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HE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT to feel when he stepped inside his office, passing by the stacks of paperwork neatly organized on his desk as he walked towards the windows. Amidst the dark colors of the stone floor and the jet black walls stood only a simple bed and a place to sit, but this had always been more of a work space to him than anything else. Honestly, he didn't remember the last time he had slept, but he didn't mind.

With a sigh he dragged a hand across his face, staring into nothingness, even though the view from his castle was beautiful. It was perched on top of a cliff, sky blue water wildly splashing against the side, the waves made of white clouds. The sea stretched on wherever he looked, above it a navy sky glittering with sea foam, so clear it reflected everything below. At the end of the cliff the entire realm stopped, the sea circling it like it was an island and creating waterfalls at the ends. Calling it an island wouldn't be the right term, not when this simply was a place he had made with his thoughts, everywhere and yet nowhere at all.

Perhaps he should finish some paperwork, but for some reason he couldn't. Today had been a long day of work as well, but the only thing he had been able to think of was why he had ignored his rules. If anything, he was a man made of them, bound by them even. Yet, when she had asked, he had not been able to say no. Had it been the way she had said his name, one which he hadn't heard for years, or simply the way she had looked at him? She did have that warmth in her eyes, one which made him feel like only the moment mattered.

With a shake of his head he stared confusedly at his window, a faint reflection of himself in the glass. When had he become a person who was spontaneous? If anything, he planned out his whole year to the minute. This wasn't like him, nothing was. She was on his mind too much lately and now he was even feeling sick. He placed a hand on his heart, but somehow it was beating normally now.

Without thinking he turned around, leaving the room and entering the silent halls of his home, everywhere he looked colorful paintings adorning the walls. He hesitated by one at the end, weeping poppies in the clouds. Her last work, he remembered. When he closed his eyes, he could hear her voice.

"Helio! Heli, look at this!"

He opened them and saw her ran towards him, that wide smile she reserved only for him on her lips as she proudly presented him the painting.

"Another addition to your house," she said.

"You have made so many already," he said, voice laced with adoration.

"I promised you, didn't I?" she smiled," I'd decorate it for you."

"What's wrong with the current state of my house?" he frowned, though it was good-natured.

"You're living like you're a monk in the mountains," she shrugged, placing the painting on the wall and opening her arms," and voilà. Now you look like a sophisticated man."

"I am a sophisticated man," he said, intertwining his arms through hers and pulling her in for a hug.

Honestly, he didn't care if he was nothing at all if he had her. When he opened his eyes again, he was alone, shivering cold in an empty hallway. Was this a betrayal to her, him opening his heart again to someone else, even if it was just a bit? He didn't know the answer. Everything surrounding her always became gray to him, even though the rest of the world was black and white.

He started walking, descending from the spiral staircases to nowhere at all. Only when something fell out of his pocket did he stop, mind quiet as he looked at the lemon cake on the floor. For some reason he had let one remain in his pocket, the plastic around it crinkling as he picked it up, his thoughts wandering. Delilah, how was she doing? Had he left too quickly? In his hurry he had forgotten his manners, so he would excuse himself for that the next time he saw her.

"Next time?" he heard a ghost whisper in his ear," aren't you too cold? You promised yourself to one person only, did you not?"

"We're just friends," he murmured, waving his hand so the smoke faded away.

It reshaped itself in a snake, curling around his head as it hissed in his ear. "Friends do not think of each other like that."

"Why do you think you're allowed happiness?" another said," yours is not an existence made to smile, you know this. How many souls are you going to leave abandoned because you think you're worthy of love?"

"I do not have time for this," he said matter-of-factly," keep quiet until I guide you to your destination or I will rip out your tongues."

That caused the spirits around him to quieten as he continued walking. Often the cursed ones would gather close to him, until he found the time to guide them. He didn't mind, rather they bother him than anyone else. When he reached the ground floor he stepped into his living room, a large space with a dark carpet covering the floor and velvet furniture spread across, a fireplace burning blue opposite him, floor-to-ceiling windows on either side. He took a place on the chair by one of the windows, casually swinging his scythe as someone entered the room.

"You have a visitor."

His secretary stood by the stairway, back straight and voice curt. She was the only one he allowed in here, but even then she didn't reside in this castle. Mostly she did some of his administrative work, more skilled at it than any of the gods he knew. She was a daughter of the divine, one of the many Mother Nature had, with brown hair cascading down her back and long eyelashes framing her shadow-soaked eyes. It was rare for her expression to deviate from anything other than the emotionless one she carried, but now faint annoyance was visible in the tugging of her lips downwards, her long gown swishing across the floor as she turned back around.

"I told him he was not wanted," she said.

"I am not surprised he didn't listen," he sighed, nodding at her," thank you, Anjali. I know there's a harvest festival you have to attend right now."

"It's fine," she said," you know I don't mind helping. Besides, with this kind of company you need it."

"I will have you know people beg for my company."

Niccolo landed on the window frame where he was sitting, smirking at him as he let himself slide into a sitting position instead. He pulled up one leg, letting the other one dangle as he blew a kiss at Anjali, who simply stared straight at him.

"You almost broke my heart," the oracle drawled," I could hear you, you know."

"I know," she said, not looking bothered at all. She nodded at Helio then. "Good luck."

"I'll need it," he murmured, Niccolo's smile widening at that.

As soon as Anjali disappeared Helio sighed, leaning back in his chair as he looked at Niccolo. He could already feel a headache forming.

"You don't seem surprised to see me," Niccolo remarked.

"Because you're the only one bold enough to enter my house without permission," Helio said, shaking his head.

"The only one powerful enough, you mean," he grinned.

Helio debated how problematic it would be if he pushed Niccolo out of the window right now. Surely they'd survive a few years without an obnoxious oracle.

"Please, do it," Niccolo said, leaning forward as his eyes gleamed wildly," you know I've begged you to kill me before."

"Listening to the thoughts of others is in bad taste," he said with a shake of his head," you have to get rid of that habit of yours."

"Why?" Niccolo said," it's fun." He leaned out of the window, closing his eyes at the wind played with his fiery hair. "Besides, it isn't a choice, most of the time."

He remembered the day Niccolo had been appointed, the way his eyes had been filled with confusion and grief. Not his own, but others. Being an oracle was always a cursed job, especially when he had no choice but to see and feel everything what was going on in the minds of others. At first he had cared, until only death filled his vision and pain his mind. All the idolization in the world couldn't help with that. That had been centuries ago. Now, all the innocence he had once had was long gone.

"Why are you here, Niccolo?" he said.

"You're not going to call me by all my holy titles?" Niccolo said, opening his eyes again as he looked at him," disappointing." He placed his hands on the side of the windows, pushing himself forward. "And why do you think I have an ulterior motive anyway? What if I just wanted to visit you?"

"We are not close enough for you to do so," he replied.

"Oh, that's right," Niccolo said, lips curling up," you are only close enough with mortals to do so, right? Or is it just the one you visit who gives you sweets?"

"Watch what you're saying, Niccolo," he warned.

"Or what?" Niccolo chuckled," empty threats are boring, Helio, you know that."

"Don't call me by my name," he said.

"Why not?" Niccolo said innocently," she gave you that name because you were her sun, right? Can't you be mine as well?"

When that didn't get the rise out of him he wanted, Niccolo's smile fell, faint disappointment on his face as he sulked. Helio stared at him in silence, Niccolo continuing on a second later.

"Anyway," he said," word on my mind is that you are having a little bit too much fun with this mortal." He laughed, tapping his head. "Get it? Instead of word on the street?"

"Was that an attempt at a joke?" he said.

"I knew you wouldn't get it," Niccolo said with a shake of his head, pretending he did not hear him.

"You haven't answered my earlier question," he said, not bothering to play along with Niccolo's games," what are you doing here?"

"Delilah Dimaano," Niccolo said, the syllables sounding holy with his voice," she goes to a pretty nice university, doesn't she? I might pop by, look how she's doing. Tell her all about you."

"I know you've talked to her before," Helio said as he looked at Niccolo," and you know you can't stay anywhere too long before you are found. Divinity is hard to hide."

"But she isn't," Niccolo grinned at him," you'll be sad when you can't find her again, won't you?"

"What are you planning, Niccolo?" he asked, voice growing a bit colder.

"Nothing much," the oracle said, winking at him," but this is just a tip, if you want me to keep it that way, you'll be at her university with me within an hour."

"You won't touch her," he said, his grip tightening on his scythe.

Niccolo laughed and before he could say more, the oracle had already let himself fall back off the window. He shouldn't listen to him, it never did good. No, Niccolo only talked nonsense, he knew that.

When he stood up to change into a human outfit, he could already taste the chaos the day would bring.


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