A/N: As usual, I would recommend putting the video on loop.

Knees to her chest, she rested her head on them and breathed out and in slowly. It was (f/n)'s eighteenth birthday, yet, for the entire day, she had been locked away in her room. During the day, she had been treated the same as well, and she figured that her parents might've forgotten about it. After all the years of locking her away, it wouldn't surprise her.

Throughout the day, however, she did hear her name being called by that gentle, enchanting voice. Over the years, she had noted that the boy's voice grew with age and sounded like the voice of a young man. It would make sense for the boy to grow older as well since he did look human in some ways. She wondered how he looked now.

Deciding to pick herself up, she headed over to one of the windows in her room. The whispering was growing more frequent and louder, and there was clear urgency to the male's voice. She wanted to escape, but going through the halls proved fruitless. Still, the windows didn't provide an easy route either.

She pressed her hands to the glass and looked to the boards. It had been too long since she last gazed at the sky. (F/n) desired those boards gone. When she stared at the wood longer, she noted the rot on them. Those boards had been up since she was a child, and the moisture in the sea air would've made the wood weaker over the years. There was also the rain that would come about once or twice a week.

If she broke the glass, she could charge at the wooden boards and possibly break through them. Of course, she was two stories up, so it would be best to have something to prevent her fall. She would have plenty of time to prepare this since the maid had made her last stop for the day.

While she began her operation, the male in the ruins stood at the edge of them. He needed pools of water nearby to live; he needed to have at least his feet in water at all times. Moisture in the air or rain wouldn't suffice. If there were puddles, he could hop from one to the other, but the downward slope of the village street to the ruins prevented that. There were also the small spaces in between the stones of the street. This allowed the water to be absorbed by the dirt below, hence the grasses that would grow between the stones, and this only made water collections harder to form.

So, how was he supposed to travel to her? He had increased the times that he would call her name and the volume of those whispers, but that did him no good. The male could risk travel to the village, but he didn't know how long he would last before he collapsed to the ground and died.

He paced around in the water, trying to come up with something. One way or another, he would have her tonight. There was the benefit that he knew which house was hers. Those villagers did gossip about her family, and how the boards on her house looked unseemly. Clasping his hands behind his back, he stared back out at the village. If he could transport the water in some way, he might have a chance to make it to her.

Unfortunately, there wasn't a water carrying device in the ruins. Hearing wheels on the stone street, he turned towards the sound and watched a late night cart come down the street. A draft horse led the wagon and its rider. Occasionally, there would be traders who would stay all day and leave in the night.

Focusing on the wagon part, a smirk began to form on his lips. Quickly, he made his way over to the cart. This rider obviously took the tales of the ruins lightly since he rode close to them. He should survive long enough to step out of the pools for a few seconds. When he reached the wagon and its rider, he leapt from the waters and crashed against the rider.

The male was about to emit a yell, and the horse began to panic. Knowing that he had to act fast, he sunk his sharp teeth into the neck of the rider since it was the easiest place to strike. When the rider started to go limp, the male got to his feet and spit out the blood.

Swiftly, he grabbed the reins on the horse and pulled both the horse and wagon towards the ruins. The horse resisted, leaving him no choice but to calm it down. His energy was rapidly depleting, however. He forced himself to stay out a little longer until he calmed down the horse. About a minute passed before he managed to lead the horse and wagon into the ruins.

When his feet touched the cooling waters of one of the pools, he let out a sigh of relief. He could feel his life returning to him. Now, he merely had to lead the horse farther in. Once at one of the deeper pools, he helped the horse swim through it by supporting the weight of the wagon as it went under. The horse managed to swim across and exit the pool.

With it back on solid ground, it struggled with the weight of the wagon in the water, but the male helped push it out and onto the earth as well. Stepping on the edge of the pool, he grinned at seeing the wagon filled with water. Granted, water was leaking out from some spots, but if he made a quick trip into the village and back, he would be fine. So, he hoisted himself up into the back and pulled up the hood of his black cloak.

Soaking in the water, he grabbed the reigns and guided the horse out of the ruins. His wagon did look odd, especially since some would've just seen the same one leaving the village. Still, the evening had grown darker, and more clouds had rolled in. Another storm was on its way, and most would be huddled up in their homes by now. If it did rain, it would help to refill his wagon.

(F/n) had managed to tear up her bed sheets and form a rope out of them. She had tied one end to one of the bedposts while she had her right hand gripped tightly on the other end. Keeping her hold on the rope, she picked up the metal chamber pot with both hands and chucked it at the stained glass. The glass shattered, and the pot rolled away from the crash.

Thankfully, her parents had bought her good leather boots, and she hoped that the glass wouldn't break through the bottoms of them. She heard footsteps rushing towards her room as she took some steps back. When the locks on her door were being unlocked, she charged forward and tightened her hold on the makeshift rope.

As her door opened, she leapt through the window and towards the rotted boards. She shielded her head with her arms and closed her eyes while the wood broke under her weight. The wood scratched against her arms, and she could hear it ripping through parts of her dress. (F/n) just hoped that it didn't tear through the cloth rope.

Soon, however, she felt droplets of water fall upon her skin while the smell of rain filled her nose. A smile painted itself across her lips. After twelve years, she was finally outside again. She felt the rope go rigid as it stretched to its full length. Opening her eyes, she noticed that she was hanging a few feet above the ground.

A loud ripping noise resonated, and she looked up to the tearing rope. She dropped herself to the ground while the rope fell soon after. Glancing to her window, she saw the faces of her parents and the maid staring at her. They quickly vanished, and she knew that she had to run for it.

Taking no more time, she darted towards the ruins but halted her movement soon after. A horse filled her vision before the rider of the wagon pulled back on the reins and calmed the animal down. She took no time and went to rush past. (F/n) stopped again, however, when she heard her name being called. That familiar voice, it couldn't be.

Turning to look over at them, she saw a blue hand being held out to her. It really was him! She could hear her parents and the maid shouting out her name. With no hesitation, she took the hand and allowed herself to be pulled up. Water splashed around her before she found herself in a pool of the liquid. The male speedily steered the wagon around and signaled the horse to run towards the ruins.

This action sent her flying back some and into the water more. She pushed herself up on her elbows and coughed out some of the water. Her gaze fell on the back of the cloaked male while many questions filled her mind. The girl had so much to ask him, but she understood that this wasn't the time for it. Once they reached the ruins, she could make her inquiries.

Positioning herself on her knees, she noted that her arms were bleeding some. Her blood had probably mixed in with some of the water, and she wondered if it was okay for them to be sitting in it. "Um, excuse me, but shouldn't we get out of the water. I think some of my blood may have run into it."

"It's not a problem. I'll fix your wounds when we get to the ruins," he answered, continuing to stare out ahead and guide the horse.

Her voice got stuck in her throat upon hearing him. This was the first time that she had heard him say something more than her name. His voice was truly mesmerizing. To her ears, it felt like running one's hands through cool waters, and that soft embrace, after a warm summer's day, made her voice melt in her mouth while her heart skipped a beat.

It seemed so illogical to be ensnared by someone's voice, but she couldn't help it. Hearing his voice directly instead of indirectly through whispers in her head lulled her into an overwhelming sense of calm. She couldn't even hear the yells of her parents and the maid anymore. Her attention was solely focused on him.