The pitter-patter of rain stirs me awake.

  A lovely greeting to a new realm, a much kinder than the rest I’ve traveled through.

  Let’s hope I don’t jinx it. May this journey be calm and soothing, like a stroll in the park on a Saturday night.

  In the end, Nirma ended up going with me on this journey. I’d dwell on what her true motives are, for being so stubborn, so determined to be with me— if not for this splitting headache.

  For now, I shall conclude it to: she’s a silly girl. Uh-huh, I’m dead serious. That is a fairly reasonable expnation after all.

  I should probably get ahold of my surroundings, who knows what threat might be lurking here. Well, if there’s any it’d probably pounce us by now after seeing us so defenseless.

  Though I’m certain it would spill only my guts out, Nirma would survive.

  What greets me when my eyelids part isn’t as kind as the gentle rain. The searing pain overps with one another, and all I see is the bnk sky with a few jutting buildings that I can’t discern properly.

  By instinct, my hand attempts to rub the bridge of my nose, but something is holding me down.

  That something is, uhm, nothing really.

  There’s a magical force pushing it down, yeah that’s it. You’d believe me if I said so, right? No? Damn, such little trust in me.

  Fineee. I realized just now, that my fingers are tangled with someone else’s. That someone is definitely Nirma.

  Waaah, why is my face getting all hot now?! I mean we’re just, holding hands— surely that’s normal. I’ve hugged and cuddled her before, yet a simple handholding makes my legs jelly.

  Why’s that?

  Welp, another question goes to the Do Not Dwell On list. Yes, I’m not thinking about that further, I’ll melt into a puddle of flustered, and that’d be a hassle to deal with.

  Looks like my head finally managed to cool down. The pain has gone down a tad bit, just enough so I can focus and actually try to communicate with the woman I’m… holding hands with.

  “Hey…” I begin, with the most basic of greetings, my hand wrapping tighter around hers.

  A pause, a long one at that… not the slightest response from her. Is she… okay? I’m sure she’s fine, It’ll take another minute or two.

  Five minutes.

  Still, nothing. Shit, I can’t even move my head to look at her. Whenever I attempt to do so, the pain just shoots up to my spine and body, forcing me to stay put.

  It’s like being paralyzed with a few extra steps. My hand squeezes hers even tighter, nails digging into her rough palm.

  Now I’m hurting her, what if she bleeds? Wait no— she’s strong, she can endure it. I’m sorry, I’m sorry—

  “You… doing okay?” I force myself to ask through shallow breaths.

  All I can do is hope she is. Maybe I can add prayer to the mix, but to who? That bitch of a Goddess? I kept considering this option, until finally—

  “Yes, you?” she responds, her voice weak and breathy. The multidimensional travel takes a toll even on Nirma, a bit surprising to me.

  My body practically deftes upon hearing those two words, the grip on Nirma’s hand eases as the tight knots in my chest start to untangle themselves.

  A raw, shaky ugh escapes me before I can stop it. She’s okay! She’s okay… she’s alright. Warm droplets travel down my cheeks, contrasting the rain.

  I’m sobbing. Just… from that?

  It’s baffling how much influence she has on me, how hearing just her voice melts all worries away.

  Perhaps, this is what you call a bond? Hah, no way. Me forming something like that? That’s not happening.

  Her hand, in turn, gives mine a firm and tight squeeze. I wince, sucking in a sharp breath, hiding the small pain.

  Her grip is dangerously strong, she’s crushing my poor palm. She either didn’t notice that or this is payback for me cwing at her palm.

  Though, amidst all of the cshing feelings, despite the pain, I can’t help but savor it.

  “I’m gd…” The tone of my voice is lightweight, running free.

  Without realizing, my thumb starts to caress the back of Nirma’s hand. It’s a bumpy ride, each move is met with calloused skin and old scars.

  A particur old gash stretches from her palm to the back of her hand. Imagining how it actually looks fresh churns the inside of my stomach.

  Right, she asked how I was doing and I ignored her, how selfish of me. Better respond now.

  “Head stings…” I say, voice dying down to nothing more than a quiet mumble.

  “Then let’s go to a better pce than this,” she says sternly, leaving no room for argument. But… just for today, I’m willing to argue with her.

  Mistaking my silence to be an agreement, she gets up and spans her single wing. Water droplets free themselves, fluttering my face.

  The wing must’ve been soaking in all the rain. She tugs at my hand, motioning me to get up and do the same.

  I don’t wanna. I’d rather stay here for a while longer, fingers intertwining with one another, lying down in the rain as we gaze into the upset sky.

  I take a deep breath, steeling myself to say no. It’s odd, I’m not saying no to someone like Father, she won’t mark my actions as bsphemy and starve me for three days.

  Nirma would understand.

  Do I not want that? To be understood? Yet… I don’t even feel that I deserve the right to decline, to say something I wanna do. It’d be a sve disobeying its orders, no?

  “If you want to say something, spit it out,” she commands, eyes narrowing.

  Her words gives me the final boost needed. “C-can we stay? Please…?”

  She sighs, her lips curling to a faint smile. I’m proud to say, only I can notice it! When you’ve spent a good chunk of time with her… you can practically sense the almost nonexistent changes.

  At the thought, my eyes soften as I smile to myself.

  “Very well, if that is what you wish,” she says softly as she lies down yet again beside me.

  I nudge my body closer to hers. “…Thanks.”

  She stretches out her wing above my head, shielding me from the rain. An umbrel. Though a few lucky drops hit me every now and then, that simple gesture alone warms the inside of my chest.

  I start to sink onto Nirma’s body as my eyes start to droop. First, it was the headache, now it’s the exhaustion tolling me.

  I think so, at least.

  But… there is another reason. Nirma’s touch always has these ‘magic’ effects on me.

  I go defenseless when I’m around her. There’s no need to put up a front, a mask to fend her off. It is something I never experienced.

  And yet the first reaction my body has to this? Retort, fight back, push away. Anxiety wreaks havoc inside my heart, shortening my breath, thinking like there’s something terrible she’d do to me.

  Being vulnerable… it felt like I was leaving my back open to be stabbed by her. I know she would never do that, yet it’s a lingering thought, always lurking in the depths of my mind.

  She won’t… do that, right?

  Anyway, it is out of reach to think that someday I’ll accept her help with no suspicion from my end. It’s all but a dream. A nice… dream.

  “Bizzare pce we’re in huh?” Nirma’s words boom through my trance.

  “Hwah! H-huh?” A few blinks as the words start to register. “O-oh…?” Right, haven’t checked the surroundings, should do that now.

  Pain shoots up through my neck as I attempt to gnce, but I push through it.

  Tall buildings loom overhead, some are strangely overpping with one another, twisting and morphing into one rge building.

  They’ve stood long enough to bear the weight of time—vandalized walls, moss creeping through cracked concrete, paint stripped away yer by yer.

  A skeleton of a city that refuses to colpse.

  This is such an uncanny pce… just where are we? The rift didn’t give such a view, it was an abandoned city, that’s it.

  Here it’s… awful. The building surely isn’t built this way, something turned it into like this, and I don’t wanna know what the hell is the culprit.

  My breathing staggers, the walls of my throat tightening. I’m… scared.

  “Eh, who knows where we are.” Did Nirma just, casually become a telepath? I didn’t voice my concerns, yet she answered back.

  I turn to look at her, mouth slightly agape. “But we’ll explore it together,” she continues, returning my gaze with a warm smile. “And we’ll be okay.”

  She fshes me a grin and— fuck that’s dangerous. I think my heart stopped beating for a second there, gosh.

  “I assume with that reaction you’re feeling better now.”

  I make a dramatic pout. “A lot, yes. Most of it is your work though.”

  “Good, I’m pleased to hear that.” Her eyes go back to gaze at the sky. “Whenever you’re ready, let me know. We came here for a mission, your task.”

  “Yeah… thanks.”

  Another silence bnkets us both as we continue to gaze into the distance. My mind keeps looping her words: ‘We’ll be okay.’

  We’ll be alright. We. Together.

  Heh, a set of giggles escapes me. We’re off to a great start, let’s save this maiden.

  Zenovia