The Mystery Man - Mefan

Chapter 5

-Mefan-

The prince walked alongside me as the sun beat down, warming our skin, but soon we’d be in the shadows. Not far from my castle lay a beautiful oasis, a vibrant spot in my desolate desert—her oasis. It was she who had created it, and somehow, it continued to flourish even after her death.

We walked in silence, and I could sense that the freedom was soothing for the prince. Despite his claims of feeling nothing anymore, he clearly relished being outside the walls. Perhaps it was time I brought him along with me. I was always scouting for new assassins to train here.

“Where are we headed?” he inquired.

“That’s a secret,” I replied.

“I don’t care for secrets.”

He glanced down at me, towering over me by a few inches, and I couldn’t help but smile at his impatience. Teasing him was much more enjoyable, and we continued our silent walk, though I could hear his annoyed sighs at my refusal to provide a direct answer.

It wasn’t long before we reached the beautiful spot. Once just a small lake, it had flourished with her presence—my love, the one who had drawn me from darkness and given me form and purpose. It had thrived, growing stronger and greener, as if she had sought to banish the lifelessness of my desert.

“What is this?” he asked as we strolled among the first few trees.

“Just a little sanctuary of mine,” I explained.

“It reminds me of home,” he murmured behind me.

I turned to him, finding him gazing up at the tree canopies.

“When it wasn’t blanketed in snow,” he whispered, closing his eyes and inhaling deeply.

His voice bore a hint of sorrow. He longed to return, yet at the same time, he feared it.

“Come, Prince,” I urged.

He opened his eyes and turned to me, and I led us deeper into the oasis until we reached the lake. I had seen her here countless times, seated on the rocks, her feet dipping into the water, delighting in splashing it around. She had always intrigued me. She was my opposite. Perhaps that was why I had been drawn to her.

“Are we going for a swim?” Carter asked, eyeing me as though I were mad.

I chuckled and shook my head before replying, “Unless you want to.”

He rolled his eyes and approached the lake’s edge, crouching down to touch the water, mimicking her actions.

“Is there a particular reason you brought me here?” Carter asked, glancing over his shoulder, but my attention was fixed on the lake, seeing her.

She is on the opposite side, her arms resting on the lake’s edge, her long white hair cascading down her back. As she turns to look at me, a smile graces her face.

“You came,” she remarks.

I simply nod, still getting used to the fact that I can speak. I’ve been visiting her regularly, but it never felt like enough. I want her to truly see me, not just feel my presence. It took me days... weeks, just to take on a form. A form I hoped she would find pleasing, and judging by the smile on her face, I feel a sense of pride in what I’ve created.

“Would you like to come in?” she invites. “The water is so refreshing.”

She scoops up a handful of water, letting it trickle through her fingers as she smiles. Watching the droplets fall, she then turns to me.

“What do you say?”

I’m at a loss for words. She leaves me breathless. She radiates warmth, a sensation I never knew I could experience.

“What is your name?” I inquire.

Her smile widens, and she averts her gaze, running her fingers through her wet, flowing hair in a nervous gesture.

“I do not have a name,” she replies, meeting my eyes.

“I don’t either,” I confess.

She looks up at me slowly, her cheeks flushing a lovely pink, mirroring her lips.

“No?”

I shake my head.

“What would you like to call me?” she asks.

I have no idea what to call her. All I can think about is how beautiful she is, and the way the water caresses her skin stirs strange emotions within me.

I’ve spent an eternity in darkness, watching people enter my desert and never finding their way out. I like it when people don’t find their way out. I make it impossible for them because I want to, though I don’t know why. She is the only one I want to keep here, not because I want her dead, but because I simply want her.

I don’t feel anger as I watch her, only a sense of calmness, even though the sun always drives me away, granting me these few precious moments with her. However, my new form allows me to be with her in the sunlight.

The sun... it always brings her here.

I gaze at the large, warm orb in the sky, contemplating, and then I turn to her.

“Dawn,” I say.

“Dawn?” she repeats, savoring the word on her lips. She licks them, then smiles. “I like it. Fits me well, don’t you think?”

I simply nod, finding it hard to articulate even a single thought as she looks at me.

“Are you sure you don’t want to come in?” she asks.

“I can’t stay,” I reply.

Her smile fades, and she nods slowly. “I know... you never stay long.”

Even in this form, I can’t linger. I always have to retreat to the darkness eventually, but I find myself able to stay longer and longer. Perhaps one day, I could be with her all day.

“Tell me your name tomorrow,” she suggests.

“I don’t have one.”

“Then make one for yourself. Like you gave me one.”

Her eyes sparkle with joy as she looks at me, and all I can manage to say is, “Tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow,” she echoes.

I walk away, glancing over my shoulder a few times, unable to tear my eyes away from her. She truly is beautiful. So beautiful that I’m afraid to touch her... afraid to get too close.

“Mefan?” I turned to the prince, who was still gazing at me from his spot near the lake’s edge.

“Sorry?”

“Why did you bring me here?” he asked.

I glanced back at the lake, but she wasn’t there anymore. It was empty, and that old, hollow feeling crept back in. She wasn’t coming back—only the first rays of the sun remained as reminders of her.

“I thought you might need a change of scenery,” I told him, avoiding his gaze.

“And you thought this was a good place for that?”

He stood up, his eyes fixed on the lake like mine. “You mentioned it reminded you of home.”

“I did. And it hurts because of it...”

He looked down at the ground, his face contorting with pain as he tried to suppress thoughts of his home.

“If you want to go back—"

“No,” he interrupted, looking up again.

“No?”

He met my gaze briefly before moving to a large rock, where he sat down and stared at the lake. Crossing his arms over his chest, he took deep breaths. I walked over and sat beside him, but neither of us spoke. We just stared at the lake, reminiscing about the good times that seemed so distant now.