Dust to Dust | ✓

-- || Until You Rot

"Stay here until you rot."

Obedience came naturally to him—it always had. He gave a solemn nod and sank into a seat against the rough stone the woman had thrown him at. His side still ached from the impact, and it was cold beneath him when he sat, its edges digging into his bones through the thin fabric of his pants. Still, he sat calmly, staring up at the woman's face patiently. Waiting for his next order.

It never came. The woman huffed, nostrils flaring, green eyes blazing, before she turned sharply and stalked away. She didn't look back and soon disappeared beyond his line of sight.

Still he sat waiting, waiting, and waiting.

But she never returned.

Like a doll discarded on the side of the road by some careless child, he sat perfectly still, collecting dust and unmoving. Waiting until someone else picked him from the rubble.

"Poor thing," a voice cooed, caressing his cheek as it coiled around him. "Have you always been this fragile?"

He looked down at his hands, small and innocent. The hands of a child. For once, they were clean, free of the oozing, sticky feeling of blood between his fingers. His scars no longer ached—had he ever had them in the first place?

"I don't want to be left behind," he whispered. But it was the truth already. The woman was long gone; he was alone.

"You belong to the Primordial Three now," the voice said. Invisible hands gripped his shoulders. "This vision of the past does not represent your future. As your flame succumbs to sleep, you will sink deeper into our embrace. We will never leave you, like your mother. Nor destroy you, like the Bright Soul. Nor forge you into a weapon, like your master. We will simply hold you until you can be held no more. Your scars will fade, your wounds will heal. All is well."

All is well, some unconscious part of him agreed, mind lulled by the constant pull of darkness at his back. He sank into it and let his eyes flutter shut.

"Felix."

Warmth snatched his wrist. It burned as it curled tighter around him, fiery heat sinking deep into his skin. His eyes snapped open, landing on a hazy face in front of him. Hazel eyes bored into him; a brilliant flame flickered in their depths. Mahogany curls framed a soft face, brows knitted together lips pinched in a frown. The red dress she wore glittered with threads of gold. Recognition flickered in the back of his mind, but he couldn't place why he knew her.

She was a flame, burning bright in the darkness all around him. Even the invisible figure behind him shrank away from her presence. Though the heat that radiated from her skin was dangerous, its touch was soft. She pulled his wrist, but his arm wouldn't move—held down by some weight, it seemed, but he couldn't tell. Everything was a mess.

"Hold on," she whispered. "The Bright Soul made a promise to you; she always keeps her promises. Swear that you'll wait for her."

"I'll wait for her," he agreed in a murmur. Obedience came naturally to him—it always had.

Hesitation flickered in her eyes, but she released him anyway. The flame vanished and so did the girl, drenching him in darkness once more. When he looked at his hands again, they were no longer small like a child's; instead, they were the scarred and worn hands of a man who wielded a weapon for many years. Not fragile. Not innocent. Certainly not clean.

"You do not have to make promises to her," the voice returned as its icy fingers dug into his skin. "You belong to the Primordial Three now, remember? Stay here with us. That is all we ask of you."

"I will stay," he promised, the words drawn automatically out of him. Ice bit into his wounds, pulling him apart at the seams. Obedience came naturally to him—it always had. To stay or to wait, it didn't matter which he agreed to. It was all the same.

He was still alone.

I know that chapter 11 was supposed to go up today, but unfortunately, I haven't been able to complete it T^T. Rather than extend the hiatus, I thought I would offer you guys this little interlude chapter. I'm not 100% sure that it will remain in future drafts but it was fun to return to Felix's head for a little bit, even if it's a little shaken right now. 

Chapter 11 will be out next time for sure. Thank you so much for your patience! I'm going to try my best to continue writing as I slog through the end of the school year...

See you next time!