- "I-Is that... fruits from the Void Tree? ..." I asked.
- "Damn... that's my weakness... ugh..." I thought, giving in to the invitation.
"Sigh... O-Ok, Karix... if there are really going to be fruits from the Void Tree there... then... I can't refuse, can I? Haha," I replied, laughing a bit embarrassed.
- "Hahaha... that's the spirit! It's great that we can count on you there..." he responded, laughing cheerfully.
- "So it's settled: tomorrow, at 7:00 PM, in the VIP Dining Hall," he concluded.
- "Alright, see you there then…" I finalized as I turned toward my room, waving goodbye.
- "See you later, Kyrion," he said, also bidding farewell.
Then, I entered my room, locked the door, took a bath, and went to bed, falling asleep soon after.
The following morning, as always, I was woken up by that damn alarm clock, announcing with its demonic sound the start of yet another day. As usual, I got up, got ready, and went out. That morning, I sat through yet another of those endless classes, whose contents I already mastered completely. In the afternoon, I headed once again to the plateau I had visited the previous day.
...Sounds of wings flapping...
- "Sigh... finally, I'm here... Yaawwn..." I said, letting out a big yawn.
"Damn... these classes... Tsk... I already know all that content. Why do I still have to listen to them? I'd gain much more by sleeping here... in peace..." I thought as I searched for the best position to sleep under the same tree as the day before.
While moving around for comfort, something began to bother me. It felt like something was pressing against my back, maybe a fallen branch or something. I opened one eye and, with my paw, grabbed whatever it was.
- "Damn... I checked this place... and yet, there's something here?" I thought, trying to reach the object.
Finally, I grabbed it and brought it closer to my eyes.
- "Hmm... a... scroll?" I asked myself, inspecting it more closely.
- "What's a scroll doing here?" I continued, curious.
As I examined it, I noticed a familiar crest engraved on it.
- "Hmm... I don't know whose it is. Maybe it fell here, or..." I was saying as I analyzed the details of the scroll, which, I must admit, was very well made.
Suddenly, I noticed the crest.
- "W-WAIT... I KNOW THIS CREST!" I said, incredulous.
- "Yes... without a doubt... it's the crest of the Light Dragons! B-But... what's it doing here?"
As I questioned myself, an idea lit up in my mind like a light bulb.
- "Maybe... Tsk... Aurëalis... huh?" I thought, already exhausted just imagining what might be written there.
- "If it's hers, it means... SHE'S AROUND HERE?" I thought, quickly looking around, startled by the possibility.
However, I neither saw nor sensed any sign of her presence nearby, which was a relief.
- "N-No... I don't feel any sign of her presence nearby... That's... a relief..." I thought, sighing.
- "Hmm... but then... if she's not here, whose scroll is this?" I asked myself.
- "Tsk... they could have at least put a name on it, huh?" I thought, searching for any clues about who might own the scroll, hoping to avoid opening it.
- "Damn... I don't want to open it to find out whose it might be..." I grumbled.
- "I don't want to get involved in other people's lives, let alone bring more problems onto myself..." I thought as I searched for an alternative to discover whose scroll it was. However, at that moment, there was no other way but to open it and read its content.
So, albeit reluctantly, my curiosity won out, and besides, I wanted to resolve this quickly so I could get back to sleeping. In the end, I opened it and started reading.
- "...Sigh… damn… alright, let's just get this over with..." I muttered as I broke the seal and began to read.
It read:
"Kyrion,
Today, more than ever, I wish I could be by your side. However, I need you to forgive me for not being able to. There's an important dinner tonight, and my presence is indispensable. I spent the entire afternoon thinking about how much I'd rather be with you, but I hope you can understand my absence.
Still, I want you to know that being away from you is harder than I imagined. It's not just words; it's something I carry with me every time we're apart. Tomorrow, I promise to be by your side, as I should have been today.
You're special to me, Kyrion, more than you might realize.
With affection,
Aurëalis."
As I read, I realized two things. The first was that, as I suspected, the letter was from Aurëalis and apparently addressed to...me?. The second, however, was something that completely caught me off guard: the tone of her words. It was something that left me utterly unsettled.
- "She... considers me someone special?... more than I can imagine?" I thought, feeling my face flush as her words echoed in my mind.
- "Why... am I feeling like this?" I asked myself, irritated.
- "Damn, why did she have to write that? What does she really expect to gain from this?" I said, frustrated by those thoughts.
As I reflected on her words, I quickly dismissed the possibility that Aurëalis genuinely had any romantic feelings for me. It was easier to believe she had some other motivation, perhaps an elaborate plan or even a prank. After all, she enjoyed messing with me and had done so countless times before. Besides, she was someone entirely different from me. She was someone unattainable and probably had far more interesting suitors than me, someone who only cared about sleeping and being left alone.
That afternoon, the scroll's contents lingered in my mind, preventing me from resting properly. It wasn't the first time females had shown interest in me, but Aurëalis? Considering who she was, the possibility seemed far too absurd. Yet, her words continued to echo in my head, leaving me uncomfortable.
- "Enough. Let's focus on sleeping," I thought, trying to push those ideas away.
- "I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Aurëalis doesn't have those kinds of feelings for me. Is that so hard to understand?" I told myself, cutting off any chance of reciprocating feelings taking root inside me.
After much effort, I managed to block out those thoughts and fell asleep again. Finally, I could escape the emotions that were gradually starting to overwhelm me. However, unlike any other sleep I'd had, this time, I dreamed of something... unusual, to say the least.
I was in a beautiful place that looked like a temple with tall white pillars and a view stretching above the clouds. The weather was sunny, and a refreshing breeze passed by, bringing an inexplicable sense of peace.
- "What is this place?" I thought as I looked around.
- "…W-Wow… This place… is stunning," I thought, awestruck.
- "…and this breeze… Sigh… it brings an inexplicable peace," I said, letting the breeze carry away any bad thoughts.
As I let the serenity wash over me and gazed around, taking in the structure of the place, I noticed a figure moving through the mist.
- "This place… these… structures… ha… what's the name of that human civilization again?… Oh, right… Greeks… from the human dimension, huh?" I thought, admiring the temple's architecture.
Then, as my eyes wandered around the place, I caught sight of a silhouette through the mist, approaching steadily. Surprised, I instinctively took up a defensive stance, expecting a possible attack. But after a few moments, I could make out the figure walking slowly toward me, and when I realized who it was, I couldn't believe my eyes.
- "…These structures are incredible… look at the geometric shapes they managed to create–" I was saying when I noticed the figure emerging from the mist.
- "…Ugh… What is that?" I thought, immediately assuming a defensive posture, expecting an attack.
However, contrary to my expectations, it didn't attack me but continued walking slowly toward me until it was just a few steps away. And then, I recognized the person.
- "It can't be…" I murmured, with eyes wide.
- "A-Aurëalis?"