Three weeks passed. Dario performed two more "interventions" with Alex's group—a journalist who'd been investigating unusual deaths, and a police detective who'd noticed patterns in missing person cases. Each time, he managed to avoid killing anyone, but the guilt was eating away at him.
Sarah could tell something was wrong, but every time she tried to talk to him about it, he deflected or made excuses. The distance between them was growing, and it hurt more than he wanted to admit.
He was walking across campus, lost in thought, when someone collided with him hard enough to send them both sprawling.
"Shit, sorry!" The other person scrambled to his feet, reaching down to help Dario up. "I wasn't watching where I was going."
Dario looked up into concerned gray eyes set in a face that was handsome in an understated way—sharp cheekbones, dark hair, and an expression of genuine worry.
"No problem," Dario said, accepting the offered hand. The moment their skin touched, he felt something strange—a jolt of recognition that seemed to come from Cassius rather than himself.
What was that? he asked internally.
I'm not sure, Cassius replied, sounding puzzled. There's something familiar about him.
"Are you hurt?" the stranger asked, still holding Dario's hand.
"I'm fine. Just bruised ego."
"I'm Marcus, by the way. Marcus Chen." He smiled, and something about the expression made Dario's heart skip. "I'm pretty sure I owe you coffee for nearly tackling you."
"Dario. And you really don't need to—"
"I insist. There's a place just off campus that makes incredible espresso. My treat."
Before Dario could think of a reason to refuse, he found himself walking with Marcus toward a small café he'd never noticed before. Marcus was easy to talk to—he was a graduate student in comparative mythology, originally from Vancouver, and had a dry sense of humor that made Dario laugh despite his recent troubles.
"So what's your story?" Marcus asked as they settled into a corner booth with their drinks. "You look like someone carrying the weight of the world."
"Just college stress," Dario said automatically.
"Bullshit," Marcus said cheerfully. "I've seen college stress. This is something else entirely."
There was something about the way he said it that made Dario look at him more carefully. Marcus was studying him with an intensity that reminded him of...
Of us, Cassius finished his thought. He's like us, Dario.
Are you sure?
Ask him.
"You said you study comparative mythology," Dario said carefully. "Any particular focus?"
"Ancient entities. Gods, demons, spirits that were said to interact with humans. Possession, divine inspiration, that sort of thing."
"Interesting field."
"It is when you have personal experience with the subject matter."
The words hung in the air between them. Dario felt his pulse quicken.
"Personal experience?"
Marcus leaned back in his chair, and his entire demeanor shifted subtly. His posture became more controlled, his expression more ancient.
"Hello, Cassius," he said, his voice carrying harmonics that seemed to resonate in Dario's bones. "It's been a very long time."
Do you know him? Dario asked frantically.
Yes, Cassius said, and there was something like wonder in his mental voice. His name is Aurelius. He was... we were...
What?
We were lovers. Before the fall. Before everything changed.
The revelation hit Dario like a physical blow. Cassius had had a relationship—a romantic relationship—with another being like himself.
"Aurelius?" Dario whispered.
The entity controlling Marcus smiled, and it transformed his entire face. "You remember."
"I thought you were dead. I thought all of you were dead."
"Most of us are. I've been hiding, moving from host to host, trying to stay ahead of those who would see us destroyed."
"Host to host?"
"Not by choice. Most humans can't sustain a connection with beings like us for very long. They burn out, go insane, or die. Marcus is the first who's been strong enough to maintain a true partnership."
Dario felt a stab of something that might have been jealousy. "Partnership?"
"Like you and Cassius. A true melding of consciousness rather than simple possession."
Marcus's voice returned, younger and more human. "Sorry, he gets excited when he meets old friends. I'm still learning to manage the transitions."
"How long have you been together?"
"About two years. I was studying accounts of divine possession when Aurelius first spoke to me. Turns out there's a difference between academic research and lived experience."
"I can imagine."
They talked for another hour, sharing stories of what it was like to live with an ancient consciousness, the challenges of maintaining human relationships while hiding their true nature. It was the first time Dario had been able to speak openly with someone who truly understood his situation.
As they prepared to leave, Marcus hesitated.
"Would you like to have dinner sometime? I mean, all of us. It might be good for Cassius and Aurelius to catch up properly."
"I'd like that," Dario said, meaning it.
"Tomorrow night? I know a place that's quiet enough for... complex conversations."
"It's a date." The words slipped out before Dario could stop them, and he felt his cheeks burn. "I mean—"
"I know what you meant," Marcus said with a smile. "And I hope you're right."