Far into the future, where superhumans live on earth and extraterrestrial beings live amongst the stars, starts this beautiful story between two companions, their dreams, and nothing but possibility.
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♡Under The Stars♡
1.1
It was well into the evening when the young master and Alyia stopped training. Today was another hard day. They started with an hour of forms and cardio, then sparred. Alyia thought they were finished, as their heavy breathing became one after the matches, but no. The young master hit her with a smile and sat her up from the floor.
"There is no air down there, " he reminded her as he bent down before her, " Get up and to your knees."
Alyia's gaze was close to anger. She was tired and didn't want to continue. She wanted to rest, but how dare she disrespect the young master's wishes? He was a young master, after all. So, she sat up and then moved her body until she was in a seiza position. He joined her and began this session by closing their eyes, inhaling and exhaling, maxing out each intake and release.
"Close your eyes," he said calmly. He didn't need to see her because he knew she hadn't closed them. "Listen to your body."
"I'm so tired," She complained, "If I close them, I might fall asleep."
He didn't respond.
She huffed defiantly, closed her eyes, and with the thought of sleep, she relaxed.
How could Chris relax so effortlessly?
It took everything in her not to move or she'd go to sleep. She thought it was all strange, they usually only practiced seiza on a light day, not a day as extensive as today.
"Your thoughts, calm them." His voice held a bit more weight now as he said the words.
He was annoyed at her for not relaxing because she knew how to do this. After all, he taught her; but he waited patiently until he finally heard her resting breath.
"When you're tired, exhausted. You become utmost aware of your body and how it feels." he said, "You can't ignore it."
She wanted to open her eyes to look at him because he'd never spoken during a moment like this.
"Relax." His voice was a whisper now. Chris could feel the curious energy that radiated off of her, this energy almost disturbed his own, "Forget that I am here."
It took her a moment to relax, but once she did, her entire world seemed to expand. She felt everything, down to the little molecules. He was right, now that she'd closed her eyes and rested, she became aware of everything within her and around her. Something all superhumans could do, regardless of their power.
She felt the pitter-patter of her heart, the roaring sound of her blood, the cold mat beneath them, the moist gee, the hair that had fallen from her bun, and clung to her face, the sweat that trickled down her neck and slipped between her cleavage. Her mind dove and dove deep until she got to a dark place, an overwhelming place.
Alyia left reality and entered her own. She didn't know where she was, or why it was so dark or cold. This place was like an unending expansion of darkness, with a small light at the end.
She had entered the space where her spirit ore, her power should be; and the young master knew exactly when this happened because she had a stillness to her body that could only be caused by awe.
"Follow the light." The young master said firmly.
She heard his voice but was convinced it was her thoughts.
Alyia followed the light within herself, and her body tingled all over. As she marked the light and imagined walking towards it, it grew brighter! The closer it became the more Alyia body tingled; her breath became short and choppy and all she wanted to do was escape.
"Bask in the energy." Chris could feel her become restless, "Don't run from it."
His voice? Where was the young master? Where am I?
The golden light grew to almost a blinding point, and the tingling sensations all over felt like shards, stabbing into her.
"Ow!"
Wherever she was, she had to get out of there quickly! Her eyes sprung open and she gasped. She'd left her spirit. The young master watched her with a smile of accomplishment on his face.
"W-what?" Alyia could barely catch her labored breathing, "Was that? Where did I go?"
Everything felt so real and not her imagination, although she was sure it was all one big imagination.
"You found the place where your Ore frolics, where your power grows." He said with pride, "Did you see a light?"
"Yes!" Alyia said with an unusual amount of enthusiasm. She knew the look of accomplishment on his face, and was happy that he looked at her that way, "What was that?"
"Hold on. What was the color?" Before he could go any further in explaining what she saw and how she felt, he needed more details. "What did it feel like?"
"It was dark in there." Alyia thought back to that place, "It was cold- barren. I didn't like it at all. But the light? Its color was soft and golden, and it started off really small, like a speck. Is that the color you see when you're within yourself?"
Her description made the pieces fall together for the young master as he thought about why it took four years to get to that space inside. The news Chris had to tell her now would be heartbreaking and the small hope she had for herself, would shatter.
"I want you to sit with that feeling." He said, hiding the truth with a fake calmness, "I want you to think about that place, fill your mind with it. We will do this again soon and after that, we will discuss more."
He stood and then reached his arm out for her to take.
"Did I do it?" She smiled at him, and took his arm, getting up steadily, "Whatever it was- did I do it right?"
He needed a way to gently explain that the place within her shouldn't feel dark, cold, or barren; but warm, familiar, and plentiful. Her description was all wrong and he felt bad. Suddenly, he took her small frame in his arms and rested his head on top of hers.
"You've done a good job today." He said softly, trying to determine if she'd hug him back. With hesitation, he felt Alyia's hands on his back, so he continued, "We will have to start practicing seiza more often. From what I can tell you've come far."
He wasn't lying. At first, Alyia couldn't even relax her body enough to reach within her spirit. But today she'd reach that spiritual place inside herself, thus a big win in his eyes. Her accomplishment of reaching that spiritual place meant that Chris would be able to go into more elaborate practices with her. Thus, there was much more work ahead for them both.
"Thank you." She could feel herself blushing with the compliment and once he let go, she looked away and towards her stuff, hiding.
It was time for them to go, Alyia had thrown on more comfortable clothes and so did Chris. Then he hit all of the lights, closed the dojo, and locked its door.
"Wow..." Alyia took in the fresh air of the night, a subtle smile curled her lips. "It's late."
The cold breeze was nice on their skin after such an extensive training session like today.
"I didn't mean to keep you so long. I can take you home." He looked her way and saw that she was looking up, looking up into the crystal-clear night sky. Not a cloud in sight. She looked up with contentment that he'd never seen her do in their years of training together.
He found himself captivated by her, and in the moment, he felt compelled to tell her that she was pretty, but the words came out all wrong.
"It's a pretty night."
"Yes, young master." Alyia's voice was soft and gentle, "It is a beautiful night. "
He dreaded the word young master whenever it slipped from her precious lips. Even on the mat, during training, that was what she was supposed to call him.
"We're off the mat now, you don't have to call me that." He reminded her.
"Oh!" She nods, "Sorry, Chris. It's just that, we've just been going at it, practicing, and I got used to it."
Going at it...
Those words never reminded him of training but hot, steamy sex. He had to silence his mind or something like that would come out.
"Well, it is late." He cleared his throat, deterring the bad idea, and put his hands behind his back. "It's time you go home."
"Yes." Her voice trailed, as she looked the way she'd walk home, she didn't want to go, not when the night felt this good, "At least the walk home will be pretty."
"Alyia, you're not walking home tonight." He said firmly.
"The walk is only a couple of minutes." She folded her arms, "I know how to protect myself too- if that is what you're worried about."
"Not after a training like today." He shook his head. "You may know how to protect yourself, but a man's strength is hard to compete with."
Alyia didn't want to admit how strained she was, but he was right. Even a minute's walk will take her wobbly legs out. But with all honesty, she'd rather that than go home!
"If you don't want to go home- I have a place we can go that is great for star gazing."
Chris saw her face brighten as if he'd just said something magical! To see Alyia smile was one thing, but to see her smile because of him was something special. What a beauty she was. What a beautiful idea.
"Sure." She nods her head.
"But under one condition." He stepped to her, "You have to go to class tomorrow if we go out tonight."
Alyia frowned and completely distanced herself from the idea of going out and thought about going home. She dreaded school, dreaded it just as much as home.
Baby it is going to be okay...
Chris takes a breath, trying to find her name in his thoughts and not the word baby.
"My car awaits." Finally, he said something reasonable.
She grumbled, ready to tear into him. He was being unfair, in her eyes.
"I'll go." She folded her arms in a huff, "I'll go to class if you take me to Stargaze."
He smiled at her, and they went to his drop-top, red convertible.
She'd always wanted to ride in his car- for the few times she had was never enough. The drive was maybe 10 minutes and where they were she was not familiar with. Chris stopped the car and got out to open her door, but she opened it herself.
This aggravated him, but he relaxed. Not that she knew to wait and not to mention, he had never told her.
"Where are we?"
He had pulled the car onto the side of the road, and on either side of this road were flowers, butterflies, and tall grass. On the side he'd parked there was an opening in the tall grass.
"This field is owned by a friend of my father's." He lied, in fact, all of this was his father's property, a beautiful scape! "I come here from time to time to get away from everything and it just so happens to be a great spot to look into the night sky."
Alyia looked at the tall grass, unsure if it would be smart to go in there. All alone... at night... with a guy.
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♡Under The Stars♡
1.2
But no, this guy was different, this was Chris. Her young master.
The wind blew as they walked into the tall grass, and it wasn't long before they reached the spot Chris spoke of. It was a cut area with a large mat in the center. Without hesitation, he laid down upon it.
"Joining?" He looked up at her.
"Yes." She got down and rested beside him.
Chris sighed at how far Alyia was from him. Alyia was almost at the other side of the mat. He wanted her close, to feel her, to touch her. But Chris put the idea to bed and tore his eyes from the pretty brown skin girl in front of him and looked up in the sky.
While she looked at the stars, the beautiful night, she saw a twinkling object. Alyia focused hard; she realized it was a spacecraft.
"Look!" Alyia moved over and pointed to the sky. "Can you see it?!"
Chris could see it. Chris saw the spacecraft before she did but why ruin the moment of her discovery. Chris stared at her as she got close, pointing to the craft.
"Where?" He asked with a bit of fake enthusiasm, turning to her, " I don't see it."
"Oh, but look!" She turned his face and pointed her finger in his line of vision, "You're going to miss it if you don't see it now!"
Chris didn't want to admit it, but he saw the spacecraft.
Yet, he was sure that it would upset her if he didn't.
"I see it now." Chris followed the spacecraft again, "It's blue."
As he said the words, the spacecraft disappeared into a black void.
"Wow!" Alyia dropped her hands in astonishment, "They just went into a black hole."
"Yes." He looked at her, "Heading out of this Universe and into the next."
She smiled and they both sat back, she was looking up at the stars and he had to steal another glance at her, his star.
Alyia's big, beautiful green eyes reflected every little light and every star she gazed at.
Alyia was so calm; she didn't seem to mind that they were much closer now. He could feel her warmth and she could feel his.
"I wonder where they are going." Alyia sighed dreamily, "Only if we had spacecraft."
With their world government being so vast, they had a division for space crafts and space exploration. But they kept it within secrecy. Only those who were a part of their workforce knew.
A division that used to be open to the public was now a whimsical secret. Nothing compared to how freely space exploration was so publicly talked about over 200 years ago, but that was a different time. A time when superhumans were just humans and the war between them and the gods hadn't taken place yet.
It's quiet and after a while, she almost forgot Chris was beside her, until he asked-
"Why do the stars intrigue you so much?"
She turns and looks at him and the wonder in her eyes had hints of sadness.
"Because- there are many universes beyond ours, the other 10." She looked into his brown eyes, they were like a void that sucked her, she usually minded, but not tonight, "Many universes with far better technology. Technology that could help me-" Her voice cut off as her thoughts became flooded with every reason why she even needed the training in the first place. "Help me figure out how to access my ore spirit. It is dormant."
"We will figure it out. "
She winced at the idea and almost threw it out of her mind completely. The quietness returned and she thought it would be a good idea to ask him the same.
"Why do you like looking at the night sky?"
He looks at her for a couple of long seconds, holding her eyes. That was a difficult topic for him, but she didn't know the extent of it because he'd only scratched the surface of why.
He'd never wanted her to see what troubled him or see him with uncertainty. But if there was ever a time to tell her, the whole truth instead of bits and pieces, it is now.
"That is where my mother is."
Alyia paused for a second, thinking of if and when he told her this before. She thought and thought but couldn't pinpoint it.
"She's somewhere up there." He bit the inside of his lip, "I never really explained where my mother went." He wanted to reassure her, "But she left my life when I was 5. With a note saying she'd gone on a mission for our world government, for space exploration. Then the following week, a man visited our home to hand his father an envelope containing more details about where she went."
"Oh-" she turned to him completely with a heavy sigh. She could feel the pain in his voice, this was difficult for him. And somehow it felt difficult for her too. "I'm so sorry."
Chris shook his head. He didn't want her to feel sorry or bad, none of it was her fault but the government. Whatever they wanted they got, regardless, if it was tearing families apart and ruining lives.
He was looking at her with longing and hers reflected the same.
She wanted to ask more, she was curious. But as she looked at him, she became distracted by his features. His strong jawline, thick eyebrows, fierce eyes with a subtle mono-lid slant, pronounced nose, proportionate lips, his evenly tan and shaven skin. He was well-kept.
Her eyes fell on Chris's strong neck, around it was a silver chain with an angel emblem.
He wore the necklace on all the time. Curiously, Alyia grabbed the emblem to get a better look with adjustment. She looked at the angel's wings, then its face and body.
An item Alyia had never seen on anyone
When she found his eyes again, they were filled with a look she'd never seen before with that intensity. It was tender, doting, and intimate- all those feelings wrapped in one. It was beautiful as he was handsome. She'd noticed all of this before but had no idea of why it was different to her under the stars.
They weren't touching but connected, intertwining, and complimenting each other with their differences. So close, their scents were mingling, his spice and hers', roses. He knew she felt this, there was no way she could miss it. It was the perfect moment to ask the question that had been on his mind for years. His throat went dry as he thought about it... should he be straightforward? Should he dance around the idea?
"Alyia." He came close, reaching to move a curly strand that hugged her face, "I want to tell you something."
Alyia's eyes stretched as she felt his touch upon her skin... a soft, meaningful touch.
What was he going to say? What was so important that he needed to do so now?
She wanted to ask but the beat of her heart and the nervous tension that crept over her; kept her mouth shut- and her eyes gazing into his deeply.
He was hanging on by a thread not to kiss her precious lips as he thought about what to say next- As he held her gaze.
Or should he do it? Should he just commit to the kiss, fucking all the control he had over himself?
But before he could do anything a butterfly flew over him and tried to land on Alyia's beautiful face.
Her eyes stretched and she went back with a small scream, a surprised scream. She stands up trying to move away.
"It's just a butterfly." A curious smile came to him.
"I know!" She catches her breath, "They always find me!"
"Maybe it's because you smell good." Chris stood.
"No!" the butterfly continues to follow her, "I just worked out for hours! I know I don't smell good!" She squeals and shoos the bug, "Oh my gosh! It won't leave!"
Chris couldn't help but laugh at her terrible attempts to keep the butterfly away.
"I'm going back to the car!" She heads to the path they took to get to that spot, "You can take me home now."
Chris laughed and watched the butterfly land within a floral patch- and suddenly a small ding caught his attention. He went into his sweatpants pocket and pulled out his phone to see a new message on his screen.
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♡Under The Stars♡
1.3
'New Message From Monica'
He sighed with annoyance; he thought to ignore the message, but his mind drifted with curiosity until he had to open her message.
He reluctantly opens the message and is hit with a nude picture of her, in cute lingerie. He lost his breath as he looked.
"Chris?" Alyia's voice called, "I want to go home, it is cold."
He didn't even acknowledge Alyia- so encased with such a picture. Then a new message appeared on his screen.
'I miss you, Chris. It's not the same when you're not inside me. Come to me tonight, please?'
"Oh." He took another breath, trying to fight the urge to reply but the warmness between his legs took control and forced him to reply.
'Where are you?' He typed and sent the message before walking back to the car. He sat down beside Alyia, trying to adjust what was poking his pants.
Alyia was too afraid to look his way and was blushed with their interaction earlier! She felt pretty embarrassed about how she acted.
This was all too much.
"Did you enjoy yourself tonight?" He started up the car and drove back.
Alyia nodded her head and held her hands together, trying to hide the rush she felt.
"You can come to this spot any time you want." He spoke gently, "We can come back."
She smiled and glanced his way, to see a subtle look of tenderness. She then thought of the look he had given her before when he was going to tell her something important.
What was it?
He would surely tell her if it was that important, so she waited. But the words never left his mouth.
He felt bad but he hid it well. He felt terrible for what he was about to do after dropping her off...
He needed to figure out how to fix this mess between him and this other girl before he could even think about asking Alyia to be his. It wouldn't be fair to her; it wouldn't be fair to Monica.
Oh, Monica...
The ride to Alyia's house was quiet. Once they pulled up, they said their goodbyes and she went inside.
Yet while he sat there, he couldn't move.
Should I call her back out? Should I text her?
His thoughts kept him there longer than he expected before he opened his messages. Forcing his gaze to Alyia contact, he typed. But guilt talked him out of his confession, so what he sent was bare but meaningful.
'Goodnight.'