The Above

-Twenty One-

 I watched as the world changed from darkness to light. I looked up at the sky, constellations no longer sprinkled throughout the day, the moon shifting away from the sun. The Eclipse was ending.

It had been the longest lasting Eclipse yet, leaving humans in a dim world for weeks. Some theorized that the sun would never be revealed again, but it wasn't difficult to see that the idea wasn't anything near truthful. Instead, light washed over me, filling my body with a delightful sensation; especially now that I was able to control my own ability.

I played with the light that grew stronger, forming the same small beast Atlaster had in the early night we kissed. I shivered at the thought that I couldn't shake from my mind, attempting to turn my focus to the illusion I had formed. If only I knew that I truly did have a power, I thought, would my life have been easier?

My thought was interrupted by a sudden disturbance in the waves behind me, and I felt Atlaster sit to my right, our legs and shoulders nearly touching. I sucked in a breath as he settled, red rushing to my cheeks at the simple thought of him.

"It felt like it would never end," he whispered, his head lifted to gaze at the sky.

"Hm?" I questioned, my mind hardly present. I turned to look at him, scanning his kind—and rather attractive—features.

"The Eclipse. It reached a record timing—it felt like the moon was just going to stay there. I hummed in agreement as he faced me, a smile resting on his lips. He watched me play with the small being, moving my fingers to the gentle rise and fall of its body. He gave me a smirk and stared at me with an almost admiring look in his eyes at the realization that it was the same creature from that night.

"I suppose it did, huh," I replied. I closed my hand slowly and the apparition of the beast dissipated. I glanced around, taking in the environment; anything to avoid Atlaster. We were sitting in a more pristine district in the Haven, where tall buildings stretched through polished streets adorned in vegetation— all of which drank in the light they were deprived of.

We were sitting on the steps of a vacant shop that appeared to have closed down a few years ago. A rotting sign had been too worn down by both termites and weather to be formally read, though I do admit that I had tried a few times to decipher the broken words.

We sat in silence for a while, not a word spoken until an effervescent presence broke the uncomfortable quiet. "Atlaster?" a familiar voice called, and I turned around in surprise at the young boy who stood behind us. Katoka tapped Atlaster on the shoulder as he spoke, and in a second, the adolescent was enveloped in a hug.

"Hey, buddy!" Atlaster exclaimed, a smile stretching across his face as he embraced the youth. He ruffled Katoka's hair and the boy frowned, pushing away from the water user and swatting his hand away. Atlaster chuckled at his reaction and Katoka couldn't keep a straight face, a grin finding its way on his mouth.

"Hey, Eralyn!" he acknowledged me and I beamed, waving at him. The two began to talk for a while, Katoka displaying the progress he had made with his ability every once in a while. He even demonstrated, growing the stem of a flower rooted in the cracks of the street, revealing a blue blossom. He plucked the plant and gave it to me while bowing in mock eloquence, and I did the same, taking it with grace and placing it behind my ear.

Atlaster chuckled at the scene, his gaze turning towards me with a smirk. I rolled my eyes as he called upon water from the air, slowly forming a flower out of the particles. He scoffed when I refused the gift, pretending to be offended by my denial. Our strange interaction was interrupted by a new, much more mature—and slightly sarcastic—presence.