What's Your Name

The air was cold and his heart was too.

As the pressure changed suddenly, so did what he felt.

He couldn't move, even if he wanted to. His body was in shock, as he felt a cold embrace from behind, as if something that knew no emotions was hugging him.

Its hand around his waist, going up his body as if he were naked, stopping at his neck. It held it so gently he could barely feel it, but as time passed it started grasping it tighter.

The body he felt pressing against his back resembled one of a female, but this entity was no female at all. 

Theodel was slightly shaking, and his mind was trying to figure out what to do, but nothing he knew could deal with a presence this heavy. 

Its head gently laid on his shoulder while its hand firmly held him. All the tension found itself in his neck, as he was too scared to just turn even a tiny bit, to look at what might just lie there.

It whispered in his ear. 

He could hear and feel its cold breath on his skin. As it did, the grip was still tightly applied and a second arm wrapped around his waist. It felt like the embrace of a lover, or death.

"Theodel is who you were, not who you are," it softly said.

Her lips almost touched his ears, she was so close he could feel it. 

Her voice wasn't one he envisioned. While it wasn't extremely high or low-pitched, it was dark and lacking emotions or intonations. 

As she softly tightened her grip on his throat, she continued. 

"You're drowning. You'll keep drowning. Fear not, as whether you win or lose, we'll be one. Gasp for air, trouble the waters. Cry for help or silently fight the waves. Curse me or plead for me. When you have one arm reaching out for help, your whole body is reaching out to me."

Theodel couldn't say anything.

He could see that Syllia was still frozen in fear in front of him. She was tightly holding her dress as she stared at whatever was whispering in his ear.

Slowly, the hand stopped holding him, as the presence sliding down his body quietly went down the way it came from.

As it did, the ember started to extinguish and light gradually came back. 

As they touched the grass around, everything felt real. The flowers' perfume and the sun above them, everything was the same.

"That... Was a God."

Syllia's voice cracked slightly, as she quickly got up.

"This... This is not good... Not good at all..." she continued, quickly walking in a small circle.

"What happened? A God? Why?" Asked Theodel as he got up too.

"NOT good. Oh, no wonder you woke up in the middle of the road..."

"Take a minute, please help me out a bit, you don't make much sense..."

"I shouldn't have helped... They'll come for me too...You're bad news T-... Whatever your name is..."

"My name's The-"

"-NOT that. Are you stupid? Were you cradled too close to a wall while a baby? You just don't learn do you... Oh why did I help you even, and now I know you're not that smart too..."

He took one step towards Syllia, quickly grabbing both her shoulders and forcing her to stop walking.

"You're spiraling. Take a deep breath," he said while staring into her eyes.

She quickly grabbed his arms to move them away, but as their eyes connected she remained motionless. 

As she looked into his eyes, she did as she was told and breathed in for a moment.

She closed her eyes for a few seconds, then opened them again, a little calmer.

"It's my first time seeing a God in person. Well, a Goddess in this case..."

As he was about to take his hands off her shoulders, she started grabbing him tighter. He could note on her face real worry.

"Listen, I really can't be of much help..." she said while maintaining eye contact. 

Theodel could discern a bit of sadness and fright. 

"Just, can you tell me why I can't say my name?"

After thinking for a small moment, Syllia answered.

"It's clear you're an apostle. Gods wouldn't appear for anyone else. Sometimes they give new names to their apostles... You probably haven't even looked at what your new name is..."

"My new name? Why would I be given a new name?" asked Theodel.

"Just open your profile and tell me your name."

"Profile?" 

Theodel's mind was overwhelmed. Syllia made little sense and spoke a bit too fast. Yet, he could tell she did her best to compose herself while he, on the other hand, probably acted too calm out of ignorance.

Seeing as he clearly didn't know what she meant, she stopped holding his arms and pointed at an empty spot.

"Here."

At the tip of her finger a square appeared like it did when he was on that roof. 

It wasn't like his, which was of dark grey and blue shades. His was even glitching out at times, while hers was of a nice glowing yellow and white. 

He could also clearly read what it said.

[Syllia] [Level 5] ...

"Is this..."

"Yes," she interrupted, " This is my profile. Whatever I choose to let you see you can, you should be able to do the same. Just 'think' it until it appears."

Think it until it appears? Think what? The words, the window? What kind of instructions is this...

He extended his arm like she did, and at the tip of his finger appeared the forever-glitching window. 

"Oh, wasn't so hard really."

"You need to let me see it too. It's done the same way you opened it."

"Oh..."

Trying to do exactly what she said, he gave her permission mentally.

"Ah, I see it. Alright, let's see..."

As they both looked, they raised an eyebrow.

[Leviathan] [Level 1]...

"Eh, I expected a cooler-"

Syllia quickly put her hand on his mouth as he was about to finish his sentence.

"Do you never learn? You think she'd take criticism on her name choice after what just happened? You know what, go ahead, give her a long detailed letter about her choices as a Goddess, just not when I'm around, okay?"

Syllia's face was red, but to Theodel she was cute. 

The way she tried to not care, yet still helped the best she could. Her insults weren't even that hurtful. As he looked at her, he smiled. 

"What are you smiling for? You piece of.. I'm not kidding... just... just do it you'll see.." she said, as she did her best to find her words.

"Thanks a lot for everything."

She loudly exhaled, but her fake exasperation was poorly acted.

"Alright, alright. Well, Get used to your new name, Levi."

"I hope I will."