It had been two weeks. TWO WEEKS since I last saw him.

I just couldn't figure it out. He was so confusing. First he stalks me for a week, then when I confront him, he disappears for two weeks. And I knew I should be happy about that. I knew I should feel like I succeeded or something. Because I won. He went away, and I didn't even have to call the cops!

But…

I couldn't help wondering if… it had really been that easy…

From what he said, it sounded like this wasn't the first time he'd stalked me. In fact, it seemed like he'd been doing it for a while. So, even though I knew I'd never seen him before, I had every reason to believe he might've been following me without my knowledge. Maybe I just wasn't seeing him…

That thought alone was terrifying enough. And besides, I had enough on my plate. I didn't need to add a stalker to the mix.

So… of course I couldn't be happy. Not when I was constantly looking over my shoulder…

Sora

I waved to Vanitas as I rushed through the front doors of Moog-mart. If I didn't hurry, I was going to be late clocking in.

It didn't matter if I was a bit late. The store had a ten-minute grace period, so being a couple minutes late wasn't a big deal. However, I had a bit of a slow start waking up, and the traffic lights had not been on our side today. So, I was cutting it a bit close to that grace period…

I probably could've used a computer to clock in at the front of the store as well. But I was in such a panic, that didn't occur to me until I was already half-way through the store.

It was fine though. I was almost there.

Of course, that's when something caught my eye.

My hand was already on the door to the back room, but I stopped dead before taking a few slow steps backwards. I swore I'd seen something over in the dairy section. Something silvery. But… as I glanced around, I didn't see anyone that looked even remotely like him.

"I must've imagined it…" I mumbled to myself, frowning slightly as I did. Still, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was wrong…

Unfortunately, I didn't have time to ponder that though. I needed to clock in before I got a write up. So, I hurried into the back room, making it just in time as the clock was still on 10:09. After that, I made my way into the breakroom to join Leon and Tidus as the overnight crew waited for management to come start their nightly meeting.

I was in apparel, per usual. I was just sorting through a cart for the items I already knew were overstock though. My knowledge of the section was starting to get a lot better now. Still, I wasn't quite sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. On the one hand, it definitely made my job a bit easier. Being able to put aside the stuff I already knew was overstock before I started stocking the shelves meant I spent less time running things. On the other hand, I kind of hated knowing any part of Moog-mart this well…

I was just tossing the overstock items into a spare cart to be dealt with later though. And that's when I noticed something moving in my periphery. I glanced up, not thinking much of it at first, only to do a double take when I noticed a flash of silver hair.

My eyes grew wide, and my breath caught in my throat as my gaze settled on his tall, slim figure. He was standing outside of apparel, in front of the registers. His back was mostly to me, so I couldn't quite see his face, but I was certain it was him. After all, he was practically burned into my memory at this point.

Still, as if that weren't enough, he did eventually turn around, his eyes scanning over the racks, only to land on me.

He seemed a bit taken aback, almost like he hadn't expected to see me here. I didn't stick around to find out what might happen next though. Instead, I let the pack of underwear I'd been holding fall from my hands and rushed over to the pet section, where Leon was hard at work.

"Hey. You alright?" Leon asked when he noticed me.

I swallowed before shaking my head in response. At that point, I started explaining the situation as fast as I could. I knew I was leaving out a lot of details in the process, but that didn't quite matter to me right now. I only wanted to get the basics down so Leon could help me figure this out before the guy took off.

Leon's expression grew angrier and angrier as he listened to my tale. Thankfully, he didn't ask why I hadn't told him sooner. Instead, he marched over to the dressing room and asked me to point the man out to him.

I looked around for a moment, but…

"I… I don't see him…" I frowned, glancing around once more before pointing to where he'd been standing when I ran off. "I swear, he was right there."

Leon gave a slight nod; his expression serious. "I believe you. He's gone now though, and the store is too big to try to hunt him down. Just let me know if he shows up again. And I'll walk you out in the morning when Vanitas comes to pick you up."

I sighed but nodded in agreement. I didn't like the thought of having to be over here by myself. Especially since I didn't know where he went. But Leon was right. There's nothing we could do for now. So, we both went back to work.

I didn't see him again until the morning. He was standing against the wall outside, as he had before. I tried to ignore him as Leon walked me over to Vanitas' roaring back truck. Once I hopped into the passenger's seat, I finally felt like I could relax, and I relished in the heat of the cab. Even though I'd been wearing a sweater all night, I couldn't shake the cold feeling that had settled into my bones. Especially after I saw that guy again. So, getting blasted by the warm air coming out of the vents felt comforting in a way.

Leon gave us a quick wave before heading back into the store. Yet, as Vanitas began pulling away from the curb, I couldn't help but turn in my seat to look at the man. Honestly, if it weren't for the tinting on Vanitas' windows, I would've been a bit more worried about staring at him. It only felt safe because I knew he couldn't see me.

Vanitas barely paid me any mind either. I think he was too tired to care about whatever I was looking at, or the fact that I didn't actually have my seat belt on yet…

The man grew smaller and smaller as we slowly gained distance from the building. But, as Vanitas pulled up behind another car trying to leave the parking lot, I watched as he vanished in the blink of an eye. My eyes grew wide. Then I noticed something white fluttering down from the sky to where he'd been standing.

Vanitas started pulling forward to go, and I smacked him on the shoulder, yelling at him to wait. Which only resulted in him slamming on the breaks. The sudden stop caused the truck to jerk forward, throwing me out of my seat in an instant. I cringed from the impact of hitting the dashboard. Though, with how fast I jumped out of the cab, I probably seemed completely unfazed to Vanitas.

I stumbled when I hopped out, almost slipping in the snow and falling on my face. I could hear Vanitas calling after me as well, but I ignored him as I sprinted through the muck and snow covering the parking lot. Once I finally made it back to the entrance of the store, I doubled over, panting to catch my breath. After a few deep breaths, I felt like I could finally breathe again and decided to take a look around.

The man was gone, of course. There weren't even any footsteps left in his wake.

But…

After getting a better look at everything, I noticed a bright, white feather resting atop the snow. I furrowed my brows as I bent over to pick it up, disregarding how unhygienic it was to touch random feathers.

I doubt there was any risk of it actually carrying diseases. Mostly because I didn't think it actually belonged to a bird. It was so delicate and light, not to mention impossibly white. In fact, it was so white that I almost thought it was glowing.

There's no way it belonged to a bird of any kind…

Vanitas didn't share in that sentiment though. Once he pulled back around, he immediately started cursing and yelling at me to get back in the truck.

I gave an absent-minded apology as I jumped back in, making up some lie about having dropped my headphones before showing him the cool feather I found.

Vanitas' face scrunched up. "That's disgusting."

He spent the rest of the ride griping about my behavior and how stupid that was, but I wasn't listening.

I didn't really care...

I knew it was stupid. Hell, I'm sure I had a massive bruise on my back to prove just how dumb it was. But I did apologize. I know I probably could've gone about getting him to go back in a different way, but I wasn't really thinking about it. Especially since I didn't want to chance that guy coming back to pick up the feather before I could get to it. Or for my brother to potentially realize that I had, in fact, made him go back for a feather.

He'd probably be more pissed off if he realized that was the reason...

Still, I didn't think it was fair for him to spend the rest of the ride home ridiculing me. So, I tuned him out as I examined the feather.

I was just so mesmerized by it; it was hard to look away. Even when we got home, I had barely taken the time to change into my pajamas and turn on a random video before plopping myself down on my bed to keep staring at it.

I don't know where it came from, but it was so soft. It almost felt fragile in my hands. I'd never seen such a luxurious feather before…

"You're not even watching this, why is it on?" Vanitas asked, gesturing to the TV as he entered my room. He was getting ready for work and only wandered back in to grab his favorite hoodies before heading out.

"I'm listening to it," I answered absently, my eyes still transfixed on the feather. I wasn't listening to it. I turned it on at some point for the background noise, but I had no clue what was happening.

Still, he didn't need to know that.

Vanitas shook his head and scoffed. "Yeah, okay. I hope you at least washed that thing. Who the hell knows what kind of diseases it's carrying from that fucking bird it fell off of."

"What? You scared of a little feather?" I asked with a small, amused smile as I waved it at him.

Despite what I said, it actually wasn't a small feather by any means. In fact, it was a pretty decently sized feather. Larger than any feathers I'd ever seen on a bird. Which was another reason I didn't believe it had come off of a bird.

Vanitas frowned and rolled his eyes. "More like mom. She's gonna blame me if you die from some weird bird disease."

I chuckled as I twirled it between my fingers. "I'm not gonna die. It doesn't even look like it came from a bird."

Vanitas gave him an odd, questioning look. "Where the hell else would it have come from if not a bird?"

"I don't know." I shrugged, stroking my fingers over the silky-smooth barbules. "An angel?" I tossed a cheeky grin in his direction, but all Vanitas did was snort and roll his eyes at me again.

"Right. Look, I'd love nothing more than to sit here and continue listening to this lunacy, but sadly I have to go to work. Do me a favor though and at least wash your hands when you're done messing with that thing," Vanitas called. As he slipped out of the room, he narrowly dodging the pillow I threw at him when he closed the door.

"Whatever… He has no sense of whimsy…" I muttered sourly to myself as I sank back into my bed.

Maybe I didn't know what it actually came from, but I got the feeling it was something that guy left behind. And whether it was intentional or not, I was determined to figure out what was going on here.

After all, there had to be some reason this guy kept following me…

I felt a bit out of it tonight.

I was still lost in thought about everything that had been happening recently. Apparently Kairi was in a talking mood, so she'd been messaging me. And Leon had told our mother about the whole "stalker" thing, so I got an earful about that today as well. There was a whole lecture about stranger danger and how I need to tell people these things sooner…

I don't know. It was a lot.

And between all that, work, and the actual "stalker" situation, I didn't have a moment of rest from my thoughts. As was proof by how little sleep I'd gotten today as well. I guess that was kind of my own fault though.

I had fallen asleep sometime after Vanitas left, only to get woken up by a call from Xion about three hours later. She'd been having some relationship troubles of her own, so I got up to talk and try to comfort her. That is until my mother realized I was awake and demanded my attention…

Needless to say, today had been a nightmare. And having to come to work didn't make it any better.

"Excuse me?"

I jumped slightly when I heard a voice behind me, breaking me out of my thoughts.

I hadn't even noticed anyone approaching me. Now that I did, I quickly pulled my earbud out and turned to look at them. The moment my eyes locked onto them though, every nerve in my body felt like it had been set on fire.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you," he said, smiling sheepishly. When I didn't respond or react though, he seemingly decided to explain himself. "I um… Look, I'm not really good at talking to people. I get the feeling I've upset you though, and I wanted to apologize for that."

"O… kay…?" I answered uncertainly, still eyeing him suspiciously. Though, now that we were talking, I could feel my body starting to relax. "Why are you following me then?"

"I'm not. Or uh… I guess I don't mean to? It's hard to explain," he said as he rubbed the back of his neck.

I gave him a once over. "Try."

"Jeez…" He chuckled at the harsh response but nodded slightly. "I know it's going to sound like a pathetic excuse, especially since I really can't go into much detail, but I promise I wasn't following you. I… I was just doing my job."

I felt all the tension leave my shoulders at that point as I gave him an odd look. "Your job?"

"Yes. Like I said, I can't really talk about it, but I am sorry for the misunderstanding."

I examined his face for a moment longer…

The whole story sounded fishy, but… I didn't get the sense that this guy was lying. And there were plenty of jobs that required more secrecy. Though… I felt like he looked too young to be in that kind of work…

"Okay. Let's say I believe you," I started as I crossed my arms over my chest. "Why were you watching me then? And why did you say I'd never seen you before when we first talked?"

He smirked. "Well, as far as what I said, I suppose I misspoke. Or maybe you misunderstood? Not to blame you though, it's not your fault. I was kind of just pondering out loud. I guess I meant that you hadn't seen me since you started working here. I'd been around, I just… I assumed you'd never noticed me before, and that week kind of confirmed it…"

That sounded more like a lie now, but… I was still giving him the benefit of the doubt here. So, I remained open to the possibility. "Alright. I guess that's plausible… You didn't answer my first question though."

"I know. I'm sorry. If I'm honest, I uh…" He let out a small, nervous laugh. "I don't really want to? It's… kind of embarrassing…"

I snorted at that. "You've been stalking me; I don't think it can get more embarrassing than that."

"Well, not purposefully. But I see your point," he answered before letting out a small sigh. "The thing is, I normally patrol the front here when you arrive. Then, after the store clears out a bit more, I start making my rounds so to speak. From there, I spent the rest of the night outside. I'm only supposed to be keeping an eye on things, but… I guess I've been slacking."

"So… are you security?" I asked. I mean, it made some sense, but was security usually this secretive…?

"You could say that," he answered vaguely, though he seemed hesitant to confirm anything.

I had to resist rolling my eyes at that point. This was worse than pulling teeth.

"Alright. And?"

He sighed, running a hand through his hair and scratching at the back of his head. The action gave me a much better look at his face. Especially his eyes, which looked even more like seafoam in the light.

I didn't miss the pink tint on his cheeks either, or his bashful smile…

"I um… I suppose I feel bad. I didn't realize how much I was watching you until you pointed it out, but… you're rather cute. And I guess I've just been a bit… taken with you…" he explained slowly, clearly feeling uncomfortable.

I blinked. "Oh."

"I'm sorry. That probably makes it sound more like I actually was stalking you, but I promise, that was never my intent."

"N-No! Well… kind of, I guess," I stammered out in my shock. I wasn't sure how to explain what I was trying to get at. "What I mean is, I can see how it would look bad. But I think you being upfront about it makes it a little more believable, you know?"

"Not really, but I'm glad you think so…" he muttered as he averted his gaze. "Still, I totally get it if you don't believe me and just want me to fuck off. In fact, I wouldn't blame you in the least if you felt that way."

I was a bit taken aback by that and quickly shook my head in response. "Oh, no! No, it's fine. After all, it was just a misunderstanding. And besides, if we're going to be seeing each other a lot, it would be kind of awkward for me to hold it against you."

His brows pinched together as his head tilted to the side. For a moment, he just stared at me like I'd grown a second head or something. Then, he smiled. "That's very kind of you. But… I'd hate to keep bothering you. So, I'll try to keep my distance from now on."

"Oh. Okay…" I felt a bit shocked. After all, I thought I was being pretty understanding and welcoming of any future interactions. But… if that's what he wanted, I wasn't about to argue with him. "Well, I um… I guess I'll see you around then?"

His smile widened and he gave a small nod. "Sure. I'll see you."

I wasn't sure why, but… as he walked away, I had this sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach…

Maybe it was how the discussion ended or… maybe it was the whole thing.

But… it wasn't until he disappeared that I remembered something…

I never asked for his name…

Riku

Hades and Helheim, I hope that worked.

I didn't know what the hell I was going to do if Sora didn't buy into my story about some mysterious job…

I never expected my cloaking spell to stop working though. Even Donald seemed confused when I asked him about it. He had to craft a whole new spell for me to be able to hide my presence again, but even that didn't seem to be a perfect patch. After all, Sora still managed to spot me again after only two weeks.

And god, that terrified look on his face…

I just kept seeing it over and over again in my head. I couldn't stand it. I obviously had to do something. I couldn't leave him panicked and paranoid like that.

So, after last night, I spent the whole day trying to craft the perfect lie to tell him.

Nothing fit though.

No matter who I asked or how I tried to spin it, I couldn't produce a believable excuse for me to be staked out watching him every night.

Then… god, I had to fucking confess to him!

That had to have been the most embarrassing and nerve-wracking part. It was even worse than when I had to come out to my parents…

Still, at least it was over with now. I didn't need to do anything more, I could just… relax. And try not to be seen…

I didn't see him for a while after that.

Or… not for real.

I thought I saw glimpses of him here and there, but it was never fore more than a second. Which, kind of sucked, but… life went on.

I fell back into my usual routine at that point. Wake up, go to work, run the apparel section, go home, eat, sleep, repeat.

Weirdly, even on nights when I got a good amount of sleep, it was still draining. Like the mundanity of it all was more exhausting than anything else. And that really just made work feel harder. Because at least when something was going on, it gave me something to do. Whether it was trying to solve the mystery or just fantasizing about the possibilities, at least my mind was being entertained.

Now, I was simply moving through the days, wondering if… this was really all there was left…

Sora

My eyes grew wide and fearful as I took in the sight of the feather I'd just found.

It was hiding between the racks of clothing. I'd been wandering around and putting up the clothes when I noticed it out of the corner of my eye. I'd been excited too. I was going to put it in a safe place and take it home later to keep with the other one.

That is… until I noticed the blood.

I hadn't seen it at first. Maybe I was too consumed with my excitement to realize. Though, now that my hand was hovering mere inches away, it was all I could see…

Suddenly, it felt like my head was spinning as I desperately tried to recall what we're supposed to do in these situations. I knew I wasn't supposed to touch it without proper protection, but… should I tell someone…?

It's not like it's an insane amount of blood, but it definitely felt like enough to be concerning. Not to mention, was it even appropriate for me to leave it unattended while I found someone…?

"Oh, there ya are," a familiar voice called from behind me.

I snatched my hand away from the feather as I turned to find one of my managers approaching me. His name was Cid. I didn't know much about him, but Leon seemed to get along with him most of the time.

"What are ya doin'?" he asked. Once he was close enough, he peeked over my shoulder. He grimaced upon seeing the bloodied feather.

"Shit. Hang tight for a minute, I'm gonna go get the supplies to clean this. Make sure nobody touches it."

I gave a short nod as he ran off to the back room.

Aside from myself, I couldn't think of anyone else who would want to touch this. And that was only because I wanted the feather…

Still, I dutifully remained by the mess of blood, gnawing on my lip as I examined the mess.

Thinking about it now, I hadn't seen that guy in a few weeks, let alone this evening. Was it possible that it did actually come from a bird like Vanitas said? Or… was this his…?

The thought alone was enough to make my stomach swirl…

Once Cid finally returned, he was wearing a pair of gloves and protective goggles. He also had an armful of cleaning supplies, most of which he dumped into my arms before getting down on the floor to clean. I guess at the very least, I didn't have to do any of the cleaning...

As I stood there, bouncing on my heels and patiently waiting for him to finish, I noticed something. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of something glimmering on the floor nearby.

I tilted my head to the side in curiosity as I took a step forward to get a better look.

"Hey. Is that…?" I trailed off, but it didn't really matter. The moment Cid looked up; he seemed to understand what I was getting at.

There was a trail of blood.

And it appeared to be leading out of apparel, towards the front of the store…

"Shit…" Cid mumbled as he let out a long sigh. "Do me a favor an' go follow it. We might have to block off the whole section to clean if it's bad enough."

I nodded, placing all the supplies on the floor before following the bloodied path.

The trail ended up taking me all the way outside, into the cold, dark night. It was harder to see the blood on the concrete though. So, I had to crouch down to inspect the thin layer of snow on the ground before I could continue following its path.

I ended up making it all the way to the other side of the building before the trail came to an end.

That's when I found myself standing in front of the store's second entrance. Staring at a gap between the trash can and a vending machine. Where he sat in a puddle of his own blood…

I felt all the blood drain from my face as my eyes grew wide in horror.

He'd curled in on himself, his chin tucked into the scarf he was wearing as his fringe hid the rest of his face from view. He seemed almost lifeless; with his jacket hanging loosely off his shoulders and his body unmoving.

Hell, for all I knew, he was dead, because I couldn't even tell if he was breathing…

Though, after the initial shock wore off, my brain finally kicked itself back into gear. I rushed forward, falling to my knees in front of him.

"H-Hey. A-Are you okay?" I stammered out as I raised my hands instinctively to touch him. I didn't though. I guess I felt I should be doing something to help him. Like checking his pulse or applying pressure to the wound. But… I didn't actually know what to do in that moment. Everything just felt… blurry.

"Please sir, I… i-if you can hear me… I just need to know you're alive…"

I heard a quiet chuckle before the man turned his head away and broke into a fit of coughs.

Relief washed over me in an instant. I knew I couldn't relax yet, but at least I knew he was alive now…

"I'm fine," he whispered in a raspy voice as the coughs subsided.

I had to resist the urge to roll my eyes at his response. Of course he would say he was fine when he obviously wasn't…

"You are not fine! You're bleeding everywhere! We need to get you to a hospital immediately," I said in a stern tone.

I went to pull my phone out so I could call an ambulance as well, but as I did, his hand wrapped around my wrist. His grip was weak, but steady.

"Please don't," he whispered as he took a deep breath. I got the sense he was preparing to say more, but he ended up breaking into another fit of coughs instead.. I watched on in worry, but he waved it off like it was nothing. "Sorry, but… please. I am fine, I promise. This happens way more than you think. So just… don't call anyone… please."

This happens often…? How often was this happening to him? And… what the hell was he doing to even make this a regular occurrence…?

"Sir, I can't-"

"Riku."

I blinked, then furrowed my brows. "What?"

"My name… It's Riku." He let out a few more coughs, this time with a spray of blood, then took another breath to steady himself. "You keep calling me sir… it makes me feel like some pompous jerk." He gave a small, weak laugh at his explanation, but all I could do was sit and stare at him with wide, worried eyes.

Once I was able to collect my thoughts again, I nodded and fixed him with a look of determination.

"Alright. Riku then." I reached out and placed my hands on his shoulders. "I can't just leave you here to die. You need a doctor."

He stared at me with an expression I could only describe as wonder. And before long, a small, endearing smile started pulling at the corners of his mouth.

"You're very sweet… and cute… I wish the rest of the world could be as kind as you…" As he spoke, he reached up with a shaky hand to touch my cheek. His fingers were cold, and I could feel something wet, which I assumed to be blood…

But for some reason the thought of that didn't bother me.

Instead, all I could feel was the warming of my cheeks and the twist in my stomach…

Still, I had no clue how to respond to that. In fact, I couldn't begin to understand how he could be thinking about such a thing when he had a fucking hole in his stomach…

The sight of that alone was enough to get my brain moving again. Albeit, not by much. I was still fairly confused by… everything.

"I don't feel like you're hearing me…" I mumbled. My tone sounded as confused as I felt. And perhaps a little embarrassed…

Riku frowned, his brows pinching together slightly as his hand fell away from my face. "I'm sorry. I do hear you, but… I can't let you call an ambulance. Or… anyone else for that matter."

"Why not?" I asked.

Riku sighed. "I… I can't explain it. I just… I can't let you do that. Please trust me on this…"

I couldn't figure out why he was fighting me so hard on this. But… if he didn't want me to call an ambulance, what else was I supposed to do…?

I had no way of helping him…

"What if… What if we just get the paramedics to come? They can look you over, and if you still don't want to go, then you don't have to," I suggested.

I was hoping I could find some kind of compromise, but Riku only shook his head before another coughing fit hit him. "No… I don't want paramedics, or doctors, or… whatever."

I let out a long sigh as I ran a hand through my hair.

"Then what do you want? Because I'm not leaving you here like this," I said.

Riku was silent for a moment, his expression pensive as he seemed to give it some thought. Finally, he tipped his head up to meet my gaze. "Can you just… close your eyes…?"

"Huh?"

Close my eyes? What was that going to do…?

"Please… For a few seconds…" he pleaded.

I didn't understand it, but… if that's what he wanted, I didn't see any harm in obliging.

So, I nodded as I closed my eyes. I felt Riku's cold fingers covering my eyes as well, like he didn't trust me to keep them closed. They didn't feel wet this time though. And before I could object or even think of anything to say, something odd started happening.

Even with my eyes closed and covered by Riku's hand, I could see a light, slowly growing brighter…

As it grew, I could hear Riku grunting in pain and I could feel his hand beginning to shake. I almost wanted to ask if he was okay, maybe even open my eyes to check on him. But… just when the light began to seem almost too bright, I felt him relax, and everything began to dim. Fading until it was as dark as it had been before.

Riku's hand fell away from my face as I heard him take another deep breath.

Thankfully, he didn't break into a fit of coughs this time. And when I opened my eyes, he was pushing himself onto his feet like nothing happened.

In fact… to my surprise, and relief, the wound in his stomach was gone now. Leaving his blood-stained clothes and the massive hole in his shirt as the only evidence that it had ever been there to begin with.

He offered me a hand to help me onto my feet, and when I looked at it, I noticed that the blood was mostly gone now. My best guess was that he wiped it off earlier before touching me again.

"See? I told you it was fine," he said with a smile as I took his hand.

He hauled me onto my feet with ease, though I still stumbled slightly when he did, nearly falling into his chest. But I managed to steady myself before that happened.

"How… did you do that…? I asked.

"Trade secret," Riku teased as I continued staring at his stomach. I hated to admit it, but I was having a hard time tearing my eyes away. I was still so confused. All I wanted to do was touch it; to make sure it was real. But… I doubt that would be appropriate…

"You know," he started, drawing my attention back to him. As I looked to him in curiosity, I got the sense he was thinking very carefully about what he wanted to say to me. "I think you know more than you seem to realize. You're probably a lot closer to the answer than you think."

My brows furrowed. "I… I don't get it… Who are you?"

Riku smiled as he reached up with a clean part of his sleeve to wipe away the blood he'd left on my cheek. "I'm sure you'll figure it out. But for now, I should get going."

"What? You just recovered from a deadly wound," I said.

"I'll be fine. I'm sorry if I ruined your night though," he said with a small laugh. When I only shook my head in response, he smiled. "I'll see you, Sora."

I watched him turn to leave. I knew I couldn't stop him, but…

"Goodnight… Riku."

He paused. And I could just barely see the smile on his face before he left.

My mind still felt like it was reeling from everything that happened. I could barely process it all. But… I didn't have time to think about it either. After all, Cid was still waiting for me, and I'd taken more than enough time by now.

So, I hurried back into the store to hunt down my manager, who was still cleaning the trail of blood off the floor in increments.

"You sure took yer time. How far does it go?" Cid asked upon my return.

"All the way outside. It… stops at a puddle by the vending machines. On the other side of the building…" I explained awkwardly.

Part of me wondered if I should mention Riku. I didn't know how to explain what happened though… After all, Riku's injury just… magically fixed itself. That's not something that happens in real life. That's not normal…

No… It would probably be for the best if I just kept that information to myself…

"Are you serious?" Cid questioned in disbelief. All I could do was nod, which only made him sigh in frustration. "We might have to close the store…"

And that's exactly how my night ended…

All the customers had to be ushered out of the store as the police were called. Before I knew it, I was giving an officer the rundown of what I'd seen… I decided to omit Riku from the story all together, but I didn't know what I'd do if they checked the cameras and saw us together…

At that point, all I could do was hope they wouldn't…