-Hobby of Life-

'I'm tired…'

The next thing that I feel is the mattress of my bed and my face that sinks in my pillow. Still, my eyes don't want to close.

'I hate my life.'

All the lights in my apartment are turned off and the only source of light comes from my window, I'm tired after the fight of before, this body not being able to withstand the burden of that kind of fight and I COULDN'T SLEEP BECAUSE OF MY INSOMNIA!

Tomorrow or today, I don't, but it's already 3:23 and I still can't get some sleep. All because of this problem of mine, which is caused by the fact that the light of the stars on this planet is extremely strong and considering that their energy is my opposite and that in this body I can't protect against it, it causes me problems in sleeping. At least, the fact I currently am in human form allow me to act as a normal person, which is something I don't really dislike, I can still remember why I came here in the first place, but today I'm not in the mood to thing about the past, because I WANT SOME WELL DESERVED SLEEP!

'I swear if it wasn't for her, I would be able to sleep peacefully.'

I really can't sleep, fine then, guess I'll read something. I turn on the lights with the switch near my bed, I turn on the lights and I let one of my eyes slip out from the pillow. I then move it in search of the book I am reading: the bookshelves, no; the table, no; my desk, no; hob or cooker…thankfully no.

'I probably forgot it in the bathroom.'

Rising from my bed, I scratch one of my eyes and then stand up before walking toward the bathroom. I really am tired. I open the door and the book is comfortably recumbent on the sink, a good place, if it wasn't for that fact that it can get wet anytime the water is turned on. I really don't think about what I do sometimes

I take the book, while mentally slapping myself for my stupidity and then return to my bed. Next, turn off the main light and turn on a small lamp that is on the small table next to my bed.

Now everything is in place: I take a moment to look at the cover, the book itself is pretty heavy and has over one thousand pages and the story isn't that special, but at least I have something to kill the time. Ever since I came here, I have tried to read various books, but very few managed to interest me, still I keep reading to have something to do when I don't know what to do. In truth I also have one more hobby, but now it isn't the right time to do it.

I keep reading, my eyes looking at each lines and passing from word to word and slowly, my eyelids were closing. My tiredness was finally winning over my insomnia and soon I will be in the world of sleep; turning off the light, I put the book on the floor and finally I fall asleep.

…

…

…

…

'Seems like I was able to rest peacefully this time.'

Letting out a yawn, I stretched my arms before sitting on the edge of my bed. It is already morning, or so it would be correct to say by a chronological point of view, but in truth the light of the sun has just begun to light the city. My clock indicates that it is 6:14, still early, but at least I don't feel as tired as yesterday, guess that the energy of the dark star inside that Herald that I absorbed has restored some of my energy and calmed down my own hunger.

'Guess, I'll have to return to the Horizon of the Events soon enough.'

I return to lay down in my bed. Even if I'm not as tired as I was when I returned here yesterday's night, I still am more tired than yesterday and if I am to go to school now…well, no doubt that I will fall asleep this time. I close my eyes, but not to sleep, but to think. I recollect everything I've seen and every particular of the last night: the rift, the Herald and its ability. From what I saw, its body was partially corrupted by the dark star's energy, yet his mind still belonged to the Void, making this a true threat, still, when I crushed the eye of the void on its back, the corruption spread on its entire being and managed to overtake its dying body. It is most likely that the eye managed to contain the energy and to prevent it from taking over, still, the fact that a voidborn managed to make use of such power means that someone in the Void is working hard.

'It's either him and his acolytes or the Will.'

The voidborns are split into different species, each independent from one another, but not all of them are stupid and some are intelligent enough to have their own objectives. Still, all of them have to obey to a common thing: to consume everything and spread the Void's corruption. Because of this reason some of their actions are predictable, but this also make some of them good additions to the Dark Star.

Already three voidborns have trespassed the Horizon of the Events and have returned as servants of the singularity. Yet, that Herald was corrupted completely, such thing was truly bothering me, not only because this means a new danger, but because it can also be a precious information for them.

'I have to solve this problem as soon as possible.'

I am focusing on the Herald and then something more comes to my mind: why a Herald was corrupted and why not sending it out of the Rift to test it? Probably it was an unfinished experiment or something different. Maybe they wanted to attract me inside the Rift to see how the Herald would have acted or how I would have dealt with it. So many options and questions…I need a holiday, or at least something to distract myself.

I look at the clock once more: it's 7:35.

'Guess, I'll sleep some more.'

I can't even think about anything that I fall asleep again. Last night has given me the final hit to destroy all my defences against my tiredness.

…

…

…hunger…

I wake up and let out a sigh.

'It has started again.'

I stand up and walk toward the bookshelf. My eyes looking at each shelf in search of a pair of things I needed. There was just one little problem: I was extremely chaotic when it comes to put things in order, so my entire bookshelf was in a state of utter mess, so it wasn't easy to find what I wished to have. Roughly two minutes after I have begun to search, I have finished to check the entire piece of furniture and nothing.

I turn around, hoping to find it somewhere in my apartment, but I have no such luck. I look at the clock: it's 9:21 now.

'I will ask Veigar for the homework…'

Something snaps in my head and I remember: face-palm and then I go for my rucksack. If I remember correctly I should have put what I'm looking for inside it aaaand, yes it is here. I take out a black notebook with some scratch on the cover, but nothing serious. Its content is still intact and its pages are perfectly fine and that's what matters. Opening it I see what I was looking for: my sketch.

Over the years I have lived in this world I have tried various things to spend my time here and one of the few that managed to catch my interest is to draw. Now I draw whatever comes to my mind, be it monsters, animals or scenarios, as for people, well…I'm not too good at painting them. Still, I'm searching for a sketch in particular, one about a scenario I saw last month and that caught my interest, so I decided to make a sketch of it so that I could paint it later and that is what I wish to do now.

'Found it.'

I press a finger on the page as to emphasize my action and then I walk toward my sofa, which is in front of my window and turn on the PC on the small table in front of the sofa. Next, I take out my table for digital drawing and then, I wait for the computer to be ready, which takes five minutes, I really need to solve the problems of this PC.

I then connect my table, sit in a comfortable position and then start drawing.

My hands move almost on their own, recreating the lines that I previously have done on my note book but at the same times, making attention to not put too much strength while painting, I do not wish to scratch the table, WITH HOW MUCH ONE COSTS! I keep drawing, my hands stop only when there is a line out of place and I have to delete it, only problem with the program I'm currently using, I have to deal with a rubber that's a bit too big for my taste, this sometimes causes me to remake some lines but my drawing style is based in making small lines that put together forms an image. Still, after I finish to draw the picture with this technique, I go over the lines with a different stroke and then the picture is ready to be coloured.

Saying it like this, it seems like something quick, but in truth it normally takes me from five to seven days to complete a picture of a scenario like this one. If I am also to consider the fact that I'm kind of perfectionist when it comes to this kind of things and I also like to take my time in painting, which only serves to prolong even more the time I spend doing this kind of things.

'Who would have guessed that I would have ended up liking something like this.'

Small lines are forming on the screen and forming the shape of mountains in the background while a valley is under their shadow and then again, indicating another mountain.

When I did the sketch I was out with Kaisa on a trip out of the city and we climbed all the day. But at some point I asked her to stop and I have taken a picture of this scenario, she then decided to stop there to eat lunch and I used that opportunity to take the sketch. I still remember it.

Flashback:

"You really can't live without bringing with you that notebook, can you?"

She half laugh saying it, but I keep drawing, my eyes focused on capturing as much detail of the landscape as I can.

"You never listen to me when drawing."

"Actually I do, I simply don't answer because I'm focused in doing something other."

My reply isn't of the best, Veigar always tells me that I often sound sullen when speaking and that happens even when I have the opposite intentions. So even now I made my voice sound like I had a grudge on her for speaking with me.

"You really can't control yourself."

She then started to laugh lightly, making me stop and look at her in half embarrassment. Even if I have spent more than ten years on this planet, I still have problems about various matters and the part of talking with others is one of these. Still, I take one more moment staring at her, before returning to my note book.

I keep drawing, my hand moving faster than before. Probably it is an effect of my embarrassment, but I ignore such thing and keep drawing.

I feel her sitting next to me, but I remain unruffled and continue to draw. She then looks at my note book and at the sketch I'm finishing: normally I don't let others know about this hobby of mine, let alone allow them to see what I draw, but both Kaisa and Veigar know about it and I don't have any problems in showing them my drawing.

"It's beautiful, but I think sometimes you should try to enjoy more what you see without having to draw it."

She speaks with her usual calm voice and end with a small laugh. She's probably laughing at the fact that I always have with me my note book where I make my sketch.

"You know me…it's like a drug and I love to draw."

Even when I speak, I keep drawing without stopping, thus my voice was that of someone who answered only to get rid of the nuisance. But, I'm lucky she knows me well enough to know that I didn't mean such thing, but I am simply focused on what I'm doing.

I stop, take a breath and then look at my work: I'm over halfway done, there are a few details that I still have to do but, I would be able to finish it in a rather short time. Knowing this, I choose to stop and rest and the first thing I do is to stretch my arms and legs. She then offers me a little bottle of water, clearly understanding that I am probably thirsty since I haven't drunk any water ever since we our last stop around forty minutes ago and when I draw I tend to forget everything other than the subject I'm painting. I nod to thank her for the water and drink some of the liquid inside the bottle without thinking twice, I really am thirsty.

"You really are silly sometimes."

"Excuse me if I simply wish to drink some fresh water."

"Don't get me wrong, it's just that I'm happy you can also act like this. You normally control yourselves much more."

Her reply made me look at her with a blank expression, concealing the fact that I wasn't really expecting such action and then I choose to return to my drawing and finish it.

"And here you return to close on drawing."

She is sweat dropping at my reaction, I know it, but I simply ignore it and keep drawing. I want to finish what I'm doing as soon as I can, because I have just smelled something that will force me to stop and I will not be able to finish the sketch. Luckily, after barely a pair of minutes, I have finished and can put the notebook back in my rucksack. Next thing I do, is taking out a cover for my rucksack as well as a second one for Kaisa.

"Uh, what are you doing?"

"it's more likely to rain soon, I think it's better if you put that on your rucksack."

She looks up at the sky and notice that a strong wind is rising, while dark grey clouds are gathering over our heads and I can feel the humidity rising slightly while a scent of rain is transported by the wind. Luckily I am wearing a waxed jacket while Kaisa is taking out her own.

"We'd better hurry to go down, otherwise it will become troublesome."

As always I my tone is annoyed and seems that of someone that is forced to deal with something that is bothering him. I internally roll my eyes at my incapacity in talking like a normal person and I really try to do it, but I never manage it.

"I know, don't worry Shanro, we'll be fine."

She finishes to wear her jacket and we both start to go down. I really like when we go out on a trip of this kind, it helps me relax and enjoy this place more. I really have ended up liking this kind of life.

Flashback End:

In the end, I have spent more than one hour drawing and I have left only some small details and the colour, to remember that I also have taken a picture of this scenario.

'Two more days and I'll get to go out again, hope this time I will find something interesting enough to draw.'

Yes, as she said that time, I really am addicted to drawing.

Ah ah! Well, surprise, I decided to post this other chapter as a compensation for the absence and because it is finished. Still, remember what I said in the previous chapters: don't get used to this frequency with the updates.