{ORIGINAL} The Castle of Hidden Stars
| The Castle of Hidden Stars | Slice of Life, Romance | G | ~750 words |
Description: Love is a strong word... but maybe not strong enough.
Will is a man. He is a man who speaks many words but holds back and restrains his heart from escaping with each one. He stands strong for everyone else around him like the defence wall of a castle that guards the greatest rarest treasures of the land. He takes each battering willingly and steadily and retires at the end of each day with nothing more than a scratch on the surface. People see the protection and the warmth that he provides but they don’t see the scratches. The scratches plague the surface from the countless battles won. A crack starts as a mere slit but widens from assault from the winds of mocking laughter, crashing harsh waves of criticisms and the invisible arrows that pierce through to the core. Everyone thanks him with a simple nod and smile of gratitude without seeing the cracks that slowly chip away at his exterior. He reassures himself with affirmations that this is his job and his responsibility and that everyone is relying on him. When his wall finally crashes, will people be there to protect him? Will they rebuild him to his former glory or discard him for the pursuit of shinier, stronger allies?
Louis is another man. He is a man who speaks few words and fills the rest of the space with cheerful light laughter that floats high into the sky. His kindness is a virtue that is often manipulated and overpowered by others. He tries to stand tall and strong, but ends up falling to his knees at the mercy of his own weaknesses. Each time, he brushes off the dust of failure from his knees and resumes his stance. With every fall he gets stronger and more determined to prove himself as the lone soldier who can plough through the defences of his enemies. He returns at the end of each day with cuts and bruises to show for his efforts and spends the night rubbing dirt out of his wounds alone in his dark chambers. When he finally rests, he dreams of the day that people would finally celebrate his strength and stealth. That dream is so bright and warm that he hesitates to wake up in the morning. When he finally succeeds and his dreams finally come true, will people notice? Will they look past his past vulnerability and weaknesses to see his new glowing glory?
Celine is not a man. She is a woman of sparing words and instead infuses infinite sighs with the surrounding air. She sits and watches and observes the men as they scurry along each day. In particular, she stares in adoration at two; the buckling wall and the underestimated warrior. She thinks that love is a strong word but when she sees the stars that shine inside the two of them, she can’t help but think that love is not enough. She lies out of sight in the sky at the top vantage point of the castle where she can see all. She follows the wind fluidly and obeys the tides’ every command. To the underestimated warrior, she is a reminder and symbol of his goal. All she wants to do is to empower him in battle and comfort his wounds at the end of it all, whispering sweet and soothing words into his dreams. She sees his passion, his resilience and his desperation but he does not see her beyond her patterns and colours. She is only an embodiment of his blinding dream. To the buckling wall, she is nothing. She is just eternally out of vision and reach in the expanse of threats and dangers that surround him. All she wants to do is extract his heart from him, liberating the worries and pain that he keeps locked up in his centre. She sees his sincerity, his insecurity, his fear and he still sees nothing. She is only an insignificant flicker that drifts silently with him.
In despair, Will continues to crumble at the seams unknowingly to everyone else around him. In superficiality, Louis continues to chase after a lost and useless dream. In unappreciativeness, Celine lets the two of them fall into the abyss as she follows them into the depths of darkness. Love is a strong word, but it still isn't enough to save any of them. So, the three heroes of this story remain as hidden stars travelling further and further way from each other into the vastness of space.
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A/N: Inspired off own observations in real life. Names changed for privacy.
Names chosen for their meaning to reflect each character's view on their own identity.
Will: Valiant protector
Louis: Famed Warrior
Celine: Sky or Heaven