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Barok could never tell what was going through that masked man’s mind.
During his temporary stay in Barok’s residence, he barely acted like a human. He rarely spoke, and the few times he did, it was in that terribly familiar accent that still filled Barok's chest with a dull rage. If the order to mentor him hadn't come from the Lord Chief Justice himself, he would never have agreed to it.
Yet, he couldn't deny how capable his apprentice was… Barok's pride would never allow him to admit it out loud, though. He kept his thoughts to himself, both the good and the bad, and simply did what had been asked of him. The man never complained, so Barok liked to think that they had reached a silent agreement to tolerate each other for as long as they needed to.
They lived their first weeks together like that, and thankfully the man’s quiet presence, while slightly unsettling, didn't get in Barok's way. Silent, almost invisible, like a ghost… How much of it was that man's personality, and how much was caused by his supposed amnesia? It was difficult to tell.
Not that it made any difference, all things considered.
When Barok woke up that day, he could barely find the energy to leave the bed… His entire body hurt as if he had been beaten up the previous night, and his head throbbed enough to make him feel dizzy.
What an inconvenient time to get sick. Not only did he have work to do at his office, but also… Maybe that was the result of being a target for so many years, but letting others see him in such a weakened state was disquieting.
So, as usual, he would simply have to endure it. Barok sluggishly changed his clothes, then walked outside the bedroom. Before he reached the stairs, however, his vision became blurred, and his legs lost their strength. He reached forward, trying to find something to hold onto to break the fall, but before he could, someone caught him. Barok looked to the side, seeing the vague shape of a cloaked man before his vision went back into focus. His apprentice was by his side, with an arm around his waist and a hand on his chest, keeping him up. He stared at Barok, who looked away, making an effort to stand on his feet once again.
“Forgive me…” muttered Barok. “I lost my balance.”
As usual, that man didn’t answer, and his silent stare soon started to leave Barok uncomfortable. Before he could say anything, however, the apprentice started to move without letting go of his waist, bringing him along.
“What are you doing?” asked Barok. “We should be leaving soon.”
The apprentice didn’t answer, guiding Barok back to his bedroom, making him sit on his bed. Then, without asking for permission, he started to undress Barok—who, taken aback, placed his hands on the apprentice’s shoulders, gently pushing him away.
“Apprentice…” he said. “I appreciate your concern, but I must—”
“Rest.”
It was rare to hear his voice, and for a moment Barok could do nothing but stare at him. “There’s no reason for concern.”
The Apprentice ignored his words, helping him change his clothes. Then, he gently pushed Barok down on the bed, placing a pillow under his head, covering him with the blanket.
“Rest,” he repeated.
In any other situation, Barok would have been more assertive, not allowing someone to order him around like that, much less his own apprentice. Yet, he couldn’t find the willpower to argue with him—maybe the relief in his entire body as he finally relaxed played a part in it.
Without another word, the apprentice left the bedroom. It would be a lie for Barok to say he wasn’t relieved… He wasn’t looking forward to another day of keeping a strong facade while wanting nothing but to lie down and rest. Still, to allow that man to see him in such a pathetic state…
That thought bothered him for a minute or so, but soon his mind became too tired to care. He thought he wouldn’t be able to fall asleep again, but no more than a few minutes later he was already drowsy; he closed his eyes, allowing the sleepiness to wash over him.
Barok couldn’t tell for how long he slept, but, at some point, he awoke to the sound of low footsteps approaching him. The border of the mattress sank as someone—certainly his apprentice—sat by his side. He wanted to open his eyes, but was too tired for it, so he simply stayed in place, as if he was still asleep.
Then, to his surprise, the apprentice’s hand touched his forehead, checking his temperature. The warm feeling was pleasant, and Barok let out an involuntary groan when he moved his hand away. There were a few seconds of silence, followed by a comforting touch on his head.
“You’ll feel better soon.”
The Apprentice stood up, and part of Barok wished he would have stayed for longer. His whispered words, his touch, the subtle concern in his actions…
Why were those small gestures of kindness enough to make him want to cry?
The rest of that day wasn’t much more eventful. At some point, his apprentice brought him some food and fresh water; after that, Barok fell asleep once again, not waking up again until the next morning. It was a shock: he couldn’t even remember the last time he had slept for so long.
Barok sat up, moving his neck and arms, noticing that the pain on his body was gone. His head wasn’t hurting either… Apparently, some hours of rest were precisely what he needed.
He stood up, straightening his back, then checked the pocket watch left on the bedside table: it was still early… On a normal day, he would still sleep for another two hours. He left the bedroom, then walked to the one across from it—which was once the guest room, and now served as his apprentice’s temporary home. Usually, he kept his door closed, but that day it was left slightly open. Barok still knocked before going inside.
“Apprentice?” he called, receiving no response. “Excuse me.”
Barok walked inside and soon found his apprentice leaning over the desk, asleep. Well, this shouldn’t be surprising… The man had to deal with double the daily work thanks to Barok’s sudden indisposition. Barok lowered his gaze, ashamed of himself: he was supposed to be a mentor, not someone his apprentice should be taking care of.
Without thinking, he approached that man, careful not to wake him. It was only when he was close enough to see his face that he realized something: he wasn’t wearing his mask. Barok’s first instinct was to look away, but it didn’t take long for his curiosity to overcome his obedience to the Lord Chief Justice’s orders. A single glance was enough to confirm his suspicions that the man was, in fact, Nipponese. Strangely, the realization didn’t bother him as much as he thought it would.
What really bothered him was how familiar his face looked. No, it can’t be… It would be too much of a coincidence.
But… why else would the Lord Chief Justice order him to wear that mask? He thought those orders were strange from the moment he heard them, but he never thought the reason could be something like that. He gritted his teeth. Why? After all these years…
No. There was no reason for Lord Stronghart to hide something like that, especially from him, who had been so deeply involved with that cursed case. There should be another explanation… One not created by the mind of someone who had just recovered from a fever.
Besides, it didn’t matter: he doubted that man was a killer, regardless of his identity.
Barok moved closer, placing a hand on his apprentice’s shoulder, lightly shaking it. “Apprentice… You shouldn’t sleep like this.”
The man opened his eyes, seeming lost for a moment. He looked at Barok, and then his gaze fell upon the mask by his side. He immediately jolted up, bringing a hand to his face.
“Don’t worry,” said Barok. “It’s alright.”
The apprentice looked at him for a moment, then lowered his hand. He reached for his mask, wearing it before pulling the hood over his head.
“I’ll be more careful,” he murmured.
“I told you not to worry. There’s no one but us in this place.”
The apprentice simply nodded in response. Barok stayed silent, observing him for a while: nothing about his manners and blank expression had changed, yet… Something about him felt a little different. Barok wouldn’t be able to explain what or why if asked, though.
“Thank you for watching over me,” said Barok, finally. “My disposition is much better this morning.”
The apprentice didn’t answer. He reached in Barok’s direction, briefly touching his forehead.
“See?” said Barok. “I told you.”
He looked at Barok for a moment, then a subtle smile took his lips. It was surprising to see such an expression on his face… As if what had once been an empty husk had suddenly breathed in and become a human—or, at least in Barok’s eyes, he did. It made him realize that, until that moment, he had barely seen that man as another person, with emotions not so different from his own.
Barok hadn’t been a good mentor to him until then, had he…? Not only because he had no choice on the matter, but also because that man was clearly Nipponese. It would be a lie to say those two facts didn’t bother him, but… What was it in comparison to losing everything? Barok should have understood such a thing better than anyone else.
The realization weighed in his chest: Barok was the one he spent most of his time with, and, considering the man’s amnesia, possibly the person he felt the closest to. With that in mind, he tried to be a little gentler.
“I’m grateful for what you did,” he said. “Is there anything I can do to repay you?”
The man stared at him for a while. Barok half expected him to refuse the offer, but instead, he nodded. “Please, sleep properly.”
His request and reproachful tone caught Barok off-guard. They simply stared at each other, until the discomfort finally forced the response out of Barok’s mouth.
“Understood.”
The apprentice nodded again, then turned his attention to his desk, briefly organizing his papers and writing tools. Barok observed him in silence, those slightly petulant words still repeating in his mind.
How lonely was he to be getting so attached to someone he barely knew?
It took Barok a long time to understand his feelings toward his quiet apprentice. At first, he believed—to his own concern—that they could be of romantic nature. However, the more he thought about it, the more he questioned that conclusion.
So, after many days of being haunted by those thoughts, the pieces started to fall into place. He had spent such a long time hating—both the Nipponese and himself—that he came to believe there was nothing else left inside him. But then, one day, he saw himself with an apprentice he was supposed to hate, but didn’t. It should have been impossible, and yet…
What that man represented to him was, simply put, hope. A way to show himself that he was able to forgive; proof that there was more than anger and resentment living inside of him; a sign that he still had a chance to not just keep existing in that miserable state, but to live… Free himself of that ten-year-long nightmare. Move on.
How selfish was he, to see another man as his chance to heal those old wounds?
Yet, the company made his chest feel lighter. He would be lying if he said there was no affection in his chest for his apprentice, but the thought was enough to overcome him with guilt, so he chose not to pay it much attention.
Instead, he stayed close to that quiet person, hoping his next days would be a little better than the past ones.