Obscurum

𝒐. in the dark

PROLOGUE  . . . in the dark

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MANY CENTURIES AGO, THERE WAS A COLD NIGHT. The wind swept past like an icy blade. Making the remnants of the autumn leaves shake and fall to the grassy plain below. The day animals had been replaced with those that dwelled in the darkness of the night, their calls sending chills down any man's spine. Yet calming to the mind of a young girl who made a habit out of walking through the forest at night.

Following the path she always did, she soon came to a clearing. Her bare feet feeling the brittleness of the dried leaves and the sleek grass as she trekked. Careful not to slip.

Moving a low hanging small branch out of the way of her head, a small figure that sat on an old stump was revealed to her. A mop of dark hair covering his eyes as he stared intently at what seemed to be his own shadow, created by the waning gibbous moon in the sky. It seemed he hadn't noticed her arrive by his unchanging position. But he knew she was there.

"What took you so long?" He asked without looking up.

The girl shook her head at his attitude. Clinging the thin blanket closer around her shivering frame, she went to sit beside him. It was just big enough for both of them to sit on.

Huddling closer to him she moved her arm to wrap the blanket around the both of them. He tried to shake it off, but an unamused glare stopped his movements entirely. It seemed she would not take no for an answer tonight, not that she ever did.

"I'm not cold." He brushed off, but nevertheless, he let her continue to drape one end of the blanket over him.

"You've been out here for at least an hour. Of course, you're cold. So shut up and stop resisting." She huffed as she focused her attention on a collection of rocks beside her feet.

Picking one up she felt the smooth but jagged edges, ignoring the wet dirt that was now transferring onto her once clean hands. It felt cold to the touch, but it warmed her soul. Nature truly was a gift from the Saints. A precious gift that should always be treasured, but sadly the incompetent few ignored nature's pleas for mercy.

"I thought you weren't going to come out tonight, you were taking that long." The boy sighed as he continued to stare at the shadow presented before him.

"They say 'patience is a virtue', Aleksander." She replied as she herself remained focused on the object she held in her palm. "If you keep staring at your own shadow like that, it's likely it will run off."

He knew she had a point, but he wasn't going to admit defeat that easily. He knew he had it inside of him. He just had to prove it. Having her by his side was a reminder of that, he knew he needed to prove his mother wrong. Most importantly he knew that he needed to remind the girl beside him of how strong he was. He wasn't weak, or useless. He was going to be the most powerful Grisha.

He just needed to work a few kinks out first.

But a light slap to the head managed to pull him from his intense concentration. "Ow. What was that for?" He asked, rubbing the injured spot to relieve any pain.

"You weren't listening to me. So I slapped you. Do you have a problem with that?" Sending the dark-haired boy an unamused look for the second time that night, but he could tell by the look in her eyes that she slapped him purely for her own amusement.

Glaring at her as he went back to his previous position, led him to the same fate. This time it was slightly more painful. But nothing too drastic.

Instead of encouraging her villainous behaviour he gave up on his endeavour and looked up at the moon as it slowly moved to be in front of them. He felt a weight over his shoulder as his friend leaned her head upon it.

"Do you ever wonder what it would be like? To live without light?" She asked randomly as she too looked up at the almost complete moon.

"I don't know. I've never really thought too much about it. But it's obvious you have, so tell me what's on your mind little Elm." He answered as he watched her move her side of the blanket closer to her chest, reminding her of the nickname he rarely called her anymore.

"Well, I think it would be very painful. Not just for us, but for the rest of the world. To live in eternal darkness, no light to alleviate pain and sorrow." She whispered as if silently hoping her words would never come to pass. "It would be lonely."

Her last words resonating with him.

Here he was trying to prove how powerful and strong he was, and he'd managed to dismiss the one thing that brought light to his ever-growing darkness. How could he be so foolish?

"Loneliness is a frightening thing." He continued for her as he intertwined their hands. "If we let it, it could make villains of us all." He finished, rubbing small circles on her knuckles with his thumb.

"Hopefully neither of us will have to find out." She mumbled as she felt the lack of sleep begin to overtake her.

Removing the blanket from his shoulders the boy adjusted it so that it once again found its home wrapped around the girl's frame. Adjusting himself gently to help her find comfort, watching her carefully as she succumbed to slumber. Moving a loose strand of hair that was trying to invade her slightly agape mouth, and he positioned it back in place.

He stared at her peaceful sleeping form for what seemed like forever. To him, it was like looking at a bright star. The constant fear of turning away for a split second and returning to find her light dying out, present in his mind.

"Let us only hope, Elowen." He whispered as he finally allowed his vision to return to the haunting shadow before him. He was scared for the future. For he knew he would never be as innocent as he once was. He knew what he would become. And he was terrified because he knew he would have to walk that path alone. But he wasn't ready for that, and he never would be. "For I don't know what I would do without your light in my darkness."

———  APOLLO SPEAKS  ———
My precious babies have returned!! It is safe to say that I could never stop loving this story, ever!! I just wish more people would interact with it 😭 it makes me wanna keep it to myself and never publish updates because people don't appreciate it as much as I do.