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Rihseh opened her eyes to find herself in the familiar fields of Elpis. Flowers coated the path before her, waterfalls flowing in the backdrop. Fog and mist permeated the air and she inhaled deeply, enjoying the moist, clean air as it hit her lungs. The sky was dark above her, the twinkling stars being her only light. She wasn't sure how she got here, but the sight made her nostalgic. It wasn't all that long ago she had first visited Elpis. Maybe it was because of everything that happened since her visit, it felt as though it had been an eternity. She walked along the familiar path to wherever her feet would carry her.
Despite the nostalgia, Elpis overall wasn't a happy place for Rihseh. For a place of such beauty, something ugly always lurked deep beneath the surface; something sinister, neglectful. The Ancients were a culture that prided themselves on prosperity, to the point of entirely overlooking the suffering of not only other creatures but one of their own.
At the thought, Rihseh's heart panged. If there was anyone she could have saved, it would have been him. It would have been Hermes. It broke her heart beyond words to think of him, the kind and caring soul and what he became. At his core, Hermes's spirit was gentle, a person who cared too much about the things his society forgot to care about.
The first time she had met Hermes in Elpis, something long dormant in her soul had stirred awake, a yearning and sadness that shook her to her very core. She hadn't been the same since, as from there, Azem's fractured memories started to flow into her own. The memories wouldn’t have seemed like anything substantial or special to anyone else, but for some reason, to Rihseh they meant the world. The memories consisted of softly murmured conversations, longing glances, the occasional stolen touch of Azem's hand cupping Hermes's. However, it seemed as though the relationship never went beyond that. Tragically, if Azem was anything like Rihseh, she never would have told Hermes how she felt about him and the thought made Rihseh want to cry.
She closed her eyes, allowing those emotions to take over, wondering what exactly could have been if things had been different for Hermes all those years ago.
"Rihseh," said a voice that made her heart flutter.
"Hermes?" she mumbled, not believing it. Her eyes slowly opened.
Indeed, it was him, adorned in his ancient robes, his lips curled into a gentle smile as he looked at her.
"Nothing could have saved me," he said, as though he knew what she was thinking. "I was but a symptom of a societal problem."
"But all those years ago, maybe if I-" she began.
"You aren't Azem," he cut her off. "Just as I am not Amon, and I am not Fandaniel. They are fragments of me, sure. But they do not and cannot make up my whole identity."
"Regardless, Azem really cared about you, Hermes," Rihseh said, sadness and shyness crept into her as she spoke. "And so do I."
He approached her, taking her hand in his own. "Did you know Azem was the only person on this star I could call a friend?" he asked.
Rihseh shook her head. “I had an idea, but I didn’t know.”
Hermes continued, "I was so drawn to her. She was so full of life, yet she understood my plight. Understood my search for meaning. She would listen to me, talk with me." His lips curled into a fond grin, staring off into the distance, lost in the memory. He gave Rihseh's hand a comforting squeeze.
Curiosity getting the better of her, Rihseh asked, "Do I remind you of her?"
"Absolutely," Hermes chuckled. "You both have the same love for the creatures of this world, which is what drew me to her in the first place. She was so good with Meteion, always willing to play with her, listen to her. Her compassion and yours extended to even me. You came to Elpis knowing full well what life my soul had walked, yet you heard me out. You were still there and reminded me that I wasn't all alone. And though I had lost my memories, though I had gone down the wrong path, something inside me would always be grateful for the kindness you showed me those days in Elpis."
"It's just not fair," she spoke quietly. Her eyes began to water. "None of this is fair."
Hermes's large hand reached upwards, delicately cupping her face. "Such is life, isn't it?"
"Azem loved you," she confessed. "She loved you so much. As more than a friend."
"I loved her, too," Hermes said. "I loved her dearly. But all the love in the world couldn't have healed the hole in my heart."
Rihseh leaned into his touch and closed her eyes. He brushed her tears away with his thumb.
"I just wish that she had told you," Rihseh said. "You deserved to know."
"Thank you for telling me," he spoke softly, a sad distance in his eyes— probably lost in another far-off memory. "Can I ask you something?"
Rihseh nodded. She reached her hand upwards, cupping the hand still on her cheek.
"Did you find meaning?" Hermes implored.
Rihseh thought about his question as she gazed into his eyes. Her mind went to her friends, all of the dear people who had stood by her side for so long. She thought about her dear dragon companion that had been there for her through it all, even when she didn't have anyone else. The people she had met, the places that she'd seen, all meant more to her than she could ever even begin to describe. Though it was never easy, it was always worth it.
Rihseh smiled at Hermes with tears in her eyes. "Yes," she answered with a nod.
"It makes me so happy to hear that," Hermes breathed. There was a lightness in his features that Rihseh had never seen, even relief, as though the heaviest weight had been lifted off of his shoulders.
"But, Hermes," Rihseh faltered, "I miss you."
"There's no need to miss me," he assured. "Our souls are irrevocably linked. I will always be with you."
Despite herself, Rihseh's eyes continued to leak and she let out a sob. She wrapped her arms around Hermes tightly. He squeezed her back. He ran gentle fingers through her hair.
"Learn from my mistakes," he whispered to her. "Keep finding meaning. And if you ever find that your light begins to wane, don't forget that you are stronger than the darkness ever will be."
He pressed his lips against the salty tears on Rihseh's cheeks, making a trail down to her mouth. When his lips pressed against hers, she closed her eyes and returned the feeling. Their first kiss; their last kiss. The touch between their lips was gentle, uncertain, and when he pulled away from her, Rihseh's heart filled with an ache for more, an ache for what could never be.
She slowly opened her eyes, memorizing his features one last time. He looked down at her tenderly, his own eyes filled with tears.
"You can let go now," he murmured. "But thank you for indulging me in this one last talk."
He pulled her into another hug and the pair stood in comfortable silence.
"I'll never forget you," Rihseh whispered into his chest.
"I know," Hernes said. "That's all I could ever ask."
When they finally let go, the clear Elpis sky began to distort and fade away. Rihseh took one last look at him as he, too, began to fade away.
"Selfishly, I do hope we meet again," he said, giving her one last sad simper.
"Hermes!" Rihseh called out as he continued to fade.
"Goodbye, Rihseh," Hermes uttered. And then, he was gone. Like he had never been there.
Her eyes flung open. Her heart was pounding. Elpis was nowhere to be seen. She was in her bed, and it was morning, and Hermes was most definitely gone, perhaps never even there.
Although it was a dream, Rihseh was shaken up by how real it felt. Somewhere inside herself, she had hope that Hermes's soul truly did pay her a visit last night. And when she opened her window to breathe in the morning air, she grinned fondly to herself at the sight of a small bluebird flying off in the distance.