In this land, the sun sets earlier each year, bathing the night sky in an amber light. Shadows linger and familiar voices echo in the evening sun's radiant heat. Every year hundreds disappear without a trace, leaving an emptiness in the air.
I looked down at my engagement ring admiring its simplicity - something so small yet so valuable implying a lifelong commitment. I couldn't help but to smile at the idea of being someone's forever, although forever seemed too far away. My fiancé, Leo, kept delaying the wedding as he traveled a lot for work. During one of his work trips abroad, I felt alone and forgotten, but I still desperately held onto the idea that once he returned we could finally get married.
A few days later the sun's bright light crept through my curtains waking me up, I heard a shuffle coming from the kitchen and instantly realized that Leo returned. I sprung up from my bed and rushed over to greet him.
"Leo, you're finally back! Welcome home," I welcomed Leo giving him an embrace, but the disappointment in his eyes made my heart drop.
"Rebecca, I..."
"Why don't we just get married tonight, at the temple in the evening sun, you know just before dusk. Oh how romantic it would be," I interrupted him before I could catch myself.
"Rebecca, stop! Can't you see that I'm tired?, anyway the wedding's got to wait," Leo raised his voice irritably, making my heart double in weight.
I could feel my tears stuck in my throat as I tried to swallow my sadness. Leo has never been so disrespectful towards me in the ten years we have been together.
"Why?" I asked, my voice shaking.
"Because I... I don't want to talk about it right now," Leo groaned, his back now facing me.
The rest of the day I made myself scarce. I walked through the golden fields to the temple where I was hoping we would soon get married. As I entered the smell of brick and stone filled the air. The sun brought color to its dull grey masonry through the holes in the roof - the temple was old but its intriguing aura stood against time. The room was empty, the only sound was the dust and leaves crunching beneath my feet. I then realized that my relationship with Leo felt like this temple - a place that was once filled with love, but as time went on became cold and abandoned. I fell to the ground crying uncontrollably, my tears dripping on the floor when suddenly another sound echoed within the temple walls.
I looked around, but couldn't see anything or anyone. Suddenly something gleamed golden reflecting the sun's rays. I walked over as I have never noticed this before - and I went there quite a lot. It was an inscription in a language that was unfamiliar to me. Just then I heard a voice whispering something, a familiar voice. I wrote it off as the wind howling around the withered corners of the temple, or my imagination. I turned around to head back home and suddenly bumped into someone...
I got a fright but when I focused my attention, the most handsome man stood in front of me. He had brown eyes reflecting sun's light, his hair was the color of sand, his skin tanned, shimmering a shade of gold. His muscles toned, hard, almost like it was hand carved by a professional sculptor.
"Sorry," I said, my knees getting weaker by the second, my palms sweaty.
He looked down at me and smiled from one corner of his mouth which emphasized his masculine jawline.
"What are you doing in an abandoned place like this at this time?, the evening sun is about to set," he said in a husky, warm voice.
I didn't notice that the time flew by so fast, was I really crying all day? That would be impossible as I was only here for an hour or so.
"You look in distress, are you okay?" he asked.
"I'm fine, it's just... O, I don't want to bother you with my problems," I hesitated.
"Someone like you will never bother me, that's why I'm going to walk you home," the man insisted, being suggestive.
Without thinking twice, I agreed. He made me forget of Leo, he made me feel something that I haven't felt in a very long time... Being seen.
We walked back through the fields, the evening sun slowly setting in the distance.
"Such beautiful specimen like you should have a name, may I ask what you are called?" he asked making me smile, feeling the butterflies fluttering about in my stomach.
"Rebecca, but you can call me Beck," I introduced myself.
"Beck, a lovely name for a lovely lady. It is an honor to meet you, I'm Cael," he said.
A moment of silence fell between us as the atmosphere of chemistry thickened. We stopped, he glanced at me and caressed my face with his fingers. Suddenly he leaned forward and pulled me closer to him, I could feel his heartbeat against mine.
The world faded when suddenly he pulled me to the ground.
"Watchers," Cael whispered.
Watchers? I had no idea who or what he was talking about. We sat in the middle of the field with only a little daylight left, and I kept wondering what Cael was referring to. Eventually we got up after Cael stated it was safe to walk further. I asked him about the watchers, to which he only replied that they were tied to the temple. Immediately I knew that Cael knew more than what he led on, and maybe even knew what those inscriptions meant. He only walked with me for a little while until he had to go, but before I could blink he disappeared.
I struggled to believe what had happened, but headed home guilt ridden. Maybe it was for the best, as I almost kissed Cael and betrayed Leo. I would've betrayed Leo as both of us felt the end of our relationship creeping upon us.
When I returned home, I was tired. The evening sun didn't set just yet, even though it set quicker than before. I got into bed, but rolled around thinking about Cael while Leo laid next to me. I snuck out to find Cael, I had so many questions and besides that I was drawn to him - he was the flame and I the hopeless moth fluttering around his light. I returned to the temple as quick as I could which was as empty as before and made my way to the inscription hoping Cael would meet me there like earlier. As I analyzed the inscription I came to somehow understand what was 'written':
Every new year, the evening sun evaporates or feeds on those with a love unspoken by the time the sun sets, leaving only a mere shadow and an echo of voices behind. The sun is guarded by the watchers of dusk, acting as wardens protecting the temple and the sun alike together with its secrets unknown to man.
Suddenly Cael appeared behind me.
"You understood that?" Cael asked, observing the confusion spread across my face.
"I did, but are you...?" I asked thinking about the familiar whispers I've heard and of the people who disappeared traceless leaving their family with unanswered questions and a forever sorrow within their hearts.
Cael looked down. "Yes."
I felt conflicted. I knew I loved Leo and that I would be safe to return to him, but what I felt for Cael was something I couldn't explain - it surpassed everything I knew about love, it even surpassed the fact that he and the rest of the watchers sacrificed people. However, if I were to choose Cael I would die in the hands of the evening sun.
"Why did we hide if you are one of them?" I asked.
"Because Beck, I can sense that you have a love unspoken and if the others were to see you with me they would treat you as their first new years sacrifice to the evening sun, and I would be vanquished as it is seen as betrayal to have contact with humans otherwise. I know it doesn't make sense, but you have to go, you can't be here. You are lucky the others haven't seen you yet," he said, begging me to go.
"You have to admit your love before the evening sun sets," Cael continued desperately.
I knew I was a walking sacrifice, but I wanted Cael more than anything, and something within me knew what I had to do. I grabbed his arm and pulled him closer, once again feeling his heart against mine. My left hand on his face, guiding him towards mine and kissed him.
"It's you Cael, I know we just met, but it's you who my heart desires!" I screamed as I felt my body fading, bursting into shards of light as the last ray of the evening sun disappeared.
Suddenly I woke in the arms of Cael. He kissed me, I could feel his cheeks soaking wet from the tears he cried, thinking I was too late. He too felt the same.
"How am I alive?" I asked him.
"You aren't, Beck, only your shadow remains in the human world, seen as another lost cause or traceless disappearance. Somehow, probably through the kiss or our undeniable love, you are now one of us, a watcher of dusk, a warden, a protector of the evening sun," Cael said.
No, I was born for this, I felt a connection with the sun since the day I was born. I was bound to be sacrificed, not in vain, but through love.
In this land, the sun set earlier each year, bathing the night sky in an amber light, however after the kiss with Cael a reciprocated love, and destiny or fate between human and dusk warden the curse was broken. Cael and I could be together forever, with our love serving a purpose of saving those whose voices couldn't translate their hearts' desires.
Now the amber light was a beacon, a reminder of a love outspoken under the evening sun.
