It'd been five minutes since he'd been leaning against the wall with his arms crossed and his head resting on it. His right foot was lazily placed against the wall, while his eyes were firmly closed. Stiff posture and tensed muscles. Dressed in a white spread collar casual shirt, which he paired with a sleeveless black jacket and black slacks. He did clean up well. As usual, his hair was unruly and slicked back.

I'd be lying if I said I expected him to dress to the nines and show up in front of me with such a devilishly ravishing appearance. I wasn't expecting it at all. Anything but the view in front of me. The truth is, I was anticipating it, much like in those rom-com movies and books where the male protagonist rushes to the female protagonist after she wakes up from a coma. All in a messy form, with puffy eyes and a devastated state. However, the way in which Senior Aylwin turned up totally shocked me. But, then again, the guy was beyond my expectations, imaginations, and wildest fantasies. Those were the moments when I felt like laughing at myself the most.

Like, gal, don't ya know who he is? Or is this your first encounter with him?

It was, after all, Aylwin Eldred we were talking about. The guy who'd rather die on the inside than showcase his anguish to others. Even in the dim glow of the dead of night, as the Goodness of the Moon ascended her throne, the sheath of white merging voluptuously with the dark oceanic elysian fields, cascading down the earth till it delicately melted in the eyes of the beholder; I couldn't help but marvel at the immaculate artwork of the empyrean. Woven together with flesh and bones, exquisitely blending with the effervescence of manliness. A breathtaking fusion of rough and rugged.

The sole sound that reverberated throughout the bland, white walls was the sound of silence. Sly sirens sailed past us, swinging stealthily into the stillness of sheer pitch-darkness, slaughtering me savagely.

Unable to tolerate it any longer, I spoke up, "Ironic, how you were the one doing the racing and all, and look who's on the hospital bed. Wow! " I tried to lighten the mood with a slight chuckle, but it was all for naught. It didn't even bother him at all. There wasn't even a smidgeon of movement in his stance. The entire thing was starting to grate on my nerves.

"Have you slept standing up or what?" I blurted out, only to burst out laughing. His eyes fluttered open, yet they did not meet mine. He stared blankly at the white checkered walls. Unwavering, unblinking, and brooding. I promptly simmered down, peeved by his gestures to the point that I wanted to pull out my hair belligerently.

"Senior Poker Face, quit that signature act of yours." I retorted furiously. I was practically bursting at the seams with rage. I'd been crying my eyes out for hours upon seeing him sing, and then there he was.... He was acting like a male version of the Statue of Liberty.

"Please, talk to me. Just say something. Don't be quiet, for God's sake! " I was on the cusp of screaming at him out of exasperation. My head was spinning, teeming with billions of thoughts thrown about. Memories and haziness rushed in, compelling me to hiss in agony. Nonetheless, I pushed them aside, concentrating solely on him.

There was so much I wanted to ask, so much I wanted to confess, so much I wanted to talk about. Seeing him after such a long time felt like it had been ages since I touched him. Ages since I gazed into those captivating orbs. Ages since I had listened to his velvety voice.

He, on the other hand, behaved as though he was unfazed by any of it. Not in the least way possible. I wanted to scream, shout, yell, cry, complain, whine, give in all at once. Yet I couldn't. I was too drained and helpless to utter anything.

He exhaled, running his fingers through his tangled locks. And at last, his laser-like gaze fastened into mine with so much ferocity that I swore I needed him more than anything in the entire world.

That wasn't just the end of it, though. As the following words stumbled out of his lips mercilessly, I felt myself breaking down at that precise moment.

"The state of death stirs the dead."

All of my frustrations, buried desires, fury, and despair poured out of my eyes, which were locked on the cerulean oceanic eyes, in the guise of tiny crystal droplets.

"Please stop this now." I whispered as he cocooned me in his arms. His grip was gentle yet strong. He held me as if he wasn't convincing me, but rather himself, that I was there. With him. In his arms. Under his protection. Within his soul. All alive. I drew back, cupping his face in my palms and lowering it to my level. The plea wasn't about me, it was about his suffering. It killed me to see him in such a state. So placid, yet so perplexed. So strong, yet so vulnerable. So beautiful, yet so broken.

I tenderly caressed his cheeks while keeping my eyes locked on him. I noticed everything. I noticed the dullness in his elegant eyes. I noticed the crimson rims of his eyes. My gaze roamed over his features, leisurely devouring everything he had to offer.

"Don't... senior. No more. I'm here... for real. " I meekly whispered over his lips. His hot breath brushed over my face, churning my insides with comfort. His faint cologne, which I had grown to love, was all around me. I loved every moment of being with him.

He didn't say anything. Not yet. His eyes were a reflection of his internal conflict. He was as calm as ever. His emotions were at bay. He showed nothing to me. He was inflicting himself with pain by his deeds. His piercing gaze prowled over me, as if he was making sure I was real. Awake and alive. And then, finally, it transpired. He lifted his hand slowly, bringing it near my face, and delicately cupped my cheek.

"You're here. For real. " He whispered back, as if the waves of confirmation had crashed into him and he had to pull himself out of the tsunami of nostalgia before it swept him away. I nodded, wanting nothing more than to hold him for the rest of eternity.

He took a deep breath and tightened his grasp on me, as if soothing himself. Our hold on one another's faces grew firmer. Tears welled up in my eyes, and I couldn't hold them back. It was irresistible. It was impossible, after seeing his state.

"Let it out. Just for once. Let go. Don't suffer the sufferings that aren't destined for you. Please..." I snuggled closer to him, mumbling. I didn't care about my discomfort. At that point, no pain mattered to me. It was only his pain that kept me chained. Our breaths were labored. Mine was from sobbing, but his was from fighting against himself. My eyes pleaded with him. His eyes conveyed to me everything I needed to know without even hesitating. They told me their own tales without even blinking.

For his eyes were the maze of elegant seduction,

Narrating profound tales of his master's beautiful sins...

He rested his forehead on mine and closed his eyes. Devouring the moment, we both held each other. No one said anything. Nothing was exchanged between us. We just stayed like that for the rest of the hours. We needed it. Both of us did. To be certain that it was all real. Surreal.

My eyes flickered open, only to be assaulted by a torrent of agonizing pain. A single tear tumbled down his closed eyes, forcing my heart to stop beating and my breath to seize.

Everything passed through his eyes. All at once. The cavernous abyss, like unfathomable oceanic orbs, was beautified and left untouched, like a dirty little secret of one's mistress, held hostage within its host's hierarchy. The clouds of callousness collided casually, cryptically coining a catastrophic countenance. One that he had conquered. The lightning-like sparks eroded his senses, elating him to an extent he preferred not to decipher. Paranoia abused him, bedazzling his conscience with the sheer grief of enchanting enslavement, which was all about lament and howling. The clouds gradually faded away. Invisible cracks filled its phony granite-like slick surface.

And, in the end, the crystal coins cunningly called for war. The bloody battlefield of rain began. It descended down, diving divinely, devilishly, demolishing the doors of the façade. Ending up fertilizing the land of faux faces and phony personalities.

And for the first time, I was able to read his eyes. I was able to read him.

Tarnished pages, embroidered with creases of love,

Virgin intentions to undo the rusted knots;

Who knew it would result in entangling

The threads of our lives?

Who'd have guessed that my deathbed would become his death? Who'd have guessed that Aylwin Eldred, who is known for his poker face and steely eyes, would break his barriers for me? Who'd have guessed that I, Sophronia Jasper, would end up becoming his Achilles' heel? Who'd have guessed I'd fall for a guy and fall so damn hard? Who'd have guessed that what emerged as a yearning and longing would soon blossom into a bond of life-or-death? Well, honestly, I didn't know any of it. I never knew it.

However, nestled closer to his chest, enshrouded in the blanket of his warmth and resting in his tranquil ambience, I knew it all. I, for sure, knew it all. By heart and soul. I knew I'd do anything and everything for him. I knew I'd go to any length for him. Just for Aylwin Eldred. Just for him. I knew I'd committed myself to him. For all I wanted was to get lost in the waves of flimsy, pure liquid rich in swollen, shimmering, vivid blue shades.

Flickering right in the eyes

He sowed the seeds of cravings inside my core,

And I,

Pleasantly allowed it to thrive in the fields of my abode.

"Senior?"

"Hmm?"

"It wasn't an accident. Someone pushed me off the ramp. " I awaited any kind of reaction from him, even the slightest flinch of astonishment on his face, but what I actually got was a mere hum. However, that didn't mean I failed to notice how his demeanor changed. How stiff and rigid his shoulder became. How his hands and jaw clenched. How his gaze intensify on me. And it all meant one thing.

"You knew it, didn't ya?" Silence. Stillness. Quietude. For a good few minutes, gusts of silence swirled around us, surfing in the apocalyptic abyss. Actions do speak louder than words.

His eyes remained locked on me. They had an unusual glint to them. Something I'd never seen before. Something, perchance, was always concealed behind the curtains of chivalry and countenance. For a split second, I mistook it for the lust of vengeance and furiousness to destroy.

He sighed, his gaze drifting away from me. Pouring me a glass of water, he brought it to my lips. I took a sip or two, all the while keeping a watchful eye on him. Trying to figure out what he was trying to do. Where was it going? What was the point of it? He took a seat beside me and tenderly stroked my hair. The blissful pleasure forced my eyes to flutter shut.

"Take rest. Don't overthink it much. I'm here. You know the rest, don't you? " Part of me was relieved that he was aware of the situation, but another part of me was anxious as to what had unfolded.

I was at a loss for words as to how to react to the new revelation. My thoughts were bombarded with a slew of questions. What, why, who, how? Where should I even start from? What should I ask him? Who was the culprit? How did he know? Knowing the sort of man he was, I doubt he'd even tell me. For the time being, all I wanted to do was sleep and sleep. I'd had enough of everything. Everything had worn me down. I was tired. Just tired. Too tired. Tired of my past. Tired from the horrendous accident that had given me goosebumps and hallucinations up to that point. Tired of the bone-crushing and heart-wrenching torment I'd inflicted on myself. Tired of myself. I was tired and wanted to sleep. Just sleep.

"Stop bothering yourself, Fresher. Just go to sleep. I'll be here. With you. Till you wake up. " He leaned down until his lips delicately grazed my head. In a matter of seconds, a surge of immense warmth, pleasure, contentment, and euphoria all coursed through me. He stayed like that for a couple extra seconds as we both relished each other's presence. Slowly, he stepped back, and all of the warmth ebbed away from me.

Sighing, I closed my eyes and was shortly followed by black silhouettes. I struggled to keep up with the angels of darkness till I inevitably lost them in a maze of crepuscular onyx hues.