Black Crescent Bay

drowning in destiny

A/N:

SHE ACTUALLY GOES TO CLASS IN THIS ONE!!! I'm just as shocked as you guys.

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Of course I dreamt of him. I couldn't get him off my mind, and I guess my brain took that as a sign that it had to convince me to fall in love with him. It only made me hate him more.

But the dream was different this time.

The water was freezing. There was ice sludge floating all around us, and the ocean was thick like syrup. As if it was trying really hard not to let itself freeze.

He was in front of me. His tail curling around mine, and all six of his eyes were peacefully closed. He had this stupid smile on his face. A content one. Like he couldn't feel my contempt.

"Is this real?" I vaguely remembered that he could see these dreams too. That he actually enjoyed them. That maybe he'd remember everything I said.

He didn't answer just moved his fingers delicately through the water. His body swayed back and forth in slow motion, as if he was enjoying the gentle movement of the waves. They were lulling him to an even more peaceful slumber.

"Do you smell that?"

My eyes widened, and I tried to pull my tail away from his. What was he getting at anyway?

He hummed at his own question before I could diagnose him as a delinquent.

"The underwater flora, the ice, the smoke and the stones and the sand," his eyes opened just slightly, "It's Endstone. I haven't been home in so long, but... I can still remember it."

He finally opened his eyes and set my tail free from the grip of his. I hadn't even realized tails could be that strong. He swam upright and pointed downward with a smile.

It was only then that I registered the glow of warm lights. My breath caught in my throat as my eyes adjusted to the city. Skyscrapers that were so tall I couldn't see the ground floors. They stretched deeper into the black abyss, barely breaking apart the darkness.

"Wow..." I couldn't stop myself. My anger nearly washed away with the water. Just almost, and just for a second I let myself enjoy the view.

"There," I looked to where he was pointing and there stood, far from the vast lights, an octagonal building made of black gems with glowing swords blocking the entrance like a fence. "That's where I was trained and gained my rank." His voice was warm with memory. 

A far-off bell tolled. Once. Twice. Thrice. I didn't have the time to spot it before he grabbed my hand and pulled me deeper into the abyss. Down onto the bejeweled stone road, we were in the midst of stores that look half-blown to shit and others that looked like they were in the middle of reconstruction. 

"What happened here?" I asked. 

He looked around as if he hadn't noticed the state of his home. "Oh, just... Years of war. It's over now, but it's going to take a while to build everything again. It's much worse in the North, though. This is the city that still has the most standing." He looked proud, with his smolder and his half-closed eyes, and looked down at me like I should be impressed. 

"Come here." 

He pulled me further into the city. I was surprised nobody was around. It was empty, completely abandoned it seemed. Even Hollowfaye, a city with no stores open after 11 PM, has people running about and up to no good all hours of the night. 

We walked for a long time, and each building we passed was more distraught than the last, but every time I looked up at him, he seemed as though he was drinking it all in. Like his cup would never be full of this place. Like every place he looked gave him an immeasurable amount of serotonin. He loved it. I wondered what it was like to be that connected to a place. To truly feel like you belonged somewhere. 

Finally, we stopped. I didn't know you could get tired in a dream. But my heart was pounding and my fins were exhausted from the activity and my lungs, despite being able to breathe in the water nowadays, were still struggling with the strain of the thickness of the ice and the sludge. As if the swim had been completely uphill and the water was solid.

But we were in the dead center of the city. In the center of the city square, where stood tall and strong in front of us was a moonstone statue of a woman. In her right hand was a sword carved out of black stone, held up high above her head, not in violence or like she was ready to strike. But like the battle was won and she'd helped lead them to their victory. Below her other hand was a big dog, with vicious teeth, somewhat in front of her as if it'd protect her from every danger in her path. Her hair was carved lightly and fluidly like it was flapping in the wind all around her.

It was her face that stuck out the most. They'd carved a tear on her cheek. And her expression was almost haunting. Relief, gratitude, and a deep, profound, harrowing sadness. It wasn't an easy war. She'd lost much. She'd sacrificed more than some could fathom just to be standing there, terrified of what would happen now. But she was finally free. Maybe that was all she'd wanted.

"Sybil. The Petulant Warrior, overcome by so much guilt over her deceit that the only way she could forgive herself was by saving our world." He whispered and turned to me, "Her people." 

"She looks so young." 

He nodded, "And she fought her whole life. For her love, for her people, for her freedom. This was the end of the war, and when things finally started to change for her. She returned to her soulmate soon after, but he still had to fight to have her."

"Why?" 

He sighed and let go of my hand, "He'd just accessed the throne as King... Of the vampyres. It was a different time for them, a different culture. He was expected to keep his bloodline pure. No vampyre ruler before him had ever had a mate who wasn't a vampyre. He loved her, of course. But he feared what the response would be. Even after she was deemed a war hero. It was one thing to appreciate all she'd done for Iyael, but to marry her, to have accepted her into the bloodline... That's a different story." 

"They loved each other though? So who cares what the people of old have to say?" 

"He did. He cared very much. But he did love her. There was still a stigma about sirens after the war. It didn't all go away after the proof of the deceit. And the part she played in the lies still followed her everywhere." He reached for my hand tighter, "That's the sad part of the story though. Not the end. They found each other, and were reunited as soon as the moment was right." 

I looked down at his fingers in mine. The pale white scars glowed in the moonlight. There must be a reason why he was sharing this with me, showing me all this. 

"Why are you telling me this, Feilim?"

He let out a shaky breath, but he didn't look at me. He stayed staring at the war hero. He wasn't looking at her though. Looking through her. He was avoiding my gaze.

"Because they were scared too. Scared of what the stars had in mind for them, and they tried for so long to deny what was in store for them." He clenched me tighter. "I don't know about us, and I know neither of us was expecting this or even wanted this right now. But they know as well as anyone that we can't fight destiny. You and me, whether it's now or after I've left and after you've gotten everything you've ever wanted, we will find each other again. And it will feel like the only thing that's right in the world."

My heart stopped in my chest. But I hated him. I knew I did. I couldn't remember for what. Not now. I knew I'd remember as soon as I awoke. But in that moment, my throat tightened, and I squeezed his hand tighter. I knew deep down that he was right. 

Something was telling us we belonged together. If not in the real world, then here. 

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A/N: 

hello children. here's the new update. i hope it ate. and if it ain't. 

wot you gonna do about it?

xoxo,

handmaidenofvenus

venus-in-fleurs