It took Xen only a few calls to pinpoint Brazil's last location.
" He went to that mountain... "
Xen declared as he put his phone back in his pocket.
" Alone? "
" To the Mountain of Forgetfulness? "
" Is he mad? What was he thinking? "
Xen chose to ignore their shocked gibberish and walked forward, leading their small pack.
Mira chose to keep her distance, hurdling the food pack in her hand.
" What was this summoning spell Mira was talking about? Are you really a wizard? You can conjure people? " Kian was a little lost. He had no clue what had happened between Xen and Mira that night. To be fair, even Xen had no clue. What were the roots for those unholy vines of temptation that did creep all over his existence , wrapping in their intoxication? Or was it spontaneous affection that welled up from the abyss of his maligned past? He would have long forgotten about it and buried it with the other misdeeds of his past, had only Mira not reciprocated and responded to his touch. He had let the matter slide under the given circumstances but the fact that she made it clear that it was nothing special on her part was torturous for Xen.
As they walked through the woods, towards the mountain, they knew they were out of common human gaze.
" Let's race... " Kian hit Mira and Xen on their backs before starting to sprint and leap, covering long distances.
" Whoa! Boy can fly... Xen admired as he began gliding smooth and slow, his silhouette vanishing like a large bat, under the light of the quiet moon.
As the group continued their journey towards the Mountain of Forgetfulness, the woods swallowed them in an eerie silence.
Xen and Mira walked side by side, picking up their pace but it was not enough to keep up with Kian.
He was long gone.
Xen was walking in front as Mira trailed behind. Her eyes occasionally looked up , admiring the traces of moonlight left behind on his hairline as he galloped over the rocks and pebbles.
" Careful... watch your steps... " Xen only turned around once but it was enough to make Mira so nervous that she almost slipped, causing the packet in her hand to fall.
Xen bent down to pick it up after helping her on her feet but his fingers froze as soon as he realized what was inside.
" These are not biscuits... " He almost yelled, his voice resonating around the woods.
Pieces of wood and sawdust fell from his fingers as Mira also bent down to check what was going on.
She sighed after watching.
" What a psycho... she seemed sweet though... I think she has some mental issues... dementia perhaps... she must have forgotten what she was packing... "
she pulled Xen up, who still seemed like he was in shock.
Mira failed to understand what traumatized him so much. Was he allergic to wood?
She wanted to ask but didn't want to agitate Xen. He already seemed a little too sensitive that night, she didn't quite understand for what reasons.
" You, alright? "
She asked, looking into his eyes.
He nodded.
" Good... let's keep moving. We are already trailing behind... we need to catch up fast... "
She turned around but Xen pulled her towards him.
His eyes looked urgent.
Just like it had that night.
Mira instantly tried to fall back but his grip over her was firm.
" Are you scared of me? " He suddenly asked.
" Why? No! Why would I? Xen.... we need to keep moving... "
Xen pressed his palm over her lips.
" What if I try to harm you? "
Mira laughed out loud at this point. Xen let her go. He was taken aback by her reaction as well.
" Xen... Have you been doing drugs? What are you talking about? You saved my ass, remember? When we first met? Who knows which hospital I would have been recuperating in if you had not shown up at that moment. "
She stopped smiling all of a sudden.
" Look. I think you might have had a rough past. I don't know the details, I'm not judging, just guessing. But it's alright Xen. We can change. We can always choose to be a better version of ourselves every single day that we keep living.... Don't keep living in the past. It's not good for any of us. Look at us Xen.
We are like lost sheeps in the middle of nowhere... We need each other. We need to cling to each other. We don't even know who we really are. We need to keep working towards finding that answer. It's not going to be easy but I promise Xen, I'm not leaving you till the end, no matter what. And I would expect nothing less from your end. "
Her warm smile shattered the icy layer that was forming around Xen's dark heart once again.
He was hesitant. He didn't want to share everything with Mira yet. But he was hopeful. Someday, he would make her sit beside him and talk about it all as they gazed towards the setting sun in the horizon. That was his utopia and probably his ecstasy.
He managed a smile as well and they had only taken a few steps forward, when that icy chill around his chest reappeared.
It followed with Mira's chilling screams.
" They are back... Xen... do something.... Kian....Where is Kian.... Xen.... snap out of it.... "
He heard her voice. He heard her right and then he was back under that table with his sister.
Shivering and crying as she wiped her tears. He held onto her dress, pulling and pointing but she kept shaking her head and begging him not to scream, not to go out.
And then he felt that chill tightening around his chest but instead of suffocating him, it started melting the ice that was already freezing him.
A heat was pulsating through his muscles. It kept getting warmer until it became so hot that he was no longer in control.