Radiance: Part One

V7: Perspective

Vyrik found himself in the uncomfortable aura of the grey that made up the soul of the Void. He was familiar with it's essence, at this point in his life, and it didn't unnerve him nearly as much as it had before.

"There is no longer any need for theatrics, with you." the familiar voice called out to him.

"I find myself quite nonplussed by it." He shrugged in his subconscious.

"Lust is rather useful, in certain situations. This isn't one of them- but, you knew that."

"It would be irresponsible to give in, just now," he nodded. "I know I'm not the most patient individual, but it would be absolutely detrimental to everything. I can keep my emotions separate, or at least, I can pretend."

"Steel yourself, prince." the voice seemed to sigh.

"That's an ambiguous way to respond..."

"Ambiguity is the life blood of all that I am. How does one call into the void, all that is and isn't, all that will be and has been, and expect to hear what they'd like to in response? Awfully selfish of you to think it's that easy. You are at the beginning of your life. You think your beloved is naïve-  age doesn't speak for experience level. Your childhood was plush, you can not fathom what life on that planet could have been like, people stacked on top of each other just to survive. You've let yourself become comfortable- this is neither good or bad, but you must acknowledge it. You need to view things from an alternate perspective. I'm only telling you what you already know."

"I needed to hear it." Vyrik sighed, defeat heavy in his chest. "But are you saying that rather than needing me to guide her, it's the opposite? Help me to understand."

"In a partnership there is not a leader, you work together. You lean on one another for support, you ebb and flow with each other. You give and take to and from each other. You guide each other- there are things you couldn't possibly be familiar with that they could write tomes about, and things you've mastered that they have never heard of. You are two individuals, somehow connected through the unfathomable web of the cosmos. When fate speaks, her voice rings above all others. Question her not."

"That makes sense. Lyda is certainly my equal. I could never handle...so much death. I can't understand how something so devastating could just be so...normal. I understand, of course, as much as I can- and I, more so than the majority of my people, but..." Vyrik grasped for words but couldn't find anything that fit.

"Tell me this, prince; Do you want people to pity you, for your mother? Do you want people to treat you differently because of that part of your existence? Do you let that part of your life define you?"

"N...no." He wanted to shake his head. "I only want to be treated like I matter. Like everyone else...I don't even want this title...I...are you telling me that I shouldn't define her by the death that surrounds her?"

"Is that not exactly what you were told? ...Memento Mori." He could almost feel the void shaking an unseen head.

The more the ship filled with milling bodies, the more the days began to blur by. After the ambiguity of his dreams, and the way his mind seemed so detached from reality, Vyrik was keen on just letting things progress. He'd begun to avoid Lyda in the halls, only keeping contact with her in a professional manner- just enough distance to keep himself sane. It wasn't a weakness he cared to confront. Not yet.