Chapter 2.5

Before I could collide with the ground, his arms wrapped around me and sat me upright on the bed.

"What do you want with me?" I turned to face him only to be greeted with a frown. The thumping in my temple, died down but not to the point I could even think properly.

"Nothing, I just want to keep you safe. I've been assigned to do so-"

"No, what do you really want from me?" It was becoming increasingly hard to believe his outlandish stories and I really couldn't tell whether it was a pure truth or simply something fabricated in his mind.

He let out a deep pent-up breath. "Take this. It'll make you feel better." He fished into his pocket and unwrapped a piece of cloth offering me a pale white pill.

"What is it?"

"It helps with after-effects of shifting. It'll calm down headaches and dizziness."

"I'm pretty sure we didn't time shift or whatever you called it, to where ever we are right now." I looked around in the little room that surrounded me, the wooden beam barely holding up, the scent of sea salt engulfed the air, and the wooden and metal decorations scattered around the place.

"Location shift. And what makes you so sure?"

Wearily, I glanced down at the white object that was placed in my hand, I turned and looked in his warm gentle eyes and saw no malice of any kind, maybe what he said was the truth, or maybe not. All I knew was he wasn't a bad person. My racing heart was put a little bit at ease.

His eyes were burning into my cheeks and it was like he could sense my nervousness, "Take it," He encouraged, "It'll make you feel better."

Without a second thought, I downed the small tablet and swallowed hard making sure it wouldn't get lodged in my throat.

Instantly I began feeling better; my migraine was fading, the pain between my eyes halted and the dizziness stopped.

"Works like a miracle, doesn't it?"

I nodded, "What is it?"

"It's from my organization. They give it to rookies and first years since the whole experience can be quite daunting. For your first time, I'd say you handled it pretty well, most definitely better than the rest. I remember my first time, a harrowing experience. " I could tell what he was trying to do, put me at ease and comfortable space so that I couldn't feel threatened or scared in any manner. And it was working.

"Why?"

"I know I look like the clean, cut guy to you that never make a mistake. But I didn't choose proper coordinates. I ended up in Wales. Actual Wales, Milford Haven. You could imagine how shocked the locals were when they saw a young English boy, swimming in the middle of the marina."

For the first time, I smiled. "You were in the middle of a river."

He nodded. "More or less. Crazy, right?"

"Yeah. It is." It was becoming clearer to me that he wasn't dangerous, at least not how I viewed him. No skittish, eccentric behavior, just refined and somewhat calming.

He proceeded to start walking away, closer towards the door to the far end of the sparse room. "Where are you going?" I had to remind myself to breathe and not haste into assumptions. He wasn't a bad person and he didn't want to hurt me.

"To get you some food in you, I assume you must be hungry and thirsty." And he was right. I didn't realize, the empty deep feeling I was feeling inside me. I didn't know how long I was out for but I just knew I needed some sort of nourishment.

Standing up, I was eager to follow him. Even though I knew I was safe, it wasn't wise taking unnecessary risks. "I'm coming with you."

"Are you sure? I could easily bring it here."

"No. I'm going with you. It'll do me some sort of exercise."

"Still, you really should be resting."

"Is there a reason that you don't want me to go?"

His trail of gaze sealed with mine. "No. Let's go then."

The sea salt strongly hit me. The wooden beams of the worn-down shack struggling to support each other's weight. The whole shanty surrounded by vast trees and crawling with plants whilst the hot sun reigned down on them. Taking in the bewitching view of the sea, I knew I was lucky to be alive.

Isaiah made his way up to me, in his hand, a big green leaf folded filled with a clear substance. Water. "Here." He offered, holding the greenery near my face.

"Is it fresh?" Tentatively he nodded. "Did you drug it?"

Rolling his eyes and sighing heavily he asked. "Do you want it or not?" A smirk forming on his lips. It seemed like he didn't have any products of his own, never once did I see him carrying anything. Maybe he traveled light?

Throwing my head back, in taking gulps of freshwater, which I guess was from a nearby stream. After it finished and I drained every last drop possibly, I found myself craving more. There was only so much a flimsy leaf could hold.

He must have gauged my reactions as he attempted taking the leaf from the comfort of my hands. "Let me get you more."

I shook my head, I didn't want to have to be dependent on a complete stranger. "No-"

"What?" He smiled. "And risk you running away, not a chance." Making another attempt to tear the leaf from my hand but as quickly as he lunged for it, I moved it away. What was the desperation for?

It seemed that now I need to know more than what he wants to tell me or whatever this was couldn't work. And whoever wanted me, simply couldn't have me. "Why? Am I a prisoner here?" I held his gaze, unflinching. If he thought intimidation would work, for right now regardless it wouldn't work on me.

"No, but there's no way that I'm letting you wonder in that dense forest alone." I followed his line of sight, leading to the densely packed, thick forest, that seemed not to have an ending point. Even if I tried, the possibility of making it one mile in there, by myself was low. Very low. If he was trained for different kinds of environments and certain situations, he'd be trained for this.

"Fine, then. I'm coming with you." Brushing past him, I emerged deeper into the jungle, branches stuck out like twisted snakes, the green emerald emergent clashed with the grey sky. It seemed like our sky itself was suffering, mirroring billions of people's emotions.

This mirrored the same dilemma from yesterday, but this time we weren't running. And nothing visibly seemed to be chasing us. Naturally, we fell into a comfortable stride, linking to each other's movement. "You need to tell me everything, Isaiah. Who you work for-"

"I told you already. An organisation."

"Okay, but what's their name? What do they want with me? I need all these details you keep leaving out. Please, tell me." I might have seemed desperate but if I could appeal to him, I was almost certain he'd reveal to me all he knew.

His face softened. "I work for an organisation called the Nations, Alexis."

I nodded. "And why did they send you to get me?"

Then his features hardened, maybe contemplating if he should tell the truth. I hoped it was the truth because his expression was becoming increasingly hard to read, as the emotion in it seemed to drain out. "I don't know." Was he lying? "Really, I'm confused as you are."

"Are you certain?"

"Is there any reason I have, to lie to you?" His voice was so distant, detach, that I truly wondered if he was even invested in this conversation.

"Okay, but do you want to help me? Or were you forced to? And how did you know where to find me?" I don't know why I even needed a response to that, if he was telling the truth it didn't matter if I was willing to do this. All that mattered was why he wanted to do this.

"We've been monitoring you for months now, we knew where you lived, your relationship with your family. And your relationship with Mr. Wright." That was the name belonging to Eaton, I never chose to abide by his last name and I never will. "And I'm sorry for the way he treated you, it was messed up. Regardless we knew you were planning to take your chances and run away, it was just knowing a matter of when. All the people you had to leave behind, we're aware of all of them. Alexis, I am not your enemy, you need to believe that."

Throughout his whole explanation, he didn't once fall on the topic of whether or not he wanted to do this willingly, but I felt it wasn't a necessary push. If I was stuck with him, I knew it's time for him to start answering my questions. Every single one of them.

But, maybe he was right, I mean he saved me from that monster, he kept me safe, he made sure that when I was most vulnerable I wasn't alone. "You're right-"

That ringing, shriek echoed waves upon waves of thundering vibrations. Whatever that creature was, it'd found us again. But how? How was that even possible? How could it have possibly known where we were?

"Ready?" I looked at him, his eyes glowing with adrenaline. Before I could even attempt to even protest, that agonizing blinding flash, filled my senses.