"He really did not rest"
That was… by no means impressive. By now, the light of the sun was already reaching Dein's cage and he started laying down the leaves he had taken from his food in front of the sun once more. However, even now, Klen is still watching Dein from afar, exactly where he had saw him last.
It seems that Clay isn't joking when he said that this guy takes his job seriously. He even forgone rest just so he could watch over Dein 24/7. I mean, who does that?
But Dein wasn't complaining.
If anything, he's even relived to have such a hardworking guard!
If only… if only he gives Dein more time allone with himself – well, not really alone since he still have his little roommate soundlessly sleeping on one side of the cage. But well, y'know what he means.
Anyways, as the sun finally rose, Dein slowly moves his dark bestial body, stretching it and even touching the now scars of the wound he had sustain just two days ago.
He smiled.
It seems that his guess was right on point. Gi, the damn priestess really was an awakened healer. It hadn't even been a week let alone three days and yet Dein's wounds, along with the pain that tortured him at the first day was completely gone, now just scars.
Awakened aspects really was a wonder to behold.
If only Dein's aspect isn't useless!
Even now, everytime Dein remembers the description of his aspect [Wasted Gremlin] he still couldn't help but get pissed off by how useless and impossibly insulting it was.
Wasted potential? No value? That's bullshit! Yes, Dein would admit that he wasn't the most talented person there is and looking back on his life as a supposed proud legacy, he indeed was like a wasted potential which is probably why he hated it so much whenever he remembers it. But still! Dein is sure he has a potential or maybe even a talent somewhere! He just haven't found it yet.
He sighed. Shaking his head to erase the now growing frustration because of the thought.
Then he proceeded on stretching his body like an athlete preparing for a fight. He even jump a few times to make sure his newly regained vigor wasn't just his imagination.
But of course it wasn't. Dein had been observing this monster body – whom by now he had accepted as his – for a while now ever since getting stitch up by the priestess.
After all, who knows what she might've done to his body other than healing it.
Luckily, none of those he fears actually came true. Dein's body was perfectly fine.
Finally, he finished warming up and just as he did, he heard a voice from behind him. The little girl seems to have also woken up from her sleep. She asked curiously, crawling up from where she slept.
"Mister, what you doing?"
Dein stared at the curious little girl for a while. Then he suddenly had a revelation. 'Oh, right…'
He hadn't considered what to do to the little girl if he manage to escape... or to be precise, he had considered it but did not actually given it a much of a thought. His reason, of course… was because…
…He just doesn't know what to do.
Right now, he has a few options; One, leave the little girl here and just mind his own business; two, take her for no reason but sympathy and three… let the girl do what she wants.
After all, the little girl is a being Dein couldn't understand. Others cannot see her and she seems to also only exist inside Dein's imagination, only, if that is really the case, then how can the girl touch him and even hurt him to some extent? There's a chance that all those are also just a pigment of Dein's imagination but if it is, then it's more of a reason for him to go and do the option three and just see how the little girl would react and what her actions would be.
Of course, there are also risk to this as the little girl could react negatively if Dein tried to escape.
If that happens… then Dein can do nothing anymore. After all, even if the little girl turned hostile, it still doesn't change the fact that Dein would have to escape not just this cage but also this nightmare as a whole.
And staying in this prison would accomplish nothing in regard to that.
Observing the little girl, Dein finally answered. His tone light as his slit face form a genuine smile.
"Just preparing for the day"
Well, even though Dein had said that, he definitely have no intentions of telling the little girl about his plan to break out – at least not until the very last moment. His reasons for that, of course, is that if ever the little girl turn hostile at the thought of him escaping, it would already be too late.
Hearing his words, the little girl pondered for a moment.
"Preparing? Do we have to prepare too?"
Again with that "we", by now Dein is used to her referring to herself as "we" or us. He doesn't know why she refers to herself that but he's also not going to inquire about it. What do you know, maybe referring to her as "we" might actually be more accurate than the usual "I".
Erasing the useless thoughts, Dein spoke again with easy smile on his dark face.
"You could… I mean, you guys could if you want"
The little girl tilted her head.
Today really was weird. Somehow, instead of fear or anxiety, Dein really does feel energetic today. Maybe even excited if he do say so himself.
It was weird and strange, but it was also soothing.
And so, Dein smiled as he prepared himself for the day… or to be precise, for the night. The little girl went silent again as if a thought dissapearing at the back of Dein's head.
Just like that, the day went on.
*****
It was night. The same one as the past few that seemingly went on like a blur. It was the same night without a moon in sight.
And yet… something feels different.
Sitting at the edge of his small wooden cage, Dein felt a throbbing pain on one of his finger as it continuously scratch the wooden floor below him.
But Dein did not feel the pain–no, he ignored the pain. His eyes fixated on the still black sky where only tiny dots of light could be seen and yet somehow, it was still bright.
He have been thinking about it for a while now ever since entering this nightmare. Why is it that the moon doesn't shine on this eerie forest? Was he just unable to see it? Or was there really no moon to begin with?
Both possibility seems plausible. After all, here in the depths of the dream realm – much more a nightmare – things doesn't really follow the same logic there is back on the waking world.
In this place, the sun could fall down, the space be inverted and the world itself could even turn out to be a one huge breathing or maybe none breathing monster. It's a world where the law of physics and basic logic barely applied.
However, for some reason, Dein feels like both of those possibilities were wrong.
But he has no way to be sure.
After all, nothing out of ordinary had happened today – at least not yet – It was just the strange feeling of unease, gnawing like a dreadful trepidation that made Dein feel like something was inherently wrong in this night.
'I really just hope nothing extremely out of the context happens tonight…'
Dein thought, still in daze as he sigh. Finally, he pulled himself from his thoughts and moved his attention to the small shallow crevice his finger, who's now bleeding in pain, had made on the wooden floor beneath him.
He sighed again.
'I guess… we really have to take this the hard way huh?'
With that, Dein gathered all his courage and brought one of his finger, the pinky, in the middle of his opened slit mouth with dozens of his razor sharp teeth.
He inhaled, meeting the little girl's once again curious gaze as she watch Dein from beside, only now being notice by him. Then, Dein's eyes scour the surroundings until he saw the guy again, Klen, now on a different place from where he is this morning.
Klen watched Dein's cage with distain in his eyes even though he cannot actually see his figure perfectly.
Seeing this, Dein finally amassed his courage and in the next moment, he bit down on his finger, cutting it off completely as he screamed in pain. His black blood splattering off everywhere.