I wanted to panic but even that feeling refused to descent on me. I just felt calmness swirling inside me as I felt the teenager approach me.
There was no scientific explanation for what was happening to me, so I could only chalk it up to magic.
Since I was here in this new world because of magic, I was sure that my current predicament was also because of magic…or something.
Not that I knew for sure…or had a way to confirm either.
So what did I do? I decided not to question things and allow them to flow. For the sake of my sanity there were some things I wanted to remain oblivious about.
The teenager reached me and he looked a little surprised to see me standing in front of him without flinching.
"Oh-! You are still awake at such a late time? Then, would you mind pointing me toward Madam Shelly's abode? I want her to entertain me tonight."
The teenager told me in his deadpan voice. There was no hint of danger I could sense in it, but I could sense something else- curiosity.
"Madam Shelly? Her house is there. What do you want to talk to her about?"
I asked the teenager and immediately wanted to hit my head. Why did I ask this stupid question to someone who was obviously suspicious?
The only explanation I had was that my mouth moved on its own when it saw a potential client and I ended up sticking a conversation.
'Don't answer this kid. Or rather, answer it and get moving.'
I prayed in my mind, but as always, my prayers were ignored as the teenager gave me weird look before he reached his hand toward me.
"Hmm, meeting and talking to anyone other than Madam Shelly was not on my list. But since fate that decided this for me, who am I to refuse her? In that case, sir, would you mind grabbing my hand?"
The teenager asked me as he extended his hand toward me and the gray shade of the hand worried me a little.
Because the light around me had been poor, I had not been able to see the greyish shade the teenager's face had. But his hand held against the white clothes made it obvious that he was likely ill.
'Or non-human, but let's not go there.'
"Hmm, are you not going to touch my hand? Did you sense something? How weird-! You are…still alive?"
The kid ended touching my hand instead before he pulled back, almost as if he was shocked. He seemed to not be used to touching anyone.
"Huh-! Was I not supposed to have died or something?"
I asked and the silence told me that the kid likely thought I was supposed to be dead. Silence descended around us once more.
The teenager kept looking at my hand and then back at his own and then at mine before he grabbed my hand once more.
"You…don't die when I touch you…but you do feel alive. How weird? Does my power not work on you? What are you?"
The teenager asked with serious expression and I felt sweat travel down my face at that question.
'Kid, if I knew what I was, I won't have an identity crisis half the time.'
But my mind and mouth were not in sync and my mouth decided to go on auto-poilet to speak in a round-about way and speak non-sense.
"Hmm, what am I? I consider myself a human, so in that sense, I guess you can say I am a human."
'What bullshit. One look in the mirror and even I can tell that I am not a human.'
But now that the words were out, I could no longer take them back. I could only wait for the teenager to finish his evaluation.
"I see. So you are a human? You seem like a special one and I had fun talking to you. Tsk, looks like Madam Shelly managed to survive her encounter with me because of you. What to do now…you will have to make up for it later."
The teenager told me as he looked at the house behind me and then at the clock in his hand.
I would say he almost looked worried, but that was not really the case. The kid looked more irritated than anything.
"Sir, I will see you again soon to cash in this favor. Please, help me out when I visit you. Until then, I shall take my leave."
The teenager left. But before he disappeared, I heard one a last sentence.
"You can call me Grim next time we meet. I hope our partnership would be a fun one for both of us."
And just like that, the darkness receded and the breath I had been holding came crashing down back into me.
The world around me seemed to start moving once more as well.
I wanted to say that it was a scary encounter, but it really was not. It just felt like I had an introductory session with an Emo-goth kid who was kind of chill.
"Wow-! What a weird encounter. But, let's never do that again. Emo kids are not my forte."
I complained as I stood up and walked toward Madam Shelly's house. I knocked once to let her know that I was coming.
But just before I entered the door I opened, the puppy in my basked made a fuss, causing me to stop.
A broom almost hit me, but because I stopped walking, it only landed in front of me with a loud smack.
My heart skipped a beat as I almost got hurt and I wanted to complain about the injustice. Why was I being attacked for simply opening the door.
"D-Don't you dare come in-! Or else-! I-I will curse you for sure…"
Madam Shelly threatened from the corner she had backed herself into.
I awkwardly exchanged glances with the duchess who just sighed before she walked over to Madam Shelly and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Madam Shelly, it's alright. It's just the shopkeeper who entered. Look, your crystal ball has gone back to normal as well. The danger has passed."
The duchess told the Madam and Madam Shelly slowly calmed down.
She still looked like a half-mad person, but much more put together. She coughed to hide her awareness and welcomed me inside.
"Tsk, did I get…lucky-? How can a sure fate be altered…What did you do…hey…"
Madam Shelly made a dash for me, only to be stopped by the duchess grabbing the back of her dress. The disapproval in the duchess's eyes was clear to see and Madam Shelly complained, only to be ignored.
"Shopkeeper, it's time for us to return. I think Madam Shelly needs some time to gather herself from whatever shock she has fallen into. Come, I will escort you out."
Madam Shelly tried to stop the duchess, but I quickly made my way out of the house. I no longer wanted to be with someone who seemed like they had lost their mind.
After all, I was a psychiatrist, not a god who could fix every issue.