The Red Nights

Matteo glanced at Andre quietly sleeping on the couch before moving his to his small audience of only two people, Jamal and Lina, who were staring at him with great attention as if a problem may happen if they miss one gesture of him.

" The truth is that what I saw is not related to what is about to happen... in fact, not directly " the boy firstly said as he didn't want to give them false expectations.

" What do you mean? " Jamal looked at him confused after a quick glance at his lover beside him.

" It's quite difficult to explain... the dream itself is not clear but I... I just have this feeling " as he was talking, Matteo stared down the floor seeming a bit frustrated while clenching his fists.

A gentle hand landed on his knee and when he suddenly lifted his sight he saw Lina's face with her so confident smile looking at him.

" It's alright, we don't expect for you to reveal to us what exactly should we do get ourselves out of this problematic situation, you know? So, there is no point of putting so much pressure on yourself " Lina said while rubbing delicately his knee like a mother would do to convince her son to open his heart to her. It seemed like it's worked since Matteo started to feel more at ease. " The thing is that this dream is very different from the one I saw that day, the only similarity is that it difficult to find a sense in it " the boy explained.

" That's not an issue " Lina exclaimed, " dreams rarely make sense, that's how things are so don't bother yourself with that. You can even tell us that you saw an eagle with purple feathers peeling a banana we will be anyway satisfied ".

" She's right you can tell us ev- " Jamal tried her point but stopped when realized what she said in last, he looked at her with an expression which says " really? "

Lina gazed back at him and raised her both hands with her palms facing forward when she said " what? Be thankful, I could have talked about the dream I saw of a female hyena jerking off on the very place you're sitting right now ".

Jamal suddenly jumped out of the couch and tried to seem natural when he started to slowly towards Matteo while telling him " the thing is that you don't have to get the sense of what you have seen, like the last time you just have to tell us and we will figure out together ".

Thanks to them the atmosphere was not so serious anymore, Matteo finally could completely relax and tell what he saw. He tried to be as clear as possible when it came to describing the feature or the ominous feeling he got from that mysterious person.

After that, as their usual, both Lina and Jamal stayed quiet each of them trying to silently think about the meaning of that odd vision.

" So what do you think? " Matteo asked after a moment.

" Well, seems like someone is trying to intimidate you," Jamal said after he sighed.

" Me? " he pointed to himself with his forefinger trying to not look afraid.

" Yes, that's quite logical," Lina nodded still looking thoughtful, " you said you couldn't recognize the place you were moreover you said that at the beginning of your dream that mysterious person was already there... surely waiting for you which may mean that she is the one who summoned you ".

" Why? How? " said Matteo who almost screamed it as he, again, started to feel anxious.

" It's obvious " Lina paused and gazed at him, " it is because you're dangerous ".

" I'm not. I don't even know how to fight " Matteo tried to defend h himself add if that mysterious person could hear him right there.

She clammed her tongue while shaking her head right to left, " think about it, on war what is the most important thing we must have, mighty soldiers? Powerful weapons? No, they are indeed indispensable but the very most necessary thing to have is information ", Lina lifted one finger to stop Matteo who was about to comment and she continued " what could surely ensure an army to win is having reliable information whatever it is of the battlefield they are fighting on or information about the enemy they are fighting against ".

Matteo's eyes widened as he started to get what she meant, he didn't interrupt though and let her finished explaining her point.

" So what I want to say is that you are our exclusive source of information which is capable of guaranteeing us the victory against our enemies and they may know that ".

" What explains this sort of menace " the boy concluded with a weak voice, " by taking me out of the equation we would lose our advantage of being aware of what they plotting against us " he blinked as another interrogation popped up, " so why don't they just come and kill and how the hell would they know about me and my ability? "

" Concerning the second part of the question which is how they know... " Jamal paused and took a look at Lina and the young Matteo immediately understood that they have discussed that already, at that moment he couldn't take out in his head the possibility of a someone spying them under the orders of the enemy, even though he knew deep in his heart that it couldn't be possible, that's why he was so curious about his reply. " We already have our doubts " he finally spoke up, " but after you revealed to us what you said we have reasons to think that you may not be the only one having that capacity of yours ".

Matteo was speechless, he could have never imagined such a possibility.

" The event what made us think about this possibility was the timing of their attack and the ambushed they set for us when we were about to come back ", Jamal started to expose his explanation, " firstly, they got to know about my journey in the neighbour cities and even about the day I was supposed to come back knowing, until there we may think that they just got the information from somewhere or someone but the road we took to come should not have been known since it was decided on the spot. So, knowing that the undead can't be killed by normal means they sent a group on our direction to eliminate the army brought to strengthen Stainfall defences and send the army of undead to come to destroy the city as they were just one person to defend it " he paused, " only by relying on visions like the kind of yours could they have known.

" But if they could do that why did they not send their army during those few days you were absent? " Matteo find weird.

" Because they didn't know " Lina simply responded, " the most plausible explanations is whether they don't exactly have the same power as you and the second is that maybe the replica of the power is not as strong as yours what is justifiable since they didn't know about Carla and also they didn't know the total power, Natasha. "

" That would mean that they just have an ability allowing them to keep an eye on us times to times but not capable of predicting our actions " Matteo quickly conclude.

As Matteo spoke those words with a sound of relief Jamal didn't wait to warn him " though they probably have a weaker ability to yours that doesn't make it less troublesome, they are still able to overhear us discussing some of our plans to fight them ".

He didn't have to repeat himself twice for the young boy to immediately realize the gravity of the situation, he gazed at him with worried eyes when he muttered " do you mean that they know what-? "

" No, there are very few chances that they are aware that " Lina interrupted him after she got what he meant.

" How can you be so sure of it? " Matteo asked not totally convinced.

" Because if they knew they wouldn't come to menace you " she shrugged, " think about it, why would they do such a thing and take the risk to reveal to us their trump card which is their ability to spy us? "

" Maybe because they have another trump card so they don't mind " he replied.

" Or they are worried and are thinking that they don't have other choices but to do that " before Matteo could express his doubt she quickly justified herself, " I never played poker but I know that the more you don't show the adversary the number of good cards you have the more you have chance to win and whether it's a bluff or not, in fact, it doesn't really matter what we have to keep in mind is that they are now expecting something from us so we just have to be two times more careful ".

Matteo didn't reply, Lina and Jamal could guess that he was just stressed that was why he was reacting in such a manner, that even he could sometimes behave like an a.d.u.l.t he was still a teenager and he may not be able to react so calmly the both of them when his life is clearly in danger. The three of them remained quiet until he asked with a soft voice " when you say that we have to be two times more careful what do you have in mind? Because though we know that they can spy our conversations we have no way to counter that ".

Lina didn't respond which was the sign that she had no idea, [ oh wow, that rarely happens ], Matteo noticed without making the remark.

" I see only one solution " Jamal responded when all eyes were on him he gazed at the boy and told him " you have to stop them ".

" What? "

" You heard me well, you will use your power to make sure that they don't hear us talking " he repeated himself more clearly.

" But I don't know how to do that? " he argued.

" You will learn " Jamal replied with a smile, " that mysterious forced you to her way I don't see why you couldn't do the same. You just have to practice your ability so that you will be able to force her to stay in your world dream whenever we try to discuss strategy and who knows maybe you will be able to get something from her ".

" Or she will be the one to get something from me " it seemed like Matteo started to take the habit of not keeping his thoughts for himself when he is with those two, " even if we supposed that I manage to control my power to be able to trap her what guarantee me that I would still be able to keep the control? I'm sure you understand that will be a battle opposing our minds so how can you be sure that mine is stronger? "

" That's because I believe in you " Jamal simply replied, still wearing his confident smile which would always make Matteo feel like everything would be alright as long as he is with him, [ how can he have so much trust in me? I didn't do anything special to deserve this trust though ] he told interrogated himself, and as if he read into his mind Jamal said " dangerous is the man who doesn't know how strong he is. Just like we said the enemy decided to pass on the offensive with you because they realize how dangerous you are because they fear the potential you have so they will try to get rid of you before you realize it yourself. So if you ask why I have so great expectations for you that's because I have the hope that you will rather choose to fight your fears and go beyond your limits than letting us down ".

Lina moved to go to Jamal's arms and she surrounded hers around him she rested her head on his c.h.e.s.t she said " you have to know that this city stayed well and steady all this time because we learn to place our trust on each individual of the city. Just like we had faith that Natasha would rather go beyond her limits than letting the undead menacing our Stainfall we have faith that you would rather choose to go beyond your limits than letting that scary hooded woman threatening our peaceful life ".

Until there Matteo had never really realized the meaning of trust since he had always relied on only himself to survive without depending on any person but since that tragedy of 2 years ago and with all the events that followed he had lost hope of a peaceful life. The day he arrived in Stainfall and met with Jamal and Lina before he could realize it he had unconsciously grabbed tightly that hand they extended for him and little by little he started to count on them to save him, [ they saved me since all that time though I have never sought for their help, now it's time to repay for all this kindness even though they have never asked me anything in return. That's how trust works after all ], he then made up his mind.

He raised his sight to stare at them when he told them " I won't let you down, I will do my best and fight to protect you and this city ", the two people before him smiled satisfied, Lina even used this chance to put a sweet kiss on Jamal's lips.

" And so will I " they suddenly heard the voice of a man coming from the other side of the living room, they turned their heads and saw Andre completely awakened sitting on the couch while staring at them.