Chapter 13

The events take a sudden turn at the headquarters

"Is something wrong?" Faye asked in a weak voice. "You have been agitated lately."

"It's none of your business. Go back to sleep!" the male growled.

"You were mumbling strange things. Is there something bothering you? Can I help you somehow?"

"I said it's none of your business!" Shadow yelled.

Faye jumped out of the bed and stood in a ifghting stance.

"Do you really like to make spoil of others' lives? You have a pleasure in playing dumb and innocent, but you're just an idiot. A hopeless, weird human being with an useless ability of controling the weather, who wants to help others, but she can't even help herself. 'My friends will find me. My friends will find me... Blah blah blah.' Why do you have to rey on others? You can just take the situation in your hands, kill me and solve the mystery of this place so you can run away. It's simple! Oh, what's with that look on your face? Don't tell me you are going to cry. Damn, I thought I kidnapped a Nightfall team's member, not a weeper."

So it's true... I really am useless, the girl thought. She covered her mouth and the tears streamed down her face. Ever since she joined the Nightfall team, Blake was constantly telling her this, but she tried to ignore as much as she could. After hearing Shadow, the girl believed that everything was well founded. Her efforts seemed to be in vain.

"Then why are you still keeping me alive? Is this one of your sick games?"

"What are you talikng about?"

"You could have easily shot me in the forest, but instead, you brought me here. It's been a month. A month! I don't know if my friends are still alright. So what's the purpose of all of this? To make me go insane, then to join my family in the afterlife? Just do it already! Stop wasting your time! If this is how it ends, then you will make a good deed. Because you will clean the world of an unwanted and useless thing like me."

The assassin found himself at a loss of words. Faye was really strange. She wasn't afraid of anything. Moreover, she would have gladly accepted to give her life. Usually, his victims were begging for their lives, but he just got rid of them. Now that the wielder was asking the exact opposite, Shadow was dumbfounded.

"If your friends were still alive and searching for you. would you still ask me for the same thing?"

"What's your point?"

"Don't you think you will hurt them? After all, you're a team."

"That makes no sense. They won't be mourning. They would be free of a burden, just like I said."

"I guess they miss you." Shadow said, remembering what Blake said when he was alone in the forest.

"Believe me, it's like I said."

Shadow put his arm around her neck and caressed her hair. He regretted his burst of anger and tried to redress his mistake.

"Look, I didn't mean to sound so harsh. It's just... I have a lot of things on my mind."

"I'm used to this. Don't worry. I hear this almost all the time."

"Tell me what hurts you." Shadow blurted out suddenly. "only if you want. I'm not forcing you."

Faye's eyes snapped open.

"No, thanks. I'm fine." she replied quickly.

"I can read you like a book."

"I'm not going to talk to you! Why are you so interested all of the sudden?"

"I can stay all night. Appreciate that I'm willing to listen to you. There is nobody in these headquarters, except for us."

Sighing, the weather wielder sat down on the floor. Shadow sat crossed-legged, resting his chin on his fist. The two talked for an hour about their teams and their lives with their teammates. Faye was surprised when she heard how many responasabilities he had. 

"You are amazing! I'm not sure if you're some kind of supernatural being."

"I sometimes make new weapons and in case someone is hurt, I would be the doctor. I study really hard."

"Again, you are amazing!"

"I must recognise, you are impressive, too. We're so similar, except you don't live in such a huge building. But still, I don't understand why you insist to do chores even in the royal palace. The king has servants."

"His daughter helped me very much. I must show gratitude. Besides, what's wrong with showing other that they are important to you and you treasure them? Friendship is more than just a feeling. It's an action."

"How old are you? You speak and think like you're an ancient philosopher."

"I turned sixteen three months ago on 15th April."

"Alright, there are too may coincidences."

"Why?"

"Because I was born on the same day."

"You've got to be kidding me."

Confused, Faye took Shadow's face in her hands and examined it a few seconds.

"I can swear you look like you're eighteen or nineteen, not sixteen. Plus, I don't want to sound rude, but why are you so pale? Are you ill?"

"I don't really go out. I usually do this at night when I have missions."

"You're just like when we were children."

"What? Nonsense."

"In that day, you gave me flowers. Now you gave me the chance to know you better. You seem so cold and obnoxious, but..."

"Shut up!" Shadow growled.

"Why don't you want to hear good things that you've done? And don't tell me it's none of my business. It's like you're between conflicting feelings."

"That's because I wasn't like this in the past."

Shadow told Faye about his life and the girl had a warm feeling in her heart. Slowly, the barrier between their worlds was disappearing.

The assassin was born in the western side of Filaria, Jiza, close to the frontier with Cinen kingdom. The living conditions were bad for some of the inhabitants, who were in a great measure old, due to numerous disadvantages. It was a tailsome and long way to the centre of the kingdom where there was better food and much more medicines to buy. The people were kind of distant and envious because there were a few families who had a pretty good material situation. Among them, was Shadow's family. His mother, Rachel, was a herbalist and his father, Aidan, was a blacksmith. Two loving and caring people, very appreciated for their dedication. Their daughter, Ally, liked to spend the afternoons in her room, surrounded by medicine books. When she was ten, she was blessed with a brother. The girl was so happy, that she insisted to choose his name along with her parents. As years passed, the problems started to appear. Rachel was becoming weaker every day, so the responsabilities fell on her husband and Ally's shoulders. The woman decided to go with Aidan to a good doctor in the center of the kingdom. 

"You know what was the strange part? She said 'farewell', not 'see you later'. My sister and I didn't understand back then what that meant." Shadow said in a tremulous voice.

"She was just going to take care of her health. What could have happened?"

"That was the last day I saw my parents."

The tragic news spread quickly in Jiza. The people couldn't believe that their well-doers, along with two friends, died. The four met in a fair and discussed for a little while, but the calmness of the place dissapeared as four gun shots echoed in the air. The sellers and the customers who were around screamed, afraid that the misterious criminal was about to make new victims. Those who were brave enough ran to the four people to see if there was something that could be done. Unfortunately, it was too late. 

"That's what happened then." Shadow ended, sighing.

"Thank you." Faye responded, a pained smile appearing on her face.

"What for?"

"For telling me about you. I am truly sorry for what happened to your family."

"It will sound weird, but I feel... peaceful."

"I'm happy to hear this."

"Who would've thought that talking to someone can alleviate you?"

"I have a question, but I'm not sure..."

"Just ask me. Really, it's annoying."

"What is your real name?" the weather wielder asked hesitantly. "I mean, everybody knows you as Shadow, but I want to know you as... you."

"I guess it's time to reintroduce myself. My name is Ron Vincent Crove. Nice to meet you."

"Your family was very inspired."

"Is this sarcasm?"

"Of course not. Ron means 'song of joy' and Vincent 'to conquer'. My name is Faye Rosaleen Lian. Nice to meet you, too." the girl said, waiting for a handshake.

"I can say the same thing about you. Faye means 'fairy' and Rosaleen 'little rose'."

"As I said, just like when we were children. You told me I look like a fairy."

"And of course, I wasn't mistaken."

The two teenagers laughed and hugged each other. After such a conversation, they realised they weren't so different. 

"God, I'm so tired, that I can sleep two days in a row." Faye said, letting a yawn escape her lips.

"Alright, time to go to bed."

"You sound like my mother. I remember a few moments when she said this."

"About this, you mentioned that your family is in the afterlife. I'm sorry."

"At least we aren't alone. I have my friends who I hope they are alright, and you have me to keep you company. Right, Ron?"

"Now that escalated quickly." the assassin said amused. "We became friends in just a month... Um... I guess I sholdn't have said that."

"Actually, you're not a bad person. Indeed, your life was hard and you didn't make the good choices, but everyone can change this. You can start over. I can see you regret your mistakes. That's why I want to help you. What do you say?"

"Do you realise that I isolated myself?"

"You just need practice. Honestly, I enjoyed out conversation. You seem to read a lot."

"Actually, I do."

Faye streched her arms and let out another yawn. She wrapped herself with the blanket and gave Ron a smile.

"Good night." she said and fell asleep almost instantly.

"Good night." the assassin replied joyfully.

Ron kissed Faye's forehead and went back to his room. The girl was so kind, so gentle, as if she had nothing but happiness and goodwill to give. Behind the mask, she was just like him, with a difficult past, but what differenced them was the attitude. Faye had the strenght to make wise choices, while he hadn't. Her smile, her desire to help him, a merciless assassin, made him almost cry. After what he had done to her brother, he asked himself what would've happen if he would tell her the truth. He was afraid. For the first time in his life, he was afraid as of death. Faye listened to him and even wanted to be friends, but if she knew the true story behind her brother's passage, she might change. 

"No matter how much I try to hide, there will be a time when I will have to say everyting." Ron said to himself, a tear sliding down his cheek.