Sil sat on the weathered steps of his secluded cabin, absently skipping smooth, flat stones across the mirror-like surface of the creek. Each stone skimmed the water with gentle precision, sending delicate ripples cascading outward, disturbing only briefly the creek's quiet flow with perceived stillness before fading into oblivion. The afternoon sunlight, filtered softly through a tapestry of thick leaves, painted patterns of gold and shadow across his contemplative face, hiding the weary resignation deepening the lines around his eyes.
A sudden flash, brief and sharp, sliced through the serenity. It sent a shiver crawling down Sil's spine, raising the fine hairs on the nape of his neck. Alert now, he tilted his head slightly, muscles coiled beneath deceptively relaxed skin, senses stretching out through the stillness.
The crackle of dry leaves and brittle twigs betrayed a visitor's approach. Sil's heart quickened its beat, his jaw tightening subtly as Bliss emerged cautiously from between ancient oak trunks, their massive, gnarled roots protruding like grasping fingers from the earth. She stepped into the clearing hesitantly, pausing briefly at the sight of him, her usual confident bearing overshadowed by anxious uncertainty.
Sil's gaze hardened slightly. It had been nearly a year, and yet, as always, his chest tightened at the sight of her—both longing and wariness entwined inseparably within him. Their past had always been a chaotic whirlwind of passion and avoidance, pleasure masking deeper wounds neither wished to address. They had ended it, finally, out of mutual guilt. Sil had quietly hoped she'd come back—but not like this. Not with eyes haunted by fear.
"Figured you patched things up with Sam," Sil murmured, his voice deceptively calm, another stone sailing over the water before disappearing into its silent, shallow, depths.
Bliss swallowed visibly, eyes darting away from his penetrating gaze as though seeking refuge in the shifting shadows around them. Her voice emerged, strained and softer than usual. "Sil, there's something…else," she confessed quietly, unease dripping from her tone.
Sil's posture shifted, instantly alert. A familiar weight settled across his shoulders. "What's happened, Bliss?"
Bliss hesitated, stepping slowly closer, fingers nervously gripping the hem of her cloak. Her usually confident posture seemed diminished, as though she shrank beneath the burden of what she had come to say. "I've seen something—something terrible."
"We can't discuss this here," she whispered urgently, glancing anxiously around the open clearing as though expecting to see prying eyes in the shadows. "Please, inside. I brought a privacy crystal."
After a long, strained pause, Sil finally nodded, his decision evident in the rigid set of his shoulders. "Alright," he murmured, his voice taut but controlled. "Let's go inside and talk."
Bliss visibly relaxed, though tension still marred her delicate features. Together, they moved toward the modest wooden cabin, silence settling between them heavy with unresolved history and uncertain future, each step carrying the weight of a precarious, fragile trust.
After the door was shut and locked, Bliss pulled out a small stone, and gave it a quick tap. Suddenly they were engulfed in a void of stilness. The lack of sound was heavy, feeling like it might collapse in on itself. Exhaling in relief, she finally spoke.
"Retaliation, from a small group of Celestials. They're furious at your existence, furious that after all you've done, after so many you've killed, you still walk freely."
His jaw tightened, eyes narrowing sharply. "They've tried before. What makes this different?"
"I never saw your death before," she said, voice rising slightly, urgency cracking her carefully maintained composure. "They're targeting not just you, Sil, but Earth itself. They intend to punish you, eliminate you, then they mean turn their ire on the Earth."
Sil rose abruptly, the muscles in his back and arms tightening like cords of iron beneath his loose clothing. "When? How many?"
Bliss took a shaky breath, moving closer still, desperation bleeding into her voice. "At least three Celestials, possibly more. And soon. They're moving quickly; their rage blinds them. We must draw them away—away from Earth. Away from everything you and I care about."
Sil studied her face carefully, searching for signs of deception or manipulation, remnants of their complicated past clouding his judgment. Yet he found only raw vulnerability, genuine fear shining in her eyes. "Alright, so I take it you've got a plan?"
She nodded with solemn acknowledgement. "I believe I do." Sil and Bliss stared into each other's eyes for what felt like an eternity. Each examining the subtle expression of the other. Searching for any kind of hint, a clue, any tell. Sizing up their actual level of trust in the other. Finally, after a long stretch of silence, Sil nodded in acceptance.
"Then we need to leave immediately."
With that final thought things began to move quickly. Sil gathered a few things from around the cabin. He moved quickly between each one, knowing exactly where each item was. He moved towards the door with hurried yet purposeful steps.
His hand on the doorknob he paused for a moment, and without turning back to look at her he simply spoke while facing straight ahead. "Wait here, I need to retrieve a few things from my apartment, and I have to inform Shiro that I'll be taking a leave of absence. He'll need to handle things by himself while I am gone."
"Whatever you do— don't tell anyone where you are going or what you plan to do." She spoke in a hurried albeit apprehensive tone. He nodded once, and then stepping out of the door, he was suddenly gone. Leaving Bliss alone in the cabin, with nothing but her terrifying memories.
***
Upon his return he appeared to be on a mission, and had narrowed eyes that looked focused. He moved with determination. Bliss seemed cold and calculating. Yet beneath her calculated façade, she harbored darker truths.
But she masked her fears behind half-truths, maintaining her convincing front to Sil, knowing his cooperation was crucial. Bliss justified her deception internally; her survival was paramount—without her guidance, countless human lives would inevitably be lost. Neither did she wish to see Sil's life come to an end, a powerful ally in the fight to protect Earth.
However if she was being honest. There was a far deeper reason for her to intervene in his demise.
***
Recalling the memory from just a few short weeks ago, Sil felt his eyelids grow heavy, and soon he had fallen fast asleep, sitting back on the couch.