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From what I could peruse from second glances, it seemed Harry liked to drive lavish, spacious, the interior the typical classic four-seater design except there was enough room still to accommodate like two extra people on top.

Enough for a whole entire family, really.

But it was just him.

I clambered up the porch, shook off all the winter dandruff from my head and shoulders, and swung open the door. I made it roughly about two steps into the house before literally bumping into Ash, who had hastened to open the door for me, and welcome me, only to wind up being two steps too late, and planting her face squarely into my chest.

Well, it’s no ‘Welcome home, Master’, but this was just fine as well. In fact, it’s even better. Won’t say no way for any chance to hold Ash close.

“Good try,” I said, smirking, gently nudging a mortified Ash a few steps back. “But maybe next time you could try opening the door first before I do.”

.....

“I was... preoccupied, Master,” She said, flushing the faintest pink before my amusement. “I only sensed your arrival at the very last instance, and as you might have already discerned, you have a guest currently in your attendance.”

Silky locks of soothing white, the soft glint of emerald green. I could be safe and snug in the warmth of my bed but at the end of the day, until I have Ash somewhere in my sight, a house is not a home.

Would have loved nothing but to idle away and catch up on a night spent separated, but as things stand now...

“A guest, huh?”

“Indeed,” Ash said, shifting her glance sideways into the house. “He seemed quite anxious to meet with you.”

I followed her gaze, spotting the unmistakable outline of a troubled man, sitting hunched in the living room with a tray of refreshments left untouched. The pulsing glimmer of Christmas lights highlighting the somberness of his silhouette.

Harry met my gaze with a baggy pair of eyes, raising his head a little higher at the sight of me, and even managing a smile if only feebly. It’s the effort that counts.

“Ah, there he is,” He stood up, extending his arm forward. “First off, my apologies for dropping in unannounced on you like this.”

The man across from me projected only strength and confidence worn in his winter attire, but when I reached over to shake his hand, I could feel the limpness in his grip.

“No problem, actually,” I responded, letting go of his hand, and still soaking in the sight of this man under my roof. “Though, forgive me, but I don’t remember ever actually telling you where I live.”

“That’s because you didn’t,” He said. “But your mother apparently thought it’d be better if I knew where I could find you if I needed you. I’m sorry to say, but it seems that she was right.”

There goes Mom again with her almost omniscient sense of foresight.

“I see,” I said, feeling a slight sense of dread on what I was about to hear. “Well, guess I’m gonna need to sit down for this one, don’t I?”

Over a cup of warm coffee, he began to share his grievances with me. And while I didn’t share in his confidence on how effective my help was going to be in his plight... not like I was gonna show him that, was I?

So I just sat there across from him, clinging on to his every word with only the slightest semblance of comprehension, while Ash hovered closely right beside me, listening in on his troubles just as attentively.

“I suppose it was around three days ago when I first started feeling it. At first, I thought it was just my age showing. Stiff joints, aching back, old man like me-what isn’t wearing thin, right? But overtime, as it got progressively worse... I started to get the sense that maybe this might be different.”

“Different?” I said. “What’s different?”

“This pain,” He said, while simultaneously caressing his left arm. “Throbbing, sometimes prickling pain. I don’t know what causes it, but ever so often it just comes and goes. When I’m at work, when I’m driving, it woke me up a few times too in the night. I never mentioned it before because I just thought it was simply nothing, you know? It really did seem like nothing until... well...”

“Until?” I urged him on again.

Harry’s face tensed, and the wrinkles on his forehead took on a more prominent outline. For the first time in a long time, I saw that look in his eyes again-those gaunt eyes quivering with the fear of impending doom.

“Until I felt it again,” He stammered out, forcing down a lump in his throat with a sip of his drink. “That feeling from before, from back then. Like I was... losing myself again. Not as strong, went away pretty fast, but... I felt it again.”

His expression had darkened, his gaze almost obscured in shadows when he turned forward to look at me. I saw him swallow again, saw the swell in his chest attempting to heave in a calming breath, and heard the waver in his voice still clinging onto a pallid semblance of hope.

“So what... what do you think of it? Do you think I’m just being paranoid, or... or should I be concerned?”

Once again, the faith and trust he placed on me was a heavy load to hold. But I couldn’t let him down, I couldn’t just leave him like this, but at the same time, all I have are guesses to give, and none that held any significant weight.

“You are a unique case,” Ash suddenly chimed in, speaking slowly. “Typically, a plight such as the one you’ve undergone leads only to one outcome-the inevitable eradication of the host. But you did not die. Due to my Master’s efforts, you live to find yourself once more in possession of your body again. An unexpected development that, for lack of a better term, is beyond the scope of anyone’s knowledge. The repercussions of your survival... there simply exist no precedent for it.”

Harry took a moment to process Ash’s words. The small vein on the side of his head bulging bigger and bigger.

“So what you mean to say,” He finally spoke, staring blankly at her. “Is that there might be side-effects for saving my life? That this pain, this feeling... it might be one of them?”

“It is entirely possible perhaps that there might still exist lingering remnants of the parasite within you still,” Ash speculated. “Dormant, harmless, but otherwise, present. And if so, perhaps this discomfort you’re feeling is a result of this benign fragment in you acting heedlessly at the behest of another.”

At this, Harry gave a clueless frown. On the other hand, I understood completely, nearly jumping out of my seat in alarm after realizing what she was actually saying.

“Acting at the behest of another?” I repeated in a whisper, turning to Ash and hoping I might just be misconstruing. “You’re saying Harry might be sensing Jay wherever the hell he is, whenever he does magic?”

“Powerful magic, Master,” Ash clarified with a nod. “At least potent enough to stir the remnants within him. Yes, that might possibly be the case. But let me firmly reassert that I speak only in hypotheticals. As I’ve stated, this is a unique case. For a being to survive the process of soul consumption-let alone a human. I fear I lack the knowledge of affirming any truth to my claims.”

“Just... just give it to me straight, will you?” Harry said, placing his cup down on the saucer with a clatter. “Is it going to happen again? Will I... not be me again? From what I can gather, it’s sounding more and more like that’s the case.”

Ash and I both turned to look at Harry, his face as white as a sheet of paper, but ultimately it was Ash again who beat me to the punch of answering his question.

“No,” She firmly, clearly declared. “You will not have to worry about losing your sense of self again.”

“But you just said that... that whatever had me before... that it’s still in me, isn’t it?”

“Existing isolated, separated, and without the means of causing any further harm,” Ash said. “It is no more a threat to you than the frigid winds of winter, I assure you.”

Alas, Harry remained slightly unconvinced and flicked his gaze to the only other person in the room for a second much-needed opinion.

“Is she... is she right?” He asked, once again, his voice, clinging to hope. “You really think I’ll be okay?”

“I trust her judgment more than mine,” I said at once. “If she thinks you’ll be fine, then you’ll be fine.”

And it was as Harry had just unloaded an entire bag of bricks, slumping forward with the loudest quiver of a sight, the blood instantly rushing back to his face, sweating too, despite the cold of the weather.

“But better to be safe than sorry still, right?” I added on. “Tell you what, I’ll discuss this with some folks I think might know more about your condition. If I learn anything new, I’ll let you know.”

“Great, great. Splendid. Okay,” Harry sprung up to his feet, dazed, but possessing a newfound spring to his step. “In the meantime, I uh... I’m actually late for work. I just dropped by here first to sort this issue, and now that it’s apparently sorted for the time being, well...” He shrugged, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow, and turned away. “I should really be going now.”

“Sure,” I stood up after him, following his ditzy shamble towards the front door. “If it starts hurting worse, let me know immediately.”

“Yes, yes... of course.”

Totally out of the blue, but I’m starting to feel like a therapist here seeing his client off after an emotionally-charged session of inner demons. I sincerely hope this doesn’t become a regular thing. I’m already juggling with enough demons as it is.

“Oh right!” One step onto my porch, Harry whirled around back at me, delivering a hand into his coat. “Just one more thing, sorry.”

“Another worry?” I raised a brow.

“A favor,” He reached for my hand, plopping onto my palm a small gift-wrapped box. “Pass that to Hayley for me, will you?”

“Me?” I gave the tiny object in my hand a second glance. Whatever it was, there weren’t a lot of options as to what it could be. “Wouldn’t Nick be a better-?”

“My son...” Harry interjected, his voice suddenly turning rather stiff. “...thinks I shouldn’t bother with it. I got this for her out of a whim late last night after work. I’ve been thinking about what you said, about making more of an effort with her first. So there, my effort.”

I turned the small box slowly around my fingers. “What’s in it anyway?”

“That’s for her to find out,” He said, staring back at it with a wistful look to his gaze. “I would have given it to her myself but... she kind of made it explicitly clear yesterday that she doesn’t want to see me, and I don’t really want to go against her wishes, so-”

“I understand,” I quickly said, seeing no reason to pain this poor man more with elaboration. “When I see her again-straight into her hands. I promise.”

Harry’s face broke into another faint smile, and for a moment, for a second, I caught a glimpse of pure joy etched across his weary, gaunt expression.

“Thank you, and thank you for everything else too.” He said, that momentary spark fading as he turned away in departure, a cloud of wispy white leaving with his farewell. “Merry Christmas.”

And with that, Harry marched onward through the unbridled cold, clambering into the driver seat of his car, and just as I’ve suspected, as he sped off into the white wintry horizon... he looked so alone sitting in such an empty space.