Waiting For Apricity

Chaper 5

That's news to me

I exhaled a breath, barely a whisper, as if the weight of his words had momentarily stolen the air from my lungs. "That sounds beautiful." The words escaped me before I could think to stop them, and yet, as soon as they left my lips, a wave of uncertainty crashed over me. Beautiful—it felt like a lie, a word too delicate, too soft to capture the truth of who I had become.

The name felt foreign, almost like a cloak too fine for my shoulders. It was a contradiction, a cruel reminder of the girl I had once been, before this twisted journey began. The girl who had learned to sleep to the sound of whispering darkness, the girl who wandered barefoot in tattered rags, wearing the scars of a world that had never shown mercy. How could I—she—be the warmth of the sun? How could that girl, broken and bruised, carry such a light?

An involuntary sigh escaped me, barely audible, as my chest tightened with a familiar ache. I tried to push the thought away, to bury it deep where it couldn't hurt me anymore. But it lingered, an unwelcome shadow that crept into my soul, twisting and turning, refusing to let me forget.

Karlaious leaned in, his presence so close now that I could feel the warmth of his breath against my skin. His voice dropped to a murmur, intimate, coaxing. "You are a beacon of light in this realm," he said, the words slipping past his lips like silk, smooth and comforting, yet holding a weight I could barely comprehend. "Your presence brings warmth, love, and hope. And I believe that with all my soul."

I stared at him, my pulse quickening under the intensity of his gaze. His words washed over me, sinking deep, but I couldn't escape the gnawing questions clawing at my mind. How could he see me like that? How could anyone?

The weight of his words didn't ease the confusion in my chest. The more I looked at him, the more questions grew in the spaces between us. Was it his father, the great King Amorphous, who had given me to Lunaria? Was she aware of my true origin all this time? Had she known what I really was, and yet chosen to let me live, to raise me in the safety of her arms, despite everything that was set in motion?

A fragile smile tugged at my lips, but it didn't reach my heart. It was as empty as the questions swirling in my head, the quiet panic that tightened around my throat. "I think I understand now... why you're here." My voice trembled, the words brittle with something I didn't want to acknowledge.

Karlaious's gaze flickered, and for a brief moment, there was something unreadable in his eyes, a fleeting shadow that passed before he stepped back, giving me space to breathe. But even as the distance grew, I felt the weight of his presence, the force of his belief in me, pressing down like a gentle weight I couldn't shake.

"I'm here because of you," he said, his voice steady, though there was an edge to it now, something darker that I couldn't quite place. "You may not understand it, Apricity, but your existence means more than you could ever know. I'll protect you, no matter what."

"What do you mean, you're here because of me?" The question slipped from my lips before I could stop it, my voice trembling slightly, betraying the disbelief that rippled through me. I tried to read his expression, but it was an impenetrable mask—too guarded, too controlled, a fortress that held everything locked inside.

"It's true," he whispered, his voice oddly calm, as if the chaos around us didn't touch him. It was unsettling, like he had already made peace with the storm that threatened to consume us. "I was sent to guard your existence. But I showed myself to you because... you might be what my people need."

The weight of his words hung between us, dense and suffocating, wrapping around my chest like a cold vice. And for a brief, fleeting moment, he smiled at me. Not the usual teasing smirk, not the playful grin he wore so often, but something softer, almost tender. A genuine smile, one that seemed to crack open the sharp, unforgiving edges of his features. It was a smile that felt like a promise, or maybe a warning—but it was a smile that made me want to believe in something I wasn't ready for.

I opened my mouth, intent on responding, but before I could find the right words, the earth beneath our feet trembled again. The ground buckled as if the forest itself was shifting, groaning under some unseen weight. My heart leaped into my throat, my body instinctively tightening as I staggered slightly, the violent motion almost throwing me off balance.

"What's happening?" My voice cracked slightly, thick with fear, as the trembling intensified. My pulse hammered in my ears, and the world around us seemed to contract, pressing in from all sides.

Karlaious didn't answer immediately. His eyes darkened, narrowing, becoming hard as stone. The air itself seemed to grow thick and oppressive, a weight that pressed down on my chest, making it hard to breathe. There was something unnatural about it, something wrong.

And then, from deep within the shadows of the trees, came the cawing of crows. Their cries were sharp and discordant, harsh against the silence that had swallowed the forest. The sound made the hair on my neck stand on end, and a shiver crawled up my spine. The usual whispers of the forest were gone, replaced by an eerie stillness that felt far more suffocating than comforting. And then, in the distance, I heard the low, primal roars of creatures—beasts lurking just beyond sight, hungry and furious. My pulse quickened, and fear coiled in my gut like a living thing, gnawing at my insides.

"We're being watched, aren't we?" I whispered, my voice barely audible, trembling with the weight of the unspoken truth. My legs felt rooted to the ground, but my body moved of its own accord, instinctively pulling closer to Karlaious, as if seeking some kind of protection, some comfort in the midst of the storm.

Karlaious smirked, but it was sharp, jagged, and cold. His eyes—those silver eyes that usually held a playful, almost mocking glint—were now distant and calculating, distant from the playful man I had come to know. There was no warmth left in them. "Obviously," he said, his voice low, like the growl of a predator sensing danger.

A chill swept through the trees, the cold cutting straight through my clothes, biting at my skin like icy fingers. I could feel the temperature drop, and with it, the certainty that we were no longer alone. Whatever had been watching us—it wasn't going to wait much longer.

I grabbed his arm, urgency flooding through my veins. "Come on... we have to get out of here." My heart pounded in my chest, a rapid, erratic beat that drowned out everything else. The forest around us seemed to be closing in, its edges blurring, its shadows lengthening as if something were moving toward us with purpose.

Karlaious didn't hesitate. His hand found mine, pulling me forward with a fluid, graceful urgency. He moved with the kind of speed and precision that only a creature born of shadows could. But even as we ran, the weight of his words lingered between us, heavy and relentless. His people needed me. The thought was like a stone lodged in my throat, choking me with questions I wasn't ready to ask, answers I wasn't ready to hear. What did that mean? What was I supposed to be to them?

But there was no time for questions now. The air itself felt charged with something dangerous, and the world seemed to be unravelling at the seams. Whatever was watching us—whatever was waiting in the darkness—was closing in. There was no more time for answers. No more time for understanding.

There was only one thing left to do. Run.