Raphael wouldn't tell me what happened last night. She kept insisting that it was better if I didn't know. Back on the road, we walked for another painfully silent span of time. I didn't want to take it anymore. At some point I mustered out the will to speak.

"You used me, didn't you?"

Raphael simply said, "Yes," without any elaboration. It made me angry for her to be so blunt. I was about to lecture her, but I observed something off-putting. She was staring off into the distance with a torn look on her face. It was more like I was looking at the face of a girl who lost her puppy more than the fierce clockwork frenzy she normally exuded.

"What did you do?"
She responded. "I disobeyed a high order."
"A high order?" I repeated.
She was taking a long time to answer my question.
"I was ordered to never hear sacred names again."

I let her continue talking.

"You possess one. I forced its utterance out of you."
As usual, I wanted to ask many questions, but the most pressing one came first.
"Why?"
"I have been alive for 3.7 trillion years. Of that time, I have been alone for 3.2 trillion years. That is nearly the age of your universe."
I thought it was something in the billions, not trillions, but again, more important questions made their priority.

"So you did this because you were lonely?"
"More than that..."
Her voice trembled. Again Raphael showed that downcast look that didn't look normal.
Something deep within told me to not press any further.

"Well," I said hesitantly. "I don't really have anyone else either, so I guess we're on the same boat together."

She did not respond, so I kept quiet for the rest of the day. By the time the sun had set, my bottle of water was empty, and my throat had become extremely dry. Even Raphael seemed to be affected by the heat, looking weary.

Through the darkening spans of dry land, I spotted lights at the end of the road. We approached it hastily to find a run down bar and diner. While a little worn, it was open. I stepped inside with Raphael.

Most of the diner tables were not kept clean, but the bar was. A group of men, rowdily chatting with each other looked at me for a moment, jeering a sentence out before returning back to their conversations.

There were only two open seats at the bar. I took one while Raphael took the other, looking visibly tired.

"Can you ask for some water?" she requested. "I've never seen you eat or drink." I said. That seemed to push slight regret onto her face. "There is a... cost to what I did." It made me wonder why she even did that to me in the first place then.

The bartender came up to me. "Can I see and ID please?" he asked. "Oh, I just want water- two cups of water, please."

The woman sitting next to me chuckled. "Thirsty, huh boy?" She looked to be middle-aged, but her hair was completely white. I couldn't tell if it was natural graying or dye. She wore a brown leather jacket and dark aviators. She didn't turn to face me when she spoke.

"Uh, yeah." I uncomfortably responded. "I would too. It's quite the heat out there." She swirled her brown drink, melting ice clinking. "It's only gonna get hotter too."

"What's a youngin like you doing out here anyways? You running away from your home with your sister or something?" I scoffed with her thinking Raphael was my sister. "No, we just got... lost. I'm trying to find my way back home."

"Home? You're pretty far away from any place called home, that's for sure." She took a swig of her drink. "You might wanna be careful with your sis having that funny getup."

I corrected her, "She's not my sister. She's..." My voice trailed off. How do I explain Raphael to someone? She looked at me, expecting my answer to resolve, but then her eyes trailed to Raphael. Her mouth stretching into something surprised and pained.

Then a question came into my head, no one's been able to see Raphael but me. How was she able to see her? Raphael turned to the woman. She grew a look of shock as she saw the woman's hand grab her neck and throw her out the nearest window.