THE MISFORTUNE.

"Misfortune never comes alone!"

The Water Master was right. Even in the Darkness, I found no peace from him, what a truly bad luck I had.

"Misery loves company, and, seems, I'm its honoured guest today! Aren't you happy to see me, are you?" The Prince replied.

"The deeper the pit, the more room for surprises… but I hope it ends with you!" Master continued taunting the newcomer, but little did he know that the Prince wasn't an easy target, as he always knew the right answer. 

"Reconnecting with an old friend is like finding a lost jade! Isn't it refreshing and heartwarming?"

'If only it were worth the trouble' I wished to reply, but immediately stopped myself trying to avoid any attention. 

"Well, I see you've gotten comfortable here, unlike your dear brother!" Continued the Water Master with no discomfort in his voice at all. 

"What's wrong with him?" The Prince's sarcasm immediatly vanished, replaced by genuine concern. I stayed silent, uneasy about my still unknown surroundings and the familiar company I knew too good to be happy to hear again.

"He's still blind…Ugh, better say, he's in denial."

"What do you mean, he's in denial? What kind of joke is this?" The Prince's worry was evident, a stark contrast to his usual demeanor of alternating anxiety and cruelty.

"His mental vision is as clear as a moonless night—utterly dark."

"He's always been so weak... no way he can easily figure it out now, be patient." The Prince sounded caring, and that started to bother me even more. 

"He must have broken a thousand mirrors to achieve this level of misfortune. Or maybe just one really big one."

"Better shut up. If there were an award for bad luck, you'd win it first. Being deceived by a young girl, it's practically a legend everyone talks about now." To win over the Prince was impossible even for the Emperor, how could a demolished deity be same good. Never.

So there was a silence finally, until a new question came out. 

"Have you been here with him the whole time?"

"Yes."

The answer came without hesitation. My presence seemed irrelevant as they continued their conversation.

"And how long? Do you know?"

"How long? Hahaha! Time is like a whisper in the wind here—heard but never understood."

"Okay, okay, you're already doomed. What could I expect from the deceived immortal!"

"You don't have to expect anything from me, my Prince. It's better to forget about my existence altogether!"

"Yes, I would like to, but now I see you here, and stuck with you too, not of my own free will, of course!"

"Oh! By the way! By what Fate, my Prince, did you end up here?" The Water Master suddenly changed the topic.

"Let's say partly because of him…"

"Oh! Well, of course, of course. How could it be any other reason... Although… didn't you, my Prince, know that some cravings are like sour wine—tempting but best avoided."

"You, watch your mouth!"

"Yes, with care and joy I follow your order!" The Water Master chuckled, clearly pleased to have someone else to mock besides me.

"So, have you figured out the exact reason why he doesn't see us?" The Prince's concern didn't seemed feigned.

"And you, my Prince, don't you understand? Look at him, who does he look like now?"

"Like… I don't understand…" Something was happening around me. I couldn't sense it, I couldn't see it, realize it, or feel it. I just somehow guessed it.

"Is he a spirit? Can't be?" The Prince's voice was uncertain. For me, it was something I had already come to terms with, though I still couldn't believe it.

"You treat truth like a ghost—feared and avoided." The Water Master sighed.

"But how?" The Prince's anxiety mixed with curiosity.

"I suspect it's the curse…"

"Then it makes sense."

One word 'curse' and everything was clear to everyone except me. I hated them at that moment, as well as myself. What a loser I was, stuck here in such company for some reason, and they both knew about my condition more than I did myself.

"He also scolds us all the time because of his curse! Asshole!"

"It's not for you to speak of him like that, nonentity!" The Prince's anger was familiar. The Water Master should have kept quiet. Despite seeming mischievous, the Prince was dangerous, his strength comparable to the Emperor's. I knew this better than anyone. But the Water Master seemed payed no attention to it, but continued.

"Your temper is as gentle as a stampede of wild horses."

"I wish I could strangle you, but I'll wait until we get out of here!"

The Prince's rationality was surprising, given our dire situation. I didn't expect seen him this way, but the coming explanation got everything in place and I felt like a total fool again.

"Be patient, my Prince. The Darkness is hungry, and your anger is the most delicious dish! Heavenly wrath is a delicacy, so to speak!"

"It's my Father's creation. Don't you think I'm that stupid not to know this, do you?" The Prince's voice was sharp.

The Emperor himself created this Darkness we were stuck in now... That was something I didn't wish to learn.

*Thx for reading.