By Bace Jeleren
Elspeth stood in silence on the sandy shore, gazing out at the sprawling Siren Sea. Instinct demanded she continue her escape, far beyond the clutches of the Underworld, the shifting sands beneath her boots and Theros itself. Once more, she would have to leave a plane she had once arrived on full of hope, knowing she could never return.
And yet her heart, a voice loud as ever, pleaded with her to take one last risk and relish in the calm: the warmth of the sun, the soothing sounds of the waves that crashed against the shore and flowed past her feet, the sensation of the cool sea breeze against her skin, and the simple, soothing act of breathing. Her torment in the Underworld had felt like it had lasted multiple lifetimes, with nightmares that seemed to only prolong and enhance the suffering, and the endless expanse of the Multiverse that beckoned her held countless cruel trials within its mysterious, swirling midst. Just for a moment, she wanted to indulge in one selfish act as she closed her eyes and embraced the fleeting peace.
But peace, like always, was hardly a thing that graced her with its presence for long, and bit by bit she could feel her regrets piling up. It was almost like she was taking stock of every new scar upon her heart that she would carry with her, no matter how much she ran. She had overcome her torturous nightmares, defeated Heliod and escaped the Underworld, but it hardly felt like a victory; it only felt like running. Running was all she could do (especially now, with little doubt that Calix would be in hot pursuit if she stayed any longer), and it was beginning to feel like it was all she would ever do. She would run from planes left scarred by lost wars, from mistakes that could never be mended, and from people who she had come to love…
“Daxos…”
The name felt bitter on her tongue, and it hurt just as much to say it as it did to remember the man it belonged to, who she had fallen in love with. Out of everything she was leaving behind this time, everyone who had been hurt because of her and all that had been changed, Daxos would remain as an agonizing facet of her lasting failures. She regretted what she had done to him and the wretched fate he had been bound to because of her. His blood would forever stain her hands, no matter how often she tried to seek atonement. His dying cry would haunt her as a constant reminder—and a well-deserved one, she felt.
But what she couldn’t regret was loving him, and allowing herself to be loved in return.
In her vast array of sorrows that was as wide as the sea stretched out before her, his love was the sole rock she could grab hold of, and the one thing she could remain grateful for. She couldn’t bring herself to wish they had never met—that things had been different. She could only bitterly imagine what things would be like if he were still there, at her side, holding her hand.
Now, that familiar warmth had been replaced by a chilling sensation from wielding the Shadowspear, a touch that lingered and penetrated deep below her skin. The comfort had been stolen from her just as her love had been.
“It’s what you rightfully deserve, hero…” a cruel voice in the back of her mind hissed, and Elspeth couldn’t bring herself to disagree. “You’ll always be fated to want what you will never have…”
As tears flowed from her eyes and rolled down her cheeks, she prepared to take her first steps back into the Blind Eternities.
“Elspeth!”
Fearing the peaceful scenery around her would dissolve into a nightmare, Elspeth tightly shut her eyes. She had heard his voice so many times as she experienced the worst moments of her life, again and again, to the point where hearing it caused her to feel a powerful surge of terror. She almost planeswalked away in fear, had it not been for the accompanying sound of footsteps gently crunching in the sand.
Spinning around with a sharp gasp as a warm lump began swelling up in her throat, Elspeth saw Daxos himself a short distance up the beach from her. He was everything he had previously been and more, with the starfield of Nyx itself interwoven with his form, looking almost like one of the gods themselves. He slowed his approach once he was in her sights, looking equally as surprised and uncertain of it all as Elspeth felt.
“Don’t come any closer!” She called out over the sound of crashing waves. “Is it really you… or are you just another nightmare come to haunt me!?”
“Elspeth, what are you saying?” He asked her, taking another step forward, despite her demands.
“I said stop!” She snapped, and finally he obeyed. “Why would you come to see me, after everything I did to you—after everything I did to your home!? I’ve done nothing to deserve your kindness… and your warmth. To see you again… this can only be a nightmare!”
“I came here to find you! I’ve wanted to see you for so long, I’ll be damned if this is a nightmare!” Daxos protested, remaining where he stood. “Whether or not you deserve my kindness isn’t for you to decide. Please… let me show you that this is real.”
Unable to quiet her fears and doubts, Elspeth was the first to move as she slowly approached him. Even though every bit of her wanted to embrace hope—embrace him—she wanted to be absolutely sure this wasn’t her mind playing tricks on her. Drawing close enough, she reached out with a careful hand, fingers shaking as she rested them against his cheek, feeling the inviting heat of his skin. And in response, he reached out as well to wipe away a stray tear from her cheek. Their eyes met, and Daxos smiled.
“I’ve missed you.”
Elspeth opened her mouth to speak, but could hardly produce anything more than a sob as fresh tears filled her eyes. Throwing caution to the wind, she flung her arms around him, drawing herself close to his comforting form, as he did the same and lifted her from off the sandy ground. The two of them spun as they embraced, and Elspeth’s sobs grew into joyous laughter. For a moment she wished would never end, the weight that had made itself a constant companion lifted itself from her shoulders as they held one another. For a moment, she had someone to help her carry that burden. For a moment, she finally felt like she had found home. For a moment she was happy.
As her feet found solid ground again, however, reality began to sink in. As much as she loved Daxos, and as much as he loved her in return, that still wouldn’t be enough. As strong as their love was, it was still too little too late. Struggling to find the right words, she looked up at him, and immediately she knew that he understood. He held her tightly, but his eyes revealed that he knew the crushing truth.
“Daxos, I-”
“I know… I’ve known for a while that the next time I saw you, it would probably be the last.” He interrupted her as he reached up to brush a stray strand of hair away from her face, his hand lingering against her skin. “I love you… but even love won’t keep you here, will it?”
“I can only wish that it would, but I know I shouldn’t even do that. Wishing’s never been known to do me any good.” Elspeth said as she shook her head. “I’ve done too much damage as it is, and me staying would only wind up hurting even more. Even if I have your forgiveness, Theros isn’t where I belong. No matter how much I try and force it to be.”
“You’ll, at least, remain here in legends. The people of Theros won’t soon forget you—it will be like you never even left.” Daxos said, chuckling lightly. “All I ask is you leave here knowing that things won’t be as you left them forever. Theros and its people are strong; if their belief can give rise to so much power, you can imagine what they can do with their hands. They’ll rise up from the ashes, and become stronger than they were yesterday… and eventually, so will I.”
“Maybe I will too, someday…” Elspeth mused in a melancholic tone.
“This world has seen you lead armies, take down two gods and escape the clutches of the Underworld, Elspeth. You’re so much stronger than you realize.” He assured her as his hand brushed against her cheek, making its way down to her jaw, where he gently grasped and coaxed her to raise her head. Her eyes were watery, but gazed ahead with determination—perhaps not as much as she had when they first met, but the flame that burned within them was far from having been blown out.
With one arm still holding her against him, he leaned in close until their lips were nearly touching. Neither dared to break eye contact, and for a moment it was as if they had stopped breathing.
“So go, and find your strength out for yourself, if you cannot find it here.”
With a bit of reluctance Daxos finally let her go completely, removing his hand from her face and arm from around her. Refusing to watch her as she left, he finally closed his eyes as he took a step back. There was a hush that followed, with no words of parting or even footsteps on the sand. All that filled Daxos’ ears was the thunderous sound of crashing waves as his heart beat against his chest.
He hadn’t wanted to, but he also knew that things had grown far beyond his simple, selfish wants. Elspeth and her fate were much larger than him now, though maybe they always had been, and nothing he could ever do would keep her here. All he could do now was find comfort in that he had let her go willingly instead of having her dragged away from him—or worse, having her simply vanish without a word and without his knowledge like the morning mist. At the very least, he had been able to tell her goodbye.
“Thank you,” came a voice as he felt the soft sensation of a kiss being planted against his lips. It wasn’t particularly deep, but it was loving enough to almost move him to tears.
And then it was gone.
“Elspeth!” He gasped, his eyes snapping open, hoping to catch one final glimpse. His vision was only filled by an empty beach and the seemingly endless expanse of water. All that remained were footprints in the sand slowly being eroded away by each coming tide, and the lingering feeling of warmth on his lips that was easily swept away by a cool sea breeze.
She was gone, and the bitter realization that crept in slow left a sting that wouldn’t be shaken off so easily. But as he wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and choked back a sob, that wouldn’t mean she would be forgotten. It was like he had told her: She would remain a legend, a story passed down through the ages, with her likeness remaining stoically in stone and silently within mosaics. While she traveled to places that Daxos could only dream of, drifting farther and farther away, her legacy would remain both among the people, and within his heart. And he would make absolutely sure of that.
In a world where heroes came and went like the tide, where kingdoms crumbled and even gods could die, legends live on forever.
