A/n: warnings for this chapter - contains heavy angst, heartbreak, depression, suicide.

Words: 4067.

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'Looking at the moon again?' Pantheras asked Seraphina as he sat beside her at the base of an old Apple tree.

The girl with the fiery locks smiled, though it didn't seem to reach her eyes. 'What else am I supposed to do, Sleep?'

'Please,' he rolled his eyes, 'what's the last time you even slept?' he glanced at her through the corner of his eye.

She was beautiful, no doubt about that. Long dark lashes guarded her warm, honey brown eyes that brushed against her high cheekbones when she blinked.

Again, as many times before he seemed to enter a trance. Entranced by the way her hair caught the moonlight. The way her coral necklace rested against her throat. The curve of her full lips, her adorable little button nose. The way her chest rose and fell as breathed in the fresh air of the sea, the way the air was expelled from her lips like a breeze gentler than the light caress of a feather.

'Er... When that bird pooped in your soup.' She said, snapping him out of his trance.

'Tha-That was weeks ago!' he exclaimed, horror encasing his features.

'Yeah... I've been eating this bean, it helps me stay awake.' she said, shoving a hand into a jute bag purse and pulling out a handful of... Brown beans. 'It's called: the coffee bean.'

'Phins,' he began, 'you need to sleep.'

'But I don't want to sleep. You know me Pantheras - I always get what I want.' she winked.

Heat rushed to his face as he promptly looked away.

'Er,' he bit his lip, 'Sure you do.'

Seraphina frowned at him. He always did this - it sucked. Her closest friend in the whole wide world just had to have feelings for her. Especially since she didn't harbour any for him. Why couldn't they have a nice platonic relationship?

Of course, that was wishful thinking too. Nothing in her life could be described as nice.

Depression is like a constant car crash. It's like a deathless death.

It hits you hard - it doesn't give you time to heal. It most likely kills you or leaves you with some serious scars.

Scars no one can see - scars that crack your psyche.

Mental illnesses can be caused due to various reasons. Some traumatic past, some anxiety or some fear that overwhelms you.

Anxiety is normal. It's your brain's way of telling you that danger may be ahead so you should brace yourself.

That feeling never really fully leaves Serephina.

She was drowning and there was no knight in shining armour to save her. Sometimes there just isn't anyone who can convince you that there is much more to life than constant sadness.

For Serephina, the end has always just been within reach but so, so far away.

Why couldn't this endless torture just end?

She looked up at the sky and locked her warm gaze onto the proud, beaming sphere of light.

The moon.

The moon has always been a comfort to Serephina.

Whether she was happy, sad, angry, resentful - the moon always remained the same. The moon was a constant, the moon was and would always be there for her.

It had been four weeks. Four whole weeks since Pantheras confessed he liked her.

It broke her heart to tell him she didn't feel the same way.

It killed her to see the pain in his eyes that he tried to mask with an easygoing smile. The pain he tried to hide as he hugged her and told her that it was okay. The pain that caused those waterfalls of tears to leak from his eyes in the silence of the night. The pain that made everything in the world seem less colourful. The pain that allowed no space for joy. The pain that slowly killed him from the inside, out.

The guilt gnawed at her very soul. Mixed with the guilt of her past- with that of the future, it was killing her. She was tired, so tired. She just wanted to sleep. And never wake up.

'Listen to me...' Serephina began. 'I don't want to lead you on, Theras, My feelings... They have not changed.' she licked her suddenly very dry lips.

Her hands crumpled into tight fists as she cast her eyes downward, not having it in her to look at his eyes, if she looked at them - she knew she would see the same pain. Pain that she caused. And if she did - she wouldn't be able to hold on much longer.

'I... I know. I'm not going to force you, don't worry.' She could hear it. She could hear his pain, mingled with disappointment and despair behind the false composure he put up.

She couldn't help it.

She looked at him.

The muscles in her heart clenched painfully. His face, his eyes, his lips, his brows - every part of him seemed to antagonise her. His eyes reflected how hurt he was, his frown reflected how disappointed he was, and his every feature reflected how much despair he was in.

But he said nothing.

He tried to smile though it looked more like a grimace, he told her it was okay she didn't feel the same way. Why wouldn't he scream at her, or yell at her? That would hurt way less.

She just wanted the constant ache in her heart to fade away. She wanted to fade away.

She looked to the moon for guidance. The moon said nothing. No words of comfort, no encouraging flash of light. The comforting beam of the moon gave her sanctuary no longer.

For a while it was quiet. Too quiet.

The stars stopped twinkling, the darkness of the night that just seemed to surround her now seemed to flow through her. Harsh, Unrelenting rapids whipped and clawed at her skin.

A choked, garbled noise escaped her throat. Something cold and wet trailed down her cheek.

She was drowning.

That wouldn't be so bad, would it? She thought. I could finally rest.

So she stopped struggling. She welcomed the harsh, brutal waters. She wanted them to carry her away, far, far away.

But something clawed at her shoulder. It was warm, unlike the currents that moved swiftly beside her.

'Phins? Phins!' she knew that voice. She just couldn't place where.

'Phins, come on talk to me! Serephina!' Something tugged violently at her shoulder accompanied by a much gentler pat to the face. Dad?

Dad used to pat her on the cheek - as he told her how much he loved her, how proud she made him. He patted her cheek the same way before he was eaten up by the flames.

She remembered that night, clear as day.

'Daddy, Where is mommy?' A nine-year-old Serephina asked her father, as he hurriedly entered through the door and locked it, topping a cupboard over to barricade the door.

'S-Serephina...' Her father stuttered, his usual oaky eyes bloodshot. Serephina froze, what had happened to her daddy? His clothes were a mess. There were red and brown stains all over his clothes. Bruises littered his skin, dirt and... Blood? - clung to his face like a spider on a web.

'Daddy... ' the small, pale girl began slowly, her small doe eyes wide with fear, 'what happened?'

'N-Nothing baby... M-Mommy won't be able to make it t-to dinner today... That's all... She... She...' his breaths turned frantic, his eyes flew everywhere around the small room. Everywhere but her. 'Mommy's r-resting, love. She's just... Sleeping.'

Sleeping.

'When will she wake up?' the pale child bit her trembling lip. Something was wrong. Why wouldn't mommy sleep at home?

'She... S-She was v-very tired, b-baby. Very, very tired.' Moisture gathered in his eyes, glazing over the warm brown irises that were dim with pain, not bright. Not playful as they usually are.

'Daddy... Are you okay?' Seraphina's chin wobbled. She wanted to cry... She didn't know why. Mommy was just sleeping... Right?

'Y-Yeah baby... Daddy's okay. D-Daddy's got you.' Her father rushed towards her, enveloping her in a big, warm hug. But it wasn't like... Before. This hug was desperate and begging. This hug... Unlike their hugs before asked for comfort, not to give comfort.

She wrapped her small arms around her Dads neck and she buried her nose into his hair.

It smelled... Coppery.

Her father's body trembled beneath her, small incoherent sounds escaped his throat. He rocked back and forth, back and forth and back and forth, muttering sweet nothings into her ear.

She barely even registered the banging on the door.

'D-Daddy?' she whispered, a lone tear sliding down her cheek. What was wrong with her daddy?

'I'm sorry... I'm so, so sorry.' he kept muttering, running his hands up and down her back.

'For... What?' the little girl croaked, why was it getting harder and harder to breathe.

'I-' he paused. His posture going stiff, he jolted away from the small girl, revealing his face.

Tears were streaming down his chin, but something was different about his eyes. They were wild and frantic before. But now they were alert.

'D-Daddy-?'

'Shhh.' her dad clamped his hand on her mouth. His eyes widened considerably.

'Serephina...' her father began slowly, 'Did you empty the bath?'

Oh no, was he mad? Was he angry she didn't empty the bath? Is that why he went so stiff?

'N-No, I'm sorry daddy i-'

'Oh thank the Gods,' he sighed, pulling her into a tight, brief hug. 'now listen, baby. I want you to go into the bath and stay there. No matter what.'

What?

The small girl of nine frowned, 'but Dad-'

'Serephina, no matter what - I will always love you.' her father whispered, taking off his shirt. The little girl watched as he tore it into pieces and tied a piece onto her face.

'Go, I will be there soon.' He got up and left.

Serephina was never one to doubt her parents. She did as she was told and when she was told. She never questioned his actions. But now - she was getting worried. Why did it hurt to take in breaths? Why was her vision fogging up with some black... Fog?

She ran up behind him.

Oh, how she wished she didn't.

There was her father, battling tall, high, raging flames.

'Daddy!' she shrieked, causing her father to whip around, distracted.

If only she listened to her father.

'SEREPHINA, NO! GET OUT OF HERE - GOORrgGx-' flames crept onto his back. Because he was distracted. By her. She did this.

He screamed. A long and guttural sound of pain.

He hissed as he fell to his knees, the fire dancing its way to his face, licking, burning.

He reached a shaky hand towards her, untouched by the flames.

Shakily, he patted her cheek. She watched, paralyzed in fear as the flames took one lump of flesh after another. His skin cracked and blood seeped out of them, despite all of the pain he must've been in. He smiled. He smiled at her.

'I love y-you. O-Okay? Remember that. I'm just... Just going to sleep... I - arghh!' he stifled a scream. The flames now danced on his eyelashes.

'I'll a-always be here with you... N-Now, Run!' He bellowed as the flames danced onto his forearm, burning, tasting.

And she ran.

Like a coward, she ran.

If only she had listened to him, he might've been there today.

She ran to the living room. Through the windows, she saw a sight that terrified her even more than she thought possible.

It was her mothers sleeping body on a cart, with hundreds of people behind her, cheering and shouting, all wielding either pitchforks or torches.

A broken sob escaped her. And she ran - she ran to the soapy bath she forgot to empty. She jumped in it and held her breath. She felt the same current of water suffocating her, just like the way she felt at present time.

She wanted it to carry her away. She wanted it to wash her away, wash it all away.

She wanted to sleep. Just like her parents - maybe in her dreams she could see them again.

'Serephina!' sharp pain in her right shoulder made her jolt awake.

With a start she realised, she was crying, and Pantheras was kneeling beside her, shaking her. His eyes were fearful and pained.

'P-Please...' she sobbed, 'I can't do this anymore.'

I can't, I can't, I can't.

Let me go, let me go, let me go.

Let me sleep, let me sleep, let me sleep.

She brought his knuckles to her face and kissed them gently. A final gesture of affection.

She would always love him, dead or alive. Just not in the way he did.

She couldn't do this anymore. She couldn't bear the guilt any longer.

'I'm tired, Theras. I want to sleep. I just want to sleep.' The double meaning behind her words went unnoticed.

Pantheras nodded solemnly. He had known her since she was a baby. He was used to Serephina randomly bursting into tears after that dreadful night. She was never the same after that.

'can you walk?' he asked her, his voice impossibly gentle.

She nodded and got up shakily. Pantheras clamped his hands onto her forearms to support her, but she shrugged them off.

His eyes flashed with hurt.

'I... I would like to walk to the cabin alone today. Is that okay?' she peered at him through her dense lashes, hoping they would hide her true motive.

She hoped he was distracted enough to not notice the hopeful gleam in her eyes, he could always see through her. So much so - it was insulting. They made extremely good friends. That, until four weeks ago.

'Yeah um... Of course. Throw a rock at my window, should you need anything. My door - er rather, my window is always open.' his eyes twinkled, a small chuckle filling the silence of the night.

This was what it used to be like. Before his confession. Before she knew the feelings he was harbouring.

It felt... Familiar, yet so strange.

'I know,' she gave him a small, daring smile and turned away. Knew that would be the last time she would see him.

She registered the pitter-patter of a light drizzle, a nice sound to hear for her last night on mother Earth.

She walked along a dirt pathway, running her hands over several flower petals that seemed to reflect the light of the moon. Giving it an unearthly glow.

She must've walked for miles until she found the flower she was looking for.

The Belladonna.

It has medicinal properties if taken in small doses. But... Should you take extremely large doses - it can result in a coma, and if not treated, death.

She smiled a wicked little smile. Belladonna meant beautiful lady in Italian. She would die at the hands of a beautiful lady. And a beautiful man by the name of Thanatos would fly her to the ferryman, who would take her to her parents.

She couldn't wait.

She hastily ripped off several of the flowers and shoved them into a secret pocket in her long, flowy white dress.

Looking more closely at the pattern on her dress, and the flowers in her hands.

She smiled. The pattern on her dress was of the Belladonna.

Positively beaming she began to skip down the muddy path, twirling and spinning till she reached the part of the Earth where the land meets the sea.

Her beaming grin faded into an easy-going, carefree smile. She felt light - for the first time in years. She knelt by the water, whispering a prayer to the sea God.

She felt the water caress her ankles as she bit into the first flower. Then the second. Then the third. And so on and so on.

When she ran out of flowers to eat, she opened her eyes. Looking at her surroundings with fresh eyes.

The water reflected the light of the moon in such a beautiful way. The water glittered like a sea of diamonds. Every grain of sand shone like a thousand moons. Every dew Drop on the leaves of trees shone like crystals.

It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.

Then she looked Heavenward. The skies twinkled with more stars than she had ever seen before. It was a river of darkness, but from it shone so much light. Stars winked, they disappeared and reappeared. Much like the people in her life - just without the reappearing bit.

Then she locked eyes with the moon.

Beautiful, soothing, calm.

Unmoving, patient, constant.

Black spots began to cloud her vision. The bright light of the moon fading.

The moon was the first thing she saw when she came into this world.

The moon was the last thing she saw as she exited it.

The moon was her sanctuary. The moon was her forever constant.

All the way to the end.

§

Poseidon saw the whole thing.

Frowning, he climbed out of his domain and onto the mother Earth.

He looked down at the comatose body on the beach. She was beautiful, she truly was. But behind all that beauty lay a great sadness.

He could see she gave it her all.

Sometimes even if you fight and fight till your very last breath, you don't always come out victorious. He could see how tired she was. And she deserved to rest.

He knelt down beside her, reaching out to tuck her hair behind her ears. He then brought two of his fingers to her forehead and muttered a silent blessing.

Belladonna makes for a slow and painful death, he thought. This girl doesn't deserve any more pain.

So he moved his fingers to her abdomen, drawing out the belladonna and instead, gently coaxing the life from her mortal vessel. He took the soul out of her body and waited for her to open her eyes.

'You are free now.' Poseidon said, his voice as gentle as a breeze over the sea, as Serephina opened her brown eyes - now grey in the glow of her astral body.

Serephina smiled, truly smiled. 'Thank you.' she whispered, bringing Poseidon in for a hug. 'Thank you so much.'

'You're most welcome, child.' Poseidon pulled away and gave her a small fatherly smile. 'Your Angel is here to collect you.' he nodded at someone behind her.

She turned to see a towering figure behind her.

With a face surely carved by the Gods, he was the picture of deadly beauty. With wings at least three times the size of her and a body that could only belong to a God.

Slowly but surely a blush crept onto her face, which without blood looked like a lightbulb had been shoved into her mouth and switched on.

'Er... Hello.'

'Greetings, Serephina. Poseidon.' he nodded back at the sea God, who flashed him a charming grin and vapourised on the spot, his water molecules carrying Seraphina's body inland.

'Um...' Serephina rubbed her forearms awkwardly, sneaking a small peek at the towering God in front of her, 'The weather today... Nice isn't it?'

§

When Pantheras woke the next day - he knew something was wrong.

He got out of bed and looked out the window. Nothing out of the ordinary.

He opened the door of his room and stuck his head out of the door, nothing unusual in the hallway either.

Then what was this feeling that was gnawing at him from the inside, out?

Muttering, he slipped on his shoes and slipped out of the house. Combing through the neighbourhood. Everything was seemly. Nothing seemed to be out of place.

That was until he reached Seraphina's place.

He knocked, pelted the window with small rocks, he yelled her name. Nothing. No response.

Around noon, he was getting anxious. He decided to scale the wall and into her room.

He shouldn't have done that.

He climbed up the three-story building, kicking her window in.

'Serephina?' his voice echoed eerily. It was silent, too silent. He climbed in through the window and looked around the room.

To his relief, there was a human-sized lump in her bed with a bundle of hair sprouting from the top.

'Oh. There you are, I have been looking all over for you!' he sighed, his stiff frame relaxing.

He walked over to the bed and ripped the covers off her, wanting to surprise her. She always said he couldn't scale the wall to her window.

But she didn't move. Not even after he ripped the covers off her. He stiffened. He shook her, her skin was ice cold.

'Ph... Phins?' he breathed, his attempts to wake her becoming desperate. He gripped her wrist, feeling for a pulse. He couldn't find one.

He dropped her wrist and moved to her neck checking for a heartbeat. Still no pulse.

'no, no, no, no...' he muttered, putting his ear to her chest. Straining his ears to hear something, anything.

'No, no, no come on!' tears pooled in his eyes. He shook her harder, she had to wake up. She just had to!

No matter how hard he tried, no matter how hard he screamed she wouldn't wake.

He felt his heart shatter into a million pieces, as the fight in him slowly drained out. She was gone. Just... Gone.

He felt numb as he laid down beside her. She was sleeping. Yes, she was just sleeping. She would wake up. She told me she was tired the other night, she'll wake up. She has to. She wouldn't leave him.

He watched her face for hours, he watched as her nose and mouth began to release liquids. He always cleaned her up. He propped her up on the headboard and talked to her, he pointed at the sun as it rose and fell in a matter of minutes. Funny, it never set and rose so fast. As well as the moon.

Oh, he knew how she loved the moon. He held her as she was beside him, her eyes shut and something... Reeking. But he ignored the stench. He was there with her and that's all that mattered.

The sun and the moon seemed to be chasing after one another. The Sun after the moon and the moon after the sun. He placed his bets on the sun as he knew she would always bet on the moon.

He was happy. He was with her and she was with him. Until someone barged into the room and took her away.

He fought with them but they were too strong. They took her and burned her body, he tried to tell them she was alive. He did everything he could. He fought, he yelled but it was no use.

On her bed, her body was replaced with an urn that contained her ashes. Oh, Serephina, what did they do to you?

Some lady came up to him one day when he was talking to Serephina about the most interesting thing that happened to him during his yearly visit to the capital. She told him to eat, to drink - that it had been near eight days.

He didn't believe her. That woman had been a subject of Dionysus.

He remembered feeling thirsty, and extremely hungry a long time ago. But now the need to do anything had faded away into nothingness.

He held Serephina in his arms as he closed his eyes just for a little nap.

Only for it to last much longer than he thought it would.

It would last forever.

The Eternal Sleep.

The End.

Sequel Oneshot is titled ‘A Brush With Death.’