You reach out with a fraction of the energy that is you. Pick at a corner of the sticker. It shifts just a little. The young man does not notice. The movement is too small. Too quiet. You scrape the surface beside the sticker. Hope the noise is enough.

The young man flinches a little. The first real sign of life from him. Yet he does not move.

Do it again.

You gather a little more energy. Pick again at the sticker. Scrape the laptop again in the motion. The slime peels almost halfway off. The sound is louder this time.

The young man starts and sits up. He is on edge. Jumpy. Afraid. There is fear on him. You see it now.

"What was that?"

Fear is the wrong word. Terror would be more apt. His voice shakes. As do his hands. He stares at the laptop. Eyes wide.

You pick at the sticker again. He sees this time. Scrambles back. Presses his back against the wall. His breaths come quick.

Stop! Stop, you're scaring him, you need him to realise it's me so he'll calm down.

The sticker is curling up. Yet the underside still has glue. It can still function. It is easier to smooth it down than peel it up. The slime returns to how it was.

The young man gasps. Crawls forward. Stares at the sticker from the foot of the bed. Mouth hanging open. He sees. He does not want to believe. Yet he hopes.

Then he shakes his head. Backs away. Closes his eyes.

"No. No, this isn't real. It's just a dream. It's not real."

It's real. It's real, Avery, listen to me. Please listen.

The knight pulls you closer to the young man. Close enough that you could touch him. You do not have a form with which to touch. Yet you want to reach out anyway. This is the knight influencing you.

This is real. I'm real. Remember. Remember who I am.

The young man opens his eyes. Looks at the sticker. Sees it.

"Derlord?"

His voice is quiet. Uncertain. Afraid. Hopeful.

Remember my name.

It is only hesitantly that the young man speaks again.

"Derek?"

Yes, that's it! It's me! I'm here!

He leans forward again. He is as close as he can get without getting off the bed. You drive the point home. Peel the sticker back once more. Smooth it out once more. The young man lets out a sound. Something between a laugh and a sob.

"H- how? There's no way. How?"

Yet he does not doubt. You see this. He is certain of the truth. His hand lifts to cover his mouth. There are tears in his eyes. They do not fall. For a moment he just stares. Processes. Disbelieving. Not doubting. Then something snaps into place.

"He needs my help!"

He stands too fast. Nearly falls from the bed. Rushes around the room. Breaths shaking. Hands shaking worse. Stumbling into furniture and walls. He grabs the phone from the cabinet beside the bed. The bag from the floor near the bed. A pair of dirty socks from the floor. Pauses beside the desk to stare at the laptop.

He is afraid of it. It will not hurt him. It is off and inanimate. Yet he fears it. It is irrational. Nonsensical. Insanity. Yet he fears it.

Fear isn't always rational, you know.

A chuckle. The first the knight has given.

No, I don't suppose you would. You're like him, in that regard. You don't understand love or fear, not really. You don't see the strength they both hold, the power that can be found in loving someone so much you would die for them. Or fear them, I guess. There's something about having infinite power that destroys that, I think. Something about control that replaces care. Avery understands. I understand. Maybe one day, you might too. Or maybe you'll be like him. Maybe you'll never understand.

He does not sound resentful. He does not sound much of anything at all. Sad maybe. You wonder what he is thinking. It is unfair that he can hear what passes for your thoughts yet you hear nothing he does not wish for you to hear.

No way around that, I'm afraid. You're just gonna have to put up with it.

You do not like the knight very much.

The young man puts on shoes. Does not tie the laces. Turns to the door to the hall. Starts reaching out to it. Pauses.

"I don't even know where I'm going, he could be anywhere! I should at least make a plan before leaving maybe."

I can show you where I am if you'll show him.

Your attention turns to the map on the wall. It is large. Covers most of the surface above the bed. Shows the area around where the young man is staying. Small towns dotted between bigger cities. The city the young man is currently visiting is marked with a star. The knight draws your gaze to a city nearby. A rural town separates the two.

Avery lives in that town. He just came here for New Years, not that he got to enjoy it. If he had decided to go in the other direction, he might have ended up staying down the street from me and I could have brought him straight to me. Maybe we could have figured something else out.

The knight pauses. Considers the room. Goes on.

If you can find a way to point my city out on the map then that works, otherwise turn on the tv and I'll show him there. I should be able to change the channel. I just hope I can do it without freaking him out…

You look for something in the room. Most of the useful things have been packed away. You look at the map. At the wall behind it. The paint is peeling. It is hidden. Thus it has been neglected. The paint is old. Sharp. It might pierce the soft back of the map if it peeled just right. You could guide it. You do not know if it will work.