He was in a closet, hiding, a knife in his hand. Voices were getting closer, footsteps heavier. The door of the closet creaked open, and—
Amos opened his eyes, lying on his bed.
"It's been a long time since I had that dream," he whispered to himself.
"Amos! You're awake!"
Amos turned to his right, instinctively following that familiar voice. It was Leah, sitting in a chair beside the bed, her eyes wide with relief and worry.
A smile crossed Amos's face, his expression softening at the sight of her.
Leah stood and leaned over to cradle him gently on the bed, tears streaming down her cheeks. Amos, surprised at first, slowly wrapped an arm around her.
"You idiot... you don't know how scared I was for you."
The golden rays of the rising sun poured through the window, warming the room, gently easing Leah's fear.
Leah finally sat up, choosing to sit beside him on the bed, cheeks flushed and eyes still shining with leftover tears.
Amos looked at her in silence, memories still haunting the edges of his thoughts.
"How many days was I out?" he asked, keeping his tone calm—calm enough not to worry her further, but still curious.
"I heard you arrived at the orphanage last night. When I woke up this morning, it was already past noon." Leah paused, her gaze dropping, her tone dimming. "What happened after we were kidnapped? How did you get us out?"
Amos hesitated. "The police arrived at—"
"Don't lie to me," Leah cut in, anger flashing in her eyes. "Mrs. Glory told me about your black eyes and marks… and the blood on your hands."
Amos looked away, frustration on his face. He raised an arm to cover his eyes, unable to look at Leah. "Why did she tell her…?" he thought.
Leah gently took his arm and pulled it down, forcing him to meet her gaze. But her eyes were soft, her smile gentle.
"Don't worry. It's okay if you don't want to talk about it. I don't want this to break what we have."
Amos sat up a bit straighter. That simple sentence hit him harder than expected. Someone who didn't judge him. Who didn't avoid him or fear him. Who simply… stayed.
"So this is what it feels like…"
"Thank you, Leah," he said softly, staring at his own hand as a wave of images and memories rushed back.
Leah leaned in and hugged him tightly.
"I'm the one who should be thanking you… for saving me."
He closed his eyes, feeling the warmth of her against him, and hugged her back.
Just then, the door opened, and Principal Glory stepped inside, catching them off guard. They broke apart, both of them blushing slightly.
She smiled at the sight. "Looks like you're recovering."
Amos looked at her, not wanting to bring up the marks of his eyes. "Yeah… I'm feeling better now."
Principal Glory gave a small sigh of relief and turned toward the door again. She, too, didn't seem interested in pushing him for answers.
"I'll leave you two. I've got work to do."
Both Amos and Leah watched her quietly as she left the room. Amos then turned to Leah, visibly more relaxed.
"Wanna go for a walk outside? I really need to stretch my legs."
Leah nodded, a soft smile playing on her lips.
They walked together in the courtyard of the orphanage. Leah broke the silence:
"So, what's your school like?"
Amos answered, lost in thought. "Glory Academy?"
But then he froze.
"Glory Academy… Principal Nike… Sister of Principal Glory… They're sisters. Same last name. How did I never make that connection?" hethought
Leah waved a hand in front of his face. "Uh oh, come back down to earth."
Amos blinked, a little embarrassed. "Sorry, I got lost in my thoughts."
"You said Glory Academy. Does it belong to Miss Glory?"
"No, her sister Nike runs it."
"I see… is it a big school?"
"Yeah, really big. It's split in two: dorms for students who can't go home, and the rest—classrooms, cafeteria, you know. It's the most prestigious academy in the country."
"How come an idiot like you ended up at such a prestigious academy?" Leah teased, poking fun.
"I'll have you know I'm way smarter than I look," Amos replied with a smirk.
"Pfff, don't make me laugh! You know what, I think it's time I resumed my revenge from the store." Leah suddenly pulled him down by the hair.
"Oww! Let me go, that hurts!" Amos twisted and wriggled, then grinned and tickled her sides in retaliation.
Leah let go immediately, surprised, laughing uncontrollably as she tried to fend off his hands.
"Hey! Tickling isn't fair play!" she squealed, laughter spilling from her lips.
"You gotta do what it takes to win," Amos said, grinning wide.
The orphanage bell rang, cutting their fun short. They sat up.
"Dinner time," Amos noted.
"Yeah… and it's getting late. Let's go."
After dinner, Amos and Leah returned to their dorm.
"I hate the potato stew the cafeteria lady makes," Amos groaned, dragging himself to his bed.
"I don't think it's that bad. You should appreciate what you have instead of always complaining," Leah replied, her tone calm and a little serious.
Amos flopped onto the bed dramatically. "Blah blah blah, you sound like a monk."
Leah laughed softly, walking to her own bed.
"Alright, that's enough. Time to sleep. Good night, Amos."
Amos smiled, truly enjoying her presence.
"Good night, Leah."
Leah closed her eyes and drifted off quickly.
Amos, meanwhile, lay staring at the ceiling.
Guess being passed out all morning made me too awake now. Leah must be tired… she stayed by my side all that time…
But then, the color of the room changed. A gray tint spread across everything.
Amos froze. He knew what that meant.
There was a presence—but it felt… less overwhelming than before.
He sat up sharply.
It's him.
The same tall, black figure. But this time, Amos didn't feel fear. Not like before. For some reason, something inside him had changed.
Then the figure spoke.
"It's you," Amos said, staring.
The figure gave a crooked smile and slowly shed the black, sinister envelope that had hidden what it was.
"Nice to see you again… vessel."
End of Chapter 5