Eternal Echoes: The Story of Aelios and Adrian - 2. Chapter 2: A Growing Obsession

Sleep eluded me as my mind replayed the evening’s encounter with Aelios. His deep purple eyes haunted me, their beauty tinged with a profound sadness. His perfect features, though captivating, hinted at something deeper—a hidden ache. When I mentioned his parents, he grew distant, as if the memories were too painful to grasp. Did he lose them in some tragic event? Did it drive him to seek solace in the woods? Where exactly did he live? These questions swirled in my mind as I prepared for bed.

My parents had become lax about locking doors lately, not that they’d notice my comings and goings anyway. My mom, when she was home, spent most of her time glued to the television, lost in soap operas or talk shows. After brushing and flossing—yes, I take good care of my teeth, even at 13—I lay in bed, my thoughts drifting back to Aelios. I whispered into the quiet room, “I hope you’re safe.”

I longed for his presence, his touch—a strange blend of coldness and comfort. His smile had left an impression on me, making me chuckle even as I tried to suppress it. I couldn’t help but recall his infectious laughter and the way his eyes lit up when he spoke to me. Maybe… just maybe, he needs a friend—or something more. As my eyes grew heavy, I couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was watching me. Eventually, sleep overtook me, leading me into a beautiful dream about Aelios.

“Adrian, get up! You’re gonna be late!” My mom’s voice cut through my dream, distant and disinterested. She didn’t bother knocking—she never did anymore. The sound of the TV echoed from the living room, another talk show blaring too loudly. I groaned and stretched, irritated she hadn’t even checked on me.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m up…” I muttered, knowing she was more concerned about missing her shows than whether I made it to school.

After a quick bath and throwing on some clothes, I rushed out of my room. It was already 7 a.m., and I’d barely have time to make it to class. I grabbed my lunch from the kitchen—a couple of hastily thrown-together sandwiches wrapped in foil. I could tell she hadn’t put much thought into it.

“Bye, Mom,” I mumbled, not expecting a response. Sure enough, she didn’t look up from the TV, lost in whatever drama had caught her attention.

Miraculously, I managed to arrive at school on time—just barely. As I slumped into my seat, my mind was still spinning with thoughts of Aelios. During class, I found myself doodling him in my notebook—those purple eyes and that soft, mysterious smile. Unfortunately, one of the girls caught a glimpse.

“Who’s that?” she asked, peering at my sketch with far too much interest. “He’s cute!”

“Uh, just a character I made up,” I lied quickly, my heart sinking. It hurt to say he was fictional, but I couldn’t exactly explain the truth.

She smiled dreamily at the drawing. “Too bad he’s not real.”

I scowled at her retreating back. He is real, I thought stubbornly. And he’s mine.

You might be wondering, am I gay? The answer is yes. I’ve known since gym class—wink, wink, nudge, nudge. Anyway, back to the story. There I was, glaring daggers at this girl for even thinking about my… friend. Or whatever he was to me.

“Who’s that?” A familiar voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I looked up to see Ethan leaning over my desk, curiosity in his eyes.

“New character?” he asked with a grin.

“Yeah… just had a dream about him,” I muttered, feeling the heat rise in my cheeks.

“A dream, huh? Must’ve been a great one if you drew him this well,” Ethan teased, punching me lightly on the shoulder.

I rolled my eyes. “It’s not like that, Ethan. Get your mind out of the gutter.”

“Sure, sure. I’m not the one daydreaming through every class,” he joked. “I had to save your butt from getting called out by the math teacher.”

My face burned with embarrassment. It was true—I couldn’t focus. My mind kept drifting back to Aelios, wondering when I’d see him again.

“You’re doing it again,” Ethan said with a laugh.

“Doing what?” I asked, confused.

“The dorky dreamy look.” Ethan states grinning

“Oh, shut up,” I hissed, swatting at him.

“Mr. Bennet and Mr. Caldwell, is there something funny?” Our science teacher’s stern voice cut through the classroom.

Ethan and I quickly shook our heads, saving ourselves from more trouble. After class, we walked home together like we usually did. Ethan lived just a few houses down from mine, and we always took the same route.

“Hey, did you hear about the murders?” Ethan asked in a low voice as we walked.

My stomach twisted. “Murders? What are you talking about?”

“Last night, a group of young women were attacked. Brutal stuff, too… they didn’t even show it on TV. Whoever did it is a monster,” Ethan explained, his voice shaking slightly.

“Last night?” I whispered, suddenly feeling cold. My thoughts raced to Aelios. Could he be involved? No, he couldn’t… could he?

“Dude, you okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” Ethan said, eyeing me with concern.

“I’m fine,” I lied, trying to shake off the dread creeping up my spine. “So, what are the cops doing about it?”

“They’ve set up checkpoints and there’s a curfew now. But get this—the only marks they found were two tiny holes on the victims’ necks. Weird, huh?” Ethan said, though he quickly regretted it when he saw the look on my face.

I swallowed hard, my mind spinning with fear and confusion. Could Aelios be in danger, or was there something I didn’t know about him?

“You’re scared,” Ethan said softly, putting a reassuring arm around my shoulder. “It’s okay to be scared.”

“I’m not…” I started to protest, but the look he gave me said it all. He knew me too well. With a resigned sigh, we continued walking home in silence, the weight of the news hanging between us.

When I got home, I checked the clock obsessively. My heart pounded as 7 p.m. approached—the same time I had met Aelios. I hoped he was safe, but a part of me feared he was in danger. I paced back and forth, the minutes stretching into what felt like hours. My parents still weren’t home, and most likely wouldn’t care if I left. Driven by a mix of dread and determination, I decided to head out into the evening gloom. I had to see Aelios, to make sure he was alright.

Grabbing my jacket, I rushed toward the clearing. The woods were eerily quiet, as if the animals or the trees themselves were afraid of something… something unnatural. I quickened my pace, the fear gnawing at me that Aelios might be in danger—or worse.

As I neared the clearing, I heard a voice—a haunting, melancholic song. My heart raced faster, my steps slowing as I drew closer. There, sitting on the rock where I had sat the day before, was Aelios. He was safe… thank God… and he was singing. He looked so calm, yet there was a deep sadness in him. He seemed lost in the moment, his voice carrying into the darkness like a lament for something long gone.

“The world we once knew—now shadows and ruins,
I’ve lingered through the endless nights, yearning for what’s lost.
In my hands—a fading token, a symbol of innocence taken.”

His voice was low and filled with sorrow, as if he sang more to himself than to the night. My heart ached with every note, as though I could feel his pain. Who was this boy, and how had he come to carry such sorrow?

“Light my fire, melt away my grief,
Let my sorrow blend with the night’s embrace.
My tale will whisper through the ages,
And I will merge with the echoes of the past.”

The words broke my heart. He wanted his grief to disappear, for his sadness to fade into the darkness. What had he endured to feel this way? I wanted to run to him, to hold him, to take away his pain.

“When the seasons turn, I’ll awaken once more,
Through every cold and darkened hour, I’ve waited.
The echoes of what was will find their way,
In the depths of forgotten dreams.”

Tears welled up in my eyes. He had waited for someone—waited through the darkness, through the endless nights—and yet no one had come. He had held on to hope, even when it seemed there was none left.

“I remember... Do you remember me?
Can you recall the moments we shared?
I remember... Do you remember me?
Speak again of the love we once knew.”

The final verse shattered me. He remembered love—held on to it, longed for it. But all that remained were memories, and the echoes of a past that would never return.

“Adrian… are you alright?” Aelios’s voice broke through my thoughts, filled with concern. I couldn’t take it anymore—I ran to him, throwing my arms around him in a tight embrace.

“Aelios… I’m so glad you’re alright… I won’t leave you… I will never hurt you!” I cried out between sobs. Through my tears, I saw his eyes grow wide before softening. He smiled that sweet, sad smile and hugged me tighter.

“You heard…” he whispered softly in my ear, sending a shiver down my spine.

“Yes… it was sad, but beautiful at the same time…” I whispered back, still holding him close. His touch was cold, but the warmth of his embrace spoke volumes.

“I wish you hadn’t heard it if it caused you this much sadness,” Aelios said softly, his voice full of regret.

“No… just keep singing… it might help you. Besides, I love your voice,” I said quietly, my cheeks burning with embarrassment. He chuckled softly, resting his forehead against mine.

“As you wish, Adrian,” he whispered lovingly, making my heart race with just those few words.

As we settled into our usual arrangement, I started to explain my day to him, omitting the part about the girl and my jealousy. His mood seemed to lighten as I recounted my morning, and he laughed at my antics. For a while, it was just us, enjoying each other's company, forgetting the world’s troubles.

However, when I mentioned the murders, Aelios’s mood changed abruptly. His body stiffened, and I could have sworn I saw a flash of red in his eyes before it disappeared. The air grew colder, and the breeze intensified. Aelios’s anger was palpable, and it frightened me.

“Aelios… I’m sorry… I thought you needed to know, for your safety…” I stammered, feeling fear rise in my chest.

Aelios seemed to realize I was there and began to calm down, though he couldn’t bear to look at me. The breeze died down as his anger subsided, leaving me even more unsettled.

“I’m sorry, Adrian… I… didn’t mean to scare you…” he said, his voice trembling with self-reproach.

“Aelios… it’s okay… you just shocked me, that’s all. I understand; innocent lives were taken. I would be angry too!” I tried to reassure him.

He seemed reluctant to accept my words, but I couldn’t let this incident drive a wedge between us. I approached him slowly, carefully, and hugged him from behind, pressing my body against him.

“Adrian…” he began, but I shushed him, wanting only to stay close.

We remained like that for a while, connected and silent, until Aelios spoke again, his voice back to its calm self. This brought me some relief.

“I’m sorry for my outburst, Adrian… I couldn’t control my anger… I promise it won’t happen again,” he assured me as he gently separated himself and faced me.

“I… got you something,” he said nervously. The sight of him so anxious around me was endearing. He rummaged through his pockets and finally produced a silver crescent moon pendant, placing it in my hand.

“It’s something I’ve had for a long time… Since you gave me a gift, I wanted to return the favor. This necklace is special to me, but since you’re special to me, I want you to have it,” he said softly, a smile creeping onto his lips as he fastened the necklace around my neck.

“You’ve pulled me out of my darkness somehow, and this is my way of thanking you,” he continued, resting his forehead against mine. Tears welled up in my eyes as I felt more love and care from him than I ever had from my own parents. Without hesitation, I clasped his hands, and he sighed happily, giving my forehead a gentle kiss.

He offered to walk me home, and I accepted. As we walked, I noticed he was unusually alert, as if he were on high alert for any danger. Given the recent killings, I understood his caution.

We reached my door, and my mom’s soap opera blared from inside.

“Well, this is my home…” I said shyly, and Aelios smiled, giving me a sweet kiss on the forehead.

“It’s quite lovely… Be safe, Adrian, and sleep well.” Was he blushing?

“You too…” I smiled back, and we shared a quiet, lingering gaze before giggling softly. We said our goodbyes, and I entered my home. As usual, my mom was unresponsive, and my dad was absent. I didn’t greet her and went straight to my room, exhausted by the night’s events.

Sleep came quickly, and as I lay in bed, a distant voice echoed in my dream, calling my name in a sweet, melodic tone. It was Aelios, waiting in my dreams at the same spot where we first met.