The dark covered everything. The blankets blocked nothing against the distant screams even when I covered my ears and burrowed underneath the pillows. I was alone and yet I could hear everything that my memory could conjure.

The monster returned every night, just before Chike arrived in the morning when I was on the verge of sleep, it hopped onto my bed, slowly finding its way under my blankets. When I moved, it would almost cuddle against my cold back as the terrors took my mind and energy throughout the night.

"Hey, hey kid." Chike pulled back the blankets. "I know you've been asleep all day, you haven't moved beside the restroom, which you keep forgetting to flush…" Chike paused, huffing softly as he stopped by the bed, I flinched when the blankets were pulled back. "You need a shower." He said.

I couldn't fight the inane pull to close my eyes, unsure what to tell him. "Setria, you're so cold." I fluttered my eyes open, the bare warmth of his fingers were unpleasant and left a foul grimace pulling at my lips.

"Hey, Kid, you need to get up." Chike's tone was pressured into fear. He knelt down and pushed the blankets back, "you're not supposed to be this cold. What happened to your magic?" I pushed his hand away as it pried at my warmth.

"I'm not cold." I said, barely above a whisper as I was tugged out from my little shelter.

"Certainly, sure, let's get you into a bath." The door to the restroom was opened and I tried to push Chike away, exclaiming with frustration at his touch while I tried to find my own balance in the haze of sleep that cloaked my mind.

"No, nono, lean on me—" he was about to exclaim when Elenice entered the room.

"Chike?" He tutted softly.

"I'm in here, Mother! The Kid was cold, I'm trying to warm him." She entered while I sat down on the closed toilet seat. I flinched into myself when a hand was placed upon my forehead, where I feebly tried to push it away from me.

"Young man, have you been sleeping soundly?" I shook my head, trying to lean upon the counter beside me.

"I can hear them…they're always so loud." My mumble was low, slurred, the allure of standing and walking back to bed felt nearly feasible if Chike hadn't reached for my arm and sat me on the edge of the bath.

"Who?" She pressed, I barely opened my eyes in a blur of colour and grief.

"I don't know!" I shouted, "I just wanna go back to bed!"

I grabbed Chike's arms, scratching down his arms. He exclaimed his displeasure through a growl low in his throat, helping me pull off my shirt and breeches before I was forced to sit in blessedly hot water. Its heat cured the exhaustion immediately, but still enticed me to let my guard down and rest for a moment as water was poured off my head and down my back. I didn't notice that Elenice had asked a question until Chike had wiggled my shoulder to pull a response from me.

"What?" I asked.

"You can't fall asleep, you're going to die if you do that."

"I'm warm."

"I know." Chike replied, "but we need to keep you awake just in case you pass out." I found a grimace showing my displeasure.

"He does not exhibit any signs of having cast dark magic or demonic possession." Chike said, turning to his mother who was sitting on the bath tub. My head thudded back against the tile, where a yawn emerged and I leaned against the hand upon my shoulder. Flinching, when I realised it wasn't who I wanted it to be and pulled away into the far corner.

"Check his room." I stared at Chike as he left, the ache in my hip had returned and I looked up at Elenice. "Are you certain you are not ailed?"

"What?" I said.

"Are you unwell?" She reiterated, slowly, a hint of frustration barely guiding her voice. A pressure of unease made me curl into myself as she carefully guided my arms open to scrub at my skin with a thick rag. I didn't answer even when Chike returned during the long pause.

"There's nothing…" He scoffed.

"Did you use all of your magic?"

"Yes." He answered, his tone steady.

Elenice sighed, rising to her feet. "Very well, I will check as well."

"Hey Kid."

I hummed, displeased. "Not a kid."

"Yes you are, and I'm not calling you by 'thirteen'." Chike said, shaking my shoulder when I closed my eyes. "You need a name."

"Don't touch me."

"Then don't fall asleep." He replied, and poured water over my head. I was helped out, the fog of exhaustion clearing for a moment as I looked over at myself. It wasn't a large reflection, but to stare at myself with a massive towel hanging heavily off my frame left my body buzzing soundly. My hair was still short, but it fluffed out wildly and had become white, my once dirty skin was a ghost-shade of pale, only red according to the fleeting warm from my bath. My eyes were a pale silver with the darkest hue being a subtle grey at the centre. I shuddered through a short, gasping inhale, the bags under my eyes weighing heavier than the soft fabric against my skin.

"Hey, Kid?" Chike said, I briefly glanced at him before returning to look at my reflection. My ears were half-point, my eyes round but sharp, my jaw thin and expression haunted as I realised how thin my body was compared to the boy who held me up. I startled against Chike when Elenice arrived, stumbling back with him as she placed clothes upon the counter, which was a vibrant red shirt and grey shorts.

"What happened to my hair and eyes?" I asked, my voice was quiet, and Chike inhaled abruptly.

"You don't remember?" I shook my head and brought my hand through my hair.

"I don't…I can't." It was a whispered sob that bore through me, rough, and difficult to swallow. "I can't hide."

"You don't need to." Chike said, his mother knelt in front of me.

"Let's get you dressed." She said, her murmur a bare minimum comfort while Chike helped me stand. "Can you walk to the bed?" I shook my head, the dizzy aftershock still swayed with me.

I gasped abruptly, clawing onto Chike's shirt with an exclamation as he picked me up. "Are you hurt?" I shook my head, even though I trembled with a permanent bite deep in my hip. "Yes, you are," he tutted sharply, and with a comforting fragrance wove relief into the aggravation which slowly eased into nothingness. Blissfully calming the strained breath that broke through my sobs.

"Chike." Elenice's voice was beginning to muffle again. "Stay with him."

"Yes, Mother." He said, a dour frown was hidden behind his bangs, his eyes settled on me with barely contained patience as he sat by the table, leaned upon his fist. His mother left with hardly a word which had continued into a despised silence.