Despite sleeping in late, I felt not one bit rested. The sounds from the city still lingered from outside the window, but it was much more overwhelming than it used to be. Most importantly the sand was back in my chest, now in an existential way.

  I can’t get a break, can I? Not that it was a great time to joke.

  I turned to the other bed, surprisingly empty. I’d have not expected Kaleh to be out and about. Agnes usually worries sick about him, but I think he’ll manage. I tried to cast some water, but the scrawl came back erratic and rejecting.

  “Gods, that hurt... I haven’t felt that for months now.”

  As I reeled back and attempted to recover, a knock came at the door. The sound caused me to practically jump out of my skin, heart pounding. I cleared my throat, as something seemed to be stuck in there. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get above a strong whisper.

  “...Yeah?”

  The door creaked open, seeming a lot louder, and significantly more annoying.

  “Morning, Ley.”

  It was Marie, hair flowing down her shoulders where it usually sat tied. She must’ve been up late, that’s unlike her. I tried to welcome her in, but...

  She sat with me for a couple hours yesterday. Talking, crying, altogether losing my mind while she held me together. Truth be told, I’d worried about burdening her up until I finally passed out.

  Guess I did.

  I was busy trying to regain control of my hand, which finally subsided after a couple more seconds. When I’d finally found the courage to look, I’d noticed how much closer she was. She tilted her head, the smile itself was forgiving me for all of yesterday. I don’t know how I’d earned it, but she doesn’t give lightly.

  Her weight found the bed, rocking it slightly as she got comfortable. “Is your arm alright?”

  My arm was ok, but it was the rest of me hurting. The light coming in through the window was enough to singe my eyes.

  I opened my mouth, with just enough strength to say “everything’s full of sand.”

  Kaleh wouldn’t have gotten it. Agnes might have. I felt odd saying it that way, but it’s all I could say.

  She inhaled in one, steady motion.

  “I can imagine. Too full. Too hollow. All heavy.”

  I nodded in the reflection of her eyes.

  “Well, maybe...”

  she pulled a waterskin out from under her cloak,

  “you ought to get something else in there.”

  She passed it over, and I took it without thinking. Holding it up to my mouth, I tilted the thing up and didn’t stop till the rest of it was gone.

  Had I really been that thirsty?

  I noticed a short shadow, approaching from the end of the hall. A fast-paced stride that felt like it was trying to trip over itself. Only Agnes walked like that. She stopped moving for a little bit, paired with a loud huff.

  She peaked her head into the room, wooden tray at her waist. It had a bowl of today’s stew and a hefty loaf of bread. Thanks to the water, my stomach had a mind to start begging.

  “Hey Leonn, I-”

  She started, hesitating like I was going to bite her.

  Eventually she quit with the words, shuffling forward and placing the food on the nearby desk. She turned to walk out, but her boots locked in place as if caught under a root.

  “I... know yesterday was a lot for you. You’re strong. Feel better...” she scratched at her sleeve.

  I hadn’t the energy for it, but I needed to say something. They were here, both of them willing to do what they could while I sat here broken. After a shaky breath inward, I spoke as loud as I could manage, causing my voice to crack.

  “Thank you.”

  She didn’t turn back, but her shoulders seemed to drop.

  Marie reached over, grabbing the bread off the tray and placing it firmly in my hands.

  “You should eat, too.”

  My hands closed around the dry and flaky crust. It smelled stale, and small crumbs fell off it, landing on the floor. I lifted it up to my mouth, taking a rather small bite. Initially it felt like a formality. No taste, no thought in it, just something to do.

  Then, as if lighting a candle, something within me lit up. The bread returned to my mouth quicker every time I lifted it. I started to taste the specks of salt, smelled the yeast baked into the dough, and it stopped feeling as stale as I appraised. My body started a race, and I couldn’t reign it in.

  The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

  Then the cough started as some of it stuck to the back of my throat. I lifted my hand, trying to cover my mouth as the fit began. Marie fetched the stew, sliding it gently into my hands.

  My chest started to loosen as I sipped from the broth, the bread dislodging itself. It hit harder than I expected. I could taste the poultry and vegetables, the flakes of Akktan hot-bell, and a perfect balance of salt and pepper. I cant say it made me happier, but I felt different. Better, I guess.

  Air left my nose in a hurry. “...couldn’t stop, once I started.”

  Marie laughed in response.

  “Haven’t seen you eat like that in forever.”

  “If I ate like that every time, I’d probably die.”

  Once again her warm laughter filled the room. Breathing felt a little bit easier, probably because I loosened my shoulders a bit.

  “You’re looking less pale now. Think you were starving yourself.”

  I might have been, I just couldn’t have been able to tell without a push. I looked at the wall across from us, dotted in marks, stains, full of questions. I started to drift again, thinking about the experiment, and what it meant.

  “Ley?”

  Marie grabbed my shoulder, “where’d you go?”

  I returned my eyes to hers, then I looked to the floor.

  Deep breath in, she gets you.

  “I don’t... I can’t tell which parts were his. Which parts... are mine.”

  This made her shift closer to me, carefully, non-threatening.

  “Agnes and I... we went over that file you found.”

  My breath caught at the thought of it. She’d never been the type to stay up late, reading. Were those dark circles born from worry?

  From me?

  “That experiment...” She stopped again, pouring over her word choice

  “was done a couple of days after your birth.”

  It stirred something within me to hear that. Could that mean...

  “You didn’t take anyone’s place, Ley.” Marie assured.

  “So... all of my memories...”

  “yours.”

  My hand tightened around the now empty bowl.

  We sat there in silence after that. No words, just the sounds of the afternoon street. Knowing that made my chest drain a bit. Less guilt about stealing away someone else’s life.

  A loud, stumbling gait thundered up the stairs, crawling its way down the hall and toward us. Heavy boots, a grumbled curse. Then, “No! Wait, Kaleh! Not right now-”

  “Nope. I’m doing it now!”

  Marie looked over, “what-”

  The door slammed open, doorframe rattling from the force, causing me to flinch something fierce. My scrawl reacted out of instinct, forming into shapes before dissipating. Marie was now standing up, straight as an arrow.

  Kaleh stood there. Panting, sweaty, ash caked thick on his boots.

  “Great. Everyone’s here now. Leonn I have something to give you.”

  He straightened his posture, pulling — and almost dropping —a canvas-wrapped something out from behind his back.

  It was long, thin, and seemed to be heavy.

  I could see Agnes poking out from behind him. She stood there, utterly mortified as she tried pulling at his sleeve.

  “Kaleh, I told you to wait!-”

  “I.

  Will.

  NOT.”

  He marched directly in front of me, dropping to one knee as he presented it with both hands.

  “I wasn’t there yesterday when you...”

  He cleared his throat,

  “I’ve been unable to forgive myself and...”

  He grumbled under his breath, trying to pull the awkward and utterly botched speech together.

  “...Please accept this.”

  This... this is absurd.

  A laugh clawed its way up my throat, and I practically strangled myself keeping it down. Naturally, the laugh won.

  He stumbled up and back as I nearly collapsed on top of him, hand catching myself on the floor with a loud slap.

  I can’t stop!

  Kaleh now wore the mortified look, Agnes was ripe with confusion as she clutched her chest, and Marie gazed on with an ear-to-ear grin.

  I finally found the willpower to compose myself. I got up off the floor, still occasionally snickering at the abhorrent timing.

  Kaleh’s lips quivered as they opened, “Did I... do... good?”

  Marie cut his confusion short, patting his arm like he was some sort of farm animal.

  “Yes, absolutely. You did something good.”

  I walked up to him, holding my hands out. He placed the gift in them, still somewhat shaky. I pulled at the bow, unraveling the canvas to reveal... it caught my eyes and breath in the same motion. Silence hung for a beat.

  It was a rapier. Ambidextrous wire-basket hilt, elongated finger rings, ball pommel sitting at the top of a beautifully wrapped handle that felt so right. I grabbed at the solid black painted scabbard, tipped at either end with a bit of steel.

  “You... got me a sword?”

  Marie looked like she was worried it was going to cut me, her head tilted back a little bit, dropping the hood down. Agnes grabbed at her belt, searching for something — maybe a dagger to stab him with.

  “That’s a real blade, Leonn.” Marie warned.

  Agnes piped up. “Yeah, it is, not to mention stupidly out of our price range.”

  She pushed herself through the doorframe, grabbing Kaleh by the collar

  “how much was it?”

  It was a silent stalemate. Kaleh refused to answer, and Agnes refused to relent.

  “I had to.”

  “Oh, did you? Where’s OUR money, Kaleh?”

  I stabilized myself, grip tight against the handle.

  Apparantly, and for good reason, this pristine blade cost us a total of One hundred and twelve Gildes. What would’ve kept us here another week had been drained in an instant.

  “We’re completely broke now” Agnes calculated, still fuming.

  “We have to leave Arnier — I can’t believe this.”

  Marie rubbed her forehead, pushing back an amused smirk. They were all trying to hide it, but they shot subtle glances toward me. Kaleh might have been hoping for an out, Agnes for a suggestion, and Marie just to see how I’d react.

  I pulled the sword down to my side, and everyone stopped hiding their eyes from me.

  “It’s not the end of the world, we’ll leave tomorrow. Who’s ready to go camping?” I declared.

  It doesn’t matter who I happen to be.

  They need me, and I’ve sworn to show up for them every time.