Chapter Text
Your vision always started black.
“Please, hold on…” A frantic, desperate voice echoed out, laced with uncertainty, pain, agony; anger, even. The gentle tremble of the words this person spoke sent shivers up your spine, trapping you in an embrace you couldn’t recognise – it wasn’t like you were going to run anyway, your fate had been sealed. The torturous agony you felt all around your body said such things, and forbade you from moving the slightest muscle without being struck down in pain.
The feeling of eight imprints formed beneath your jaw, keeping your head held high and stable, giving you easy breathing space. “I can’t lose you…I…” The pain in the voice became much more intense at the fact that you weren’t moving. “I need you….” The voice became closer, strands of hair tickled your chest as your cheeks became damp with little droplets of water coming above from you, stirring you from your partially unconscious state. You opened your eyes and let your vision take hold.
You were greeted with a world alight in crimson flames. Shrilling screams, echoed throughout the area, whether close or far away. The smell of burning wood filled your nostrils, driving you to the feeling of being sick to your stomach; but it was easy to ignore this as soon as your sight was able to focus on the beautiful sight that you were met with.
Once again, it was the glistening elf from your dreams, with twinkling skin that radiated just like all of the stars in the sky. However, this time didn’t feel right. He was cradling your body like his life depended on it, holding you up and keeping you in his arms. It was like he never wanted to let go. His flowing silvery locks that were normally kept in good condition were frizzled and heavily matted – the only times you would see it like this would be a time when you woke up in that bedroom. But one thing that broke your heart right then and there was the trepidation right in those yellow irises that would’ve shone like sunlight if you both weren’t in this situation.
His presence made you smile, and feel at peace. Using as much strength as you could muster, while in extreme agony, you cupped his face with your right hand while smiling, running your fingers along the shimmered freckles and diamonds that surrounded his cheeks. He removed one of his hands from your jaw to hold your right hand, keeping it locked on his face. “Not you…don’t go…I need you…I love you…”
“Aaravos.” Your voice called out to him, although it wasn’t your own. “Wait for me.”
You could feel that deep inside of you, you felt the exact same sliver of fear that he felt. You knew what was happening and what would happen, the problem you had was the consequences of being gone.
“Even if I die here today, I will find you.” You were able to muster, your voice becoming nothing but a whimper while your hand trembled to stay on his face, trying to get his face embedded into your memory until the end of time.
“Wherever you are…” You smiled. “However long it takes…”
“You have to find me, El.”
He took a lock of your hair, that was white in your dreams, in his other hand, stroking it, freeing you. His gaze softened, but it was obvious he was still torn with grief.
“I will.” Your other hand held his as you analysed his body, taking it in one last time, and how it glimmered even in the dark room lit by crimson.
“Because you are my darling midnight star.”
Your vision turned black again, but this time, it would never return.
At least, not in this state.
“Elarion, a heavy body,
Cried as the stars of the sky turned to black,
They turned their backs
They concealed their light,
They left Elarion to die.
Elarion, with her pure whiteness,
Embraced the great black night flame.
When she bent down,
She declared her faith,
She whispered, "Aaravos," his name.
Elarion, the black-eyed child,
Spreading her twisted roots deep and far,
And with human might
Which caught
Of Aaravos, her midnight star.”
* * *
You shot up upright in a cold sweat. One hand clutched your abdomen, the other gripping the sheets as you heaved. It was only a...dream.
A shadow towered over your bedside, making you scream. Which made it - no, him - scream.
“Gosh, Isaac. You gave me a heart attack. What the heck were you doing?”
The scruffy man went to stretch his arms (a tic that had formed shortly after Lucien, both of your adopted father’s disappearance), only to realise he was wearing a super tight fully sleeved shirt and ripped the seams at the armpits. “You was talkin’ in your sleep, guv.” He didn't even realise he'd done that.
You narrowed your eyes, a frown settling on your features. “That doesn’t explain why you’re in my room.”
He glanced away, hands linked behind his back like a child caught stealing biscuits out of the biscuit tin. He looked tired, but more than that, he looked anxious, which was extremely rare in his case.
Oh, so that’s why he's here.
You had no idea why he had chosen to wander into your room. He had many friends sleeping in the same shelter and you certain they had bigger beds and comfier areas. You didn’t question it, however. If anything, you were flattered he had chosen to come to you.
“Come here.” You moved over to make room, patting the spot beside you on the bed.
Isaac’s face lit up with relief, and he crawled under the sheets, ducking so you couldn’t see his flushed face. He was embarrassed, though you couldn’t help but find it cute. Isaac might’ve been a fearsome bandit in the past, but sometimes you forgot he was only eighteen, barely even an adult.
“Guv?” he whispered, peeking out just enough to peer over at you.
“What’s up?”
“I miss ‘em.” That could have meant a lot of things. His old gang, his old town, his home, his birth parents…Lucien…It made your heart ache, being able to list off so many things to miss. You began to think of him, how lost he must be, how scared he must be…you wished you could let him know you both were okay – but that led to the question. Were you really okay?
“Me too.” You settled for. There was no use trying to comfort him with the overused ‘we’ll find them’. He had heard it enough already from allies, friends, even from you, and it felt like the sort of thing Lucien would say.
“Night, guv.”
“Sweet dreams, midget.”
Isaac rolled his eyes, and went onto his side, letting his face nuzzle your chest and sighing contently. You waited until he had fallen asleep before letting your own eyes drift shut, the dream quickly forgotten.
For just a moment, you felt like you were being embraced by the one elf that haunted your dreams.
You missed that so much.
The gentle glimmer coming from the inside of your pyjama top, in your wrist, showed that your body said the same.