Ocean Kisses

No News

keralis pov

Two months. Two long months since I'd last seen him. Since the day we surfaced from the ocean monument and everything felt like it shifted in a way I couldn't put into words. XB had disappeared back into the depths, into his world, and I hadn't heard from him since.

I understood, of course. He had a life of his own, a place among the guardians and the mysteries of the sea. But that didn't stop the worry from creeping in late at night or when I found myself staring at the ocean for far too long. It was as though I was waiting for those teal eyes to reappear, for the faint glow to break through the water's surface and remind me he was still out there.

It wasn't until I unpacked my gear that evening, two months ago, that I realized something was missing-my journal. The one filled with notes and sketches about ocean monuments, guardians, and the conduits. Everything I had learned, every observation I'd painstakingly documented, gone.

There was no doubt in my mind who had taken it.

XB.

I wasn't angry, not really. If anything, it only deepened my worry. Why would he need it? Was something happening in his world that I didn't understand? Or was it simply curiosity? Either way, I felt a strange sense of loss, like a part of me had been carried away with him.

I tried to go about my life, but it wasn't easy. Every time I passed by the water, every time the waves lapped at the shore, I thought of him. I thought of the way he moved so gracefully through the depths, how his teal eyes glowed with an intensity that felt almost otherworldly.

"Still staring at the water, huh?" Cleo's voice pulled me from my thoughts one day. She leaned against the railing of the dock, arms crossed as she watched me with a knowing look.

I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. "I can't help it. It feels like... I don't know. Like he's still out there, watching."

"Of course, he's out there. He's probably fine, Keralis," she said, though her tone softened. "You're not going to find him by sulking here, though."

"I'm not sulking," I protested weakly.

"Sure you're not," she replied with a smirk, giving me a pat on the shoulder.

"I'm not sulking, I'm just... worried," I muttered, my eyes still fixed on the endless expanse of water. "Those guardians should have been all over that monument when we were down there, but they weren't. And he seemed... nervous too."

Cleo chuckled softly, leaning her elbows against the railing as she turned her gaze to the sea. "I don't believe that for a second," she said, her tone light but with an edge of disbelief. "If he really wanted to, he could've hurt us all. That guy you're talking about? XB? He's absolutely terrifying. It'd be best just to stay away from him."

I turned to look at her, frowning. "Terrifying? He saved me. He's not a monster, Cleo."

She shrugged, her smirk unwavering. "Maybe not to you. But to the rest of us? A guy who looks like that, moves like that, and has guardians listening to him? Yeah, terrifying seems about right."

I shook my head, frustration bubbling to the surface. "He's not like that. You didn't see what I saw-how scared he looked, how vulnerable he was when we asked him about the guardians. Something's wrong, Cleo. Something he's not telling me."

"Maybe," she said, her voice softening just a little. "But you can't force him to tell you. And you can't keep staring out at the ocean hoping he'll pop up like some fairytale sea prince." She gave me a sideways glance. "If he needs you, he'll find you. Until then, you might want to start focusing on what's here, not what's out there."

Her words lingered as she straightened up, giving me a firm pat on the shoulder before walking away. I sighed, resting my arms on the railing and letting the sound of the waves fill the silence.

Terrifying? No. XB wasn't terrifying to me.

But maybe Cleo was right about one thing. If he needed me, he'd find me. Right?

I let out a long, tired sigh, the weight of worry and unanswered questions pressing heavily on my chest. My fingers instinctively found the necklace around my neck-a small token he'd given me before everything had gone silent. It was intricate yet simple, a smooth gem at its core now completely encased in tiny, delicate shells.

I turned it over in my fingers, the textures rough yet oddly comforting. The gem beneath the shells was hidden, almost forgotten, but I couldn't bring myself to break the shells off. I don't know why I didn't. Maybe it was because the shells felt like him-a piece of his world that he'd left behind, something fragile yet strong.

The thought of removing them felt almost sacrilegious, like erasing the care he'd put into it. The shells were a part of him, and as much as I wanted to see the gem underneath, I couldn't bring myself to disturb it.

"Why did you give this to me, XB?" I murmured softly, my voice barely audible over the sound of the waves. It wasn't just a question about the necklace. It was a question about everything-the guardians, the monument, his disappearance.

I closed my eyes, the necklace clutched tightly in my hand, and let the memories of those teal eyes and his soft, nervous smile wash over me. Whatever he was dealing with, I just hoped he was okay.