Alice spoke again, her voice carrying an edge of concern that seemed almost genuine. "Lucid, your body, I have noticed that you have decreased in bone density as well as vital signs."
He sighed, the weight of her observation settling on his shoulders like a physical burden. "I forgot you could read my body functions," he said in a low manner, his voice carrying a hint of resignation.
Alice spoke again, this time more possessive and more imposing, her voice carrying an edge that shook Lucid to the bone, he tried to come up with any excuse, anything to deflect her attention from the truth. "Oh no, it is not you, I have just been well, not eating well and I am seasick, yeah, yeahh." It was the most unbelievable lie one could come up with at that moment.
"Your brain shows signs of—" she started.
"It is true, I even got a doctor to check me up, what do you know, you are no medical expert." He cut her off, hoping to redirect the conversation.
Alice was quiet for a moment, then spoke again, her voice softer, almost gentle. "Very well."
Suddenly an intensity like no other could be felt in his head, a pressure that seemed to probe at the edges of his consciousness. "Hmmm, Lucid, tell me, there is something you are thinking of, a thought that is almost edged free but stuck in a cluster of other thoughts."
He panicked, he could feel the thought resurface but he did not want to think of it out loud, why was she doing this, they promised they would never, this was bad, he tried to fractally think of anything else, if you told someone not to think of an elephant they would, a second passed by, he forced himself to think of anything about this forsaken world he had arrived in, food, locations, people, but there was really nothing good in the scattered realms, food was necessity here, people had their own motives and best interests at mind, and the scenery was inconsistent, then suddenly he thought of something, like all normal teenage boys do, he hid nothing, he let it overcome his head and he was not particularly shy about it.
Suddenly Alice gasped inside his head, her voice carrying a note of genuine shock. "Lucid, I did not know you thought this way about my..."
"This is blasphemy, but if it is my flesh you seek, then I would be happy to give it to you for your pleasure's sake." Her voice was devoid of its previous imposing authority, but rather much softer now, much more submissive, like a girl that had just been complimented by a boy she liked.
A faint blush crept through his head, the warmth of embarrassment spreading through his consciousness. "I admit that I may not be particularly desirable in proportions, but I can shape myself to your desires," she continued, her voice carrying a note of genuine affection, "anything for you, after all."
He could feel her reddened state, he was not proud of what he had just done, but he could not think of that thought, no matter what he could not let Alice think he had any suspicions of her, she seemed scarier than she actually seemed.
"Oh, I think you have a great set of..." he let the words die down, the implication hanging in the air.
Alice seemed to redden even further inside him, it was pretty straightforward and dumb but the technique worked.
"A great set of what?" a voice said raspily beside him, Lucid twisted to see Arthur standing there, his face still wet from the sea, his eyes carrying a mixture of confusion and concern.
"Oh hey Arthur, you are awake—" a fist connected with his side, the impact sending a jolt of pain through his already battered body, Arthur shook his hand, his expression carrying a note of justified frustration.
"I consider myself a pacifist," Arthur said, his voice flat, "but this one is for whatever you threw me into."
Lucid rubbed his face, the sting of the punch already fading thanks to his regenerative abilities. Alice spoke in his mind, her voice carrying a note of amusement. "Such transgressions, I see that knight friend of yours is still with you."
"Yeah, but he has a point," Lucid admitted.
Arthur looked down at Lucid with the most pitiful looking face he had ever seen, Lucid saw it and his frustration flared. "Hey, what is it, why are you looking at me like someone to pity?"
Arthur shook his head slowly, his voice carrying a note of understanding that only made Lucid feel worse. "I understand Lucid, it can be pretty lonely."
"Huh!" Alice chuckled, a dawning understanding spreading through her consciousness.
"Why the hell are you laughing!" Lucid demanded, his voice rising with frustration.
Alice spoke, her voice carrying a note of gentle mockery. "You seem to have forgotten you could speak to me without using that pretty tongue of yours, darling."
His hand made its way to his mouth, realizing he had spoken the whole time, the words he had intended for her had come out loud, audible, and Arthur had heard everything.
"Shit," he muttered.
Arthur looked at him with suspicion, his eyes narrowing as he tried to piece together what he had just witnessed, Lucid tried to come up with anything to steer the conversation to the side, but to little avail, his mind was blank, his thoughts scattered.
Then he heard something in the distance, the sound of music, laughter, the unmistakable noise of a festival, a carnival, it was unusual for this town since it had been pretty quiet the day before and the general economy of the town had been in decline. The sounds carried on the wind, bright and festive, a stark contrast to the grim reality of everything that had just happened.
Lucid turned his head toward the source of the noise, his eyes narrowing as he tried to make sense of it. "What is that?"
Arthur followed his gaze, his expression shifting from suspicion to confusion. "I do not know, but it seems out of place for Port Vexis, especially given everything that has happened."
They walked toward the town of Port Vexis, the sand shifting beneath their feet as they left the shoreline behind, and as they crested the final dune Lucid stopped in his tracks, his eyes widening at the sight before him. The town that had been dying, that had been shuttered and silent and suffocating under the weight of economic collapse, was now bustling with life, merchants argued over prices, their voices carrying across the crowded streets, shops that had been boarded up were now open and thriving, their windows displaying goods that had been absent for weeks, and the air that had been thick with despair was now filled with the sounds of laughter and music and the chaotic energy of commerce.
"What the hell," Lucid muttered, his voice carrying a note of genuine disbelief.
Arthur stood beside him, his expression mirroring the same confusion, the same shock at the transformation that had occurred in their absence, "This is not possible, the town was dying, the economy was collapsing, and now it looks like..."
"Like nothing ever happened," Lucid finished his sentence, his voice flat.
They walked through the streets, their footsteps carrying them through the crowds that parted around them like water around stones, the smell of fresh bread and cooking meat filled the air, vendors called out their wares, children ran through the streets laughing, and Lucid could not shake the feeling that something was deeply, fundamentally wrong.
Arthur spoke his voice carrying a note of curiosity, "This is remarkable, the economic revival, it is almost as if someone has poured a massive amount of currency into the town, a transaction of considerable scale."
Lucid replied, his voice barely audible, "Yeah, but who, and why, and where did they get the money from."
He walked past a clothing stall, his eyes catching a glimpse of the fabric, the vibrant colors that seemed almost too bright, almost too perfect, and he found himself stopping, his gaze lingering on a particular shirt that caught his attention.
Alice's voice carried a teasing edge, "Are you considering purchasing something, Lucid, I must say, your current attire leaves much to be desired."
He shot back, his voice carrying a defensive edge, "You could not possibly have any opinion on fashion, you have been stuck in my head for who knows how long, you have never worn a single piece of clothing in your existence."
She gasped in mock offense, "I will have you know I have observed countless mortals during my time with you, and I have a refined sense of aesthetics, you on the other hand, look like you have been dragged through a hedge backwards."
They continued walking, their steps carrying them through the market square, and Lucid found himself stopping at a small cart that sold drinks, a warm liquid that smelled of spices and honey, he purchased two cups and handed one to Arthur, his voice carrying a note of casual inquiry.
Arthur made sure to throw the drink Lucid had that contained Alcohol.
Lucid briefly stared at Arthur.
Then he broke the silence while gesturing towards a water cup.
"Why don't you have some water..."
He sighed, not the fact that Arthur seemed to be like an overprotective older brother but the fact that he hadn't grown accustomed to the ways of this world.
Lucid continued.
"So, what happened when I drowned?"