Soultember #1 - Colours
You were surprised when you met him. The treasure hoarder pulling you out of the path of a hilichurl arrow intended for him. You were surprised to see the golden insignia pinned to the front of his cloak like a brooch. But then you were further surprised by the colour of it. The sudden saturation of the world.
The man released you, pushing you away from him with ease. An icy chill blew by you causing you to shudder where you stood, watching as a spear of Cryo dispatched of the offending pest. The world as you knew it shifted, changed before your very eyes. You never thought it would be something like this, nor did you really believe it’d be as beautiful as people described it.
Though it still remained muted, flecks of grey seeped into the edges of your vision in the muted world of night around you. The man’s sword disappeared from his hand as he turned away from you. “Wait!” You called to him, confusion clear. Why would your soulmate opt to leave? “What’s your name?!”
The man stopped suddenly, the white tipped black tail that poked out from underneath his cloak swished side to side slowly. Even if he wasn’t what you’d envisioned your soulmate to be, you still wanted to know. Fluffy ears twitched as he looked over his shoulder at you. Most of his face was covered, by his mask and his bangs, eyes rimmed in dark makeup. But bright green eyes stared at you.
“Ezel.”
Ezel waited long enough for your name and then he was gone, disappearing into the night without another word. With your world in colour, you spoke a wish to the wind, that you may see him again. If not in this life, then perhaps another. His kindness not lost on you. You hoped it wouldn’t be goodbye. Even as the grey at the edges of your vision worried you. A thought pushed aside with the beauty of colour in front of you.
Many things could be taken for granted in life, a fact he’d learned painfully several times throughout the years. The laugh of a sister, the touch of a lover, the determination of a friend, the love of a mother. Things one would never think to miss, would never think to seek out too desperately. Other things.. You think you have forever with. Or at least, he thought he did. But then, Ezel had always been selfish.
Forever was something obtainable to him.
Something within his grasp. Even as he failed to make it real. Just out of reach, fingertips brushing against an ideal. He believed he would never have to yearn again could he achieve the mysterious notion of eternity. Some things he couldn’t bring back, graves that lined his soul as inspiration. But that just meant he’d make it so he couldn’t lose any more than he already had.
But forever wasn’t a truth, but rather a falsity.
One that he could only hopelessly chase.
“Happy birthday.”
Ezel spoke quietly, to himself, two words, more than he thought he’d manage. A cold wind blew his hair that signalled the coming of autumn. September 1st. He never hated his birthday, it just wasn’t ever anything special to him. Until he met you. And you made a point of making it special, made it a worthwhile date.
Maybe that was why he hated it now.
You’d told him of your worries, of the greying of the corners of your vision. He’d reassured you back then. That his sister’s illness wouldn’t kill him, too. He wouldn’t let your world fade to shades of grey again. Though, he was a liar by nature. Maybe this was just repetenace for all of the times he didn’t manage to keep his promises.
Were the flowers in his hands even pretty? He couldn’t tell. Not anymore. Not with the world back to its disingenuous shades of grey. Ezel crouched down in front of the grave, dull eyes narrowed as he placed the bouquet of flowers in front of it. He then sighed, opting to kneel instead. When was the last time he’d stayed to speak?
He couldn’t remember. He visited you and his sister beside you frequently enough. But Ezel knew that there was nobody left to hear. His mouth felt dry as he tried to find the words to speak. Simply put, nothing came. The treasure hoarder hung his head, tail hopelessly limp against the frostbitten grass.
He kept this promise at least. It was not your world that grew dark.