3 Heartbreak

Eyes slowly opening, as though from a deep slumber, Eclipse carefully pulled himself off the ground, slightly twitching from the pains still very evident on his entire body.

"Ow," Eclipse mumbled, gripping his arm, still able to see the wounds, both bullet and knife, that littered his entire body. The plus side is that he is not bleeding anymore. "What a way to die. Now, where am I?"

He took a second to look around himself, observing his surroundings as he spotted nothing out of the ordinary. 'Nothing out of the ordinary' meaning that there is nothing around him. Not a single soul, living or dead, besides himself.

He does not even know how he is able to stand in thin air, there is nothing beneath him or even around him. Nothing seems to be making sense but then again, he did just die. So, it makes sense that nothing makes sense at this point in time.

The vast emptiness extended too far beyond what his eyes could even make out as he just stood there, looking at everything and nothing at the same time.

"The silence is a little …"

"Scary?"

Eclipse flinches, turning towards the direction of the voice, no longer feeling the pain coursing through his body, though he remained as quick and elegant as ever.

There stood a woman in a long, white robe with crystals in her white hair and the moon in her eyes, smiling brightly at the man in front of her.

"Greetings, soldier."

"Hmm?" Eclipse immediately calmed down, smiling at the woman. "To who may I owe this pleasure of meeting?"

"I am sure you know me by now." She said, voice resounding throughout the room, like a siren lost at sea. "After all, this is not our first meeting."

"I know. I know." Eclipse held his hands up, laughing. "I am merely trying to lighten up the mood here. It is so good to see you again, goddess Selene."

"I cannot say I feel the same way for you." She said, looking at the man with an amused look on her face. "You are far too young to be meeting me now."

Taking the knife from his side, Eclipse twirled it in his hands, "Well, what can I say? I must have missed you more than I thought I did."

"Cheeky child," Selene said, cupping the man's face in her hands, a gentle, almost pitying, look coming on her face. "My dear. How the world has changed so drastically in the past couple of years."

"Tell me about it. I used to be able to buy ten items for the price of one item then." Eclipse shook his head in disbelief, holding his hands in the air in an almost surrendering motion. "Do you know the price of mutton, goddess? It's ridiculous."

The woman smiled at him, running her hands through his hair, with a gentle expression coming on her face, "You always had this skill of making anything and everything feels just a little brighter. But … you never did care about yourself, as you look after others, did you?"

"I do look after myself." Eclipse said, fake gasping as his dramatics took over him, hand resting against his head. "Otherwise, how shall I live?"

Gently pinching the man's cheeks, the goddess walked away from him, her hair and robes floating as though she was underwater, the smell of fresh, clean water covering her as she walked past him.

"You are cheeky. So cheeky that sometimes I wonder how you are able to live for this long." She mused, turning to him once again.

"I am a lot more capable than I look like I am." He said, shrugging nonchalantly. "Trust me here."

"Right." She looked at Eclipse as he made his way to her side. "So, what are you going to do now? Are you … are you truly going to go ahead with your threat?"

For the first time since he arrived there, Eclipse's expression turned solemn though his smile did not entirely falter. "You have known me for a long time, goddess."

"I know. That is why … I am asking if you are going to carry this out." She looked at the man with pleading eyes. "Please say you are not going to and that was an empty threat.

"You worked too hard, for far too long. If you do this now …"

"I know." Eclipse said, brows furrowing as he refused to look her in the eyes, expression turning soft. "I know. I … But I cannot just let it be, goddess."

"Revenge at the cost of all that work you put in." She tried to persuade him once again. "Don't you think that is trivial? Do you really think it is worth all that?"

A smile broke on Eclipse's face as he turned to the woman, taking her soft hands in his hard, callous ones. "Believe me, goddess, it is not for revenge. I have been at this game for far too long to be bothered by something like the desire for revenge."

"But then-"

"Do you not trust me, dear goddess?" He asked, giving her his best smile.

Selene looked at the smiling man, a sigh escaping her lips before the concerned expression on her face slowly faded but never disappeared. Reaching out, she cupped his cheeks, "You truly, truly are a troublemaker. I never should have gotten involved with you."

"Would you have been able to rest if you had not picked me up that day though?" Eclipse asked, a sort of cocky smile coming on his face. "I have made your world a little brighter have I not?"

Flicking his forehead, Selene frowned at the man who hardly flinched, let alone seemed to hurt from that one flick of her fingers.

"Honestly, I believe that I have spoilt you a little too much."

Grinning, Eclipse took her hands in his, voice going soft, "But, if I had asked you for the world, you would have given it to me in a heartbeat. Am I wrong?"

Sighing in defeat, Selene clasped the man's hands in her own, tracing every wound that healed into a scar just on the palms of his hands.

"You are not." She said, staring only at his hands before looking up at him with her earnest eyes. "So, I am begging you again to rethink your decision. To go back to a world you do not exist in anymore, let alone have a body in, has its consequences.

"If you wish for the world, Eclipse, I would give it to you, just as you said. So … why not ask for the world instead of this? I will shake heaven and earth, including the depths of hell for you. Just … change your mind. Please."

Eclipse looked at the gentle, desperate woman in front of him, a sad smile coming on his face as he tucked some of the loose, silver hair falling down her face behind her ears. He would have given anything to make sure the smile on her face remains for all eternity.

He is also very tempted to agree with her pleading. She had never pleaded with him before as much as she is pleading now. The queen of the skies, seas and the wolves, offering the world to him just so that he would say 'yes'.

His lips pursed into a thin line as he sucked in a deep breath, "I have been doing nothing causing you troubles, have I not? You look much more worn since you have met me. I apologise."

Selene shook her head as she took his hand to her cheeks, face with a deep frown, unable to get a word out as her lips trembled.

Eclipse waited patiently until she was able to regain her composure and until she was able to speak without fear of breaking down at that moment itself.

"Like I said always, I will give you the world, should you ask for it." She placed a gentle kiss on the palm of his hands, still completely covered in bruises. "Who would have thought that you would want everything except the world?"

She chuckled with Eclipse, the laugh was more bitter than it was sweet, coming from the both of them.

"Have you made your decision then?" She asked, composing herself. "If you chose to go back to the same world that you just left, your soul may scatter to another plane that I cannot reach. Do you know these risks?"

"Yes." Eclipse said confidently, the smile and bright demeanour returning like it never left. "Even if I am sent to another plane, I will be able to go to that world if I try hard enough. I don't care how long it takes, I will go back."

Sighing, Selene twiddled with her fingers, tracing the man's face, "If this is what you really wish to do, I will not stop you. I have some preparations to make to help you, so until that time, rest up well, alright? Don't ever forget how much I adore you."

"Never." Eclipse kissed the knuckles of the woman's hand, brilliant specks of stars coming out of her and covering the boy. "And I love you dearly too, mother."

"Oh, my Eclipse. My star and … my heartbreak."