Guardians of The Damned

Chapter 14 - Frailty of Trail

Eve noticed me and asked, "What's up, Sunny?"

"It's about Ginto. Have you heard anything from him?" I asked, worry settling in.

She sighed. "It's Ginto we're talking about—but still, losing someone you love... it's painful. I wish we could be there for him."

"Do you know where he usually goes when he wants to be alone?" I sat beside her.

"Not really. He doesn't talk about himself much. What about you? Any guesses where he might be?"

"I don't. But I know a way to find him. Do you have anything of his? Hair, a personal item?"

She blinked, confused, but eventually dug into her bag and pulled out a green handkerchief. "I borrowed this the other day. Meant to return it."

"Perfect. Come with me." I snatched the handkerchief and bolted out. Eve followed without question.

We exited the building.

"What are you planning?" she asked, trying to keep up.

"You'll see. Just hop on." I took a drag and exhaled, forming a hoverboard from smoke. Eve jumped on, and we soared into the sky.

It wasn't long before we arrived—hovering just outside a hotel window. I knocked gently. Moments later, Yin Hee opened it.

"You're back," she said, surprised.

"I won't stay long. Can you locate the owner of this handkerchief?" I handed it to her. Eve glanced at Yin Hee, curious. How was she supposed to find Ginto with just that?

"No problem." Yin Hee took the handkerchief and stepped back inside. She sat cross-legged on the bed, snapped her fingers, and summoned flames around her.

I waited outside, eyes scanning the street. Down below, Calvin was asleep on the carpet, books about animals scattered around him.

I glanced back toward Yin Hee. The air shifted—dense and heavy. It felt like invisible eyes were staring straight through me, pulling at secrets I didn't even know I had. Unsettling.

"What's she doing?" Eve asked.

"Tracking Ginto," I replied, keeping it short.

Just as I said that, the flames vanished. Yin Hee stood up and returned to the window.

"He's in Avalon," she said, handing the handkerchief back.

"Thanks." I gave her a nod—but just as I turned to leave, she grabbed my wrist. I frowned.

"What are you—"

A vision hit me.

A factory by a river. A man sat on the grassy bank, staring into the distance. His expression was hollow—lost. The scene vanished as suddenly as it came.

I blinked. Yin Hee let go.

"Why didn't you do that when we first met?" I asked, still dazed.

"I was nervous," she admitted. "I forgot I could do it. Sorry."

Before I could respond, Eve cut in. "So? Where is he exactly?"

"Somewhere in Avalon," I said slowly. "By a river, across from a factory. But the river was long—no curves. Just... straight."

"That describes most of Avalon," Eve groaned. "Anything more specific? A name? A sign?"

Yin Hee stepped in. "Try the west side. The factory looked like one owned by a bread company."

"Thanks, Yin Hee," I said with a smile, stepping onto the hoverboard again.

"Wait—Sunny," Yin Her leaned in, whispering as she eyed Eve. "She's beautiful. She's not your girlfriend, right?"

"I'm not," Eve said flatly, answering for me. That stung a little more than I'd like to admit.

The board launched into the sky.

---

Avalon. A district full of factories, supplying most of the city's food. Farmland stretched beyond the buildings. Cows and pigs wandered near the outskirts. Smoke belched from every rooftop vent, filtered only partially before being released.

We flew just above the factories. The air was thick and foul. My enhanced senses didn't help—I coughed, and so did Eve.

Factory after factory. The land below was barren. Trucks came and went, hauling crates. The river—tainted with waste—snaked through Avalon endlessly.

We stayed silent, focused. Eyes scanning. Matching what we saw to the vision.

"They all look the same," Eve muttered, frustrated. "This is like searching for a needle in a haystack. And we still need to be back soon."

She had a point. The factories were nearly identical, with the river running alongside or behind each one.

I closed my eyes, replaying the vision. Ginto had been facing the river. Across from him—just a factory. Nothing special. No signs, no logos. Grass... a tree.

Wait.

I inhaled and exhaled a massive cloud of smoke. It billowed across Avalon, spreading far and wide. This smoke wasn't just mist—it was me. I could *see* through it. Not with sight, but with sense—like a blind man reading with his fingertips.

Then I felt it.

A red flicker. Small, trembling—like a candle in a storm.

---

A man sat alone on a patch of grass. The river flowed gently, a soothing sound in the otherwise lifeless district. If birds had been singing, the scene might've been perfect.

He was lost in thought. Then, a strong gust swept through.

His hair whipped wildly. His clothes rippled. The grass bowed low. The branches of the lone tree swayed, as if reaching for something.

He looked up—toward the source.

Two figures floated high above, standing on a board made of smoke.

To him, they looked like something out of a dream.