⊱—⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅—⋅༻✧༺⋅—⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅—⊰
The girl began walking towards them without a skipping a beat, as if she’d sensed Atlas would wave to ask for help. That gesture, though it brought temporary reassurance, still left so much uncertainty concerning what would come next. Could she really help, or had she joined them out of curiosity? Atlas felt the tension in the air rising with each of her steps, watching as she navigated through the crowd. Tugging on the collar of his shirt again, his eyes darted between the stranger and Esther lying unconscious on the bench.
It wasn’t long until the girl arrived, and Atlas gave her a weak smile and a nod to confirm. He took a step back as she made her way to the sofa, but still close enough to look over her shoulder. As she caressed Esther’s face, Atlas held his breath in anticipation. Her hand began to glow gold, followed by a faint sound that resembled a song. The noise of the crowd and the music in the background muffled her voice, and Atlas found himself leaning closer, as if entranced by her ability. His eyes remained locked on the girl as she continued to sing, her angelic voice causing a calming wave to wash over him. Whatever she was doing it seemed to work, with the energy and glow emanating from Esther’s body.
As the girl’s spell faded and she returned to normal, Atlas blinked a few times to bring back his focus to reality. “Oh, uh, hi,” he returned her greeting, his mouth still slightly agape. He still felt like he wasn’t fully present, his thoughts occupied by Esther and this mysterious girl’s magic. “Thank you so much, I—” his speech was cut off as he saw a movement in the corner of his vision. His head snapped towards it. It was Esther, slowly getting up from the sofa.
“You’re okay!” Atlas shouted immediately after, stepping closer to kneel down beside her. “I don’t think it’s the best idea to get up so soon, maybe you should lay down,” he advised, his tone mostly calm though a hint of panic lied underneath. Their eyes met and he could see the unease hidden behind her mask. Atlas held back his next words, standing back on his feet and taking a step back. Esther jumped to her feet, and he put his hands forward as if to stop her, but froze in the process. His mouth hung open but he couldn’t speak, watching as she thanked the girl and turned on her heel right after. She ran before he could even react, and he was left standing in silence, unsure of what to do.
“Wait…!” he shouted weakly, his voice trailing off and blending in with the background. She didn’t turn back, didn’t even pause, only became a silhouette in the crowd the further she walked. Defeated, Atlas let out a sigh and lowered his arms. He thought, would it be wise to run after her when she’s in such a vulnerable state?
He turned towards the girl, looking into her eyes with an uncertain expression. “Is she going to be okay?” he asked, followed by a hollow laugh. “Your magic must’ve done wonders for her, if she could get up like nothing even happened.”
He shot a short glance into the crowd once more, letting out a sigh. “I want to go look for her, but…” He looked into the girl’s eyes, his brows clearly furrowed this time. Though he didn’t speak, he hoped the silence would betray his hesitation to ask for help.