The next morning I woke up early. I didn't want to wake Aaravos, so I tried not to make much noise. I changed into my daily outfit - tall black boots, grey leggings, and a light purple shirt with a hood.
I cringed as I remembered that Aaravos could be looking at me through the bug, and hoped to the Stars that that wasn't the case.
I walked to the dining room and sat down in a corner.
"I wonder if I should return to the mirror. Aaravos may get angry if I don't, but I don't trust him enough. Not yet anyway... I suppose there can't be any harm in going.. He can't hurt me, right?" I lost track of time thinking about him.
It was 8 o'clock. I ate a hurried breakfast, thinking about how foolish I was for thinking about Aaravos for one and a half hours.
"That's right.. How very foolish of you Y/N..." The bug whispered in my ear.
"Shut it," I said, blushing.
I rushed down to Viren's office, pulling my hood over my face if I came in close contact with any guards. When I stepped into the small room, I noticed that Aaravos was staring at me through the mirror.
"Good morning Y/N," he said with a smile.
"Morning," I replied.
I glanced back at the door through which I had come and wondered if I really shouldn't be there.
"No, no, you should stay," he said, reading my thoughts once more. "Lie down on that table for me Y/N."
I looked at him curiously. I didn't know if I trusted him yet. But despite the fact I didn't fully trust him, I proceeded to lay on the table.
"Good girl, now don't mind the bug..."
I soon saw the bug crawl right on top of my eye.
"Aie! What's it doing?" I shrieked.
"Just lie still.. It's going to be okay.. It'll all be over soon.." He said soothingly.
I could see the bug squirting out some sort of white glaze that covered my eye. It crisscrossed these sticky white lines all over my eye until all I could see was a blank milky-white screen. I realized that the substance was probably silk.
"Close your eye," he instructed me.
I nodded and shut my eyes.
The bug sealed my eye closed, and I wondered if Aaravos was tricking me. It did seem awfully suspicious.
"Is this a trick?" I asked, knowing he'd probably lie.
"No, of course not!" He responded.
With the eye that wasn't sealed shut, I saw that he had put on a hurt face. I melted inside.
"You're lying," I whispered.
"I'm not lying. I never lie!" He declared.
We waited for some time, and my back was starting to hurt. I hoped whatever we were doing would be over soon.
"It is done," the bug said, eating away the strip that had my eye bound.
I blinked. I could see with both eyes: the milky witness had gone away. It looked like Aaravos hadn't lied, and he also hadn't done anything except give me a backache.
"Walk into the hall, and don't look at the mirror." He said.
I walked slowly into the hall, afraid that he was going to do something bad. But to my surprise, I found him leaning casually against a wall. I jumped.
"Aaravos?" I whispered.
"Yes, It's me," he replied, smiling.
"But- How? Aren't you trapped in a mirror?" I asked.
"Yes, I am. This is just an apparition of me. That eye of yours" - he gestured to my eye that was covered in silk - "lets you see me wherever you are. Oh yes, and one more thing: you cannot feel me in this form, not that I'd expect you to want to," he said with a smirk.
I blushed.
"Alright. May I try to feel you then?" I asked in a would-be-casual voice.
"Yes," he sighed, straightening up.
I threw my hand through where his chest should have been but felt nothing but air.
"You see? No need to worry, I'm alright," he said, upon seeing my face.
I wandered about the castle, flanked by Aaravos. He kept talking to me, but after a while, I couldn't concentrate on his words. It felt so good to have a friend that no one else could see, or take away.
"Y/N? May I ask you something?" He asked.
"Ask away," I replied kindly, snapping out of my daydream.
"How do you feel about me?"
"How do I feel about you?" I asked, surprised by the question.
"Yes. What do you think of me? I promised myself I would ask you and not just read your thoughts," he replied.
"In what way?" I asked.
"In any way. Whatever you like."
"I'll.. I'll tell you tomorrow Aaravos."
"Yes. Of course. Tomorrow." he said.
I heard him mutter something else, but I didn't bother to ask what. I noticed it was dark out so I walked to my bedroom. We must have been in the mirror room for a long time.
Once I was in my room I told Aaravos to close his eyes once more. I was going to have to alter my life just a bit - Aaravos didn't ever leave my sight.
"Um.. I don't exactly have a place for you to sleep, " I said.
I facepalmed. I didn't have an extra bed for him. Then it dawned on me that he wasn't actually there.
"He sleeps in his bed in his beautiful library. Or..Wherever he sleeps.. His body is still there." I whispered to myself.
I stifled a yawn as he nodded at me, laughing.
"Goon night Aaravos."
"Good night Y/N."
I soon heard the slow breathing of Aaravos, telling me he had fallen asleep. I looked at his glowing body and walked over to it. I put my hand to his forehead, and I swear I saw him shift slightly in his sleep.
Even though he was asleep, I couldn't seem to lie still. I sat cross-legged on my bed, thinking about his question.
"How do you feel about me?" His deep voice echoed through my body.
"How do I feel about you? Even I don't know.. I hate you for the horrible magic you've given us. That's what I should tell him. No.. I like how kind you've been to me. That's much better. No.." I was stuck. I didn't hate him. I didn't like him. Did I care about him?
No. My conscience told me that I was lying, I did care about him so very much. "Then how about I tell him I care about him, I don't like him, and I don't hate him. No, that won't do either!"
I sighed. "I'll just have to tell him that I care about him, and otherwise, I'm quite neutral."
The next morning I woke up and found Aaravos hovering over me.
"Aaravos! What are you doing?" I asked him, pushing myself deep into my pillow.
"Just watching." He said, gracefully landing on the floor beside me.
I sighed. He was so elegant.
"I've thought about your question, and have come to a somewhat reasonable conclusion," I said, thinking back to the previous night.
"And what is this conclusion of yours?" he asked.
"I care about you. And..um.. I don't hate you? Also, I don't like you. Sorry, this sounded better last night," I said desperately.
"It's alright. I think I get your point. You're neutral?"
"No, no.. I'm - I...don't know. I don't feel anything!" I stuttered.
"Right.. So this feeling of nothingness, it means you're neutral?" he asked, this time raising one eyebrow to indicate confusion.
"No.. I don't know! Aaravos help me!" I scowled.
"Yes.. and for me to help you, I need to know: are you neutral?" he asked yet again, leaning closer in a seductive way.
"Yes. Yes okay? I'm neutral about you." I said, falling back on my messy bed.
Telling him how I felt was way harder than I'd expected it to be. I had never been great at telling others my feelings, but for some reason, I thought it would be easier around him. It was like my tongue was caught in my mouth, and something was about to roll off of it, but the other words came in like a stampede.
He plopped down next to me and hovered his hand over mine. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I could tell him, right?
"Actually, no. I'm not neutral," I said, finding my voice again. "I really like you. Your smile.. Your laugh.. Your voice.. Your freaky personality.. All of it. You're really cool Aaravos."
He smiled, his stars glowing.
"Good.."
