A silence had taken the room, a silence filled with my cries and sobs only—lessening into the arms of Katherine who held me in her embrace, and Edward who sat beside us—his hand on my shoulder.
It felt like days had passed for my cries to settle, but just minutes, or maybe even seconds had passed—the first words could be heard, they were from Edward who kept his hand on my shoulder.
"The cause would probably be... your parents' death... but we still don't know the way to help her."
I pushed myself away from Katherine, I stopped when I saw the look on Katherine's face—it was a gaze almost that of loathing, her reddened eyes staring at Edward.
"He is right... it's my fault. I can't act like this—until we have dealt with it," I said, trying to stand up but held down by Katherine's arms which were still wrapped around me.
"Oh..." She blurted out as she let me go.
I looked over at the face of my sleeping sister, lit up by the warm sunrays that pierced through the windows.
"...okay let's see what we can do."
"But Dowsley did say that only she can do something about it..." Katherine said as she stood up, following us.
"Yes, you are right—but there should be something we can do... at least to support her," Edward said.
"True... but we are oblivious to what she is experiencing..."
"I think she has completely forgotten about... what happened that day," I said, while trying to look at them.
"Could that memory be what is being eaten away?" Edward said.
"And the affected area keeps growing, so maybe she hasn't completely forgotten about it." I said.
"Maybe, but she has to be unaware of it." Katherine looked away in thought.
"So that part should be what is getting eaten away." Edward turned to Katherine.
"Does it happen in her sleep—does she talk during her sleep?"
"She didn't do it when we were en route here." She turned towards me.
"She doesn't really talk, but sometimes she does make sounds... maybe that?" I said.
"I wonder if that's enough to draw a conclusion."
"I doubt it—even to Dowsley it was foreign." Edward said, responding to himself.
"I think it could be the most plausible option..."
"But it's still too much of a gamble..." Katherine said.
"Yes exactly I have the same issues with it—maybe we can ask Ryan to help us?"
"But then again wouldn't he have noticed it already." Edward turned his body even more towards Katherine.
"Do you think it's something that surface level?"
"I think it's something separate he has to look out for..." Her body kept opened to both Edward and me.
"We should call him back then—should we do it now?"
"Maybe we should just let it rest for the night, and see to it tomorrow..." Edward said.
This conversation had completely been taken over by these two, there was no space for me to enter.
There was nothing I could do—not now, and never before.
I need to help her...
"Maybe this sleep is something that's helping her?"
"I doubt it... it's more probable that it's a state she finds herself in because she is losing herself." Katherine said with a single smile shot to me.
"Uh..." She looked back at me and added,
"But it might work interlinked to one another"
"Yes, I was thinking about that as well—it might be a way to lessen the strain as she loses more of herself..." He turned back to me,
"Good thinking Tjer."
I knew what they were trying to do, but even knowing that, I couldn't help but feel something inside—lowering my head while I tried to keep my lips straight.
"But how can we even test it... does this not go beyond Ryan's capabilities..." Katherine said.
"Yes I am afraid it does."
"But we should still call him over to check up on her..." Edward said.
"...are there attributes that can help us..."
"Maybe a seer can—they are able to interact with another's essence after all."
"But I am unsure where to find one."
"We might be able to request a royal decree for a search."
I had given up looking at the two speaking, and looked down, clenching my sleeve.
"Sigh..." I let go of my clothing, and sat down, listening to what they were saying.
They are able to deal with it...
"Sir, madam dinner is ready..." Albert came from around the corner.
"Already?" Katherine asked.
All of us in the room turned simultaneously towards the window.
The only thing that we saw, were the dark skies filled with specks of light.
They both turned back to Albert and followed him.
While I stood up, and moved toward Mim—choosing to stay with Mim in case she woke up.
It's dark after all.
The footsteps had stopped, and Edward turned to me.
"Tjer, come eat with us."
"I'm not that hungry..." I said, showing a slight smile as I kept my stomach from rumbling.
"Are you sure...?"
"We already know how much you eat," Edward said.
"...I'm staying here... in case Mim wakes up—but thank you." I turned back to Mim who lay in her bed.
"But don't you think that Mim would get mad if you forced yourself to go hungry." Katherine said.
"...sorry, but no."
"In that case we will stay with you," Edward said as two pairs of steps walked over to me.
"Albert bring the food here," he added as they sat down on the floor next to me.
"Yes sir," Albert said, walking away with the folds just visible on his cheeks.
We sat in silence, all of us on the floor next to Mim's bed, waiting for our food to arrive.
But that wasn't the thing on my mind at all, but every other thought I reached was pointless.
There was just one conclusion that I was able to reach.
More than ever...
I'm truly powerless...