Yo everyone! Hope you been doing well, finally done with the extra work so enjoy! Thanks to everyone who takes a bit of their time to read this and review, thank you everyone! keep being awesome

Chapter 4: The silence of the ones who have left and the horrors in the night.

Sometimes the phrase of "Between the sword and the wall" is not really comforting, I mean what is so comforting about having a blade in my direction. "So, Cid? Will you answer me why you are writing an article about Sona?"

On life, the best policy is always honesty, that is with the people that come for therapy so I can simply lie my way out "Sorry Fiora, is something rather sensitive so I can't tell you" Well not exactly a lie, is pretty much the whole deal really. Her eyes show clear distrust at my words, not that she knows I'm lying…does she?

"I see, I just hope you understand that the article won't see the light in any publication on the city" Her muscles seem relaxed, so she either was truly calm or was looking for a sign of me lying, the duelist was often more of the observant type so better to play it safe…

Before either of us could keep up the conversation the knock on the door showed Sona waiting in there looking between us. "Did I intrude something?" She asked on signs that Fiora seemingly had trouble answering back "Not at all, Fiora was leaving already" Fiora seemed to understand what I meant as she bowed to Sona "My apologies Sona, I will be taking my leave as he said you were going to speak some sensitive issue, don't worry though, the article won't be published" She said with her accented voice as she left closing the door behind her.

"What article was she speaking of?" Sona face showed more confusion than any other emotion. "She thought I was making an article about you, I'm banned of publishing anything related to art in the city" Sona seemed to laugh at that before sitting on the chair of the office. I simply went to my desk and let myself fall on the chair behind me. "Honestly I thought you wouldn't come today" the words echoed around the office as she started to make signs to answer back.

"I said I would come tomorrow, I wouldn't have said it if I didn't mean it" Honestly? Are all champions so straightforward? Maybe is a result on being on the battlefield so much, or maybe is result of being constantly fighting or subjected to the stress on their status plus their daily life's maybe…

No more thoughts could be made in his head as Sona suddenly approached him looking him straight in the eyes before making signs for him to understand "You are often in thought, aren't you?" A small laugh escaped from him before answering back "Yeah I guess I am often thinking, is part of the job really" Sona smiled before making signs this time with a face more serious.

"Are you still curious of my time in the orphanage?" A simple nod was all the answer she received as a sign to keep going "The orphanage was nice, I could play and read all I wanted…is just, no one really spoke to me, I tried to speak with them, but no one really felt like reading the paper to understand me" Technically speaking, the kids tend to be of short attention spans, and a mute child on an orphanage would be easily ignored if the child didn't had anything interesting, a piece of paper wouldn't really get their attention…

"During the day there weren't many problems, I would just read and keep going, is just…the night was bad" He decided to interrupt her "Because you couldn't ask for help on the night, right? No one would listen, you couldn't make a sound" Sona nodded before continuing.

"How can you ask for help against the monsters when no one listens? I was a kid…All I wanted was to speak with the others, but I couldn't…no one would adopt me…everyone came and went away with time, I saw everyone going happily with their parents" She looked saddened at the memory.

But it was understandable in Cid eyes. Often parents expect a lot of things on their children, not everyone can take the compromise to care for someone who is different, even if slightly different. "They thought you were silent because you were well behaved, right?" Sona eyes clearly shot open at the phrase, right on the spot then. "Did the caretakers thought you were weird for being unable to make any sound?" She nodded, well is good she is being honest.

"When did it changed? I mean, when did you get out of the orphanage?" At this she smiled, before making the signs of the name of her savior, her mother in a way "Lestara Buvelle, she adopted me and helped me to learn about my instrument…life was good…she helped me to master my etwahl"

Was…past…Lestara Buvelle, she often loved the arts, some said Lestara knew more than she left on with her personality. I never had the honor of truly knowing her, as she retired to solitude when she appointed Sona as the new head of the house Buvelle, a huge empty mansion that was often alone as Sona would be going all around with her recitals.

"Etwahl was it?" Sona eyes perked at this. "Yes, is my instrument, is…bonded to me" She looked sad, no, it wasn't sadness, is more like, the melancholy of when one speaks of a partner who has been with them through thick and thin. "I'm guessing is the famous instrument you always have with you right?" She smiled nodding but…Sona what are you hiding.

"Is your instrument scary?" Sona eyes grew up in shock for a moment as she moved her head from side to side showing her negativity at it. "Then why you don't have it with you right now?" She simply started to make signs "Is easy to hide when no one sees the instrument with me" Ah right, no one knew of her fear of the dark.

"Sona, you said life was good, what changed?" At this Sona seemed in thought, her muscles tensed, she was thinking if it would be a clever idea to speak about that. Cid could understand Sona wasn't fond of speaking so much of personal things, but this was therapy and honesty was a must.

"Lestara changed…she would often make me play the etwahl, I love music…"

"But you wanted her to notice you, not the instrument" It wasn't a question, everyone knew of Lestara love for the arts, some said she loved the universe of art more than people, Cid wouldn't blame her, it was hard to like people.

Sona eyes got opened at his words, he had hit the nail, Sona was happy with Lestara, things were good, until she would always want her to play or speak of her training on music. Sona wanted her mother love, but she often seemed to love the etwahl more, which was silly. The etwahl loved Sona, she was the master and the instrument yielded at her will. And as much as Sona loved her mother she didn't seem to share the same love, of course she was caring, but Sona always thought something was missing.

"Sometimes our parents forget we want them to say something encouraging, or more likely. That they notice we are there" Cid had read the signs on her body language, Sona had been often alone, often left in the dark. The fear of the dark wasn't about it being dark. It was the fear of the void that is the loneliness. No one would notice Sona in the dark. She couldn't make any sound to them.

Sona was in thought. She would always be a well-behaved child in the orphanage, she would often work harder than anyone else to get her caretakers to praise her, to notice she was there. She only wanted someone to say "excellent job Sona! Well done!" but it seemed her inability to speak made it extra hard for someone to notice her.

It wasn't so bad during the day, when the sun shone brightly others would know she was there, but that would change in the night, no one knew where Sona was. Of course, they could find her in the room, but how to answer back when you are unable to? How can you scream for help, how are you supposed to yell "I'm here!"

Sona was alone, and she hated that no one seemed to notice she was there.

"If it helps, I know you are here, I mean you left a good impression of your knuckles on my nose" Cid laughed as he took Sona out of her thoughts. Sona was grateful at Cid, not because he was a therapist, but because he was honest. When Sona wasn't playing, most people seemed to forget she was in the same room as them. But this so-called therapist was different.

He seemed to notice everyone who was in the room with him. As if everyone carried the same importance to him, and he would notice everyone. She was thankful that even if she didn't spoke he seemed to follow what she was thinking.

"You seem to be able to read minds it seems" Cid laughed at the idea as Sona looked at him with a face showing she was just teasing him "Oh no, you have found my greatest secret, now I will have to make sure you don't speak of it to anyone" At this Sona faked a gasp as she covered her mouth and making signs "Worry not, my lips are sealed" as they both seemed to smile at this he simply answered back on their little game "I will put some mittens on your hands so no one can see what signals you are making" A fake gasp and a smile where all that was needed to make them relax.

"I'm sure we will be able to solve your fear of the dark Sona, so don't worry, I will help you with this no matter how long it takes" Cid smiled, honestly, he would try his best to help her, at least now he knew Sona fear was something deeper than simply being afraid of the dark.

"Thank you" She expressed her thanks to Cid and bowed as she stood up to retire. "Take care" Cid didn't say anything else. All that was needed to be said had been said today, Sona seemed to carry more demons than anyone else knew, and in a way, he had helped her today. Sure, not how he would have wished, nor the way Sona would have wanted. But she had received help.

On her home Sona took her instrument and played a melody. A melody about people who wanted to be noticed, loneliness and isolation. Beings who lived in hidden at the plain sight trying their best to be noticed…trying their best to keep on forward unto the unknown tomorrow.

In his office, Cid simply rested on the chair. The day had been long, Riven, Jinx, Lulu and her friend Pix, the visit of Fiora and Sona… the last one resounded heavily on his thoughts…how many demons lied deep in her head, how many horrors were hidden inside the lady who couldn't make any sound unless it came from her instrument.

He stood up and closed the doors of the office as he went away back to his home, he deserved to sleep in peace after a long day…not tonight though.

As he walked through the city of Demacia taking in the lights in the night he could only feel like walking enjoying the cloudy night that was presented in front of him. It had been a long day, maybe not long as in time, but it had been long in the way of his work. He knew being a therapist would never be easy, the emotions he would have to deal with, the way people would act at times. It would never really be easy…

But there was a sense of fulfillment in his job, when someone suddenly started to open and speak up what they felt, it brought a sense that make it all seem worth in the end. He always was weak to help someone who obviously needed a hand, even if they wouldn't admit it. The night was beautiful, cloudy with signals of a coming rain in the soon time.

The sounds of steps, the sounds of people passing by, the shine of the light, and the obvious sound of steps behind him in an obvious intent to get him. Whoever felt like trailing him was doing a horrible job. As much as Cid wanted though, he didn't seem able to lose the person behind. In the past, he would have made a sprint and make a distance to lose the one behind. But with a prosthetic leg that was a bit harder.

The park wasn't far, and the trees would provide a nice cover to lose whoever he had behind. Might as well try. Cid could hear a gasp as he made his way to the park with speed, a thunder roared and rain started to pour down. People all started to rush to other directions for cover of the rain or back to their homes, he was running between trees to lose whoever was still behind.

He decided to stay still under one of the shadows on the trees. He could hear steps splashing in the surrounding puddles of water that the rain was making. He could hear a noise of "Damn it" as he breathed in relaxation knowing whoever it was had lost him he suddenly felt a tug against his sleeve and saw a pair of red glasses reflecting his scared face.

"You are hard to find you know?" Before he could scream she placed her hand over his mouth "Shut up, will you? You barely lost him, now stay silent"

Shauna Vayne took her crossbow from her back and placed a well-aimed shot against what once was a man whose face looked far like something from a nightmare rather than a simple human. She smiled, she had been tracking the beast for a while now, he seemed to be trying to get a victim but she had always been a step ahead, sadly he always was able to escape, tonight though, he couldn't see her as he was focused in hunting the man in the tree. Tonight, the world lost another monster, and Vayne was smiling as she looked behind her to the man who was looking at her as if observing a prey.

"What are you looking at?" her tone of voice was surprisingly even, not angry nor happy, a result of always having to be on constant focus. Her body showed she was ready for anything he might do if the bolt on her arm was anything to go by.

"Nothing really, I had heard of the night hunter, but honestly I didn't expect it to be…" she decided to interrupt his speech "A woman?" he chuckled "A sadist" his eyes behind his glasses showed how he wasn't asking, he was making an affirmation, one Vayne didn't like if she closing her fist was any indication to go by.

"You know nothing of me, and you would do better to avoid learning about me" as she was making her way back into the shadows he decided to simply speak up "Killing him won't bring them back"

You see, some people smile for different motives, some smile for the sensation of happiness, some smile due to a good joke that seems funny. Some while on the hunt smile because the satisfaction of getting their prey, and some other hunters smile because they feel each success bring them closer to a bigger prey, a bigger trophy.

Cid had seen many smiles, and her smile was the kind that hide fury and something deep inside, a thirst for revenge, not a quest for good, but rather pure and simple vengeance because she could do it. And he was sure he was right, the night hunter was in it not for justice, but revenge. He could play guessing, he was great at guessing all the time, so why not throw the bait and see if the fish came out.

And yes, the fish came out. In the form of a six-inch silver bolt embedded right beside his head in the tree. "Get out of my mind…"

Vayne was out of the loop. She didn't feel any intrusion on her mind, so how come he knew what she was thinking? What kind of beast was him? Even summoners left bits of their presence when they entered her mind, other beasts would often find a tough time against her defenses. So, what was this guy, a wizard, a beast, what allowed him to enter her mind without any problem…

Had she been able to read minds, she would have understood that Cid couldn't read her mind at all. He simply went for the easiest answer. Often revenge is for a loved one, family, or an injustice done to them. And he had received all the information he needed from her body language and her action. Plus, she admitting it helped him a lot.

"I don't need to read your mind, you are pretty much an open book night hunter" She tensed, she now understood to late that he simply had spoken without thinking and she totally went for the bait. Cid could notice her tense body and decided to keep it up "I don't know anything of you, but I know you lost people important to you, maybe your family. But that smile of yours is a dangerous thing, you could be getting too addicted to your quest, and once you are done you won't be able to move forward…"

A second bolt came, this time Cid could pretty much see it with much more detail and interest. As it had gotten into his prosthetic leg. "Shut up…the next one won't be a warning…" She simply left in the shadows.

"Damn it…." Vayne couldn't believe she had gotten angry and shoot a bolt at someone leg. Those bolts were meant to be shot against the horrors of the night, not some simple passerby…her anger had made her do something stupid. She wasn't one to be angry, she would often be without many emotions going. They were useless things, but now she found herself thinking who was that guy…what allowed him to see in her mind…maybe he was a wolf in sheep clothing.

Whatever the case the night hunter would solve the mystery, and if he proved to be one of the horrors that the night gave refuge too. She would simply put the next silver bolt in his heart if he had one.

As the rain fell on the city of Demacia, a man was walking to his home while many people asked him if he was well. After all he had a silver bolt in his leg. The man simply answered back.

"Don't worry, I don't even feel the damn thing" Cid had to admit, this tradition of getting attacked by people was a horrible thing. Yet it was fun seeing so many people worried about the silver bolt in his leg, couldn't they tell it was a prosthetic leg? He was sure of one thing though, he would need to sleep a lot.

And cut! Enough fun for the day, tomorrow we will have more! So, till next time! Enjoy it everyone and take care.

Next chapter! Chapter 5: Formal dress codes and silver bolts.