CHAPTER 4

Theia

I walked through the street, passing by different people who were only out here for one thing- bad business.

Not many people worked at night, except harvesters and a few other professionals. But those one would see walking about in the street, dining in bars, were out to seal off one illegal deal or the other.

And tonight, I was out for bad business too.

My mother would be disappointed go find out the thing I had started doing and will keep doing until my father was found. Which was why, I had to make it back in time, before she returned.

My hood had come off, making the cold wind of Brilfield blow my blonde hair in many different directions. My skin was cold despite the heavy clothing I was putting on.

I quickly plaited my hair into a braid and increased my pace.

Everyone knew the greatest watcher in Brilfield; Mr Jude. But not everyone knew that he was just as known in bad business, like he was in the good one.

Any customer who wanted to trade bad goods in the daytime would have his time rescheduled by Mr Jude.

Once, I had gone to fix a watch with my friend and had caught him during one of his shady deals. Not even Anastasia had noticed, but I did and kept it to myself.

Thankfully, my attentiveness was paying off tonight.

I entered his decades old shop and realized that the doorbell was out. It was a good idea anyway, whatever had to be done at night, had to be done quietly.

I saw a few men wearing either black jackets or capes. They paid me no attention and just continued with their deals.

I was discouraged for a moment, being that I was the only female here. I stepped back and was about to leave when my hand pressed against my pocket.

I felt my father's watch again and that was enough to boost my confidence. I couldn't back out now, not when I finally got the chance to find my father's location.

I tightened my chin and rose my head a little high, matching toward the counter.

"How may I be of help?" Jude asked absentmindedly.

He was going through something in one of those many drawers he had behind the counter and humming something.

"Yes, hello!" He turned around and greeted with too much enthusiasm.

"Good evening Mr Jude." I wanted to return his greeting with the same enthusiasm but I couldn't, unfortunately.

When he heard my voice, he looked up immediately. When his green eyes met my grey ones, an angry scowl formed on his face.

"What are you doing here, girl?" He asked with clenched teeth.

"I'm pretty sure that wasn't your manner of approach to the rest of the night customers, judging from your enthusiasm toward my presence seconds ago." I responded and he only got angrier.

"Leave Theia, this is no place for children." He pointed toward the door, managing to draw attention from a few of the customers.

I looked over my shoulder and realized that these men were much more taller and ripped than I had seen them when I walked in. They wore a matching angry expression that stated clearly that I would likely die tonight if I remained here.

I returned my gaze to Mr Jude and saw the smug look on his face.

"You're right, I'll try going. This is no place for children, especially those with blabber mouths." Now, it was my turn to wear a smug look as I attempted to walk out of his shop.

I had barely left the counter when Mr Jude's voice stopped me. It didn't seem to hold the same confidence as it did a while ago.

"Stop." He walked out of the counter and for the first time, I saw his shoes.

All my life knowing Jude, I have only ever known and seem him behind the counter.

"Why? Has your shop suddenly become a place for children, hmm?" I taunted him, almost laughing.

Now, I knew there was nothing he could do to me, not when I had threatened to expose his illegal business.

"How did you know?" He wondered out loud.

From outside, you could see the sign that showed that the shop was closed.

Whoever knew the activities bubbling inside the shop took the exit to go into the shop. It was never guarded as only people who were here for night businesses ever came in anyway.

"Does that even matter?" I rolled my eyes but nothing changed. He really wanted to know.

I couldn't endanger Anastasia by telling Jude the truth so I said, "Maybe you should put some sort of guard or protection around the exit. Anyone could come in next time, even a drunkard."

The suspicious look in his green eyes showed that he didn't believe me but I couldn't care less.

"Let's pretend that was how you got to know." He returned to his position behind the counter and his loyal customers took it as a cue to give us some privacy.

As I returned to the counter, I could feel their intense gaze burning through my hoodie and I tried to ignore it.

"What's going to be your pay?" He asked, not taking his eyes off me.

"Wouldn't you like to see what I need your talent for, first?" I frowned, not at his sudden request for payment but at myself.

I hadn't brought even a coin with me.

"What's going to be your pay, Theia?" He repeated.

"Someone in your family already went missing. I don't think your mother would be able to withstand another Lee going missing. Don't you agree?" Mischievousness glinted in his green eyes, changing their colors from sea green to forest green.

If I wasn't hallucinating, then his eyes turned slits for a millisecond.

"I will keep my mouth shut over your business if you can help me repair my watch." I stated, very much to his disappointment.

"Are you trying to test me?" He asked.

"Get out." He said before I could think of a response.

"What?" I was bewildered. Did he really not care that I could expose him?

"I wouldn't repeat myself Theia, leave!" Once those words rolled off his tongue, his night customers came to my side and bundled me out of his shop.

I tried to struggle against them but I only ended up hurting my shoulder.

Once they were far into the street, they threw me to the concrete ground; "Stay out."

I grunted in frustration at my failure. This wasn't what I expected.

I was definitely not going to be able to make it in there tomorrow, not even if I brought money with me , definitely not after what had happened tonight.

I dipped my hand into my pocket and saw that the watch wasn't there anymore.

"What the hell?!" I mumbled, searching for the watch in darkness. Thankfully, I found it on the ground. It must have fallen off when I was thrown to the ground.

I picked it up and was about to return it into my pocket when I heard strange sounds. It sounded like......

"What is this?" I couldn't deny that I was a little terrified.

I listened attentively, trying to make out what this sound was. When I finally did, I realized it was the sound of something spinning pretty fast, mostly likely the hands of a clock.

I wasn't near the town's tower, where could this possibly be coming from?

My mind drifted back to the strange watch in my pocket. Luckily, one of the streetlights came on. I rushed to it only to see that the hands of the watch were spinning like crazy.

"What is going on?" I asked no one, looking around.

There was no one in the street except me but still, it felt like there someone else here.

The streetlights began acting funny; the few ones that have never worked for many years, came on and went back off.

This happened about four times before the lights started to flicker. The wind became even cooler and I started running home.

I had almost made it into the street where my house was located when I spotted something.... something I had never seen.

I quickly hid behind one of the fruit stands, poking my head out to observe what would happen next.

There was a gust of wind forming in the air. At first, I thought it was a tornado but with time, I realized it wasn't. I don't know exactly what it was, but it wasn't a tornado. If it were, it would have begun moving through the street but this one didn't.

Soon, a whirlpool of colors formed too, colors that mostly consisted of red and black. It was terrifying yet, alluring.

Next, it was looked like the colors and wind was being sucked into a small hole in the air but it wasn't. It was building something.

"Wow....." I gasped when all the colors and wind formed into a person.

The streetlights had gone off so I couldn't get a good view of whoever it was. But I could make out the person's outline in the dark.

He looked around, before walking away.

I stared back at the strange watch and saw that it was still spinning like crazy. I was prompted to follow him and would have if he hadn't disappeared into thin air.