Jack's POV
Zek and I walked down the hallway toward our rooms, the echoes of our footsteps filling the oddly quiet space. Dinner had been uneventful, and our earlier conversation still lingered in my mind.
"I'll talk to Orin," Zek said, breaking the silence. "Try to ease his mind a little."
I nodded. "That would be for the best. Just don't let him start asking too many questions."
Zek gave a tired chuckle. "No promises."
I smiled as we got to his door. Zek gave me a quick nod before standing on his toes, opening the door, and walking inside, his tail flicking behind him.
I turned toward my own room, but as I passed Ark's door, I paused.
'I should probably check on him,' I thought.
I stepped closer and knocked.
knock-knock
I heard some shuffling inside.
A few seconds later, the door opened and showed Ark.
He still had his ears and tail showing.
I smiled, seeing his trust in us and feeling more comfortable.
"J-Jack? Hi! W-what can I do for y-you?" he asked, stuttering, and I could see his tail wagging faster than before.
I smiled and asked, "How are you doing?"
"...Today was... a lot," he sighed, his tail dropping a bit before he asked, "C-could you come in? I... wanted to talk to you about something."
I nodded. "Sure."
Ark hesitated slightly before moving over and letting me in.
I stepped inside and sat down on a chair while Ark went and sat on his bed.
We both stayed quiet for a bit as I let him speak first.
"Um... t-thank you again," Ark mumbled, his hands gripping each other. "F-For helping me earlier... with Rook and... everything..."
"It's fine, Ark," I said while smiling. "The guy has been like that for years, so I'm not surprised he did that, though I wish I wasn't the one dealing with it. I'm just glad you didn't get hurt."
Ark gave a weak smile as he looked up at me.
"Are you sure you can keep... my wolf a secret?" he asked shyly.
I smiled and said, "Of course. When I get back next week, can we talk about it more? I can help you with it."
Ark nodded and stayed silent.
"Do you want me to stay here tonight?" I asked.
Ark flinched before saying, "N-no... you should sleep in your room."
I doubted he didn't want me here, but I didn't push it.
"If that's the case, then I have something for you," I said as I reached into my storage ring.
Ark's ears perked up, and his tail gave a small wag when he heard that.
From my ring, I pulled out a small flower with purple petals.
The moment Ark saw it, he flinched back slightly, eyes widening.
"That's not—" he started to say.
"It's not Wolfsbane, it's lavender," I reassured him with a gentle tone before he could finish.
Ark blinked, then looked at the flower again, hesitant.
Seeing his confusion, I explained, "According to alchemists and texts from old tribes and druids, it's said to help with nightmares."
Ark shrank down slightly, ears flattening against his head as he realized what that meant. "You… you knew?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
I nodded. "You were having a bad one last night, that is until I started to comfort you. You calmed down instantly."
Ark gave me a confused and embarrassed look, and all I did was smile.
"You slept better last night, didn't you?" I asked.
Ark paused and shyly nodded.
I smiled and said, "All you have to do is put it under your pillow. If it doesn't work, let me know, and I can try something else."
Ark nodded and took the flower, holding it like it was some fragile object.
I smiled, seeing his reaction to the flower.
We continued to talk for a bit about small things, and I asked a few questions on how he was doing.
Eventually, I left, closing the door softly behind me.
As I walked to my room, I checked to see if Aaron was inside.
He wasn't, and I'm not sure if that was good or bad.
I sat down on my bed and went over everything I learned about today, but nothing seemed very important compared to what Ark asked me the next day.
~~~~~~~~~
Arks POV
After Jack left, I sat on my bed for a while, staring at the lavender in my hands. It smelled… nice and comforting.
I was tired—more than I realized. Today had been a lot. Rook, Jack revealed he knew I was a werewolf, and I learned he was leaving for the weekend. It all weighed on me.
Slowly, I placed the flower under my pillow, laid down, and closed my eyes.
Sleep came quickly.
~~~~~~~~
When I opened my eyes, I was somewhere else, somewhere I couldn't believe.
It was unlike anything I had ever seen before. I could feel solid ground under my feet, yet it looked like I was floating.
Looking around, all I could see was the night sky, surrounded by stars stretching endlessly in every direction.
I could see shooting stars flying off in the distance and strangely coloured clouds.
It was beautiful, calm, and mesmerizing, but also terrifying. It made me feel so small but also sparked my curiosity.
I stared off into the stars for a while before I heard a noise in the silence that had surrounded me until now.
I looked around, confused, trying to find the source, but I couldn't find anything.
"What... was that?" I said.
"You're dreaming," an echoing female voice answered.
I spun around, ears perking up.
A woman stood before me, her form shimmering like purple mist.
She had no discernible features other than a rough outline of a woman, but her form was flowing and changing like a cloud in the sky.
"Who are you?" I asked hesitantly.
"My name is Lavender," she said gently. "I'm one of the Spirits contracted to Jack."
I blinked in surprise. "Oh... nice to meet you?" I said, still confused as to why I was here.
The mist parted roughly where her mouth would be in the shape of a smile.
"Likewise," she said. "I should probably say that I was the one who helped you with your dreams last night after Jack asked."
I had wide eyes and asked, "Did Jack ask you to help me again?"
She shook her head. "I decided to visit you again tonight. Without Jack knowing."
I tensed slightly. "Why?"
Lavender smiled. "Because I thought you could use someone to talk to."
I hesitated, staring at Lavender's shifting mist-like form.
"Someone to talk to?" I repeated.
She nodded. "Yes. I don't have an agenda or anything. You can choose what we talk about, or if you prefer, I can leave and let you dream of something else."
I frowned, glancing down. "You… would do that?"
"Of course," she said gently, then paused and added, "You may hide it well, but we know you are hiding a lot of pain."
I froze hearing her say that, but knowing Jack did too, I felt weirdly safe and not worried.
I stayed silent for a moment, considering. I wasn't sure why, but… I didn't really want her to leave.
"Then… I guess we can talk," I said, shifting my weight slightly.
Lavender's form rippled in what I assumed was a nod.
"Before we begin, though," I said, looking around at the vast, endless night sky surrounding us, "where are we?"
Lavender followed my gaze. "This is outer space," she answered.
I tilted my head. "Outer… space?"
"It's something I saw in Jack's memories," she explained.
I frowned. "Jack knows about this place?"
Lavender let out a soft chuckle. "Yes, though I doubt he's ever been here himself. He says it's the night sky, in a way, but it reaches off into infinity. That's all I really know or can say, as he never really explained it. If you want to learn more, you'll have to ask him."
I stared off into the distant stars again. Outer space… It was strange. I'd never heard of anything like that before.
This was the night sky spanning off into infinity? It was hard to imagine.
But… it was peaceful.
I shook the thought away and looked back at Lavender. "So, what are we supposed to talk about?"
Lavender hummed. "Well, why don't we start with something simple? Your relationship with Jack."
I stiffened. "Jack?"
She nodded. "Tell me, Ark—what do you think of him? And don't worry, I won't tell him anything you say unless you want me to."
I hesitated, my tail curling slightly behind me. "Jack is…" I started, searching for the right words. "He's strong. Confident. He knows things that no one else does, and he doesn't hesitate. He… he's also a good friend. Someone I feel like I can trust and look to for help."
Lavender watched me, her misty form shifting as if listening intently.
I lowered my gaze. "He knows a secret," I admitted. "One I don't like telling people."
"I know," Lavender said softly.
I looked up at her. "You do?"
She nodded. "Jack does keep secrets from his spirits, but in your case, he made sure I knew first, as it is a very big one."
I didn't know how to feel about that, but strangely, I wasn't upset.
Lavender's form pulsed faintly. "You trust Jack with your secret?"
"Yes," I said without hesitation.
She tilted her head. "Do you find it strange? That you've only known him for a few days, yet you already feel so close to him?"
I stiffened. I… hadn't really thought about that before. My ears twitched as I processed her words. It was weird, wasn't it? I barely knew him, yet I trusted him with something so important.
I didn't know how to respond.
Lavender seemed to pick up on my confusion and shifted tactics. "Let's focus on something else," she said. "How does Jack make you feel?"
I frowned, trying to think. "...Safe, I guess. Comfortable."
Lavender nodded. "Do you ever feel… different around him?"
I hesitated. "...What do you mean?"
She chuckled softly. "Let me put it this way—has there ever been a moment where Jack made you feel strange? Maybe nervous or… excited?"
I thought back to earlier in my room. My heart sped up slightly at the memory.
"When he was in my room earlier," I admitted slowly, "I felt my heart beating fast. And I got… nervous."
Lavender smiled knowingly. "Do you ever get like that with other people?"
I opened my mouth—then paused.
I tried to think of anyone else who had ever made me feel that way. My family? No. Orin, Araki, or Zek? No. The people I passed by at the academy? Not even close.
The realization made my stomach twist.
"...No," I said quietly.
Lavender's form rippled with amusement. "That's interesting," she said lightly.
I suddenly felt very uncomfortable. "W-Why is that interesting?"
She hummed. "Because it tells me something important."
I swallowed. "What?"
"Let me ask you another question," she said instead. "How would you feel if Jack left?"
The air in my lungs felt like it vanished.
I paled. "What?"
"If Jack were to leave and never come back," Lavender said softly, "how would that make you feel?"
The thought sent a sharp pang through my chest. The idea of Jack being gone, of never seeing him again…
I gripped my arms. "I…" My voice wavered. "I don't want that."
Lavender watched me closely. "Why not?"
I clenched my fists, feeling my nails dig into my palms. "Because…" I hesitated, my breath shaking. "Because Jack is… important."
"More important than anyone else?"
I swallowed, my throat dry.
Yes.
I didn't say it, but I knew it was true.
Lavender's voice softened. "Ark," she said gently. "Do you know what these feelings are?"
I looked up at her, my heart pounding. "...No," I admitted, confused and scared.
She smiled. "They're the start of something wonderful. A path to healing and happiness."
I frowned. "What do you mean?"
She smiled and calmly said, "Ark… you are in love with Jack."
My mind went blank.
I stared at her, unable to process what she had just said.
I—
Then, the dream shattered.
~~~~~~~~~
I shot up in bed, breathing hard.
The room was quiet. The morning light barely peeked through the curtains. My body was trembling slightly, my heart pounding so hard I could hear it in my ears.
I reached under my pillow, fingers brushing against the lavender flower Jack had given me. It was still there. It was real.
But so was everything else.
I swallowed, my hands gripping the blanket.
I… I like Jack.
The thought sent a wave of panic and confusion through me. My ears burned as I tried to make sense of it all.
But no matter how much I tried to deny it…
I knew it was true.