fragile time

~chapter 3~

Lillith and I ended up getting Gro'sa berries, which are a rare kind of fruit only found deep in caves. Much to Mrs. Bloodhorn's delight, we got the hardest one. This should have been challenging, but luckily we knew exactly where to find them. The Cave of Confusion.

~✶~

The two of us trudged in the forest, large trees all around us. A thick forest grew inside the Vampire Empire, but I knew it well. I'd never get lost; it was my home. Light from the sun was mostly blocked by the leaves, giving us shade, which would be nice, if it wasn't for the cold breeze sweeping through the air. It smelled like dirt and fresh grass, with a hint of tree sap, which was one of my favorite scents. The sound of the forest filled the space— crunching leaves, chirping birds, our steady breathing.

"And we're sure the berries will be in the Cave of Confusion?" I asked. "I don't want to come all this way for nothing."

Lillith nodded. "Absolutely positive. Gro'sha berries grow deep in caves, and I've seen them before." I feel like Lillith's seen everything. She's been so many places, explored so much– and I'm not even allowed outside of the Vampire Empire wall.

The Wall had guards around every corner, day and night. Any member of our state wasn't supposed to leave, unless they gained permission from the Vampire Council to do so. They send in a letter, then the assembly sends a reply within 2-3 days. However, as a prince, I was not permitted anywhere near that wall. No matter the rules, I found my way around. Near the treehouse, there's a block that's a bit loose– loose enough for me to slide it out from underneath the rest. I'm able to shimmy under the wall and escape. I ended up filthy after, but at least I got out.

Later, Lillith and I finally arrived at the Cave of Confusion. The cave was filled with glittering jewels crowded by rough stone from roof to ground. The entire place was pitch black, and the only source of light was from the outside. There was something beautiful about the Cave of Confusion, though. Every single time something or someone touched a precious stone, it would illuminate a different color. The harder the force upon it, the brighter it glowed. For example, if a wind gust entered the cave — or someone shouted into it — there would be a faint glow. Although, if you were to put all your weight on a gem, it would strongly glow with either a shade of blue, pink, white, purple, or green. A stream was far inside the cave, stones constantly glowing from underneath the blanket of the water. I liked going in to get some quiet time. Sometimes, my life can be pretty overwhelming, and one way I liked to let it out in the Cave of Confusion was singing. I liked seeing the vague shimmer of the jewels when my powerful voice bounced off the walls. The only people who knew about this were my sister and Emily.

"Well," I said, admiring the outside, "Shall we?" I turned to Lillith and gestured for the both of us to go in the deep hole. She inhaled deeply before responding.

Her bottomless eyes locked with mine. "We shall."

Lillith had only been in the Cave of Confusion once before, and that wasn't a nice visit. Lillith was willingly walking right into a bad memory, but I was glad she was. I wanted her to have a different impression of this place.

We were attacked by goblins here previously, about ten. They may be short– but they sure are mean. Goblins had rough brown and green skin, with pointy ears and sharp teeth. Xavier had gotten hurt pretty bad in that encounter, as we had never dealt with them before. There shouldn't be anything in there now.

That was the first time my friends and I went inside the cave, and what we agreed would be the last. However, I've been in the cave many times since then. I knew nobody else would ever enter, which is why it has become my sacred place.

The only sound that could be heard was the echo of our steps. We left fresh prints in the muddy floor, and whenever we stepped in a puddle it took us by surprise. Every once in a while, we would step on a gem engraved in the ground beneath. Vines grew along the walls, covering up most jewels. Lillith and I searched on opposite walls for the berries we needed in companionable silence. Soon it started getting darker, and I knew there would soon be a point where neither of us could see anymore. "Lillith?" I turned towards her, "Can you cast a light with your wand?"

She whipped out her weapon in an instant, smiling. "Of course. It is simple." I returned her confident smile. That's something I've always liked about Lillith— her self assuredness. "Kaló ti dýnami tou íliou na mou dósei fos," She recited with a single swish of her wand. The tip of her wand soon glowed with a bright yellow-ish white light, giving us perfect vision.

We continued to search side by side. It may have taken longer, but I was glad we were with each other. Gro'sha berries could be identified by their round, purple exterior with red spots. After a while, I thought I saw them. "Wait!" I exclaimed as I reached over her arm to grab them.

The movement made my face only inches away from hers', and her eyes almost doubled in size. "My apologies." I quickly stammered before taking the berries and returning back to my original position.

"Oh, uhm, no, it's completely fine." She released a sigh. "I didn't mind."

Her eyes returned to their normal size, and I just now realized how beautiful they were. They were like the ocean at night, full of mystery and wonder. Although, they had a little hint of quiet genius, too. Her dark eyes, ink black, held secrets. Secrets that aren't necessarily hers, but secrets which others have trusted her with. The first thing you see when you glance into her eyes is likely coldness. A sharp glare. Or perhaps you saw someone who was responsible and practical. Still, if you look a bit harder, you might see someone who is trustworthy. Someone who had to be the adult when the adult wasn't there. Someone who was wise beyond her years. Someone that took all these responsibilities on herself, and did everything perfectly. Someone who was almost afraid of fault. You would see Lillith Wixx.

I snapped out of my daze and now realized I was holding her gaze for much longer than necessary. She had obviously noticed and looked towards me with confusion. "What're you–" Lillith's voice was barely audible, "What's wrong?"

My eyes darted away and I could feel the heat creeping into my ears. "Nothing. We should go."

"Agreed." She nodded as we headed towards the exit. That was so strange. Nothing like that had ever happened between Lillith and I. It was like rain in the desert.

My train of thought was interrupted with a sound. A sword brushing up against a rock. "What was that?" I muttered, hand on my own weapon. Lillith firmly held her wand as we creeped forward. The noise had come from outside of the cave, but whatever— whoever— it was could've clearly seen us and heard us. How did I not notice them?

"Who is there? Appear. We will not hurt you." Lillith eased, inching in front of me.

I thought for a moment. "She won't hurt you. I might." My friend glared at me, as I ruined our chances of reasoning with this thing. "No promises, I mean." I quickly added.

Lillith and I paused, listening. I held my breath, searching for any sign of the thing we heard. Nothing. I started walking forward again, perhaps in order to scare it. "Show yourself!" I commanded.

Suddenly, I heard some pounding footsteps heading away from the cave. Whatever it was, it's leaving now. It shouldn't be that big of a deal, right? "Well, it's gone now, whatever it was." I assumed.

"I would not be so sure." She reminded me, "Never suppose something is until you have proof." Lillith had never been more right about something. I always tend to assume things before I know for sure, and I usually end up being wrong. That's not only a problem for me, though. Everyone sometimes presumes the worst – or the best – in some situations.

"Right. We have the berries." I drew our attention back to our task, "We should go." Lillith nodded, but I could still tell she was weary.

We carefully scanned the forest as we walked, but I couldn't shake the feeling of dangerous eyes falling over us, tracing our every step.