wrinkles in the bed proved it so. There were papers and pencils scattered on the floor. Stein was most likely trying to do something but failed to have done. Her eyes focused on the blood stained rag.

“Don’t tell me...” Lisa murmured. She got out of the house then flew to the said-to-be location of Risette. She glared at no one in particular but if it were anyone, it’d be Stein and Luke. If memory serves right, Luke said that Stein is going to force himself—just that; nothing more, nothing less. Which obviously tells her that Luke failed to say whether Stein was with him or not.

She let out a small cuss as she went to the ‘other side’ of the dead end. Her eyes managed to catch a glimpse of someone limping by the back alley. Curious, she descended to the back alley. Much to her surprise, it really was Stein, forcing himself to go to the location. She landed and held Stein by the shoulders, “Stein!” She sternly said.

Stein just looked up with partially dead eyes, “I need to rescue Risette. Please do not stop me.”

Lisa shook her head, “I don’t plan on stopping you, but I need you to fix yourself first!” She went around Stein and applied the numbing potion on his back. Lisa clicked her tongue, “It will be chaos again if you damage yourself to an extent. I know because I’ve seen the last chaos done by Grim.”

Stein just stared at thin air, “The pain is weaker now compared to before...” He weakly tilted up his head, “I wonder what has happened so much that the pain has been reduced?”

“You sound so love struck, don’t you think?” Lisa commented as she applied the rest of the potion all over Stein’s back. She got out an extra rag and used it to cover Stein’s wounds to prevent contamination. She looked sceptical, “Well, I don’t expect you to understand that since you don’t know what it feels...” She said, “Love struck is the feeling of wanting to other person so badly that you want to care for her.”

Stein looked at his own hands, “Is that why I wonder she cries?”

“More or less.” She said as she finished the application of the rag, “Here... all done.” She added. She went in front of Stein and extended a helping hand, “Come on. You have someone to save, right?”

The light is Stein’s eyes returned as he accepted the helping hand.

~o0o0o~

Risette jerked at the sudden volume. Her eyes were covered by a piece of cloth. She wanted to look around but the cloth was being an interference with her vision.

“Hello..?”

She heard an unfamiliar voice. It might be a rescuer, “Over here..!” She said, minding the volume because the deranged necromancer might hear her. She heard footsteps headed towards her. The she felt that person falling over. It must be low light in the cave.

She felt hands feel her head then the cloth. The cloth covering her eyes were gently removed. She saw a young man around the same age as the winged man claimed to be as Stein’s friend. She had to take a little time to adjust to the light settings before getting a full view of the man, “Thank you...” she slowly said.

“You’re welcome...” He said as he looked around, “I’m Blind by the way...”

“Oh! You can’t see?” She replied, “So what’s your name?”

“I’m Blind.”

“Excuse me?”

The guy looked around then let out a sheepish smile, “I thought that since I’m blind, I’d rather call myself blind.” He said then frantically waved his hands to brush off some wrong ideas, “Well I’m not trolling on anyone..! I just thought that it’d be easier for people that way..!” He reasoned.

Risette shrugged the idea then looked around for anyone suspicious, “Did you happen to stumble upon another person on your way here?” She carefully asked.

Blind turned his heard wherever the source of the sound was then shook his head nonchalantly, “No I don’t. I pop from places to places, so I don’t meet other people that easily...” He extended a hand for Risette but ultimately handed it to a rock beside her, “Can you stand?” He gently said.

Risette just shook her head as she gave an exasperated look. Well, he IS blind and all, so he meant no harm. She took the hand regardless, muttering a small word of gratitude as she stood. She couldn’t feel her feet as she tried to stand up. She saw that her feet were all covered with little scratches and burns. Taking a closer look at her body, she had multiple lacerations around her arms as well.

The most terrifying one was that she had several hard scratches on her chest armor.

That one idea sunk into her.

She was almost killed.

Risette felt like she fell in an endless pit.

“Are you all right?” Blind said.

“Huh?!” Risette spluttered as she felt a reassuring grip to her hand, “What did you say..?”

“You instantly grew cold, so I had to wonder...”

Risette shakily shook her head even though the other person cannot see her, “It’s nothing..!”

Blind didn’t seem to be too content for the reason, “Is that so..? I can sense that your voice is shaking...”

Risette felt the chest armor with her free hand, “No... There’s really nothing...” She calmly answered, regardless that she felt intense turmoil as she felt that the area on the armor where the heart rested was very thin. She looked around in hopes of finding a light source. She groped the air with her free hand and helped themselves to find an exit.

“You said you pop from places to places...” Risette commented as she tried to feel their way out.

Blind just followed the direction wherever he was being lead to, “I have this weird teleportation disturbance...”

“Watch out for the rock in coming to your right foot.”

Blind complied then continued, “This happens around three to five times a month, so I have to be careful since I’m on my own...” He said. Blind also felt the walls of the dark cave so he can have balance, “I’m usually picked up by the messengers since they can locate me at the fastest way possible.” Blind quietly chuckled followed by a sigh, “Everything would’ve been a lot better if I could see...”

Risette looked back and gave a small smile—even though she knows that the other person cannot see, “If we ever get out of this place all in one piece, I’ll introduce you to someone who can help you.”

“Really?!” Blind shouted in glee only to be forcefully shut up by Risette since they were still in someone else’s territory, “Sorry...” He whispered.

Then they continued their way to the outside.

That was when Blind suddenly pushed themselves against the wall. Blind covered Risette’s mouth to prevent a shout out of panic, “Shhh...!” He said. Risette looked at Blind’s expression.

He was sensing something.

“Someone’s coming...” He said as they pressed themselves further by the wall.

“I can’t believe it!!” Gi shouted.

Risette tried to take a peek but only managed to see his shadow.

“That flimsy girl is the supervisor’s property!!!”

By then, Blind tensed at the term used. Risette never failed to notice the tensing of Blind’s muscles.

She was curious. They’re saying that she’s the property of someone she doesn’t seem to know. Risette pried off the hand covering her mouth, “What’s a supervisor?”

Blind seemed to be surprised, “You don’t know what he is?” He softly exclaimed, “He’s the gatekeeper of this realm..!” He explained, “It used to be Grim but now it’s his vessel, Stein..!”

Now it was Risette’s turn to tense.

“The people within this town should know his identity...!”

“I’m not from here...” She reasoned.

“This realm’s condition ultimately rests on their emotions..! That’s why they’re never allowed to feel!”