Child Of Time

The darkness seemed to stretch on forever, swallowing every shred of light and sound. Grey's mind was still reeling from the events that led him here—Elsa's playful smirk, her teasing words, and then the sudden, unexpected shove that sent him plummeting into the abyss. Even now, as they walked side by side through the oppressive void, he could feel the anger simmering beneath his calm exterior. She'd thrown him into this pit, and now she walked beside him like nothing had happened.

Grey's eyes remained fixed ahead, his expression a stone mask. He couldn't see much, just the faintest outlines of the cavern walls illuminated occasionally by the glow of Elsa's lighter. He didn't trust her, not in the slightest, but what bothered him more than the fall was how she seemed to take pleasure in his reactions. Every chuckle, every mischievous grin made his blood boil a little more.

'Damn her, he thought bitterly. Who does she think she is?'

she dared to toy with him, to treat him like some insignificant pest.

'How dare she treat me like this?'

His mind roared in rebellion. The memories of his past life surged within him, reminding him of who he truly was. I am a fucking king. His rage threatened to consume him. He could almost see the flames dancing at his fingertips, feel the heat of his power returning.

'I'll burn her alive,' he thought viciously, his golden eyes narrowing with a predatory gleam.

But then, the cold reality of his current weakness crashed over him like a wave, dousing the flames of his fury. He was not the king he once was, not here, not now. And that infuriated him even more.

Elsa, on the other hand, appeared to be having the time of her life. She lit up a cigarette with a casual flick of her lighter, the small flame briefly illuminating her face. As the tip of the cigarette glowed red, she took a long, slow drag.

Fzzzz...

The sound of the cigarette burning was the only noise breaking the silence. She exhaled, a plume of smoke drifting into the air, mingling with the darkness around them.

Grey's eye twitched. The smell of the smoke was pungent and acrid, scratching at his throat with every breath.

Puff... Puff...

She took another drag, blowing out the smoke deliberately in his direction. It took all of his self-control not to cough or swipe at the irritating cloud.

"I said sorry, okay?" Elsa finally broke the silence, her tone insincere, laced with amusement. She puffed out another cloud of smoke, watching it curl through the air. "No need to be such a kid about it."

"Sorry for what?" Gray pressed, his voice cold and razor-sharp. "For throwing me into this darkness?" He gestured vaguely at the inky blackness around them, the abyss that swallowed all light and sound. The memory of falling, of being engulfed by that unending void, still sent a chill down his spine.

Elsa shook her head, a sly grin spreading across her face. "No," she replied instantly, her tone annoyingly casual. "For laughing at you." She exhaled another puff of smoke, the faint glow from the cigarette casting fleeting shadows across her face.

Gray felt his jaw tighten, a vein throbbing at his temple. This. He gritted his teeth, a surge of irritation pulsing through him. There's no point arguing with her. He knew it was futile; Elsa reveled in provoking him, taking a perverse pleasure in his reactions.

Elsa gave a light shrug, her lips curling into a smile as she took another drag. Puff... "Well, you didn't exactly break any bones, did you? I used magic so you wouldn't get hurt. Remember?"

Gray's eyes narrowed. It was true; she had used magic to slow his fall, but it didn't make the experience any less jarring. The abyss still felt like a cruel joke. He held his tongue, though, knowing that arguing with her would only amuse her further.

Elsa continued, gesturing around them with a nonchalant air, as if the abyss was a carefully crafted safety net. "Besides, I was just messing around. You looked so serious all the time; I thought I'd see if you could actually feel something."

Grey clenched his fists, feeling his nails dig into his palms. Messing around? She threw him into this abyss for fun, just to see his reaction? His irritation grew with each puff of smoke she exhaled, each one a reminder of her disregard for the danger they were in—or perhaps, her disregard for him entirely.

"Crazy bitch," he muttered under his breath, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Aw, come on, lighten up!" Elsa nudged him with her shoulder, nearly causing him to stumble. "I already said I was sorry. Besides, it's not every day you get to experience the thrill of falling into the unknown." She blew another cloud of smoke into the air, the end of her cigarette glowing brighter. "And you've got to admit, you're not bored anymore, right?"

Gray paused, his expression turning utterly serious. "What do you mean, bored?" he asked, his voice low and intense.

Elsa tilted her head, her eyes narrowing slightly as she tried to make out his face in the darkness.

"Well, you've had this look in your eyes, like you're bored with everything..... It's almost like you're bored with life."

Gray's jaw tightened, and he turned away slightly, not wanting to delve into a topic he had worked so hard to hide. His silence spoke volumes.

Elsa, unable to see his reaction clearly in the dim light, mistook his silence for contemplation. "Well, maybe it's just me," she said, shrugging. "But you should try to enjoy things a bit more. Life's too short to be so detached."

Gray's expression remained guarded, his mind racing as he grappled with the revelation. He didn't want to discuss it further. "Let's just keep moving," he said,

Elsa snickered, the sound echoing through the cavern. She took one last drag from her cigarette before flicking the butt away into the darkness, the tiny ember spiraling down and vanishing from sight.

Grey watched it disappear, wishing he could be rid of her just as easily. But there was no such luck. She was here, and apparently, she wasn't going anywhere.

She eyed him for a moment, then reached into her pocket and pulled out another cigarette. "You know, you could use one of these. Might help you relax a bit."

"I don't smoke," Grey replied tersely, turning his gaze back to the endless blackness ahead.

"Really?" Elsa's eyes widened in mock surprise. "But I heard you were quite the delinquent. Figured you'd be all over these." She waved the cigarette in front of his face, the glow from her lighter casting a mischievous glint in her eyes.

Gray shot her a sideways glance, unamused.

Elsa chuckled, clearly unfazed. "Is it because you're still angry? Or are you just trying to play it cool?" She took another drag from her cigarette, puffing out a cloud of smoke that hung between them like a veil.

Gray's expression remained stern, though he did not respond immediately. He was trying to maintain his composure despite her provocation.

"Come on," Elsa teased, "loosen up a bit. It's just a cigarette. No need to act like it's going to bite you."

Grey glanced at the cigarette, then back at her, his expression unchanging. "I'm not angry," he repeated, his voice steady but tense. "And I don't smoke."

She pouted, clearly not buying it. "Then why are you clenching your fist so tightly? Look, you're starting to bleed."

Grey blinked, looking down at his hand. Sure enough, his nails had dug into his palm hard enough to draw blood. He gritted his teeth.

'Damn it.'

Elsa chuckled, clearly enjoying every moment of his discomfort. "Beside, How can you call yourself a delinquent if you haven't even broken that rule?" She stepped closer, a mischievous smile on her lips. "Here, try this. I promise it'll taste sweet."

Before he could protest, she brought the cigarette up to his lips, forcing him to take it between his teeth.

Grey sighed internally. He knew by now that if he didn't comply, she'd pester him until he did. He'd gotten a good grasp of her personality by now—relentless, obnoxious, and entirely too pleased with herself.

"Alright," he muttered around the cigarette. "How do I do this?"

Elsa's eyes sparkled with glee as she launched into an explanation, her tone far too enthusiastic for what they were discussing. "Okay, first, you take a deep breath in, but through the cigarette, like this." She demonstrated, inhaling deeply, the cigarette tip glowing brightly as she took a drag. Then she exhaled a cloud of smoke with a satisfied sigh. "Ahh, see? Easy."

Grey followed her instructions, albeit reluctantly. He took a cautious drag, the ember flaring as he drew the smoke into his mouth. At first, he tasted a faint, sweet flavor on his tongue, which wasn't entirely unpleasant.

But then—

COUGH! COUGH!

He choked, his lungs burning as he instinctively tried to inhale the smoke. His eyes watered as he doubled over, hacking violently.

"Koff! Koff!"

Elsa burst into laughter, her voice ringing out in the darkness like a bell. "Hahaha! Look at you! Oh, that's priceless!" She was practically doubled over, clutching her stomach as she laughed at his expense.

Grey glared at her, his eyes still watering, but the glare was made less effective by the tears streaming down his cheeks. He spat out the cigarette, grimacing. "Ugh… That was… disgusting."

"Oh, come on, it wasn't that bad!" Elsa said, still chuckling as she reached over and patted his back. "Thump, thump." "You'll get the hang of it. This big sis will teach you how to become a complete delinquent." She gave him a wink, then took another drag of her cigarette, releasing a contented sigh as she blew the smoke away from them.

Grey could only stare at her, a mix of irritation and disbelief on his face. His gaze flicked to the cigarette still burning on the ground, and then back to Elsa, who was watching him with a smug grin.

In that moment, Grey could see his future—dark and foreboding, as black as the abyss surrounding them.

With Elsa around, peace and a quiet life seemed farther away than ever.