REX
The sun beamed brightly, it was the dawn of yet another day. The gentle breeze swept through the air, creating a serene atmosphere. I returned home last night after two days of isolation. I told them I had been out exploring.
My brothers and I had set out to sell the meat we had acquired, leaving Aliya behind at home.
"Rex! Carry me, carry me!" exclaimed a little kid as he ran towards me while we made our way back home. I was well-known in this small community, especially among the children. They enjoyed my company, perhaps because I never seemed to tire or grow weary when playing with them, unlike most adults. Often, the kids would exhaust themselves before I did, eventually falling asleep in my arms, and I would carry them home to their families.
I greeted the child with a broad smile and lifted him up, catching him as he giggled. "How are you today, big boy?" I asked.
"I'm alright. Will you come play with us later today?" he inquired eagerly.
"Of course, I will," I assured him, though his innocent smile stirred a pang of sadness within me. I didn't have any memories of my own childhood, they were all gone in the emptiness of our world.
"We're going to be busy this evening," Felix whispered to me
"With what?" I whispered back, gently setting the child down.
"Merlin's match," Felix replied.
"Oh, right," I muttered, realizing I had forgotten about Merlin's upcoming fighting match. It was a tradition for teenagers aged 16 to 22 to participate in the young adults' fighting club. In Felix's time, he had been one of the top fighters, and now it was my turn, along with Merlin. This would be Merlin's final bout before he turned 23 next week.
On getting home, brunch awaited us, and we gathered around the table to eat as always. I couldn't help but notice a somber expression on Aliya's face as we dined.
"I'll help you with the dishes," I offered to join Aliya after our meal.
"Thank you," she replied softly, her gaze fixed on the dishes in front of her.
"Are you alright?" I inquired once we finished. "You seemed a bit off earlier. Is something bothering you?"
"Yeah, but... it's nothing major," she hesitated, her words faltering.
I paused, studying her closely, prompting her to open up.
"Raymond just broke up with me," she chuckled nervously. "I told you it's not a big deal," she added, turning her face away to conceal her emotions.
I gently turned her to face me, bending slightly to meet her eye level. My height of 6'1" compared to her 5'6" made it natural for me to do so.
"He's out of his mind," I stated firmly. "Want me to kick his ass?"
"No!" Aliya laughed, shaking her head.
"Don't worry Aliya, he's worthless", I reassured her, my tone serious. "And he's going to pay for hurting you," I added with conviction.
"Hey, don't do anything crazy," Aliya warned, her laughter mixed with concern.
"Who said I was going to?" I grinned, releasing her shoulders and straightening up, trying to mask my intentions. I was definitely going to do something
"I know you," she replied, giving me a serious look.
"Alright," I relented, smiling. Despite being closer to Felix, I had always felt comfortable talking to Aliya, not about my weird abilities though, fearing she might be overwhelmed. But when it came to other aspects of my life, she was like a trusted confidante, almost like a best friend. We confided in each other about almost everything, particularly our social lives. "I won't do anything," I assured her sincerely.
"Thank you," she said softly, holding my gaze. Then, unexpectedly, she cupped my face in her hands and kissed me.
I was taken aback, my heart racing, and I could feel my eyes blazing suddenly as a result of that. Since her eyes were closed, she didn't notice, and I quickly shut my eyes. She pulled away and stepped back a bit. My eyes still closed as I rubbed my head, trying to suppress the head ache.
"I... I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," she stammered, her voice trembling with emotion.
I kept my eyes shut tightly, hiding my blazing red eyes from her, my head throbbing with pain.
"Are you okay?" she asked with sincere concern
"Yeah, yeah, I just... need to go," I replied, my voice strained, as I turned and walked away to my room carefully.
I couldn't understand why she had kissed me like that. She must have been emotionally unstable at that moment, I thought. "And..." I muttered to myself as I lay down on my bed trying to rationalize her actions, "we're not even related by the way, so it's okay I guess."
As soon as the blazing stopped, I rose from my bed and went after her, following the trail of her aura which led to the woods. There, I found her sitting quietly on a rock, facing the waterfall. I approached her silently, taking a seat beside her without her noticing.
"How did you...?" startled to see me, she asked.
"We weren't finished talking, you know," I replied, pressing my lips together and raising my eyebrows, prompting her to chuckle. "I'm sorry I left like that."
"No, Rex, I should apologize," Aliya replied.
"And, well... it's alright. I mean, we're not family or anything, so..." I tried to reassure her.
"No, it's not," she interjected, shaking her head. "I acted wrongly as an elder sister."
"You're not my sister," I reminded her.
"What's your point?" she asked, tilting her head in curiosity.
"It means it's okay for me to like you" I confessed. It was true I liked her, she was the only girl in my life and had been my crush since childhood because of how caring she had been towards me. But I never expected her to look my way as she always treated me like a younger sibling.
"You're crazy, Rex," she laughed softly shaking her head. "You're still a kid," she teased, her tone tinged with sadness, "but you act much older than your age, more like a 25-year old"
"I was raised well by you," I teased her lightly.
"Oh, come on," she laughed again. "You're just... different."
I nodded in acknowledgment. I knew I was different, but whether it was in a good way or a bad way, I had no idea.
"In a good way or a bad way?" I asked.
Aliya turned to meet my gaze, her lips parting to respond, but she hesitated. "I think... in a good way," she finally managed to say.
Though her answer didn't entirely reassure me, I managed a tired smile as we both sat in silence, watching the waterfall.
"We should head home before they start searching for us," she said, rising to her feet
"Right," I replied.
"Thanks a lot" she said with emotions in her eyes "For staying," she added, shrugging slightly.
I gave her a reassuring smile and a nod, deliberately avoiding her eyes. If I were to glance at her for just a moment longer, I feared I might not resist the urge to kiss her back. The last thing I needed at this moment was to upset my brothers.
As we walked back through the eerie, silent woods toward the village, we heard screams and cries growing louder. Approaching the village, we were met with a scene of chaos. People ran in all directions, screaming for help, while strange purple creatures roamed, claiming lives.
"What's happening?" Aliya cried out in distress.
"Not again," I whispered sorrowfully, standing beside her as we watched the horrifying scene unfolding before us.