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Chise gently caressed Elias’ dim skull, the only shape she could clearly make out in the darkness around her.
On her back, slumped over her shoulder, and wrapped around one of her thighs was something she assumed was tentacles, spawned from the shadows. Their thick and slick texture being the clearest giveaway.
“I’m right here, you know?” She whispered softly, but the skull remained silent.
She had been in here for almost a day at this point, at least that was her rough estimation. She fell asleep at some point in the middle of it, so she’s somewhat lost on the actual timespan.
However, she did not feel hungry nor thirsty, so she assumed that perhaps on the outside not much time had passed at all.
She gave the gentlest of presses against the inside of Elias’ eye socket, which like before sprung back her finger, keeping her from sticking it inside. This was her way of knowing Elias was still there, and this was not a part of his body that did not hold his consciousness, as his sockets had some form of protection against outside protrusions, something that replicas of his skull lacked.
She had tried this a couple of times now, each time to make sure it really was him that she was holding. This wasn’t her first time in this situation, and she knew that if Elias wasn’t really here, she’d have to come up with some means to get out on her own.
“I don’t understand….” A deep murmur suddenly echoed in the empty space, a voice that was unmistakably Elias, though it was more guttural than normal.
Chise smiled gently. “There you are.” She said, and ran a hand beneath Elias’ jaw.
“Why is it that…. Whenever this happens…. I have to keep relying on you… it… isn’t fair to you…” Elias let out slowly, each word sounding like it was hard for him to get out.
“I just so happened to be the first one to see you. That doesn’t mean others won’t be able to see you in the future.” She told him with a soft tone, not feeling any semblance of malice or anger at being dragged into one of his voids. “What happened?” She asked, wanting to do anything she possibly could to help. She was his teacher of human things afterall.
“I…” Elias started, but his voice hacked up. “I wanted… to hug him… just hug him! But my body… it…!” He sputtered out, his words almost unrecognisable as language, the void around Chise flashing and space seeming to disappear and reappear at random. No one else might have caught it, but to her, it sounded like he was sobbing.
“Shhhhh…” Chise hushed him, and angled the skull towards her chest, where she hugged it warmly. For a long moment, the only thing audible in the bubble was Chise’s heartbeat, and Elias’ heavy breathing.
“You won’t get past this unless you go through with what your mind wants.” She explained to him, still holding him closely. “And what your heart wants.” She added, trying to assure him, even if she wasn’t sure herself what the correct path was.
The void around her once again murmured. “But I… don’t know what my heart wants…” Elias responded, with a defeated voice.
“Well you like him, don’t you?” She asked innocently, guiding him to his emotions the best she could.
“I… Believe so.” He answered shortly.
“Then, do you love him?” She followed up.
“I… still don’t know what love feels like.” He said, again matter-of-factly. To him, all he knew about his relationship with Simeon, was that they were friends. He did not have a concept of a relationship beyond that. Chise was a special case, he couldn’t hope to have that sort of understanding with anyone else.
Chise again smiled gently, she thinks he does actually know, just not the word for it. “Well, you want to hug him, don’t you? I think if you go through with that hug… You might find out if it’s love or not.” She explained to him, wanting to support him.
Elias went silent for a while, pondering. “But if I end up like this again… I will just need your help to fix me again.” He said, his tone once more defeated.
“That’s fine, Elias. I’ll always be here to-”
“It’s not fine!” The magus hissed in response. “I can’t just rely on you! You’re your own person! Every time I do wrong I take…. I never give…. I only take…” He trailed off, his voice again hacked and shivered.
“Elias.” Chise interjected, her voice suddenly much more firm. “You won’t have the ability to rely on him if you don’t open up to him.” She told him, scolding him like a mother. “You need to talk to him. You need to ask if you can hug him. Wallowing will not solve that.”
“And what if I turn into this in front of him!?” He attacked in return. “I’ll terrify him! He’ll leave! I..- I don’t want him to leave!” He explained through a pained groan. “No one else can understand this scenario except for you! I’ll end up hurting him!-”
“NO YOU WONT!” Chise suddenly screamed in return, instantly shutting up Elias’ depressed wailing. “He loves you too, don't you get it!?” She yelled, exasperated at having to spell it out for him. “Every time you drag me into one of these, I’m completely unharmed. Simeon knows what you are- knows WHO you are! He wants to help you too!”
“But-”
“No, Elias. You are gentle. You are loved. You have learned to hold back long ago, you won’t hurt him. Now you need to learn how to also take a step forward.” She told him with a strict voice. “What you’re feeling right now is anxiety, and it’s normal. You are worried about your actions because you care deeply for him. You need to trust yourself that you won’t hurt him. No part of you would want to do that, you need to put your faith in that.” She paused to breathe.
“IF your body fails you, he will be there, and he will help. He will appreciate you accepting his help. He loves you, Elias. You won’t hurt him. Just like I know you won’t hurt me. Because I trust you. You need to trust yourself in that, too.” She finished, her voice growing quieter and softer as her last sentences came out.
“People love you, even if you don’t know it. You will learn how to know of it over time, but you will never learn without direct experiences with people. This is not something humans are born good at, either. Everyone has to learn it at their own pace. We love you, Elias.”
As she said those last words, beams of sunlight suddenly intruded through the bubble of void, and in almost an instant, the bubble popped.
It was early morning, only a couple hours had passed in the real world, as far as Chise could tell. She was in her and Elias’ bed, with Elias sitting with crossed legs in front of her. His eyes were still not lit up, but she could tell it was definitely him regardless.
“Anxiety…” Elias let out in a deep sigh. “So that’s what that is…”
Chise once more smiled upon seeing her student learn another new word. She reached forward and took one of his hands into hers.
“Let’s contact him, alright?” She asked him gently, as she saw the magus’ lights for eyes flicker back into the world and look down on her.
“Yes. I… I’d like to see him.” He said, his voice light yet firm. He didn’t know what this feeling was yet either, but he would come to learn in time that humans call it: “butterflies in your stomach”.
After profusely thanking his bride and teacher, Elias spent the rest of his day in a very cheery mood.