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“I don’t think I can believe in something that may not exist,” I admit, my voice echoing in our shoddy submarine. I look at Hummer's screen, the glow dimming as he looks at his feet.
These 3 months have been great, I love being around Hummer. I love him. But after everything, after all the dead ends and sleepless nights. As a journalist and investigator I know when a story isn’t worth it, when the well dries up. It hurts to admit, but it’s where I’m at. And I hate to crush Hummer’s dreams, his goal for almost two years, just gone.
I go to speak again, to let him down easily. Maybe we can find another mystery to solve, another thing to fixate on.
“Hum-”
“Then believe in me,” He raises his head to look at me, voice sad and hopeful as he holds his hand out.
My brain stalls, trying to catch up with the switch. The only sound outside of our breathing is the occasional fish or seaweed hitting the side of the sub. It’s a stupid question I think, because I will always believe in him. Even if he has led us to more dead ends than answers. I believe in his heart, his brain, he has the drive and the ideas, it just is…misplaced. Like blowing up the submarine to purposely drown ourselves, putting our lives in the hands of a myth.
“Okay,” I put my hand in his, handing over the water breathing potion, “I believe in you. Always,” I smile, bringing my hand back to my side.
His screen lights up, as he nods his head. The glow is comforting in this gloomy place, the rainbow reflecting on the glass. He turns to the TNT he had placed, flint striking steel. Every bone in my body has the strong urge to hit the flint and steel out of his hands, to pull him away and break the TNT.
Before I can move to do anything he lights the fuse, the soft hissing grating against the silence. I grab Hummer away from the light explosive, shielding him with my body, trying to dampen the damage he takes. His body is warm against my chest, a small comfort to distract me from the inevitable pain. Blowing up is not my favourite thing, it hurts, especially when it kills you… I have the scars racing across my body to prove it; I don’t need Hummer feeling that pain too. The explosion detonates, fire ripping through my back, my damaged spyglass rattling on my belt as water starts rushing in.
The cold salt water invades my new burns, the feeling worse than the initial explosion. My arms leave Hummer’s torso, coming to wrap around my middle, curling in on myself. I can feel my air slowly depleting, my bar ticking down to our deaths, again. A warm hand lands on my shoulder, rubbing soothing circles on the raw flesh. I open my eyes, I guess I closed them when the explosion hit, and I see Hummer in front of me, screen flickering rapidly.
I slowly uncurl, the ache in my back intensifying at the movement. I rest my hand over his, giving it a small squeeze. At least I’m not dying alone. I feel like it hurts less when you have someone to share the pain with, even if that's a morbid thought. I check my arm, only two bubbles left, and one heart missing.
My air bar runs out, and I feel the pain of losing hearts, my life force fading away… But it feels different. It doesn’t hurt as much as a hardcore death should, it feels almost… Peaceful. Hummer’s hand leaves my shoulder, floating just in front of me, never too far. As my hearts tick down I close my eyes, waiting for the inevitable end.
7 hearts, 6 hearts, 5 hearts, 4 hearts, 3 hearts, 2 hearts, 1 heart, half a heart…
Half a heart? I wait a few seconds, maybe there’s lag? I look down and see it, half a heart, no air, I should be dead. I whip my head up to look at Hummer. We did it, he’s real, the leviathan’s real!
“Hummer, I’m alive-”
He’s not there. The only thing I see is the water breathing potion in front of me. Oh. Oh. The potion. I look down and see his TV helmet laying in the sand, screen dark. No. No. No. He was the one who should have experienced this, he was the one who believed. So why me? I swim down, clutching his helmet to my chest, keeping it safe for him when I see him again.
I can’t ponder too long before my vision goes dark, and the ocean opens up under my feet, dropping me down a tunnel. Oranges, yellows, reds, blues, and greens fly past me as the tunnel widens then thins again, over and over. It goes on for at least a minute, just free falling through this kaleidoscope.
I finally land in darkness, my hearts and food bar resetting to full. I’ve seen darkness like this before, and that ended bad for Derek. I keep my guard up, moving slowly through the darkness all around me, trying to get a better understanding of my surroundings. After mindlessly walking for what feels like hours I see a light, a bright golden glow emanating from the darkness.
I quicken my pace slightly, trying to get out of the endless darkness. This place is worse than the void, because at least the void has some semblance of light, little stars dotting the greenish space. This is just black, endless, oppressing, lonely black. Except for the little sliver of gold. I break into a run, leaving all semblance of fear and apprehension behind to get out of the dark and into the warm light.
I finally reach the glow, and it reveals a doorway into a golden courtyard, lined with trees that have emerald green leaves and golden foliage. At the end of the courtyard stands a cathedral, made of quartz and gold, watching closely over everything. I cross the bridge connecting the darkness to this island, peering over the edge to look at the endless sky below. It catches me off guard for a second, the lack of anything all around, just this place floating above it all.
I continue forward, stepping foot on the main island. My vision blurs for a second, everything getting staticy and black around the edges. It clears up soon enough, and I can take in the sight before me carefully inspecting everything in the courtyard. I can tell everything here was made with and cared for with the utmost love. With all the statues being well maintained, and the plants being lush and vibrant. The path looks fresh, flowers lining the edges as it opens up to the main cathedral.
A lake stretches in front of the church, waterfalls flowing down from somewhere, running down the hills like currents of diamonds, landing in the crystal pool. I don’t even have the words to describe how magnificent the cathedral truly is, pure white walls with flecks of gold in the forms of the trees and the golden sands of the hills. A giant sun rests above the doorway, shimmering in the daylight like the true sun hanging in the forever sky above me.
I continue to follow the winding path, going up to where the cathedral sits at the top. I stare and the flowing water, the water coming from nowhere and ending in the pool below. It shouldn’t be possible, but I am in a god's domain, so I guess it probably is some godly magic trick.
I pass over another bridge, crossing right in front of the massive quartz entrance. I start jogging the rest of the way, climbing up the polished wood stairs that lead to the opening, the same warm light glowing from within. I stop in front of the opening, the soft light washing over me and bathing me in the gold. I take a tentative step inside the cathedral, my feet echoing off the quartz pillars and the vast arching ceiling.
Inside is a long hallway leading to 2 statues that are too far away for me to make out the intricate details. Along the walls are stained glass murals, swirling glass making up beautiful portraits. The first one on my right is of the sea, kelp standing tall on the sea bed while fish swim around. The one directly to my left is one of a TV, well multiple TV’s of all different makes and models. The one in the middle looks very familiar to the helmet I hold in my arms. I brush it off, it’s a very common kind of TV after all.
I continue down the hall, scanning the next two murals covering the walls. One is of people, all floating on the water's surface, an eye peering at them from the depths. I can only assume that they are its followers, or they were its followers. The one directly across from it is of Levi itself, gliding through the crystal blue waters of its domain. I know it doesn't have any facial features, but I can tell it's at peace in its primordial waters, living freely. I stare at that one for a while, in all of our research we never found a clear depiction of The Leviathan, only its glowing orange eyes watching from the depth. It is a beautiful creature, Levi, even made of glass. The teal scales shimmer in the light, dark blue fins cutting through the water like butter.
I slowly move on, continuing my path to the back of the cathedral. The next set of murals is strange, one is just pink, the other shows a cup of hot tea and cake. I’m not sure why these are here, what they symbolize… Maybe Levi likes pink? But the tea and cake? It can’t leave the water…Can it? I don’t ponder too long, moving onto the last set. I can also see the statues more clearly, but those aren’t the main focus right now.
The last one on my left is a house, our house. Why is mine and Hummer's house in this cathedral? Has it been watching us? I turn to see the final one on the right, a library, books on everyself, colours dispersed everywhere. Organized chaos is the way I would describe it, like the library at home.
I finally turn my full attention on the statues walking towards the first pair on the right. It’s two serpents, a dark blue and a green one intertwined on a rock, facing each other with affection. Parents maybe? It’s really the only logical explanation. The pair directly beside the parents are another two serpents, this time blue and dark green facing away from each other. The dark green one is slightly bigger than the blue one, facing left. They must be important to be here, immortalized in rocks and crystals. I walk past the chest in the centre, inspecting the last statue, a person. The person holds a book, but he’s looking towards the chest, eyes warm. On his belt is a spyglass, battered and bruised, cracked and chipped. The statue is only partially colored, his eyes are black pits, hair a soft chocolate brown, and bandana a mute purple-
Ah. My hand comes up to touch my own bandana, the same purple resting above my brow. The statue is me. It’s carved down to the smallest detail of my sweater, the yin-yang symbol resting in the same place on my chest. I can’t even process what a statue of me could be doing in the place of worship for the Leviathan, standing so proudly like I belong there.
I walk back over to the chest, hoping for some kind of explanation on what these things mean, what this place actually is. I open the wooden lid, hinges creaking from disuse. Inside the chest rests a heart of the sea of a teal cushion. A heart of the sea. I run my fingers over the smooth surface, a pulsing warmth reaches my fingers, steadily beating against my palm. A heart. The Leviathans' heart, beating under my fingers.
I slowly pull my hand back, the warmth lingering in my bones like shallow waters. My own heart is anything but steady, hammering against my ribs like a drum sticcatoing the notes of my life. My breaths come out in short puffs, air forcing itself through my lungs and esophagus to keep me alive. My fingers are trembling from adrenaline, so are my legs, and my body… I realize that it’s not just me vibrating, it’s the whole floor, the whole cathedral shaking under my feet. A low growl echoes through the open space, rattling my soul. I turn towards the entrance to see the source of the sound, even though I know deep in my bones what it is.
The teal scales fly past me, blue light emanating from its back. It stops in front of me, its large body curled around the chest. The leviathan looks down at me, with its three large glowing orange eyes staring me down. Its frills are relaxed, the blue glow soft against the quartz. It’s not an overbearing, suffocating presence, but a calming feeling. The Leviathan seems like it’s in water, fins and frills flowing as if suspended. It is a truly beautiful creature, and I understand why people would worship it.
I open my mouth to ask questions about everything, why it chose me, why there is a statue of me, why there is tea and cakes in a mural. I can’t get a sound out before a blinding light emanates from The Leviathan, blue overtaking the hall. I bring my arm up to cover my eyes, shutting them tight so I don’t go blind from this explosion of light. Once it fades, I slowly lower my arm, keeping my eyes shut until I know it’s safe.
“You can open your eyes, Wifies,” A voice sounds and I snap my eyes open, looking at the man in front of me.
“Hummer…?” The TV feels heavy in my hands as I take a step towards him, letting the helmet fall to the polished quartz floors, mind blank as I take him in.
Instead of his nice pants, button down shirt, vest, and gloves, he dons an ethereal skirt of shimmering organza and gossamer, flowing like waves on the shore. Little crescent moons shine in the center, under glittering pearls. Tulle fins hang off the sides, flowing like his true fins. The top is a beautiful off the shoulder cropped top made of pearlescent silk, lined with a white lace trim. The sleeves are decorated with teal ribbon, wrapping up on the top. The top of the skirt wrapped in the same satin and ribbon. But what catches my attention the most is his face, the face always covered by the helmet in my hands.
His eyes are the bright glowing orange, four smaller eyes rest in the corners, all looking at me with the same mix of amusement and adoration. Instead of freckles lining his face there are small teal scales and bioluminescent spots peppering his pale skin, shimmering in the warm light. His hair sweeps over his forehead in beautiful brown waves, tucked behind his ears and fins behind them. The only word that can describe him now is otherworldly, which I suppose he is, so it only makes sense. He’s looking at me like I hung the moon and stars, like I was always meant to be here.
“Do you think the statue captures your likeness?” Hummer's accent rolls over my ears, accompanied by the panicked lilt he always has. Two sets of his eyes looking towards the- my statue.
“It-I um. It looks nice,” I manage to get past my heart beating in my throat, eyes never straying from his outer most pair looking at me.
Hummer turns his full attention back to me. He walks forward, as quick as normal, but his skirt trails behind like it's suspended in the deep ocean, applying the physics of that above sea level. He stops right in front of me, reaching his hand out like he did in the submarine, beckoning for me.
“I know this might be a shock to you, and I know you might see me differently but I promise I am still-” I cut him off, putting my hand in his and pulling him close enough for our lips to meet.
He tastes like brine and iron, it’s so perfectly him. Hummer lets out a little squeak of surprise, tense for a second before melting into my touch. It’s the most amazing feeling, finally acting on the urge I’ve had for so long, and it’s even better than I could have imagined. The kiss lasts a few more lovely seconds before I pull away, keeping Hummer close to me.
“I’ve been waiting to do that for a while now,” I smile, leaning my forehead against his, looking deeply into his main pair of warm orange eyes.
“Even if I’m an eel?” Hummer questions, perpetually anxious. He is so cute it hurts sometimes, my heart fluttering against my ribs.
“Even if you’re a giant eldritch eel,” I nod as much as I can, smiling at him.
He pulls away, keeping my hand in his as he gestures around the grand cathedral, “Do you like my cathedral? I’ve really kept it in good shape!” He beams, sharper teeth glinting in the glow of the warm lights.
“You’ve really done a good job,” I step closer to pat his cheek, cupping the smooth skin in my palm, “But you know where I would like to be?”
“Where?” He pouts slightly, smaller eyes glaring slightly.
“In our home, on our couch, watching whatever show is on,” I answer, watching his eyes go wide as the words sink in.
“Oh! Yeah, right, of course!” Hummer nods, closing his eyes.
I take one last look around the grand cathedral before black consumes my vision, taking us back to the black box. We’re only there for a moment before the black retreats to reveal our livingroom, evening light steaming through the windows. I have to blink a few times at the change, letting myself readjust to being teleported.
“Home sweet home!” Hummer sings, flopping on the lovingly worn green couch.
“I love the boat, don’t get me wrong. But I missed watching TV, and the couch,” I set myself down on the other side, leaning against the armrest.
“This can be the weekend house,” Hummer moves to rest on top of me, leaning his beautiful head against my chest.
“Of course, darling,” It makes sense, being a spirit of the water, feeling more comfortable out on the open water.
Hummer had changed back into his regular outfit, minus the helmet. I reach for the remote, turning on the TV to the first channel and just leaving it on low to just watch in the background. The setting light reaches across the floor, casting golden rays through the house, basking everything in a warm glow. My hand comes up to softly run through his soft hair, letting it fall through my fingers like sand. I’m not really paying attention to the show really, more so focused on the man on my chest, living and breathing in our house.
“So um, we’re like dating… Right?” Hummer's meek voice sounds from where he lies, fins shaking slightly.
“I hope so,” I nod, stalling my hand to just rest in his hair.
“Good, amazing!” He sighs happily, melting against me.
I resume my carding, letting my hand lazily continue the motions. It’s a nice, peaceful, relaxing moment, letting the TV play in the background as Hummer rests against me. The smooth sounds of whatever show plays through the warm house, filling the house with a soft sort of fullness. After the months of chasing dead ends, looking at reports late into the nights, rocking slowly over the surface of the deep ocean. It’s nice just to slow down after closing an investigation. Even if the ‘mystery’ is falling asleep on my chest.
“What was with the tea and cakes in the stained glass?” I ask into the warm atmosphere, letting one last question before letting the case fall shut.
“I like them, they’re my favourite food and drink,” Hummer replies softly, breathing steadily slowing down.
“So those were just all the things you liked?” I look down at my dear, exasperated smile on my face.
“Yup, like swimming, and pink! The statues were of my family, because I know you're probably going to ask,” He pats my arm indulgently.
“That's nice. All the things you love are preserved in your cathedral,” I turn my eyes back to the TV, a small smile still resting against my face.
“Yeah, it is,” His voice pitters off, falling into a light slumber. I would imagine teleporting so much in one day is pretty tiring.
I keep myself awake for a little longer, reveling in the warmth lining my bones and heart. Soon I let my eyes fall shut, drifting off to the sound of Hummer’s breathing and the quiet lapping of the waves of the shore.