Eclipse

Chapter 22

★Dayton★

Something's off with Elio. Ever since he arrived back at the barracks, he avoided eye contact with anyone except for Ciyto Wixx. Instead, he's been sparring with him for the past hour. Well, sparring is a bit of an understatement.

I watch, leaning against a tree with my arms crossed as he flips him once again, Casimir's head smacking against the ground, groaning as he faces the sky. He holds his stomach, having gotten many blows there.

"Again!" Elio yells at him, fists clenching as he waits for Casimir to stumble to his feet. Without giving him so much as a few seconds to stabilize himself, he's swinging again, his fist just missing Casimir's face after the Ciyto leaned back just in time.

Elio steps forward, his fist flying once again for his face before I interject, grabbing his fist in my palm. His eyes meet mine and I see something beyond anger in them. I recognize that same look, though there's no way to explain it other than pain. Deep and utter pain.

I glance over at Casimir, motioning for him to leave. He did, scrambling away. I look back at Elio, his hand now dangling at his side. His face was shadowed in guilt and shame. I never see him like this. He's always positive. He's the one telling me to cheer up.

He clenches his fists before speaking lowly, so only I can hear him. "Why do I care so much?" His voice trembles, on the verge of cracking. He seems as if he might cry any moment now. "I barely even know her. So why do I feel so..." his voice drifts off, searching for a word before he finds it and continues. "I feel so gravitated toward her."

I don't know what to say. I can only assume that it's about Ana, the girl from town that he's been fawning over. Instead of trying to say something, I stepped forward and pulled Elio into a hug. One in which he accepted graciously. He nuzzled his face into my shoulder, and only then do I feel the tears dampening my shirt.

I don't let go of the hug. I wait for him to be okay enough to do so himself. And he doesn't for a while. I can only imagine how many guys are watching, but I choose not to acknowledge it.

Finally, after a few minutes of just holding him, Elio pulls away, his tears now dried on his face. He doesn't meet my eyes, just stares down at his feet. I look around, expecting to see the other soldiers watching. But instead, they all seem to be avoiding looking our way. Instead, the only person watching is Arino Lidin, a look on his face that doesn't make sense. An expression that doesn't come from a man who holds so much power over everyone. Guilt.

★★★

I look over at Elio as I slide the hood of my cloak over my head. I'm wearing my hair down again, a subtle symbol to remind Massimo that I'm not exactly a saint either.

I'm about to leave when I stop to look back at Elio again. He's awake, he has been for hours, but he won't say a word. He never did after the hug. He's just staring off into space. Whatever happened with Ana hit him hard, even though he doesn't exactly know why. It seems he grew more attached in those two interactions than he'd thought. Maybe it was the slight amount of hope. Or maybe it's something different. I can't stop thinking about the way he said gravitated. It seemed... different, in a way.

I shake my head, trying to stop thinking about it. I whisper a goodbye to Elio before leaving the tent, hoping that no one else sees me. Praying that Arino Lidin doesn't catch me.

I close the flap behind me, glancing around. I walk toward the cobblestone street, the lanterns being my only light. I adjust my hood, keeping my head down. I make it to the street, looking down at the weeds growing in between the cracks. I try to walk quietly, knowing that I'm not supposed to be out here. It made me question why I was even doing this in the first place.