[ Jess POV ]
"Let's find your dad and get out of here," Neon said as we both hopped off the bike.
"Yeah, we have to help the military," I replied automatically, barely thinking.
"Help?" Neon's voice questioned beside me.
"Yes, I have to help them. I'm one of the strongest here, after all," I said, turning to him.
"So?" he asked, genuinely confused.
"What do you mean, 'so?' I have a duty to fight. You didn't just expect me to leave once we got here, did you?"
"Well, I did. What's the point of staying?" he answered calmly. "The fact that the Dragonites deployed the red cloak here means they have the upper hand. The only reason this planet hasn't been fully overrun yet is probably because your military's elites are giving everything they've got to hold them at the demonhold. So, why fight?"
"Yeah, but..." I bit my lip, struggling for a counter-argument. "It doesn't matter. I'm staying to fight."
"That's just stupid." He wasn't angry, just matter-of-fact. "Do you think you can take on level 5s? The commander at the demonhold was a level 5, right? If the demons got past him, there's more than one level 5 Dragonite out there now holding him back."
"We don't know that for sure. They haven't invaded completely yet, which means the commander's still holding them off," I argued.
"But we do know. The only reason they're not attacking in full is because your commander's making a last stand, and none of the Dragonites want to die in a suicide rush against him." He paused, looking at me with those calm, knowing eyes. "You're smart. You know this too."
"I..." My eyes darted around, trying to find something, anything to challenge his logic. "I'm not asking you to stay with me. Why do you care if I stay?"
"Because you're my princess, and I'm your knight. Your safety is my duty." He didn't miss a beat.
"You're not my knig—" Flustered, I tried to reject his words but stopped. My eyes wandered to the military base, where civilians and soldiers were scrambling, coordinating the evacuation.
"It's your dad, isn't it?" Neon's voice softened.
"Yeah... He won't leave. He has this... sense of duty." My voice cracked. I blinked back tears. I couldn't break down in front of everyone—people looked up to me as the Magicstar.
Before I knew it, Neon pulled me into his arms, his embrace steadying me. He stroked my hair gently. "You don't have to hold back your tears. Don't worry, no one can see you—I've blocked their view."
At his words the tears I was holding in, burst forth. "He won't leave, Neon... He'll stay, and if he does... he'll die."
"Shhh, relax. I'll convince him to leave or make sure he goes with the evacuation team. I promise." His voice was calm and reassuring as he stroked my hair, easing the tension in my chest.
"But—" I started.
"No buts," he interrupted, separating slightly from the hug to wipe my tears. "Now stop crying. I know you're beautiful no matter what you do, even when you cry, but I prefer you smiling. So smile for me, my Magicstar."
Despite myself, a small smile crept across my face. I didn't understand how, but his words—his presence—put me at ease.
"Now," he said, seeing that I had calmed down, "let's go settle this, shall we?"
"Yes, let's go," I replied, shaking the unease in me and replacing it with a surge of determination.
I noticed a blue dome of energy surrounding us and realized why he said no one could see me.
Dispersing the dome, he took my hand as we made our way into the military base.
The base was a towering skyscraper, its wide base filled with civilians and personnel preparing for evacuation. As we entered, I was recognized as the magic star so the people parted, creating a path for us. Neon held my hand, guiding me through the crowd.
Reaching the military base entrance, we walked into the building's first floor, where the evacuation gate is located.
The evacuation gate, a huge teleportation gate only activated during extreme emergencies. It leads to a military base in the civilization center and unlike normal teleportation gates, it is very stable.
At the front stood my father and other military officers, including two familiar faces.
"Uncle Isaac! Aunt Jennifer!" I called out.
"Oh, if it isn't our little Magicstar!" Uncle Isaac greeted me warmly, his smile wide. His eyes flicked to where Neon stood, still holding my hand. "Well, it looks like our Magicstar isn't so little anymore."
"I can't stay a kid forever," I replied with a smile.
"Jess, how are you?" Aunt Jennifer asked, her tone familiar and kind.
"I'm fine, Aunt," I said, the smile fading as I got serious. "Do you know the—"
"We don't know their status," Aunt Jennifer answered before I could finish.
"They're probably still alive," Neon said from beside me.
"Oh? And you are?" Aunt Jennifer asked, raising an eyebrow in intrigue.
"You know who I am," Neon replied, his voice indifferent.
"Hey!" I nudged him sharply.
"I'm Neon," he said with a smile, properly introducing himself after my reprimand.
"Good boy," Uncle Isaac chuckled. "I like him already."
He turned back to my father, who was still busy coordinating the evacuation with the help of the mayor and many government official.
Recognized as the father of the Magicstar, my dad was the perfect candidate for this.
"The Dragonites... how did they pull this off?" Neon asked, his voice cool.
"We're not sure," Aunt Jennifer answered. "We've always been in a stalemate with them, with the odds slightly in our favor. But over an hour ago, they suddenly appeared. The military held them back, while we the government officials tried contacting other the civilization center. But this was futile as we had already lost all Inter-planetary communication, due to the red cloak."
"And the evacuation?"
"Almost complete. The other cities are done. Just this one left—it's the most populated," she explained.
"Good," Neon nodded. "Then let's hurry and get the hell out of here."
Aunt Jennifer and Uncle Isaac exchanged a glance. "Get out? We're staying to fight," they said simultaneously.
"No, you're not," Neon said, his tone absolute.