Sugar - Vessel / SleepToken ff

~ 31 ~

.<<• Jade •>>.

The morning had slipped into afternoon without my notice, the sun casting long shadows across the wooden floor of the cabin. I was lost in a haze of thoughts, wrestling with the heavy silence that enveloped me like a thick fog. Every sound outside seemed muffled, as if the world had been muted just for me.

Vessel's gentle tap on my shoulder broke through the fog, awakening my senses. I turned toward him, my movements sluggish. there was a weight in my gut, i had had it every since I woke from the last Sleep Trail. This weight had been taking a toll on me, it was something that made me move with a slower pace than usual.

But the second Vessel took my hand, his fingers rubbing it briefly, the weight vanished. His warmth seemed to be a cure for this feeling, though i still couldn't be sure about any of it.

The cup of coffee he had given to me was warm, the heat seeping into my hands. I felt... almost okay until he let go, and I felt that warmth slip away.

I caught a glimpse of his fingers, smudged with paint, and I couldn't help but yearn for more contact with him. Every brush of his skin against mine sparked that familiar feeling of comfort, one I was desperate to hold onto. he was my cure for the cold, the wight that dragged me down, the feeling that cursed my body to not function as normal. Before I could muster a word of gratitude, he turned away, his gaze fixed on the door.

"I have to speak with Sleep and tend to the village. I will be checking in on you, but please, try and get some rest, Sugar," he explained, the nickname hanging between us with many unspoken words. he obviously did it out of habit, but I liked to think he did it because he remembers.

"I can help," I replied, aware of the fact that I couldn't do shit in this state.

Vessel shook his head, his voice firm. "No, you must stay in this cabin. You are not to leave. Do you hear me, Jade?" His authoritative tone sent a shiver down my spine.

It was unexpected but I dare not refuse. Instead, I complied of course, feeling the thunder of his words settle heavy in the air.

As he stepped out, I was left in a cavern of my thoughts once more. this was his cabin I was in. The one i had not been allowed to leave for 2 days already. it was cozy but could not keep my boredom at bay.

Hours passed, the chill returning, creeping into my bones despite the blankets and the warmth of mid spring. The weight in my gut returned, turning my thoughts dark and murky. Thoughts of things that haven't crossed my mind since I was at my lowest. Memories that spiked up the worst kind of emotions. I felt myself drifting, slipping in and out of consciousness, a dissociative episode so bad that I began to pass out.

I was no longer in control of my body. rather I was a passenger as something deep in my soul took over and haunted me.

The isolation that I had been confined to obviously didn't agree with my head, though I had never experienced this before.

I slipped further to the darkness, almost giving in until the muffled sound of hurried footsteps paired with a familiar hand cradled the back of my head. I blinked away the haze to find Vessel's captivating hazel eyes staring back at me.

The contact bringing me back momentarily. I could almost taste the panic in his body as he rests a hand on my thigh, the warmth breaking a chain that held my consciousness down. the cold began to dissipate, and Vessel settled beside me on the couch, his bare, painted chest against my scrunched-up form, and I reveled in the comfort of his presence.

I felt his breathing become calm and my mind became clear. and just like that, the weight was gone once again.

"I spoke to Sleep," he said, his voice soothing.