The Time Keeper

Chapter 8 - A Broken Building

As Caius and I stood there in shock, the man quickly picked himself up off the ground and magically vanished into thin air, suddenly appearing back inside the broken brick building next to us.

"Come on, let's do what he says and get out of here," Caius pleaded to me.

My curiosity had already got the better of me and I couldn't help but follow after the strange man, walking over to the broken hole in the brick building despite Caius's protests. I know it isn't such a wise idea but judging from Caius' reaction this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, I could learn something important from such an encounter.

As I entered the broken building, I could hear the sound of muffled shouting and the clashing of fists against rock. The man came from around a corner in the building making gestures with his hands like he was throwing something invisible. Suddenly, the man appeared out of nowhere in front of me, and I stumbled backwards in surprise. He didn't even spare me a glance as he pushed past, his focus solely on the unseen battle in front of him.

"What are you still doing here? Do you want to die?" He shouted in between his aggressive breathing.

Clambering up I left back out of the broken hole in the building as the man continued to make his strange gestures and moves, looking away from me.

"What were you thinking, do you know how dangerous that could've been? Are you hurt?" Caius said in a shaky voice. I didn't expect him to be so frightened.

"I'm fine, there's no need for you to worry so much."

The man continued to fight with a ferocity I had never seen before, his movements swift and precise. But even with his skill, he looked to be outmatched. I could see the sweat glistening on his forehead and the blood trickling down his arms.

"Hurry up, aren't we leaving?" Caius beckoned as he pulled my arm trying to leave. I was more interested in watching this battle unfold.

"Can't you see I'm busy watching! You can leave without me for all I care!"

As I watched the intense battle unfold, a piece of flying debris caught me off guard and hit me in the head. I stumbled and fell to the ground, my vision swimming and my head pounding with pain. As I desperately opened one eye to see what was going on the man stopped fighting. Had he won, what happened?

"Shit, I told you we should go, now look at you!"

As Caius pulled on my arm to try and get me up, I shrugged him off and sat up, my head still pulsing from the debris that had hit me. I reached up and held my head. I could feel drips of blood oozing from the side of my head, no warmer nor colder than my own skin.

The pain started to settle in and my head started throbbing, much like my usual headaches but far worse. I think could manage for now.

I looked up and the man was still standing there, his chest rising and falling rapidly from the exertion of his fight. He turned to us and squinted as if trying to make out something in particular.

"Have... I seen you before?" he asked, his voice rough and hoarse.

What do I say? Obviously, I don't know him, but maybe Caius? And how could he have seen me before in the first place, this is literally the first day I've been here.

I was about to answer him when suddenly he crumpled to the ground unconscious and the chill I had felt before subsided. Not the one from the winter air but something much cooler.

"Come on, let's actually get out of here," Caius urged me.

But I still didn't move. I was curious about the man, who he was and what he was doing here fighting that strange figure I couldn't seem to see clearly before.

"What are you waiting for? We need to go!" Caius shouted, his voice filled with urgency.

I was torn. Part of me wanted to stay and see what would happen, but another part of me was afraid of what might happen if we were discovered. I looked at Caius, who was fidgeting anxiously, and my lip curled in thought.

"Fine, let's go," I said reluctantly.

We quickly turned and ran away from the broken building, not stopping to check on the man or even see if he was still breathing. As we ran, I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease, like we were leaving something important behind. But I pushed the thoughts aside and focused on putting as much distance as possible between us and the strange man.

I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off, and my mind was filled with more questions than answers.

As we walked through the dimly lit streets for a while, I couldn't help but feel like I was being watched. I glanced over at Caius, who seemed to be deep in thought, and wondered what was going through his mind. He had been quiet since we had left the broken building and I couldn't help but wonder if he was just as confused and worried as I was. I know it had only been a day but it was unusual for him to not be chatting away.

Caius and I eventually arrived at a small, run-down apartment building, the type that seemed to be in the shadier parts of town. The sign read 'Ashwood Lodge'. Its complexion looked worse for wear and probably looked a good deal better during the day.

"I can pay for your room for the night if you want, I know you don't have that much money." Caius seemed to sense my apprehension about the place, but it'll have to do. I won't be complaining if he's paying for my night anyways.

As we approached the front desk, I could hear the sound of shouting coming from one of the rooms. The old, withered woman behind the counter barely looked up from her book as Caius approached her, her eyes lingering on the page as if she was trying to ignore us.

"Two rooms, just for the night please," Caius requested, his voice low and steady.

The woman finally looked up and grumbled, "That'll be two Stoek and five Dirs each. Upfront."

Caius handed her the money and she handed us two keys without so much as a smile.

"Two rooms? Why don't you go back to yours?" I whispered to Caius.

"It's rather late, and I don't really want to go back home after what just happened. I know I'll get an earful tomorrow but I can deal with that then."

He had a fair point. At least he wasn't staying in a room with me.

Caius had rented the room next to mine, but I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off about the situation. I wanted to trust him, but I didn't know if I should. I felt as though he was hiding something from me. With his loud mouth, how could he keep anything hidden?

Once we were in our separate rooms, I tried to shake off the feeling of unease. I could hear Caius pacing in the room next to me. Was he as worried as I was? I doubted it, but I couldn't be sure. I tried to push the thoughts aside and focus on getting some rest, but my mind was too busy racing with thoughts of what had just happened earlier.

I couldn't shake the image of the man we had encountered in the broken building, and I couldn't help but feel like we were missing something important. Why did he ask if he had seen us before?

I finally let out a deep sigh, my eyes drooping as exhaustion took hold. I promised myself I would think about it more in the morning and let myself get some well-needed sleep, my mind consumed by the mysterious man and the strange events of the day.

...

"We -ed... et -ere! a- p! Wa- up!"