“…..”
I thought about getting on my knees, but decided against it. The floor looked a little uncomfortable.
‘Alright, I’m ready.’
My arm pulsed shortly after, and two figures appeared before me. They stood in silence, staring at me without saying a single thing.
The silence that took over the space felt suffocating, and unable to bear it for any longer, I started to speak.
“…Sacrifices were made.”
I paused, covering my mouth while keeping my hand from trembling. I wanted to show that I truly meant my words.
“Two innocent souls were hurt under my watch. The thought has been haunting me ever since it happened, and I am struggling to get some sleep while thinking about all the suffering they went through, and while I can’t rewrite the past, I can write the future.”
Slowly, I raised my head to look at Mirelle and the Dreamwalker. My hand trembled further as I stood up and looked at Mirelle.
Gently bending over, I smiled warmly and extended my hand to pat her head.
“I’m glad that you’re safe. I was extremely worried about—”
Smack—!
I felt a powerful sting on the top of my hand.
Then, with a glare that almost made me shiver, Mirelle hissed, “Don’t touch me.”
The Dreamwalker nodded next to her, its long arms crossed together as it looked at me. Although it didn’t have any expression, it was almost as though it was looking at me in disdain.
“…..”
I was left speechless by the sight. Since when did the Dreamwalker become Mirelle’s bodyguard?
“It hurt… a lot.”
Mirelle’s voice continued, her voice straining a little. Almost as if she were about to cry.
“I said that I didn’t want to play anymore. Why did you continue? It hurt… I didn’t want to play…”
Her head lowered a little as she spoke. She looked pitiful, and staring at her, my lip twitched.
‘I get it hurts, but I was trying to survive over here. If I die, then pain is the last thing you’re going to have to worry about.’
No, thinking about it…
What would happen to Mirelle and the Dreamwalker if I were to die? Would they simply return to where they had been before, or would they vanish?
I was a little curious, but I didn’t plan on dying just yet, so it wasn’t something I’d find out anytime soon.
But then again…
‘If I don’t handle this situation well, I might just find out what will happen.’
“Keum.”
‘Well, it looks like I have to go with plan B.’
Coughing slightly, I looked between the two of them before taking out my bag and retrieving a pack of chips.
“…..!”
The moment the chips appeared, Mirelle’s face changed.
She almost started to drool, and I secretly smirked at the sight.
‘Yeah, that’s right… I’ve come prepared. With these, I should be able to appease Mirelle. How easy. ‘
Surprisingly, it was Zoey who hooked me up with the chips. Something about being grateful for my help. Too bad they were barbecue flavor.
Whatever the case was, I now had the means to end this farce.
…Or at least, that was what I thought.
Suddenly, the Dreamwalker placed its hand over Mirelle’s shoulder, gathering her attention as it shook its head.
“…..?”
What the fu—
“Humph. You think you can bribe me with chips?”
“….?”
Staring at Mirelle, my eyes widened. Did she really… just reject the chips?
What in the world…?
“Humph!”
Snorting again, Mirelle turned her head away, leaving me at a complete loss. Or at least, that was until I saw her secretly peek at the chips with the corner of her eye as she quickly wiped the drool from her mouth.
My eyes squinted, and I took out another bag.
“What if I were to offer you two bags?”
“T-two?”
Mirelle was truly struggling now. Staring at the chips, she raised her hand and looked at her fingers while mumbling, ‘One and then another…? Two?’
Her eyes glimmered, and a long string of saliva was starting to form at the bottom of her chin.
‘I’ve got her now.’
Her expression told me all that I needed to know.
She was about to falter.
But then—
“…!”
The Dreamwalker placed its hand over Mirelle’s shoulder and shook its head.
Wha…
That was all it took for Mirelle to snap out of it and glare in my direction as she quickly wiped the drool from her mouth.
“You t-think you can fool me?! Y… you think I’m easy?!”
She crossed her arms and looked away.
“Hmph!”
I almost dropped the bags of chips from my hand while slowly turning my attention towards the Dreamwalker.
It stared at me with its empty face while it kept its arm over Mirelle’s shoulder.
Though I couldn’t read its expression, it was almost as if it was saying, ‘You won’t get away with it with me here.’
It is you!
This was sabotage!
I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. My own anomaly was trying to get me killed!
‘No, in hindsight, this isn’t the first time, but still…’
I clenched my teeth and stared at my bag. Did the Dreamwalker really think I wasn’t prepared? I didn’t have just two packs of chips. I had way more than that, and I quickly took out another bag.
“If two is not good enough, how about three?”
“T-three…?”
“Yes, three.”
“H-humph! I… am not so eas—”
“Four.”
“…..”
“The most I will go is five. Take it or leave it.”
“…..”
Mirelle stood in silence, blankly staring at her open palm. Her finger hovered motionless over her pinky as she struggled to process the number of chips I was offering her.
“Two, four, five, one, three…?”
I could practically see her eyes swirling in confusion.
The Dreamwalker stood next to her, pressing its hand against her shoulder and trying to make her snap out of it, but it was of no use.
In the end, it turned its attention towards me and lunged at me.
I was prepared, though, and grabbed both of its forearms.
“You may have changed, but so have I…”
The Dreamwalker tried to push me, but I didn’t budge and tried to push him back. Our strenght was about equal, with neither one of us managing to push the other.
“Kh—!”
The Dreamwalker was a tough opponent, though, as it pulled my hands back before I retaliated and pulled its arms back. We continued like this for the next several minutes until—
“…..Hmph!”
Mirelle snorted, and the two of us froze.
My heart sank almost immediately while the Dreamwalker looked at me gloatingly.
“I’m not such a cheap woman.”
With both hands behind her back, Mirelle looked at me and shook her head.
‘Fuck, I only had five bags… Should I tell her I can get more? Or—’
“Hmph, Hmph!”
Casually walking forward, Mirelle bent over and grabbed all of the bags, holding them until I couldn’t see her anymore before walking back towards the painting and tossing them in.
Then…
Casually looking back, she shook her head. The disdain on her face was clear.
“Do better.”
She then jumped up and grabbed onto the edge of the painting before climbing back in.
“…..”
The room fell silent shortly after as the Dreamwalker and I stared at each other blankly.
Then—
“Are you going to leave, or do you want to keep wrestling with me?”
“…..”
I got the answer not long after.
“…..Actually, I’m tired. Let me get some sle—eukh!”
Wrestling it was.
Ah, the things that I did to bond with my anomalies.
“Stepping on toes is cheating!”