Lucia was motionless. Her heartbeat thudded in her ears, eyes frantically darting around the room. She looked for any sign of movement. Had he run off? She doubted that. She’d come from one exit, and the other was in this room. He definitely could’ve escaped through this door. But it did lead to a very sharp drop that was visible when you opened the latch. The sharp drop would’ve looked especially eerie, night and dark out.

Some moss glowed to her right, but only faintly. She could see everything before her but couldn’t see the man. She heard her heart heat in her ears as she slowly looked around the room. Every muscle in her body was tense as she locked in place.

“You’re back,” the man's voice came from her left.

She started away, falling to the ground.

“Woah woah,” His tone was gentle. “I didn’t mean to startle you. I thought you could see me.”

Her eyes darted to where his voice had come from. There he was, leaning up against the stone wall, plate of food in hand. The unoccupied hand raised as if he was trying to reassure her. He was reaching in the complete opposite direction to where she sat.

Lucia took a quiet breath to ease her beating heart, which was hurting at this point.

“How did you get free of the ropes?” She asked.

His laugh was soft as he went back to eating his food. “You really think you could keep me tied up?”

“Well, it kept you there for a week,” Lucia’s tone was calmer than she felt.

He almost choked on his bite of bread, “Well. I wasn’t my best. I could’ve freed myself faster if I wasn't so injured.”

“But it was your leg that was injured,” Lucia said. “Your arms were fine.”

He coughed as he choked. “Well… ah, do you have any meat?”

The man unsteadily tried to stand, pain obvious as his face twisted. Lucia felt her heart start to race again. She scrambled to get as far away from him as she could. Father had just told her the nice ones were the ones to trust the least.

“Woah,” His hand raised again as he settled back down, his face relaxing. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. I’m not going to hurt you.”

“How can I trust you,” She said. “You’ve hurt me before.”

For a moment, he looked like he genuinely felt bad. “I’m sorry about that. It won't happen again. Promise.”

Despite her best judgment, she felt herself start to relax a bit. His eyes were a tranquil blue, so calm. It was not hard to get drawn into that stillness.

“I don’t have any meat right now,” She said, answering his last question. “I have fish, though, but it does need to be salted.”

“You don’t cook it?” He asked, mouth dropping open. After a few moments of thought, he nodded in agreement. “Well, I guess you couldn’t light a fire here.”

Lucia shook her head, once again forgetting he couldn’t see her, then noticed her hood wasn't on. She slowly started to inch her way farther from him. She needed to change clothes. The worst sensation, besides the hood over her face, was a wet hood over her face. She could feel patches of skin crackling as the sea water dried.

“I need to go for a moment. Please don't follow me.”

“Couldn’t if I wanted to, can't see, and this hurts.” He gestured to his wounded leg.

She found herself nodding in agreement before she stopped herself. She had terrible people skills, or at least people skills when they couldn’t see her.

“I’m gonna go now. Stay here.” She backed away, watching him to ensure he wasn't planning to follow. The slick stone walls slid under her open palm as she slowly stepped backward. He sat, continuing to eat the bread and cheese. Reassured he wasn't going to follow, she scurried away to change.

There were only two springs of fresh water in her cave. One was large enough to bathe in while she got her drinking water from the other. She placed the fish on her makeshift table as she walked past. There would be time later to come and treat her new catch before it spoiled.

As she approached her small bathing spring, she carefully removed the wet cloak and dress. She threw them in an old wooden box she used for dirty clothes. Lucia stepped cautiously into the pool of water. It sent cold chills down her spine. No matter what time of year it was, the temperature always seemed to be cold. Goose bumps raised across her bare skin. With a deep breath, she plunged completely under the surface. It all but took the wind out of her. Quickly, she came up, taking short, quick breaths. She pulled herself out of the water with shaky hands and grabbed the tattered square of cloth she used to dry herself. It had a few holes but seemed to do the job well enough. It was a gift from Father, and she was thankful for it. Before, she had to dry herself with old clothes.

She felt her body start to shake as it tried its hardest to bring her back to a normal temperature. Once she was mostly dry and the cloth had absorbed all it could, Lucia walked to her pile of clean clothes.

After donning some undergarments, she pulled a simple dress on, and as she did, her bluish skin caught her attention. It was a sight Lucia didn’t like to see. Most of the time, it was covered by her thick clothing. She quickly donned the cloak and gloves. It was hard to look at, a sickening reminder of what made her different, why she had to live in the caves.

She grabbed an empty wooden cup, filled it with fresh, clean water, and returned to the room with the man. He was now lying down, his head resting on his raised hands. His eyes were open, looking around slowly. As she walked in, he slowly sat up, looking around mindlessly, “Welcome back again.”

Lucia shifted her weight awkwardly, “I’ve got some water if you want?”

“Thank you,” he reached out to her general vicinity, slightly to her left but close enough.

She hesitated for a moment. It made her heart speed up just thinking about getting close to him. She thought she could put it on the ground, and he could pick it up, but she had to remind herself he couldn't see.

Lucia took a short step toward him. He didn’t seem like he would hurt her, but it was probably the same thoughts Father had. She hesitantly extended the cup of water.

His hands surprised her with how big they were. Slowly, he closed his hand around its small rim. In the process, a single finger grazed her gloved knuckles. Her hand shot back, and she bolted to the cave wall. The cup stayed steady in his hand.

“That felt like a normal hand to me,” he said.

Lucia’s eyes narrowed, “You purposefully touched my hand?”

“Of course,” He said. His tone was more playful than it should be. He raised the cup to his lips and drank it down in a few gulps. With his free hand, he wiped any drops that escaped his lips. “Felt perfectly normal to me, most likely five fingers. Unless you have multiple sets of arms? Or multiple thumbs?”

“What?”

“I take that as a no,” he said. Once again, he laid down, resting his head on his hands. “I don’t have to see you to know you're not a monster.”

Lucia huffed at his assumption. Who was he to think he knew her?

“You haven't even seen me? How would you know I’m not a monster?” She said as she folded her arms across her chest. Her lips pressed together as she stared at him.

Father would not tell lies. If he said she was a monster, she was. She didn’t need Father to tell her, and she couldn’t bring herself to explain her appearance. Whether she was a monster, descendant of Zyra, or whatever, Father always told the truth. Lucia would not let this man sway her and Father's thoughts.

Before she could react, he sat up abruptly and leaned closer at a speed she didn’t think was possible with his hurt leg. Lucia froze, not wanting a single breath to give her away.

“Would a monster really save a Descendant of Calos? That, to me, makes you a good person.”

His eyes were a breathtaking blue, so calm and crystalline. Without realizing it, she had leaned closer to look into the serenity they offered. They almost seemed to glow in the darkness. All thoughts of him hurting her appeared to wash away in the depths of those clear eyes. She wanted to get to know him, and a part of her wanted him to stay, always. He had a calming presence that soothed her racing heart, reminding her of the ocean itself.

“I’m sorry we met in such a rocky way,” the man said. “My name is Eris.”