Help was an uncannily familiar word to Saevus, and to anyone in Inanis. Everyone knew what it meant in the back of their heads, but no one had actually used the word or showcased its meaning in any shape or form. Yet, this girl was saying it so casually, as though helping someone was the most natural thing in the world. As surprised and almost confused as Saevus was, her statement somehow still managed to greatly irk him.

“I don’t need your help.” He frowned. To think that he seemed so weak that someone from Inanis would go as far as offer help to him; his pride was deeply wounded. “So how about you fuck off?”

“You’re too emotional.” Lethe responded calmly. “Perditus thrive on emotion and fear. If you keep reacting so passionately like this, it won’t be long until you’re contaminated.”

Saveus stepped furiously towards her, closing the distance between them. With one hand gripping tightly at his club which rested upon his shoulder, and the other in his pocket, he repeated with scorn:

“Fuck. Off.”

Despite his clear threatening aura, Lethe was unfazed. With their eyes still interlocked, she took a short breath then replied, her voice steady and determinant: “If I let you land a hit on me, would you reconsider?”

The club made no noise as it crashed onto the silencing sand. Saevus violently grabbed her jacket with both hands. His intense eyes were boiling with anger and humiliation. He gritted his sharp teeth against one another.

“Who the fuck do you think you are? You think you’re some big shot huh?” He turned to the side and spat on the ground, then turned back to her, their faces mere inches away from each other. Lethe listened silently while he hurled insults and cusses at her. He wasn’t being too loud, so it did not bug her much. All she could think about was how colorful and vibrant his eyes were, especially when contrasted with how blandly-pale everything else was. Once Saevus realized that his verbal outrage was as hopeless as his physical one, he released her jacket, overwhelmed by the crushing sense of defeat.

He looked down at his feet, both hands curled up in frustrated fists. Lethe observed him curiously, not sure what she should say to convince him without getting him upset again. They remained like that for a good minute; then Saevus looked up at her angrily:

“Are ya just going to keep starin’? Haven’t you had your fill makin’ fun of me yet? Fuck off already!” His voice was shaky and loud at the same time. He would have left himself, but it felt like admitting his already crystal-clear loss.

“It was not my intention to make fun of you in anyway.” Lethe was almost surprised by his remark. “I was only stating what I thought.” Saveus bit his lips in frustration, not knowing what to say when nothing seemed to be getting through her wall. He could not understand how she could remain so annoyingly calm all the time. In his eyes though, Lethe could see a hint of acknowledgment buried underneath sea-green layers of anger and desperation. She awkwardly pulled at the strap of her eyepatch as she spoke, unsure if those were the right words in that situation:

“Just let me help you. I don’t think you’re weak or anything; you’re just too sensitive. I can teach you how to control your emotions in front of a Perditus. All I want in exchange is for you to let me observe you.” Lethe was surprised at how much she had spoken. She had never done so before. Her voice sounded somehow close and distant at the same time; as though someone else was talking through her.

Saevus sighed a deep hopeless sigh that seemed to issue from his very core. He leaned down to pick up his club, then turned away from her and started walking. Lethe took a moment to process his reaction, then took to walking behind him.

“Is that a yes?” She asked, watching his wild ponytail swaying from left to right as he stomped his feet angrily on the sand.

“Not like I have a freakin’ choice. Your creepy ass will follow me anyway.” He replied without turning back. “Oh,” Saevus added, “And save your stupid help. I can take care of my own damn business.”

It was quiet as the two walked on the shore. The almost-wavelets of the Reses died out before they were born, making as they faded away the faintest noise that was audible only to Lethe, who was looking at the greenish waters. In her lonely-blue eye was reflected the decaying stillness of the island around her, while in her chest a heart was starting to pump life into her.

The Hourglass was half-empty now; signaling that it was nighttime. Saevus had picked a somewhat covered corner on the beach to spend the night in, and Lethe stayed a small distance away from him. She watched as he sat down with his legs spread and his arms resting on his knees at the elbows. He leaned his head back against a wall and closed his eyes, exhausted. His lips were slightly parted too. Lethe positioned herself atop the same wall, so that she wouldn’t bother him with her clearly-unwanted presence. She was not feeling drowsy yet, so she decided to look at Saevus until she was. His features were only dimly illuminated by the flickering neon lights, but she could still see a good deal of his face. With his eyes closed, he looked more peaceful and easier to approach. But as she did not want to annoy him, Lethe resisted the unexplainable urge to strike a conversation, and turned her gaze towards the Reses once more. As tired as she was of this never-changing view, she would always find herself looking at it; perhaps she found some sort of distorted comfort in its familiarity.

“How did I appear in your dream?” His voice startled her out of her absentmindedness, and Lethe turned to find Saevus looking up at her from below. She stuttered for a while, trying to quickly find a response midst her surprise:

“Uh, you kind of, like…” Then, collecting herself, Lethe re-adjusted her voice to her usual steady tone: “You reach out to me, and grab my hand.”  

“Why in the living hell would I fucking do that?” Saevus seemed to be directing the question more towards himself. “Are you sure it’s me?”

If only he didn’t speak so loudly for no reason, Lethe thought to herself. “Yes, I am positive.”

“How do ya know?” He scratched an itchy spot on his head.

“Your eyes.”

“What about ‘em?”

“They’re special. I’ve never seen eyes like that before.” Lethe contemplated.

“Huh?” Saevus interjected, annoyed by her choice of words “Are you saying my eyes are weird?”

“Yes.”

“Well fuck you! At least I got two of ‘em.” Saevus snickered mockingly.

“I didn’t mean it in a bad way.” Lethe was again unfazed by his insult. “They’re just different from anything I’ve seen before.” She turned her gaze once more towards the Reses. Her voice was pensive and quiet as she continued: “Your eyes are so... vivid. Their color is so intense; and they’re so deep, like they suck you in or something.”

Lethe turned towards the said eyes, only to find them widened and entirely focused on her. “When I look at your eyes,” She added softly, feeling distant from herself,

“I feel... alive.”