?? ??? ??? ???

≿━━━━━━━━≾
The Archer.
TAYLOR SWIFT

"Combat, I'm ready for combat. I say I don't want that, but what if I do?"
≿━━━━━━━━≾

Chapter 5;

"Many thank yous"

"Erik!" Catching up with the man, her high heels slowing her down. "I am embarrassed to say I never thanked you for restoring the wonderful, natural view from my bedroom. So thank you." After pulling her wet hair into a ponytail, she hugged the man.

He stiffened under her touch, the two hadn't had the closest relationship, but he knew under all her hard wall was a woman with a similar story to him. She was sweet and cared for the people around her with no questions asked, he admired her. "I-The satellite?" He questioned.

"Mh-hmm. It was blocking the trees from my view as well as the sun." Katrina clarified, now moving side-by-side with Erik as they walked down a hallway.

"Well then, you are welcome. But I must say, Charles was the one who helped me." Erik smiled at her kindness, reminding him of someone.

"Then, I shall thank him too." Her posture straight, with her hands behind her back as she walked, reminded Erik of the high-class women he would see walking in the streets when he was younger. But the one thing that was different from the two was a wide smile on Katrina's face. The women he would see on the streets always looked miserable, but the woman next to him seemed the opposite. Well, now she did.

The day he accidentally bumped into her in this exact hallway, when he the scars covering her body, she looked deeply scared to the soul. "Katrina, can I ask you a question?"

"Yes, you may." She giggled, but in her mind, in her mind she thought he was going to ask about the scars all over her body. It's why she wore dresses above the knee. It was the only skin she could show that hadn't had that much scaring.

Some scars were still healing, even after all these years, but others that covered her stomach hadn't. The one on her shoulder blade and near her neck could be covered with makeup, but it took some time, so she barely ever did it.

"How far can you look into the future?" Erik questioned after some time.

Her mind had let out a sigh of relief. "I don't, 'look into the future' per se. It's just like a voice that warns me of things. I can't control it at all. It's there when I don't want it to be and not when I need it." Katrina jokes, there was space for Erik to laugh as well.

The laughter died down, and Erik asked yet another question. "So, you don't even know your own future?"

"No, but if I could control it, I wouldn't want to know." Raising her hands over her head to stretch as she continues to speak. "I barely like knowing others fate, why would I want to know my own?" She smelt of rich honey and tea leaves.

Erik hummed, only slightly understanding what she meant as he had never been in her situation before. "Can I ask you one more thing?" Katrina nodded with a smile, tugging the ends of her sleeves behind her back. "Have you ever... well..." He tried to find the words.