“NOOOOOOOOOOOO!”

“Master! You’re finally awake! Don’t worry, it’s just a nightmare.”

I was about to push the person who is patting my back but when I realized it was The Fool, my stiff stance began to relax.

Uurrgghh… My head is still aching badly. Maybe it was because of hunger, or maybe it was because of that weird light. The last thing I remember was a thick yellow orb growing tremendously engulfing both me and this guy. I have no idea what happened after.

Ignoring the Fool while he checks the temperature of my forehead with the back of his hand, I focus my sight on the odd and unfamiliar surrounding where we are right now. I was drawn to the sky where half has sunlight while the other half is as dark as night that I can even see the stars. Another weird thing is that, the lit sky wasn’t blue in color. It is a hue of reds and purples.

Everything around us is dark. Crickets can be heard and so does the croaking of frogs. Judging by the canopy of trees not far from here, I can infer that we may be in a certain forest.

“You’re still running quite a fever. Master, are you okay? You are kinda pale.”

“Where are we?”

“This place, my master, is Poland.”

I remembered the conversation we had about the other master being in danger. Even if my body is weak due to hunger, being soaked in the rain, and having a fever, I still wanted to get up. I don’t know who that master of The Magician is, and I don’t care if I’m still weak, as long as his life is in the danger, we can’t just stay here and rest. Time is running… we should do what we can before it’s too late.

You’ll live longer! I’ll get you a doctor. Me, you and Ellica will live in a big mansion! We will live happily ever after, I promise!

My dream… why did that came up all of a sudden?

Jess, just who are you? What happened to you and Ellica after she passed away? Is that really a dream… or a memory?

I shook off the thought. I need to focus on standing up.

“Master!” The Fool grabbed my arm after I lose balance from slipping on the sticky muddy soil. “Just what do you think you’re doing? You have a fever. You are starving. You are weak. Why don’t you just chill and rest?”

“Didn’t you just say that someone you know is in danger? You said his life is on the brink. Don’t just act like you forgot! Come on, do that magic and I’ll do what I can to help and save them.”

The Fool went silent as his stare get nailed to the dark tree beside him. As I scrutinize the details of the tree, I noticed a chipped off part of the bark. It has four straight vertical lines that could’ve been written using a sharp rock. By the looks of it, the lines from the right looks fresher than the ones from the left.

As the ideas get into my head, I’m suddenly realizing the things about The Fool’s nonchalance of the mission, and about the marks on the trees. I fell to my knees, but this time, The Fool didn’t move a muscle. He is not looking into my direction either.

“H-have I--- been asleep for f-four days?”

The Fool’s nod sends shiver to my spine. So, does that mean… I failed him? Is the master of The Magician dead? Did we lose The Magician already? All of these happened because I passed out? Is it all my fault? No, I shouldn’t blame it all to myself. He is also a part of this! If he really cares for his Magician friend, then he should have go without me. What much can I do anyway?

“I won’t blame you for blaming me, too.” The Fool shifted his direction towards me as he tries to meet my gaze on the pitch black nothingness beyond the tall trees. I was surprised at the words he just mustered out.

How did he know that I’m blaming him, too?

“You don’t need to keep those questions to yourself, master. Our souls are woven together and whatever you feel, think, see, hear, imagine, etc. I can sense and experience it, too.”

The Fool waves his hand in the air and the yellow light starts to appear again. “I know you have many questions to ask, and I have many things to tell; thus, let’s find a better place to hide. The enemies are coming closer. We shouldn’t let them find us.”

The light starts to appear and before it engulfs us again, The Fool whispered something to my ear that made me want to just get out of this mess.

I want to go home.