Ariel Nyx
The rain had stopped once he had started to speak, and the lights around the platform turned a bit brighter. But I could not pay attention to that. Not when his eyes were a perfect black. Perhaps he was like me, then?
"And why should I wait?"
"Well, you haven't done anything yet, so you tell me," he said easily. He was about three meters away from me and held his hands up slightly. "I come in peace, miss…?"
"Ariel."
"Right. So…"
I raised an eyebrow. "Are you going to get me to stop?"
"No. It is entirely your choice. I do want to know why, though."
"Why?" I laughed bitterly. "I have everything people want, but nothing at all. I have no friends, no money, no surname, no… purpose. I don't even have a family anymore."
"So you want to do this because you have nothing?"
"I'm doing this because my life is all I have left."
"And how will this help? You're just running away from your problems. Isn't that the easy solution? Are you the kind of person that enjoys the easy?"
I narrowed my eyes. "Why are you even doing this? What do you even know about me?!"
"Nothing," he shrugged. "Nothing except that you're terrified." He pointed at my hands, which were gripping the railing tightly.
"Terrified of what?" I spat.
"Dying," he said easily. "Look into that darkness."
My eyes wandered down to the ravine.
"Fear's fine. It's human, really. If anything, at least you have your humanity. How long have you thought about this?"
"I've thought about it ever since I was a kid… but I suppose I never really considered it until I finished my Reflection. But now I have the chance to do it for real."
"So you're a flux user?"
"I can't use my power well." I smiled slightly. "Another nail in my coffin, no?"
He took a step forward. "You seem set on it. If I convince you in time, will you really not do it?"
"Have I a reason to listen to you? This… might be the deepest conversation I've ever had, you know. And don't you dare say anything about me having no reason to end this," I spat. "What would you know about losing everything you thought you had?"
"I know it well, Ariel." He took another step forward, "I watched my own village burn in front of my eyes."
I… How strange. I could not speak.
"And worst of all," he continued, "they didn't even know they were dying. They laughed and grinned as if their tarred skin was normal."
I could not speak. The sky had gone back to being dark, though, it was still bright behind him.
He glanced at his watch. "I'll be real, I had thoughts just like you did. But I had a friend who survived with me. She is why I was not in the same position as you are now. But honestly… I pity you. And I get why you want to do this."
"...What…?" I croaked.
"I'm saying I get you, and if my words won't help you, then…" he trailed off.
My breath hitched as I took a small step back.
"Jump," he continued. "Go through with your plan. Do it. Jump."
My shaky hands held onto the railing as hard as they could as I gazed into those calm lightless eyes. His face was passive, bored, even, but also… alive, in a way.
The brightness behind him dimmed suddenly.
I glanced down at the ravine below. The glowstones seemed much farther away than they were just before he had come.
I shook my head. "Why? Aren't you trying to keep me alive?"
"I've changed my mind and given up, much like you have. So go ahead. You have nothing, and no one will care. I'll tell everyone that I saw you jump off. I'll hold your funeral."
I took a deep gulp of air and turned away from him. I held onto the railing much harder than I had before.
A drop of rain fell onto my cheek. It trailed down to my lips, and I tasted it.
Another drop fell, and then another.
They were salty.
I looked down the ravine through cloudy eyes. It seemed darker than it had before.
A crack of thunder brought light to our rendezvous, but it wasn't audible to me. Not with my thundering heart.
"Why stop there?" he asked behind me. "You have nothing left, and nothing more."
Maybe it was time for actions, but all I could do was think.
The ravine… Did I really want that to be my last location? I didn't think I'd be surrounded by friends or family on my deathbed, but glowing stones… that seemed lonely.
Even more lonely than I was now.
Did I have regrets? Not really. I hadn't done much at all.
But I had done something, hadn't I? I helped those children.
My hands turned white with my grip. The sky, too, had started to brighten.
But they also starved because of me.
I… I had given up on myself. I wanted to change something. Anything. That's why I fed those children.
But what would they think?
I glanced beside me. The railing wasn't low enough to stop children from ducking under it. Would they even care? Would they be fine?
But they were strong, weren't they? They lived through hell daily because their parents didn't have money.
And yet, here I was, taking the easy route.
This wouldn't solve anything. Wouldn't I be causing even more problems, then? Problems can never be avoided, can they? They can be transferred and patched, but never avoided.
Those people would still starve, even if I did this.
My mother's face crossed my mind. How could I save those people?
How else?
Success.
Was that not what every parent wanted for their children?
But Milea'd hate it.
And I wanted that.
I wanted it so bad.
"What do you want?" he asked. He was much closer than before, perhaps three steps away.
"I want revenge," I muttered. "I want to succeed. A final 'screw you' to everyone." I turned around. "I want to take the hard route."
"Do you expect the world, Ariel? Revenge will never solve anything."
"Can I not close my eyes and dream?" I grinned. "I don't want to die."
"You haven't said you wanted to live," he pointed out.
"And I won't. What're you going to do about it?"
He took a step forward and reached out.
I closed my eyes.
I felt two hands on my shoulders.
I let go of the railing.
The rain had started to fall once again.
I felt myself being pulled forward.
"Are you cold?" he asked. "I'll give you a place to stay."
I opened my eyes, only to blink repeatedly. "You won't do anything…?"
The sky… was it always this bright?
"I never would have. The choice was yours, Ariel. Not mine. Now let's go."
I stared at him for a moment. "You're strangely honest. Most people would proclaim goodness, but you… you make yourself look bad?"
"Shouldn't you be running away right now? I was trying to get you to jump off a cliff." He started to lead me away from the platform.
"I should…" I smiled. "But I don't get it. It's like your voice fills me with courage… courage I didn't know I had."
An awkward silence enveloped us, though it was fine, since I could barely hear anything over the rain pouring over his umbrella. One that he did not share with me.
He led me into an inn and gestured to a bathing room. "Go ahead. I'll get some clothes for you."
He passed right by the umbrella rack, as water dropped down his body. In his hands, he held nothing… He was as drenched as I was.
I nodded slowly and entered the room. The bath's warmth… I loved it.
The way that the steam curled upwards? I loved that.
The way my head expressed its displeasure? By the Gods, I loved that, too.
The way the towel didn't get every drop off… the way I was still shivering… I loved it.
I loved being alive.
Once I'd finished bathing, he handed me some clothes, which fit me well.
"They're my friend Lyra's," he explained. "Mind sleeping with her? We'll be off for Auren to become Conduits soon."
I managed a weak nod and followed him into a room where a golden-haired girl slept. Strangely, she hugged a pillow like a lifeline.
"I'm Alan, by the way. Just Alan. Anyway, good night." He didn't wait for a response, and left.
I sat on the less occupied side of the bed and lay down. I couldn't care less about my wet hair. Not when I was enjoying the coldness of the night. That, and the melodic patter of rain.
The feeling of rustling sheets and the yelp of a girl woke me up. I opened my eyes to an unfamiliar background and then locked onto the blonde, who was now on the floor.
It took a second for me to remember what had happened, but I eventually croaked out, "Hey…? I'm Ariel. I guess Alan and I are acquainted. It's good to meet you?"
Judging by Lyra's shocked expression, it seemed like Alan did unpredictable things often. But her expression looked slightly…betrayed?
Lyra snapped back to reality. "I see… I'm Lyra." Her eyes narrowed. "Why did he take you in, and how did you meet him?"
I chuckled nervously. "Well, I guess he stopped me from killing myself, and so he gave me something to live for."
If Lyra was shocked to find that there was an unknown girl sleeping next to her earlier, then imagine what she felt when she heard that.