Celix hadn't planned on going to the party, but Xander and Ren were always able to pursue him into things he normally avoided. He supposed it was their attempt at helping him feel normal again, but there was nothing normal about his life anymore. Still, they were his best friends, and it was hard to refuse them, especially when they looked at him with such concern in their eyes. So here he was, standing in the middle of a lavish house party, surrounded by flashing lights, loud music, and people who seemed to have forgotten that something called grief even existed.
The house was packed, filled with people from their college. The music boomed through the rooms, and laughter echoed from every corner. Ren, true to form, was already surrounded by a group of girls, flashing that killer smile of his that could charm anyone. He had always been the life of the party, the playboy prince who could make anyone feel special with just a glance. Tonight was no different. With his athletic build, chiseled jawline, and effortless charm, Ren was the center of attention, as usual.
Xander, on the other hand, was the grounded one, the friend everyone leaned on. He wasn't interested in the flirting or playing around with girls rather he valued loyalty, friendship, and staying true to himself. His easygoing nature made him approachable, but he was far from a pushover. He kept a close eye on Celix, always making sure his friend wasn't drowning in his own misery.
Celix, however, stood off to the side, holding a drink he didn't even want. His cold, distant demeanor was a sharp contrast to the energy of the party. He couldn't shake the heaviness that had settled in his chest since his mother's death. No amount of alcohol or forced laughter could lift it. He felt suffocated, trapped in a world that continued to move while he remained frozen in time.
"Come on, man, loosen up a bit!" Ren appeared by his side, grinning and nudging Celix shoulder. "You can't brood your whole life away. We're here to have fun!"
Celix glanced at him but didn't bother responding. Fun? How could he even think about having fun when everything that mattered to him had crumbled away? His mother was gone. The one person who had ever truly understood him, who had given him warmth and love in a world that felt so cold—gone in an instant.
Xander walked over, noticing Celix silence. "Ren, give him a break. He's not in the mood for this," he said, his voice gentle but firm. Xander had always known how to read Celix's moods, even when Celix didn't say a word.
But before Celix could respond, a girl he barely knew stumbled over, clearly intoxicated, and draped herself over him. "Celix" she purred, batting her eyelashes in what she must have thought was a seductive manner. "You've been so distant. Let me cheer you up."
Her perfume was overwhelming, and the touch of her hand on his chest made his skin crawl. He had never liked the way people treated him like some sort of trophy. Women threw themselves at him, not because they cared about who he was, but because of his looks, his status, his money. It disgusted him.
"Not interested," he said flatly, stepping away from her, but she persisted, grabbing his arm with a giggle.
"You're always so serious," she teased, trying to pull him back toward the crowd. "Why don't you just relax for once?"
Celix's patience snapped. He shrugged off her hand with more force than necessary, his cold blue eyes flashing with anger. "I said, not interested," he growled, his voice icy.
The girl huffed in embarrassment and frustration, muttering something under her breath before storming off. Celix didn't care. He felt the walls closing in on him, the noise and the lights suffocating him. He needed to get out.
"I'm going for a walk," he muttered to Xander and Ren, not waiting for their response before heading out of the house and into the cool night air.
The beach wasn't far from the party, and Celix found himself heading there instinctively. The sound of the ocean had always brought him some kind of peace, a sense of stillness that he couldn't find anywhere else. The waves lapped gently against the shore, the moon casting a silvery glow over the water.
He walked along the sand, letting the cool breeze wash over him. The further he got from the party, the better he felt. Here, at the edge of the world, with the sea stretching out before him, he could breathe again.
He was alone, or at least he thought he was. After a while, he heard footsteps behind him, and turning around, he saw Xander and Ren approaching. They must have followed him, concerned as always.
"man, you can't keep doing this to yourself," Xander said, his voice quiet as he stood beside Celix, looking out at the water. "We know it's hard. We miss her too. But you're shutting everyone out."
Celix clenched his jaw. "You don't understand."
"We do," Ren said, for once without his usual playful tone. "We were there when you lost her. We saw what it did to you. But you can't let it consume you forever. Your mom wouldn't have wanted that."
Celix shook his head. "It's not that simple. I—" He hesitated, feeling the words catch in his throat. How could he explain the depth of the emptiness he felt? How could he tell them about the night he nearly drowned, about the thing he had seen or thought he had seen just before he lost consciousness?
"She was the only one who understood me," Celix finally said, his voice barely above a whisper. "My father... He doesn't care. He never did. All he sees is an heir, someone to take over the family business. But she... she cared about me, not the future I represent."
Xander placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "We care about you too, Celix. You're like a brother to us. We don't care about all that business or wealth crap. We just want our friend back."
"I know," Celix muttered, his gaze fixed on the horizon. "But it's not just that."
Ren raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
Celix hesitated again, the memory of that night flashing in his mind. The girl in the water. The one with the emerald eyes. He had convinced himself it was just a hallucination, a trick of his alcohol-fueled brain, but the image of her haunted him.
"I saw something," Celix said slowly, choosing his words carefully. "The night I almost drowned. I was drunk, and I went into the water, and... something pulled me out. I don't know what it was, but..."
Xander and Ren exchanged a glance.
"You were drunk, man," Ren said after a moment. "Maybe it was just your imagination."
"That's what I thought," Celix replied. "But it didn't feel like a dream. It felt... real. I keep seeing her those eyes, staring at me from the water. It doesn't make sense."
"You're talking about the girl who saved you?" Xander asked, frowning. "You said it was just a hallucination. You didn't even get a good look at her, right?"
Celix nodded. "Yeah. But there was something about her. It's like... I can't forget her. Those eyes..."
He trailed off, staring out at the ocean. The waves seemed to beckon him, calling him back to that night. What had really happened? Had it been a trick of his mind, or was there something more to it? The memory of those emerald eyes haunted him, drawing him back to the water again and again, like a siren's call.
"Maybe you need closure," Xander said after a long silence. "I don't know what you saw or didn't see, but if it's bothering you this much, maybe you need to confront it."
"Confront what, though?" Celix muttered, frustrated. "I don't even know if she was real. How do you confront something you can't even explain?"
Ren shrugged. "Maybe you're overthinking it. But whatever it is, you'll figure it out. You always do."
Celix wasn't so sure. He felt like he was drowning in a sea of questions with no answers.
As the three of them stood there, staring out at the ocean, Celix's thoughts drifted back to those emerald eyes. He didn't know what they meant, but one thing was certain—they weren't going out of his mind anytime soon.