THE destination | the Rebel & the Seeker

Chapter 1

We go through life
So sure of where we're heading

And then we wind up lost
And it's the best thing that could happen...?

Still half asleep but enough awaken to remember where he is, Dian covered his eyes with his arm.

"Oh Dian...you had to come half of the world to..." Waking up in hotel's room, same decoration like the one which key he had in pocket of his pants, now laying on the floor. Dian pressed his lips when a tempting feeling flashed across his body by one of the recent memories. Better to open the eyes and face the morning light than watch the flashbacks behind his closed lids.

He lifted himself a bit up and leaned against the bed's head. May it be just one of those dreams again...? Dian sighed inside himself. Everything since he landed by chance on this emerald island felt like a dream - or at least like it was not real.

Was it the flourishing nature, the mysterious olive tree forests present everywhere, the divine light that was different from other parts of the world...? The peaceful nights with calm dreams that he did not experience anywhere else? Or was it the local people, full of energy when talking and celebrating, calm when taking their afternoon nap, never being in hurry and proclaiming in every possible situation how they cherish living on this island?

Has the island been chosen by antique gods to be the last shelter? For the humans? For the gods themselves? Or is it simply the nature and the folks that filled the air with lazy thrill, available to anybody who was willing to accept it...?

However, the tranquil breathing of somebody sleeping on the other half of the bed was giving him a proof of the reality.

Dian secretly looked at the face of the sleeping young man, a human personification of a Greek god, always bursting with energy. But right now, he was calm and relaxed. Dian almost lifted his hand to wipe away the naughty hair from his forehead... just to make the picture perfect.

Hard to believe that only few hours ago, this boy was the catalysator for any secret wish that Dian might have intimated.

Dian rather quickly looked away because, again, he was returning to last night's events like a butterfly attracted to the light.

So, when will the post-coital tristesse hit? What will it look like between them after this long night?

Dian shook his head to end the irritating thoughts. Better not to think too much. They both wanted it. They both enjoyed it. A lot. Now the Rubicon was crossed. They will cope with the new reality in a way or another...

The world is big enough, they do not need to meet never again if they...do not want...

But as Dian is learning to be honest to himself, he could not ignore that genuine sadness he felt deep down...the feeling when he thought about the possibility that it all might have ended here.

His confused emotions made him decide to leave before Thanos wakes up. But even despite the hurry, he allowed himself one last furtive memory before he finally slipped out of the comfortable white bed and picked up his scattered things as silent as possible.

Soundlessly he pulled down the hotel's bathrobe he was sleeping in. For an instant the pink dawn light could rest on the soft skin of his athlete-shaped body. Just few seconds more and the pale boy would make the goddess Eos fall in love with him.

Hearing that Thanos was about to wake up, Dian quickly put on his cloths, checked that his room's key is still in his pocket and hurriedly disappeared from the room.

In the corridor, for a moment he was blinded by the light of the breaking dawn. The hotel was situated up in the silver-green hills of Corfu, but since they arrived at twilight yesterday, he did not realize they are on the east coast of the island. The prominent fifth floor with its private lobby provided a luxurious view to guests that were lucky enough to book these rooms.
The picture would be stunning enough even without the awakening glorious Helios, incarnation of the life-giving Sun.

Staring at this wonder of nature, Dian got lost himself in his thoughts for a while. He never saw the sun rising up in Bangkok, even though he was often up much earlier. Actually, he cannot remember he ever lifted up his eyes to look at the sky when he lived in the city. Is the dawn so beautiful in Thailand as well? He never took time to slow down and get out of the bustling town to watch it... Go to work, go home, sleep, work, home...

But the time cannot be stopped and after 7 years in "the industry" an opportunity opened for him to get away from all what defined his life since he was 15 years old.

He left his fans heartbroken but he was sure, since he saw it by other actors or singers, that by now they should have already found another idol to follow and look up to. And after one more year they will forget him for good.

Especially when he blocked out all his social media accounts... out of sight, out of mind and heart. It just needs time.

So here he is, literally half of the world away from his homeland, blown to this island by gods' whim - as ancient folks would call the bad weather.

Destiny or karma...?

Is it important at all...?

Will another country or more time bring the answers he is waiting for? Maybe it was foolish to expect that he could set new goals in his life just after a few months. Or that he could find out what he would love to do in next years, decades, rest of his life...

The truth is that this whole impetuous journey should have one purpose only. Nothing more and nothing less.

He just needs to find himself.