Just breathe.

I wiped the mirror with the towel, looking to my reflection. It was only then I noticed how tired I looked. Try as I might, I couldn't stop thinking about the eerie voice I had heard back in the bank and then, again, in my nightmares.

Hanna. Look.

I shuddered at the memory, brushing the wet tendrils of hair out of my face.

It was as though even recalling the event brought the shivers back with a fury. I had tried to close my eyes and sleep after the nightmare yet all I could remember were the sleepless hours of staring blankly at the ceiling.

I shook my head and turned away from my ashen appearance to look at my clothes on the towel stand. I couldn't stand to see my reflection right now, not when I could feel it, bursting to exit.

That voice in my head.

I had spent hours last night thinking back to the previous events and couldn't steer from the fact that the eerie voice had come from nowhere but my head. I had felt it against me, behind me and around me as though it owned every part of me. It followed where I was- the bank and the motel, until all I could feel was the dark caress of its whisper.

Dressing myself, I wrung my hair out with my hands to rid of the excess water before grabbing the doorknob. I spared a final firm look at my reflection, pursing my lips.

"Just breathe." I muttered to myself before opening the door and walking out with as much nonchalance as I could muster.

"I'm finished!" I called out as I exited, wiping at my dripping hair with the towel. I heard the sound of the bed creak, looking up as Demir walked into sight.

"Are you sure or would you like another 2 hours?" He questioned sardonically, nudging past me and I rolled my eyes in response, swirling to face him.

"I'd be happy to, if it means I'd be making you wait." I snipped back, folding my arms to which Demir raised an eyebrow at my words, opening the bathroom door.

"You assume I'd be annoyed if you spent longer washing yourself. Rather, you would have done everyone within your vicinity a favour." He replied poignantly, making me scowl as he walked into the bathroom.

"I'll only do so if you return the favour, Demir. Might I suggest you submerge yourself face-first into the full bathtub for a good few hours. You'll be doing me a great service." I said mock-sweetly to which Demir let out a small scoff, a blank look on his face.

"And why would you assume that I'd want to do any kind of service for a ghabiyya like you?" He remarked and I let out a small laugh, brushing my wet hair out of my eyes. He watched my actions as I spoke.

"Need I remind you that I'm the same 'ghabbiya' you cared so much to catch when she fell." I said teasingly to which Demir leaned against the door frame impassively.

"You seem to forget that I then proceeded to try dropping you." He added and I waved my hand dismissively, eying him flatly.

"We're both aware that one's first action is the instinctive truth, and all that follows is merely the excuse of afterthought." I said, in a matter-of-fact tone, watching as his eyes lit up at my words.

"Are you so brainless to believe the difference between the two holds any significance? I'd have dropped you all the same." He retorted and I opened my mouth to speak, but Demir beat me to it- a bored look in his eyes as he spoke.

"And as amusing as your stupidity is, I'd prefer using the time to bathe." He added dryly, to which I let out a small laugh.

"Good, go bathe and rid me of your presence." I snapped back, watching tepidly when Demir leaned forward, his hair falling into his piercing gaze as he looked to me.

"I will when you get out." He said simply and I looked around to see that I was now stood within the entrance of the bathroom. I hadn't even noticed I had moved as I was too engrossed in arguing. I moved back with a scowl when Demir smiled slightly, his taunting grey gaze on me.

"You make it too easy, Hanna." He teased and, before I could retort, he had shut the door in my face and I seethed internally at his jab before making my way over back to the main portion of the room. I dabbed at my hair yet again with the towel. I noticed that my hair was taking significantly longer to dry than when I was in Aaru which made me realise the vast difference in the weather amongst all the other things. For the period of time that we were here, the weather had been dreary and notably colder than Aaru. Somehow, along the way, I found myself preferring the heat and sun over the rain and dismalness of Staffordshire.

"So, you're finally done."

I turned abruptly as Emut entered the hotel room, a smile on his face and his sword hung on his side. I had requested him to leave it behind as he left the room to scope our surroundings yet to no avail. That sword, for him, was like a second skin- one thing he could not forgo.

I processed his words and let out a huff before throwing the towel on one of the beds.

"Did I really take that long?" I asked to which he let out a small teasing laugh.

"Define long." He mused before walking over and grabbing the towel. I watched with a smirk as he hung it against a chair to dry before turning to me.

"Oh, I forgot I was rooming with Mr. Perfect." I joked with a playful frown to which he raised an eyebrow.

"You say it as though rooming with me is a bad thing." He replied, brushing a hand through his brown locks. I let out a small distracted laugh as I combed through my wet hair lightly, with my fingers.

"Oh and it isn't?" I retorted in a pondering tone to which he shrugged lightly, a ghost of a smirk on his face as he looked to me.

"And, who else will keep the nightmares away?" He questioned simply and I smiled at his words, despite the teasing tone behind them, thinking back to the memories of last night.

I had awoken in cold sweat, the whisper of the demons licking at my ears. I was frightened, scared and alone.

Or, so I thought.

It was Emut who had come to my aid, his soothing tone lulling me back to a state of peace. It was the first time that someone had been there right after the nightmares; the first time in which I felt I had someone to placate me.

In the delirium, I had pulled him to me, clutching to him. I was blinded by the overwhelming gratefulness I had felt by his presence and had disregarded the propriety they abided by in Aaru. Yet, try as I might, I felt no sense of remorse for having done so. I was thankful for his presence; for his warmth and his words.

I let out a sigh before walking over and seating myself at the edge of the bed. He watched every action intently.

"I'm sorry for... the inappropriate way I acted last night. I was really shaken up and wasn't thinking straight." I apologised sincerely, but more so in the fear that I had caused any discomfort and I heard Emut let out a small sigh before he moved closer. I felt the bed dip beside me as he sat, but made no move to look in his direction.

"Hanna, your wellbeing means more to me than some mere social graces. It's my job to protect you from harm." He replied almost diplomatically and I let out a small sigh, but smiled nonetheless.

"You take your job too seriously." I muttered as I thought admiringly to the amount of effort he put in every single task; how dedicated he was to the cause. Emut let out a small airy laugh at my words and I turned to glance his way to which he smiled.

"Only when it concerns the people I care for." He answered, the warmth of his honey eyes thawing the icy fear in my veins from the nightmares. I smiled back at his words, feeling thankful once again for having found such support. One second I was waiting tables in The Groove and then the other I was-

The Groove!

I stood up abruptly, thinking back to the memories of a mere months ago when I had waited tables for customers at the diner yet only one certain customer came to mind.

"Hanna?" Emut's voice brought me out of my reverie and I turned to him, taking in the confused glance he was giving me.

"I think I might know how to get home." I murmured quietly, but Emut heard my words and stood up abruptly, effectively towering over me.

"How?" He asked simply and I thought again about the memories of how my own adventure had begun.

"This strange man from the diner- he had given me a special paper with an inscription; that's what I had used to get to Aaru. Maybe he would know what's stopping us from getting back." I explained and Emut nodded, his eyes glancing briefly to the mirror on the wall. I knew he was thinking back to yesterday evening when I had tried again to utter the enchanted words yet couldn't get it to work.

I knew we had all felt defeated at that point, but they chose to stay silent and instead continued eating their food. I however, had sunk deeper into my sadness.

Emut looked back to me then, nodding slightly at my words.

"Okay, I'm in."

****************

"And, this old man is going to do what exactly?" Demir asked as we stepped off the bus and I thanked the driver as we did. Emut turned to him as we walked in a direction that I had once been familiar with.

"He may be able to give us a clue on how to get back." He answered and Demir scoffed at his words.

"A way out of this shithole? Let's walk faster." He instructed mockingly and I scowled at his words before purposefully walking as slow as possible, a nonchalant smile on my face. Emut laughed at this, nudging Demir with his arm.

"She's really going to make you eat your words." He remarked and I let out a laugh as Demir eyed me, his silver eyes glinting.

"Eat my words? Happily. Anything to get the taste of that repulsive food, from last night, out of my mouth." He taunted stoically, idly twirling his glaive.

I had instructed for them to place their weapons away in a bag, but they had both flat-out refused. If danger was to come, they would need to be prepared, at least that's what they had said.

"You didn't like the food?" Emut asked, his own hand resting against the hilt of his longsword as he looked at Demir.

Demir let out an intangible hum of a noise, but I spoke before he could, the annoyance bubbling through my tone.

"Don't listen to him, Emut. I could make him pheasant boiled in mule urine and, if I labelled it Aaru food, he would praise it endlessly. His distaste for Earth shadows his opinion." I spat out to which Demir let out a small laugh, nudging me against the leg, with the glaive of his pole.

"Believe me to be many things, but not dishonest. I hardly have to lie when Earth never fails to disappoint. Now, wipe your tears or else your blurry vision may take us the wrong way." He teased and I kicked at his pole with my leg.

"More often that not, your honesty has driven me insane." Emut remarked, noncommittally, looking to the streets curiously.

Demir raised an eyebrow at this, a ghost of a smile on his face.

"And, here I was thinking that you'd only have good words to spare for me." He mused to which Emut let out a laugh. I smiled, guiding them as we crossed the street.

"Well, you hardly make it easy." Emut answered and I scoffed as we settled on the other side of the pavement.

"That's my defence everytime I want to gouge his eyes out." I added in and Demir smiled slightly at my words, his eyes looking straight ahead.

"Why didn't you do so as soon as we entered Earth? You would have done something useful for once." He taunted and Emut raised an eyebrow.

"Useful such as saving us from the Bakenanouke?" He asked playfully and I let out a laugh, watching as Demir nudged Emut back who merely laughed in response before placing his arm around Demir's shoulders.

I smiled at this before turning to look back at the direction we were headed in. I had taken this route often enough during the weekdays. It was the quickest way to the diner and I sighed as the feeling of nostalgia filled me.

Back at the motel, Emut had questioned me how we would find the old man and I had told him that it would be best to check near the parameters of the diner. I remembered seeing a few alleys near The Groove that were scattered with the odd homeless individual. This was back before Aaru and I remember the downcast feeling that had filled me every time I saw them.

I had wanted to help them, but I was no better off. I would give them a few tips that I would occasionally receive or leftovers of food, but I had nothing more to give.

"Are we close?" Emut asked and I nodded softly, eyeing the near-empty streets. It was around 5.30am as we walked the foggy streets to our destination. The area had been desolate of activity, save for the occasional car that hummed past, drenching us in it's yellow light.

My eyes were burning slightly from the small amount of sleep yet I knew that no amount of sleep could take away the restlessness. Not until I had fixed what I had done.

I could see the familiar sign of the diner at the end of the road, but I couldn't find myself to move closer than that for fear that I may bump into a familiar face, specifically Sue.

I used to remember her timetable by heart, but now it was just a faded memory as though it were from a former life. She may be making her way to work now, her blue Nissan Micra sputtering along the way.

I used to smile from my place behind the counter, before opening time, when I used to see her familiar vehicle. It was before Marie or Steve would turn up and whenever we were on the morning shift. We'd clean up, set the chairs and start the ovens before opening time. I thought back to how Sue would bring her pocket radio and play classical music that would drown out the pattering rain. I'd feel cold and stand next to the oven for warmth to which Sue would place her scarf around my neck- one that smelled like perfume and rain.

"You okay?" Emut asked and I flinched slightly at the sudden intrusion before sighing. It was then I realised that I had halted completely, but was too engrossed in my thoughts to notice. Both males looked to me as I smiled and I nodded my head.

"Yeah, I'm fine, I was just thinking about where to find the man." I lied, but before they could question me further, I began walking, focusing on the matter at hand.

I heard the sound as they followed behind and I dipped into the wet alleys opposite the diner. The sound of our shoes against the wet concrete echoed against the narrow walls of the alley and I did my best to move quietly as we walked deeper in.

Most of the inhabitants were asleep and I looked around in concentration, looking for the familiar face. I could see, from my peripheral, that the males were looking at me, but I ignored it and continued on.

We took another right then and carried on walking. I could see the faces of many- elderly and young; male and female yet none seemed to match the description of the image in my head.

"What if he's not here?" Demir asked quietly, but his deep voice still echoed against the dark walls and I felt the lump form in my throat at the thought. 

What were we to do if we couldn't find him or couldn't find a way back to Aaru? 

I couldn't bear to think of the next step.

                               °°°°°°°♧°°°°°°

Hey, guys! Thank you for reading.

I hope you guys enjoyed it because I very much enjoyed writing it!

I will update every week (or twice a week), so there will be plentiful to read.

Please vote if you enjoyed it and comment on what you would like to see!

Much Love,

S.A.A