She stares at him, blinking, motionless until she finally remembers where she's seen him before, jumping up with a startled gasp.

It's about eight in the morning. She's already there, though, stacking empty crates, cleaning up under the shelves - where grapes and peels usually end up, while humming some tune in the quietness of the early day, without her parents constantly talking out loud, costumers raising their voices and the general noises of the town.

Suddenly, a shadow covers her from behind.

She raises her head slowly until she recognizes the shape of a man standing still, although his face is blank and blurry because of the sun.

She jumps up from her crouching position and, squinting her eyes, cocks her head to the side: "Yes?"

The two stay quiet, observing each other - him, dressed like some city guy on a winter cruise, khaki pants, striped shirt, and a beanie, and her, wearing her old - two sizes bigger - shorts, a tank top, and her worn-out sneakers.  

The man - oh, the boy! - snaps out of his trance. "Sorry to bother, I am headed towards the Elben Mausoleum, but I have some troubles reading the map. How far am I?"

Her previous polite smile freezes: just her luck, someone needs directions and her parents are not around to guide him. Don't get her wrong, she has been to the Elben Mausoleum before, plenty of times at that, and she knows the way.

Her problem is related to the explanation of how you reach it, meaning she often confuses left turns with right turns. She has a vague idea of how you reach it, she can't screw it up that much, right?

Oh, how she hates giving directions!

"You're that guy from this morning!" She points out raising her eyebrows.

"Yes!" He seethes.

"You don't look too good. What happened?" She picks up the crate previously dropped.

"You happened! I walked for about five hours under this sun, only to find out that the mausoleum is on the other cliff!" His face gets a deeper purple and his hands start shaking.

Feeling the hostility, she puts down the crate - again- and turns. "Maybe you shouldn't have worn a long-sleeved shirt and a beanie when it's so hot outside- you're going to have a stroke!" She pokes him in the chest with her finger, only to retract her hand swiftly and wipe his sweat on her shorts. "Ew!"

"The problem is not my outfit. It's you!" He narrows his eyes at her, glaring like a toddler would, and she almost bursts out laughing: however, sensing it's partly her fault the guy is on the verge of having a cardiac attack, she stays silent.

"Listen, just-" he rubs a hand on his face, grimacing at the feeling of his own slick sudor. "If you didn't know where the mausoleum was, why didn't you just say so?!"

"I know where it is!" She grips the broom next to her. "I simply don't know how to explain it."

He sighs again and she feels the guilt taking over her. "I'm sorry. You needed help and there was no one else around, but I remember now that there's a reason my parents never let me give directions. I always mess it up."

He shrugs, and she can see his vein deflate. At least he's not mad anymore.

"It's alright. I needed to get some pictures of the mausoleum for work, but I guess I'll try again tomorrow." Giving her a small wave, he turns around to walk away.

"Wait!" She calls. "I can... lead you there."

"Aren't you working now?" He blinks.

She lets out a nervous chuckle. "Well, yes, but they are my parents, they won't mind if I catch a small break."

She sees him hesitate. "It's a little hot for me right now..."

"You could wear something lighter." She points at his damp shirt. "And maybe let your head breathe." Gesturing at his beanie, she raises an eyebrow.

"Actually, I'd rather not. If I walk under the sun without being covered, my skin will burn immediately." His tone is soft, with no trace of reprimand.

Feeling better in the new relaxed atmosphere, she picks up the broom and starts cleaning the sidewalk just in front of the shop window. "What are you, a vampire?" She laughs.

His forced chuckle is not quite like what she expected. She observes as he steps under the shop awning, making sure to be completely shielded from the sunlight, and brings a hand to his head.

"Kind of." Grabbed his beanie, he takes it off, releasing locks of- white hair?

Finally free to look at him without blacklight, she takes in the pale, milky skin, the lightly freckled cheeks, the icy, clear, grey eyes and the blondest hair she's ever seen, it almost sparkles.

"Whoah..."

"Not quite what you expected?" He chuckles, but she's too busy staring at him to answer. Feeling uncomfortable, he shifts: "I guess your offer is not valid anymore."

That seems to make her snap out of it. "Of course it is! We'll go in the evening, that way you won't risk getting a burn."

She answers smoothly, and he relaxes. "Are you sure? It's okay if you don't want to..."

"I insist! Go freshen up a little, and be here around seven. I heard that the view there is breathtaking during the sunset."

He gives her a boyish grin, the first one she's seen, and turns to go back to his hotel room, but she grabs his wrist before he's out of reach.

Startled, he stops in his tracks, and they both are captured by the striking contrast of their skins touching, her ambered fingers wrapped around his pearly hand.

Eyes meeting, hands touching, they are unconsciously drawn nearer the other until their foreheads are touching.

“Hey.” Alice’s much quieter reply doesn’t go unnoticed by Maisy, who gives her a worried look. 

Alice shakes her head smiling. “Don’t worry, I’m alright. Only didn’t get much sleep last night.”

“Oh, right!” Maisy accepts the coffee cup her friend is holding. “You had that chemistry test. How did it go?”

“Good, actually. The results are already in: I got 85%.”

Maisy raises both eyebrows: “Damn. I’d say more than good. Didn’t you say you were going to fail? Are you one of those students who like to complain about their bad results when in reality they did perfectly?” 

“No! I was serious when I said I was screwed. I was only lucky to get help last night.”

“Who helped you?”

Alice lowers her gaze nonchalantly. “Jude did.”

Her best friend deadpans. “Jude? As in Jude Higginson? My boyfriend’s best friend?”

Alice nods quickly. 

“I thought you two didn’t get along.”

“We don’t!” Alice admits. “Last night, however, I was on the verge of a crisis, and he offered his help. He said he’d already studied that stuff, and I had to accept.”

Maisy stares at her without blinking, and Alice shifts uncomfortably. “Also, I called you here to ask you a favor. Do you happen to know what’s Jude’s favorite drink?”

The girl huffs out a laugh. “No, I don’t. I’m happy to know that you asked to meet for this, though.”

“Could you ask Max?” Alice begs. 

Maisy gives her an are-you-kidding-me look but pulls out her phone from the purse nonetheless. 

 After a few seconds of utter silence, Maisy jumps up with a giant smile. 

“Hey, sweety! I’m here with Alice. Yes. She asked if you know what’s Jude’s favorite drink. Yeah… I didn’t ask. Because I didn’t think it’d be important! … fine.” 

Moving the phone away from her ear, Maisy looks at her friend: “He asked if you’re doing it because you two had sex.”

Alice turns deep purple and splutters something, to which Maisy only chuckles. 

“No, I don’t think they didn’t. Why can’t you just give me an answer?! …alright, thank you. I love you, text you later!”

Finally facing Alice, the girl smirks: “Two shots latte macchiato.” 

And now, a few minutes later, Alice was standing in front of his dorms’ door, holding a cup of steaming latte macchiato, with her wrist frozen mid-air.

It was Maisy’s fault. 

Her best friend always made fun of her whenever they’d see Jude around the campus because apparently, he had a crush on her. 

Jude Higgins had a crush on Alice Goddard, the girl he always picked a fight with. 

And while Alice had tried to reason with her best friend that it wasn’t possible to like someone you loathe, she simply had ignored her, like always. 

 Alice was certain he didn’t like her, but still, it’d be nice to know if he did. 

Mainly because she had kind of liked him when they’d first met, but then he decided to act like a jerk around her, and she’d got along with it. 

It was time to woman up. Maybe he did feel something for her. 

Alice knocked on the door, which must have been already open because, with only a light touch, she had a complete view of his room. 

And a shirt-less Jude spread on his bed. 

And a blondie in a bra, shoving her tongue down his throat. 

It’s not uncommon for the night to be so silent, especially here in the land of Dôl, yet she always manages to be amazed by it. If something is ordinary, it doesn’t necessarily means it can’t be extraordinary in its own way.

A little bit like Merle, she can’t help but think. 

He’s a human, and the gods know how humans are the most useless and weak species of them all. They don’t have wings or a faster way to travel. No magic. No ability whatsoever.

Four limbs, delicate skin, so easy to kill. Slow, defensless, harmless.

Núrnith almost smiles at the thought that her uncle Trahern had discribed humans by comparing them to the Pîns that live on the ground of their homeland.

And for awhile, she really thought of them, of Merle, that way.

But if the humans are so helpless in front of a universe filled with powerful creatures, with no weapons and a place to hide, they still have something unsteable.

Art.

And that is why the creatures should not be trying to delete humanity.

And that is why she’s on her journey. To stop them from making an irredeemable mistake.

As long as there are humans, art is safe.

Núrnith clenches her fist around the dagger, feeling hope and determination refilling her body.

She raises her gaze on last time to the purple sky, as deep as her name, before jumping down the rock onto the soft grass.