The sky became rather gloomy and bleak, adding to the sombre nature of the stone fortress.

The wind was unforgiving in its strength, whirring as trees were stripped of their leaves as they danced in the air.

Elais stood behind Yura as she sat at her vanity desk, braiding her hair into a fishtail updo.

“I look like a princess now,” she commented as he finished securing her hair, tightening it for resistance against the harsh weather.

“I’m glad you like it,” Elais replied, noticing an odd mole pattern on the back of her neck. They were closely knit together in various sizes in a small section of her skin. “Are you aware of the moles on your neck?”

“Um, no mist- .. Elais. I can’t see the back of my neck,” Yura answered. She made a fair point that Elais couldn’t argue with. “Does it look bad?”

He shook his head. “I’ve just never seen anything like it. That’s all.” A thought had occurred to him, but he brushed it off as it likely didn’t amount to anything special.

As they prepared to leave, the clouds shifted to allow the sun to shine through and the cool wind slowed as it became less ruthless. The doors creaked as it shut behind them whilst they tread down the hill, Yura experiencing the springiness of each step she took as she accelerated down the slope with glee. She felt the warmth of the sun and admired how it felt on her skin, and admired the view of the vast sea as the waves crashed together amongst the skyline. Elais followed right behind her, the sunlight blinding him momentarily as it shined into his eyes whilst he glanced at the sea. It had been a while since he had appreciated its beauty, its turbulent yet pleasing motion provided an odd sense of tranquility.

Their footsteps became muffled down the forest path, with the whistling of the wind accompanying them alongside the occasional rustling of the bushes. Yura observed the crispiness of the leaves as they were carried away in the wind, and took in the foreign earthy scents around her. The isolated town became visible in their sights, Yura briefly stopping herself from proceeding. Her fear and intrusive thoughts had abruptly arrived, spiralling her into an endless chain of anxiety. What if her powers activated and hurt countless people once more? What if Elais became seriously hurt this time?

He placed a hand on her shoulder with a light grip. “I’ll be right by your side.”

The chain of her thoughts melted at the soothing sound of his voice. She glanced up at him and smiled, moving towards the town one step at a time.

Elais guided her to the secluded grocery store at the corner of the town, leading the way as they stepped inside. The doorbell chimed a catchy upbeat tune behind them as they entered, alerting the store clerk that had been dozing off at the counter. Yura held onto his sleeve lightly, fearing she may become lost in the numerous aisles before them. Had it not been for the upbeat jazz music, she may have been too unsettled to enter with its neglected exterior and unsettling store clerk eyeing their every move. It appeared that they were the only customers with the lack of visible foot traffic, which was the perfect opportunity for Yura to interact with the products.

Elais picked up one of the many shopping baskets stacked at the entrance as Yura gazed around the thousands of items presented in front of her. The rustic store was packed with an array of vibrantly packaged snacks lined up on its many shelves and an extensive range of ingredients, despite its size.

“I want to try something I read about. I think it’s called ice.. Cream? It’s a dessert you’re supposed to eat frozen,” Yura said. “I don’t see how that’s meant to be appealing, but I’d love to try it, if it’s possible.” Her eyes were twinkling in anticipation, scanning the store for the item she desperately seeked.

“Of course. Take anything you’d like. After all, you won’t be able to experience things from outside as often until we figure out your powers,” Elais responded as he read the aisle signs above them, only noticing them as he’d almost run into one.

He guided her to the frozen aisle where there were various freezers waiting for her to explore them, her eyes immediately glued to the many options provided for her. Elais placed her intended purchases into his basket, picking up a pack of blood-flavoured popsicles for himself out of sheer curiosity. Usually blood-flavoured food tasted artificial and unappealing, so finding it being offered as a frozen snack was an odd concept for him. He didn’t have high expectations of it, rather it could possibly become a post-hangover snack instead.

As they walked through the numerous narrow aisles, Yura was immediately attracted to the various colourful snacks and desserts that they passed by. It didn’t help that the aisle had an alluring aroma, which was overwhelmingly sweet for Elais.

“Yura, I don’t mind buying any of these for you. But do know that I can also make these for you if you wish,” he commented, waving his hand over his nose in an attempt to rid of the smell.

Yura’s expression glowed as she picked up a creme brulee tart from a shelf. “You would really do that for me?”

Elais hummed in affirmation to her delight. He held the basket open for her to add the item into it

“Then I hope you'll make lots and lots of sweet things for me,” she said with a soft smile, gently placing the tart into the basket.

The chime of the doorbell rang as they left the store, a familiar damp, earthy scent filling the air. Elais felt a drop of rain splatter on his face, now running down his chin as he looked up at the murky sky. “Ah.. I hate this,” he told himself, groaning. It was then followed by the pitter-patter of the light drizzle that fell before them, gradually becoming more violent as the wind stirred. They made their way through the forest trail, their footsteps sinking into the damp mud as they proceeded up the steep hill. They were a short walking distance to the stone fortress, when Elais felt a flash of memories rush through his head as lightning struck in the distance, the rain gradually became heavier with every drop.

The rain grew merciless as he held them in his arms, the weight of their lifeless body anchored his soul into never ending despair and darkness.

I couldn’t save you.

I’m sorry, deeply, and truly.

It was my fault.

I was too weak. Too weak to save you.

He crouched over their body, his heart and soul, heavier than he’d ever known, as the sound of the rain drowned the weight of his tears.

Elais blinked, slowly returning to reality as he became soaked from the downpour. Why am I remembering all of these things now?

Yura looked at him curiously, waiting for him by the stone gates that stood before the stone fortress. She called out to him, to no avail. He looked up to see her slowly walking towards him, genuinely concerned to see him in his dazed state. Before he knew it, he was knocked into the ground by what felt like a hunk of metal, the loud clang that resounded throbbing his ears with its merciless ringing. He picked himself back up slowly, brushing off the dirt that stained his coat before Yura could react. “I just don’t like getting my hair wet,” he explained, averting his gaze. She noticed his fazed expression as they entered their home, wishing she could do more to comfort him.

Elais dropped the snacks into the kitchen and left the frozen goods into the freezer. He placed his coat on a nearby coat rack in the living room, preparing himself some tea as he dried himself.

“I would like to inquire about the incident that happened just then,” he muttered to Yura, drying his hair.

“I didn’t do anything. It always happens like that,” Yura explained, barely audible. “It’s always when I least expect it.” She twiddled her thumbs and avoided his glance, anticipating his anger.

Elais noted that she likely wasn’t using her power at all, and that it possibly could be something that was far too strong for her to control. He tracked back as to how it may have activated, recalling Yura waiting for him by the stone gate, with a concerned expression written on her face. It was puzzling, as there was nothing for her to feel threatened by at that moment. Perhaps her powers were a lot more complicated than they initially realised. He had also noted that it never happened whenever she was alone; it always occurred when there were people in her vicinity. Otherwise, she surely would have activated her powers when he’d left her alone or during her sleep.

“Does that mean I can’t go outside to explore anymore?” Yura asked, slightly disheartened by the outcome of the day’s events. Had it not been for the recent incident, it would have been possible that she would’ve been allowed to explore the outdoors more in general, to her disappointment.

“Just for now. I believe your powers only activate around other people,” Elais answered.

He leaned down to open the freezer and handed her one of the many ice creams she’d picked out during their shopping errands.”I promise that you’ll be able to go to less secluded places once we figure them out more. For now, we’ll only travel to open spaces, since we’ll never know the harm if there’s people in confined places.”

She took the ice cream and unwrapped it, unveiling the frozen treat before her. She took a bite to her regret, as it had given her a light case of brain freeze. As her head ached from the short lived pain, she became lost in thought at her powers taking away her long-yearned freedom once more. Disappointment had never tasted so sweet.

Yura wandered around the house, realising that she never really explored the home itself. She wandered to the corridor opposite to the library, and took a left turn. The lighting was rather dim compared to the other rooms she’d explored prior, and found herself in a considerably large room. The clacking of her footsteps bounced as she wandered around, searching for any means of illuminating the room to sate her curiosity. The room was pitch black, with the sight immediately bringing her into shock upon switching on the lanterns. She almost regretted wandering around the home alone, recalling the nature of its owner. Numerous mahogany coffins were lined up in front of her, much larger than herself as they loomed over her petite stature. They had been propped to an upright angle, almost beckoning her to open them, if she hadn’t been frightened to death.

“They’re family,” Elais revealed, making his presence known with his resounding footsteps.

Yura tilted her head in confusion, her eyes not leaving his glance. “They’re.. Not immortal like you?” She didn’t dare turn to face the coffins, nor did she want to have a peek inside them.

Elais shook his head. He took her by the hand, and waved his hand in one smooth gesture to shroud the room in darkness once more.

He led her back into the living room, sitting down at his usual spot on the regal sofa. “I believe I should tell you about myself, since it’s only fair.” He gestured to her to take a seat, as she followed his instruction immediately. “A long time ago, an experiment happened. My blood has healing properties, which is rare and incredibly unusual for a vampire.”

Elais took a deep breath before continuing.”Usually, a vampire takes away one’s life force by draining their blood. I do the opposite,” he explained, his expression becoming rather grim. “I was taken advantage of for my abilities, during wartime back then. There were even experiments in bid to make presidents immortal. I was the only survivor.”

Yura watched as he shifted in his seat, observing his disturbed expression despite his dull tone.

He sharply inhaled, interlocking his fingers as his shoulders stiffened. “To many, these abilities made me a demi-god of a sort. Some even went as far to try to recreate them.”

He became silent as he contemplated further about his recollections, clearly causing him discomfort. Yura noticed the undeniable grief he had conveyed through his emotions, although he likely was unaware of it. She felt for him, understanding the depth that such pain could haunt a person. “Have you been lonely, after all that time?” she asked him. Although she couldn’t think of a way to comfort him in a way he’d appreciate, she hoped to distract him somehow.

His silence had already spoken volumes, but he chose to respond to her genuine question. “I have been.”

“I guess we’re alike in that sense. At least we have each other now,” she told him, her legs swaying back and forth in her seat.

He nodded in agreement, crossing his legs as he relaxed his arms behind his head as he stared at the ornate ceiling. “Yeah. I guess so.”

She left her seat to fetch him a blood-flavoured popsicle from the freezer, almost falling into it in the process, and placed it into his hand, unwrapped. To his surprise, it didn’t taste as bad as he anticipated. He considered possibly purchasing more in the future if he craved it, as he continued to enjoy his new favourite frozen snack.