It was a miracle that I managed to climb the tree up to my window, which had of lately become an easy task. So many times, I considering giving up, and calling for help, curled around a branch.

     "Mimpi!" I whisper shouted with rage the moment I stepped inside my room, throwing my blade to the ground, and locking the window.

     "I know you can hear me." My furious gaze was directed at the unlit Sphere. "And you may not have any important news to bring me, but I need to talk to you about the dumbass that works for you."

     Yanking off my poor excuse of warrior sandals, I threw them in any direction, hitting the wall. Pain flared in my side with the sharp movement, I winced and held onto my left side.

     "Always a delight—" Her head popped up, voice cutting off abruptly and eyes growing big as she took me in from head to toe.

     The entire left side of my white skirt had turned red. Dry blood had accumulated on my chin, neck, and hands, and the few bits of skin not covered in blood was covered with dark bruises.

     "Oh dear." She winced, black eyes lingering on my hip.

     "Your people are idiots," I started, taking hold of the towel and first aid kit that I had purposely placed on the nightstand next to the window. "I've come to terms with the fact that they can't help me fight. I mean I still think it's ridiculous, but I've accepted it. Still their help, at least after the fights would be appreciated... And Xander? I know you quite like him and think highly of his aptitudes as a warrior, but the moron either can't count or is a huge liar—" I gasped, complaint dying in my suddenly dry throat. I froze, stilling every muscle in my body, as I inched my gaze towards my right. I wasn't alone. In the corner of my room, on the right side of my bed, Andrews was sat on the blue sofa chair. Bowl set between his legs, a piece of popcorn fell from his parted lips.

     Shit. There was no way I was getting out of this one.

    Mimpi frowned, waiting for me to continue until her eyes followed mine to the boy frozen in shock. I just wanted to scream at Mimpi and go to bed. Why did this stuff always happen to me? Mimpi's eyes grew bigger than before, her round face immediately beginning to disappear.

     "Don't go!" I ordered, but she was already gone. I was nowhere near finished speaking with her.

     "Damn it, Andrews," I complained, sending a glare at his seated body.

     In a blink he recovered from his state of shock, prepared to deliver an angrier rant than the one I had been giving Mimpi. Not now. I waved him off, signalling him to give me a minute as I turned my back to him. Groaning loudly, I marched my way towards my desk and gave the Sphere a good smack.

     "Come back," I demanded. "We still have things to discuss, and I need your help. Andrews already saw you and my suit. There is no way out of this... I'm going to tell him everything, so get your face back in here. Don't be an idiot."

     "I no idiot," she retorted, looking affronted. Despite being angry by my words, she glared at Andrews.

    Her face appeared so quickly and so bright, that I stumbled backward, almost tripping on an abandoned sandal. Andrews was quick to stand, as if to catch me. Feeling his hands unnecessarily supporting me, I rolled my eyes.

    "I'm fine," I sighed.

     He nodded, observingly watching my neck, deciding that its wound wasn't horrible. He visibly calmed, until his eyes slid down me body, my lower extremities now visible through the moon's glow. His eyes landed on my previously hidden hip. He blanched. Similarly, to a fish out of water, his mouth open and closed, gasping in search of words.

     "Just another minute, alright?" I asked, placing two fingers to his lips. I didn't wait for his response, I turned towards Mimpi.

     She didn't look impressed. She watched us through squinted eyes, face red.

     "I don't know what position Xander holds, but I want him replaced with someone that doesn't lie," I requested.

     "What he lie about?" She exhaled.

     "He told me it'd be easy because there were only two people."

    "He not lie. He already tell me that he tell you there's only two. He didn't say only two people, he mean only two tents."

     They both knew I thought he meant people. Xander purposely said it to convince me to go. If I wasn't angry before, I most certainly was now.

     I watched Mimpi in silence, doing my best to remain calm. Perhaps it was because I was getting dizzy, but I managed to subside my anger and replace it with frustration and hopelessness. There was no talking sense into these people.

     "Can you take a minute to actually think about what you just said?" I finally asked, drained. "You're being unfair and none of this is going to end well unless something changes—"

     "Clara, sit down," Andrews interjected, gently pushing me onto the bed and removing the bloody towel from my hands. His attempt to hide his queasiness was horribly failed, he barely took a proper look at the wound before turning and gagging.

     "Andrews—"

     "I'm fine," he upheld. The tremble in his voice and hands said otherwise. "But you're not," he continued, speedily collecting random articles of my clothing. "We need to get you to a hospital."

     "No." Mimpi and I retorted strictly. "I've already told you that I can't go there."

     "But—"

     "No." I repeated. "You know how to sew, right?"

     "Yes. We've already been through this, you thought it was funny..." his voice faltered, realization dawning on his face. "No." He shook his head fiercely. "I can't. I won't do it," he argued, pausing once again as another revelation seemed to hit him. His eyes furrowed in thought, and then narrowed some more in horror. "No!" he cried. "You didn't... Clara, please tell me you didn't."

     Dragging his hands across his, he peered at me, dreadfully awaiting my answer. I didn't have to clarify what he meant. I knew him well enough, to understand to he put together my need of a sewing kit and my poorly healed foot.

     "I didn't really have a choice."

     "Clara," he complained, drawing out the last syllable of my name. "You sewed your foot with my dad's Dollar Store sewing kit!"

    "I didn't have a choice. I did a horrendous job... but, you could do better." I raised a brow, ensuring that the implications behind my words were made obvious.

    "No."

    "Mimpi will guide you," I tried to persuade him. "You're not just going to let me bleed to death, are you?"

    "Of course not!" he bellowed. "All I'm saying is that people, professionally trained to deal with this type of thing, do exist."

     "A doctor would think me a freak. They'd eventually put everything together... I don't want the whole world knowing about this."

     "I'm sure you won't have a problem making up a lie." He crossed his arms. I decided to ignore the resentment in his tone. This was not the time for passive aggressiveness.

     "I wouldn't matter what I said. No matter the excuse, just by looking at my body, a doctor would suspect that something isn't entirely normal."

     "A doctor would know that your body isn't like one of a normal person... of a normal human being?" His slow blinking was slightly concerning.

     "I am still very much human if that's what you're implying. But this thing," I pointed to the Sphere. "Has been giving me injections that I am absolutely positive should not be found in a human body."

     "Injections," he mumbled detachedly, defeatedly taking a seat next to me. "I need a minute to take this all in."

     "Alright, take your time," I advised, stealing the towel to dab it once again onto my waist. "Just not too much time. I am getting a little woozy, you know with the whole excessive blood loss thing."

     "Blood," he mumbled quietly. "So much." He really seemed to be losing it. Under different circumstance, I'd have laughed, but the blood comment had reminded me of matters I wished to discuss with Mimpi.

     "Wolves!" I protested, Andrews repeating the word in another mumble, frown of devastation plastered on his face.

     "Well, one wolf," I continued, ignoring the delusional boy next to me. "But I'm assuming they have more trained, and I'm not cool with that. I wasn't prepared to fight one and something tells me that your people knew about it but chose not to mention it. There's a lot of information that you seem to deem invalid to my knowledge, that proves to be important. Like the sword being a boomerang? Ya, that would have been valuable information."

     "Boomerang sword?" Andrews echoed.

     I groaned loudly. "Please stop repeating me."

     "What's a boomerang?" Mimpi spoke before Andrews could. And good thing she did, for it looked as though he was going to ask, repeating you?

     "Doesn't matter, but I didn't know I could lose my sword and call it back to me."

     "What's your point?"

     "I mean, you'd have saved me a lot of trouble by telling me I could regain possession of the blade by asking it to come to me."

     Maybe it was a little too soon to mention the unanimated objects having a conscious bit. Despite not speaking, Andrews looked aghast and released an undignified squeak. Mimpi on the other hand, appeared unimpressed. Thin lips in a firm line, she was quiet, carefully choosing her words.

     "Your dress is bloody," she deadpanned.

     "I am very much aware—" I started, face contorted and voice an octave higher as a reaction to the pure stupidity of her statement.

     "I thought it was pretty useless information too, but it seem you want me to state obvious."

     I cooled my features, face resembling Mimpi's mere moments ago; eyes dull and mouth firmly shut in a straight line. Choosing then to snap out of his delusional daze, Andrews snorted in response to Mimpi's rude statement. Elbowing him in the ribs, we both winced.

     "We will try to do better," Mimpi grudgingly gave in. Her tone and expression made it unmistakably obvious that she didn't truly believe they needed to do better, and only made the promise to preserve the somewhat tolerable relationship we had developed.

     "Enough time wasted," she grumbled. "Get the medical kit, boy."

     Andrews' eyebrows shot up into his hairline. He appeared to be prepared to tell her off, until he met the intensity of her gaze. Muttering incoherently under his breath, he did as he was told.

     Preparing his extremely, unprofessional medical tools, as he listened to Mimpi's commands, Andrews never stopped shaking his head.

     "Lay down," he instructed when everything was in order.

     "You know I like a man in control," I teased, doing as he wished.

     Succeeding in lightening a bit of his nerves, Andrews lips twisted into the smallest of smirks, tremulously threading his needle. My comment, however, did nothing good for Mimpi's state of mind. If looks could kill, I'd have a dead best friend.

     "You need to work on your sense of humour," I told her.

    Joke or not she was not impressed. Still glaring, she addressed Andrews. "Stick the needle through her skin. Start in the middle."

     I gasped at the coolness of her tone, shooting her an affronted look, before focusing my attention on Andrews' trembling hands.

     "You're not going to hurt me more than I already am. You really can't make it any worse," I encouraged. "And if you accidentally do manage to hurt me, you can view it as some form of vengeance for my lying."

      "I appreciate the effort, but you really aren't making me feel better," he said, though his hands visibly relaxed and the firm, straight line of his mouth lifted.

      "Jesus," he complained after a few moments. "It's like trying to sew pig skin."

      "Thanks," I bit, sarcastically. "You know exactly what a girl likes to hear"

     "You'd swear I was trying to force a needle through leather."

     "Pretty sure that's cow skin," I corrected, staring at the ceiling while the dark blue piece of thread went in and out of my skin, tugging the wound shut.

     "I know—"

     "I know you know the difference. I'm just—"

     "Please stop talking," Mimpi interrupted us both.

     Hoping to prevent her early departure, Andrews and I did as she asked.

     Shutting my eyes as Andrews finished the second side of the cut, pictures of the snarling wolf swam my mind. I was going to have endless nightmares about it. That slobbery mouth, those fangs...

     "Rabies!" I exclaimed, accidentally flinging the needle out of Andrews bloody fingers as I rose to my elbows.

     "Ow," he complained, inspecting his index finger, he chose against placing it between his pink, chewed up lips. He was covered in my blood.

     Ignoring his complaint of pain for the very small injury, I shot Mimpi a look of panic.

     "I'm going to die!" I said in a frenzy. "Forget not needing the hospital. Sneak one of your people in... I need one of those shots!"

     "Calm down," she chided. "The Sphere will take care of it."

     "Bullshit," I refuted. "Whether it sucks at its job or just hates me, the Sphere is not reliable. My foot took weeks to heal, only finally doing so because of my mother's cream."

      "The Sphere not the problem. You are."

     "Excuse me?"

     "You don't want the injections. Deep down you don't want them to work."

     "So, you're telling me that I need to embrace the Sphere and its power?" I verified sarcastically.

    Sitting up as Andrews finished up, he heaved a breath of relief as he discarded of the thread. He tried to act casual, but his shoulders were still tense. He was without a doubt on the verge of a breakdown and disheartened by Mimpi's and I's exchange.

     I thought the comment I had made was an outrageous idea, so of course Mimpi nodded.

     "Alright," I gave in with fake enthusiasm, arms swinging open in theatrics. "Do what you've got to do, dear Sphere. I accept and welcome your injections. I embrace your healing powers!"

     Andrews snorted and shook his head, still very confused, but amused by my performance, nonetheless.

     Just as I was about to jokingly question whether my declaration had been satisfactory, a slim piece of metal flew my way, connecting with my freshly sewn abdomen. I swore under my breath, doubling over as a strangled gasp escaped Andrews' lips.

      "Just kidding. Thank you," I corrected my swearing, addressing the Sphere. Call me crazy but I wasn't taking any chances. If I had to kiss its ass for it to work so be it. I refused to get pricked by it, only for it to end up not being beneficial.

     "You're welcome," Mimpi answered, disappearing in a blue fog. Whether I liked it or not, it seemed I was out of questions.

    Distraction gone, I fully faced Andrews, shooting him a weary smile. He was unfazed by my look, fumbling with the steri strips from my red kit.

     "I'm sorry," I tried, as he wiped the dry blood from my neck, preparing to apply the steri strips.

     "It's fine." He shook his head. "Though I don't understand it all, and I still think it was a stupid thing to keep from me. I get it. I probably would have done the same thing. I'm sorry for pushing and intruding on your privacy... Though it proved to be useful tonight."

     I snorted, shooting him an eye roll. He had saved me from a big fight with Mimpi, and I'm sure had I been left to sew myself again, I'd still be in the process of attempting to do so. I might have bled to death before I got the job done.

     "Do you think I need some of those for my hand?" I questioned, just as he was about to put the strips away.

     His look of curiosity twisted into shock, until he finally regarded me as though he truly believed me an idiot. He gazed at me incredulously, eyebrows raised as though to ask, are you kidding me?

    It hadn't looked that bad to me. I mean compared to my hip, I deemed it a minor scratch. Andrews clearly begged to differ.

    "Just give it to me," he huffed, taking my hand in his own as he continued to furiously mutter to himself.

     "How'd you manage to get this one?"

    "I was holding my sword upside down when one of the ninja pains in my ass decided to tackle me."

     He blinked slowly, sluggishly processing the information. "Alright," he said. "And your neck?"

     "A hurdled spear."

     An incredulous look still plastered on his face; he bit his lip as if to refrain making absurd remarks. "And your foot a few weeks ago?"

    "I dropped my sword," I explained tiredly, standing to grab my pyjamas, very much looking forward to removing my wretched suit.

    "And that time the entire right side of your face was purple?"

    "Repeatedly punched."

     "The marks on your neck, Christmas morning?"

    "Choked."

     After every answer his eyes grew wider, looking even more hopeless. "That time you were sick and said your skin hurt?"

     I sighed. I had expected questions, but this many? And this fast?

     "That one actually wasn't one of Kundanskie's people, but rather the Sphere being its usual pain."

     "The Sphere?" he asked, looking directly at it, brows furrowed.

     "Yes. That one was a rather harsh injection."

     "Injections," he repeated thoughtfully. "And this all started when you touched the... Sphere during our trip."

     "Yes," I sighed again. "I promise I'll answer all your questions, but I feel gross. I need a shower... I suppose if you really want you can sit outside the door, and I'll continue to explain everything."

     I regretted the offer the moment it left my lips. Of course, he'd take me up on it. I had hoped he'd decided to go to bed, and all could be explained in the morning, but it seemed I'd be in his company for a while longer.

     "So, this Xander guy is the person you had to meet last night."

    "Yes." I opened the bathroom door, dressed in my blue pyjama shorts, white tank top and pink towel on my head. "It seems he's Mimpi's in person messenger, but he's not very useful or pleasant."

    Not bothering to brush my hair, I collapsed into bed. Andrews made no move to leave.

    "And he showed you where to find the people in the tents, tonight?"

    "Mmm," I hummed, pulling the covers up to my chin, asking him to shut off the light.

    "You're going to bed," he noted disappointedly, but still flipping the switch I had requested.

    "Yes." I flipped onto my stomach. "Do feel free to take a seat and pester me with questions until I fall asleep but be warned it won't take long." Why do these words keep spilling out of my mouth?

     "Great." He flopped onto the pillow next to mine. "So, from what I understand, the injections and pre-attacks are all leading up to some kind of final fight?"

     "Yes," I mumbled through my pillow, opening one eye to look at him through the darkness. "I've been told that Kundanskie will rise and try to kill me before I can stop her from taking over the world or something."

    "Rise? So, she's still dead at the moment, as in she'll resurrect?"

    "I don't know," I yawned. I really ought to have investigated what was expected of me, more deeply. "I suppose reincarnation or resurrection makes sense." There's something I'd never think I'd say. Resurrection? No big deal. Just a regular everyday thing.

    "That's so cool. You're like the reincarnation of that Dora person..." he began excitedly, diving into a newly formulated theory. I didn't listen to the rest of his crazy theory, I dozed off seconds into what I assumed would be a long speech, eyes too heavy to hold open.