Arion stood frozen at the edge of the lake, his eyes widening at the surreal scene. A woman moved on the water's surface as if gravity were merely a suggestion, her blond hair flowing like a golden waterfall to her knees, and her blue eyes reflecting the depth of the sky. Her simple white clothes made her look like the embodiment of innocence in the embrace of nature.
He didn't dare interrupt her. An overwhelming feeling of familiarity took hold of him, as if he had known this soul since eternity. He felt he had to engrave every moment of this scene in his memory forever.
He watched her dance transform before his eyes. It began as a dazzling ecstasy - as if he were seeing a child dancing among blooming flowers and innocent voices filling the space. But the joy didn't last. Gradually, her rhythms slowed, and sorrow spilled into her movements. The smile disappeared, the flowers wilted, as if all the colors had fled the world.
He saw her tears fall to the ground, rendering it barren. Then the scene completely reversed - she stood on a lake of blood, offering her beating heart in her palms to an invisible entity. Then she was pushed forcefully to fall into the depths of the blood, which suddenly turned into pure water the color of her eyes.
The dance ended with her kneeling on the water, her dress wet, her hair covering her face, and her breath rapid.
Arion released the breath he had been holding and decided to approach. He felt an irresistible desire to make a good impression, something he hadn't experienced before. He usually avoided humans, but a voice deep within him whispered to approach her no matter the cost.
When she finally noticed him, she looked at him with caution bordering on hostility. He tried to smile at her with the brightest smile he could muster, but her eyes immediately detected its falseness - it was a pale smile, devoid of emotion, like an empty mask.
And she looked at him - a pale man, with dark circles under his eyes, white strands scattered in his hair, and an exhausted body showing his bones. He looked on the verge of death, but unconcerned. And stranger still, she felt the same strange familiarity towards him, mixed with a deep sense of danger and sorrow.
When he opened his mouth to speak, only a muffled whisper came out. He forgot his illness and his medicine. Black veins began to crawl under his skin, and his hands trembled as he tried to reach the injector.
He fell to his knees, his breath rising with difficulty, and his limbs convulsing. When he finally managed to grab the injector and raise it towards his chest, she gracefully reached out her hand and took it from him.
"Before he closed his eyes, he saw a blue flash in her eyes - not entirely human."
And the light went out in Arion's eyes as he sank into a coma.
Arion opened his eyes in a waking nightmare, finding himself trapped in a dark cellar whose hollow humidity filled his lungs. His body was heavy like a dead tree trunk, unable to move except for his eyes in their sockets. In the corner of the cave, a single torch swung, casting intermittent shadows on the face of the girl sitting cross-legged, watching him with blue eyes as sharp as knife blades.
"I'm not dead yet..." he whispered hoarsely, then let out a long sigh as he tried to analyze his surroundings.
He advanced cautiously in his mind, then said in a quiet but sharp tone: "Before you take any action, I want you to know that obtaining my body will not mean obtaining my heart."
The girl opened her lips to respond, but the words stopped in her throat like a stone.
"And have you finished your preparations?" he continued in a mocking voice, "I hope to hurry, for I have appointments that cannot be delayed."
Then he added, feigning sorrow: "It seems I won't be able to maintain my body's purity... this is truly sad."
Evelyn began to clench her jaw, her eyes burning with anger.
"Who said I have vile intentions towards you? What nonsense are you spouting?"
"I don't know, why don't you tell me?"
He replied in a haughty tone: "A handsome and noble man like me comes to greet you, and the wild girl dancing alone in the forest kidnaps him, imprisons him in a cave, and lights a fire to create a dramatic atmosphere."
"Then, when this poor man wakes up, he finds this wild girl staring at him as if she can see through his clothes! Not only that, but also she took his ability to move his body"
"Don't pretend to be innocent, just hurry up, my time is precious."
"If you don't stop this nonsense, I'll kill you!" the girl exploded in anger.
"Hahaha! Do you think I'd believe that?" he laughed defiantly, "What you're planning requires a living body. Show me if you're serious about your threats!"
The girl lunged with a violent kick that threw him against the stone wall, and he began to scream:
"Help! She wants my body!"
"Passersby, help me!"
"Even beasts are better than her; they would at least eat my body without defiling it!"
"Where are the rescuers?!"
The girl began to lose control of her nerves and started hitting him violently.
"And who in hell's name would want to touch a dirty person like you?!" she shouted, raining blows on his body.
And then, his screams finally turned into genuine anger:
"The same troubled person who snatches medicine from a dying man's hand, then paralyzes him while he's in a coma!"
In the damp cellar of the cave, where darkness was pierced only by the glow of a flickering torch, the girl sat opposite the young man who was slowly regaining his ability to move. A heavy silence hung between them, broken only by the sparks flying from the fire.
"You really know how to hold a grudge..." she sighed tiredly. "I apologize for what happened. But this place means more to me than you can imagine. I won't let you leave before I know who you are and why you came here. And I advise you not to try to lie, for I will know."
The young man listened in silence, then a calm smile spread across his lips, as if the fit of anger that had gripped him moments ago was just an act.
"By the way, I'm Arion. And you?"
"At least show that you're not trying to avoid answering. Haaah, I'm Evelyn. Now, can you tell me why you're here?"
He leaned against the wall, smiling. "Evelyn... a beautiful name. But as you can see, I'm partially paralyzed because of someone, and I don't like being interrogated. If you want a conversation, let's sit and talk like two adults." He closed his eyes, feigning exhaustion. "By the way, beautiful cave. Next time, I might bring you some rocks or bones to decorate it."
She pressed her lips together, trying to contain her anger. "Alright, I'll free you. But what guarantee do you offer me that you won't run away?"
He slowly opened his eyes, his gaze carrying a hidden challenge. "Hmm... You confiscated my syringe and my tools? Or you injected me with a diluted dose, so that using my power would trigger the seizure again? Or that the period between seizures doesn't exceed one day at best, while the nearest village is at least two days away?"
She approached him, pressing on specific points on his back with hands emitting a faint green light. Then she returned to her place. He moved slowly and sat opposite the fire.
"Arion, has anyone ever told you that your facial expressions change faster than the moon's phases?"
He smiled as he stretched his hands towards the fire. "Not at all. Everyone knows how straightforward and clear I am. Now, what do you want to know?"
She stared at him with a penetrating gaze. "Who are you? Truly?"
He leaned on his elbow, his voice taking on a serious tone. "Arion. Born in Ashwood village. I burned the day I was born, and killed my mother. Everyone in my village knows me as 'The Devil's Son'. I came here to bury the person who cared for the woman who raised me."
She opened her mouth, but no sound came out. Her eyes widened as she realized he wasn't lying.
"What in the... He's not lying. Is he crazy? Where is this going?"
An artificial innocence appeared on his face. "Ah, well... that's my personal introduction. Unconventional, I suppose."
She caught her breath, trying to regain her focus. "And now..."
He gently interrupted her. "Wait. I answered your question. Don't I have the right to ask now?"
She hesitated for a moment, then nodded in agreement.
He looked at her with genuine interest. "What's the story behind that dance you were performing? It felt like it was connected to something... or somewhere, but the link was very weak."
Surprise showed on her face. "Did you really feel that?"
He shrugged indifferently. "I have some... special scenes you can say. Now answer my question."
She paused briefly as if weighing her words. "This place was a place of worship for the Lunar races. This is a traditional ritual dance. I read about it in the Ilim library, and wanted to see if there was any response."
He nodded understandingly. "That's why it's called the Shattered Moon Lake."
She tensed up. "I hate that name! It was called the Weeping Moon Lake. Legend says it was formed from the first tear of the Moon Goddess when she lost her beloved."
He pondered her words, his voice carrying a shadow of nostalgia. "The Weeping Moon... a more befitting name, I guess."
She suddenly changed the subject. "You don't seem strong enough to wander alone. Don't you know there are dangerous beasts here?"
He laughed bitterly. "You're mistaken. I'm stronger than I look."
A gentle sarcasm appeared in her tone. "Really? How strong exactly?"
He shrugged indifferently. "At least stronger than you."
She raised an eyebrow challengingly. "And what made you think that?"
He smiled dismissively. "Because you're a girl!"
She kicked him lightly, and they both laughed for a moment.
She frowned, trying to hide her smile. "Stop joking. Really, why are you here alone? Why don't you even carry enough food?"
He looked at the shadows in the corner of the cave, where a familiar ghost seemed to be lurking. "It's a secret... but my friends don't like me much. Even if I asked them to accompany me, no one would come... except as ghosts seeking revenge."
She laughed, then her laughter stopped abruptly. Her eyes widened as she realized that once again... he wasn't lying.
She sighed, trying to break the tense atmosphere. "Well, since we're here together... can we be friends?"
He looked at her sharply, his voice carrying a hidden warning. "No... You don't want this." He threw himself onto his back. "My last friend... hates me now."
She moved closer to him, her gaze carrying sympathy. "Why? What happened?"
He suddenly laughed, a roaring laugh that filled the cave. "I ate him!"
She froze in place. Her face paled, and her eyes showed horror. He laughed violently, but his laughter turned to something hollow.
"Hahaha... you should have seen your face!"
But she didn't smile. She stared at him, and her eyes reflected a sudden understanding of something horrific. He... wasn't lying.
In the silence of the damp cave, where no sound could be heard except for the sparks flying from the fire, a new chapter of shared destiny began to form between two shattered souls.