Ceremus left his mother's temple feeling heavier than he was when he had first arrived. Still worried, he visited Hael, as he did every day.
Ceremus' steps were heavy as he entered the chamber, his breath catching in his throat. He felt his heart break at the sight of Hael lying there, stuck in a deep sleep with no way of knowing when he'll awake from his slumber.
He clutched onto the linen bedsheets, his other hand gripping Hael's hand that had always held a comforting warmth, but was now cold. The room was silent save for the faint rustling of fabric, and the quiet hum of candle flames swaying in the drafty room.
He felt overwhelming regret and anger, directed not at Hael, his mother, or his circumstances, but at himself.
"I don't know how much longer of this I can take…what does your gender matter? Or my insecurities? I ran away like a coward, afraid of letting myself go, losing myself to emotions when you'd leave…I should have held onto you. I should have appreciated you more." He lamented as his eyes watered from pain.
"I was a fool…I never realized how lonely it could be without you here," he whispered. "Hurry and come back already."
He stared at Hael's face for a second longer before leaving the ward.
Meanwhile, Hael was face to face with a strange predicament of his own.
He opened his eyes, expecting the dim candlelight of Ceremus' chambers—but instead, he was greeted by an endless white void. Hael got up from the white bed made of soft linen he was lying on and walked out of the bare room. He walked along a long corridor but saw nothing but blank walls and a blank passage that seemed to lead to nowhere. He suddenly heard a sound. A deep, distant note resonated in the void. Then another. The sound of a harp, soft and beckoning playing in the distance. The sound of the music led Hael to a large room. Though it had the same white walls he had become accustomed to, this room carried a warm light unlike the dimness from before.
At the center of the room, seated before a golden harp, was a woman clothed in white. Her golden hair cascaded around her like a curtain. Hael could detect an immense energy coming from the figure, and the closer he got to them, the stronger the feeling was.
There was a certain familiarity he felt with the figure, but he couldn't quite place it. He ended up stopping just a few feet away from the figure when suddenly the music stopped and the figure turned their head to look at the young man. A gasp nearly escaped from his lips as he gazed upon her face. A delicate beauty, with the brightest and kindest eyes he'd ever seen. The woman smiled.
"Hello child." She said, her soft yet authoritative voice resounded in his ears, making him shiver from the sheer power her words held.
"I see you have strayed quite a bit from your path."
Hael furrowed his brows. "Who are you?" He asked.
Her smile deepened. "I am your creator, the one who shaped and fashioned you with my own hands, making you into my image. You are a part of me and I, a part of you." She said.
Her words puzzled the young man. "My creator?"
"Yes child. I have created you for one sole purpose. I created you to save the king from himself and to accompany him throughout his journey as his aid and precious companion, as prophesied."
Hael frowned. His frustration with her words grew, but his greater upset stemmed from his current situation. Before his eyes closed, he sensed his life force draining, understanding his impending death. He was confused; why was he dying while Ceremus was still alive and fighting?
"The words you speak… They hold no meaning to me," Hael's voice trembled, his hands curling into fists. "Your words have so many interpretations that they confuse me rather than comfort or enlighten me. Your so-called prophecies are dangerous. Telling me I will one day save a man from himself, becoming his guide, his companion, his second self and yet here I am, on the verge of dying, leaving that man all alone once again. What have I even accomplished? Why bring about my death when it will only hinder all the progress the man I love has made? Why give me this life if all you were going to do was snuff it out in the end?" His breath came ragged now, his chest rising and falling with fury. "I do not understand."
Kaleeso's expression softened as she looked at him. An extension of her own self. "Heed my words carefully, child. Though you may be fated to end up with your beloved, life's journey is not predetermined. You should expect the unexpected. The suffering you experience now is nothing compared to the joy you will feel later. Though you may be separated, your connection is not yet lost." She said as she waved her hand and the surrounding scenery changed.
They were now inside of her throne room, and Kaleeso sat on her chair. A large mirror appeared before the guard and its once clear image shifted and he could see not his own reflection, but Ceremus. His eyes widened as he approached the mirror, his hand grazing against the surface, longing to touch the man he was seeing, but could not do so as it was only an image.
Ceremus sat by his bedside, his head bowed, his fingers hovering over Hael's limp hand. His lips moved, forming words Hael could not hear.
Hael reached out once more, his fingers brushing against the glass. A sharp ache bloomed in his chest.
The king had a pained expression on his face, yet Hael could detect love and affection in his golden eyes as he regarded his inanimate body. The white-haired giant felt his heart squeeze at the sight. He was glad to know that Ceremus still cared for him, even at his deathbed. But it also hurt him to see him in pain.
He turned to look at the goddess, his eyes hopeful. "Will I awake from this slumber? Will I open my eyes again and be reunited with Ceremus?" He asked.
The goddess said nothing and her silence made Hael feel worried. Was this truly the end for him?
"…You will, but that will all depend on him." She said, pointing to Ceremus' image.
"Him?" Hael frowned.
"Yes child. Your beloved is the only one who can save you from your slumber. Once he finds what he needs, you shall awaken."
Hael turned back to look at Ceremus, the creases on his face deepening. "Just what is it he needs to find?" He couldn't help wondering.
"You can rest easy, child. Death has not taken you captive yet. Your body is merely in a deep slumber thanks to Somnus." She continued.
"Somnus?"
"The god of slumber."
Hael raised his brows in surprise, but before he could ask for more, the goddess lifted her hand to stop him. Her gaze lifted to the skies before letting out a sigh.
"I'm afraid our time together is coming to an end." She said as she directed her attention to the young man.
"What—"
"Worry not, child. I shall come to visit you in your dreams soon. Unfortunately, we must part for now."
As soon as those words escaped her mouth, the scenery changed, and darkness once more enveloped Hael.
But even in the darkness, his only love, Ceremus still consumed his thoughts.
Meanwhile in another realm, Dicaeus leaned into his throne, tapping his fingers against his temple as he watched the battle's end unfold. His lips twisted into a smirk—one that held neither mirth nor joy.
"How disappointing." His voice was a slow drawl, laced with mock amusement. "Neither king nor guard died."
One of his more competent minions approached the god, her expression cooled and measured. "Should we send another attack, to end those mortals once and for all?" she inquired, her tone impassive.
Dicaeus leaned into his chair, his face pressed against his palm as he thought about it. He exhaled, the smirk never leaving his lips. "No, no. No need to be hasty. After all, I've already taken something precious from him—consider it retribution."
His eyes gleamed, sharp with cruel satisfaction.
The minion inclined her head, revealing strands of red hair. "And Meliše? She failed to retrieve the weapon."
"Let her think she's safe." Dicaeus waved a hand dismissively. "It'll be far more satisfying to strike when she least expects it." The smirk then left his face as he fiddled with his hands.
"We can't be making any more moves lest we catch the attention of Anos. If he gets wind of this, I risk getting my domain taken away from me. I do not wish to become another Epistacles."