"Oh, I'm so sorry," Braze stammered, "Let me get you some ice or something."
Layla, her lips swollen and bleeding, hesitated for a moment. "No, no, I'm fine," she replied, attempting to hide her discomfort. "It's just a small cut."
Braze hurriedly fetched a tissue to help stem the bleeding from Layla's swollen lip. His hands shook slightly as he gently dabbed at the cut.
"I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you," he said, still visibly flustered.
Layla managed a weak smile despite the discomfort. "It's alright, accidents happen."
But the sight or perhaps the smell of her blood was making him uncomfortable. His throat dried up. Or perhaps it was the fact that he was too close to her face, his breath bouncing off her face.
The silence between them grew increasingly awkward and we know it wasn't for the first time.
As Layla looked up at Braze, her eyes fluttered. She looked away and then looked back when he wasn't looking.
Finally, raze mustered the courage to break the tension.
"Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?" he asked, his cheeks reddening.But he managed a goofy smile.
Layla chuckled softly, the swelling in her lip making it slightly difficult. "Just promise not to headbutt me again, and we'll call it even."
Braze soon left after letting her know that he would be extending his stay in that town. She was more than thrilled to know that they would be able to further their research but Layla talked about signing a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) later on so both of them could feel more at ease. Braze had absolutely no problem with that.
Braze's worn-out sneakers scuffed against the gravel as he trudged along the desolate road, a road that seemed to stretch endlessly into the horizon. The sky above was a canvas of muted gray, the sun long gone, the moon hidden behind a thick shroud of clouds. The air was heavy with an eerie stillness, broken only by the occasional gust of wind that whispered through the surrounding trees.
As he walked, Braze couldn't shake the feeling that he was not alone. He glanced over his shoulder, but the road behind him was empty, devoid of any signs of life.
He had already covered a lot of distance.He was miles away from the hospital.With furrowed brows, he continued his journey, convinced that he was letting his imagination run wild.
But then, something peculiar happened. The faintest whisper, like the rustling of leaves, tiptoed into his consciousness. At first, he dismissed it as a product of solitude, a trick his mind was playing on him. With everything that they were going through,it was nothing but normal.However, the whispers persisted, and he could now discern hushed voices, indistinct but undeniable.
Braze halted in his tracks, his heart quickening. He spun around, surveying the forested landscape that flanked the road. Still, there was no one in sight, no source for the mysterious voices that danced in his mind. They were like the ghostly echoes of forgotten conversations, murmurs from a world unseen.
Confusion mingled with a growing sense of unease. Braze ventured forward, curiosity urging him on. The road seemed to lead him deeper into this enigmatic symphony of voices. Every step he took, the voices swelled, becoming more distinct and urgent.
Braze stopped again and looked all around, trying to see if he had missed something earlier.
He decided to try to confront the case , straining his ears to decipher their meaning, but it was as if they existed just beyond the grasp of comprehension. They spoke of secrets and lost dreams, of hopes dashed and loves unfulfilled. Braze felt as though he had stumbled upon the collective memories of countless souls, trapped in a realm between reality and the ethereal.
The voices continued their haunting chorus, and Braze couldn't help but be drawn deeper into their enigmatic narrative. It was as though he was on the cusp of uncovering something profound, something that had remained hidden from the world for far too long.
Braze's curiosity overcame his unease, and he felt compelled to listen, as if these voices held the key to some greater understanding. It was as if he had entered a realm where time and space intertwined, allowing him to glimpse the hidden truths of existence.
It talked about acquiring something. Something that would end all conflict and bring supreme peace.
As he ventured deeper into the heart of this mysterious symphony, Braze couldn't help but wonder if this was a chance encounter, a twist of fate that had led him to this place and this moment. He realized that the road he had been walking, though seemingly desolate, had brought him to a crossroad.
Little did he know that the answers he sought and the revelations he would encounter would forever alter the course of his life and his understanding.
He was back at the Mountain of Forgetfulness. All alone and clueless.
He walked where the voices took him, as if in a trace.
The road took him around the main trail, where no human ever set foot.
He walked as a few pairs of eyes watched him from a distance. Those eyes had watched him before, in his canine states. They had gathered there the other day with hopes of accomplishing their mission but the unfortunate intervention of the Watchers and Kilian, caused them to abort prematurely.
Today was different.
They had Braze. All alone, vulnerable and all to themselves.
The voices grew more intense, their words carrying a sense of urgency. They spoke of a powerful artifact, an object of unimaginable significance that had the potential to grant him even his deepest desires.
Braze, in his trance-like state, felt an irresistible pull deeper into the mountain's heart.
He kept walking, moving the branches, leaves and bushes away with his hand as he waddled his way forward through the dense foliage of the Mountain of Forgetfulness.