103 | ghosts; a sacrificed dreaming

Three people—one man, two women—crouched outside an empty house, animal skeleton masks resting over their faces. With the fog wrapped around them, they seemed suspicious and creepy.

In front of them, two identical women stood, their long, silky white hair flowing to the ground as their feet hovered delicately above the ground. Their skins seemed to shimmer with a sheen of glitter, one a pale purple, the other a light pink.

The pink woman's eyes narrowed into the fog, a disapproving frown curling her pink lips. "I don't approve of this, sister."

The lavender woman laughed lightly, a weave of purple threads spilling and connecting from her finger, slowly dripping to the ground. The purple silk spilled to the ground and ran towards the house, slipping in the cracks.

"It has been three years, longer for us. You know the rules. Our interference will forbid us from returning for some time."

Despite her sister's warnings, the lavender woman shook her head gently. "I wondered why he hadn't contacted me in so long. But several times, I have felt the pull of his regretting soul, inching closer to our Hall."

"It is not our responsibility to care."

"I can feel it though, sister." Her eyes flickered to the group of masked humans, and she smiled. "I can feel you too—the depths of your guilts and regrets. The hopelessness intertwined with hope."

Her gaze settled on each of the three. "Guilt and regret seems to be the most prominent emotion, so deep, I taste it in the back of my throat."

The woman with a bird mask scrunched her freckled nose. "That sounds unpleasant."

"It isn't. The emotions, that is what makes you living." Her smile remained pleasant, but her eyebrows furrowed slightly as a lavender glow continued to spill from her fingers. "I am curious too, what you regret, why you are so guilty."

Niklas leaned back, thoughtfulness in the depth of blue eyes. "I wonder too, beautiful faeries, why you came to me first to help him."

"I love the world of the living."

"And from what I've heard, that in helping us, you may not be able to return for some time. As a punishment, I'm guessing?"

"You're skeptical."

Niklas paused, and he smiled helplessly. "I can't slack off when it comes to that fool we're dealing with. I won't make my mistakes twice."

The rose woman scowled, her eyes narrowing sharply. "You dare to suspect my sister's goodwill when your fate is the most twisted of three?" Fine strings seemed to cross over her beautiful eyes, a glow of gold threads. "You, who is destined to outlive all."

Holly spun her head in disbelief at Niklas. "Come on? What? You're immortal, why didn't you say so?"

"No," said Niklas quietly. "She just means I'll outlive you. All of you."

"Sister," said the lavender faerie softly. "I thought you didn't enjoy telling people about their fates."

"I don't like telling people when they'll die—because that distorts fate. Telling this human what he already knows will not change anything. I don't like that he doubted you."

Niklas, the charming man he was, simply smiled silently.

The lavender faerie smiled too, her eyes softening. "I can understand your doubts. They stem from love; just as my sister defends me. I'm willing to help for the soul that weeps for this child, and all those who wish yo save him, including you."

Purple continued to grip from her fingers, and the light pulse of colour around her body seemed to dim as well. "I grieve too, for the tragedies that binds my friend, every time it seems like he's about to escape."

The woman wearing a ram's mask looked up. "Thank you. To the both of you." Then, she turned to Niklas. "But was this the right choice, Niklas? To choose Noah, knowing where they currently stand—"

"It has to be Noah. I hate to say it, but Kaden is resistant to all of us. He's unwilling to accept help, foolish and ridiculous as he is. But Noah is a factor of unpredictability; if its him, I believe that he can survive in the castle."

"How much time does he need to buy?"

"It's hard to say. Things have changed far too much for me to be able to predict things anymore, Pres."

Holly lowered her eyes, biting her lip. "We have a direction now, don't we? We're not just mindlessly looking around. The journal is missing, but if we can find it, we can find out the cause for all the Creatures of Distortion across the Kingdom. In doing that, will we be able to help Kaden?"

Niklas smiled bitterly. "I don't know, Holly. But for some reason, I feel a little confident that our investigations may have a connection to him, somehow."

Nicola sighed softly, her slender fingers lacing together. "I wonder, however. Even if we uncover the truth and free Kaden—can he ever be free of himself? Can we really save him?"

"...I don't know that either, Pres."

The three fell silent, a sense of helplessness pressing down their shoulders.

Then, Niklas tilted his head and a crooked smile spread across his face. "Hey, but maybe we can rope in Noah, and try again."

Nicola laughed, thinking of something. "Perhaps."

Only Holly frowned in confusion. "What? Rope in Noah for what? Hey, don't leave me out!" She shook Niklas aggressively back and forth, and he faked ignorance, winking over at Nicola who smiled.

The lavender faerie watched them fondly, giggling at their antics. Then, she turned to her sister. "The house is ready."

The pink faerie clicked her tongue impatiently. "Fine. If you regret this later sister, even I cannot reverse your actions. Everything has been set for them—I'll retrieve them now."

She turned, the fabrics of her dress flowing as one leg entered the fog—and then the space distorted, and a flutter of pink petals drifted to the ground.

———+++———

Kaden knew something was strange the moment he stepped through the open doorway, the cloud of fog spilling inside and crowding the entire space. The door swung shut behind him, and the pink light he'd been following disappeared into the gloom.

On the outside, it appeared to be a regular house, worn by memory and slightly isolated. But he felt oddly aware of the space around him, expansive—too expansive.

Unable to turn back, he started to walk through the fog, his heeled boots loud on the stone ground. He looked down and saw running cracks in the glimpses of the floor he caught.

Stiffing. Kaden pulled at his collar, passing a white pillar, then another. It was ancient, a chain of leaves wrapped around, deep cracks near the bottom that ran up.

Undoubtedly, he knew, this was strange. The interior was endless, and no matter how far he walked, he reached no ending. This was not the same house he'd followed the glowing light into.

This was a new space, dimension. Endless halls, endless white pillars.

His heartbeat quickened, chasing to his steps that hastened. Kaden tugged at his collar again that was already loosened, panic tingling the soles of his feet.

Was this another delusion?

One so grand, even he couldn't tell the difference?

The sound of footsteps, light and running, echoed beside him and he swung his head as the fog parted in his line of sight, revealing a spiral staircase.

A woman ran down it, her flowing golden curls floating behind her, a pale pink dress delicately hanging over her exposed shoulders. There was a softness to her step, a gracefulness, like a delicate butterfly.

Her head seemed to look up slightly, face obscured by her hair. But Kaden caught the curve of a gentle smile.

He started to run.

The fog parted around him, and he didn't know where he was going, or if he even should. Did he have the right to chase this delusion, this ghost that haunted him? Did he have the right to cling to the memory of the woman he'd killed?

He stumbled, tripping on his feet as he fell down the stairs that appeared out of nowhere. He slammed into the railing, clutching the side to prevent his continuing tumble.

His chest heaved, and he moved to stand up. A softness pressed under his foot and the pale green eyes widened, feeling the wet and malleable sensation of flesh pressed under his legs.

Kaden flinched and scampered back, his hand pressing into something sticky.

His eyes darted, and there were several more bodies scattered across the spiraling staircase, all staring at him, all unforgiving even after death.

Bile rushed up his throat, acid burning. These were the ones Reed had ordered him to kill, all those traitors.

He ran down the stairs, nearly tripping on one of the bodies.

Kaden ran, and ran, and he didn't know when it was that he fell to his knees, pressing his entire weight against a pillar as he heaved. The food he'd eaten spilled onto the stone floor, and he stared at his hands covered in red.

His clothes, his skin, his hands—he gagged, and thought that he'd throw up red as well.

An object flew towards the air and struck Kaden's head, jerking him sideways. Then, cough up red he did, blood splattering across the white stone grounds. He turned, raising his arms to block another strike of the cane, fear rushing up his arms.

He remembered, that Room, the canes, the beatings. Endlessly; helplessly.

He kicked his feet off the ground, and slammed his assailant to the ground as a long cane clattered, skidding away from them both.

A burning and vicious gaze stared at him.

"Come on, Niklas," jeered the man venomously. "Here to kill me in the after life as well, aren't you, dear friend?"

Kaden's pupils constricted and contracted as he took in the person before him, solid under his fingers, but unnaturally cold. "Richard Halls."

"You made a fool of me, Kaden Chauvet. If you're here joining me in the after life, I'll make you repent for the sins of playing with me."

Kaden blinked, and blinked. Then, he swung his legs off and started to walk away. Richard called after him, yelling, screaming. "Don't you leave! You killed me, stupid dog of the royal family!"

Kaden stopped, his eerie gaze calmly fixating on the other man. "I killed you," he smiled, a kind smile resembling that false persona he'd acted. "Because you deserved death, Richard."

"What I did was for my survival!"

"You did more than survive—you condemned others to death for money."

He remembered it. He remembered it well. Why was everything else a hazy dream?

"That was survival," growled Richard, no longer needing to play a gentleman in the world of the death—if this was where they were, although neither knew. "In order to live in this society! Do you think I never knew my own insignificance? The rich rule the world!"

Kaden's eyes narrowed into slits, coldness steeping in his voice. "You chose to commit your crimes. And this was your due, and if not at my hands, it would've been at another."

"So this is your true nature, hah!"

"And this is yours."

Ugly and wretched, a miserable human that clung to the riches and luxurious of life. Fearful of being stripped from position, lacking all refinement of the highest ranking nobles—the nobles that Richard Halls longed to belong to.

At least Kaden knew his sins, his repentance. He was no innocent bystander; even here, in killing Richard and playing the role of a friend.

Kaden had no interest in continuing the conversation, his footsteps smearing blood on the ground as he walked away.

Richard called after him once more. "Niklas!"

Kaden did not turn, and the man's voice changed again, almost helplessly hopeful. "Were all our conversations false?"

An answer did not come, and soon, the fog consumed Richard into another ghost of memory. Kaden's chest squeezed, and it hurt to breathe. Where was he, where was this?

He went down another flight of stairs—did it lead up or down?

Ahead, the fog parted slightly once more, and Kaden narrowed his eyes and wondered what ghost he would see next. A little girl curled against a pillar, and his eyes widened. He froze on the spot.

Space seemed to distort around him, and he was suddenly standing on a higher platform; the little girl further below, curled against a pillar. To reach it, he'd have to jump off the ledge.

Hypnotized, Kaden took another step forth, and then he was walking. Closer and closer to that ledge, to where she remained lonely and cold.

As he was about to step off, a hand roughly grabbed him by the collar and yanked him back. The man's strength was great and Kaden wasn't weightless, and the two fell backwards.

His body felt the pulsing heartbeat, the warmth of the living. He jumped off quickly, leaping to the side.

The other man slowly pushed himself up, leaning against his knee as dark, endless black eyes narrowed. He stared, and Kaden swallowed, the exposed portion of his neck rolling. The fog seemed to fade, around them, and he swung his head back to the little girl.

"Don't bother." The dragon's voice remained cold, indifferent. "That isn't the little girl you killed."

He said it so calmly, Kaden stiffened.

Noah walked over, long legs quickly reaching the ledge. He remained silent, lowering his gaze before he nodded at her body—specifically, her hands that held tightly to a black, curved object.

It looked like a horn. Curved and dangerous, thrumming with power.

Kaden stood, looking over. Indeed, it wasn't that same horrified face, it wasn't the complicated braided hair. It wasn't the girl he killed—but if everybody else had approached him or found him, where was she in this land of ghosts?

"Where are we?" asked Kaden, a little reluctant to speak, but he wanted to leave and Noah was the only connection to reality.

Noah's eyes flickered to him. "You know how to ask for help?"

"I know when I need it."

"No," muttered the other bitterly. "I don't think you do."

Kaden frowned, defiant. "And what do you know about me?"

"I know all the things I dislike about you."

Kaden scoffed, raising his eyebrows. "I assume its an endless list. I don't need to hear it then, I don't have time."

Noah was silent for a beat. He remembered, that day years ago, standing before that painting at the end of the hallway. The forceful bite in Kaden's voice used to smother all his other emotions.

It was a good act; sarcastic and cruel Kaden appeared to those who briefly glanced at him. But there was so much more, and Noah had chosen to learn how to read those pages.

He wondered if it was a mistake; but it wasn't, and of all the regrets Noah would come to have, he knew Kaden wasn't one of them.

"I know that you were an orphan, whisked to the palace by that prince. I know that you like sweets even if it hurts your stomach, and that you are ignorant to the world as you are curious. I know that you wouldn't admit that out loud."

"What? Stop, that's enough—"

"I know that you're awkward with strangers, but confident when you're only performing, playing the role of an awful, arrogant sinner."

Noah took a step forward from the ledge, and Kaden's frown deepened. He thought of stepping back—but why should he? Why should he—he didn't want to. He didn't have to. Because this man meant nothing.

Even as his feet rooted to the ground, his mind trembled.

"I know you often sink into your depressing thoughts and believe them to be facts, that you can't sleep—" Noah's lips twitched, almost mocking. "—without me."

He was now standing right in front of Kaden, in the center of a dozen white pillars spread on either side, as fog lapped at their feet. He lowered his head, the heat of their breaths mixing.

Neither party looked away, transfixed or out of pride or something else.

"You're not running," remarked Noah quietly.

"I don't see the need to."

"So you've grown a backbone."

Kaden tilted his chin, lifting his sharp green gaze. His mind shook, but his voice remained steady. "I have no reason to run away from you. I don't know you." He smiled, an eerie, strange smile. "But if you're threatening me, I can show you something to run from."

The dragon didn't do anything, not even twitch. He regarded Kaden with cool indifference, as one from a higher position might.

Indifference, Kaden registered with a sense of calmness, was a thing he could deal with. Cold stares, a lacking affection. A temporary love that never lasted. Kaden had never entered any relationships, friendships or more, without expecting an eventual end.

Noah, he remembered with more vividness, Noah who he loved.

This dragon that drowned him in an endless pool of affection—and that terrified him. The idea of having faith that somebody could love him; that somebody could love and remain in love was unfathomable.

Therefore, this was better. This was better, safer, more deserving. Kaden didn't feel any disappointment in Noah's coldness; only relief.

Right?

Three taps on the stone ground shook Kaden from his thoughts.

Noah was still staring at him.

"I knew that I loved you," the dragon said slowly, softly. "More than the fiction I wanted to escape to. I knew that if you were reality,"

Kaden took a step back then, and Noah took a step closer—

"I would never want to dream again."

—and then he walked past Kaden, further into the fog, across the stone ground now stained with blood.

———xxx———

Lukiyo says,

I've settled for +++ to separate midpages lol since my little bracket comment seems out of place hahaha, but for the sake of decreasing your suffering.

Here are my thoughts.

As a writer, I write because I can imagine doing nothing else. I dream when I wake, and dream when I sleep, they are my sweet delusions that motivate me to persist in the harshness of reality; I dream, as I write, in order to flee from life. Without my dreams, without my fantasy, I would be wholly undone.

But I must wonder. If a single person, filled to the brim with stories and adventure that I do not know, and may never understand, could become more valuable that my precious imagination?

And if such a person existed, what would happen if they left me after? To be without both dreams and that which you sacrificed the essence of your nature for, what would happen?

If Kaden abandons Noah; what will remain?

What remains now?

Even when he walks away, who is the one being left behind?

Also guys, I've written my first completed ever short story for a creative writing class, and it was PAINFUL. I'm proud, somewhat, but I had to use more brainpower than I would've liked, and I think my teacher is a strict grader, alas.

Regardless, I hope you're all doing lovely. I've been a little inactive, just somewhat burned out with work and all, but the Lunar New Year approaches, so Happy Lunar New Year to all those that are celebrating later this week!