Dex just reached his home again. The sun having already retreated, most people were already at home, leaving Dexter walking alone on the pathway. The usual pain of powerlessness grasped his heart, even though he was looking optimistic on the outside, he was nothing alike on the inside. His feelings, his fear. He needed to suppress it. He was actually a very good actor. At least that was what he thought. But not as soon as he saw... that.
Unexpectedly a shadowlike creature, ran over the street. It's movements were fluid and fast. Dexter had seen this already. Once, as his brother ran away into the woods. Followed by "that girl". He saw the same powerful movements in his brother. A small light of hope flickered in his eyes.
"Hey!" Dex screamed completely out of character.
The shadow stopped. Now, after slowing down, one could discern a human figure, the face hidden under a big black hood. The shadow wore a long robe, concealing all of their body and most of their face. Only the mouth was visible.
The human stopped abruptly, as if trained to stop exactly as his voice enters their ears. Their head slowly turned, holding a small envelope in the right hand.
Dex could discern that it was a woman by the long hair strands hanging out of the mantle. Realization hit him like a truck. He was a little bit frozen but still pushed forward.
"You're the girl that was with Silas, right? Who are you? Please tell me, what is happening to my little brother."
The woman slowly backed away a few steps and whispered something Dex couldn't quite understand. Maybe she didn't talk loud enough, but it felt more like a muffled sound. As if she talked through a dense fog.
He couldn't hold himself back anymore and fell to his knees. A small puddle building up before him.
It was a puddle of sadness. A puddle of pain. And a puddle of regret.
"I know that it is my fault, that he will die. Please, just tell me your name." Dex looked up again. The mysterious person stood directly in front of him. She mumbled something. Dex couldn't quite understand it though, because he was already frozen while looking at her.
He somehow knew that face. It was someone he felt at ease with, though he didn't know why.
"What?" Dex barely managed to whisper with the last of his power, before coldth grasped his heart.
And the girl answered. She came closer, face to face with Dex now. Even though everything above her eyes was hidden by the hood, he still saw some light shine through the cloth. Two dark green rays of light pierced through. It was as if she looked directly into his eyes.
"Dex... Brother..." She mumbled with a hint of regret.
Just then, it hit him. A feeling, Dex had already felt once. It wasn't even that long ago. It was painful, yes. But the relief was even bigger.
"Stel... Stella?" He whispered knowingly. His head hurt as if it was melting. His eyes demanded to be closed, to feel rest. But he couldn't take them off of her. Not right now. The pain was excruciating. The thought of Stella made his head hurt as if something ate his eyes.
But at the same time it was as soothing as it was painful. He couldn't forget her. Not again.
So he pushed through the pain...
'You can do it! You can. I know you can.' A look of resolve took over Stella's face.
And finally, after an eternity of pain, sorrow and despair, it was finally over. He raised a hand and touched Stella's cheek.
"Stella." He repeated with a joyful expression. She turned around, looking at nearby houses. The sun has already left the horizon and the world was once more drenched in a slight reddish tone. What Stella saw, let a shiver run down her spine. There, behind numerous windows, flickering red eyes looked at her with a sense of longing. Sometimes a lone person watched alone, sometimes a whole family stood at a window, staring at Stella and Dexter alike.
"We can't stay here." Stella said with a determination he had never heard from her. So she hugged him tight and pulled him up at the same time. Together, they slid into a secluded alley.
***
"Oh, so that's how it is." Dex expression didn't betray his emotions. Completely perplexed by all of the feelings of the last days.
"So it was you, who laid Silas in front of the town gate." He mumbled. After a moment of silence, he looked at Stella. Determination written all over his face.
"I am going to look for Silas now. Maybe that flask in the envelope of yours will really help." He didn't just leave yet though.
"There's something else I have to tell you." Stella said slowly.
"The old man I told you about, Orren, doesn't have any of the necessary ingredient for spirit vision left and he doesn't want to tell me how to get it."
Stella thought back to her conversation with the old man.
"Can't you tell me how to get the ingredients for spirit vision? Maybe I can give them to Dex and Sorelle somehow." Stella asked hopefully.
Orren sighed. "Little one, it's first of all not possible for you to get the main ingredient and second of all... I already told you that you can't, under any circumstances whatsoever, talk to your family, or anyone really, until we find the green orb."
Back in reality, Stella looked at Dex with a thoughtful expression. 'This is a huge advantage. Orren might seem nice... No he doesn't even seem nice, he is truly unsettling. But I know he is scheming something. The first awakening of spirit vision in Dex is an unforeseen element for the old guy. Also, we need to find that orb as fast as possible and Dex could help me with that.'
Finally, Stella took a step toward Dexter and said resolutely. "You will help me with the green orb.' Her eyes flickering green for a second.
Dex though, backed away slowly. "I will help you, but... I need some time to think about all of this first. Let's maybe meet up tomorrow."
Stella's expression turned grim. "That's the point though. We don't have time. If we don't have the orb in five days... Anyway, you should go to Silas now and give him what's inside the ampoule."
"We will meet up at midnight in front of the of old church and graveyard." She said, her head turned towards Dex, while rushing away.
Dex looked at the envelope in his hands and sighed, heading home.