“Not a problem!” she said cheerfully, embracing my arm even tighter until it was snug against her chest. “Because I do!”
We finally stumbled into a wide courtyard, only to find roughly fifty white-winged demons doing just that – most dancing with a partner, while others performed more elaborate dances in small groups, moving in rhythm with each other like it was all choreographed.
The sight was a little bizarre to me, seeing them all joyfully move in sync, like there was nothing that mattered in the world except the moment.
Immediately, I felt like I didn’t belong because I didn’t feel that same joy, nor did I feel like I could live so carefree in the moment like they were. Not to mention, I felt as if I stood out like a sore thumb, being one of the few with midnight draconic features. However, no one paid me any attention as Jericho tugged me toward the center, not seeming surprised by an angelic Ryujin being paired with a demonic one.
Granted, I supposed I wasn’t the oddest looking one, at least in my opinion, because while they all had white horns and wings, their skin and hair came in a variety of colors, with one woman having pitch-black skin and hair, red eyes, and then the brilliant white draconic features. The smaller wing-like arms that held her chest especially stood out, coupled with her tail forming a rocky bikini bottom, considering the sharp contrast.
I knew there had to be other groupings besides this one, considering I didn’t see anyone with instruments, and I could hear the occasional shout now further in the city, which meant we were just on the edge of the party, even if we were now in the center of this particular courtyard.
I quickly stopped focusing on my surroundings though as Jericho began tugging on me in time with the heavy beat, dancing gracefully while forcing my limbs to move in sync with her own. Her icy eyes were sparkling with amusement as I helplessly just let her move my body, feeling like I had become her puppet.
Especially so, when I considered that she could probably just teach me to dance by giving me the knowledge, like she had done with their language. And yet, she didn’t bring it up, seeming plenty entertained to show me manually a particular dance with a seemingly endless number of intricate moves to choose from.
I wasn’t sure how long we stayed there in the middle of the small crowd, but neither of us grew tired. And even though I wasn’t making my own decisions on what move I would make next, I discovered I enjoyed the act of moving my body, especially when in sync to the music. It was like the movement itself made my individual cells sing, and every fiber of my being wanted to keep moving once I was going, never wanting to stop.
I felt charged, like the energy inside was just wanting to bubble out, continuously increasing with no limit in sight.
We did finally stop though, with her having slowly tugged me further toward the other end of the courtyard, until we were dancing somewhat alone in one of the streets.
“You seem to be enjoying yourself,” she said out loud once we were relatively out of earshot, pushing up against my body for the thousandth time.
“This is fun,” I admitted, my wings jerking in time with the beat even though the rest of me had fallen still.
She grinned widely, wrapping her arms around mine again, and tugged me down the midnight road. “It is,” she agreed. “Most fun I’ve had in a long time.”
“Where are we going now?” I wondered, hearing the music grow even louder as we walked. I had long since forgotten about searching for anyone I knew.
“There are some really interesting performances to see at the Siren Plaza,” she said. “And you might like to see the Zenith Cathedral too,” she considered. “I’d imagine you’ll be really impressed, since it will be like seeing it for the first time.”
“Do you think I used to live here?” I wondered seriously.
She shrugged. “You might have lived elsewhere, but I’m sure you’ve been here before. Everyone has. I mean, it’s hard not to see everything when you’ve lived long enough.”
“And how long have you lived?” I said without thinking, only to be concerned that I shouldn’t have asked that.
However, she didn’t seem bothered by the question at all. “Three-thousand, three-hundred and twenty-six Cycles,” she replied simply.
My eyes bugged out of my head. “H-How many years is that?” I asked seriously, knowing it was still a lot.
She looked back at me with a frown. “About two-thousand and one-hundred years, but that’s an odd question to ask.”
“Why is it odd?” I said in confusion.
She stopped and examined me for a moment, her brow furrowed. “Because we don’t reference things in terms of the human world. Only Chrysalis do that.”
Suddenly, I realized what she was implying – a foundational assumption I had made from the beginning. Jericho had given me their perception of time, and the knowledge of how it related to the human world – all as a packaged deal – but she herself had never measured anything using human years, days, and hours. Rather, that had been entirely me, trying to comprehend Cycles and Gradus in relation to what I was familiar with.
Just like a Chrysalis.
Jericho lowered her voice then, drawing even closer. “You’re not, right?” she wondered seriously. “You just lost your memory somehow, right?”
“I…I don’t know,” I admitted, suddenly feeling nervous. “What would happen if I was?”
She wrapped her arm around my lower back, placing her hand right above my tail, and pulled my waist against hers. “If you are,” she whispered, her face barely a few inches away from mine, her chin tilted up slightly, her tone extremely serious. “Then we’d have to leave right now, and not return for several hundred Cycles to avoid anyone finding out.” She lowered her voice even more, to the point I could barely hear her above the sound of the rhythm vibrating through the air. “It’s forbidden, Michael. And the Rulers would kill you if they found out you were a new Ryujin.”
I was silent, my body locking up as I processed that.
“But I won’t tell anyone,” she continued just as quietly, her tone increasing in intensity. “If you are, I’ll hide you away. I’ll keep you safe. No one has to know, but you’ll have to come with me now if that’s the case. It’s too risky otherwise.”
Dread filled my chest, as I considered the implications of her words. “Have to?” I repeated in a whisper, wondering if she was intending to blackmail me with this. “With you,” I added when she didn’t seem to catch on.
Her icy eyes widened in surprise, before her expression became pained.
We were both silent for a long few seconds, only for her to finally avert her gaze as she let go of me entirely and took a step back.
“No,” she said after another moment, still looking away. “If you are Chrysalis, then you do need to leave, but not with me.”
I didn’t respond right away, and when I didn’t, she unexpectedly turned around and began walking away, saying nothing more.
“Wait!” I exclaimed, prompting her to freeze solid, her entire body stiff. “I wasn’t…” My voice trailed off, as I tried to explain myself. “I just…I don’t remember anything – that’s the truth. I’m not lying about that. And it might be because someone tried to kill me. I don’t even know who I can trust and who I can’t. I mean, how do I know that it wasn’t you? Was it really a coincidence that you found me first?”
She looked back at me in shock. “It wasn’t me!” she exclaimed. “And if you’d open up your mind to me, then I’d show you! I can show you everything! I can let you experience the happiest and most painful moments of my entire existence – I can let you see it all, lay myself completely bare before you, and prove it!”
I held up my hands defensively, surprised by her outburst. “I’m not accusing you,” I reassured her. “But, I mean…” I cringed, hoping I wasn’t shooting myself in the foot by admitting the obvious. “You could blackmail me with this, and that’s a little scary, to be honest.”
In a flash, she was right in front of me ag
ain, her face only a few inches from mine, her chin tilted slightly. “Healthy relationships of any kind aren’t based on deceit or coercion. I would never blackmail you.”
Unable to speak, due to both her intensity and the scent of her intoxicating breath, I just nodded once uneasily.
Everything about her was radiating commitment and dedication now, revealing just how desperately she wanted a partner – to have that connection with someone else. And while I felt as if there shouldn’t be any logical reason why I would have reservations – between her kindness, loyalty, and unquestionable beauty – there was also something about it that just felt so wrong.
Like, all of this just felt wrong, like a gut feeling that the things I was forgetting were the most important things of my entire life.
If only I could remember…
When she didn’t say anything else, just waiting patiently for a response, with virtually no space in between us, I finally sucked in a ragged breath to speak.
“T-Thank you,” I managed. “For everything so far. And…I hope I can keep thanking you for the unforeseeable future. You just have to understand, I really can’t remember anything, which is unnerving. Like, right now, I just want to remember. That’s my biggest priority…and I was hoping that maybe being shown around might help. If I’ve been here before, then maybe seeing something familiar will trigger my memories.”
She became pensive as she considered that, allowing a little more space between us. She then nodded once. “I understand. And I’m willing to help you with that, just…” She bit her lower lip, looking uneasy now and a little vulnerable. “If you do start remembering, don’t…” She paused, before shaking her head. “Never mind. I’m sorry for ruining our fun.” She then smiled, looking sincerely cheerful again. “Come on! I have a lot to show you!”
I knew the cheer was a façade though, at least in part, and I was also aware of what she hadn’t said, having reached out to catch a glimpse of her thoughts, along with the meaning behind them.
‘If you do start remembering, don’t toss me aside, and pretend like I never existed.’
Which was what the guy named Darius had done, the man she turned into a Chrysalis, only to have him despise her, despite the invaluable gift she had given him.
I was glad she hadn’t finished that statement though, because I had no idea if that was even a promise I could make. So instead, I just let her grab my arm and lead me down another street, until we came across our second group of celebrating Ryujin, this time only half being angelic in appearance, while the other half were demonic.
Deciding to have another dance to lighten the mood before we continued on, Jericho spun me around, forcing me to move again like she had done before, her mental tone revealing that her internal emotions were beginning to match her lighthearted façade, sincerely finding happiness, joy, and amusement in playing with her new inexperienced friend.
And getting my body moving again had a similar effect as before, allowing me to begin forgetting my worries as I experienced the present, moment by moment, without regard to anything else.
It probably would have continued like that too, had my enemy not shown up.
Unexpectedly, Jericho and I both froze as a deep mental voice rang out over the entire city, the authority behind it forcing all within the source’s range to hear it – a simple message.
‘Silence. Prepare for a message from your Rulers.’
The continuous music died down immediately all over the city, and everyone around us began whispering out loud as they waited for whatever message would follow.
I followed Jericho’s gaze as she looked up toward the red clouds, seeing the man who had spoken – a demon with dark-gray skin, black draconic features, and red eyes, almost like a combination of my coloring with Reuben’s.
“That’s one of the Generals,” Jericho explained beside me in a whisper. “They don’t make announcements like this often, so something big must have happened. I heard all of the Rulers ended up going to the human world for some reason, but I have no idea why they would have. Definitely something major.”
“Like what?” I wondered, reaching out with my psyche to feel the Ryujin all around me, before expanding my sense toward the sky too.
Instantly, my body froze solid, my mind running blank at the same moment that a demon Ruler appeared out of the clouds with a small army of Generals. His entire body was the color of coal, even the sclera of his eyes, like a midnight shadow with bright red irises.
Bright crimson eyes…shrouded in darkness…
‘I’m sorry, love. I thought you’d be safe around other humans, but I think they’re coming for you again.’
Unexpectedly, horrifying images flashed before my eyes, and something snapped in my head, like a dam bursting. My mind flooded with memories, along with it an overwhelming rage that instantly took over every facet of my being.
It happened so fast, and there were so many jumbled thoughts, that I was instantly confused as to what was what. But one thing I did know for certain – this monster in the sky was my enemy.
Suddenly, my entire body exploded with bolts of blue electricity, causing shrieks of surprise from everyone around, many zipping away at lightning speeds to avoid getting hit, including Jericho, who seemed especially shocked, sensing the raw unbridled rage emanating from my mind.
Few demons went very far though, seemingly dumbfounded to witness something they had never seen before. Feeling their minds too, it was clear that they weren’t worried about their own safety – like they should be – with years of near invincibility removing all fear of death.
Not that I cared.
Nothing mattered anymore.
Nothing, except this rage.
Nothing, except getting revenge against my enemy.
The monster above halted his descent too, just as surprised as everyone else, baffled at what he saw – and then, dumbstruck by who he saw.
By who he recognized.
Simultaneously, my mind reached out fully without restraint, no longer disguising my mental presence, making everyone aware that I was about to speak, just like someone who might step up on a stage for all to see.
Then, without fully realizing what I was doing, I began telepathically shouting as loud as I could manage, even more authority in my tone than the monster’s General had used, while mirroring my thoughts verbally, my throat erupting in rage.
“RAGNAROK!” I roared, the azure electricity bursting from my body only growing in intensity. “I’ll kill you! I’ll murder you! I’ll tear out your guts and feed them to you! I’ll rip off your horns and shove them through your skull! I won’t stop until you’re dead! I won’t ever stop!”
I sucked in a deep breath as the vivid image of the source of my anguish flashed before my eyes, causing a massive blast of energy to explode from my body, forcing the demons close by to be shoved backward, thick walls falling apart.
“I’LL DESTROY YOU FOR KILLING MY LOVE! FOR KILLING MIRIAM!”
Chapter 5: Confrontation
A wave of shock washed through the crowd of demons, including the majority of which I couldn’t see, knowing exactly who I was speaking of. Because now that I could see her face, I forced everyone else to see her too. There was no doubt. And instantly, I sensed a chasm of opinions as seemingly everyone took a side, some horrified that Ragnarok had killed a fellow Ruler, while others pieced together that she must have broken their law, considering I existed.
Not that I cared.
Not that I gave a damn!
Anyone who got in my way would die. They could all die!
My wings shot out to my sides as I exploded from the ground, leaving streaks of blue in my wake while I bolted for the monster high above me. He had already recovered from the initial surprise, preparing for a fight now, telling his Generals to stay out of it, being well aware that at this point they would just be collateral damage.
Because now I was fully transformed. Now I was on an equal footing. And only a Ruler cou
ld take down another Ruler.
All caution abandoned, I barreled for Ragnarok, attempting to send a bolt of energy at him, only for him to dodge it in the blink of an eye, seeming unamused by my attempt to attack. I tried again as I closed the gap, and he easily dodged a second time, until I was right up on him, swinging at him with my fist.
Instantly, he swatted at my hand and barreled his own at my side, prompting me to swing my wing around like a claw of death, attempting to impale him with a bony finger, only for his own wing to intercept mine and grab ahold of it like the massive hand it was, lunging his horns for my throat and chest.
My body exploded with energy again, blasting us apart just as his horn began digging into my skin, like a bomb going off between us, sending us both flying backward in the air away from each other.
The wound he had created hurt, but not as bad as the agony gripping my heart, knowing my love was dead. Knowing he had killed her.
I stuck out both arms, a multitude of lightning strikes erupting in his direction, him beginning to dodge one after another as I trailed after him, attempting to land a hit.
After a few seconds, I heard his deep authoritative mental tone call out to everyone, myself included, having decided to just end this now. After all, it wouldn’t do well to appear as if he was struggling against a brand-new Chrysalis in front of the entire Ryujin race.
‘My children! Let this be a lesson to any who might oppose me! Behold the hidden power of an Original!’
Instantly, a pinprick of bright white light appeared between his horns, and I suddenly saw my life flash before my eyes, as if I could feel my death even before it happened.
My body destroyed, disintegrated, in an instant.
There wasn’t enough time to dodge whatever he was about to do – just one hit an instant death. There was no escape.
This was the trump card of the pinnacle of power – something no one could defend against. Something no one could avoid.
Something that could end a fight in less than a second.
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