Alexander Caelum
Black. Everything was. It's as if it has been that way for centuries. The only Alex saw was his own self. Nothing else in the universe existed, nor did it ever. It was completely and utterly lonely. He hugged his knees close to him and buried his head in them, hoping that someone, anyone, would show. Just in that moment, a Light appeared from behind him, and cascading down in golden locks was what appeared to be a woman made up of light. He turned quickly to gaze at the wonder in front of him. The brightness was intense, but it did not sting his eyes. In fact, the light was soothing and heartwarming. She slowly floated down to Alex's level and circled around him a couple times as if to examine him. She then reached out her hand to him in a way of asking Alex to accept her. He cautiously reached out and took the woman's hand. Both of them were enveloped in a blinding light, and in a few moments, the woman was gone, and Alex was alone once more. He drew his knees back in and buried his face in them. His eyelids felt very heavy all of a sudden. He closed them slowly as if it would be the last time he would do so.
Alex felt something poke him. For a moment, he was disregarding it, and just simply swatted the hand away lazily when he heard the splashing of the water. 'That's not right...' He thought for a moment and then immediately opened his eyes. He turned to the girl sitting next to him and nonchalantly scratched the back of his head with the hand he was using to swat hers away.
"You know, falling asleep in a bathtub can change your future and not in a good way." The voice of the girl called out. He smiled and kept scratching his head and tried to think of something to say back. Alex lived in the palace for most of his life, and the bath house was one of his favorite places, so naked women shouldn't bug him too much. However, he is still a man, and one stuck at the age of maximum hormonal stress. Still, this was one of his fellow Keepers, and a good friend of his, so he can brush that to the side for now.
"I wasn't sleeping, I was-uhh, trying to see what the back of my eyelids looked like." Alex said playfully back at her. Just one of the many ways Alex joked around with people. He put his hand back down and felt both stupid and relieved that one of his friends found him sleeping in the tub and not anyone else. It would be a little weird if people found out that he slept in the bath house.
"How is the Festival coming along? I heard it's going to be the best one so far." Reyna asked Alex. Alex suddenly got nervous again, not from the fact that he had a naked girl beside him, but the fact that she said that this year's festival is going to be the best. Alex was never confident in any of his abilities, and since she said that he might have just been able to manage the biggest festival ever made his heart jump a little.
"Well, I wouldn't say the best," Alex replied in a modest manner. "But I did try my best."
She held out the soap to him, "do you think you can wash my back for me? I can't really reach it so well," This wasn't abnormal for Alex. He grew up doing the same thing to many other women, and guys too. She grew up the same way, so of course she would ask for him to get her back.
"It would be my pleasure." Alex replied taking the soap from her. However, just as she was going to turn around, her eyes got glazed over and she slumped against the wall of the tub. Quickly, Alex let go of the soap and grabbed Reyna's arms and lifted her up so she wouldn't fall into the water. This happened only once in front of Alex, he doesn't know how many times anyone else saw, but Reyna explained it as a normal thing that happened sometimes. He chose not to freak out, and instead wrapped an arm around her shoulder and let her fall into his grasp so she could use him as support. He still can't help but worry a little about what she would be seeing. A power like hers is truly fascinating, but it comes at a price it seems.
He never even noticed that they were joined by another Keeper.