Chapter 39: Ni

A few days have past since the first day of school, when Emily got attacked. Now settled into her new place, about to start school soon. Emily thought to herself that this was the first night that things were calm and quiet. She decided to open the door and take a stroll down her new suburban neighborhood. She never seen so much greenery in front of people's houses, since her dad's house had a dead lawn with weeds growing out of it. She gazed in the distance. The massive glow of East City shown from behind the houses. The lights like starts dotted across the night sky. She could hear the bustling of cars. The horns of the cars screaming through the night as Emily walked down the sidewalk of her neighborhood. About a few houses down from hers, there was an open lot. It seemed like a spot where a house wasnt built on. She walked out into the clearing. Weeds brushed past her shoes as she walked past them. She stopped and stared up at the sky.

She watched the stars in the sky as the twinkled in her eyes. She thought of what it would be like to leave the city. Maybe she could fly. Maybe she could fly away and forget this ever happened. She could dance with the stars. She could fly away from her problems, like a free bird in flight. She closed her eyes and imagined herself soaring, but then crash as she heard a rustle from behind her. She opened her eyes and turned to see what was approaching her.

It was a boy that seemed the same age as her. He didnt say anything. The boy just stood there and smiled.

"Uh...can I help you?," Emily asked

"Regret fills your heart," the boy responded.

"W-what?"

"You feel trapped, unable to escape."

Emily gave the boy a confusing look. Now that she has a good look at him, something about this boy seemed familiar. She took a few steps toward him.

"Who are you?," She asked.

"I believe we met before," the mysterious boy said.

As she got closer, she could see his short, brown hair. He wasnt really dressed in any casual attire. The boy seemed to be dressed in some type of light armor that was colored black.

"We have?," Emily asked curiously.

The boy then raised his arm a bit and pointed to his wrist. Then it hit her. She stumbled back and tripped. Her back crushing the weeds behind her. She saw the boy standing over her. He reached his hand out.

"N-Ni?," Emily said grasping his hand. Ni nodded and then hoisted her up. Ni then took a step back.

"H-how could that be...I-I thought that you would be...uh...," Emily said.

"...Older?," Ni said finishing her sentence. "I get that alot."

Emily just stood there, not knowing what to make of Ni's appearance, let alone him saying that he gets it alot.

"So...um...," Emily said as an awkwardness settled in between them."do you live...around here?"

The awkwardness loomed as Ni just sat and stared at her. No then gazed off in the distance and spoke," I do not live here"

"Then where do you live?," Emily asked.

Ni looked back at Emily. "I do not have a home anywhere," Ni said.

"So...you are...homeless?," Emily asked.

"No...but not on the plane you see...," Ni said.

Emily raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"You were thinking about him earlier," Ni said.

"Earlier? Who?," Emily asked in confusion.

"Owen," Ni said. "In that house, it's all you think about."

Emily was shocked how he could have known this. She backed up and stared at the ground.

"No...I haven't...," Emily said.

"Of course you have," Ni said starting to pace around Emily in a circle, gazing at her facial expressions. "...Interesting boy, Owen...he reminds you of him...doesn't he...? Your brother..."

Emily looked up and glared at Ni.

"Shut up!...he does not...," Emily said.

"Well of course he does. That is why you latch onto the boy so easily," Ni explained.

"I-I...Uh...," Emily said tripping on her words. She didnt know what to say. It was as if this boy read her like a book.

"Emily...in this world, the stronger you are...the more power you hold...would you want more power?," Ni asked.

"T-that is a random...q-question," Emily said stumbling on her words.

"This power can let you see Owen again...maybe even your brother...willing to take a chance?," Ni asked once more.

Emily thought about it only for a second, and then spoke, "y-yes"

"Then prove to me you are determined to obtain this power...return here three nights from now, and then I will know your true answer," Ni said as he turned to walk away. Emily watched as he started to disappear down the road.

"W-wait, what power?!," Emily asked as she shouted down the block, but he was too far away to hear. Emily started to run after him but tripped and fell. When she picked herself up, she noticed that he was gone. She looked around and Ni was completely gone. Not knowing what left to do she turned around...

...and went home.