Dearly Beloved, Her Resignation of Life (Helle/Solo)

The city is as beautiful as ever. However, standing at its banks, something ugly had blotched out its wondrous shine. A woman who knew little of love, who only relied on fantasies to guide her, watched the swaying ocean, her aura sullied by life itself. In her mind, after the voices of reason had rung her dry, even now, she could only think of that fairytale ending. Reality convinced her otherwise, but a fool could not rely on reality alone to exist. Her heart, in its many pieces, barely held together by the cheapest of tape, felt as if it could take no more. That is why she had fled from her duties, her responsibilities. If not, then surely, surely she would not have made it.

“Go forth, Helle. This place is nothing to us, to you. It is but a reminder of the cruelty of men, a reminder of what we had fled from in our youth.”

The voice in her mind, her other self, the gift given to her by that man. How she desires to give it up, throw it in the trash, but keeping it within herself is but another one of her weaknesses, proof that letting go is impossible. However, her feet moved out over the sea, each step reinforced by the natural flow of energy in the world. The Reishi she commands would not betray. That she knows for certain. She continued forth, never stopping, never looking back, until her back felt heat upon it, the City of Lights refracting and reflecting the sun’s warmth all the way to where she stood.

“I cannot betray the ones I swore to protect. Even if I want nothing but to escape from this world, I am a pillar that they rely on.”

A hand on her chest, she sighed and allowed her body to relax. She could feel her feet lowering more into the waters below, the coolness bringing her mind free from her inner thoughts. She is not the only one suffering. This she knows, for she remembers his face, the look he gave her as she broke both their hearts. That man is surely suffering as she is, and, even if they are no longer one, she won’t abandon him that easily. It would take more than this to make her betray him. He has yet to betray her.

“They do not deserve you! They cheat! They lie! Their noble reasons are nothing but propaganda!”

That voice pierced her mind, it’s ravaging words tearing her asunder. However, she kept her peace and could only smile, a small emotion that conveyed her sadness to the waters around her. With a dainty laugh, she began to construct reality, forming a small window that broke through the seams of distance and allowed her to spy on things beyond her view. She will simply prove the voice in her head incorrect. Quickly, Reishi danced around her as she flicked through The City of Lights, bearing witness to the people who inhabit it: the citizens, the workers, her soldiers, her friends, her leader. They both shall witness the mess he has become, and their hearts shall move, brought to ache by the pain brought forth by her actions. They will both understand then that-

She felt her resolve shake, rocked to its very core. The waves roaring melody was nothing compared to the sounds that penetrated her soul.

"I do not wish for only a part of you. I want you, Arcadia, in your entirety."

"I promise you can have every bit of me, every aspect of me; body, mind and soul. I never meant to enchant you or be enchanted myself. I'll give you all the happiness and love that I can give you but... I need you, all of you as well, Cyrus.

“Oh.”

Her hand’s trembling. Why? Her wrist is trembling. Her whole arm is trembling. In fact, her whole body is trembling. That trembling stopped, tightened by the fist formed that slammed down, breaking the visage of everything she has come to despise of the world into shambles. Then, it returned, fueled by something dark, something disgusting. That mind that had tried to stay pure through it all, that understanding mind that always made excuses for him, that always lied to itself, that always tried to find the best of a bad situation. It was swallowed whole by an everycompassing fury.

Eyes reflected from the waters below, a horrible hag staring back up, her eyes a piercing sickly yellow and green that danced and merged into some disgusting combination of vile sewage. That makeshift reflection was destroyed as power, raw pure energy, broke free, its might pushing the ocean back. It stretched for miles, reality popping and breaking as one command began to ring out for all in that accursed city to hear.

“Die. Die. Die. DieDieDieDie DIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIE!”

It was a cataclysmic effect as that shore began to crumble, walls began to crack, and people felt their bodies seized up by something unimaginable. However the fact that someone is imagining it right at this very instant. However, that word, that, without restraint, would have ended a man and his dreams as he has done hers if not for that sudden pain. It was a pain so strong that it caused this power to die in an instant, releasing reality from its shackle.

Who’s blood is that, staining the ocean beneath her feet?

“Wha-”

Her voice was cut short as it was replaced by the forced ejection of the contents within her stomach, bile and blood spilling from her gaped mouth in droves, cascading down her person like a nightmarish waterfall. She felt it blow from her nose, seeing it fill her eyes. Her face bled as she felt her heart stop beating, the pain in her chest blossoming like a morning rose, blood its dew. She thought that the worst of it, but her body twisted and curled, her hand over her mouth as she coughed, her lungs barely able to collect air spewing more blood into her awaiting hands. She cried, her bloodied mouth opening and screaming up at the lazy sky before she fell over, knowing none were near to save her.

The water welcomed her with open arms, the sea wishing for her to return to its depths. She did not fight it, her eyes seeing darkness slowly taking her visage. Maybe this is for the best, punishment for how quickly her love had turned into hatred. This felt like a fitting end for a woman who always put others before herself, even if it meant harboring and nurturing a monster that awaited the perfect time to strike. Not even all the power in the world could save her from the strongest enemy of all: herself.

She’s dead, right? She felt her life fading, her body dying. Everything had darkened. She had lost all sensation. Then, why does she still feel pain? Why does the sky still howl in her ears? Why does the sea lull her with its calm song? She is cold. That is for certain. It took a while, but she soon became aware of the water dripping from her person, the fact that she was not, in fact, dead.

“You really had an old man drag your ass from the sea, huh? Look at you: a mess. This isn’t what I sat millenniums for.”

She knows this voice. It is him, the man from before. She recalls her training, her years spent in hibernation, learning, experiencing, growing. She remembers his words, the last bit of information he gave her before he became one with her. If he were to ever appear again, it would mean the end of her. However, here she is, not dead. In fact, he, her savior, was the one who had dragged her free from the icy tombs of the ocean. Her head kept itself hung low, her hair splotches down her back and shoulders.

“I am sorry. I have failed you.”

Her voice is weak, her life barely there despite it all. She is still dying. Her heart, broken as it may be, did not pump blood through her veins. She knows why she still speaks, why she still exists. It is him, his power keeping her body animated, but even that, fades. He is but a ghost, using the remainder of his time on Earth for her, yet again, but he made sure to hush her right up.

“This is it, young lady. Remember my words to you? If I ever appeared again…”

His voice faded as she lost consciousness for a second, memories of then coming to her. Moments passed before she became aware of her surroundings again. She could feel it, The City of Lights. She moved her head towards it, her faded eyes squinting. The once wondrous city that glowed magnificently at all times; it’s nothing but a hazy blur to her. So, that’s the way things have become. Not even the city she found so beautiful kept its same splendor. Then, there is no reason for her to stay here.

“You need treatment. I can only keep you for so long.”

She did not wish to return there, not in her current state, maybe not ever. He could feel her resignation, so he moved. There is a place that he sure can save her before her time is truly up. She could it, the city growing distant and but a speck. Her thoughts are but feint whispers as, once again, she lost consciousness, fading into sweet morbid dreams.