~36~

The similar feeling of my breath being snatched directly out of my lungs overcame me again as I latch onto Leo and feel myself move at incredible speeds through the water.

Sensory overload was an understatement as I fought to maintain a solid sense of direction. For while my brain clearly indicated to me that we were going deep deep down, my body refused to believe we'd even moved a solid inch.

I clamp down on the inertia waging war in my stomach.

I WILL NOT throw up. I REFUSE!!

The boys ran for the hills from me lightly sneezing.

God in the stars above knew what they'd do if I actually vomited.

I suppress the shivers that race through me at the thought.

But of course, nothing gets past Leo.

He immediately stops, sending my brain and body into another tailspin.

"Are you okay?" He asks.

"Y-yeah!" I quickly confirm. "J-just fighting the demons waging war in my head trying to fill it with negative thoughts."

"Well, tell them to go away. All the thoughts in your head should only be about me anyway." He blew bubbles at my forehead, as if forcing the bad thoughts to go away through sheer willpower alone.

I giggle and hold onto him close as my senses slowly began to fade from me being stagnant in motion for a bit too long.

"What's the hold up," I hear Dion ask as he swims up way too close behind me.

"Oh nothing, we were just being cute." Leo answers coyly.

I feel more than actually see Dion roll his eyes.

I then feel him reach down and grab hold of one of Leo's hands holding me.

"You both can be as cute and adorable as you want when we actually survive and make it through this mission!" He tugs his arm, and we continue swimming after him at a more leisurely pace.

"Urgh! Always so boring and serious!" Leo complained, but still happily swam along behind him.

Dion simply pulls Leo's hand up and kisses the back of it in response.

"I love you too." Dion simply replies.

Leo said nothing after that, but even through the dark nothingness surrounding my senses, I could make out Leo's soft yellow glow from blushing from our mellow movements.

Even though I felt like I had a good grasp on their personalities and who they were, here I am being surprised once again.

Leo's cockiness was dialled up to ELEVEN, and Dion was more of a nervous wreck.

It could just be the high stakes of the situation getting to them.

Seeing as I'd already destroyed all my nerve endings and pain/panic receptors to sense or react to any form of danger, I was more or less my usual chill self.

Being dragged down into the deepest darkest depths of who knows where, by previously unknown alien lifeforms with the threat of impending death by ANOTHER unknown and highly more dangerous alien lifeform??

Just another Tuesday afternoon, honestly.

I make sure to crane my head around as Leo picks up pace.

Even though I'm able to see more, now that we're on the move....more wavy colourful patterns of the water danced about me.

Seeing Dion just off the edge of my vision and Leo pressed closely beside me assaulted my retinas with their vibrancy.

But-

Even beyond all that....I could just see more colourful nothing.

Not a single other living organism floated in these waters besides the 3 of us.

Not even specks of dust filter about.

The bubbles emanating out of us from breath and movement almost looked like cartoon stickers from how lifeless and stiff they looked.

How can such a LARGE body of water, the thing that kick-starts evolution itself on other planets, be so devoid of life here???

It was eerily terrifying....

"Why is it so....empty?" I unknowingly asked out loud.

"This is what happens when a planet and its people truly die." Leo solemnly answers without missing a beat.

I feel my heart drop at the realization of his words without even knowing the full extent of the meaning behind them.

"B-but...water is supposed to give life!" I desperately tried to argue as the mild hysteria that constantly followed me like the plague threatened to kick in.

"But it's also equally capable of taking it away." Leo's voice had suddenly lost all emotion, his face a blank slate.

This is so unlike him! What's happening??

I feel my nonexistent nerves begin to fry.

"You c-can't just tell me ALL life on this planet is just....GONE! That your people are all that's left!?" I tried to argue, the idea of what Leo was trying to convey to me, terrifying me with every word. "T-those monsters-"

I tried to speak of the nightmare creatures I'd witnessed and barely survived, but Leo ruthlessly cuts me off.

"Are the corpses of our dead Gods."

Despite being maybe several thousand feet underwater, my mouth goes dry.

But Leo doesn't stop. His voice took on a harsh growl as he spoke with so much foreign malice.

"What happens to the people of a planet when their own Deities, worshipped GODS, wether and decay before our very eyes-"

"LEONIDAS!!!"

Dion's voice cuts through the oceans like a hot blade, stopping all movement and chasing away the colours with resounding dark nothingness again.

Leo baulks at his partner's tone.

"You. Are. Scaring. Her." Dion enunciates. An accent I don't think I've ever heard before overtaking his speech pattern.

Leo immediately turns to me and freezes.

What is he-?

I look down at my hands....and notice I'm shaking!?

How?? Why!?

Before I could even process my own involuntary reaction, Leo closes the gap between us and envelops me in a tight hug.

My breath hitches from the sudden action, but I melt into him with ease regardless.

"I-I'm SO sorry, I didn't mean-"

"Ssssh, it's okay." I console him.

I reach up to pat his back. My actions feeling as natural as second nature.

"Why are you the one consoling him??" Dion scoffs condescendingly.

Everything was still black nothingness cause we weren't moving, but I could still sense the smug smile on his face.

They're our dead gods....

Leo's words rang through me again, and another shiver spikes up my spine.

Dion clocks it this time and throws his arms around my shoulders, as Leo's hug had taken full real estate of my torso and hips.

I wrap one arm around each of them and cherish this moment of comfort they tried to bring me.

Despite it being their home and culture dying, they still give me reprieve from the societal collapse they horrifically have to live through.

They were beyond precious.

And I'd give anything to make them mine.

That's why I will protect them no matter what the cost.