Eclipse

Chapter 17

★Elio★

There's something off with Dayton and I can't tell what it is. He was already awake when I got up, and he refused to talk to me. Well, he did, but not much. He told me that he was fine and just felt a bit nauseous. Trust me when I say that I have seen him nauseous. And that's a bit of an understatement. Let's just say that I threw away those clothes. And I am never comforting him in a time like that again.

I decided to just take a walk before I pestered him even more. That would just get him in a bad mood. I kept my head low and my hands stuffed in my pockets. My thoughts always seemed to shift back to Dayton and his bad mood.

Thankfully, though, I found a way to get rid of the thoughts at least for a little bit. The bad part is that it included running into a girl. Quite literally too.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" She said, holding her hood as to not reveal herself. She looked up at me as I apologized to reveal bicolored eyes. It seemed familiar. When she looked at me, recognition washed over her face. "I remember you!"

I tilted my head, trying to think of where we had met. "You do?" I mumbled, though it was more to myself than it was to her.

She nodded, pointing a finger up, as if to remember. "Yeah! You were working at Marel's stand not too long ago."

My eyes lit up. "Oh yeah! You're name is..." My voice drifted off, as I realized that I never actually got her name. "Actually, I don't think you ever told me."

The girl's eyes darted away before landing back on mine. "My name is Ana. House of Ernie."

I nodded. "Well, it's nice to meet you. Where are you headed today?" I smiled, happily ignoring how my cheeks heated as I spoke.

The two of us began walking slowly, Ana staying close by my side. "I guess I'm just out for a stroll. My sister got sick of me staying at the house, and I thought I would give her a break of raising me. So, here I am."

I glanced at the cobblestone walkway. At the golden light dancing from the lantern flames. "Older sister?" I asked, my voice light and cheery.

Ana nodded. "Yeah, she's only three years older than me, but she's raised me more than our mother could. And of course, when our parents died, she had to get married to Ernie." She paused before continuing, her voice lower than before. "I couldn't be more thankful for her."

I smiled just slightly, looking down at the pathway in front of me. "I wish I had an older sibling. My whole life, it was me, the royal guard, and my mother."

I could see Ana look at me from the corner of my eye. "What about your father?"

I shrugged. "I never knew him. He died when my mother was pregnant with me. An intruder. The man who was in charge of the household after that never got close to either of us, though."

Ana looked down. "Oh. I'm sorry for mentioning it." Her voice had darkened, singed with regret.

I waved my hand dismissively in front of me. "Oh, don't worry. I don't mind talking about it. My mom is the one that's more bothered by it. I try not to mention it in front of her."

Ana went silent for a moment. She stared off in front of her, likely considering something. I nudged her arm with my elbow. "Hey. You good?"

She looked up at me, her face seeming more serious than before. "Have you ever thought about leaving?" She asked.

I stared at her, expecting for her to continue. After a moment, I realized she wasn't going to. "W-What? You mean here?" I stumbled on my words.

She shrugged. "I mean, yeah. You can't tell me you've never thought about it before."

I smirked. "You know it's illegal, right? Going beyond the kingdom walls. They're there to protect us."

"From what?" Ana asked, and it took me a moment to realize that she was serious. She had stopped walking at this point, and I stopped as well.

I took a deep breath. We're not supposed to talk about it. She should know that! The other residents of the kingdom call it bad luck when they're mentioned. The... outsiders, I guess you could say. Even thinking about them makes me uncomfortable. I shook my head.

I continued walking. "We shouldn't even be talking about this right now. People will start to stare."

Ana took a moment to look at everyone before sighing. "I should probably get going." She mumbled. The way she said seemed like she was upset, or uncomfortable. I couldn't tell which one.

I stopped walking, but stood there, listening to her rush away. There's no way she really doesn't know, right? Every kid that's ever lived in this kingdom has heard the stories their mother tells them. The story about the outsiders and why it is so important to never leave the kingdom. And why no outsiders are allowed in here.

I looked up at the eclipse in the sky. I wondered if Moon knew the stories. Maybe she was one of the outsiders.

★★★

Sleep found me easily that night. The moment I laid down, I was out. I expected to dream of nothing. Or maybe to dream of fantasy or fighting. But no. I dreamt of her. And why? I have no idea.

White hair fell behind her. Behind Moon. Her white locks flowed in the wind as I watched from behind. Her back was turned to me. She sat beyond the palace walls, and I stood at the open gate. The gate was never open. I couldn't see her arms from here, but I knew she hugged her legs to her chest. Beyond her was a burning town, far in the distance.

I could feel my body walking forward. Moon didn't move. I found myself approaching her until I stopped right behind her. I reached my hand out to her shoulder, but right as my hand would make contact with her, the dream ended.

It shifted to another dream with no connection. I laid in bed, though it was the house of a retired nobleman, not a soldier. A woman laid with me. I was on my side, the woman had her head against my chest, curled in me. Her hair was raven black, her face was beautiful. And when she looked up at me, her eyes were bi-colored. I grazed my fingers along the skin of her bicep.

She leaned toward me, lifted herself with an elbow until her lips were placed just before my ear, and she whispered. "Are you falling in love?"

I whispered back. "What?" I heard myself ask in a confused whisper tone, not moving an inch.

She leaned back, looking me in the eye now. But she continued to speak in a lowered voice. "Are you falling in love? Is it against the rules. Or, your rules, Elio?"

I opened my eyes, blinking away the sleep. It took me a moment to notice what woke me. The blare of the morning horn. I groggily sat up, pushing back the dream to the edge of my mind, ready for it to fall off the cliff into what I call, Back-The-Fuck-Up land.

I quickly got dressed, ready to just say "fuck it" and walk outside naked. But I don't think anyone wants to see that.

"What's got you scowlin' like a little girl?" Dayton called out to me. I think I forgot about him. Correction, I don't think most people want to see that.

I shook my head, refusing to think of the girl any longer. "Nothing. It isn't important." I finished getting dressed and moved on, making my bed.

Dayton smirked. "Did you have a wet dream? Was it that girl, Ana?"

I flipped around, facing him. "How do you know about her? I thought you weren't there when I talked to her."

He rolled his eyes, starting on his bed as well. "Don't blow your load just yet, Arino Solten." He said that last part with sarcasm, specifying the fact that it will soon be illegal to fraternize. "The men talk, relax."

I rolled my eyes. "You would think they're a bunch of girls with how much they gossip."

Dayton smiled, but it didn't seem real. I knew what he was thinking. If one of them found out his secret, everyone would find out his secret. Well, secrets plural. And both of them will get him executed.