Categories > Celebrities > AFI > December Starlight
Nex watched over them while they slept. Both of them breathed normally and slept soundly. If only she could do the same. She rubbed her eyes with one sleeve, wiping away the light tears that had begun to gather to try and keep her awake. But she couldn't fall asleep no matter how tired she was.
She stood and walked over to the door, pulling her hood over her head with one hand. It was almost too big, since it was Stella's cloak. The tears began to come more readily now as she thought of Shade's words. She had to get out of there before she was hurt again.
-
"Nex, I have to ask you something," Shade said nervously, placing a hand behind his head.
"What?"
"Do you...like me...at all?" He hadn't meant to add on the last few words, but it seemed necessary. Nex seemed shocked.
"I- Of course I do! I l-" She stopped. There was no way she could continue.
"Yes?" he muttered, hoping she would hear. She always did.
"What about you?" she managed to say. Shade's hazel eyes looked at her pleadingly. She almost cringed under his gaze.
"Nex...I need to know." She looked away sadly. His pale lips pressed into a thin line, and he said nothing, only glaring at her.
"Shade...I'm sorry..." He left without a second glance. Tears began to fill her eyes. She turned and ran. And she never looked back.
-
Nex trudged up the long tunnel to the surface, feeling the warmth ebb away from her with each passing moment. The icy winds had died down for now, but it was dark. The Ghosts lived in the dark. She knew she shouldn't be going, but she needed some time alone. She needed to get away from everything.
She reached the end of the tunnel and carefully opened the door, stepping through it and closing it soundlessly. It was concealed inside a hollow, ice-covered tree, protected from the Ghosts.
Supposedly.
She considered staying where she was; after all, it would be much safer than the outside world. But that was not what she had come to do. Shade had made his opinions of her very clear, and all she would do was respect his wishes.
The sound of creaking wood reached her ears and startled her, but she realized it was only the tree groaning under the weight of the ice. She had to wonder how many years it had left. She spotted an opening in the wood's side and brushed away the snow, seeing a white light filter through. The moon was out. She crawled through it and went outside, feeling a rush of icy air the second she inhaled.
The moon's glow made everything beautiful. The world around her glittered and sparkled in the silver light. The sight was breathtaking. Never before had Nex thought death could be gorgeous. She saw the flowing white shapes of the Ghosts hovering overhead, and wondered why they had not seen and attacked her yet. Not that she was complaining.
'Of course,' she thought, delicately fingering the cloak's warm fabric. 'I must look like Stella. They must think I'm her.' One of the white figures floated down to the ground and shaped into a vertical form a good six inches taller than her. The glow subsided, revealing a white-robed man with pale, blond hair that reached halfway to the ground. He had cold, emerald eyes and smirked at her. She shrank away from him.
"It's good to see you again, Stella," he said with a voice colder than the world around them. Nex said nothing. "So tell me, have the intruders been properly disposed of?" She assumed he meant Jade and Davey, and silently nodded.
"Excellent. The plan is going perfectly. I will speak with the Council tonight. Meet me back here tomorrow, as usual." He stepped toward her, wrapping her in an embrace. She said nothing and dared not move. "Do not fear, my Stella," he whispered icily into her ear. "The true ruler will be restored to power soon. We will destroy the Despair Faction. The Ghosts will rule once again." Nex's eyes went wide, but she still did not speak. She watched as he reformed into the white cloud of snow and smoke, floating back up to the sky to mingle with the others. She stood for a second, then slowly and stoically went back the way she had come. She hesitated to breathe almost the entire time.
As she walked back down the tunnel, she carefully dissected the man's words. This was a matter of utmost importance. She would have to forget everything that had happened between her and Shade. More importantly, she would never trust Stella again.
She stood and walked over to the door, pulling her hood over her head with one hand. It was almost too big, since it was Stella's cloak. The tears began to come more readily now as she thought of Shade's words. She had to get out of there before she was hurt again.
-
"Nex, I have to ask you something," Shade said nervously, placing a hand behind his head.
"What?"
"Do you...like me...at all?" He hadn't meant to add on the last few words, but it seemed necessary. Nex seemed shocked.
"I- Of course I do! I l-" She stopped. There was no way she could continue.
"Yes?" he muttered, hoping she would hear. She always did.
"What about you?" she managed to say. Shade's hazel eyes looked at her pleadingly. She almost cringed under his gaze.
"Nex...I need to know." She looked away sadly. His pale lips pressed into a thin line, and he said nothing, only glaring at her.
"Shade...I'm sorry..." He left without a second glance. Tears began to fill her eyes. She turned and ran. And she never looked back.
-
Nex trudged up the long tunnel to the surface, feeling the warmth ebb away from her with each passing moment. The icy winds had died down for now, but it was dark. The Ghosts lived in the dark. She knew she shouldn't be going, but she needed some time alone. She needed to get away from everything.
She reached the end of the tunnel and carefully opened the door, stepping through it and closing it soundlessly. It was concealed inside a hollow, ice-covered tree, protected from the Ghosts.
Supposedly.
She considered staying where she was; after all, it would be much safer than the outside world. But that was not what she had come to do. Shade had made his opinions of her very clear, and all she would do was respect his wishes.
The sound of creaking wood reached her ears and startled her, but she realized it was only the tree groaning under the weight of the ice. She had to wonder how many years it had left. She spotted an opening in the wood's side and brushed away the snow, seeing a white light filter through. The moon was out. She crawled through it and went outside, feeling a rush of icy air the second she inhaled.
The moon's glow made everything beautiful. The world around her glittered and sparkled in the silver light. The sight was breathtaking. Never before had Nex thought death could be gorgeous. She saw the flowing white shapes of the Ghosts hovering overhead, and wondered why they had not seen and attacked her yet. Not that she was complaining.
'Of course,' she thought, delicately fingering the cloak's warm fabric. 'I must look like Stella. They must think I'm her.' One of the white figures floated down to the ground and shaped into a vertical form a good six inches taller than her. The glow subsided, revealing a white-robed man with pale, blond hair that reached halfway to the ground. He had cold, emerald eyes and smirked at her. She shrank away from him.
"It's good to see you again, Stella," he said with a voice colder than the world around them. Nex said nothing. "So tell me, have the intruders been properly disposed of?" She assumed he meant Jade and Davey, and silently nodded.
"Excellent. The plan is going perfectly. I will speak with the Council tonight. Meet me back here tomorrow, as usual." He stepped toward her, wrapping her in an embrace. She said nothing and dared not move. "Do not fear, my Stella," he whispered icily into her ear. "The true ruler will be restored to power soon. We will destroy the Despair Faction. The Ghosts will rule once again." Nex's eyes went wide, but she still did not speak. She watched as he reformed into the white cloud of snow and smoke, floating back up to the sky to mingle with the others. She stood for a second, then slowly and stoically went back the way she had come. She hesitated to breathe almost the entire time.
As she walked back down the tunnel, she carefully dissected the man's words. This was a matter of utmost importance. She would have to forget everything that had happened between her and Shade. More importantly, she would never trust Stella again.
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