— K-Karix, WATCH OUT… ABOVE YOU! — I shouted, trying to warn him since he was flying a bit above me.
Karix immediately looked up.
— AAAAGGH W-WHAT IS THAT?! — he screamed, terrified.
At that moment, with the speed the creature was heading toward us, the impact with Karix was inevitable. He only had time to close his eyes, bracing for the worst. A few seconds passed, and nothing happened. Surprised, Karix slowly opened his eyes. When he finally became more aware of his surroundings, he not only realized he was unharmed but also that the creature had disappeared. However, what intrigued him the most was the fact that I had also vanished.
— Uh… Huh?... K-Kyrion? — he asked, confused about what had just happened.
The Jealousy of Aurëalis
…Sounds of wings flapping…
— W-What… happened? — I murmured, still groggy and with blurry vision as I woke up from what was likely a knockout.
— Agh… M-my head… W-where am I? — I said, running a paw over my head, trying to ease the throbbing pain.
My vision gradually returned.
— Tsk… What… happened? — I asked again, noticing the ground moving beneath me, as if I were still flying.
There, I realized something was wrong. After all, if I had been knocked out, I couldn't possibly be flying on my own. This meant someone was carrying me.
— Gulp… — I murmured, feeling four paws holding me firmly, along with something that felt like an abdomen and a chest, as if whoever it was had literally embraced me to carry me.
I slowly looked to the sides. I saw paws with white, glistening scales and a large, magnificent wing. My heart raced. Finally, I lifted my gaze, slowly, until I reached the creature's face. My breath hitched. The vision staring at me was breathtakingly beautiful: a dragon. Just like me, but from a different race. It was a Light Dragon. Her blood-red eyes contrasted with her white, metallic scales, giving her an almost divine appearance.
For a few seconds that felt like an eternity, I looked deeply into her eyes. They seemed focused on the horizon, watching the path as she flew. The creature, sensing my gaze, tilted her head slightly and turned her eyes toward me. We stayed like that, connected in a silent moment, exchanging emotions and thoughts without words. But then, she turned her attention forward and, in a sudden motion, dove toward the ground.
— UAAAGHH! THIS IS GONNA… HURT! — I screamed, certain we'd both crash into the ground.
But, as quickly as she descended, the creature stopped a few meters from the ground, hovering gently.
— Uh… Huh? Are we… okay? — I thought, opening my eyes slowly, still surprised we were alive.
— Ha… hahaha… That's… Ahem… a relief. — I sighed, trying to regain control.
Before I could say anything else, the creature released me.
…Boom…
— Agh… My… back… — I murmured, feeling the pain of the fall as I tried to stand up.
The creature, still hovering in the air, landed gracefully in front of me.
— Tsk… Ouch… W-who are you? W-why did you do this? — I asked, still in pain as I got up, trying to understand what was happening.
— It's me, Kyrion… — she replied, with an extremely familiar voice.
— A-AURËALIS?! — I exclaimed, incredulous, recognizing her voice.
At that moment, my instincts told me to run. I was already formulating an escape plan when she interrupted my thoughts as if she could read them.
— If you try to take one step out of here, I'll shred your wings. Got it? — she said, with a gaze that would freeze the bravest of dragons.
— G-Gulp… U-understood… — I replied automatically, with my mind still reeling.
Her gaze carried something beyond a simple threat: there was sorrow, an intense rage mixed with something deeper. Aurëalis didn't just want to intimidate me; she wanted me to understand who was in charge there.
— W-Why are you here, Aurëalis? — I asked, with my voice hesitant.
— Why do you think, Kyrion? — Her voice trembled, but it wasn't just with fury. There was jealousy, a wound she wasn't trying to hide.
— I… I don't know… — I said, genuinely unsure of the reason for all of this.
She took a step forward, with her wings opening slightly, increasing her presence.
— Don't pretend you don't know, Kyrion. Yesterday… what you and that slut Cristine did… agh… I won't let her take you away from me, I WON'T! — she said, already extremely upset.
Her tone was firm, but her eyes revealed conflicting emotions: anger, pain, and something else I didn't want to admit I noticed.
She slowly approached until her snout was just inches from mine. Her gaze was fixed on my eyes as if she wanted to pierce my soul.
— Sigh… I searched the entire school for you this morning. Did you know that? — she asked as she began pacing around me.
— Y-Yes… I… heard about it — I replied, sweating nervously.
— Oh… Did you? From who? From another female you found, YOU IDIOT?! — she roared before biting my neck and throwing me to the ground.
— Agh… A-Aurëalis?! — I shouted, frightened.
She continued circling me, with her overwhelming presence leaving me paralyzed.
— Sigh… Did you know I couldn't sleep last night? I kept thinking of a good lesson for you… — she said, her irritation growing with every word.
— A-After what happened? A-Aurëalis… What are you talking about? Please, explain it to me… — I begged, but she seemed not to hear me.
— SILENCE! — she yelled.
— Tsk… Should I teach you a lesson with a divine beam, trap you forever in a place only I know, or waste even more time deciding how to deal with you? — Her voice was a mixture of rage and pain.
— A-Aurëalis, I… — I tried to speak, but she interrupted me, pressing my head to the ground with her paw.
— I said: STAY SILENT — she whispered in my ear, in a low and threatening tone.
— Agh… O-ok… I… I'll stay quiet… But, please… stop pressing me… agh… — I pleaded, feeling the pressure increase.
— Tsk… If I could, I'd mark my name on you to ensure this wouldn't happen again… That trash Cristine… Taking advantage… I'll kill her… — she murmured, releasing me for a moment.
Finally, the pieces fell into place.
— A-Aurëalis… Are you angry… because of what happened yesterday at Cristine's performance? — I asked cautiously.
She stopped, frozen, with her back to me as I spoke.
— G-Gulp… Look, that wasn't my fault. She dragged me onto the stage and kissed me without my consent. You saw it yourself… I would never do that on purpose… — I said, desperate.
For a moment, silence reigned. Her rage seemed to diminish, and my hope grew. But suddenly, she turned and struck me with her tail, throwing me against the side of a nearby mountain.
…Boom…
— Agh… That… Cough… cough… T-that hurt… — I murmured, embedded in the wall, in pain.
However, Aurëalis wasn't done. She emerged from the dust at an absurd speed, with her fury overflowing.
— KYRIOOON! — she roared, advancing with surreal strikes.
— Agh… D-damn it… — I muttered, dodging her attacks while searching for an opening to escape.
For minutes, she continued trying to hit me. Her blows were devastating, but something in her subconscious seemed to hold her back from truly hurting me.
When her anger reached its peak, Aurëalis opened her mouth and unleashed what the Light Dragons call the Divine Beam, directed at me. This beam is a type of energy, extremely condensed, derived directly from the creation of existence, capable of destroying entire planets if necessary. Luckily, at that moment, I acted quickly and was able to launch an extremely condensed energy of my own toward Aurëalis's Divine Beam. In my case, this energy was called radioactive breath, and unlike Aurëalis's Divine Beam, it utilized the energy from everything my primordial void had consumed thus far in an attempt to neutralize the Divine Beam she had fired at me. The collision created a massive explosion, raising a column of dust.
— Agh… F-finally… I can escape… — I murmured, seizing the distraction to take flight.
But before I could get far, Aurëalis emerged again from the dust, flying after me at an unimaginable speed.
— N-NO! NO, NO! — I screamed, desperate, as I searched for a place to hide.
That's when I spotted a forest in the distance.
— A-A FOREST… THAT'S IT! I CAN HIDE AMONG THE TREES. THEIR SCENT WILL MASK MINE… — I thought quickly, accelerating toward the forest, watching Aurëalis closing the distance.
— D-DAMN IT… HOW IS SHE THIS FAST? — I thought, surprised by her ability.
A few seconds later, I landed among the trees and ran to hide in the dense vegetation. There was no time for hesitation. Almost immediately, Aurëalis landed exactly where I had been moments before.
— This place… She won't find me here… S-she can't find me… — I thought, panting, as I peeked through the leaves.
Aurëalis, standing in the clearing, looked like a force of nature about to be unleashed. Her red eyes glowed with a mixture of rage and something I couldn't completely decipher.
— Sigh… KYRION… I'LL GIVE YOU FIVE SECONDS TO SHOW YOURSELF — she said, her voice dripping with impatience.
My heart froze at the threatening tone she used in her next sentence:
— IF YOU DON'T SHOW YOURSELF, I'LL DESTROY THIS ENTIRE FOREST TO FIND YOU. GOT IT? — she finished, displaying a malicious smile that made my instincts scream to run.
And then she started counting.
— 1… 2… 3…
— D-damn it… What do I do? S-Shit… When did it get to this point? Damn Cristine… — I thought, my mind racing to come up with a plan.
Aurëalis, however, didn't seem willing to wait.
— 4… 5… — she finished, with her scales glowing as she prepared a devastating Divine Beam.
— KYRION… YOU ASKED FOR THIS! — she shouted, spreading her wings and opening her mouth, ready to unleash the attack.
— Damn it… If she won't stop while I try to be reasonable, I'll have to deal with this another way… — I thought as adrenaline began to take over.
Then, I quickly looked around and saw a stone on the ground. At that moment, an idea struck. I grabbed the stone and, with all my strength, threw it to the opposite side of the forest, far from where I was hiding.
As soon as the sound of impact echoed, Aurëalis immediately turned toward the noise and fired the beam, obliterating a vast area of the forest. The explosion raised dust and fragments of trees, and the intense light briefly illuminated everything around.
— Now! — I thought, running toward her with a speed I didn't know I possessed.
Aurëalis was still focused on the site of the impact and didn't notice when I approached. Before she could react, I leapt onto her and pinned her to the ground, holding her forelegs firmly.
— AURËALIS, STOP THIS! — I shouted, looking directly into her eyes, trying to calm her.
She stared at me with fury and surprise. Her eyes burned like embers, but there was something else behind that gaze — a deep sorrow, mixed with an incomprehensible rage.
— Let me go, Kyrion! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO TOUCH ME! — she roared, struggling.
— Aurëalis, listen to me! Please! — I begged, still holding her forelegs with all my strength.
— Listen to you?! YOU WERE THERE, LETTING THAT SLUT KISS YOU IN FRONT OF EVERYONE! — she screamed, trying to break free.
— I didn't do that! She dragged me onto the stage, you saw it! It wasn't something I wanted! — I argued, with my voice a mixture of desperation and sincerity.
— LIAR! — she roared again, with tears beginning to form in her eyes despite her still furious expression.
My heart tightened at seeing her in that state.
— Aurëalis… Please, listen… — I pleaded, with all the sincerity I could muster.
— I didn't want that to happen… Tsk… damn it… You know me better than anyone else in this school. You know I'd never want to be involved in something like that. — I continued, my voice heavy with regret.
— Sigh… And if I were to get involved with someone like that, the only person I can think of is you. There's no other female who has the patience and kindness with me that you do… and you know that. — I added, trying to reach her heart.
— Since the day you kissed me on that bench, I've been having dreams about you… Agh… And the worst part is, I think you're breaking through my defenses… something even my parents couldn't fully do. So, please, don't be like this. Seeing you like this hurts me too… — I finished, softening my voice.
She then stopped struggling. Her eyes still glistened with tears, but her expression began to change, as the anger seemed to give way to something more vulnerable.
— You… have no idea how furious you made me… You don't know what it's like to see someone you… — she began but choked, looking away.
— Someone you…? — I asked softly, still holding her paws.
— … Someone you love being kissed by someone else! — she finally shouted, with her words coming out as a confession laden with feelings she had been repressing for some time.
At that moment, I was left speechless. What I had always decided to suppress, believing it impossible or unlikely, revealed itself as the only true answer. Perhaps, deep down, it was all my fault. Perhaps I hadn't been strong enough to refuse Cristine's invitation or even to avoid the kiss on my cheek. Perhaps I had been wrong to ignore Aurëalis's feelings, keeping myself closed off when she tried to get closer. These thoughts stormed through my mind, while a growing tightness filled my chest. I knew there was no way to undo the past, but at that moment, I decided to end this misunderstanding once and for all.
— Tsk… I'm sorry, Aurëalis… — I said, my voice firm and determined, but laden with one last plea for forgiveness.
She hesitated, sniffing lightly.
— Forgive you? Sniff… Why should I… — she began, but this time, I interrupted her.
Without hesitating any longer, I leaned forward and kissed her. Our forked tongues met and entwined, sealing, in a single moment, everything that words could not express.