Orion spoke to her of his short-lived existence on earth, of his losses, his pains. Of not having been loved enough, of having loved too much, always the wrong people, of having been beaten to obedience by endless waves of suffering. Of his mind never doing his bidding but always delving into the deepest pits of despair and dragging him into the mud of helplessness. The sprite sat still and listened attentively. When he was finished, she stayed quiet a bit longer, considering all that had been imparted. Finally, she asked.

“So, you sought to end this tale of woe by ending you?”

“Yes.”

“You don’t just return a gift as great as life”.

“A gift?” he laughed sarcastically. “I was created flawed. There’s something deeply wrong with me, something I can’t fix, no matter how hard I try”.

“You can’t claim you’ve tried it all.”

“But I have! Chemistry, meditation, prayer, diversions! Nothing works! My own mind wants me dead! What is the point of prolonging it?”

“What if you could escape it? This world that broke you?”

“What are you saying?”

Arctoria spoke carefully and calmly.

“You can stay here with me. Outside the realm of humans, but not away from it entirely. You can live here, in my looking glass over the mortal plain. I can take away your pain, like I did before. You can live long. Longer than most humans even.”

“You’re asking me to live. Here.”

“Yes.”

“Why? So I can get older, weaker, and watch everything I love disappear? You don’t know what that’s like.”

“Oh, but I do.”

Orion paused.

“You do?”

Arctoria took a deep pained breath.

“I’ve been in this lake since time immemorial. Parted from my sisters, knowing they still are only by feeling the connection between us thrive. Lakes, Orion, unlike us, are not endless.”

“I don’t understand”.

“I told you before that we are born of and to the water. When lakes dry up, so does our vitality. When lakes disappear, so do we. My sisters… one by one, they evaporated, like the water in their realms. And I felt our cord being tugged at and violently cut. And, infinite and powerful as I am, I had not the strength to stop it. Shackled to this realm by the forces of fate, I was not even able to say goodbye.”

“Then why? Why would you want me to keep going?”

“I…I am alone. So are you. Should you want it, you need never be alone again. And neither need I”.

“Are you asking me to keep you company?”

“We’ll keep each other company.”

Orion was silent. He thought about the offer for a while. Eventually, he looked at Arctoria. He reached out and took her slender hand in his. It felt peculiarly warm.

“I am sorry. I wish I could. I know that it must have been hard to watch everything and not be able to partake in anything. I know how it feels. Having no freedom. Now, I will ask you to, please, do something harder even.”

“What is that?”

“Don’t take away my freedom. My choice.”

Arctoria slowly reclaimed her hand. Orion feared he had offended her again and braced himself for her outburst. Instead, the sprite looked him square in the eye and said.

“You’re right. I wouldn’t choose this—not for myself, not for anyone. It was a burden that was entrusted to me at creation. Do you know how many winters I’ve watched? How many lives I have seen come and go? How much loss I’ve felt. I’ve forgotten how it feels to… stop.” She took in a ragged breath. “I cannot ask this of you. I cannot do this to you. You were granted free will in this existence, I shall grant you the freedom to exercise it”.

“Do you really mean it?” Orion whispered.

“Yes”, Arctoria said. “Ask of me what you want, I shall oblige”.

“Can you please let me go?”

“If that is what you wish, then so it shall be. I will make sure there is no pain. Your life has offered you plenty of that”, she said in a caressing manner.

“Thank you,” Orion whispered. “You are doing me a kindness”.

Arctoria closed her eyes and with her fingertips touched his forehead. Orion collapsed to the floor of the cavern, deep in sleep. She carried his body through the barrier of her sanctuary, back into the freezing waters of her lake. She gently let his body go. As he started sinking into the dark abyss, and deeper into oblivion, Arctoria felt her immortal heart constrict. She watched him disappear and said. “Farewell, Orion. You’re free now”. Under her breath, she murmured. “Lucky you.”