The silence which boomed inside the living room was deafening. Everyone’s breaths were on hold, and no one moved from fear of waking up.

When he woke up from the dream, Zachary’s mouth hung open. His eyes went out of focus, he was out of breath, and he was smiling beyond happiness. “No… deaths,” he said. “No deaths! No deaths!” He laughed and almost lunged himself towards Folke.

Folke would have gotten crushed if not for his golden cane that he poked back on Zachary. “Calm down, boy!” he said. “No deaths, yes, but clean your ears. Multiple injured. And we still destroyed a town.”

Zachary faltered, but he still looked less gloomy than before.

An air of relief passed through Maya knowing that no one died, but it still stung to remember her uncle in a jail cell. She tried not to, but somehow, she ended up looking extremely distressed in front of the two men.

“Anyway,” said Folke. “You were asking for help. I am always happy to do so.”

You’re not mad? Maya wanted to ask, but she knew best than to push her luck. Help was in her reach, and there was no way she was going to let it go.

“My uncle…” she started. Talking about Mister Castel left a lump in her throat. “He’s innocent… but he was framed and the Military took him as a criminal to the Capital. I’m worried. What… what if they’re torturing him? Executed him?” She looked up to Folke. “He didn’t do anything wrong! He knows that. I don’t want him to feel betrayed!”

Folke blinked in surprise. He held his hands back, like he didn’t want to be touched by Maya’s abruptness, but then his shocked face turned into that of assuring kindness. He patted Maya’s shoulders. “It’s alright, dear. We will help you. As long as you’re willing to let us.”

“I have been from the start.”

He smiled fondly. “Very well. We can start tomorrow, to the Resistance, I mean. Get a good rest here. I’ll have that wound of yours checked.”

Zachary was still jumpy about the good news. He smiled way too brightly at Folke. “What about me?” He pointed at himself. “My best shirt is—”

Folke glowered at him before he stood up. “You’re second priority. Wash up. Can’t have you scaring the doctor away with your foul smell.”

“I don’t smell…” Zachary replied, but Folke was already out of the room.

Knowing the old man was out of earshot, Maya could finally sigh. She had not realized it then, but her heart was beating rapidly and her palms were warm and sweaty. She wondered if she went too far a while back, but then she could not linger long on it—her mind probed her to take a bath as well.

Zachary turned to her. “Do I smell foul?”

She stared back at him, wondering why that was all he cared about. “I don’t know… I probably smell bad, too.”

He nodded without thinking. “Yeah, you’re probably right. There are rooms upstairs that you could use. I’m pretty sure the closets are always full, too. A lot of Folke’s visiting friends forget their laundry.”

The mention of rooms sent her almost collapsing. She really was tired, and really dirty as well, and she had no sense of shyness this time for the things she need. “I’ll take up on that offer,” she said.

*

*

*

Maya never knew she had this much scars.

The bathroom in one of the manor’s rooms had a full-length mirror installed in it, leaving Maya no choice but to stare at herself as she undressed. Once her torn, dirty, and bloodied clothes were in a pile on the floor, she walked closer to investigate herself.

Being in the Kingfisher for most of her life made Maya unsure of what she looked like. There were never really any good mirrors there besides the half-sized one in Mister Castel’s room, and despite popular belief, water was not a good place to see if you had something in your teeth. It was for that reason that she happened to be a little disoriented to see a clear picture of herself staring back at her.

Her hair was a mess. It was a voluminous lump of seagull nest that didn’t touch a comb in weeks. Her brown skin looked a little more tanner again since the last time she saw it, and more flushed as well. Did she get leaner on the face? She wasn’t sure, but she did look older.

It was not a shock for Maya to see her face, but her body was a different thing. Welts, scars, and wounds were everywhere, especially on her arms and legs. The Oxford Bay bombing situation left her with multiple bruises that was sure to sting when she touches soap. She just hoped that the manor had hot water.

Fortunately, it did. Warm water flowed down from a nozzle, and she even let herself to the fragrant bottles lined up on the wooden shelf. Sure enough, it left her feeling relaxed, even with the aching bruises.

Maya was quick to “borrow” trousers and a blouse from the closet, although both were too big for her. She took liberty in a belt as well since she wouldn’t want to be tripping down on her pants when running away from the possible violent Military soldiers. She also pocketed her metal box once again.

She wondered why Folke’s guests would allow themselves to forget their clothes and never to return to it, but then again, she remembered that Folke’s guests were most probably Archanians too. They can buy more clothes than they can wear.

She scoffed. Archanians were so wasteful, and so was she with time if she didn’t go back downstairs now.

Just as she was about to reach for the door handle though, Zachary’s short cry rang through her ears. She ran out and slammed the door behind her, and took a trip down the flight of stairs.

“Zachary?” she shouted.

Folke suddenly appeared right behind her, his expression bewildered as he caught up with Maya. The two of them arrived to the large wooden dining hall opposite the living room.

If Maya wasn’t so distracted by the sight of Zachary pinned to the floor by some unknown woman, she would have gazed in awe around the gold-embellished dining room. Unfortunately, she didn’t have that privilege as Zachary really looked like he could be in serious trouble. He groaned under the pressure of the woman’s knee.

The woman had a face that rivalled attention from Zachary’s loud hair. She was, in the most plainest of words, beautiful. Her skin were peaches and cream and her black hair flowed down until her waist. Narrow and sharp eyes gave anger to her face, but their expressions were far from extreme. She was petite, and obviously taller than Maya, but her weaker frame did not stop her from kneeing Zachary to the tiles.

“Sir Folke!” she said. “An… an intruder!”

Folke donned an unimpressed look. “Oh, my…” he said. “Rei, darling, no. He’s a guest.”

Slowly, terror overtook her face. She, Rei, immediately jumped up from Zachary and almost stumbled on the basket of scattered oranges behind her. The scene looked like Zachary struggled a lot, especially with a bent fork far from him on the floor.

Zachary was way too disoriented to get up, but he managed. “What the hell…” he muttered as he rubbed his head. His hair was still damp from his bath and it was starting to form into dishevelled straw. The black shirt he wore revealed his newly bandaged arm.

Folke crossed his arms and chuckled. “That’s a first impression for everyone. Zachary and Maya, this is Rei, another guest of mine. Don’t get too close, she kills.” He laughed louder.

“Yeah, I can see that,” spat Zachary.

Maya, meanwhile, found herself avoiding eye contact with the girl. Whether it was Rei’s unorthodox beauty or her expression that agreed with Folke’s statement, Maya just felt like she was faced with something dangerous, something deadly.

“Rei here will be joining us until the Resistance,” said Folke.

Zachary’s mouth hang open. “You’re joking?”

Even Rei was shocked. She turned to Folke. “But… you said that no one would know…” Soft-spoken and silky was her voice, a big contrast from her urgent shouts from earlier.

“Oh, it’s fine, Rei. You can trust them. I trust them with my life.”

Maya found that statement odd. It has only been at least two hours since she met Folke, and yet here he was saying that he could leave his life up to her. Whether he was lying or just being an idiot though, somehow, Maya still felt warm from it.

Rei seemed to believe him fully, though. She looked down at her feet. “Okay…”

The air was then filled with the noiselessness as everyone were running with their own thoughts. It stayed that way for a second or two, then noiselessness was replaced with something smelling savoury from the cooking area. Smoke started to trail out from the room.

“Oh,” said Rei. “I was supposed to turn that off. Please excuse me.”

“I guess early dinner, then?” said Folke, a big smile on his face, as if everything was just normal. “Be careful. Rei’s cooking can kill too.”

*

*

*

Dinner did not look amazing.

Maya started to believe Folke’s earlier statement, and she was scared for her life. The burnt stuffed chicken served on her plate looked ghastly, as if the poor thing was dead for a year. Sure, the rosemary scent smelled deliciously edible, but she doubted the taste would be the same. “Would it be possible to eat from the fruit basket?” she asked.

Folke chuckled opposite of her on the long white dining table. Rei sat next to him, poking her meal with her fork. “That wouldn’t do, Maya dear,” he said. “Rei took the time to cook for us!”

“I wish she hadn’t,” said Zachary, but he completely retracted back when Rei glared at her.

Rei pouted as she cut her poultry into pieces. “I made sure to follow what you said last time, Sir Folke. The ingredients, the smell… the time.”

He laughed harder. “You followed it too well, I suppose. Cooking isn’t just rigidly following rules, Rei. Remember, it will be you eating it in the end.” He took his fork and knife and gestured to everyone. “Now, shall we all partake?”

Despite Maya’s inner voice telling her not to eat the black mess of meat, her stomach rumbled too much for her to follow. She cut up a piece—the leg, she thinks—and took a generous bite of it. What followed after was purely a mistake, and she had not intended to spit it back out.

The taste still lingered on her tongue. Soot, grime, and dry rubber refused to leave her taste buds until she chugged on her cup of water, leaving the other three on the table to stare at her as she smacked her lips afterward.

Rei lowered her eyebrows. Maya readied for her death, but luckily, all Rei did was take a bite of her own. To everyone’s surprise, she too spitted it out.

She frowned and looked at everyone. “Not nice,” she said.

Zachary shrugged. “I’m suddenly so curious,” he said then ate a cut-up piece. He shuddered but chewed and swallowed anyway.

“Ah, what a gentleman!” exclaimed Folke. He pushed his plate away. “Unfortunately, I am not. I’m sorry, Rei, but you’ll get better next time. You’re smart, so I know you will.”

Rei shared a slight smile. She did not look surprised—more of bashful, really—and even shrugged. “It is alright, Sir Folke. I will practice again soon.”

He nodded and patted her arm. “That’s great.” He looked at everyone. “So, fruit basket, anyone?”