Chapter 25

Athena was in utter and complete darkness, shy of the sparkling galaxy that shone like diamonds all around. The specs of light moving in myriad shapes, each holding in a voice. 

His voice.

Their memories were all around her. Little and pieces that belonged to a different time. A time they probably stole from the clutches of God himself, as destiny made a mockery of him. 

She reached out to the star closest to her, feeling the light surround her finger tip. Feeling the rough texture brushing her skin before it burst. The explosion dragged her into a pocket a time, her translucent form wavering between the vast four walls of a room. 

She was an illusion here. A spectator. An intruder. 

Her eyes roamed around the room, taking in the beige dullness of the walls, worn away with time, as the vast threads of spiders now built their homes around it. The room was empty, sparing a chair and table at the far corner. 

Athena walked closer to it, letting her breath ward leave behind a mystic pattern. Her feet drew nearer to find a letter atop the table, accompanied by an empty bottle of whiskey. 

With each step the details of the room grew sharper, the walls began to fill themselves with color. A shade of green one would say. 

Line after line formed until it shaped itself into more furniture, until the curves formed the rough contours of skin. The curled up structure of a desolate man drowned in the very abyss of despair. The floor almost seemed wet from his tears, his dark skin a contrast to the wooden floor. 

Athena knew who he was before she even heard is piteous sobs. He did not need to look for her to recognize him. 

It was Christian. 

She even knew which memory this was but out of curtsy reached out to collect the letter. The letter he wrote for her before he knew she even existed. 

The letter she found in his journal.

She knew that in this moment he was holding onto that silver of hope that she existed. She knew that he lived tonight and all the other lonely nights because he felt he deserved to suffer. That when, in this moment it all ended he was hoping for something to save him. 

Dear soul mate,

Perhaps when you meet me…

She almost heard his voice narrate to her the very letter… heard his voice echo from the walls as her eyes scanned the familiar contents of the letter. Lost in the echo of the words that swirled around her, she did not pay attention to the changing form of the room and the man until she suddenly felt fingers curl around her ankle, jerking her out of the trance of the letter.

"Come back!" The raspy voice said, catching Athena's attention. 

Her eyes jerked down to watch sparse hair on a bent down face. She recognized the creature even without ever having seen her. She sensed her. 

She recognized her desperation. 

Athena bent down, letting her fingers reach out and wave through the few strands that were left behind of the piteous Sarrafas, soothing her. 

"I will soon be there my friend."

The Sarrafas cried silently. The only thing that gave her away was the wet patter that pooled at the tip of Athena's toes. Athena kissed the burnt back of her head as the Sarrafas slowly merged back into Christian, letting Athena soothe her lover. 

It seemed important even though it was just a dream. Almost as if Athena had glimpsed through a pocket of time to help Christian at his worse.