Chapter 10: The Callum Residence

  A few hours later, Erik had been wandering around the town centre for a little while. He felt awkward wearing the deep-green casuals of the SEMP, but it was the only clothes they had available at Bridgefort after he showered there that morning.

  He looked like a background character in a low budget war film and he felt constant gazes focusing on him as he wandered around. Fortunately, Mathisen had given him some cash, so he could buy what he needed when he arrived, and he didn’t waste a second when he spotted a clothing store.

  He had a bit of flab, or at least he used to. Erik just noticed when trying on some clothes, but they seemed larger on him than he expected based on the size. When he looked at himself in the mirror, a slimmer, and fitter man looked back at him.

  He wasn’t body-builder material, nor was his body that of a gym monkey, but he looked like he was working out and eating healthy. His flab was just… gone. It made it easier to buy clothes as well, he found.

  Decked out in new clothes, courtesy of the Scandinavian Empire Military Power, he headed back out, much more comfortable as he walked the unknown streets. Reaching the apartment building he had been looking for, Erik long pressed the button next to a sign marked ‘Callum’.

  After half a minute, he tried again but still didn’t get any response. He had no idea where Jessie might be. Erik had no choice but to wait around, hoping she’d return soon.

  He watched the passing cars to make time pass faster. It was a trick he’d been able to do since he was a kid. He could almost completely zone out, making minutes pass by like seconds, so long as nothing made him lose focus. Something did a while later.

  He didn’t know what distracted him. That could happen sometimes. His eyes scouted the area just to be sure, but he didn’t spot anything interesting. He sighed, though didn’t bother zoning out again. The next few minutes were spent ambling around restlessly until a young woman caught his attention.

  She was walking towards him on the sidewalk, with long blonde hair and a pink hairband on her head. Her long, skinny legs were showcased by the clothes she wore. The woman noticed Erik and watched him watch her walking closer. She walked past him with a smile, only to press a key into the keyhole on the door Erik was waiting by. Her hands pulled the door open, straining as she did, though she had no problem holding it open after. She turned to Erik instead of walking inside.

  “Would you rather wait inside?” she asked, unprompted.

  “Uh… Do I know you?” he asked, hoping he didn’t look too confused.

  “Not yet,” she said in an obvious attempt at flustering Erik a bit more.

  “I’m waiting for someone,” he said, just realising she was likely already aware thanks to her previous question right after he said it. What is happening right now? Luckily, the girl didn’t seem to mind his answer.

  “And wouldn’t you rather wait inside?” she repeated as if he was slow.

  Her smile was magnificent. Warming.

  “Uh, no, it’s alright. She probably won’t be long,” he responded.

  “Oh, it’s a she, is it? Girlfriend, perhaps?” the girl asked with a wink.

  “Oh, gods no. I mean, we’re good friends. She’s with another friend of mine, actually-”

  “I knew it!” the young woman exclaimed. Her angelic face contorted into something much more normal. “I knew she met someone, but when she talked about you, she didn’t have that… spark. Also, she isn’t usually interested in guys.”

  “What’s happening?” Erik asked, even more confused now.

  The girl, still holding the door open, stepped in front of the door with one foot and stepped forward with the other, stopping the door from closing and getting closer to Erik. She got real close to his face, as if analysing him.

  “I’m Sophie,” she said with a smile, her face once more that of a divine being.

  How was she doing that?

  Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

  “I’m Jessie’s sister.”

  Erik wasn’t sure why he didn’t even consider this girl to be Jessie’s sister. He knew she had one, after all. Now that he knew, he even saw some resemblance. The way the girl had flustered him might be the reason he was a little off his game.

  “Oh! Hey. I’m Erik. I’m sorry, I should have realised…”

  “Oh please, you had no reason to know that! Besides, I’m the pretty one, so I would’ve been hurt if you recognised me by memory of her,” Sophie interrupted and winked. “Anyway, coming in? I’ve been living with her since she got back, so I’ve got keys to her flat.”

  “R-right…” was all Erik said as Sophie waved him inside.

  He followed behind her, weirded out. It was very unlike him. He felt like he could handle most situations just fine, with only minor deflections by joking and so on. He hadn’t been ready for whatever this girl was doing, but that was exciting in and of itself, he thought.

  “Ta-da!” she said, gesturing to the entire flat as Erik walked inside behind her.

  It wasn’t much. Besides the entrance, there were three doors, one of which led to a tiny balcony above the street where Erik had waited.

  The other two doors were right across the room from the balcony, one of which led to the one and only bedroom, the other to a small bathroom. Everything between those doors were a small kitchen and a tiny living room area with an old sofa and a tiny square table.

  While it was a lot better than the ashen remains of Erik’s house, it was nothing short of a travesty compared to the luxury apartments in Afterlife. If Erik hadn’t lived on the road for the past week, he couldn’t understand how Jessie could even live in a place like this.

  Even so, her sister had moved in with her? Into this small space? There had to be some serious amount of love involved from both of them if they both thought that was okay.

  “This looks great,” Erik lied without any attempt at hiding it.

  “I know, right? I love to walk around naked in here,” Sophie said, entering the kitchen with one tiny step.

  “What?” Erik said while clearing his throat.

  “Relax! You’re such an easy target. Sis will be back in a little while, I think. She’s visiting dad.”

  “No worries, I guess. How, uh… When she..-” Erik tried, but had no idea how to even ask the question. While Sophie looked at him questioningly, he thought for a moment in silence, rather than seeming more like a monkey than he did already. “Was everything alright when she was gone?” he attempted after a moment.

  “Oh… No, not really,” she said, looking down. “But she’s back now,” she continued in an attempt at making herself feel better. It didn’t look like it worked as her bewitching features still looked a bit ragged and her eyes were glistening in the weak light from the lamp on the roof.

  “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have-”

  “No! Don’t be. Jessie told me about your circumstances and at least she came back to someone. I’m sorry for your loss, by the way.”

  “Thanks. How are things now that she’s back, though? That must be… different?”

  “Yeah,” Sophie said while laughing slightly. “Magic actually exists, huh? I suppose I started hoping those family tales were real when the invasion started. They didn’t mention having to die first, otherwise I’d have started hoping she’d return to us someday. But then, what if she didn’t? How long should I have held onto that hope? I’m sure that would’ve broken me completely, eventually.”

  “I suppose,” Erik mused, thinking back at Jessie’s story about her grandmother possibly being a Remnant like them. “How’s your father doing?”

  “He’s better now. He didn’t handle Jessie’s death well. I mean, he worked and drank. Barely slept. Repeat. He withdrew from me. I understand that he didn’t want me to see him lose it. But I needed him, you know?” Sophie was tearing up at the thought, and she struggled to keep her voice from cracking by the end.

  “Hey… I’m sure he tried his best for you. Is he alright now, though?” Erik said, stepping closer to Sophie, though didn’t do more than that. He just met this girl, and he’d never had such an emotional conversation with a stranger before. What was he supposed to do in a situation like this?

  “I think so. When Jessie got back here two days ago, she found me. Later, we went together to dad. There was a lot of crying involved, a bit of anger. Not specifically targeting anyone, of course. I think he’s still having a hard time believing she’s back, so she wants to spend some time with him. He’s taken a few vacation days and I don’t think he’s even touched the bottle since then. It’s getting better, I hope,” she said.

  Two days ago meant that Jessie too left Afterlife a few days earlier than she had too, if Erik did his maths right. He returned seven days ago, the same day his portal appeared. Maybe she missed her family. Seven days. He hadn’t considered that until now.

  “That’s great,” Erik said with a genuine smile. He felt his body starting to relax a bit more next to Sophie.

  “Now, don’t take this the wrong way, but… Jessie’s not a talented storyteller. Tell me everything about Afterlife! Don’t do like her and just mention some tidbits here and there when it suits your mood. Tell it! Please? And tell me who she is with! She’s never mentioned anyone.”

  Erik grinned. “She’s terrible, isn’t she? I thought she did that on purpose for the first week or something.”

  “Erik! Now, before she comes back. Sit!”

  Sophie seemed to fire on all cylinders, showing Erik a seat while shoving him onto it.

  “Alright, geez! Just promise me you won’t interrupt me at any point, okay?”

  “I won’t, so go!”