As the world regained its known shape, I found myself sitting on Greenwich Park's grass. The night air felt cold, and I noticed the moisture beneath me. Still, I couldn’t stop smiling slightly. After I had expected to die in the rift, it felt like a small wonder to be back here in London. 

Just as Tarask had told me, there was no sign of my friends or the police forces left. After they had secured the survivors, they must have left the site right away. Nothing surprising, to be honest. They always leave as soon as the rifters shut a rift and release the area to the normal public. 

I stood up and decided to take the bus near Greenwich Park. It helped to clear my mind to walk up to the bus stop ‘Greenwich Park, Chesterfield Gate’. Luckily, the bus line 386 Blackheath was driving until late at night, so I had no trouble to catch a ride. I got off the bus at Blackheath station and walked down the B212 before I turned left to reach the Collins Street and finally made it to Collins Street 14 a few minutes later. 

My home wasn’t a building to brag about. It was just a small house right at the corner of Collins Street. Yet, it was strange to return here after all that happened in the rift. A part of me expected to never walk up the old stairs. I never thought I’d see those brown bricks again or the old window frames. But here I was, once again on the doorstep of my family home. My father and mother had long left, so of course there was no one waiting for me inside. Soon, this place would probably be visited by some city official claiming my house. After all, I had no other living relatives left. 

But if I was lucky and bureaucracy slow enough, it might still be waiting for me after all was over. I suppressed a sigh that wanted to escape my lips as I raised the key to the front door. Silence was all awaiting me inside the building. Not that I expected anything different. However, after all that happened to me, it would have been nice to have at least a friend to talk to.

Tarask told me to leave the lights out, but I couldn’t resist the urge to take a shower in the dark bathroom. I wanted to get rid of every last bloodstain on my body. The warm water helped to relax my body. I only realized how stiffen my muscles had become after the tension ceased. After the shower, I changed into less outstanding clothing.

No matter what was going to happen from now on, that strange man seemed to prioritize blending in the background. But just in case, I still took my robe and packed it into my hiking backpack. I shook my head while stuffing a few more clothes in the backpack. I bought it to go hiking on my weekends, but never had a chance to use it. I never had expected it to be my sole helper on the run.

Furthermore, I couldn’t take too much with me, but a few changes of clothing wouldn’t be found missing in my drawers even if someone came to search them. I took the reserve money I had saved up for emergencies along with me. As strange as it sounds, I hid it here in case I ever wanted to run away with the others.

Bank accounts are trackable, so if you ever want to disappear without being found, hard cash is the only thing you can rely on. I wasn’t keen on using up my savings in this situation, but I quelled my rage with telling me, it was all for them. No matter what this man was bend on making me do, I would endure it for their sake and I would return safe and sound. 

Still, my conscience was giving me a hard time. I knew damn well how much they would suffer, thinking I died protecting them. If it were me, I would have felt devastated to hear one of them was never coming back. Even more so, if I was still left alive because they sacrificed themselves.  

As hunger started to manifest, I walked to the kitchen and opened my fridge. Since I didn’t open the curtains, the small light from within shouldn’t reach the outside. After I had consumed the lizard’s blood unwillingly, I was afraid that something within me changed to the point of no return. So, when I opened the package with the leftover Chinese food, I felt so relieved that it still smelled the same to me. I don’t know what I’d done if blood was the new meal I had to rely on. Alone, the thought of it revolted my stomach again. 

I put it in the microwave to heat it up and ate it in the darkness with just a spoon. I didn’t bother to do the dishes. It would seem far more like an unwilling left home, if there were a few things left on the kitchen counter. 

I walked right to my bedroom and threw myself on my pillow. As much as was racing through my head, I should at least rest while I had the chance. Who knew what dangers would be waiting for me tomorrow? Sleep came slowly to me in the hours left of this night. Even stranger was the fact that after all the time I had spent without a single dream, this night proved different.