Jackson's POV

The night crept alongside us like nothing more than a lingering shadow, the wind drifting us towards the doorway of the place we're briefly calling home. Nimue let's go of my hand to knock on the door ahead of us, waiting a bit but not a single response despite the flicker of light shining through the building.

An obvious growl releasing from Adam as he holds Percy under his arm, grabbing the handle and breaking whatever previous lock was on it, "Adam! You can't just do that!" Athena yells out

"And just let us lay to waste out here? Pass" He encourages Percy to follow which he complies with, not waiting for anyone else to join he heads in deeper.

Our gazes looking over each other for validation but blindsided by our need to keep safe for the night, following him into a completely a opposite space as the room emits a cosy feel to it compared to the harsh winds outside.

"Guys come sit" Athena gestures to the large wood carved table, 9 seats in total wrapped around it. Each of us taking a seat around it as we stare at each other with a bit of bewilderment. "Here" Nimue picks up a hanging fur made blanket, swinging it over Arthur and Gabriela as they huddle together.

"And what about you?" He asks to her with clear worry.

"I'm fine, never really been bothered by the cold anyways" She laughs off before sitting down next to me, "And what about you Jackson?"

"What?" I confusingly respond.

"Are you cold?"

"I...don't know what that feels like" I admit, not understanding the sensation.

"Hmm, I guess that speaks for itself. You're not shaking anyways so you should be fine" She holds her arms around me for a few seconds, only letting go once Athena begins to speak.

"Isn't...there something off with this lighting?" She questions, walking towards a light shade with glowing light shining through it.

"What do you mean?" Percy curiously gets up to check with her.

"There's no fire?" She questions.

"It's simple lighting" A man's voice sounds from the top of the stairs we somehow missed. Their bodies remaining visibly stiff as he makes his way down to us, taking one of the leftover seats and sitting at the head of the table."

"Will you not be joining us?" He gestures for the two to sit down but they refuse.

"And why would we do that?" Athena rejects.

"Because I believe you're the ones who broke into my home, am I not owed some level of trust?" He smiles before gesturing to them again.

"You don't smell human" Adam directly addresses, probably still worrying about the shade event that occurred.

"Haha you're correct on that" He picks up a steaming kettle from the centre of the table, once again oblivious to our view. Pouring himself some small liquid into a cup, "Nice friend you got there" He nods to me, referencing the previously empty seat now taken by Irene. The others baffled by our exchange but left without an explanation.

"You're staying here for the night, even if I politely asked you to leave?" He places the drink down, folding his arms up in front of himself, looking directly towards Adam as if sensing his natural authority.

"Yes" He firmly states.

Earning the man's sharp gaze, "Well I guess that's settled then, enjoy your stay" His humble laugh fills the room.

"That's it...we quite literally broke into your home and we're demanding we stay, so you're letting us stay?" Arthur's face twists up.

"You didn't break anything to my knowledge" He gestures his arm towards the door, firmly shut with the lock intact.

"I-"

The man interrupts Adam, "You thought you broke it? You can't do something without first desiring to do so, not here. Your unwillingness to truthfully break in shows clear as daylight, so from that. I understand and trust your reasoning to stay here." He explains, picking his warm drink back up once again. "And let's be real...if I said no, would you really believe you had a chance?" He makes eye contact with all of us as if trying to identify something.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Athena reaches for the spare glass, pouring herself some with no sign of hesitation, purely fuelled by her curiosity for the liquid.

"You know what I meant by that. At most I would probably struggle with...two? Of you. At the moment anyway. Quite the diverse group you have here though." His unwavering open composure leaving me unsettled.

"What's your name?" Percy bursts through, wanting to break the awkward tension.

"It's Luka, although some call me Akul. Whichever you prefer." He warmly smiles, gesturing us all to drink with them, which I comply with. Lifting the glass to my lips and immediately tasting a sweet flavour hit my tongue.

"Sweet?" I call out.

"I thought it was oddly sour?" Arthur responds.

"It's what you want it to be, as I said before" He continues to drink, my eyes only now noticing his glass still remaining at the same level it previously was before.

"You said the same thing before, what are you referring to?" Athena asks.

"You see, I'm only travelling for a while. Where I'm from it can get pretty boring with all the rules, people and just overall the space." He grins, "To put it plainly, I'm not from here. I can confirm that much, Would you be happy with that answer or would you like me to elaborate?"

"Preferably, yeah" Nimue speaks out.

"I'm from the place that welcomes the illuminates the dark, the glimmering shine of something ending. You've all touched this place before, every night, every day. Have you ever chased light? That ever encompassing feeling that you soon realise you're not making any progress, the only thing that's moving is your shadow through the land?"

"And without the overbearing riddle?" Nimue understandably becomes impatient.

"Less about me, more about you." He stares at us one by one.

Looking towards Athena, "You've gone through your worst."

Arthur, "That's not just you"

Gabriela, "You're truthfully a new chance given by the thrill of nature."

Adam, "You're not that kid anymore, stop listening to them."

Percy, "You three are still sleeping, unchained...waiting."

Nimue, "A sight that isn't yours, but a right that you're entitled to."

Me, "We've met before, I can see now that you do not remember which is unfortunate."

Irene, "You refuse to tell him, what's different this time?"

He leaves us all in a silence as he moved one by one to each of us, "I will like to add on however, Athena and Adam. You've forgotten something important to you, why can't you remember it?" He points out, looking just over them and then back towards Arthur and Gabriela with a saddened gaze.

"What do you mean?" They both call out in unison, looking at each other with a smile before facing back to him.

"That is precisely what I mean" He laughs once again, looking at Arthur and waving for us to stand up. "I understand it's a rather cold night and I'd prefer if you didn't drop dead along my floor. Let me guide you to your rooms." He walks up the stairs before us, allowing them all to discuss a bit but I run to catch up to him.

"Wait! What do you mean we've met?" I grab onto his fur coated cloak that drags along the ground.

"I mean exactly that Jackson, we've spoken. Although it was quite sometime ago for you. How is Oracion?"

"Wh-" I interrupt myself as a white noise fills my head, the cloaked beast coming into my head the more times that name is repeated. "He's...fine" I answer, feeling a piece of myself slide into place like a delicate puzzle box.

"Well that's good to hear, this'll be you guy's room. He walks down the near never-ending hallway. Opening the door to show two beds with plain white sheets. Walking further in I notice a shattered image, something that appeared to previously have a frame, picking up the empty fragments I look back at him with a befuddled look. "Why's it broken like this?"

"This room is how you wanted it to be Jackson, I wasn't the one who made it. I do apologise for the mess though." He apologetically looks away, watching the others pass by the door as he guides them to their rooms. One by one they calmly make their way towards their rooms, Athena getting her own as well as Nimue. Percy and Adam sharing one as Arthur and Gabriela also make their way into a joint room.

"We'll leave first thing in the morning!" I hear Athena cheer out across the hall, all our doors closing gently in response to her words.

The straining sound of springs alert me to turn around, "Sooooo, we get our own beds for once?" Irene's audible jumps thud through my ears.

"I guess so" I sound out

"Si-ck" She continues bouncing, near enough reaching the ceiling with her overexaggerated jumps.

Climbing into my own bed I stare out through the giant window behind our bedframes, staring off into the stars in the sky and tracing them with my finger. "Hey he said we could do anything in here if we desired it, right? Does that include personal room service or...?"

"Irene I don't think servants just linger out in the open plains waiting for someone to care for." I explain to her.

"Yeah but hear me out, room service. Food." She calls out, funnily enough with her next bounce her head slides to the door, noticing a plate being slid under it. Her animated figure crawling through the air as she tries to pre-emptively run before even landing.

"See, ask and you shall receive" She sucks the meat off a bone instantly, flicking it onto my head and triggering a sudden urge within me.

"You're aware as you sleep you're completely vulnerable right?" I warn her.

"Hmmhm" She continues eating.

"Like, you'll peacefully head to sleep. But you won't wake up, and you won't ever figure out why Irene."

"Is-th-at so." She messily devours what's left on the plate, placing it under the bed and throwing her arms back to the pillow.

Feeling my emotions subside I copy her position, cupping my head from behind with my hands and staring up at the ceiling. "Jackson." She oddly states.

"Yeah?"

"Don't forget me" She states, turning over on the bed before I'm able to respond to her.

Don't forget me...

 

Author's Note: This chapter was certainly meant to feel out of place, and I will not-so subtly state that Luka is tied to this sole Chapter...for now. Sorry I've increasingly busy with Uni as of late, reporting to inform you that I'm going into a video game coma this weekend in order to binge Violet.