Mami came to fetch him when the sun cleared the horizon.
She knocked on the door and called his name, voice gentle and a touch concerned, but he couldn't muster the energy to respond. Even the quiet sound of the door slipping open wasn't enough to pull him up.
"Oh, Rerugen-san," Mami murmured, her steps light as she crossed the room and knelt next to the futon. Her hand settled on his shoulder, a warm weight that he wanted desperately to lean into, but forced himself to not. "I'm sorry. We should have remembered, last night…"
The sorrow in her voice cut deep, and Erich bit back a grimace as he lifted his head to stare blearily in her direction. "Remembered..?"
"That you, too, have reason to fear," she said, hand tightening a bit on his shoulder. "We should not have left you alone like that."
"It's fine, I didn't expect you to—"
"It is not fine," Mami insisted, free hand coming to rest on his bare elbow as she leaned in a bit, kindly not mentioning his shudder at the touch. "That was unkind of us; being alone while one of those beasts hunts is horrible."
Erich gave an awkward shrug and let his head drop back onto his arms, too drained to argue with her. "It's not like being with others is any safer."
"No," she agreed. "But it does allow us to sleep in turns. And if we can't, at least we have company. It makes everything… less terrifying, I think, to not be alone."
(Did it? He'd forgotten if that was true…)
"Mami..?" Ren's quiet voice asked from the doorway. "Ah."
Erich winced at the sound of Ren's voice and tried to make himself smaller; he was supposed to help them, to trade labor for a place to stay and food to eat, and instead he was barely awake and still frozen in place. And even if Ren and Mami thought it a result of fear rather than self-loathing, it still left him a useless burden.
"Whatever self-deprecating thing is going through your head right now, that's enough," Ren told him firmly as they crossed the room to kneel in front of him. "There will be little work for any of us today, especially those of us with powers."
A confused noise slipped out before he could stop it; surely there would be more work to be done, in the wake of a Hollow attack?
"There won't be," Mami confirmed, her thumb rubbing warm, soothing circles on his arm that lingered like a brand on his skin. "The Shinigami didn't come last night, so the chances of the Hollow returning are high. Those of us with any hint of power keep to ourselves on days like this."
"It helps some," Ren said with a shrug. "I don't know how the outer districts deal with it, but we've found that it keeps the Hollows from finding us as easily."
Erich scowled into his arms at Ren's words. That the whole village had survived enough encounters with Hollows to have a strategy… what were the Reapers doing? He'd thought it would be better, closer to the Reaper's stronghold, but instead he was finding it… very similar.
"Do they ever come? The Shinigami, I mean," Erich asked warily, lifting his head enough to peer blearily between Ren and Mami. He wished he had his glasses on hand to better see their expressions, but he'd left them off and, unfortunately, out of his reach.
But he could see enough to spot the glance Mami and Ren shared, followed by the way Ren tilted their head away and left the explanation to Mami.
Mami sighed, her shoulders drooping as she spoke, "They come occasionally, but they are often busy. Weak Hollows like the one last night are… unlikely to be dealt with for a few days."
Ren made a noise of disgust and shook their head. "They're always busy," they muttered grumpily.
"Ren," Mami warned her partner.
They huffed but subsided, and Erich tilted his head to look at Mami in confusion. He'd never seen Ren so openly frustrated by something before, although he could certainly understand their stance.
"Ren's… lived here longer than I have," Mami admitted after another glance at Ren. "They've seen this more than I have."
(Oh.)
(How many had Ren lost to the Reaper's disinterest?)
"Enough," Ren said in resignation, not meeting either of their gazes. "Let's get some breakfast. Can you rise, Rerugen-san?"
Erich hesitated, flexing his legs and wincing at the pain. He'd been locked in one position for far too long, too lost in his own mind to keep his muscles active. "I… don't think so," he admitted.
"It's alright," Ren murmured. They reached out, coaxing him out of his huddle and helping him stretch his frozen limbs. "Just take it slow. We're in no hurry today."
He grimaced and breathed through the pain, then let Mami and Ren pull him to his feet. They held him steady as his legs cramped and his knees tried to buckle, keeping him from falling back to the ground and supporting his weight as he tried to take a step. Mami didn't step away until Erich was steady on his own, then carefully pulled away to retrieve his glasses and hand them to him.
Erich accepted them with a murmured thanks and set his glasses in place, blinking tiredly as his eyes adjusted. Testing his legs with slow steps, Erich moved away from Ren and gave a wan smile at their watchful gaze. "I'm fine, now," he told them both. "Tired, but I'm fine."
Ren looked skeptical, but gestured for him to lead the way. "Then to breakfast with all of us. A good meal is a comfort after a night like the last."
He went, following Mami out of his room and down the hall to the main room where the table had been set. Erich took his usual place at the table and accepted the bowl of soup that Mami offered him, staring tiredly at it and attempting to dredge up the will to eat.
Ren's words aside, he wasn't hungry, just… numb. Exhausted beyond the ability to feel the hunger that he knew should be gnawing at his stomach at this hour. Not eating would come back to haunt him later, but for the moment he couldn't bring himself to care.
"Eat what you can," Mami insisted, pulling Erich's attention to her. "Please? Even if only a few sips."
Erich looked back down at the soup in front of him. He wanted to say no, to say he wasn't hungry, that he would be fine. But they cared for him, worried about him, and… he didn't want that, that worry, that concern. Not when there were other, more important things they should be focused on.
(They didn't deserve another piece of stress atop everything else.)
(After all their kindness, he didn't want to do that to them.)
So he picked up his spoon and began to eat slowly. He still didn't feel hungry, but the soup was warm and easy to eat, and Ren and Mami didn't seem to mind that he was taking longer than them to finish even part of his breakfast.
They ate in a comfortable silence, like they were family instead of host and guest, and Erich hastily ate another spoonful before he could make a fool of himself and say something he would regret.
(Like asking to stay. To be more than a temporary guest in their home.)
(The skin of his arm still burned where Mami had touched him.)
"We'll be spending the day doing some chores we've been putting off," Ren said, setting aside their empty bowl.
"I can—"
"You," Ren interrupted Erich firmly, their expression stern, "can give me the clothes you have that need mending, and then you can stay with me in the main room and rest unless I need you to fetch me something."
Erich grimaced. "I'm not that tired," he argued. "Surely there's something you need my help with."
"Fetching and carrying, and precious little of that," Ren said, setting aside their empty bowl and giving him a kind smile. "Take the rest day, Rerugen-san, you've more than earned it."
He glanced at Mami, but she only nodded in agreement before she rose and moved around the table to his side. "Come, Rerugen-san. Let's gather things for Ren to repair, while they arrange the room so they can work."
"You don't have to do this," Erich muttered. He climbed to his feet and winced, rubbing at his thigh as his legs protested the movement. He really needed to stretch or move around more, but he was just so tired that he couldn't muster the will to care.
"Ren enjoys mending and sewing," Mami said kindly, watching him with her hands poised to catch him if he fell. Once she was certain he wouldn't, she turned and led the way towards their rooms. "We're limited to chores such as this anyway, so it's no hardship to add your clothing to the stack. I'll be preparing food for storage most of the day, myself."
She left him at his door and continued on to the room she shared with Ren, leaving Erich to gather his clothing in peace. It didn't take long to gather it all up; nearly everything he owned needed at least some mending, Erich knew. He'd done what he could, but he'd never been particularly skilled with a needle and thread.
Mami met him in the hallway, arms full of clothing, and gave his small stack a considering look. "Is that everything?"
Erich nodded, walking down the hallway towards the main room. "Yes. I don't… really have that much," he admitted with a shrug. "Clothing takes up space, and I don't often stay in a village long enough to get more made, unless necessary."
Ren looked up from setting out their supplies, then crossed the room to accept the bundle of clothing from him even as Mami moved past to set hers down on the floor. "Thank you, Rerugen-san," Ren told him, moving back to settle on one of the large, flat pillows they'd set out. They gestured towards another not too far away and said, "Please, sit with me."
He dropped to sit where Ren had indicated, stretching out his legs with a tired sigh and leaning back against the wall. "I'm not going to be much use," he reminded them. "I'm not… very good at sewing."
"I can tell," Ren told him dryly, holding up one of his shirts and examining the awkward stitches he'd used to patch it. "It's no matter. Sit and keep me company while I work, please?"
"I…" Erich grimaced and let his head rest against the wall, rubbing at his eyes. He could already feel his exhaustion creeping in and dragging him down. "Ren-san, if you let me just sit here, I… I'm going to fall asleep."
"Then sleep." Ren paused to give him a knowing look. "Mami and I will likely nap throughout the day as well. Rest all you need, we'll be here."
Their words shouldn't have been comforting; Erich wasn't even certain why the promise of 'being there' was a comfort. It wasn't like Ren could do anything to protect him, strong as they were. They couldn't guard his sleep, not the way he wished someone could, but still…
The soothing sound of Ren's soft humming quieted his mind. The rhythmic noises of their work lulled him into a trance.
He was asleep before he realized it.
Erich woke with a start, jerking upright and attempting to orient himself as a blanket fell from his shoulders to pool around his legs. His hand pressed against his computation orb, mana pooling in his channels, a defensive spell on the tip of his tongue—
His vision was blurred— where were his glasses, he didn't remember taking them off— didn't remember falling asleep— where was he?
"Rerugen-san, Rerugen-san, it's alright. You're safe," Ren's calm voice filtered through his panic and he blinked and stared at their hazy form. "You fell asleep in the main room, which is where you still are. Mami made you more comfortable and took your glasses off so you weren't sleeping with them on. Here."
He squinted at Ren's outstretched hand, then cautiously accepted his glasses from them. It was a relief to see clearly, and he scanned the room to see what had changed. Ren had clearly been working for a while, with everything rearranged around them and Erich's clothing folded into a neat pile within arm's reach of where he'd been sleeping.
Even the sunlight was coming from a different direction, and Erich stared blankly at the slanted beams. It had been a long time since he'd slept so much, or so deeply, in the presence of others.
(Less than a week, and already Ren and Mami held his trust.)
(He couldn't stay much longer. He couldn't.)
(Oh how he wanted to.)
"Here," Ren said, leaning over to set a bowl of fruit slices and a cloth napkin close to his side. "Mami brought these out for us while you were asleep."
Erich picked up the bowl and settled it in his lap, considering the slices of fruit that filled it. He didn't know how much he could eat, despite his nap and the edge of hunger he was feeling, but he wasn't particularly interested in actually starving.
(He walked a fine enough line even without missing meals. He didn't need to make himself worse.)
He chose a piece and began to eat, ignoring the glimpse of Ren's pleased expression that he caught before they turned away. The silence between the two of them was comfortable, with Ren further sorting the stacks of clothing around them and Erich slowly making his way through the bowl of fruit. The only one missing was Mami, but he could sense her faint signature nearby, soft and even with sleep.
"Where's Mami-san?" he asked.
"Right here," Ren replied, lifting an arm and leaning back so Erich could see past them. Mami was curled on her side, head resting against Ren's leg and arms wrapped around a pillow. "She ran out of energy about an hour ago, I think it was."
Erich watched Mami sleep, then dragged his gaze back to Ren, taking in the tired lines across Ren's face and the exhausted cast to their body language. "And yourself?"
Ren smiled softly and ran a hand through Mami's hair. "I'll nap after Mami wakes. We take turns during the day just like at night, on days like this."
He ate another piece of fruit to cover his hesitation, wondering if Ren would accept him as the one awake.
(Why would they trust a vagabond like himself?)
(Still…)
"I could stay awake," Erich offered quietly, gaze focused on his hands as he wiped them clean, unwilling to see Ren's immediate reaction to his offer. "If you wanted to nap, I mean."
Silence met his offer, and Erich looked up to find Ren watching him with a thoughtful expression. When they caught his gaze, they said, "Don't feel obligated to offer. We left you alone last night, and that was unkind of us. You don't need to repay us anything—"
"It's not— I don't feel obligated," Erich interrupted, shaking his head and carefully folding the cloth napkin into smaller and smaller squares. It wasn't even entirely a lie; he wanted to return their kindness in whatever way they'd allow, and staying awake and on watch after a nap was no hardship. "Both of you have been nothing but kind, no matter what you insist, and I'm awake now. It seems… wrong to force you to remain awake if you'd rather be asleep."
Ren hummed and set aside the shirt they'd been folding. "If you're certain."
"I am," Erich replied with as much confidence as he could muster.
"Then I accept your offer," Ren said decisively, leaving Erich staring at them in surprise. They reached out and gently grasped his hands, stilling his fingers on the napkin. "We trust you, Rerugen-san, we simply don't wish to impose on you too much. You already do so much for us without complaint, and we'd prefer not to take advantage of your good nature."
"It's not taking advantage," Erich said with a frown, flexing his fingers and trying to ignore the warmth of Ren's hands around his own. "You're allowing me to stay for free. If anything, I'm taking advantage of you."
Ren made a small noise of discontent, mouth pinching into a thin line and hands tightening around Erich's. "Then let's agree that neither of us are taking advantage of the other, and simply accept the kindness offered?" they asked, reluctantly releasing Erich's hands as they did.
Erich nodded, even as he reconsidered their conversation and tried to determine what had bothered Ren about it. Was he taking advantage of Ren and Mami and Ren was just too polite to protest? He didn't know, only that something had annoyed Ren.
"Good. Then I'll hear no more of how you are taking advantage of us," Ren said sternly, giving Erich a look that had him raising his hands in defeat. Satisfied with his reaction, Ren moved their supplies and the stacks of clothing back, then stretched and laid down, curling around Mami as they did. "Thank you, Rerugen-san. Don't be afraid to wake either of us if you need anything."
Erich looked away and focused on finishing the fruit he'd been given. Ren and Mami made a peaceful image together, content and so in love that in hurt to see.
(He'd had that, once.)
Ren's breathing evened out, along with their spiritual signature, and Erich relaxed. He rose from his seat and padded into the small kitchen, setting the empty bowl aside and cleaning his hands while he had a look around.
Mami had been busy while he was asleep, Erich mused. The bowl of food scraps was full to overflowing, things were waiting to be washed, and sealed jars lined the far wall. He glanced back at the door to the main room, then rolled up his sleeves and set to cleaning as quietly as he could.
He let his mind drift as he worked, mulling over the night before and what Ren and Mami had told him. The Hollow had been weak, but even a weak Hollow was dangerous to those who couldn't defend themselves. The villagers had no way to protect themselves from a Hollow attack, not even those like Ren and Mami who had some spiritual power.
The Hollow would return. He knew it would.
Mami said it would not be dealt with for days. Days of danger and hiding out. Days of the tense fear that lingered in Mami's eyes and pulled the corners of Ren's lips downward. Days of helplessness and waiting for rescue.
(He could end it. Protect the village and those he cared for.)
Erich ran out of things to clean in the kitchen and drifted back to the main room. He did what he could in there, too, cleaning and organizing and keeping busy while trying to remain quiet. There was a restlessness in his soul that he couldn't sooth no matter how much he moved, an urge to fix things that only grew worse the longer the day dragged on.
Ren and Mami slept, but not peacefully. Ren's expression remained drawn. Mami's hands held tight to Ren's kimono. Their signatures remained laced with fear and unease.
(He hated it. With every fragment of his soul, he hated it.)
(No one should know such ever-present fear.)
He finally forced himself to settle, fetching a knife and a piece of wood from his room and sitting near the other two, intending on whittling. He had nothing in mind, just let his hands do what they would and tried to keep his thoughts from dwelling on the Hollow and what he should be doing.
(It wasn't particularly effective.)
By the time Mami stirred and woke, Erich was wound tight and barely able to focus, carving forgotten and knife still, staring blankly out a window. Her movements grabbed his attention, and his head jerked towards her.
Mami yawned and pushed herself upright, stretching and rubbing at her eyes. She scanned the room and smiled brightly when she spotted Erich. "Feeling better, Rerugen-san?" He nodded and she gave a pleased noise, then glanced at the room again. "You cleaned while we slept? You didn't need to, but thank you very much."
Erich shrugged awkwardly, uncertain what he could say. "I was restless," he settled on, hoping she wouldn't take his words the wrong way. "I needed… something. Beyond this," he clarified, holding the misshapen carving up between two fingers. It didn't really look like anything except a mess, and he resolved to toss it instead of trying to salvage something out of it. "I needed something active."
Mami hummed and nodded, gently disentangling herself from Ren and rising to her feet. "I understand, trust me. Are you hungry? I could start dinner, and we could make an early night of it."
"I could eat," Erich reluctantly agreed, sheathing his knife and rising to follow Mami from the main room and into the kitchen. "Do you… need anything?"
"You could keep me company," she suggested, gesturing towards an out-of-the-way spot where he could stand.
Erich settled against the wall where she'd indicated. "If that's all…"
"Your company is more than enough," she told him with a smile, then set about gathering the things she needed. "Has Ren told you about the time they were followed home by a little deer?" She laughed when Erich shook his head, then said, "Well then, I'll tell you!"
He couldn't help the faint smile at Mami's cheerful voice and silly story of Ren trying to chase away a young deer any way they could.
(This. He would do anything to keep this.)
(No matter what the cost.)
"Are you sure, Rerugen-san?" Ren asked, lingering in his doorway. "There's no shame in wanting company—"
"I'll be fine," Erich answered. "Trust me, Ren-san. Now that I'm aware of the Hollow, I'll be fine."
Ren's expression turned skeptical. "If you are refusing out of modesty, or because you feel you have no place with us, please reconsider. Not being alone helps, Rerugen-san."
"I know." He didn't. Decades of hiding had worn away his memory of kinder, safer days. "If it becomes too much, I'll come to you." He wouldn't. The moment he turned to them for comfort was the moment he would lose his will to leave.
(Was the moment he invited danger into their lives.)
"See that you do," Ren told him, their gaze piercing. "Our door will remain open for you."
Erich inclined his head and quietly prayed that neither Ren nor Mami would check on him throughout the night. He didn't know what he would do if they did that.
It wasn't until he heard Ren's quiet footsteps retreating down the hall that Erich relaxed. He quietly slid his door closed, then returned to the small window in his room that overlooked the little back garden that Mami kept. Erich settled in to wait, hands carefully relaxed at his sides and power coiled beneath his skin.
The Hollow's signature grated against his senses, lingering on the edge of the village, stalking its prey.
(Killing this Hollow would do nothing but postpone Ren and Mami's fate.)
He shouldn't help. They were neither family nor Quincy, held no ties to him but of host and guest. Once he resumed his wandering, he would likely never see them again, no matter how long they lived.
He should leave in the morning. Head in a different direction. Ignore the Hollow and continue on with his (coward's) life.
Erich swallowed and pressed a hand to the frame of the window, leaning in to stare up at the sky. It was still so light out, so easy to see the world around him. Anyone could spot him if he left now.
(He couldn't be seen. Hide in plain sight. Do not act out of the ordinary.)
(Sneaking out a window was hardly ordinary.)
It was torture to wait for darkness to fall while the Hollow hunted. Light lingered in the sky long past the time he felt it should have gone, taunting him with every moment that passed.
Counting his breaths kept him calm, distracted him from the way the shadows slowly crawled across the ground like spilled ink. The rhythmic action settled his mind; there was no room for doubt or questions, only the purpose he'd given himself.
(They didn't deserve to live in fear. No one did.)
(A Quincy's duty…)
(A friend's duty.)
Erich began to pry open the window when darkness settled and hid the world. His limbs felt leaden and his hands trembled against the window frame, fingers weak and grip uncertain. The urge to enhance himself with mana was strong, but Erich scowled and bit it back; he doubted Reapers knew how to track magecraft, but he'd rather not tempt fate.
Licking dry lips, Erich squeezed through the open window as soon as he could fit, bare feet hitting the cool grass without a sound. He settled into a crouch and strained his hearing, searching for any indication he'd been spotted already. But the world was silent, everyone huddled within their homes and trying to ignore the danger outside.
He crept through the shadows, staying low and stepping carefully, filtering out the minor pain of walking barefoot outside. Every noise made him freeze to reassess, scanning the world around him to find the source. Every pause felt like an eternity. All that existed was the next step. The next breath. A nightmare that would never end.
(Was he the hunted or the hunter?)
(He'd forgotten long ago.)
Erich froze the instant he crept around a final corner and saw fields instead of buildings. He set a hand on the wall behind him, body trembling at the sight and a cold sweat freezing his limbs.
(No turning back. No unmaking this choice.)
(The only way was forward.)
He rose to his full height, scanning the area with his senses. He could sense no one, even within the nearby houses, and he was far enough away from Ren and Mami that they should be safe…
Erich flexed his fingers and rubbed at his hands, trying to massage some feeling back into his numb fingers. He couldn't afford to continue his slow, creeping progress. The Hollow was too far away. Too quick on its feet. It would be morning before he could approach.
He needed his powers.
The cold metal edge of the computation orb dug into his skin when he pressed a hand to it. Metal that quickly heated as he fed a thin thread of mana into the orb itself. Even this minuscule drop of power turned him into a beacon for those searching for it; mana was not a subtle power, even used internally. It could not be hidden, could not be disguised.
But for all that, it was the better power to use. It was the power of the mind, not the soul, and marked him only as a mage to those who could sense it.
Which was good. It gave him an out, a way to hide himself in plain sight.
(A way to pretend to be what he wasn't.)
Erich took a deep breath and concentrated, remembering what a Reaper felt like and feeding that into his mana. His orb grew hot against his skin, traces of crimson light seeping through his shirt and illuminating his hand. Circles and calculations expanded in his mind's eye, the spell he'd painstakingly built over decades coming to life around him. It settled across his body and sank just beneath his skin, locking in place like a door slamming closed.
He cringed and dropped his hand away from the orb, scratching at his arm. His lungs strained for air. He felt restricted, trapped in an invisible vice. Unable to breath. Unable to move.
The spell was like wearing a uniform sizes too small and badly laundered. It bound his limbs and seized his breath and itched like he'd walked through nettles. But it was useful even so, hiding his very nature under the guise of Reaper. Erich doubted it would hold up under close scrutiny, but he wasn't under close scrutiny. He just needed to keep any traces of Quincy from being scattered about, and this would do that.
A careful series of mana-enhancements blurred the edges of discomfort, numbing his body and providing oxygen to his straining lungs. Erich stretched, trying in vain to settle into the spell, and took a cautious step forward.
The world didn't waver, didn't threaten to tilt around him, and his next step was more confident. And the next. And the next. Until he was striding across the dark fields and his discomfort faded from his awareness.
All that existed was his goal. His purpose.
(He wouldn't let this beast threaten his friends again. Never again.)
Erich bolted, fragments of hirenkyaku carrying him on. Mana pushing him further. Defensive membrane shimmering to life across his skin.
His rifle manifested, slung over one shoulder. A comforting weight.
(He would purge the beast from existence.)
He didn't pause as he approached the beast. Just unslung his rifle and fed mana into it, which pooled within the inscribed formulae. Violet light shimmered over the rifle and spilled into the air, leaving a trail in his wake.
(It couldn't be helped. Even the best magic-rifles bled mana, and his was only a construct.)
Shooting the beast was out of the question. Not so close to the Reapers and their strange reliance on weapons of the past. But that was alright. He had a bayonet for a reason.
The Hollow spun to face him.
(Purify.)
It grinned, teeth long and jagged and bone pale in the moonlight.
(Purify. Not destroy.)
Erich braced himself. Leapt into the air. Ducked below a wild swipe.
His rifle flared brighter, drawing the Hollow's hungry gaze. The beast swung again, mouth opening to roar, and Erich struck. He drove the point of his bayonet into the beast's mask, right between its eyes. The gathered mana exploded outward, bound inextricably with his twisted spiritual powers, and flooded the beast before it could react.
(A Reaper's Purpose, co-opted by a Quincy. Purification instead of destruction.)
The Hollow screamed, mask shattering like glass, and struck. Claws skittered across Erich's defensive membrane, tearing his clothes but leaving his skin untouched.
(Quincy and Hollow were Anathema, each destroying the other in turn.)
He darted back, landing heavily and swaying in place. Lungs straining for air. Focus on the Hollow as it dissolved, its captured souls fleeing.
(But mana was the power of the mind, and the mind was a tricky thing.)
Erich lowered his rifle with a sigh and let it fade away. He reached out with his twisted powers, gathering what traces of himself he could and reabsorbing it. It was like trying to grasp fine wire with heavy gloves, but he had patience. Patience and an interest in muddling his presence as much as possible.
There was nothing he could do about the mana that lingered in the air. Expended mana could not be reclaimed; it had to fade on its own, and there was nothing he could do to speed it along.
He retreated a couple more paces, collapsing back against a broken wall, and rubbed at his eyes, praying that no one would come to investigate so soon. He needed to return to the house before dawn came. Before Ren or Mami attempted to check on him.
(He hoped they hadn't already tried…)
(He just wanted to curl up and hide away.)
Erich grimaced and straightened his glasses, then tried to orient himself. There was no point in retracing his path out, not when the beast had already been in the village. He just needed to be sure nothing could be traced back to his friends.
Gathering his spiritual powers tight within his soul, Erich ended the spell on his nature. It shattered like the Hollow had, crimson mana wafting from his body like steam, and he slumped to the ground in relief. He pressed a hand to his chest and dragged careful, deep breaths into his straining lungs.
He hated that spell. Hated the phantom ache it left behind, like he was once more an old man. But it was the only way he knew to hide and still be able to fight. The only way he knew to keep the Reapers from discovering a Quincy had been doing the impossible.
(Quincy could only destroy. Everyone knew that.)
(They had been hunted nearly to extinction for that very fact.)
Erich carefully pushed himself to his feet, bracing himself against the wall as he did. His vision wavered, head swimming at the change, before finally steadying. He ran a hand through sweat-damp hair and stared blankly in the direction of the house, of safety.
(He should have just gathered his things and ran. Killed the Hollow and fled in turn.)
(He didn't want them to worry…)
He could make it back. He'd traveled further while feeling worse.
Erich took a breath. Pushed away from the wall. Took a step, then another, legs steadying as he walked and mind settling into numb acceptance. He hoped no one had been drawn by curiosity at the beast's death-scream; he was in no state to creep back to the house. The best he could do was slip through the deepest shadows and try to remain alert.
It was going to be a long trip back.