《Seven Years of Hope》


 Prologue 1: The Price of Hope

    A boy no older than 17 summers walks along a rough, dark tunnel. With no light to show his way, all he can do is walk carefully, holding the walls for guidance, and sometimes crawling to feel the ground beneath his feet. Twice had he fallen to holes too dark for him to see. Twice he had fallen farther beneath the surface.


    The chaos of battle above when he fell is now a distant memory. How long had he walked underneath the earth? How long ago did he fall? Is the battle over? He can¡¯t know for sure. Under the earth, in the darkness with no source of light, it is impossible for one to tell the time. In the darkness, even the counting of seconds becomes difficult. How long is a second? How long should he wait before one second is complete? Does a single step take a second, or does it take two?


    For all he knew, the battle above could¡¯ve been over.


    For all he knew, the world had ended.


    For all he knew, he was probably the last life in this world.


    Yet, his feet keep moving. Why is he still walking, he wonders. Perhaps he still has hopes. Perhaps he believes he can still find a way up to the surface.


    Or perhaps, he simply has to walk.


    Perhaps, stopping will end everything.


    Is there any hope?


    As he walks, he yells into the darkness, no longer caring who or what can hear him, ¡°Oi you gods of the world. You who allowed this to happen! For what purpose do we worship you all our lives if you can¡¯t even stop one of your own from destroying our world? You bastards who took our worship for granted. Where are you now?!¡±


    He falls to his knees, his tears no longer can be stopped, nor does he want to stop it. He has lost all strength. What purpose does he have now?


    When he fell into the deep hole, the allied armies were already in full rout. Despite the order to hold the line, despite knowing that they were the last hope of all who live, despite how many thousands lost their lives creating the power stones with which to charge their grand spells, the army fled. The last hope, the final defensive line on which all the wishes of living beings rested was no more.


    He tried to deny it at first, but deep inside him, he knew even then that there was no longer any hope. He doesn¡¯t even know if he is still alive. Perhaps this is his Hell, to forever walk in this darkness for not being there to stand beside his mistress, the Priestess of the Holy Song, Selenia the Saint of Starsilver.


    ¡°Gods! Answer me! Punish me if you wish! My mistress! Save my mistress!¡±


    He closes his eyes, his eyes flowing with tears and his nose blocked with snot. Regardless, he kneels in the position of worship, and asks the gods with as clear a voice he can. In his mind, this is perhaps his last prayer.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°You gods! If any of you are still listening. Listen to my voice! Punish me if you wish. Burn me in fire. Bury me in this tunnel. Drown me a thousand times if it will be enough. Exchange my suffering for my mistress¡¯s life. I beg you. If a thousand times is not enough, drown me a million times. She deserves a chance. Our mistakes, let it not be her burden!¡±


    The moment he speaks the last words, he feels a bright light shining through his pupils. He opens his eyes and quickly closes his eyes again. After walking in the darkness for who knows how long, his eyes are completely blinded by the light. Yet it is for naught. He can no longer see, for mortals who see the bright light of this presence will be forever blinded by its brilliance.


    ¡°Child, what is it you desire?¡± A voice echoes inside the light.


    ¡°What - who are you?¡± the boy asks.


    ¡°The gods of your world call us The Anchor of the World. Of any human names, we know not. You may call us the same.¡±


    ¡°Gods? Are you a god?¡±


    ¡°God ... we are not aware of being called this. We do not exist in the same plane as the gods of your existence. We are merely The Anchor, who watch everything that ever was, is and will.¡±


    ¡°Can you bring me up to the surface?¡±


    ¡°We can, it is easier than building the stars. But is that what you wish? Do you wish to return to the surface?¡±


    ¡°No...¡± the boy clenches his fists, recalling his powerlessness in the last battle, ¡°I wish to be of use to my mistress, but I did my best ... and I still fell short.¡±


    ¡°We understand. Mere mortals cannot stand against such might.¡±


    ¡°But the gods. If the gods will help, won¡¯t it be possible to win? After all, Halleb is only one woman even if she is a goddess. Surely the combined might of all the gods can easily defeat her.¡±


    ¡°That is no longer possible. Your gods are no longer in your world.¡±


    ¡°What? Where did they go?¡±


    ¡°To the place where dead gods go, a place not even we are privy of.¡±


    ¡°Dead? The gods ... dead? What ... I ... how...¡±


    The boy breaks down in a babble of senseless words, unable to form even one coherent sentence. Too many thoughts flood his mind. Too many that he can¡¯t even decide which should go first.


    ¡°Child, we are aware this may be hard for you to swallow. In place of your gods, we shall give you one last assistance. Speak, what is your wish, child?¡±


    ¡°I-I wish for the gods to be revived!¡±


    ¡°That is impossible. You cannot pay the price.¡±


    ¡°Price?¡±


    ¡°Of course, everything has a price. You know this, no?¡±


    ¡°Then ... give us victory over the forces of doom.¡±


    ¡°Victory at this point requires a miracle. It is a miracle for which you cannot pay.¡±


    ¡°Then, take my life, take my body, take my soul, take everything of me. Just save my mistress, for she is our final hope.¡±


    ¡°If hope is all you wish for, then step forward and touch the light. Hope is all that we can give you.¡±


    The boy gets back on unsteady feet. He stumbles in the darkness of his sight, unaware that his eyes were already burned black in its socket. Despite the darkness in his sight, he takes one weak step after another, guided by the warmth of the light that touches his skin.


    After he has taken twenty steps forward, he reaches forward with both his hands. He doesn¡¯t know why he feels as if he has arrived, but he has. His faith is rewarded when he feels something solid, yet he can no longer feel the flames that burn away his clothes, his skin and even his flesh. For he has touched a power beyond comprehension, that his mortal shell cannot withstand its greatness. Without pain or suffering, his body, his soul, the entire existence that makes up the boy are undone. To the world, he never existed.

 Prologue 2: A Sacrifice, Unknown

    On the surface, the forces of General Uleb, The Kin of Champions are pressed to its last man by the rampaging forces of Airu The Plague Bearer. Knowing no other path of retreat, General Uleb raises his hammer, the Heaven¡¯s Boulder, that stands the full height of a grown man and slams it down against the ground. The ground cracks, creating a wide rift that separates the armies of the allied nations and the plague monsters.


    It is unfortunate that he is on the side with the plague monsters, for he could not control how the cracks would form. He could not foresee what would happen in the future. Yet he stands firm.


    A man against many, his blows throwing monsters twice his height to the sky, his hammer smashes the skulls, bones and flesh of the plague monsters to mush. The blood of the plague monsters falls on his face, burning him with their corrosive substance. Yet he stands firm before the thousands of plague beasts, each the match of a hundred men.


    Alas, not even one of his prowess can stand against so many. For he is only one man. A single man who bought the allied armies precious time to retreat and reorganize at what would be the last line of the defense just outside the city of Gralnika.


    It is the same on the high grounds of the mountain pass. While the long-eared soldiers of the Lost Woods stand their ground better than the others, they are about to face their greatest adversary. The black dragons, long thought to have died off, appeared at the battlefield right after the sun reached midday. Despite the power of their long bows made of the sacred oaks nurtured until a spirit resided inside them, they were no match for the scalding breaths of the black dragons.


    As the flames with the heat and substance of volcanic magma burn their soldiers, the venerable soldiers of the Lost Woods are routed. These legendary soldiers thought to be mere myths passed down from parents to children, lost their will to fight against the unstoppable might of the black dragon flight. None of them were alive during the battle that saw the annihilation of the black dragons a millennia ago, as all those who fought died during the battle or during the march home. What they knew of the black dragons power were second hand stories passed down to the folks who went to look for the survivors before being passed down to the rest.


    How did our ancestors defeat them at the height of their power? That same thought plays in each of their minds. Despite their pride of being the most powerful warriors in the world, they now understand that it was mere arrogance. Facing a true foe, their power is found wanting.


    Yet one among them stands firm. Slapping the banner bearers and trumpeters to their senses, she urges them to their feet. Sounding the rallying call for perhaps the final time, High Commander Restini, commander of twenty thousand soldiers stands firm before the coming darkness. With her armour broken, her helm missing and her body still suffering numerous bloody wounds, she raises the legendary spear Hal¡¯geris in the air with one good hand and charges alone.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    She knows her army¡¯s morale is at its lowest point, yet she is unwilling to give up. She realizes that she can no longer urge her army to fight, not with the powerful black dragons as the enemy¡¯s vanguard. But she must fight, for this must not be the end. She swore to live and die with Selenia, so how can she run away now and allow Selenia to fight alone?


    ¡°Great ancestors, I am Restini, daughter of Sayol and Ileas, descendant of Aharis, who fought the black dragons at the valley of death. Grant me the strength with which my ancestor slew the foul black dragons. Take my blood and give me the strength to annihilate them again!¡±


    Restini can feel the ancestors answering her call. Her power surges, her wounds close and her broken right arm heals itself. The ancestors have responded to her wish, to turn her blood into pure power. The same power that the long ears once relied on in the same battle thousands of years before.


    She jumps ahead at the face of a vile black dragon. Seeing the lone long ear warrior approaching them, the black dragons together pour forth a torrent of fire and magma at Restini. As Restini is still in the air, she has no way to avoid the rush of fire and magma. Thus she calls to the spirits, ¡°Spirits of air, I beg for wings!¡±


    Mere seconds before the flames devour her, she appears above the torrent of flames, seemingly lifted up by the very wind itself. Concentrating her wild magic into the spear in her hand, she makes a wide slash downwards towards the three black dragons that released their breaths at her just a moment before. The force of the slash makes a blade of wind and magic, carving deep into the backs of the dragons, cutting their tough bodies into twos.


    Seeing her resolve, the other soldiers of the Lost Woods turn back toward the dragons. Firming their hold against their spears, swords and bows, they take a step forward. And then they take another step. And another. Until in the end it becomes a thunderous charge.


    ¡°Great ancestors, I, Murle son of Yum and Sarla offer my blood, my life. Grant me the power to fight besides my lord.¡±


    ¡°Great ancestors, Arin of Ayn and Mare pays my respect. Give me the power to defeat our ancient enemies, no matter what the cost.¡±


    ¡°Great ancestors, great spirits, I am Felmor. Take my everything, let me fight again for the last time!¡±


    ¡°Great ancestors, grant this child your blessing. Let our blood never be remembered as the blood of cowards.¡±


    And so they fight again. Not with weapons made by mortal hands, but with weapons made of blood and nature. Their own bodies become the weapons by which they cut and stab hundreds of black dragons. What was once a hopeless fight has become a fair battle, with thousands of long ears fighting together to defeat hundreds of their ancient enemies, the black dragons.


    Yet still, they fail. The power received by exchanging their blood was a temporary and final measure. Had it only been a couple hundred black dragons, they might¡¯ve won. But they were too many. As the long ears skin pales and their movements stiffen, one by one they are ripped apart by the black dragons¡¯ claws or burned to cinders with their magma breath.


    As for Restini, she already fell long before the first of the other long ears start to fall. Not even able to utter a single word as she breathed her last, her spirit uttered, ¡°I go first, Selenia.¡±

 Prologue 3: Their Utter Despair

    "Hold the line!" General Falrus, the grand commander of all allied armies bellows his order. His voice loud and powerful, enhanced by his personal charisma and command magic making even the front line troops two miles in front of him able to hear him clearly.


    "Hold the line! You are humanity''s last line of defense. Do not falter. We must delay them here! Now!"


    General Falrus looks at the four lines of defense before him stretching throughout the wheat fields east of Gralnika. Their number is great, but in truth, numbers mean nothing. For this is all that they have left. There is nothing else to deploy, no one else to conscript. These men who stand before the city of Gralnika are truly the last line of defense. Not only for humanity, they are the last line of defense for all who live.


    After all, the mountain people were eaten to the last man by strange monsters that came out of the shadows of their caves two seasons earlier. The short folks succumbed to a mysterious plague that wiped them out the year before. The fae folks disappeared so mysteriously that not one scholar could offer a theory. The bird folks escaped in fear to the west, hoping that the rumoured continent of Naksa exist. The merfolks were eaten by monsters that rose from the deep oceans. And the most powerful creatures, the red and gold dragons were wiped out by who knows what and who knows when. If not for the Saint of Starsilver journeying to their nests and finding only bones, none would''ve known that the good dragons were all dead.


    As for the soldiers, they know in their hearts that they are all that are left. They toughen their resolve, hoping that with their sacrifice, there will be a future for those they left behind. Despite the increasing casualties, they stand firm, unmoving, awaiting the last battle of their lives.


    To some, it is for their families who are being transported through a magical portal to gods know where, far in the western part of the continent. To some, it is a matter of national pride, for they will not admit that their nations are weaker than mere monsters. To some, it is their belief that their commanders will stand with them through thick and thin. To some, it is their faith that the Priestess of the Holy Song will be able to sway the gods to join their struggle.


    For those who fight for their families, they fight only to buy time for the Twelve Heavenly Maidens. For these maidens are the only help granted by the gods. These maidens, blessed by the gods and ordained by the Saint of Starsilver are the only ones left who can protect their families and loved ones. The only reason for them to stay and fight is to delay the forces of doom for as long as they can. The longer they can hold the enemy off, the more time the Twelve Heavenly Maidens will have to gather the survivors and escape through the portal.


    Praises to Grexia The Sailor, may she forever guide the sailors and merchants.


    Praises to Illumia of The Dawn, may she protect our children and future.


    Praises to Allyn Who Perseveres, who rewards hard work and blesses diligence.


    Praises to Miol The Shield, may our homes be forever protected.


    Praises to Amarita of Desire, who blesses those who pursue their goals.


    Praises to Unar Who Is Passionate, who blesses families to be fruitful.


    Praises to Lenya Who Entertains, may she give hope to those without.


    Praises to Nuei the Guide of Souls, may she bring the dead to eternal peace.


    Praises to Maika The Crafter, may she guide their prosperity.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    Praises to Irua The Guard, may she forever protect their lives.


    Praises to Nila of the Dusk, may she continue to protect their souls.


    Praises to Ya of Abundance, may she feed them always.


    This chant is repeated over and over, as these men can only pray that the Twelve Heavenly Maidens will succeed. To most, this chant is the only thing preventing them from deserting. It is a constant reminder that if they desert here, not only they, but their families will also perish.


    As for the rest, their only hope is that they will not fight alone. For this is the last hour of all who live and it is this last hour that they must fight, even to the last blood. Doom has come to their world, and they shall fight so that those they are protecting can prosper, or die doing their best. To these men and women, they are aware that they will die today, and they have resolved to fight their hardest to bring down as many of the enemy as possible and buy as much time that their lives can exchange.


    "Your excellency, how is it? Will the gods offer assistance?" General Falrus asks Selenia, the Priestess of the Holy Song.


    Throughout the battle that saw the annihilation of the long ears and the death of General Uleb, Selenia was dancing following the tune of the Staff of Melodies. It was a ritual meant to summon the gods to appear in their physical forms. However, it did not work. With every dance, her moves became increasingly erratic, her feelings increasingly desperate. Finally, her stamina gone, she fell to the blighted ground, its grass long consumed by the taint of the demons, plague monsters and undead that press against their combined armies.


    "Your excellency, please, will the gods help us? It is now or never. Look, our front lines are already massacred. It is only a matter of time before they break through our rear defensive line as well. We cannot hold the ground!"


    Without looking up at the general, Selenia mutters in a voice so soft it can barely be heard over the chaos. "... silent."


    "What?" the general asks as he kneels on leg beside Selenia.


    "The gods... THEY ARE SILENT!" Selenia cries aloud. If her voice does not betray her despair, her droplets falling from her face certainly do. For a priestess most favoured by the gods to no longer be able to hear the gods, it can only mean one thing.


    "What? The gods are silent?" A nearby officer asks.


    "The gods are silent?" These words spread like wildfire among the ranking officers.


    "Have we been abandoned?" This thought plays among the soldiers, increasing their anxiety the more they repeat it in their minds.


    "Are we now truly alone?" This sentiment grows with every word spoken.


    These thoughts finally become the breaking point for the allied army. As word spreads that the gods no longer respond to the dances of the Saint of Starsilver, the hopelessness of the situation sets in. Although they didn''t truly count on the gods to turn their fates around before, they were comfortable with the hope that, perchance, the gods would lend a hand.


    Now that they know with certainty that the gods will not do so, the resolve in their hearts wavers. As more of their fellow soldiers fall by their sides, the fear that took root in their hearts becomes a monster that claws from the deep corner of their souls, persistent and unyielding. As they see the terrain covered entirely by the mass of enemy monsters, undeads and demons, one man turns around to flee. Then another follows, and another, and another. In mere moments the entire remainder of the front lines as well as half of the rear lines deserted the battlefield.


    "No! Stop running! We are the last line of defense! Stand your ground!" General Falrus cries his commands to deaf ears. He knows now that not even his voice can persuade the routing soldiers.


    Despite his usual polite demeanor, he grabs Selenia''s hand, still weak from the despair of being abandoned and throws her to the single remaining officer by his side. The Duke of Marlis catches the young priestess in his arms and receives the general''s order to take her away through the portal. The duke gives a single bow of respect, the last of its kind before he puts Selenia on his horse and flees in the direction of the portal. The duke himself is unsure if he will be able to reach the portal that is five days distance from Gralnika.


    As General Falrus looks at the prone form of the priestess, he says so quietly that none can hear even if the battlefield is silent, "The gods may have abandoned us in this world, but perhaps the gods of this new world will still listen to your songs, Your Excellency. You are our last hope."


    Then he looks up at the sky, raises his broadsword up high and yells aloud, "You gods who reign above, this is my final prayer. Let my life be the payment for hers. Protect her as you have protected her before. My life, I offer it to you."


    And so General Falrus, first of the allied armies, the Hero of Canrad Pass, charges into his final battle with the misguided hope that he alone can delay the approaching mass.

 Chapter 1

    "Sister Selenia! Sister Selenia!"


    The loud voice in my ears along with the shaking of my shoulders wake me from the fog in my mind. As I open my eyes, a soft blue light enters my eyes reminding me of what we once lost. It is a familiar light, one I''ve seen probably a thousand times, even tens of thousands of times. It is the light of the Holy Starsilver, spinning slowly above the magical altar made by the now extinct azure mountain people.


    "What - where..." I look around the room, recognizing a chamber that I haven''t seen for a long time.


    It is a chamber that I haven''t entered for at least six years. This chamber shouldn''t exist anymore. Six years ago, this place was attacked and ransacked by the demons of fire and the demons of blades that killed all the priestesses and burned the entire temple complex down. Even the Holy Starsilver that had adorned this chamber for the past 600 years was taken away to gods know where. Only a handful of priestesses and Knights of the Holy Starsilver survived the sudden attack. I was one of those who survived and had to escape alone.


    The sister breathes a sigh of relief. "I''m so glad you are awake. You suddenly lost consciousness during dawn worship. Are you alright, sister?"


    "Sister Eryes?" I ask in disbelief. Sister Eryes was one of those who sat in worship during the attack on the Hall of Stellar Radiance. In this very hall. She should''ve been the first to die. How can she still be alive?


    "Yes, Sister Selenia. Greetings of dawn. If you are feeling unwell, you should''ve told me. It is not good to pray with an ill body."


    "No... no, I am fine. Is this a dream?"


    "A dream?" Sister Eryes seems to fall into deep thought before she hit the palm of her left hand with her other fist, "Indeed! Life is a dream. A dream that speaks of our worth before the stars. I have finally found the answer!"


    "Uh? What?"


    Sister Eryes falls to her knees facing the giant crystal of the Holy Starsilver. She closes her eyes, clasps her hands at her chest and says, "Oh Radiance of the Night, I thank thee for thine guidance. Please continue to guide this humble self forever more, until this dream ends and this humble self returns to the stars."


    A door behind me opens. "Sister, I heard you collapsed. What happened? Are you alright?"Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    It is the voice of someone who should not exist anymore. It is the voice of someone I have missed so very much. Someone who should''ve already been dead long, long ago.


    "Kal-Kaldar?" I turn around, looking at the face that I haven''t seen for six long years.


    "Yes, it is me. Is something wrong, sister?" Kaldar answers as he gets on his knees with a face full of worry.


    "Kaldar!" I cry aloud, my feet push me toward him in a sudden jump.


    Caught off guard by my sudden move, he instinctively opens his arms, allowing me to jump into his embrace. His body covered in chain mail is hard and cold, but this... knowing that behind it Kaldar still breathes and his blood still courses through his veins, is such a great comfort that my tears can no longer be stopped. Kaldar is here.


    "Kaldar! Kaldar!"


    This Kaldar who followed me when I was chosen as a trainee priestess of the Holy Starsilver. This Kaldar who said he would protect me from the mean senior priestesses. This Kaldar who pledged he would protect my chastity and purity. This Kaldar who swore that he would be my knight once he passed the selection ceremony for the Knights of Starsilver. This Kaldar who trained alone in the woods, fighting wolves, imps and kobolds from the age of 5 to the day he turned 13. This Kaldar who did everything for my good and supported me throughout my whole life. This Kaldar who I remember more than my own parents. This Kaldar who abandoned his own family to walk by my side when I was sold to the sanctuary.


    This Kaldar who swore to protect me for as long as I live.


    This Kaldar... who said he would protect me, but he lied. He swore to be my shield, promised to be my sword for as long as I lived, but he lied. His promises were empty. His vows were not fulfilled.


    Despite swearing to be my knight, he perished right after swearing the oath. With his own strength nurtured for years in the wilderness, he alone took me out of the burning temple complex into the hidden path under the Hall of Repentance. He alone fought off the pursuing demons of blades, dozens of them, against his single might. Yet he did not complain, he did not tire. He simply fought them one after another. And in the end, he sent me off with a smile as his broken body spilled its lifeblood on the ground.


    Kaldar, what was the use of saving me, if you were not there to walk with me? What was the use of saving me, if you perished soon after? What was the use of saving me, this useless me, if you died in my stead? Why was I the one alive? I who was useless, and always useless to the end of days. It was you who should live. You who were called The Shield of the Stars.


    Had it been you, instead of me, Entou would not have fallen in vain. Had it been you, Erle would not have died that day. Had it been you... if it was you... if you only you were alive...


    "Kaldar! Kaldar! Kaldar!" There is no other word to say. My mind can no longer form any words. Kaldar is alive.


    Kaldar is alive! The feeling of helplessness when Kaldar gave his life for me. The regret of not being able to do anything when Kaldar could only smile to sooth my heart despite the pain in his body. The despair of seeing him hacked into pieces and beheaded by the blade demons. The feeling of being unworthy of such a sacrifice. It is now undone. If this is a dream, this is a wonderful dream.


    Now Kaldar is alive again! That is all that matters!


    Kaldar is alive!

 Chapter 2

    "Selenia? I could hear you from the hall - oh dung, Sister Eryes!"


    This voice...


    "Umm, greetings of dawn, Sister Eryes."


    Aria? Is it truly Aria? Aria is alive? Aria...


    Will I be forgiven for embracing this dream?


    "Greetings of dawn, Sister Aria," Sister Eryes greets back making a small bow just like Aria probably did.


    "Aria? Is that really you?" I speak as softly as I can, afraid of my voice shattering her image like it has so my times before. My eyes grasp at Aria''s fleeting figure, afraid it will fade away again. This Aria who kept running away from me in my dreams. No matter how hard I chased, no matter how much I begged, no matter how many tears I shed, I was never able to catch her.


    Aria makes that teasing grin that I have already started to forget. That same grin that I kept clawing through my memory just to remember but failing increasingly often. "Silly Nia. Of course it''s me. It''s only been a few hours and you can''t recognize me anymore?"


    Aria! I slacken my arms that are wrapped around Kaldar. Getting on my feet, I take a step slowly in Aria''s direction. I do not want my steps to disturb her image. I do not want the sound of my movements to scare her away. I do not want her to disappear again. I can''t bear it anymore.


    Please don''t disappear, Aria.


    Please don''t disappear.


    Please don''t disappear.


    Please don''t disappear.


    Please I beg you, stay where you are. Just this once.


    Please don''t leave me again. Just this once.


    Please gods who reign in Heaven, allow me this one selfishness. Just this one. You have never allowed me any.


    "Wait, what are you doing?"


    "Aria!" I throw myself at her.


    My arms wrap around her waist, expecting her to turn into butterflies again. It doesn''t happen. She doesn''t disappear. She doesn''t fade away. She doesn''t shatter. She doesn''t run away. Aria is here, in my arms. She feels real, this feeling that I have already started to forget.


    Oh gods, thank you for letting me hold her one last time.


    "Nia, why are you crying?" She asks as she wipes the tears from my eyes with a jasmine scented handkerchief.


    I bury my face in her voluminous breasts covered in a particularly revealing fashion common among the divine dancers of the Starsilver. I remember this raiment from long ago. She used to wear it on every special day. And in this raiment, she would dance for me, just for me.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    On the Day of the Silver Sun, she danced and sang the Hymn of Guiding Light. On the Night of Endless Stars, she danced with a hum following the song Light of A Thousand Lights. On the day we kissed for the first time, she danced to the silent tune of Eternally, Passionately. And on the day of my first foray into the cursed forests to study the demon monsters, she danced the steps for The Way Home, as if praying to the gods for my return. I only learned later that she danced The Way Home for the whole night until she fell exhausted at ghost hour.


    I look up at her face as I tell her, "I miss you." I do not know how I look like to her with all my crying, but it doesn''t matter. I miss her. For the whole six years we''ve been apart, I''ve missed her. My dear, dear Aria. My first love.


    "Umm, it''s only been a couple of hours. Are you that excited for today?" She looks embarrassed as she looks to the side. Then her face goes pale and cold sweat appears on her forehead.


    "Selenia, get off me! We''ll both get in trouble. Look! Sister Eryes is looking! And her mouth and eyes are wide open! Get off!"


    I tune out her words. Nothing else seems to matter anymore. Aria is here, in my arms, her face only inches from mine.


    Aria, I miss you. For the past six years, I have longed for you. Your face that I saw every night as we slept. Your hands that stroked me softly while you told me how I''ve been doing a good job. Your scent that calmed me and made everything felt right. Your kiss that made me feel alive and cherished. Your voice that sang me to sleep.


    Your voice. Aria, for these six years, I kept replaying your voice in my head. As I did good deeds, I would play your words, "That''s my girl." When I failed, your "You''ve done your best" would always bring me back up. When I was about to do something wrong, your "I don''t like this Nia" would always stay my hand. Your voice in my memories have always been the only thing that kept me on the right path.


    Aria, your beauty that radiates like the full moon.


    Aria, your voice that is like the songs of angels.


    Aria, your dances that move heaven and earth.


    Aria, your smile that lights up even the darkest of days.


    I miss all of those.


    You have always been the only one I longed for. You and only you. When King Garan forced me to be Gods'' Chosen Saint, I wished you were there to tell him off. When I had to fight for my life and my purity in the back streets of Kellomis, I wished you were there to pull me away. When I had to beg for food to fill my belly, I imagined that you were there pulling my hand to the dining halls again.


    If I wasn''t at the library at that time, would I have been able to save you? Would I have had your company while I walked through that path alone? Would you stay with me through thick and thin, penniless, hungry and at the mercy of people who only had their own self-interest in mind? Aria, what a wonderful world it would have been if only you had been there to walk it with me.


    I will say this now, so that I will not regret it again. Even if this is a dream. Even if this is an illusion I''m seeing at the end of the doom of our world. Even if this is the illusion I''m seeing at the end of my life, I will say it. The words that I couldn''t say six years ago. The words I couldn''t say before that. The words I had tried to keep secret in my heart, afraid of the punishment I would receive for saying it aloud.


    I hold the back of her head in my right hand and say it aloud, clearly, without pretense, without hesitation, without any doubt, "I love you, Aria."


    Aria, if I have only one regret in this world, it is that I never said these words until it was too late. I will not make the same mistake again. And with that, I give her the kiss that I had been dreaming about for the past six years. The same kiss I was afraid of initiating. The same kiss that I have been afraid of savouring. It is the kiss and passion that I have kept bottled up for the past six years.


    For this moment, there are only the two of us in the world. A world of our own. A world with no one else. A world we belong. Nothing matters to me in this world other than Aria.