Kelly's Secret

Dorian always knew when the mystery boy was planning to visit the cave in the forest. There would always be a storm on the New Moon, and within the hour, a cloaked figure would wander the woods in the dead of night, practically invisible. Not to Dorian, though; his strange eyes had always seen more than others could, even when he didn't want to see it. Names and distant things; a boy in the darkness or the secrets a person would prefer to take to their grave.

He hadn't made the connection at first, that the New Moon storm and the boy using the darkness to hide from his enemies in the forest were because of this boy and not one of the other guests they occasionally received. The wood was always full of activity, and new faces weren't uncommon. It wasn't until he'd accidentally caught sight of a young man he didn't know about opening up a cliff face and revealing a cave he definitely didn't know about that things clicked. Upon seeing his face, Dorian saw everything, including, at last, the name belonging to brunette mussed hair and bright eyes was Kelly Akamine, and it then disappeared with its owner.

It was a revelation, a lightning strike—that Kelly, the most secretive yet popular boy at their school, had been secretly visiting this cave only he seemed to know about, staying out of sight by utilizing the darkness.

The next day at school, Dorian noticed Kelly was a bit more talkative and looked healthier than he had yesterday. He seemed too young to have some huge secret like the one Dorian suspected he had, but then again, that didn't matter.

Hugo was explaining his new theories regarding the guardians of their city, and the science behind their powers. However, Dorian knew that these were not theories, knowing full well that Hugo knew everything firsthand, and had seen it with his own eyes. He had promised to keep the secret as to the guardians' identity, and it annoyed Dorian to no end that for some reason, that particular piece of information seemed to be blocked in Hugo's mind, like something actively forcing that aspect to remain hidden. 

He watched Kelly nod along, and Dorian also noticed that Kelly had a hand over his wrist. It was a normal action, but something about it seemed off like he was hiding something. 

After that, Dorian had made it his mission to find out how to open that mysterious door. He knew to keep his mouth shut, and not just because he'd been out of bed and sneaking around at 4am. Kelly's pale face, angular features, stance, posture, and how he moved—Dorian filed it away in his mind with exquisite detail, and told no one but his journals as he tried to solve this and find out what Kelly was hiding.

It was none of his business, he knew this. However, Kelly had vanished three years ago and returned a matter of weeks after being announced dead like all was good in the world, but claimed he didn't remember anything about where he had been. Most people dropped it, but Dorian craved the knowledge that he couldn't obtain.

He loved nothing so much as a puzzle, but sneaking was the easy part. Because although he could make out the faint, well-hidden outline in the stone, he saw no keyhole or any other mechanism to open it. The mystery stumped and plagued him, and many more frustrating months passed before he got another opportunity to watch the door open. In the in-between time, Dorian scoured the library for maps of the forest, but those he found had nothing detailing any secret passages.

It was nearly a year before the storm began on the New Moon again, and it made Dorian so giddy he could hardly focus on his work that day. He'll be here soon, and I have to make an impression! He wasn't sure if it was possible to fall in love with a mystery, but that was the nearest thing he could describe his feelings about Kelly. Like all their classmates, he knew some of the things Kelly had done, but nothing about the man himself. The only ones who knew anything were Faye and Hugo, who were just as secretive. But they had never vanished for months on end and then appeared with no explanation, so it was Kelly that Dorian focused on and tried to know as a classmate.

It made Dorian feel privileged to be in possession of a fraction of Kelly's secret like they had a connection despite Kelly not knowing about it. Something about Kelly was known to him and possibly him alone, and that was like a treasure in his otherwise depressing and anxious days. Occasionally he felt a bit like a stalker, but really, the forest didn't belong to just Kelly, and he had just happened to see it and want to investigate and learn more. He never bothered Kelly in their regular lives.

Dorian hid behind a tree that was close but not too close to the secret door—he didn't know if Kelly would use it again, but he was willing to sit here all night for just the chance. He got lucky, which was rare enough for him. Around 3:15am, Dorian heard the soft padding of bare feet, and peeked out as much as he dared to verify. It's him! Kelly! He held his breath as Kelly rapidly tapped a spot on the paneling three times and slipped into the passage after the door creaked open. Ah...so that's how it's done.

Dorian dashed forward as soon as Kelly was inside and counted to a hundred before tapping the same spot Kelly had.

He grinned as the door opened a crack, enough for him to wedge his nails into and pry open. The inside was softly illuminated by something unknown, like magic fairy lights. He followed the twisting narrow passage, up some spiraling stairs, until he emerged in what he guessed was a chamber of some sort. Across the dark room and framed by the soft, flickering peridot light of a glowing gem, was Kelly. He was crouched beside the stone, shaking as he laid a hand on it, and slowly his trembling ceased, but he was still facing away from the doorway as he held a gentle flame of the same color as the stone in his hands.

Everything clicked in Dorian's mind, and how that stone was a Negojre stone, and what this meant for Kelly. 

Dorian snuck forward silently, step by step, getting closer. His heart was hammering, and all the words he'd rehearsed to prepare himself for this ever happening had flown out the metaphorical window. 

"I know you're there," Kelly spoke softly, vastly different to their normal lives. "I'd say you should introduce yourself, but I don't see the need, Dorian."

Dorian slid into the shadows, hissing a curse before saying, "I'm sorry. I was just..."

"Curious?" Kelly asked, a little more of his typical personality returning, and he chuckled, "Your boots are very noisy, Dorian. If you're going to sneak around, go barefoot." He wiggled his toes on the edge of the chair and focused on a dark corner when he heard a soft giggle emanating from there. "You followed me, right? Saw me once and became obsessed with finding out the mystery of who I am and why I know about this cave, especially because I am the one person you couldn't just get the answers from by peeking into my mind." 

Dorian was paying extremely close attention to Kelly's voice, modulating his own to match its pitch and timbre. Softly, "Yes. I wanted to meet you—the real you, anyway." 

Kelly's eyes widened at the implication of the words which surprised him more than Dorian's appearance here. "Has he guessed who I am?" Dorian heard Kelly's thoughts as he slowly unfolded from his seated position and walked to the center of the room, now able to see a young man's vague outline in the shadows. "Come into the light and meet me then."

Dorian's heart fluttered as he slowly stepped from the shadows, eyes meeting Kelly nervously. 

Kelly stayed silent as he circled Dorian, biting his bottom lip before a small smile appeared on his face.

He's impressed. Dorian briefly smirked to himself before assuming Kelly's same posture and inquisitive expression, "Are you the same as me, that you can't get into my head either? It sounded like you could."

"Well," Kelly's mouth twisted as he tried not to smile, "You have a talent for many things like influencing people into doing what you want." With an edge. Drily, "And for rooting people out who'd rather stay anonymous. But you lack subtly in your facial expressions. I've known since I saw you again at school, and you became more interested than usual in the forest." He looked towards the stone, "You shouldn't be here."

Dorian's confidence wavered, eyes narrowing. But he had something he wanted to say and wouldn't leave until he had. "I suspect why you disappeared three years ago, but I wanted to see if whatever was in here connected to it." He could see the spark of interest in Kelly's eyes and imprinted that the man appreciated the initiative, directness.

Kelly took a step closer, bringing their faces quite close. What kind of puzzle are you? "Do you now?" Dorian noticed a shield of some sort drop in Kelly's mind, and he could feel what Kelly was feeling, the alarm and yet... attraction? That sneaking in here to sate curiosity was something he too might do, and Dorian, who he had been content to not make a personal connection with, did the same.

"I know who you are." Dorian looked down a bit before psyching himself up and letting his eyes meet Kelly's, and he frowned, seeing that the brightness in the azure color was not from the lighting but because they were literally glowing. All it did was confirm his suspicions. 

Kelly breathing sped slightly as he whispered, half-hoping and half-dreading, "And who am I?"

"There was no way Dorian could really know. Even Death hadn't known."

Dorian didn't have time to process the panicked words in Kelly's mind as those shields were thrown up with a force and Kelly grasped Dorian's chin and turned his face when the man tried to look away. "Who?"

They stood there, staring at one another. Dorian knew he shouldn't say it, speak it. That doing so would give something away best kept quiet, might give Kelly a thread to follow to the secret room inside himself where so many open graves had been dug. Kelly's touch made him tremble all over, and he jerked his chin away from Kelly's grasp. "You're Achilles, a guardian of this land who was supposedly struck down three years ago."

"That's only a good guess." 

Dorian's lip curled at the challenge. No. He couldn't help but say, "But you truly were struck down, because now your powers are the only thing keeping you alive," before pressing a kiss to Kelly's astounded face and fleeing the room, running as fast as possible. I kissed Kelly! 

He didn't bother being quiet as he flew down the hall and out into the forest, grinning as he sprinted down the oak-lined drive to the cliffs by the sea. He couldn't stop giggling as he pulled off his boots and hurled them into the ocean far below, one and then the other. He yelled down to the rocks, "Better to go barefoot!" and collapsed on the grassy ground to look up at the stars. 

The sea crashed against the rocks like a predictable laugh track, and stars flashed like smiles. I hooked him. He'd see Kelly tomorrow and be oh-so-apologetic for his terrible manners.

Then he frowned a bit. He had the information he craved, but he still wanted to know more about Kelly and befriend him. Would Kelly accept such a request if he asked to go to coffee?

He still found himself smiling again because he knew he had captured Kelly's attention, and making an imprint in such a mysterious person's mind was more than he could have asked for.

"Hey." Dorian shot up, seeing Kelly was standing there, hiding in the shadows with his cloak, "Mind if I sit?"

"Go ahead." He gestured to the grass next to him, and Kelly sat too, running a hand through his hair. And then he gasped when he heard Kelly's voice echoing through his mind, but Kelly's lips weren't moving at all.

"How long have you had this power?"

Dorian turned, "As long as I can remember." He slumped, "Why did you disappear? I suspect, but nothing for sure."

There was a pause between them, and then Kelly laid back on the grass, his eyes changing from blue to a darker shade with a hint of red.

"I died. That's all."

"You what?!" Dorian shot upright and looked down at Kelly, who was watching the stars as though he had been admiring the weather and not revealing something that sounded downright insane.

Kelly winked, speaking regularly now, "Yeah, pretty crazy. But if you want to know more, you're gonna have to catch me again. Call it a little game. Do you accept the challenge?"

Dorian nodded, smirking as he bent down beside Kelly, "What's in it for you?"

"Sorry," Kelly giggled, "That's for you to find out."

The grin on Dorian's face became feline, "Well then, Achilles, I accept."