I dreamed of Silas again, but this time, it felt different. No, scratch that—it was different.
The last time I dreamt of him, we were wandering through a vast field of flowers, their intoxicating scent overwhelming my senses. But now, I found myself standing in the heart of a dense forest, where a single ray of sunlight broke through the canopy, illuminating the ground around me. I flinched instinctively, bracing for the burn of the sun's heat, but instead, it enveloped me in a gentle warmth.
I guess it really is a dream after all; I wasn't burning from the sun.
Suddenly, I heard rustling behind me. A small boy burst through the underbrush, his breath coming in quick, heavy gasps. I froze, meeting his gaze as he stared back at me, wide-eyed and curious.
For a moment, we simply observed one another. His face bore an uncanny resemblance to someone I knew—his hair, the same striking color as Silas's. Was this… Silas as a child?
"Who are you?" the boy—Silas?—asked, his voice innocent yet filled with uncertainty.
I opened my mouth to respond, but instead, my body seemed to move of its own accord. I crouched down in front of him, my hand reaching out to pluck a stray leaf from his tousled hair. As I did, I noticed that my arm looked unusually thin and pale, almost delicate.
I couldn't control my movements; it was as if I were merely a spectator within my own body.
Silas flinched, closing his eyes tightly at first, but then he relaxed as he realized I meant no harm. His cheeks flushed a bright red as I stood back up, towering over him. It was strange to see Silas as a little child, and even stranger that I was dreaming of him this way. I had never taken the time to imagine what he might have looked like as a boy, yet the dream was startlingly vivid.
"Child, you should know that this part of the forest is dangerous," I suddenly heard myself say. My voice was different—I sounded like a woman!
Silas looked surprised at my words, his wide eyes reflecting a mix of confusion and trust.
But my mind spun with the realization that I was experiencing such a bizarre dream.
Just then, my eyes flew open as a hand grabbed the back of my robe yanking me down from the branch where I had apparently been napping. "Why the hell are you slacking off?" Rosemary's voice boomed as she loomed over me. I blinked up at her, still hazy from the remnants of sleep.
For a moment, I stared at her, then rubbed my eyes groggily. "I was not slacking," I retorted, glaring at her as I stood up, brushing dust off my robe. Why did she have to drag me from my dreams? I had been enjoying a strange yet fascinating sleep that included Silas as a child. Please, tell me I'm not a pedophile!
Rosemary merely scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Whatever," she said dismissively, waving a hand at my indignation.
She gestured behind her, and I noticed Navee standing shyly a few paces away, raising a hand in greeting when she caught my eye.
"Navee is here to ask for our help, apparently," Rosemary continued, crossing her arms with a pout that made her look almost childlike. "I got no choice in this."
"Ah…" I replied, doing my best to mask my disappointment. We had just spent the day training with Shira, and it had been the most exhausting experience of my life. The fact that the day was still young only made it worse.
"If you guys are busy, it's okay!" Navee interjected, stepping closer to us with an apologetic smile.
Rosemary shot me a look that practically screamed, "You talk!" I met her gaze with a deadpan stare, unsure of how to respond.
Turning to Navee, I forced a smile. "N-Nah, we're free, so we can totally help," I said, trying to sound enthusiastic. Just then, I felt Rosemary pinch my arm painfully, and I gritted my teeth to suppress a yelp. Navee clasped her hands together, her excitement palpable.
"Oh! Perfect! I'm so glad Miss Rosemary can come too! I've been wanting to talk to her for a while now! Is it true that you're a werewolf?" she asked, her eyes sparkling as Rosemary let out an awkward 'uhhh' and nodded hesitantly.
Navee gasped, bouncing on her heels with joy. "This is amazing! This is my first time meeting a werewolf! I specialize in botany, but I've always been fascinated by werewolves!"
Rosemary looked extremely uncomfortable, shifting her weight from one foot to the other, while I watched helplessly. How could I possibly stop Navee when she was so genuinely excited?
I shot Rosemary an unapologetic grin, savoring her secret glare directed my way.
After a moment, I finally summoned the courage to remind Navee that the three of us had something to do—she had asked for our help, after all. It seemed Navee was easily distracted, caught up in her own enthusiasm.
She explained that the weather had been incredibly windy today, which had sent some of her important papers, stored in her greenhouse, spiraling into the forest. It was crucial that she find them, as some contained her research on Arcus.
"What's Arcus?" Rosemary asked, her curiosity piqued as Navee eagerly began to explain its significance.
I expected Rosemary to appear bored, but to my surprise, she looked genuinely interested, especially when Navee produced a shimmering petal from her bag.
"Interesting…" Rosemary remarked, examining the glinting petal closely. Navee's face lit up with delight. "I'm so glad you find Arcus fascinating!" she said, a blush creeping onto her cheeks as Rosemary leaned back, attempting to feign nonchalance.
"It—it's decent," Rosemary replied, rubbing the back of her neck, clearly trying to play it cool. I couldn't help but snort quietly at her awkwardness.
Why was she trying so hard to act nonchalant? What a weirdo.
After that, we spent at least half the day scouring the trees, collecting the papers that the wind had scattered everywhere. In reality, it turned into a competition between me and Rosemary, each of us arguing about who had collected the most, while Navee attempted to mediate the escalating tension.
"I've got 240 papers in my hands," Rosemary boasted, a triumphant smile stretching across her face. Meanwhile, I could only muster a meager 70. Most of the papers had already been picked up by both Rosemary and Navee, who was now busy organizing them into neat stacks.
"Why are you so goddamn competitive?" I snapped, annoyance dripping from my tone as Rosemary smirked at me. "Just admit I'm better than you," she teased, wiggling a finger in front of my face as if I were genuinely concerned about my paper count.
I shot her a glare, while Navee giggled softly. "I can see why Sir Gael thinks you both are so important!" she chimed in, covering her mouth with her hand as both of us turned to her, our expressions narrowed in skepticism.
"What do you mean by that?" Rosemary clicked her tongue, trying to feign nonchalance, though a flush crept onto her cheeks. I simply exhaled slowly, my mind drifting to Silas. He thinks I'm important to him… He actually cares about me.
That thought filled me with warmth, but it also sparked a hint of annoyance—I had to share this connection with Rosemary, who didn't even seem grateful for it.
Our reactions must have been apparent, as Navee noticed and giggled again. "You both are very similar," she remarked, causing Rosemary to let out an incredulous "Hah!?" in offense, while I could only manage a soft "Eh?"
We exchanged glances, our glares locking before we turned away in unison. Navee watched us with a bright smile. "I don't mean it in a bad way! I can see that you both care for him just as he cares for both of you!"
"You're incredibly spot-on; it's kind of scary," I muttered under my breath, while Rosemary crossed her arms defiantly. "What's it to you?" she asked, her tone laced with suspicion as she scrutinized Navee.
I was about to remind Rosemary that Navee meant no harm when Navee suddenly spoke up, her demeanor shifting to one of shyness. "I also care very much for Sir Gael, just like both of you do." Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she twiddled her thumbs. "Sir Gael is a very kind person. When he was still studying with us, he helped me with a lot of my work. I tend to get overwhelmed…"
What exactly was Navee getting at? A wave of suspicion washed over me.
It seemed Rosemary was having similar thoughts, as she shot me a questioning look before we both turned back to Navee, who appeared to be wrestling with her own thoughts.
"U-U-uhm! I just think Sir Gael is too kind! And—I don't think he's weak or anything!" she stammered, her excitement bubbling to the surface. "But… I—I want to start a group! It's called the SPS!" She nearly shrieked as she clutched her hands together, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.
Silence enveloped us.
"What's SPS?" I finally asked, unable to contain my curiosity.
Navee opened her eyes wide, her face lighting up. She pumped her fist in the air with pride. "S–Silas Protection Squad!" she announced, her voice filled with excitement.
I just stared at her, the atmosphere suddenly heavy with unexpected silence. I could almost hear the crickets chirping in the background.
—
"Well, I'll be damned. Trust Silas to make another weirdo of a friend. That includes you too," Rosemary quipped as we walked down the hallway. I shot her a glare. "Don't talk about Navee like that," I retorted, clicking my tongue in annoyance.
Rosemary raised her hands in mock surrender. "No offense intended. But 'Silas Protection Squad'? Seriously?" She let out a bark of laughter.
Her amusement faded when I didn't respond.
"Holy fuck, you're serious?" she exclaimed, giving me the most disgusted look she could muster. "What the hell are you giving me that face for?" I shot back, feeling defensive.
"It's just… why are you so in love with Silas?" she asked, and I felt my body freeze at her words. I halted in my tracks and turned to face her. "What the hell do you mean?" I blurted out, shock evident in my voice. Rosemary had walked ahead but stopped when she realized I wasn't moving.
She backtracked, giving me an unimpressed look.
"That face you're making? It's the face of someone who's stupidly in love. And I feel bad for Silas," she sighed wistfully. I bared my fangs at her—a reaction so out of character for me. It irked me that she was sticking her nose into my business, which didn't require her commentary!
"Hey, shut the hell up, will you?" I snarled, watching her expression shift to surprise.
"Hey, I was just teasing you," she protested, but I glared at her heatedly.
"That's a crappy joke you're making," I shot back, still fuming.
She stared at me for a moment, then burst into laughter. "You really like him, huh? I guess I can't compete. He sees me as his sister, not a potential lover. I wish you the best," she said, patting my shoulder before walking off.
I stood rooted in place, refusing to move.
A realization washed over me.
Was I really that obvious?
But why did I get mad in the first place? I hadn't cared when Shira called me out for trying to get on Silas's good side. Now, hearing Rosemary's words made something inside me boil—a feeling that ignited anger deep within my bones.
Ugh! Whatever…
Stupid crush, making my brain go haywire. I could barely understand what drew me to him in the first place. Back then, I hardly knew him. But now, as I was getting to know him better…
I was actually starting to fall for him.
Fuck…
With a sigh, I crouched on the floor and buried my face in my arms.
Maybe that was why I was falling for him.
Shit.
I think I need to get my arm ripped off again to clear my head! God!