"Are you okay? Did you get bit?" Quinvan examined for wounds and searched every side of her face.

"No I'm...." The sight of the malformed version of a spider caught Nethe's attention, repulsed in what kind of creature dwelled and in awe of how the continuation of the dream happened. The rush of mixed feelings of horror and elation left her in a daze, but it was not quite a terrible feeling anymore "...fine."

"Don't worry about it." Quinvan sensed her discomfort. "Common pests like them are easy to kill except..."

Common? Except? She didn't even wanted to know.

Future sentences were broken, but not powerful enough to break most of her high spirits. Though her expression almost held no emotions, a drop of fear managed to slip  through a crack and slid down the very bones of Nethe, prevented the plans of exploration of the lodgings. A drop was not enough to shatter the ridiculous belief about her wandering soul, meandering about in a fantastical world with nonexistent occurance.

"For now don't think too much about it." Quinvan lifted a hand. "Let's just focus on getting home. We'll do the work from here."

Nethe silently and reflexively looked around each side of the room as she sat back at the far end of the bed near the heavy sleeper's legs.

"They are common but it's not like they'll appear each second. It depends on where you live as well."

"Sorry it's my first time seeing them." Nethe is also bad at playing a consistent role while her emotions run amok, overly thrilled for the miracle that she's back and avoided reality. She bit her lip out of realization.

"Right." He didn't question her choice of words much, knowing her state. It only served as another confirmation that she's in dire need for an appointment and severe memory loss. "They're not poisonous but just try not to get bit."

They both set their eyes upon the now crumpled, deflated face of a human still attached to the eight-legged creature scrunched on the ground. It was basically its whole body.

Quinvan threw it out the window.

'Imagine touching that' - Nethe thought.

In addition, Nethe refused to ask Quinvan to accompany her out of shyness. Albeit she took comfort around her companions at a certain degree, making a request seemed hasty. So she remained until the break of dawn before Quinvan tried waking up Clorette- a challenging feat. Although Nethe can't help but notice the scrunched face she had along the way to the second floor. She was convinced at any given moment a sudden collapse face flat on the ground would occur, but Clorette impressively did not meet her expectations. It lasted only after the dinner was served.

Now with three bags, Quinvan carried then with a straight face, while Clorette led the way.

Damaged objects to damaged buildings and loitered drecks were still apparent as they strode along the cracked pavement with littler potholes. The destination was not a mere ease of access as they have to travel upward towards the second part of the city where the bridge stood and where a radical shift of locus was.

The dichotomy between the lower and upper was clearly evident: The paucity of damages and the sufficiency of supplies,  the vibrancy of the area and the hefty skyscrapers. Just by the edge was the destination- a three story hexagonal, honey-colored cemented sanatorium that stretched ahead, creating another entrance for the convenience of other citizens. Small wooden sliding windows placed for each rooms and confined spaces for a terrace on each side.

"Good thing we woke up really early," Clorette said. "His office is at the middle. I heard he's the most skilled with all the hard stuff."

Convinced this was all a dream, the gripping apprehension towards unprecedented occurence lessened, opening the locks of a shell of comfort that Nethe unremittingly dwells.

"Like?"

"Memory fixing stuff and other all of that hard stuff."

By the time they finished requesting an appointment and waited outside the physician's office only then Nethe was overwhelmed by a sudden delayed realization.

"Wait they're not going to do anything, right?"

"Just a test."

Once one of the patients came out, they heard a gruff, weary voice. "Next."

With slow steps, Nethe's attention was caught by the discrepancy of their apparel: Shell accessories adorned her hair, hand handwoven necklace with beads dangling on the end wrapped around her neck and faded-colored shawl creatively wrapped around her waist covering parts of her blouse and long skirt.

In a relatively small room, Nethe internally felt the sense of relief throughout her entire  existence from the surprisingly lack of pointy, sharp objects that were in the office. Not even one on sight that the only thing sharp left was the empty eyes from the appointed physician. His mutilated,  scarred face devoid of any emotion. Stitches were visible from the left, leaving a mark and tales of endeavors and horrors that made him a man that he is.

He gestured her to sit on the carved, scarlet chaise longue.

With a not so heavy heart, Nethe followed and allowed herself to have her head in the clouds- a neverending, diverting habit of hers when she doesn't want to deal with a weighty matter, while Clorette and Quinvan explained her condition as the inquiry slowly drowned out.

"Pardon," the solemn man said.

Nethe jumped from the sudden rough hand carefully placed behind the back of her hand, unaware that the three were already paying attention to her. Time does fly when you daydream....... heedlessly.

"Don't worry, you won't feel any pain. Just a slight discomfort. I'll try not to take long."

More than that, a sensation of thin streams of calming waters traveling all over, though it was certainly an undeniable discomfort of being aware that something was wafting inside her head.

"Nothing is wrong with her." For a moment, perplexion was seen on his face.

Clorette and Quinvan could only look at each other in the same manner.

"Strange," the man continued. "My powers allow me to detect any infliction or damage, but I did not find anything."

No one said a thing.

After the man pulled his hand back, Nethe saw vague, soft illuminating lines coursing under his skin, traveling back and forth along his fingertips. She placed her hand where he did with further wonderment.

"Would you perform your powers here but please don't cause any severe damages if it's too combative," the man said.

Anxiety caused her chest to beat loudly, hoping then and there she'd wake up from it. No matter how her bonds deepened with others, being put on the spot, all attention to her was too nerve-wracking.

"Wait... How do I...?" Nethe looked to them for answers.

"Try to feel the search inside it" Clorette answered. "Orrrrr like feel the feel of manifesting while feeling it deeply."

Well....... she tried.

Nethe put out her hand towards the wall away from them with a bit of curiosity and thrilling determination. On the other hand.... Well, it was only gripping the side of the breaches she wore, shaking in uneasiness and apprehension; a mixture with her other as Nethe only manifested those emotions that ran course over her body. Tragic.

"Nothing's happening," Quinvan whispered to Clorette as she scrunched her face.

"I'm sorry I-" Even Nethe was expecting a rather interesting show.

"Give me some time to investigate this.... peculiar situation." The man went to examine his shelf on the other side, containing a unusually amount of history and theories of manifested powers within people and knowledge of the monsters roaming in the world with only a certain amount about medicinals and health.

"It could be anything," the man mumbled. "Something that happened after the invasion. I've seen many horrific things and cured many ailments but this-- my powers couldn't detect this oddity...... and nothing gets past me," he said, filled with confidence and sharpness.

At lost, no one said a thing.

The three of them took their depart, rushed towards where a scheduled transportation ensued. Not after they stumbled upon a girl who called out to them.

"Clorette!" She called out, sweetly.

"Oh my gosh Jessy hi!!!" Clorette squealed. "How are you?"

"I'm fine just... stuff at home but anyway!" She gave a small smile and placed her hands together. "You? I hope you're doing fine and not hurt." She shyly placed her concern.

"Ohhh. And, we're totally fine. We're on our way home, actually. Wait, are you alone?"

"No I'm with my cousin. We're just out buying stuff."

"Saaaaaame! And we actually need to go but I'll try to visit some other time, ok?"

"Of course! Please stay safe out there, ok? Also I'll be performing on my birthday will you come?" Jessy said, delicately and timidly.

"Yeah! I'll be sure to attend!"

"Ok, I'll look forward to it!" Jessy made sure to give a small wave and a smile to Clorette and her companions. "See you then."

Jessy went back to the middle of the square, admiring eyes from the people passing followed her and some greeted her.

"Someone you know?" Quinvan asked.

"I worked for them for a bit. Now come on, we have a ride to catch!"

With their descent and stride at around the damaged fountain now sparse with people but a certain quantity of cattles pulling carts filled with assortments and crates. In the midst of trying to reach their destination, inhumane screams could be heard from around. High alert, the three stopped to determine where the sound came from- avoidance purposes.

Slowly, from an alleyway a decaying mouth snapped each step it took, releasing a raspy moan, its skin stretching unnaturally as it does so. Its head flicked from left to right as it stepped into the open. Dirtied and ripped clothes hang around its discolored skin, unnatural colors of its veins visible on some parts. Stained eyes that seemed bulged out at any moment began scanning, seeking its nearest victim. At the back of its neck, a spider buried its head, feasting on the man as the body started its deformed shift.

Words of Quinvan suddenly came to mind, finally a conclusion to his incomplete  sentence.

Except that.