Chapter 33: • Piling Stones And Shadow Balls

"Hey," Spheris said in a low tone so as to not startle her. But she didn't seem at all surprised by his presence, she only glanced at him and then continued piling up rocks with her telekinetical powers.

Spheris made himself comfortable as he sat by the cliff, gazing into the inky sky. "You probably couldn't sleep which is why you're here. As for me, I've slept so much that I couldn't sleep any longer. The night seems to be everlasting."

Akemi stopped piling rocks for a moment, but then continued.

"I don't know why you don't talk much." he shrugged. "Honestly it's none of my business, but it is weirdly... comforting to find someone who talks even lesser than I do.

"I guess it's because of this comfort that I'm talking to you right now. Who knows, maybe you'll respond or maybe you don't, doesn't matter. I just feel a certain kind of freedom, seeing someone quiet enough to let me speak."

Her piling of stones still continued.

Spheris's gaze drifted from the solid black sky and fell to his fingers. A somber expression settling over his features as a thought sneaked into his mind, a thought he tried to prevent.

"I miss my mother," he admitted.

With a large thud, Akemi placed the final stone. She stood quiet for a moment and turned to look at Spheris.

"I don't know what I'm doing," he confessed. "I should have asked to see her before I left. I should have demanded." His face squeezed in despair. "I try not to think about it, I try. But I'm scared of what could happen to her now that I'm not there. And it would be my fault... for not listening."

As he sat there in self-pity, Talon resting on his lap, Spheris could hear Akemi's footsteps approaching him purposefully. She tapped him on the shoulder and he turned, gazing up at her.

A stone was in her hand, a smooth perfect stone with no edges at all. She showed him this stone.

"What?"

As usual, she didn't speak. She simply placed the stone on the ground, then squatted besides Spheris.

He watched her stretch forth her right hand to the stone, causing it to twitch uncontrollably as red light emanated from within. Before Spheris could ask what she was doing, the stone simply decimated into dust and disappeared into the night air.

He gazed at the now vanished piece of rock, his mind trying to make sense of what he saw. She didn't destroy the stone or anything like that, it was almost like she unmade it. Like she returned it to its original state.

He turned to her, seeing the telling look in her eyes. "Is that what you do, whenever you're sad?"

"Yes." her tiny voice said.

Spheris smiled. "I make swirling shadow balls."

She didn't say anything, but the amused glint was evident in her eyes.

"Yours is way cooler."

They both giggled, a laughter that served as a brief respite from the weight of their shared contemplation. And as the laughter faded into the night, they both exchanged a knowing glance. Perhaps Spheris had a friend after all.

Something strange happened next.

The very few stars in the sky had disappeared, and the realm slowly shrouded itself in complete darkness.

Spheris and Akemi got up to their feet. "What the...?" There was nothing visible, darkness was at every corner.

'Is this a normal occurrence, or is something going on?' Spheris thought.

"Scared." he heard Akemi say.

"Don't be," he said to her. Somehow he was certain of where she was, even without seeing her. "Come on, give me your hand. I think I can find our way back to the cave."

With their hands locked together, Spheris guided Akemi through the rocky terrain. It was like helping a blind person walk pass a dangerous route.

And why did it feel that way?

Because for Spheris, even though he couldn't see anything in the darkness, he knew where he was going. He knew where everything was and where to turn.

He didn't need to see to navigate the path to the cave, he simply trusted his instincts, allowing them to guide their way back to the safety of the cave.

As much as it felt new to Spheris, it didn't feel strange, it felt like it was already part of him. Like an innate ability lying dormant until the right moment to showcase its value.

Once they entered the cave, they had the fire in the center to give them light and suddenly, the sense was gone. He could see now... and perhaps the sense knew that it was no longer needed.

Interesting.

"Thanks." Akemi said, as she released her hand from his and walked to her corner of the cave. Spheris awkwardly watched as she covered herself in her blanket to sleep.

He sighed, glancing momentarily at Talon who was on his shoulder. Moments like this made him wonder if he was really as heartless as the Heaths made him to be.

Perhaps he did have a heart.

Akemi was a Gentlefolk as well, was she not? Yet, he had shown her kindness, just as much as she had shown him.

Maybe a little bit more.

He shook the thoughts out of his head and returned to his own corner of the cave. Then laid down without Thorin's blanket, gazing to the roof of the cave as he thought about his newly found powers.

The [Shaded Blasts], [Embrace Of The Dark]... and what of that new ability to sense his surrounding in the darkness?

The glyph whirred in his pocket like an answer to his question. He pulled it out for the third time that night.

[Influence Unlocked - Nocturnal Perception]

[Influence Category - Tactical]

[Effectiveness - 15%]

[Power Level Growth Has Been Discerned]

[Power Level Increased]

[Power Level Is Now At 100ip]

A 100ip?! He had grown quite a lot for one night. With a weak smile on his face, Spheris sunk his glyph into a safe pocket as to his surprise, a heavy sleep appeared out of nowhere and took him by force.

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