The Refuge of Fate

Chapter 12 - Refuge of Fate

A/N: Wasn't able to write in the past few days because I was very ill. Anyway, here's a new chapter and the song is 'In the Stars' by Benson Boone. You can listen to it on repeat for a better reading experience. Enjoy!

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Drop. Ripples ran across the clear surface that reflected their images.

His hands were clenched and his jaw was tightened. Standing in front of him was a person he knew well.

No, even if he closed his eyes and only listened to the voice, he could never mistake him for someone else. Even if he was only seeing the back of the person, he could identify him in a crowd of millions.

"Life is cruel, don't you think?" the man asked yet he did not respond.

"There are many paths that one could choose as they arrive at every turn. Yet only one leads to where we currently are. If we chose another, we probably would have been standing at a different place and a different time." The person's raven-dark hair fluttered across the breeze.

His porcelain skin seemed like it was glowing under the blank horizon.

"Do you believe in fate? Because I do," he spoke and chuckled. His wonderful voice made the translucent surface around them shiver for a second.

He was beautiful.

"There are many instances where we thought we have chosen the correct path yet all along, we are slowly diving into a bottomless pit." The person's hands were clasped behind him as he stared at the sky.

His coat fluttered, too, and it gave the other man an unknown feeling inside of him.

Was it joy? Sadness? Desperation? He wasn't quite sure what to choose.

"Fate is not kind. Some may romanticize the word that many found it appealing but in reality, fate is a scary thing." Sighing, the person reached to push back his dark hair behind his ears.

"It leads many to their demise. It made others suffer. Some are fated to laugh, some are fated to cry. It is an unfortunate circumstance." He could feel the person's smile through the warmth scattering in his chest. It was an immaculate feeling that made his insides churn in a pleasant way.

The way a river flows into the ocean, the way leaves would dance along with the wind.

It felt right.

"Some are fated to live."

Thump! His heart pounded in his chest when he heard the other person speak.

And slowly, the man in front of him turned.

He held his breath as the latter did so. It felt foreign and invasive. The small flicker of warmth that emanated in his chest became a burning wildfire in a second.

"And some are fated to die." He looked astonishing. The way his eyes turned crescent was similar to his. The way his face could light up the moon was similar to his.

"Why are you showing me this?" He finally asked making the person giggle.

"Because this is my final job. To show you the world you missed." He took a deep breath when the man spoke the sentence.

It was then that the person started taking strides toward him. Every step felt like shockwaves that moved his mind and body.

They were powerful yet calming.

He wasn't threatened. No, he couldn't even think of that in all of his life.

"You must have finally put the pieces together. You are smart, Eliam. You know what this means." The man stopped in front of him and they were locked in a staring competition with each other.