Disappearing act

Brayden did as he was told; as soon as his would-be mentor had left his room he lit the candle and stared at the note he had left behind. Brayden wasn't sure what he was feeling at the moment that was causing him not to open the letter right away, he had always had his doubts about the church’s involvement with aura users, let alone a dark type aura user. His brief tour with the sage Mr. Grendeer had caused him to believe that maybe he was misguided. He was not happy with the fact that his early assessment just might be right. Brayden struggled with the fact that maybe he didn’t want to know what the letter said fore if he didn’t know what Mr. Grendeer thought was happening here at the church, then maybe he could escape the drama and start anew. Ignorance is a bliss or so the saying went. Still, he was having a hard time putting the letter down.

He looked back at the candle he had lit and noticed that it was two thirds gone and he hadn’t packed a single thing. Brayden placed the letter back into the bag that he had been given and started collecting the few things he had brought with him. Best to leave the letter for a time when he had a clearer head. He began thinking about the girl he had met earlier; hadn’t she warned him about being a dark aura user in the church as well? Was there something bigger happening here than he had even thought of? He quickly started shoving these thoughts back down as soon as they popped up. He didn’t even know if he wanted to be involved in this mess. What he had wanted all along still seemed like the most logical solution; start out fresh in a place where nobody knew him and live a simple life. This thought calmed his racing brain as he looked back at the candle on his desk. Looks like it was soon going to be time to make his escape.

Brayden's mind quickly shifted gears as he tried his best to remember all the turns they took and the feel of every hallway they passed through on their journey through the church, knowing full well that his memories of the sights would be useless in the dark. Brayden had already extinguished the main candle in his room and found a comfortable spot on the floor to relax, eyes closed in an almost meditative state as he prepared himself for what was to come. He had come to terms with the darkness that was forming in him for a while now. He was already comfortable in the solitude of his own thoughts before he had discovered the dark type aura within himself and had grown fond of the peace it gave him to be alone now. He was at his calmest when he could steal his focus to the void that the shadows provided.

As the last of the candle’s flame finally gave out, so did Brayden’s doubts for his future. He was prepared to heed the advice given to him and leave this place and start anew. Key in hand, Brayden lifted himself up off the floor and made quick work of the lock separating himself from his future. Although his memory of his tour had a few blank spots in it, he tried his best to copy the route they had taken just hours before in order to find his way. There were times where he thought he was completely lost, only to find that a few dozen steps later was all it took to find his way once again.

Brayden had discovered early on that his dark aura gave him the ability to see better in the dark. Obviously it worked better when the moon was fuller, which proved to be a disadvantage to himself tonight. Even so, he was having little difficulty in escaping so far, which was a little bit worrisome. As if karma had read his thoughts, he suddenly bumped into something that was also hiding within the shadows of the walls. He quickly realized that it was another person he knocked over. He couldn’t make them out clearly, but he was pretty sure they were too young to be any of the night watch or church staff.

“Are you ok?” Brayden said as he held out his hand.

“I’ll be alright,” the stranger said as he hauled them to their feet. The soft feel of their hand and the innocence of their voice made him assume that they were a female student. It didn’t take long for her to pull away from him however, and although he couldn’t quite see her face, the tension in the air said it all; She could sense his aura. Brayden made a rash decision and quickly got past her and started making his way down the hall.

“Sorry for knocking you over,” he whispered as he made his way down the hall and towards his destination. She made no attempt to follow him, and yet, he could still feel her touch. A tingling sensation on his palm and a rush of his heart left him wondering just what she had sensed of him. Plenty of people had used touch to sense his aura, and yet, there was something about this girl that seemed different. He quickly pushed the thought aside as he found his final destination and quietly made his way through the unlocked garden door (who leaves an exterior door unlocked) and to his freedom.