Memories of You

Memories faded in and out as Alivia knelt next to her boyfriend’s dying form. Waves licked her feet, her sword thrown to the side, blood dripping from a cut on her arm. The warm, red liquid mixed with the blood on the sand, seeping into a sunset-pink tone. Her vision, swimming between the past and present, blurred with tears. Her boyfriend, Julius, her only companion on her dreaded journey, was dying faster than she could heal. And Daman, their enemy, the villain of Alivia’s story, stood only a few paces away. Unblinking. Uncaring.

Alivia cradled Julius’s head, running her hand through his limp, dark curls. The light in his eyes, his beautiful, violet eyes, flickered as he gasped sharply. His hand wavered near the wound in his side. She could barely look at his wound, instead wrapping it quickly with a bandage from her bag.

“That won’t work,” Daman drawled, rolling his eyes.

But Alivia couldn’t give up. She wouldn’t give up on Julius. He didn’t when she thought everyone had, and she wouldn’t do the same to him.

A hand, sticky with blood, brushed Alivia’s wrist. She held it tightly, her eyes fixed on Julius’s. “Please,” he whispered, each syllable heavy and slow. “Save yourself. Leave me, please.” His breathing was shaky, and he coughed feebly. “I don’t want to die not knowing if you’re okay.”

“No, Julius,” Alivia sobbed. “I can’t leave you. Not now.”

He laughed weakly. “You haven’t changed . . . Alli . . .”

+++

“Alivia, come back this instant!”

Alivia raced down the long, winding hallway, running into both other students and elaborate art pieces. Why do they even keep these in a school?

Mentor Narissa, a stuffy nobody with a bigger ego than most leaders, chased after Alivia, fixing each art piece as she went. While she taught the art of Healing, Mentor Narissa caused more harm than good. Most students went to the infirmary crying after her lessons. Of course, the principal was blind to the fact of the obvious hatred of Mentor Narissa, and Alivia assumed the duty of punisher to the said mentor. This was her third time ditching her class, and Mentor Narissa seemed to finally be putting up a fight.

“Sorry!” Alivia yelled over her shoulder as she pushed one student out of the way. “Gotta run!”

The school for Flairs was a huge building, full of confusing hallways and hidden passages only known by a few students and the principal. Each hallway was ornately decorated, perfect for students to practice skills on, especially Warriors and Elementals. As a Healer, Alivia was supposed to be calm, practical, and levelheaded. Unfortunately for everyone, she was the complete opposite.

Someone grabbed Alivia’s arm, throwing her into a deserted hallway. The door slammed, and the lights flickered off. Panic flooded Alivia, and she whirled around, sucker-punching her attacker in the nose.

“Ow! I swear, Alivia, you haven’t changed-“

“I’m so sorry!”

Alivia’s eyes adjusted to the dark quickly, and she focused on the tall boy gently prodding his nose in front of her. She recognized him instantly by the disheveled uniform and sword hanging from its sheath on his side. Groaning, she massaged her temples as annoyance pulsed underneath her skin.

“Oh, it’s you,” she hissed. “Now I’m not sorry, Julius.”

“Just shut up!” He said, peering out of the door’s window. “I don’t want to get caught, and I’m sure you don’t either.”

Alivia leaned on the wall, her eyebrows raised. “So, who are you running from this time?”

“Mentor Callin,” he grumbled.

“Him?” Alivia snorted. “What did he do?”

Julius sighed, dragging a hand down his face. “Wouldn’t you like to know?” He didn’t wait for an answer. “Callin . . . mocked my parents again. For being Inepts. I just couldn’t handle it this time, especially since my parents are the ones paying for my education.”

Alivia frowned, sitting down on the floor. Inepts, those without any abilities or talents, were often shunned or harshly judged. They rarely lived in good neighborhoods and were sometimes even thrown out of the kingdom altogether. Most worked in unsafe environments to survive, while others hoped for some decency just to get through the night. And Julius’s parents were Inept, even though they had a Warrior as a son.

“I’m . . . sorry, I guess.” Alivia curled her knees to her chest. “But at least your parents loved you.”

“Not everything is about you, Alivia!” Julius shouted.

They froze as footsteps stopped right in front of the door. Alivia glared up at Julius as he backed up against a wall and held onto the doorknob.

“You should follow your own advice and shut up,” Alivia muttered. “Now we’ll be in detention again.”

Julius held his breath, tightening his grip as someone jiggled the doorknob. Alivia squeezed her eyes shut and prayed to the leaders that whatever mentor had found them would give up. Sadly, they pushed the door open, sending Julius sprawling to the floor near her feet. She kicked him away as light filtered into the hallway, and he grunted in pain.

Mentor Narissa and Mentor Callin glowered down at the two students. “Detention,” Mentor Narissa said.

“Both of you,” Mentor Callin added.

+++

“For being rivals only two months ago,” Lillith, Alivia’s best friend, smirked. “You two get along quite well.”

Alivia felt blood rush to her cheeks as she stared down at her book. Breakfast had always been extremely busy and crowded, and most students decided to eavesdrop on conversations for new and exciting gossip.

“I have no idea what you mean,” she muttered, turning the page.

“I think you do. Julius, the handsome rebel who never obeys anyone, hanging out with you,” Lillith swooned.

Julius, speak of the devil, sat down next to Alivia and slung his arm over her. “Morning, gorgeous.”

“Get off, idiot.” Alivia pushed Julius away and hid her face behind the book. She could still see Julius’s mischievous grin, though. “Do you mind?”

“No, I don’t.” Julius put his arms up, surrendering. “I just thought you’d like to know that your book is upside down.”

Alivia slammed the book onto the table as Julius hopped off his seat, strutting away like a prince. She pursed her lips, sipping from the cup of orange juice in front of her. “I can’t stand him.”

“Darn, because I’m pretty sure I overheard him talking to Miles about asking you out.”

Alivia choked on her drink, staining her white blouse and staring at Lillith with wide eyes. Lillith shrugged and stood up, tossing her book bag over her shoulder. “Oh well.”

+++

Julius ran up to the campfire as Alivia threw in another twig. Although the sun had just fallen into the ocean, stars were already appearing in the dark blanket of the indigo sky. Their horses stamped their hooves nervously, as if already sensing what had happened, and Alivia watched Julius carefully. “What’s wrong?”

“Daman.” Julius’s words were strained, as if barely able to stay calm. “He’s onto us. He knows where we are.”

Daman, the one Alivia was running away from. The one who has the answers of her past, her parentage, her home. The one that was outcasted long ago for being an Inept. The one who had caused all of Alivia’s problems. The one that may even cause her downfall.

Alivia swallowed painfully, forcing down the fear that stirred in the pit of her stomach. “We need to go, don’t we?”

Julius nodded, already gathering their small tents and sleeping gear. He hooked it onto the first horse, Alivia’s steel gray stallion. “Alli, you need to go alone.”

“What?”

“I can protect you for a time,” Julius began quickly, pulling her towards her stallion. “Please, I can distract Daman while you get away.”

“Don’t try to protect me. Come, you can escape too.”

Julius hesitated, and Alivia yanked her hand away from him and ran to the fire. She kicked it onto the nearest tree, and the trunk was quickly engulfed in the flames. She was thrown back by the immense heat, tripping on her skirt and falling onto the hard, dusty road. Julius held out a hand, his eyes wild with fear, and helped her up.

“Daman won’t know where we are now,” she coughed, breathing in the thick smoke surrounding them.

“You idiot,” Julius muttered before pecking Alivia on the lips. “But now we really need to go.”

+++

His hand fell limp into her lap, his final breath mingling with the salty air. Alivia collapsed on his fallen chest, no longer warm. His blood stained the cloth of her skirt, but she didn’t mind. She didn’t care for anything, for anyone. Not anymore.

Daman disappeared in a puff of smoke, like the fire she had started only hours before. Her nose still tingled with the sharp smell of wood burning. His faint laugh echoed inside Alivia’s mind, poisoning her innocence. Her humility. She had no one left. She was alone.

Completely, utterly alone.

With a final kiss on his dry, lifeless lips, Alivia stood, brushing tears from her eyes. She unsheathed Julius’s sword, keeping her own by his side. Their horses had run away once the battle had started, and she had no reason to find them again.

The sunset, scarlet and gold, stained the ocean with its masterpiece of color and light. Alivia sighed out a shaky breath and whispered, “You never gave up on me, Julius. I’m sorry I gave up on you.”

As she walked away from her partner’s body, memories of him faded along with the sun.