~Zephirin~
"Laith, Love," I yelled out the little one's name in panic. Watching him levitate in the air with his attire blackened terrified me. "Take my hand," I appealed to him.
He stretched forth his hand to take hold of mine. To allow me to yank him out of the darkness. The terrible gloaming point that took over him.
Grabbing hold of his hand I pulled him closer to me. He landed softly in my frame. His hands clasped the hems of his shirt firmly as he laid to rest his face on my chest.
My breath hitched. The holy Incirion held on to me as though his life depended on it. Evoking concern and care from me.
"We need to start meeting on different spans," I let out to lessen the tension in my body. "Don't you run out of tears?" I teased him while caressing and patting the back of his head.
Since I encountered the Incirion, I've had this anomalous feeling to protect him. I understood his pain and loneliness as my own. His life and mine were bound together as our stars were aligned at birth.
Laith melted into my arms. "Don't leave me," he desperately pleaded. Burying himself deeper into my body.
I bit my lower lip, my body tensed under his touch. The chill radiating from his body sent shudders down my body. My nerve endings tingled. Warning me to stay clear of the little one.
"Have you any idea what is going on around you right now?" I posed a question to Laith. To distract my mind from reacting to him. "Open your eyes and see," I persuaded lifting his head with my fingers.
His eyes peered directly into me. I froze. His eyes stared through me, I worried he could see all the wrongs I'd committed. Dreadful that he might flee from me if he saw all I was capable of doing.
I put forward my hand in the air, forcing his eyes to follow my movement to draw them away from my eyes. Blood fell on his palm from the skies. It was then that I brought his attention to the reality that it was raining blood instead of water.
He took a step back and glanced at the world around him. The land was immense in darkness. The sun hiding behind the bloody clouds in the sky. A bleeding sky.
The ground was soaked by blood. His white silk habiliment was as black as night. A clear sign that he was losing his way. His clothes vividly showcase the stain in his purity.
"The skies are bleeding with you, love," I gave an account of events to his awareness. "Your tears are condemning Liradia to darkness."
The Incirion was speechless. I sensed guilt oozing out of his body.
Ba-thump! Ba-thump!
The sound of his heart thundering reverberated in my ear. The rhythm was familiar, as though it was my own. My body froze up as I locked eyes with the holy Incirion.
"I don't mind a little darkness though," I found myself getting lost in the sight before me. The blood rain and red clouds, it was my best sight of Liradia.
It was messy and chaotic. Beguiling my heart and soul. Since birth, that was the first time I got to see Liradia through someone's broken soul. It was beautiful.
A smile appeared on my face. Time stood unmoving. Granting me a moment to gape at the perfect scenery created by Laith's broken heart.
The blood rain hit my face, dripping down my mask. I wished I could see myself in someone else's eyes. To capture my image in this beautiful mess.
To witness my first sincere smile. It's been ages since I found myself smiling without a reason.
"Beautiful," Incirion Laith let out in a notch lower than a whisper. My sharp hearing was able to make it out.
I shot my gaze in his direction. Blinking my eyes, perplexed by the sudden compliment from him. Time stood motionless with the Incirion staring at me.
Ba-thump! Ba-thump!
His pulse raced uncontrollably. Incirion Laith glanced at me as though gazing at a priceless artifact. A surprising gaze no one has ever cast in my direction.
"Beautiful? What do you find beautiful?" I dared to ask.
"You," he leaned in and whispered next to my ear. "You are beautiful when you smile."
I swallowed hard. An uneasy feeling crept into my body. His statement made me nervous.
"You need to freshen up. Bursting into tears too much seems to be messing with your head," I cleared my throat. "How can you think I'm beautiful?" I complained.
Turning the Incirion around, I let him gaze ahead to his reflection in the mirror. In his room, by his dressing table, I held him as he took in his image.
The view of his tainted soul frightened him. It was what allowed me to bridge the gap between us. However, I understood that it was a tremendous problem for him.
"Change, and rest before you go back out there," I spoke up.
Laith clasped his hand around his arm to stop me from leaving. "Don't leave me," he pleaded. As though obeying his wish my will to leave wavered. I stayed.
"You should take a ba..." I paused in my statement when a bright light from his fingers blinded me.
Incirion Laith snapped his fingers and a clean robe replaced the one he had on. Without letting me go, he changed into a different outfit.
"Done," he declared openly. He grabbed my arm and pulled me over to his bed. "Will you sit with me until I calm down?"
I blinked. Confused by his words and actions. The Incirion invited me to stay by his side. 'Can I be by your side?'
I dared for a minute to indulge the thought. I've never had anyone by my side. No one understood the burden of carrying the fate I was born into.
Laith promised a forbidden comfort to the loneliness in my heart. I was scared to hold on to him.
'He'll leave like everyone else,' I thought.
"I'm afraid I can't. I need to be somewhere else," I informed him.
"Where!" I sensed panic in his voice as he desperately clung to my hand.
"I'm going to set a village on fire," an honest reply flowed from my lips. Unable to hide the reason for my leaving.
I glanced into his eyes to catch a glimpse of his reaction. Contrary to my expectations, Laith wasn't revolted by me but rather I saw a flame flicker alive in his eyes.
"Can I join you?" he requested.
I was tempted to take him up on that offer. To show him a glimpse of my world and veer him to my side. He was willing and appeared to want to dance to my tunes. However, that part of me that can't help but be concerned for him held me back.
"Everyone has good and evil inside them, love. It depends on which one we choose to feed," I let out. I took a seat at the edge of the bed and held his hand. "I know you are hurt, the pain seems unbearable right now but I won't let you use it as an excuse to feed your demons. The world needs your light, so rest up, and heal before making a decision. One you won't regret."
Unlike me, the Incirion has an opportunity to live on the other side of this cruel world. A place full of light where the sun doesn't set. He had a chance to live without experiencing the malice of this world.
"The world needs my light to protect them from you, the Evil one," he joked and forced himself to laugh. I clenched my fist. It was sad to watch the great Incirion I watched from the sidelines lose his smile "But I wish that I can watch you set the world on fire. Watch everything burn to ashes," he admitted.
"Aren't you afraid to be consumed by the flame?" I raised a question. Fire had a way of consuming everything in its path, including its master. I should know as I've been consumed by my own flames many times in the past.
"Why would I be? I trust you won't let me burn. The flame won't even come an inch of me," he said confidently.
My eyes went wide threatening to break free from their sockets. I would be having a heart attack at this point if I had my heart attached to my body.
It was evident from the expression on my face that I was taken aback by his words. The Incirion was blindly putting his trust in me when he hardly knew me. 'How can you trust me?' the thought ran in my head.
"You should get some rest. Don't force yourself to meet anyone if you don't feel up to it," I gave him advice and got up to leave.
"When I open my eyes, I wish the first thing I see are your eyes," he declared. I halted, my feet rooted to the ground for a passing second. Shocked by his words.
"That's a dangerous wish, love," I let out and smirked. I vanished from the room to attend to my work.