Chapter Text
I think my mouth might have been practically lying on the dirt below us for five minutes.
In that time, I had not moved an inch. Everyone else continued business as usual - even the stall keeper paid no mind.
But when I met Enea's eyes, it was still like time had completely frozen. There was no better way of explaining it.
The entire encounter had dragged up more questions than answers.
How was he still alive?
Why did he look so different?
What was he doing on Nexus?
What should I have been doing in that moment?
None of the questions would be answered so easily, and I had already accepted the fact.
But that would never stop me from trying.
"Enea?" I gasped again, stepping back hesitantly. He looked around, as if ensuring nobody was listening.
No one was. Not a soul seemed to care what we were doing. The faint chatter continuing around us told me that much.
"How are you-" I whisper-shouted. Enea desperately shook his head, further pulling his dark hood over his hair.
He tucked in a few strands, as if a few whisps of hair might give away his entire identity.
Truthfully, it might have.
Enea moved closer to me, once again looking around before he grasped my wrist.
His grip was tight as he pulled me through the crowds.
"Hey-"
"Sh," Enea shushed, turning around briefly only to put a finger on his lips.
He whipped around just as fast, continuing to navigate through seas of people.
I spotted Lui in the distance, striking up a conversation at a stall that seemed to sell soap. Her head was tilted curiously, and suddenly her eyes flickered towards us.
I saw a look cross her expression for a moment before it disappeared just as quickly.
Enea yanked me the other way, avoiding Lui entirely.
I still didn't know what was going on, or why he was so adamant on staying anonymous.
By the time we had reached an empty space, Enea's entire form visibly relaxed. His shoulders dropped, and I could hear him breathe a loud sigh.
Still, Enea refused to even look at me.
I followed his direction, noticing the sunset beyond the horizon.
It was nothing like Pagos. It was nothing like any planet we had stayed on - and it was certainly better than viewing the event through clouds thousands of feet in the air.
The silence was too defeaning for my liking - after all, he had been completely gone for months, then showed up out of nowhere at all. With no warning, either.
"Enea," I demanded. His entire body stiffened again, as if he had forgotten I was even there.
This time, Enea turned slowly, making eye contact.
The spark of curiosity his eyes usually held had been dimmed significantly. It hurt me to think about.
Instead of the usual bright, determined eyes - his ocean blue irises had been replaced by nothing but soullessness. There wasn't a thought in that head of his.
Perhaps, on the contrary, there were too many thoughts in his head. I would never have written it off as impossible.
"Why are you here?" I murmured, forcing myself to break free from the prison his gaze had trapped me in.
Enea looked back at the ground, brows furrowing as if he were fighting an internal battle.
He started subconsciously scratching his thumb with his index finger. Though, the red pockets on his thumb told me that it wasn't a new habit.
The majority of Enea's body was covered by the black cloak, but anywhere on his skin that was exposed was littered with all kinds of scars.
It was so unlike him.
"What happened to you?"
My questions again, remained unanswered. But I was getting impatient.
I clenched my fists against my will when all Enea did was breathe slowly, gazing in the distance.
"I need answers."
Enea shook his head this time, pulling the hood even tighter.
"Some things aren't meant to be answered, Mara."
I closed my eyes, breathing in deeply. I just needed to calm down.
"You once told me that you hide more from people than you'd like to," I recited.
Enea froze again, index finger no longer scratching at his thumb.
"Was that true? Is this something you're forced to hide, or something you hide purely because you think you know best?"
He opened his mouth briefly, turning to the side just enough for me to see his face.
His jaw fell closed again, and he blinked slowly.
"I'm serious." I crossed my arms. "You left with me with more questions than answers. I demand an explanation."
Enea looked around again. He had been doing so frequently.
"It's not that I don't want to tell you," he finally admitted.
Enea's voice was rougher than I remembered - as if he hadn't used it in ages. Maybe he hadn't. Part of me stung thinking he might have just been alone all this time.
"Why can't you?"
Enea whipped around, bright eyes growing wide. He looked terrified, looking around quickly like maybe someone was watching us.
He grabbed my shoulders.
"I don't have much time."
"Evidently," I rolled my eyes, pushing him away. "Definitely explains why you're dragging this out so long. Just answer the question."
He groaned out loud.
"Seriously? You don't get it?" He frowned. I simply shook my head, watching as he pouted.
"Obviously not. Explain it. Why are you so afraid of being seen?"
Enea pulled his clock around himself even more, like it might shield him from the dangers of the world.
He suddenly grew distant, mind fighting battles invisible to anyone else - including me.
"We don't have all day," I muttered. I tried so hard to get my heart to calm down. It wasn't working.
"I know, I know," Enea replied, looking over his shoulder again.
There wasn't a soul around us.
"Stop dragging it out."
Enea's mouth fell open, then closed again. He shook his head.
"SERIOUSLY," I said loudly.
"Okay!" Enea put his hands up.
"I thought it would have been obvious, Mara. If I'm still alive - why would I be hiding?"
"Cause everyone thought you were dead," I guessed, shrugging. "Wanted to keep yourself shrouded in mystery? I don't know, Enea!"
He narrowed his eyes in terror, as if trying to shut me up.
"Stop saying my name so loudly."
"Relax," I scoffed, "they already know who you are."
"Not the point," Enea hurried. "Look, I'm not supposed to be alive..."
"We've established that," I deadpanned.
Enea might have actually snapped my neck had it not been obvious that he did care, to an extent. Still, I didn't think I had ever seen anyone glare so hard.
"Everyone else thought I was dead," he narrated.
"Genius of the year right here," I rolled my eyes again.
"The Clessidra Rossa knows I'm not."
I stopped moving and stopped talking, trying to process what that meant.
"You're hiding from your clan..."
"Yes!" Enea whisper-shouted. He tried to pull the cloak even tighter. I didn't think it was possible.
It clicked in my head right as he said it.
"Mara... They're after me."