Wayfinding | Aaravos x Reader |

⚜ STELLAR ⚜

None of it would suffice.

At least, not without a sacrifice.

And although you've come close to it in the past, you were not capable of committing murder.

Enox may have claimed you were some all-powerful being. But standing there, unable to aid your loved ones, you felt like the mind was caving in.

You may have saved people in the past.

But all of that was pure luck. You were just a phony.

Biting down on your lower lip, you banished your train of thought. "I don't mean to offend you, but why are you keeping this between just us?"

"Well . . ." the Katolian sighed, scratching the back of his neck uneasily. "The others are quite skeptical of – not what you do! But of magic in general. And as of right now, there isn't time to debate about the ethics or logistics of it all."

You weren't going to say.

You really didn't want to.

But truth reigned victory over silence. " . . . Even if it involves dark magic?"

"What about dark magic?"

The familiar hoarse and shaky voice spikes the speed of your pulse. You reared back the moment you saw Uzner at the threshold of the dining room with Agatha grinning vibrantly to his left. Indeed, you were ecstatic to see your friend on his feet again after being bedridden for – dragons know how long - but he was wary, thin and meek. His face sunken in, his cheek twitched periodically, and even his dewy charm was absent.

If that were not enough, you did not anticipate seeing him so soon.

You didn't want to see him so soon.

As a result, what should have been a bittersweet reunion felt rather somber.

With the way the young man gawked at you – so desolate and wistful – it was apparent that similar thoughts crossed his mind too. Except there was an undercurrent of content in his orbs, as if he was pleased to see you. Perhaps even pleased that you weren't bolting out at the immediate sight of him as you had the days before.

"Uzner?!" Theodore yelped, halting abruptly by the scullery. After carelessly discarding the liquor onto the table, the alchemist swooped the boy into a bear hug - lifting the boy off his feet. "Goodness - I had no idea you'd be joining us for dinner!"

"Aunt Agatha told me there'd be roast hare and cheese on the menu tonight," the male rouged, perching gingerly against his cane. "I couldn't resist."

While the adults swarmed around Smith, sweeping the room with cordial chatter, you flattened against the wall behind you. Uzner was a clone of his father. The others may not perceive it, but he was a stoic and mulish boy. He would never let anyone in on his pain. So, while the naive humans believed his act, you were able to filter through the facade.

Once again, you felt ominous scenarios coiling the pillars of your logic.

Colors evaded your vision and the only thing that remained was the muffled dialogue exchanged between the Katolians. You tried to rationalize your surroundings just as Ma taught you, but your pulse would not ease up regardless of how many deep breaths you took. Instead, your heart kept thrumming a violent rhythm. Before you knew it, your legs carried you to the safety of the greenhouse, away from the eyes of spectators.

Cocooned by stillness, you were finally able to conquer your anxiety. But just as you recuperated, a brumal draft feathered your cheek. At first, you thought nothing of it - though it did send you jolting back a bit. When you brushed a finger over your face, you found dewdrops where the breezed kissed you. Furrowing your brows, you rolled the moisture between your digits - discovering it had a teal tinge to it. 'What an odd sight . . .' you thought, studying it further. But the fine hairs of your arm stood alert and interrupted you. Gradually, you became more aware of the weight of someone's stare on the back of your head.

Stiff-necked, you craned your head around and scanned the perimeter. The Seymours and Smiths were still mingling in the dining room, far from your vision. Beyond the glass panels of the greenhouse was vacant, grassy acres of land. And in the room? Well, it was just you. But you could not shake the feeling of being watched. Eventually, however, you locked eyes with your reflection from across the chamber. Arkeus had detached the birchwood mirror from a vanity weeks prior. Theodore was interested in somehow including into his gallery of plants, vines and light fixtures. But after the incident with Enox, the mirror seemed menacing. And as silly as it was to think of it, you felt the reflection stare back at you - as if it were alive. As if it were its own entity. Instinctively, you would have shifted your gaze away - formulating other pictures in your head to replace the eerie image. But things were different that night.

"Y - You . . ." you stammered, staring at the girl in the mirror. Your voice dimmed to a bashful whisper. "You took over my body . . . on two separate occasions. Two separate occasions. And as powerful as I felt, I hated every minute of it. I was trapped inside my own body - able to see everything. But I couldn't move a single muscle on my own accord. Do you know how horrible that feels? The only reason I held my peace was because you saved me and my friends one too many times. But I was convinced after Sal Dorei, I would never speak to you again. Yet, now . . . with Uzner . . ."

Defeatedly, you glanced towards the mirror noticing that it remained unchanged. Chewing the inside of your cheek, you retrieved it and sat back down in your cot. As your fingers idly traced the image, a knot formed in your stomach. The reflection was that of a child - a child that could race against the wind, bury her toes in warm sands, and dance till the sun met the horizon.

Those things . . . those small, simple things - can you be sure that Uzner could experience those too?

Even if things go wayward?

In a flimsy attempt to stop its wobbling, you pursed your lips into a thin line. But nothing stopped the dampening of your eyes. Holding the bulky mirror to your chest, you raised your face to the Heavens, praying and wishing for a miracle. "Please, Aaravos. I need you to help me set things right. I . . . I need you more than ever right now."

Followed by your plea was pin-dropped silence. You waited and waited, straining your ears for the response. But nothing happened. Leisurely, your eyelids succumbed to your fatigue and your mind surrendered to the cruelty of fate. But your dismay was short-lived, for the entity's baritone voice reverberated through the room.

"Mmm, is that so?"

__________

(A/n)

I give up - I thought I was going to be one of those mysterious writers that updates once every week with cliffhangers and stuff. But this act of the story is soo cute/angsty and the next act is soo hawt/angsty and I don't think I have enough self-control to limit myself to one chapter per week!

So in sum, please expect me lots of updates xx

Also - I'm dedicating this chapter to another lovely reader! You may see some fanart for this story soon :')

Much love,

Massive Times