《Your Sweet Heart》


 Prologue

    The moment you fall in love, you unlock all this great potential you thought you never had¡ªMagic. This magic is the source of someone¡¯s boost, a unique ability that no one else in the world has. And when I was a kid, I witnessed everyone but myself awaken their boost. So I thought to myself an explanation as to why, I guess it''s hard falling in love when everyone hates you.


    I live in a small town called Heavenly. Population: 9000. Nothing particularly interesting about it, but still. It''s my home and I love it. If there were anything interesting, however, perhaps it''d be the many farms and the cute animals in them. Or maybe the hot springs where many beautiful women go to relax. Or, I know, the one-thousand-year-old tree that glows mysterious, blue spores and sits atop a hill not that far in the outskirts of our town.


    One thing is for sure, I love it here because it''s peaceful and because nothing interesting ever goes on¡ªkinda like me! Even if I''m all alone and don''t have that many friends, Heavenly will always be my home. Sure, it''d be a thousand times better if I had a hot girlfriend to share this peace and quiet with but oh well, at least I have my magazines. And at least I have my one and only friend, Cassandra. In my eyes, she''s undoubtedly the most popular, beloved, and powerful girl in my school. And I appreciate her friendship more than she will probably ever know. However, she belongs to a whole group of friends that are completely out of my league. All I can do is watch her from afar and be thankful for the few moments I get to spend with her.


    Cassandra, I''d fall in love with her if only I didn''t know that I have a zero percent chance in getting it on with her. She has smooth, peachy skin. Silky,long,pink hair dyed a bit black. Glossy, red lips and sky-blue eyes. Not to mention, a slim waist with wide hips, along with thick thighs and an awesome chest size. She''s about an inch taller than me though, so she''s probably about 4¡¯10¡±. In short, she''s hot. But not only that, she''s the smartest and most capable person I know. She''s second place in my entire 3rd year Middle School in both academics and training to becoming a knight.


    While me, I''m dead last in training of course¡ªall I can do is barely hold a sword and get my ass kicked by everyone during practice-matches. My grades are okay¡ªnothing to brag about but also nothing to be ashamed of. Still, though, my dream is to become a knight.


    I don''t know how I will do it, but for sure I will attend Arpie High¡ªthe most prestigious knight academy in town. At least, I hope. I like to think so, but I just don''t know. I''m lost. I''m scared.


    It¡¯s nighttime, and so I¡¯m lying down in bed under my covers, contemplating how meaningless my existence is. And I can''t help but think to myself about everything that I have lied about. All I want are friends¡­ all I want is someone to love, to hold in my arms. I''m tired of being lonely, all this peace and quiet is going to drive me insane. Please somebody¡ªanybody, help me!


    I start to cry in bed, I could feel my nose hurt a little since that''s what happens when you cry while lying down. Everything I thought about in bed is the truth. I don''t care about magic nor becoming a knight, but I hope against hope that it will at least help me become popular some day like all the other knights on TV that save the day.


    I look at my phone to see if I have gotten any new messages but of course, zero. My vision becomes blurry from all the tears suffocating my eyes, but then I hear something.


    Ding!


    It was a notification, and as I sit up, I quickly wipe away my tears to see if my eyes are deceiving me. But they weren''t. I can feel a warm smile slowly grow on my face as I look at my phone screen.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    It was a text from Cassandra, asking if I''d like to hang out with her after school tomorrow at a nearby cafe to celebrate her official status as the salutatorian.


    My heart felt like it was going to burst out of my chest only to grab my phone and throw it out the window because of how good it was to be true. I think for about five minutes, walking around my room so I can come up with the perfect text as all teenagers with a crush do. Ten minutes pass, then fifteen minutes pass. And before I knew it, my thumbs begin wording out the message my brain has been killing itself to come up with.


    I text back, Sure! and immediately facepalm for how stupid that text was. No, you idiot! That sounds too desperate! Ugh! She''s gonna hate you and then you won''t be able to hang out tomorrow! You ruined it! Just kill yourself already!


    I throw myself on to my bed, thinking about all the ways I messed up because of that simple Sure!


    But then I hear another Ding! and I spring up faster than the morning wood I have yet to understand.


    Cassandra replied, Okay! Let''s meet up at the front gate after school (:


    At that moment, I knew that I was in uncharted territory. A smiley face??? I think to myself, I don''t know how to reply to a fucking smiley face!!


    I again think for several minutes, trying to come up with the perfect reply no man has ever come up with before.


    I text back. Sure! (:


    Yup, that''s it. I should kill myself, I think to myself, as I look around my room to see if I can find any sort of rope I can use to hang myself. But then I hear another Ding! and I throw myself to my phone on the bed as if there were someone else in my room curious to see what that mischievous text was about, but I live alone so I just looked like a total idiot.


    Cassandra replied, lol, Belly you don''t have to try so hard when texting me (;


    A WINKY FACE??? I think to myself AND SHE KNEW ABOUT ME TRYING SO HARD??? HOW???


    I reply with, Oh, okay. Yeah, you''re right. Sorry I''m just not used to texting a lot.


    As I lie in bed on my stomach looking at my phone screen, perfectly knowing my face is redder than a tomato, I begin to bury my face in my pillow, overjoyed because tomorrow I will be hanging out with Cassandra, my only friend.


    And while this embarrassment is going on, Cassandra, as always¡ªsince she was a little girl¡ªis secretly lying down in bed in our middle school nurse¡¯s office.


    As she sucks on one of the lollipops the nurse is supposed to give to good students who behave well during a check-up, she stares at her phone, smiling, as her face turns a cute blush.


    She says aloud to herself, ¡°Belly, you''re so weird.¡± And continues to text me completely knowing how flustered I''ll get over her doing so.


    We text all night, and we finally say goodnight to each other around 4am. A little bit disappointed, I put my phone down next to me as I lie in bed.


    That was the longest I''ve ever texted with a girl, I think to myself, still processing it. And that girl was Cassandra!


    My chest begins to ache a bit, and I can hear the sound of my own heartbeat. I take off my covers and sit up as I hold my chest because my body is getting hotter and hotter at the thought of Cassandra.


    ¡°Tomorrow''s a big day,¡± I whisper to myself smiling.


    I wonder what clothes I should wear.

 A Knight in Love 1

    I have never had anyone nor anything. Once, when I was a little kid, I gave a drawing of a flower to the little girl I had a little crush on¡ªand who I thought of as my only friend¡ªbecause I was so poor that I couldn''t even afford roses. And I remember being so proud of myself, too, for finally confessing the feelings I had yet to fully understand - love. But the next day, together with her group of friends, they made fun of my drawing right in front of me. I could feel so many tears roll down my bright red face as I covered my bright red ears with my hands while on the floor, doing nothing but begging for them to leave me alone.


    I kept thinking to myself, My heart¡­ it hurts¡­ it really, really hurts.


    Because of people like them, I lost all hope in ever finding love. I never experienced the warmth, comfort, nor attention that everyone around me received. I never awakened the magic inside of me¡ªthe magic that¡¯s inside all of us.


    As everyone else advanced in their training to become full fledged knights, I fell behind. I always went to sleep crying; I always dreaded the next day of school; and I always wished to be strong. Strong¡ªlike my childhood bully, Joshua. The guy who all the girls wanted to date, including the girl I had a crush on. But I couldn¡¯t be as strong as Joshua. I didn¡¯t have magic like him. I wasn¡¯t as smart as him. And I wasn¡¯t as charismatic as him. All I was ever good at, was being a good-for-nothing, crybaby loser.


    ¡°Geez~! Belly, so what?¡± Cassandra asks me impatiently as she stretches out her athletic body.


    ¡°... Huh?¡± I say like the clueless idiot I am.


    The two of us were hanging out at a nearby cafe after school. Celebrating Cassandra¡¯s official status as the salutatorian of my middle school year.


    Cassandra slowly stands up with a plate of cake in her hand. ¡°Ugh. Shut up already, you buzzkill.¡±


    ¡°But-But I¡¯m not even saying anythi¡ª!¡± And Cassandra interrupts me by throwing a twelve dollar roman chocolate cake at my face.


    ¡°Shh~. Don¡¯t say anything right now, Belly. I can tell by just looking at your face. You¡¯re still worried about Arpie High¡¯s entrance exams, aren¡¯t you?¡± Covered in cake, I slowly nod, ¡°I knew it.¡± Cassandra gives off a big sigh, ¡°You think you won¡¯t pass because your boost still hasn¡¯t awakened, huh?¡±


    ¡°Mmm¡­ It-It¡¯s not just that.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? What do you mean?¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    ¡°Well, since I was a little kid, I¡¯ve dreamt about becoming a knight one day because for sure it¡¯s the key to getting a girlfriend, right¡­?¡±


    Cassandra¡¯s eye twitches, and she thinks to herself, You-You¡¯ve gotta be shitting me.


    ¡°And, you see, me graduating from Arpie High¡ªthe most prestigious knight academy in town¡ªwould ensure that dream to come true someday¡­ But-But if I¡¯m not even accepted¡­ It-It¡¯d just prove, that I really am worthless,¡± my voice begins to crack, ¡°B-Because no other dream of mine¡­¡±


    And for some reason, I remember Joshua and the girl I had a crush on, ¡°No other dream of mine¡­ has ever come true¡­ I¡¯m all alone, Cassandra, and I don¡¯t know what to do.¡±


    And to this desperate cry for help, Cassandra, my one and only friend who I don''t deserve, of course tries to cheer me up by throwing another expensive cake at my face.


    ¡°Mmf¡ª! Cassandra?¡± I ask as I wipe cake off my eyes, ¡°Seriously? Again? Hmm.¡±


    ¡°Geez, Belly, do you ever stop bitchin¡¯?"


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    She slams her hands on the table and aggressively grabs my shirt collar and tells me to my face, "Don¡¯t you know that I¡¯m here for you dammit! Don¡¯t you know that, even if the whole world thinks of you as a failure, I will always believe in you! And don¡¯t you know that it hurts me a little? Seeing you be all negative like that¡­¡±


    I never knew she cared so much,


    ¡°... And guess another ¡®what.¡¯ The reason why a jerk like Joshua is so strong and popular, is because he¡¯s worked hard getting to that point! While all you¡¯ve done is nothing but mope around!...¡±


    My eyes widen,


    ¡°You see¡­? Where''s that sparkle in your eyes?¡± Cassandra picks up a napkin and reaches out towards me, ¡°I want to see a different you. Show me a Cynthia Abella who believes in himself and never gives up. With or without magic. Will you, please? If not for yourself, then at least do it¡­ for me?¡±


    As Cassandra helps clean my face, I can¡¯t help but notice how warm her smile and hands are against my cold self.


    I begin to think to myself, She¡¯s right¡­ She¡¯s totally right¡­!


    Then, all of a sudden, a burst of sky-blue light enlightens the entire cafe, ¡°Wha-What the hell¡¯s going on?¡± The people ask in a panic.


    Cassandra, flinching, yells out my name, ¡°B-Belly? What¡¯s going on?¡±


    But I continue to think to myself, It¡¯s about time that I show her¡­ The only person who believes in me¡­ It¡¯s about damn time that I show her a peasant¡­ a peasant, who she can call her knight in shining armor!


    The powerful flash of light vanishes without a trace, and everyone turns their head to its source - me.


    Concerned, but a little amused, Cassandra asks me with a light giggle, ¡°Belly? Haha-Are you okay?¡±


    Exhausted, I look up and respond, ¡°Ugh, hah¡­ No~! What-What in the world was that? Hah, hah, huh~¡± and I fall face-first into even more cake.


    I didn¡¯t realize it then, but that glimpse of hope would be just enough for me to mark the promise I made to myself. Or more appropriately, the silent promise I made for Cassandra. My one and only friend, and the only person who believes in me. I won''t let her down.

 A Knight in Love 2

    The cafe - ever since then, for a couple of weeks now, I''ve been having this dream every night. I wake up, standing in the sky as the sun sets, and when I turn around, Cassandra is there waiting for me, and I can''t help but feel happy at the sight of her.


    ¡°Hey, Belly, nice to see you again.¡± Cassandra tells me with a warm smile.


    And when I have these dreams, her and I would hang out together. We¡¯d talk; play videogames; eat yummy food; watch our favorite shows and movies; or simply just stare off into the beautiful sunset and watch the clouds shift ever so peacefully across the sky.


    And¡­ honestly¡­ when I have these dreams¡­ When I get to be with Cassandra¡­ I''m the happiest that I can ever be¡ª


    But then my stupid alarm clock goes off, and I wake up. And I remember that it was all just a wishful dream. Not real. And As I glare at my alarm clock, contemplating how I should kill myself, tears begin to fall on Saturday.


    I remember the time Cassandra cleaned my face and the words she told me back then. I can''t believe it, I think to myself, I''ve really fallen for her bad.


    I turn to look at my calendar as it reads Get up, time to train, Bitch! And I remember, Arpie High¡¯s entrance exams¡­ they¡¯re nine months away¡­


    ¡°... This really sucks balls.¡± I whisper to myself.


    And while this is happening, Cassandra as always is secretly waking up on one of the beds of our middle school nurse¡¯s office.


    As she lies there on her bed hugging a pillow and giggling, she can''t help but say to herself, ¡°Mmwu, geez, Belly! Why are you always so weird and awkward to be around? And why did you wake up so early on a Saturday again? Hmph. Jerk. Caring more about your work out than me.¡±


    As I run along my town¡¯s beachside, I can feel my heart beating faster and faster at the thought of Cassandra. My breathing gets heavier and heavier, and my body grows more and more numb for every second that passes.


    I stop in my tracks, looking around first to make sure no one¡¯s around, and I let out a mighty scream, ¡°Aaahh! Quit thinking of her already! You creep!¡± But of course, a few pedestrians still hear me, and a mother even pulls her daughter away from me.


    I fall on my knees, and am completely exhausted after running for almost an entire day. As I catch my breath and look out into the sunset, I remember one of the nights I spent with the Cassandra in my dreams.


    We were both eating cheesecake while binge watching Gurren Lagann on Netflix. And, surprised, Cassandra asks me, ¡°Wait-what~? You-You started working out¡­ for me?¡±


    Embarrassed, I confess, ¡°Y-Yeah, you see¡­ I sort of¡­ I sort of promised you¡­ Cassandra, that I''d start believing in myself, and quit moping around. To actually do something about my sappy life¡­¡±This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Cassandra looked at me with glistening eyes. Her heart began to beat faster and faster, and even her face began to turn red. She thought to herself, That''s¡­ so adorable.


    I go on to say, ¡°I-I want to become a knight that Cassandra can be proud of. Because she''s the first person in my life to ever believe in me¡­ and I don''t¡­ I really don''t want to let her down after everything she¡¯s told me.¡±


    Cassandra smiles, and tells me ¡°Well, I''m positive that you won''t, Belly. And I''m sure that if Cassandra were to know you''re doing this for her, she''d be really proud for how much you''ve changed already.¡±


    My breathing gets heavier again, and I think to myself, C¡¯mon, get up¡ªrun! Run until you can''t feel your legs anymore. C''mon! You got this. You got this!


    But for some reason, I remember Joshua and his friends making fun of me as I struggled to lift a sword. I heard the girls laughing in unison at me, too. Even Cassandra was there looking at me with sympathetic eyes. But I couldn''t do anything because I was too weak.


    I start to tear up, and it gets harder to move.


    C¡¯mon, get up, you stupid weakling! Get up already and run! Quit being such a disappointment and do something for once! I try to stand, but my body just won''t allow me to.


    ¡°Why¡­ Why? Why am I always such a failure? Why can''t I ever do anything?¡± I whisper to myself, ¡°I can''t do this¡­ I can''t win against Joshua¡­ I''m sorry, Cassandra.¡±


    In that moment, I lost all the little confidence I had only a few seconds ago. All I had to look forward to, was a hand reaching out towards me, offering help for me to stand up.


    ¡°Wow! So the rumors are true!¡± That voice. I look up to see Cassandra standing there right in front of me.


    Surprised, I fall backwards, quickly wipe away my tears, and ask her, ¡°Ca-Cassandra? What-What are you doing here?¡±


    She giggles at my shocked face, ¡°A little birdie told me that an awkward, little boy had recently begun running around the beach like an idiot.¡±


    Flustered, I say, ¡°What? Really? Aww, geez. That¡¯s so embarrassing. I hope Joshua doesn''t find out.¡±


    Cassandra chimes, ¡°Also~, I''ve decided to start training here at the beach, too! We are applying to the same prestigious high school after all. So c¡¯mon! Let''s run together, Belly!¡±


    Cassandra, offering her hand to me once more, gives me the most confidence I have ever felt in my entire life.


    With a bright smile, I accept her invitation, ¡°Okay!¡±


    As the two of us run along the beachside, two siblingswho attend the same middle schoolas Cassandra and me happen to notice us. Cely and Kyle.


    Curious, Cely begins to say, ¡°Kyle, Kyle! look, look!¡±


    Disinterested, he replies, ¡°Hmm?¡±


    Goggling at us, she tells him, ¡°That cute couple over there! Isn''t it adorable how they''re running together?¡±


    Observing me, Kyle responds, ¡°Yeah¡­ It''s cute.¡±


    ¡°So romantic~! Must be nice.¡±


    Still observing, he says, ¡°Mhm¡­ yeah¡­ I can definitely run ten times faster than that guy.¡±


    Annoyed, Cely complains, ¡°Geez, Kyle, you''re so competitive! Only caring about showing off your skills! No wonder you don''t have a girlfriend!¡±


    He retorts, ¡°But you don''t have a boyfriend neither, Cely. And me being single is by choice¡­ Not so sure about you though.¡±


    Embarrassed, she cries, ¡°Wha-! Sh-Shut up! You don''t know that!¡±


    He sarcastically replies, ¡°Oh~ Cely, but I do.¡±


    Teary eyed, she insults Kyle by calling him a jackass.


    Cassandra and I are still running, and I''m beat. But while we run, I also can''t help but notice how beautiful Cassandra looks. And as I gawk at Cassandra, she catches me in the act and we make eye contact. I quickly look away embarrassed, but she can''t help but giggle at my expense.


    And as I look straight ahead towards tomorrow, I confidentially think to myself, Yeah, I got this.

 A Knight in Love 3

    And just like that, Cassandra and I begin training and studying together, day and night including in my dreams, for Arpie High¡¯s entrance exams. However, this new faith that I had found in myself didn''t stop the bullying that I receive in school.


    After school, Cassandra catches my attention, ¡°Hey, Belly!¡±


    And I awkwardly wave and respond, ¡°G-Good afternoon, Cassandra.¡±


    And as we approach each other, Joshua and his friends step in between us. My heart sinks at the sight of him. Did he grow four inches since the last time I saw him? I wonder in fear of his monstrous height. He''s big or maybe I¡¯m just too short.


    Joshua growls at me, ¡°What the hell do you think you''re doing talking to Cassandra, Belly?¡±


    I forgot to mention this, but for as long as I can remember, the sort of, quote-on-quote, friends and girls that Cassandra hangs out with during school are Joshua and the ones his group. The ones who constantly make fun of me.


    I squeal at Joshua, ¡°I-I-I¡¯m sorry. I-I didn''t meant anything by it, I-I swear.¡± and all Cassandra can do is watch me like always with pitiful eyes. I hate the shit out of Joshua for always doing this.


    And don''t get the wrong idea. Joshua isn''t the typical, cliche bully like those on television. He doesn''t beat me up¡ªhe doesn''t see me worthy of beating up. But, insyead, the sort of things he says to me¡ªthe sort of psychological harm he does to me. That''s the method he uses to break me¡ªto make me cry¡ªand to have everyone else do the same to me, like sheep.


    I think to myself, I''m sorry, Cassandra. I''m sorry that I''m still too weak and that I can''t bring myself to say anything back.I look down at the floor, trying my best to avoid making eye contact and doing my best to hold back tears all the while Joshua and his friends continue making fun of me.


    ¡°I''m sorry Belly. I should''ve said something¡­ but you shouldn''t listen to them! Because I don''t believe a single thing that they says about you!¡± Cassandra tells me this at the beach after a hard workout session, trying her best to cheer me up.


    She''s looking at me with those pitiful eyes again¡­ ¡°No, it''s fine, Cassandra, I''m used to it! Don''t worry about it! It doesn''t bother me one, single bit.¡± I say to her, trying my best to look like it really doesn''t.


    But she stares at me and hums, ¡°Hmmm¡­¡±


    I ask, ¡°Wha-What is it?¡±


    She cleverly smile, and quickly answers, ¡°Liar. You can''t fool me, Belly.¡±


    And with a disappointed expression on my face, I think, Dammit, she knows me too well.


    But in reality, Cassandra remembers one of the nights her and I had together in my dreams.


    Cassandra and I are watching The Seven Deadly Sins because it was her turn to pick a show to watch.


    And then, Cassandra asks me, ¡°Hey, Belly, do you live on your own or something? I don''t think I''ve ever seen your parents before.¡±


    I answer, ¡°Well¡­ sort of, yeah. When I was small, something happened and my Mom and Dad went on a second honeymoon. But I haven''t seen them ever since¡­¡±


    Then I turn to look at Cassandra and she''s looking at me with tearful eyes while covering her mouth.


    ¡°Oh my God¡­ you poor, little puppy!¡±


    ¡°Wha-H-Hey! I''m not a dog! And besides, knowing the two of them¡ªor at least from what I can remember¡ªI¡­ yeah,¡± with a worried look on my face, I dramatically say, ¡°I much prefer for them not being here.¡±


    Cassandra asks, ¡°Huh? Why, Belly?¡±


    ¡°Well, for one... Because of this, of course!¡±Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    I raise my hands in front of me, and I make a pile of porn magazines appear out of thin air right in front of us.


    ¡°My secret stash.¡± I say proudly.


    Cassandra¡¯s face immediately turns red and she freaks out for some unknown reason.


    ¡°Kyaaaa! You fucking pervert, what the hell is this?!¡± She says for another, unknown reason.


    ¡°Well, this is just a dream so I don''t really mind if you know about my secret stash.¡±


    Cassandra looks at me blankly for a moment, then she bursts out into laughter.


    ¡°Hahaha! Geez, Belly, I swear you''re so weird!¡± Hahaha!¡±


    I could feel my face and ears turn red, ¡°S-Sorry. I didn''t mean to weird you out. It''s just, I''ve never had friends before so I''m always so cringy and awkward and stuff and I just end up embarrassing myself.¡±


    Cassandra giggles, wipes away a tear from laughing too hard, and says, ¡°No, no, Belly it''s fine, don''t worry about it. I know many people at school give you a hard time and you can never be yourself. But, remember, Belly, I will always be here for you, and I accept you for who you are.¡±


    My heart begins to race, and I start to feel warm all of a sudden,


    I look away, blushing, and say, ¡°Th-Thank you very much, Cassandra.¡±


    She smiles and says, ¡°No problem, Belly!¡±


    I could hear my own heart beat louder and louder. My mind is spiralling out of control. I grab my chest, and think to myself, I can''t look at her. I feel like my heart is about to explode!


    While I''m literally falling in love with her during this moment, Cassandra is curiously looking through my magazines.


    ¡°Jesus, those are huge!¡± She says aloud with a shocked expression, holding a magazine.


    I sneak a peek at Cassandra, and I can''t help but look at her with loving eyes. I continue thinking to myself, Cassandra¡­ I promise, Cassandra, I''ll get stronger and stronger for you. I''ll keep working hard and make you proud someday. I swear¡­ I swear that I¡¯ll prove everyone who thinks I''m a failure wrong, starting with Joshua!


    While I''m looking down at the sand, Cassandra snaps me out of my funk.


    She says, ¡°Hey, Belly, aren''t you going to prove Joshua wrong?¡± My eyes widen. I can''t believe I forgot about the promise I made to myself in that dream.


    She repeats herself, ¡°Aren''t you going to prove them all wrong, Belly?¡±


    My lip twitches, I try my best to hold back tears but I just cannot in the state I''m in.


    ¡°Don''t cry, Belly.¡± She demands. ¡°Do something about it instead.¡±


    I breathe in deeply and then slowly breathe out.


    I whisper to myself, ¡°Right,¡± and I stand up.


    ¡°Belly?¡± She asks, ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    I wipe away the tears with my arm. I turn back towards her and say proudly, ¡°I''m going to run, what else? I''m gonna keep running and running, and run until I can¡¯t feel my entire body anymore!¡±


    Cassandra looks at me, then she bursts out into laughter and asks, ¡°You''re weird, you know that?¡±


    I answer, ¡°Yeah, but that''s not going to stop me from being myself.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± she says. ¡°Now let''s run!¡±


    Shocked, I ask, ¡°S-Seriously? B-But I was only kidding! We just finished running ten miles like five minutes ago!¡±


    She says, ¡°And we''re gonna run another ten miles, maggot! And then twenty, and then maybe even thirty!¡±


    I think to myself, This-This girl¡¯s gonna kill me!


    Cassandra grabs my hand, smiles, and says, ¡°So c¡¯mon, Belly, let''s go! Arpie High¡¯s entrance exams are only seven months away!¡±


    Again, I can''t help but notice how warm her hand is.


    I smile and exclaim, ¡°Okay, then! Let''s go!¡±


    And as we run, the same two people from a while ago just happen to notice us again. Cely and Kyle.


    Cely alerts Kyle, ¡°Hey, Kyle, look! It''s that same couple running together again! I wonder. Have they been training here everyday?¡±


    However, Kyle isn''t listening to Cely and he thinks to himself, Did that girl say something¡­ about Arpie High?


    Cely asks, ¡°Hey, Kyle, are you even listening to me? I swear, you never pay attention to me anymore. Hm.¡±


    But then, Kyle gets frustrated and yells at Cely, ¡°Tsk.Shut up already. I don''t care about whatever dumb crap you have to say.¡±


    Cely gets scared and says, ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry, Kyle, y-you''re right. I''ll... I''ll shut up now.¡±


    ¡°I swear. Not only are you a disappointment in school, but¡­just please don''t talk to me.¡±


    The reason as to why he''s saying all this, it¡¯s because not that long ago, Cely¡¯s official status in their middle school revealed her to be at the bottom of her class in training to be a knight. Basically saying that she''s hopeless and should give up on her dreams of attending Arpie High and becoming a full fledged knight.


    Cely thinks to herself, I¡¯ve really let Kyle down, and I don''t know what to do, I don''t know what to say¡­ what should I do? What should I say? Somebody please¡­ anybody, please help me. I don''t want to be a disappointment anymore! And she begins to silently tear up behind Kyle while they''re walking home. I want Kyle to believe in me again, and to talk to me like before¡­ but how can he when I''m such a good-for-nothing failure.


    As Kyle and Cely leave, Cassandra and I are still running across the beach. And while I''m unaware of Cely in need of a knight in shining armor, I think to myself how much I can''t wait to go to sleep.

 A Knight in Love 4

    The moment a person activates their magic, their eyes glow a bright color depending on their emotional state, and heart-shapes appear inside the person¡¯s pupils. I¡¯ve always thought that boosted eyes--as I like to call them--are the most awesome looking things to ever exist. But alas, I have never fallen in love before, and so both the magic and boosted eyes within me still remain dormant. However, just because you have those, doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re immune to something such as a simple cold, like my unfortunate only friend, Cassandra.


    Cassandra caught a fever a few days ago, so she hasn¡¯t been coming to school lately. And I¡¯ve been worried sick about her, I hope she¡¯s doing okay. But even though Cassandra¡¯s sick, everyday she still oversees my training at the beach. I run laps back and forth as I watch her read a book while enveloped in cozy blankets to stay warm at a nearby spot on the sand. I start walking, admiring how adorable she looks, even when she¡¯s dressed like a slob for once. She notices me staring at her and getting distracted, and so she blushes a bit in embarrassment--which I of course confuse for a symptom of her fever.


    She tells me in a nasally voice, ¡°J-Just because I¡¯m sick, that doesn¡¯t mean you get to slack off, too. Okay, Belly? Sniff, sniff. Arpie High¡¯s entrance exams are only four months away.¡±


    Four months away, I think to myself, but for some reason I¡¯m not as worried as I usually am. Maybe it¡¯s because I¡¯ve begun to show signs of improvement, or maybe it¡¯s because of Cassandra and the tranquility she brings everywhere. My chest begins to ache again, and my body wishes for more of Cassandra. I really¡­ want her--bad.


    And so, I begin walking towards her, and for every step I take, the more I feel like running away. By the time she notices, I plop myself down next to her in the sand and I sit in silence for a good few seconds while she stares at me awkwardly. Say something to her you idiot! But try to sound cool while you¡¯re doing it, too! C¡¯mon you got this!


    But of course, my dumbass voice decides to go through puberty now and cracks under pressure, ¡°H-Hey, Cassandra?¡± Not only that, but I say the dumbest thing ever, ¡°C-Can I tell you something?¡±


    Her own heart begins to pound, ¡°Sniff. What-What is it, Belly?¡±


    ¡°I know that I don¡¯t have much to offer and I¡¯m not strong at all, but for all the times you''re sick--for all the times you don¡¯t feel well--remember that I¡¯m always gonna be here for you no matter what, too!¡±


    This is the first time I¡¯ve ever told anyone this. Cassandra¡¯s face turns bright red and she even squeals a little and tries to hide her embarrassed face with her book.


    ¡°Stop it, Belly, quit being cheesy or else you¡¯re gonna make me get carried away.¡±


    W-W-W-What the hell do you mean by ¡®carried away??¡¯ And of course, my simple brain with simple needs only needed those two simple words in order to stray off into a fantasy of Cassandra in bed, erotically crawling towards wearing nothing but only the sheets of the bed covering anything inappropriate as she looks at me with a naughty eyes and sticking her tongue out in an arousing manner. As I seem to be completely lost in this fantasy Cassandra lightly smacks her book on my head to snap me back into reality.


    We stare at each other for a few seconds right before she smiles and asks me, ¡°Pervert, what exactly were you thinking about?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Ah. I-It''s nothing.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm? Really?¡±


    ¡°Positive.¡±


    ¡°Well, anyway, thank you, Belly, for those kind words. Believe it or not, this is actually the first time any guy has ever told me that. Sniff, sniff.¡±


    ¡°What? R-Really? That¡¯s impossible!¡±


    ¡°Mhm. Positive. Sniff.¡± She blushes and leans a bit closer as her and I watch the sunset, ¡°And I¡¯m going to make you keep what you said, too, you got that, punk?¡±


    ¡°Haha. Yeah, of course. Don¡¯t worry Cassandra, I¡¯ll never leave, and I¡¯ll always be by your side.¡± We both lean a little bit closer.


    ¡°You-you better, Belly. Sniff!¡± I can hear a small high-pitch in her voice, as if she were about to start crying. ¡°Promise me, Belly. Promise me that you¡¯ll never leave my side. Sniff!¡±


    She looks down towards the sand, trying her best to hide her tears. I¡¯m completely baffled by this, for as long as I¡¯ve know Cassandra, I don¡¯t think--I truly don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever witnessed her be so open with her feelings before in front of anybody. I don¡¯t know what to do.


    But I remember all the months her and I have spent together, day and night. How she¡¯s always been there for me, but I have never once been there for her. I really am an idiot. I really am a selfish piece of shit.


    ¡°Cassandra? Hey, don¡¯t worry¡­¡± I don''t know what else to do but this, ¡°I promise that I¡¯ll always be by your side, no matter what. I will never ever leave you.¡± I lift her hand and pinky promise.


    ¡°Belly¡­¡± she whispers, ¡°Sniff¡­ Th-Thank you.¡± and she smiles once again like the Cassandra I¡¯ve always known.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    We start to lean closer and closer each other. This is it. I think to myself. I¡¯ve finally found the girl with whom I want to share my peaceful life with.


    But as we are about to kiss, a powerful shockwave approaches us at the speed of sound. And I recognize thispower--this magic. It''s Joshua, it has to be.


    An abundant amount of sand is blasted through the air, a blast that can leave several severely injured. Cassandra and I get completely blown away, but fortunately, her and I were okay because for the most part as we landed in the water, and almost everyone else had already left the beach due to it almost becoming nighttime. Still, however¡­ Cassandra is sick, she can barely move or write her own name, let alone oversee my training!! Why?! Why?!?! Why do this?! What the hell is this asshole¡¯s problem now?!?!


    I make it up to the surface, ¡°Gasp! Cough, cough! JOSHUA!!! Cough!¡± I almost drowned, but I didn¡¯t care, I was too full of rage, I wanted to destroy Joshua, but then I quickly realize that Cassandra has yet to make it up to the surface.


    ¡°Cassandra¡­ CASSANDRA!!!!¡± She must¡¯ve gotten trapped in her covers!! She can¡¯t swim like that!! She-She¡¯s going to drown and die!!! ¡°CASSANDRA?!?!?!¡± I run and throw myself back into the freezing ocean water, ¡°CASSANDRA, PLEASE BE OKAY!!!!¡±


    But then I hear it. Another shock wave approaching.


    BoommMM...


    Is-Is he seriously trying to kill us?


    I take a deep breath and dive under water, hopefully to avoid the shockwave as much as possible. A loud Boom! passes over me, and I could feel a touch of what felt like Cassandra¡¯s covers. I quickly turn around to look, and there she is. Sinking deeper and deeper into the ocean. She¡¯s unconscious, I have to save her!!!! I swim and I swim, and I just keep swimming but I just can¡¯t reach the sort of depth she¡¯s in. Cassandra¡­ she¡¯s going to die because of me, I violently grit my teeth in anger, If only I had some sort of magic, then maybe I could save her¡­ But I¡¯m still¡­ I¡¯m still too weak!! How funny that I begin to cry under water. I¡¯m sorry, Cassandra¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t save you¡­ I might as well just die with you¡­ I¡¯ll fulfill my promise at least. I¡¯ll fulfill my promise of never leaving your side. At the very least¡­I¡¯ll do¡­ that¡­ I could faintly hear another shockwave over the surface of the water, but it was mostly inaudible due to the lack of oxygen in my brain. Everything begins to go black. All of my senses, one by one, begin to fade. By now, I¡¯ve accepted it. I¡¯ve accepted that I¡¯m going to die by the hands of my biggest bully afterall--Me...


    But I refuse.


    C¡¯mon, get up!! Don¡¯t you dare fucking die. Don¡¯t even think about dying!! I exhale all the air I have left in my lungs, and slowly begin to sink towards Cassandra¡¯s depth. You can¡¯t die and you know that. You still have so much to do!! I grab Cassandra¡¯s arm and pull her up towards me. You still have to make Cassandra proud, you still have so many new friends you have yet to meet!! I begin to kick as hard as I possibly can, trying to escape the jaws of death and make it to the surface. You promised yourself that you¡¯d prove everyone who thinks of you as a failure wrong!! You promised to someday defeat Joshua, with or without magic!! I can see the light, Cassandra¡¯s going to make it, You promised Cassandra that you¡¯d always be there for her, no matter what. And you know you will accomplish this--all of this--WITH YOUR OWN STRENGTH!!!!


    ¡°GASP!! GUHH! COUGH! COUGH! I MADE--BLUB, BLUB, BLUB, GASP--I MADE IT!!!!¡± I reach the surface with Cassandra in my arms. As I make it to the shore, I gently lay down Cassandra, and then throw myself next to her trying to catch my breath. ¡°Hah, huh. Hah, huh¡­¡± I then think of Cassandra and look at her. Please, please be okay. I slowly raise my hand to touch her face. I can¡¯t live in this world without you Cassandra¡­ Please¡­ don¡¯t die.


    After performing half-assed CPR--minus the kissing, just the chest pumping--I pick her up and take her as far away from the water as I can and gently lie her down on the sand. A few seconds pass, then a few minutes pass, and before I knew it, it was nighttime, but Cassandra finally begins to open her eyes. ¡°B-Belly? Are you okay? Achoo! Sniff¡­¡±


    I say, overjoyed, ¡°Cassandra, you¡¯re finally awake!! Yes, thank goodness!!¡±


    Her eyes meet mine, ¡°You¡­ you saved me. Didn¡¯t you?¡±


    I really didn¡¯t know what to answer. I¡¯m still not sure whether it was really me who saved Cassandra or someone else. Because¡­ ¡°How can someone as weak as me ever save you, Cassandra?


    Cassandra smiles and sits up, then touches my face with her warm hand, ¡°Have you ever heard that old saying, Belly? The one that says--love makes you do the craziest things? I think¡­ I really think you went through something similar like that today, huh? Hahaha.¡±


    I can¡¯t understand. How can someone have so much faith in me? How can someone believe in me so very much? Why? How? Cassandra¡­ I really am falling in love with you.


    ¡°Uh.¡± Cassandra falls, but I catch her in my arms.


    ¡°C-Cassandra?! Are you okay?!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m just wondering something. What the hell happened to my clothes? All I¡¯m wearing are my bra and panties.¡±


    Oh, crap! ¡°Ah- Um. Well, you see, you¡¯re clothes were wet and you have a fever and--and I¡¯m just a simple man with simple needs?¡±


    Cassandra¡¯s face all of a sudden turns brilliantly red and teary, ¡°You¡­ You fucking pervert!SNIFF! DIE!!¡±


    ¡°I regret nothing. Woosh!¡± and I run for it.¡°Aaahh!!¡±


    ¡°Get back here! You jerk! Achoo! Achoo! How couldyou do this to me?! Achoo!¡±


    And as Cassandra chases me around the beach, trying her best to cover her wet, sand-covered body with her arms, I graciously run for my life.


    However, as this is occuring, Joshua watches us from afar, and his eyes glow a violent red-orange color with broken-heart-shapes in his pupils. He walks away, thinking that he has no hope of ever getting close with Cassandra, as her and I have. For the first time ever, Joshua has lost against me, and I didn¡¯t even know it.


    But honestly, I wouldn¡¯t have cared one single bit either way. I¡¯m just happy that Cassandra is okay.

 A Knight in Love 5

    Cassandra and I finally make it to my house the same night, soaking wet.


    She asks, ¡°So this is where you live, Belly?¡±


    And I answer her, embarrassed and freezing to death, ¡°Y-Y-Y-Yeah. Th-Th-Th-This is where I live. I-I-I know it doesn¡¯t look like much, but it-it really is my home.¡±


    It isn¡¯t exactly a golden castle. It¡¯s a cheap two story house that resides in the outskirts of Heavenly. But still, it¡¯s really cozy and I like it. It has two bedrooms, one living room, one kitchen, one bathroom, a back-and-front yard and one sappy kid living all alone in it. My home.


    ¡°C-C-Can-Can we go inside now, please?! I¡¯m f-f-freezing! M-My-My keys. My keys should be in the front pocket.¡±


    She¡¯s wearing my shorts and sweatshirt after yanking them off of me at the beach, all the while I¡¯m freezing my ass off, and wearing nothing but boxers. This-This really sucks balls. Three people saw me tonight in my boxers and then walked the other way!!! Why am I so embarrassing?!?!Cassandra¡¯s clothes got taken away by the ocean current and she wouldn¡¯t stop crying until I gave her mine. And although she promised to not look at me after I gave her my clothes, she of course occasionally stared at me and giggled whenever she looked down at my boxers, which only made my night worse than it already is.


    Cassandra starts teasing me, ¡°Oooh. I don¡¯t knooow, Belly. I really like to take my time when opening doors. Especially doors who belong to a pervert! A-Achoo! Ugh, sniff. I¡¯m really cold...¡±


    You¡¯re really cold?! ¡°Cassandra, please, I beg you! I-I really don¡¯t want my neighbors to see me in my boxers! Not again!¡±


    She continues to tease me, ¡°Oh, okay then. But you¡¯re gonna have to do me one, little favor, Belly.¡±


    I gulp, pondering what evil favor she is about to ask of me, ¡°O-Okay, Cassandra, what is it?¡±


    She then all of a sudden asks me in a gentle voice, ¡°Will¡­ will you let me stay over for the night?¡±


    I couldn¡¯t believe my ears. Is-Is she serious?? No she can''t be. Has to be a joke.Thoughts of her staying over begin flooding into my mind. I wasn¡¯t cold anymore. I had completely forgotten that I was half naked outside. All I could think about was if I heard Cassandra say what I think she said. I¡¯ve-I¡¯ve never had anyone sleep over before. Especially a GIRL!!! My heart starts to race, I don¡¯t know whether I should say yes or no to the most beautiful girl in school asking if it¡¯s okay for her to spend the night over at my place! How can I not say yes??? But HOW THE HELL CAN I SAY YES?!?! What about her parents?? Is this really okay?! I¡¯m really not ready for this!! Cassandra watches me struggle with this internal dilemma and she can¡¯t help but give a warm smile and sigh.


    ¡°Here, Belly.¡± She hands over my keys.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Cassandra thinks to herself, I can see me staying here is too much for you, so I¡¯ll just head¡­ home. ¡°I was only kidding, Belly! Hahaha, you should see the look on your face!¡±


    She starts walking away, and I can¡¯t help but feel like grabbing her hand and telling her to stay. But instead, all I say is this, ¡°W-Wait, Cassandra! Y-Y-You¡¯re still sick, and you¡¯re soaking wet! At-At least let me get you some dry clothes first!¡±


    Cassandra stops and turns around, giving me a broken smile, ¡°It¡¯s okay, Belly. Sniff. It¡¯s my fault these clothes are wet in the first place. Sniff. I¡¯ll dry them and give them to you tomorrow. That okay?¡±


    No, it¡¯s not okay! If you leave like that, then you¡¯ll only get even sicker! ¡°You-You sure?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡± She turns back around, facing away from me, ¡°Goodnight, Belly. Sweet dreams.¡± And Cassandra begins walking away again.


    ¡°Yeah, goodnight, Cassandra.¡± Don¡¯t¡­ ¡°See you tomorrow.¡± Grab her hand! Don¡¯t¡­ ¡°And thanks again, like always, for helping me train today.¡± Don¡¯t let her leave when she needs you, you idiot!Don''t!! ¡°Bye.¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    I¡¯m lying down in bedwearing my cozy pajamas, just hopped out of a warm shower, too, but I still couldn¡¯t shake off the cold feeling I¡¯ve been having all night. I lift up my phone and stare at it. I think about what happened at the beach, if that sudden attack really was Joshua or not¡­ If that person who saved Cassandra really was me or not.


    I whisper to myself, ¡°You coward.¡±


    In the end, I still couldn''t save her. I couldn¡¯t save her from whatever that was troubling her. I let her leave, soaking wet and cold, right in front of me. Why couldn¡¯t I grab her hand? Why couldn¡¯t I have done anything?!


    I turn off the lights and go to sleep, crying like always. I¡¯m sorry, Cassandra¡­ I still haven¡¯t changed one single bit. I¡¯m still too weak. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry!¡± I¡¯m sorry¡­


    I drift off to sleep, and like clockwork, I wake up to see Cassandra standing there, watching the gorgeous sun set. Except, this time, things are a different. We weren''t standing in the sky anymore, we were standing on some beach located in what appeared to be a tropical island--located in the middle of nowhere but here in my dreams.


    I whisper, ¡°Where¡­ Where are we?¡±


    Cassandra¡¯s body flinches to the sound of my voice, and she turns around with a bright smile, ¡°Belly! Uh-¡± But that smile immediately turns into a frown the moment she lays her eyes on me--on my pathetic--crying face.


    She runs over to me, ¡°B-Belly? Hey, what are you crying for this time? Are you okay?¡±


    I look at her, hoping to smile but I just begin to overflow with tears. ¡°Ack¡­ Ugh...Sniff. I¡¯m sorry, Cassandra. I failed you.¡±


    Cassandra asks in a soft voice, ¡°What do you mean, Belly?¡±


    I tell her everything that happened tonight. How Cassandra and I were attacked at the beach today by some unknown force--and how that force was probably Joshua. But then I tell her how I almost gave up on everything--how I almost gave up on saving myself and Cassandra. How that has bothered me all night, and how I¡®m not sure--how I¡¯m still not sure if it was really me who saved Cassandra or not. But what was bothering me the most is¡­


    ¡°... That I gave up! Even though it was only for a few seconds, I gave up on trying to save you! I accepted death! And I don¡¯t know why, but I couldn¡¯t even bring myself to invite you into my house tonight because of all that--because of all that guilt I¡¯m feeling inside¡­ I¡¯m so stupid. I really am stupid. But, I¡¯m really, really sorry, Cassandra. hiccup.¡±


    Cassandra looks at me as she sits there in front of me while all I do is cry and look down at the sand. But then she stands up and violently grabs the collar of my shirt from behind and starts dragging me towards the ocean.


    Then she begins to yell at me, ¡°Argh!! Geez!! You really never do shut up, huh, Belly?!?! Might as well kill you, huh?!?!¡±


    As she drags me across the sand, the collar of my shirt starts to choke me, and I struggle to breathe, but I can''t help but laugh a bit at this all of a sudden, ¡°Ugh! Ach! Wait! Ack! Cassandra, what are you doing-haha?? Ugh! Are you seriously going to kill me-haha?!?!?! Oof!¡±


    She smiles and assures me, ¡°Hell yes I am!¡± And she activates her magic, Pounce, and her eyes begin to glow a bright-green color. ¡°Now, buh-bye, Mr. Suicide!¡±


    And just like tha, she magically lifts me up with ease, and then she throws me into the water.


    As I fly mid air, I plead, ¡°Waaaiit!! Cassandra, please, I beg you to please think about thi-Splash!¡±


    Cassandra waited a few seconds, and I finally make it back to the surface. ¡°Buhhh! Hah. Buhhh! Hah. Cough! Cough! Cassandra! Cough! You are so lucky this is all a dream-Cough!¡± I start swimming back.


    Cassandra proudly giggles and yells back, ¡°Yeah, but did you give up?! Did you accept death again?! Did you give up on trying to reach me--to ever see me again?!¡±


    I stop swimming for a moment, and realized why she threw me into the water. I burst out laughing because of this, and say, ¡°No! I didn¡¯t give up!


    She giggles and asks tells me, ¡°I¡¯m sorry! What was that?! I didn¡¯t quite catch that!! Can you repeat it please?!¡±


    I smile, breathe in, and close my eyes, and I say, ¡°No! I didn¡¯t give up on you Cassandra!! And I¡¯m happy!! I¡¯m happy that I didn¡¯t give up because now you¡¯re okay!!¡±


    She answers, ¡°Good! Now get your ass back over here already! I¡¯m craving some bbq burgers!


    I answer, ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll be right there!¡± and I swim back to shore. Completely ignoring the fact that this is all just a simple dream--a simple dream that snap me out of my problems.


    I¡¯m soaking wet again, and yet, this time I feel warm for some reason. Cassandra and I do a bbq as the sun sets in the distance, giving the sky a beautiful, orange color, as well as dyeing the clouds bright yellow, and making the ocean water shine with such a sparkly embrace. And as the two of us enjoy eating our bbq burgers, I wake up because of my stupid alarm clock again. And as I look at my alarm clock, I see that it¡¯s Saturday, and that today is a new day. I got this.


    Meanwhile, Cassandra is waking up in our middle school nurse¡¯s office, hugging a pillow. As she lies there in bed quietly, she smiles warmly and whispers to herself, ¡°Thank you for saving me, Belly!"

 A Knight in Love 6

    It was a Friday afternoon, Cassandra and I were at the beach training again. The day for Arpie High¡¯s entrance exams is only two months away. My stomach gets butterflies everytime I think how fast it¡¯s approaching.


    Two months left, and I still haven''t even awakened my magic yet. What should I do?


    As Cassandra and I take a short break, we decide to sit at a nearby bench to watch the sunset while eating ice cream. Then I hear an unfamiliar, mischievous voice of a girl and it catches my attention.


    ¡°Oh my, is that you, Cassandra?¡±


    Excited, Cassandra stands up, ¡°Emily?! Hi! It¡¯s been so long!¡±


    I wonder who she is. Must be an old friend of Cassandra. And what¡¯s that boy in glasses behind her doing with that rock? Oh well, I¡¯ll just continue eating my ice cream while the two of them catch up.


    ¡°It has been long. And, um, Cassandra, who is that handsome guy sitting next to you? Is he your Boyfriend? You naughty girl.¡±


    Handsome?!?!? BOYFRIEND?!?!


    Our faces get red, and the two of us look at each other, embarrassed. But while we look at each other, Cassandra gives me a calming smile, and looks away.


    ¡°Geez, Emily, he¡¯s-he¡¯s just a close friend of mine. The two of us are training together for Arpie High¡¯s entrance exams.¡±


    Emily gives a mischievous smile as if the reactions she got from the two of us filled her lustful intent.


    ¡°Hmmm? Just close friends? Okay, I¡¯ll believe you this time. So what¡¯s his name?¡±


    I stop licking my delicious ice cream, and get a worried look on my face.


    Oh no, my name! She can¡¯t find out! It¡¯s-It¡¯s too embarrassing!


    Cassandra tries to answer, ¡°His name? Well, his name is Cyn-¡±


    I quickly interrupt Cassandra, ¡°BELLY!! My name is Belly!! Weird, right?! Hahaha!¡±


    What the hell is that awkward laugh, you idiot?!


    Cassandra looks at me, confused, trying to figure out why I don¡¯t want Emily to know my real name. But then she remembers one of the dreams her and I had together.


    I told Cassandra that I¡¯ve always been embarrassed of my name. I guess my Mom always wanted a daughter or something? But Cynthia Abella isn¡¯t exactly the manliest name for a 13 year old boy whose balls haveyet to even drop. Kids used to bully me in elementary school for how girly my name is, it was then that I thought of a nickname for people to call me instead, Belly. Since then, I¡¯ve tried my best for no one to find out what my real name is, and for those who find out somehow after elementary school, I¡¯d beg them to keep it a secret--to forget about it--and to just continue calling me by my nickname, Belly.


    I eye at Cassandra, trying to convey the message that I don¡¯t want Emily to know my humiliating name.


    She thinks for a second ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± then she smiles and says, ¡°Idiot¡¯s name is Cynthia Abella, and he¡¯s also a HUGE perv!¡±


    What?!?! NoooOOOUUUUuu!!! WHAT are you doing, Cassandra?!?!?!


    I brace myself. Expecting a burst of laughter to escape from Emily and for that laugh to completely shatter the already-shattered, little self esteem I had left, which was zero, of course.


    Shockingly however, Emily says, ¡°Ahh? Cynthia Abella? My, what a beautiful name for a pervert.¡±


    B-B-Beautiful?


    My face turns even redder, and Cassandra eagerly agrees, ¡°Right?! Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s nice, Emily? I wish I had it!¡±


    I look at Cassandra, confused, wondering what exactly is she up to.


    Why-Why isn¡¯t Emily laughing?


    Emily asks me, ¡°Abella, from the looks of things, I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re embarrassed of your name, correct?¡±


    I stare at her blankly, still trying to understand how she cannot comment on why a boy like me has such a feminine name.


    I answer Emily¡¯s question, embarrassed, ¡°That-That is correct.¡±


    ¡°Well, it is a very ladylike name, embarrassing for a boy to have, but take it from me, your name is what you make it out to be. Your name doesn¡¯t identify who you are. You identify your own name regardless of what it sounds like.¡±


    Contemplating her words, I realize that this is another one of Cassandra¡¯s big damn life lessons that she¡¯s trying to teach. I look at her indifferently.


    Oh, you think you¡¯re so clever, huh, Cassandra?Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    She gives me a knowing smile while sticking her tongue out.


    I agree with Emily, ¡°Ye-Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±


    She turns to the boy behind her, ¡°What do you think, Lukie? Have anything you¡¯d like to add?¡±


    The nerdy-looking guy who had been standing there silently before suddenly begins approaching me while staring at the strange rock in his hands that glows a brighter and brighter light-blue hue the closer he gets to me. He then looks up with stars in his eyes and a dedicated expression on his face.


    ¡°Yes!! You might be the key, Cynthia!!¡±


    I-I might be the-what-now?


    He then offers his hand to me, ¡°Help me, Cynthia! Join the club that I¡¯m starting at Arpie High and assist me on my quest to find the Spirit Portal!!¡±


    ¡°The-The Spirit Portal??? And what club at Arpie High???¡±


    ¡°The Spirit World Club!! Legend has it, and studies from all around the kingdom show, that there exists a whole-entire world parallel to our own, where magical and majestic beasts, spirits from past lives, and many more mystical qualities beyond human comprehension reside--lying in wait for us to discover! And by observing this rock I collected a while ago near the glowing tree in the outskirts of Heavenly, Cynthia, you can serve as a worthy sacrifice for the discovery of the Spirit World!!¡±


    My voice cracks, ¡°S-Sacrifice?!?! Sacrifice as in I¡¯ll be killed???¡±


    I turn to Emily, surprised, ¡°Who-Who is this dude??¡±


    She giggles at my expense and let¡¯s him answer for her, ¡°My name is Lucas. Lucas Emilia, Emily¡¯s twin brother. I am captain of Arpie High¡¯s soon to be Spirit World Club, and I am on a quest to discover the portal that shall deliver us to it!¡±


    This dude is crazy--totally crazy! He sounds like a pothead, and has he already been accepted into Arpie High? How? He keeps talking about these ludicrous things that I don¡¯t even understand, what should I do¡­?


    ¡°So what do you say, Cynthia, will you join me on this adventure?¡±


    But then, I suddenly remember the kids back in elementary school who bullied me for my name, Cynthia.


    ¡­ In all honesty, trying to find a world that¡¯s different from our own¡­ a world that may be less cruel than this one¡­ sounds like fun.


    Cassandra, listening to Lucas, watches in awe, ¡°Wooww! The Spirit World¡­ That¡¯s so amazing! I think I¡¯d like to join the club with you guys, too, once I¡¯m accepted into Arpie High! What about you, Belly?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ Yeah¡­ It-It¡¯d be nice to join.¡±


    I doubt I¡¯ll even get into Arpie High, though. There¡¯s no way in hell someone as weak as me can ever be accepted into such a prestigious knight academy where only the best of the best attend¡­ I hate myself.


    Cassandra and Emily finish reminiscing about old times and talking about how Emily and Lucas were in fact accepted into Arpie High already due to recommendations, and also how Lucas is determined to use his genius intellect for finding the amazing Spirit World. The two of them leave, and Cassandra and I are back to being just the two of us training.


    While we run, Cassandra asks me, ¡°Sounds fun, right?¡±


    I look at her, spaced out, ¡°Hah, hah. What sounds fun? Hah.¡±


    ¡°Discovering a whole new world. A world different from our own¡­ Experiencing it, absorbing it¡­ I don¡¯t know about you, Belly, but I can¡¯t wait to attend Arpie High and become a full-fledged knight!¡±


    ¡°Hah, hah... Yeah¡­¡±


    ¡°And, you¡¯ll come experience that world with me, too, right?¡±


    ¡°Hah, Hah. Yeah¡­ Hah¡­ Wait, what?!?!¡±


    I stop in my tracks, and so does she. The sun finally vanishes into the distant ocean, and an entire sea of stars appears above the town of Heavenly, brighter than the lights of the many homes and buildings that reside here. But the scenery doesn¡¯t even come close to compare itself with Cassandra¡¯s beauty under the moonlight.


    I look down and smile a broken smile, thinking about how I¡¯m going to obviously fail the entrance exams, and I blindly answer Cassandra¡¯s question, ¡°Yes, of course I will, Cassandra. Just like I promised--I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll always be by your side.¡±


    Cassandra gives me a bright smile, ¡°Good! So that means failing the entrance exams isn¡¯t an option!¡±


    She turns around and starts running again. As if what she said didn¡¯t strike a chord with me.


    I chase after her, ¡°Wa-Wait, WHAT?! Cassandra?!¡±


    She tells me as she runs, ¡°I know that¡¯s been bothering you all evening, Belly. Well¡­ I know that it¡¯s been bothering you since the first time you and I started training together, but I will always believe in you, Belly, no matter what. And I don¡¯t have a single bit of doubt in my mind that you¡¯ll pass the entrance exams with flying colors.¡±


    ¡°Hah, hah, Umm, Cassandra, you¡¯re either overestimating me or underestimating Arpie High¡¯s entrance exams. Hah.¡±


    Cassandra smiles, remembering the time I saved her from drowning, ¡°No, trust me, Belly, I¡¯m not. The faith I have for you is honest faith. Believe me.¡±


    ¡°... Cassandra¡­¡±


    She turns her head towards me, and says, ¡°So let¡¯s you and I become the greatest knights in the kingdom together!¡±


    It¡¯s as if the entire world bloomed into billions of beautiful colors the second she said that.


    Whenever I¡¯m with Cassandra, I feel like I can do anything¡­ Failing the entrance exams¡­ failing the entrance exams isn¡¯t an option! There are still two months left, and in those two months I¡¯ll continue working harder and harder until the chances of me failing are negative zero percent!! I got this, I got this!


    And unbeknownst to me, I say aloud in front of Cassandra, ¡°I GOT THIS!!¡± and I begin running faster than her.


    She smiles and says, ¡°Oh my, slow down, Belly. You¡¯re not the only one who¡¯s got it!¡±


    Cassandra and I start racing each other across the beach. And again, just like a few months ago, we¡¯re noticed. Except this time, it was only Cely who watched us on her way home late at night, alone. And she thinks to herself.


    Those two are really lucky to have each other to motivate one another. I really wished I has someone like that¡­ I really wish that I had the strength to impress others like those two.


    Cely begins to tear up as she absorbs the cruel reality of her character.


    Arpie High¡¯s entrance exams are two months away¡­ there¡¯s no way someone as weak as me will pass. Somebody please, anybody, save me from being such a failure!


    Cely silently weeps to herself, cold and alone. Having no one to turn to but these horrible thoughts of herself that slowly chip away her spirit, little by little, until there¡¯s nothing left but resentment and a bottomless pit of ignominy.

 A Knight in Love 7

    Cassandra and I have been spending so much time together for the past few months. I never thought Arpie High¡¯s entrance exams would bring the two of us so close together. And although my feelings for her have grown more and more with each and every passing day, I know that there''s still no way in hell that an average guy like me has a chance with a girl like her. But still, I like to hope against hope that I do. I have faith in myself because Cassandra has faith in me. Because she believes in me, I can believe in myself.


    It''s nighttime and I''m in my room peacefully sleeping in my messy bed like a sloth, dreaming the same dream as always. Cassandra and I are at the beach, enjoying the sunset while listening to chill music and eating cake. During times like this, I really wish I could sleep forever.


    ¡°Hey, Belly?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Yeah, what¡¯s up?¡±


    And in a very shy voice, Cassandra all of a sudden asks, ¡°What do you¡­ think about me?¡±


    I think hard for a few seconds, and remember everything that¡¯s happened with her for the past year. All the memories her and I have made together, the good ones and the bad ones.


    I scratch my head and answer her question, ¡°What do I think of you? Hmm¡­ Well¡­ Oh, I know!¡± and with a proud smile on my face, I tell her, ¡°You oddly enough remind me a lot of the real Cassandra!¡±


    She gets impatient, ¡°What-What the hell sort of dumbass answer is that?!?!¡±


    Oblivious, I answer, ¡°Hm? What do you mean? Aren¡¯t you just a dream?¡±


    She thinks to herself, This kid¡­ he¡¯s a total idiot!!


    ¡°Ugh!! Fine!! What the hell do you think about the real Cassandra?! Jackass.¡±


    Still unaware that the Cassandra in my dreams is actually the Cassandra in real life, I answer, ¡°Ahhh, the real Cassandra¡­¡±


    Cassandra gets flustered, and her face turns red, ¡°Yes!... So¡­ What-What do you think about her, Belly?... If-If I were the real Cassandra, what would you think about me?... And be honest!¡±


    ¡°The real Cassandra¡­ Yeah¡­ I think I¡¯d know what to say if you were the real Cassandra.¡±


    I put down my plate and turn my body to face Cassandra¡¯s, but I avoid making eye contact with her by looking below at the sand instead.


    I answer her question, ¡°Cassandra, I-I¡¯ve never had any friends and I was always so alone as a kid. But-But you still chose to befriend and help a loser like me. You¡¯re undoubtedly the kindest person in the world. Whenever I see you, I know that it¡¯s going to be a good day. Cassandra, you¡¯re my absolute everything.¡± Both our hearts begin to beat louder and louder, and both our faces blush, ¡°I want to do my best and become a knight so that one day I can impress you. When we¡¯re together, I feel like I can do anything. You make me so happy, and-and I hope some day, you¡¯ll feel the same way about me as I do about you.¡± My chest starts to ache, ¡°Cassandra, I think¡­ I think I¡¯m really falling in love with you.¡±


    Cassandra is speechless, all she can do is stare blankly at me after all those words. However, all I can do is think to myself how pathetic I¡¯m being.


    This is stupid. Why am I even saying this? This is all just a wishful dream anyway. Not real. Not real at all.


    But then I hear Cassandra pressing down the sand, approaching me to where I¡¯m sitting, and she gently whispers something.


    ¡°Hey, Belly, look up.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Cassandra places her warm hand on my cheek, and without warning she kisses me. Her lips on mine feel so soft and smooth. I¡¯m completely frozen, and yet her kiss is melting my heart.


    Cassandra, is¡­ kissing me¡­


    We stop, and her eyes meet mine.


    She giggles at my expense, ¡°Fufufu. Abella, you really know how to talk to girls, huh? Hahaha Why aren¡¯t you saying anything? Did I surprise you that badly?¡± She wipes a tear away and smiles, ¡°I gotchu, Belly!¡±


    ¡°... Cassandra¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    I grab her waist and kiss her.


    ¡°Mm!?¡±


    The sun vanishes into the sea, and the sky lights up into millions of starry nights. In the shadows her face was so close to mine that I could smell the sweet ropy fragrance of the strawberry cheesecake she had been eating, and then her tongue was in my mouth. She slowly begins to move her body on top of mine as she continues holding my face steady with her hands for her to embrace. She carefully unbuttons her shirt to reveal her amazing breasts only inches away from me. For every second that passes, our breathing gets heavier and heavier and my body starts to tremble from the excitement. We stop kissing for a moment and begin gasping for air with our tongues out while a thin bridge of saliva connects our mouths as we erotically look at each other desiring for more.


    ¡°Hah, hah. Abella¡­ I¡¯m sorry, but¡­ I really want you bad. Hah, hah.¡±


    ¡°Hah. R-Really? Hah.¡±


    Cassandra smiles and answers my obvious question, ¡°Yes, Abella,¡± She places my hand on her breast, ¡°I really, really do.¡±


    Cassandra and I kiss once more. Her body, her breasts, her lips, her tongue, her hands, they all feel so incredible. I couldn¡¯t resist my primal instincts any longer. I gently place her on her back and slowly caress her leg.


    I''m kissing the girl of my dreams. I¡¯m kissing the girl who means absolutely everything to me. Is this okay? Is this normal? Is this¡­ love?


    As I slowly move my leg forward and mentally prepare for what¡¯s about to happen. Cassandra moans a bit, and speaks these words I¡¯ve never heard before.


    ¡°Please, Abella. gasp¡­ be gentle.¡±


    I felt like my heart was going to explode from that one line alone.


    Cassandra¡­


    But then I wake up in the middle of the night, breathing heavily, sweating and with an unquenchable thirst. It was all just a dream.


    I sadistically smile and laugh at myself, ¡°Hahh¡­ hahahah¡­ Just a stupid dream like always. Life¡­ Life really is cruel sometimes.¡±


    I sit up in bed so I can go look for something to satisfy my thirst. But then I hear it--I feel it.


    Slosh.


    ¡°Hm?!...¡±


    I slowly lift my covers, terrified over what I might find. But you all can probably guess what it is.


    ¡°WHA-WHA-WHA-WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!?! YOU-YOU''VE GOTTA BE KIDDING MEEE!!!!¡±


    I accidentally wake up my neighbors.


    One demands, ¡°Hey, shut the hell up!! Some of us have work tomorrow!!¡± Another one threatens, ¡°I¡¯m calling the police if you don¡¯t SHUT THE HELL UP!!¡±


    NooOOOO!!! This is too embarrassing!!


    I yell back,¡°I-I-I¡¯M SORRY EVERYONE!! I¡¯LL SHUT UP!!¡±


    I facepalm, and look down at my covers, ¡°Aw, geez. What should I do??¡±


    Meanwhile this is happening, Cassandra is waking up in our middle school nurse¡¯s office. She¡¯s hugging her pillow for dear life, and can¡¯t stop thinking about what happened in the dream.


    ¡°A-A-Abella?! I-I kissed Abella?!?! Aw, jeez! This is so embarrassing!!¡± She starts rolling in her bed from one side to another, ¡°Dammit! Dammit!! I think me waking up woke him up, too!! I got too carried away with him!!¡± Her face turns red at the thought of me, and her heart begins to skip a beat, ¡°I wonder¡­ I wonder if he''s thinking about me right now¡­¡±


    She remembers the words she told me in the dream.


    I''m sorry, Abella¡­ but I really want you bad.


    ¡°Aaahh! I''m so embarrassing! I''m so embarrassing! I''m so embarrassing! I can''t believe I¡­ we¡­ kissed! Kissed! Dammit! Ugh! And why? Why did I have to wake up when it was getting sooo good, too?! And how in the hell am I supposed to face Belly tomorrow?! Suicide. That¡¯s my only option at this point.¡±


    And while this whole mess is going on, back home, I¡¯m cleaning my dirty pajamas in the washing machine next to the the bathroom.


    Whirr, Whirr, Whirr, Whirr¡­


    I squat in my boxers while double facepalming, shamefully facing away from my washing machine.


    This is too embarrassing, I can¡¯t watch my washing machine clean such filth! All we were doing is kissing! KISSING! It wasn''t even that serious! Ughhh!


    I stand up, and face my groin like every man does at some point in their lives.


    ¡°You''re so weak!¡±


    But it pokes up in my boxers and somehow answers me in a very deep and masculine voice.


    Hahaha. Yes. You. Are. ~?


    "Kill yourself."


    You can say that tonight was a lost for both Cassandra and me. But, honestly, this truly is the happiest I¡¯ve ever been. I still believe that this was all just a dream, too, so I just continue on like how I normally do in life,without giving the dream much of a second thought.


    Arpie High¡¯s entrance exams are one month away. I really hope that by then my magic awakens so that I can become a full-fledged knight and finally make the real Cassandra proud.


    I grin and think to myself how much I can¡¯t wait for that day to come.

 A Knight in Love 8

    Cassandra and I are walking along the beaches of Heavenly after a long day of training together. That dream I had--that dream we had. Her and I can¡¯t stop thinking about it. We¡¯ve hardly spoken a word to each other, and this silence is still so bittersweet.


    I really¡­ I really want to hold Cassandra¡¯s hand¡­


    I really¡­ I really want Belly to kiss me again¡­


    As Cassandra and I walk close to one another, our hearts slowly beat in unison. My face is red, and I can¡¯t stop thinking about Cassandra. I can¡¯t stop thinking about how much I¡¯ve really fallen for her.


    What should I say to her?...


    ¡°H-Hey, Cassandra?¡±


    ¡°Y-Yeah, what¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ Uh¡­ Th-Thanks for training with me again.¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ Mhm¡­¡±


    ¡°So¡­ Um¡­ How about this view?!¡±


    She giggles at my awkward self, trying so hard to say something. And as she laughs, I can¡¯t help but notice how beautiful she looks with the ocean and sky behind her. This girl is from another planet. One I can never reach.


    I ask her, ¡°So¡­ Um¡­ You-You want to sit down for a bit?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, okay! Sure!¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ Cool, Cool.¡±


    Her and I sit down on the sand. I turn my head towards the town of Heavenly for a second, and I realize how gorgeous it looks. And as I look farther out into the distance, I can see Arpie High sitting atop the steep cliff beside Heavenly. It looks like a castle, and it¡¯s honestly the jewel of Heavenly. Even though this town is pretty small, and mostly uninteresting, I can¡¯t imagine myself anywhere else but here.


    Arpie High¡¯s entrance exams are a little less than a month away. Hmmm¡­ And my magic still hasn¡¯t awakened¡­ I can¡¯t¡­ I just can¡¯t let Cassandra down¡­ but¡­ I don¡¯t know what to do.


    As we sit on the sand, I admire the sea, and listen to the peaceful sounds of the seagulls chirping and the calm ocean waves. It¡¯s gotten noticeably warmer lately, and I heard that Arpie High has even begun building a new, giant stadium for its students this year.


    Geez, such a pain. Building an even bigger stadium means that a butt-load of tourists from the capital will probably eventually come visit Heavenly. I hate busy places. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Haha¡­ oh, well.


    I lie down, and close my eyes. I¡¯ve never been so comfortable and uncomfortable in my entire life. The sand feels so soft and toasty in my hands. I wonder why I can¡¯t stop feeling so giddy, too.


    Nothing really new has happened in my life recently. Besides Lucas and Emily. Those two seem¡­ interesting. Joshua¡¯s also been kinda distancing himself from me lately. I¡¯m kinda starting to miss the jerk--not. And not only that, but Cassandra has been acting kinda¡­ weird lately. She¡¯s more quiet and shy. She didn¡¯t even hit me after catching me checking out those ladies playing beach volleyball earlier--she just shot me an angry stare then quickly looked away. Hmmmm¡­ Weird¡­


    As I lie there on the sand, it¡¯s nothing but me and my thoughts. However, as I open my eyes, and turn over to my left, I find Cassandra to be lying down next to me, asleep. Her face is red, and yet she looks so calm. Her body is so close to mine that I can feel her warmth. My heart can¡¯t take this. And I remember the silent promise I made to myself for Cassandra.


    ¡­ But can I really¡­ fulfil it?... I¡¯ve never impressed anyone. Can I really become a knight that Cassandra can be proud of?...


    My negative emotions all of a sudden start rushing into me. I start overthinking like always, worrying about a tomorrow where I fail like always.


    I sit up. My breathing starts getting heavy. My mind spins out of control. All of these thoughts of Cassandra leaving me, looking at me with such disappointment after hearing that I failed Arpie High¡¯s entrance exams, they start to flood my mind.


    What should I do? What should I do? What should I do???? Somebody, anybody, please, help me! I don''t¡­ I don''t want to be all alone again!!


    I start to quietly hyperventilate, trying my best to not wake up Cassandra. And even though she¡¯s right next to me, I can¡¯t help but feel so lost and scared. I don¡¯t know how I can expect to pass, when no other dream of mine has ever come true, not even once. But as I meltdown, I can feel a light, warm touch on my back that instantly takes away all of my stress.


    Cassandra whispers to me, ¡°Hey, Belly?...¡±


    I respond, ¡°Y-Yeah?¡±


    ¡°... Sleep.¡±


    She taps the warm sand beside to her. Wanting me to sleep next to her. My face becomes instantly red because of course something like this will get a teenage boy like me excited.


    ¡°Ah¡­ Um¡­ Are-Are-Are you sure it¡¯s okay for me to lie there?!¡±


    She smiles and slowly nods her head, and whispers one more time, ¡°Of course it is, why wouldn''t it be, Belly?...¡±


    I lie down, and I slowly but surely drift off to sleep as if it were magic. Cassandra¡¯s amazing, she can take away all of my worries and make me feel so much better with just the sound of her voice. And as her and I fall asleep together, the sun is almost finished setting, and another day ends for Cassandra and me.


    This is really strange. I¡¯ve never slept next to a girl before. This is really, really strange! But don''t get any word ideas, Belly! You to you little bastard.


    Mhmmm ~?


    But then I hear it, the sound of Cassandra¡¯s voice once more, ¡°Don¡¯t you even think about doing anything dirty to me while I''m sleeping, Belly, okay??¡±


    ¡°H-Huh?? What?!¡± Did she read my mind???


    She giggles at my expense, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Belly, I¡¯m only kidding.¡±


    As I watch her laugh at my miserable self, I can''t help but laugh, too.


    Cassandra is the first friend I¡¯ve ever truly made. I really don¡¯t want to disappoint her¡­ I really don''t want her to leave me all alone again, too.


    I lie down next to her, and slowly drift off to sleep.


    Don¡¯t worry, Cassandra, I¡¯ll get stronger and stronger, and I¡¯ll become a knight you can be proud of. A knight you can look at and feel safe. Just like me whenever I see you, Cassandra¡­ And someday--someday I¡¯ll gather up the courage to tell you this¡­ someday¡­ I promise¡­


    Cassandra and I fall asleep ever so peacefully. And for the first time in a while, I don¡¯t cry myself to bed. And just like clockwork, I wake up in the middle of an imaginary beach. It''s nighttime again, the stars shine bright, and as I stand, I can see Cassandra up ahead near the ocean waves, waiting for my arrival. I walk up to her, and my heart starts to beat faster and faster as I remember the last time her and I were together--as I remember the kiss her and I shared. But as I approach her, I notice that something¡¯s different.


    This¡­ isn¡¯t Cassandra¡­ but¡­ she looks so familiar, too.


    This girl has long, silky, black hair. Her body''s petite, and unlike Cassandra, she¡¯s even a tiny bit shorter than me. Her skin is dark but still a little light. And I pick up a sweet scent of a rose-like perfume--the kind that you just can¡¯t get enough of. The girly trait of her make me blush and feel so nervous. But I was never that good at talking with girls to begin with. But somehow I¡¯m girl-crazy?The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    I can hear my timid voice crack a little, ¡°Ah¡­ Um¡­ Ex-Excuse me?...¡±


    She flinches to the sound of my voice, and hastily turns around to look at me, as if my voice reminded her of something--someone. Her eyes are so dark, and yet they contain a hint of blue. She looks at me with such a surprised look on her kitten-like face, and her eyes, begin to shake at the sight of me.


    And with an adorable, kitten-like voice, she asks, ¡°B-Belly??...¡±


    I instantly freeze at the sound of that name. No one has ever called me by that name with so much emotion before. My heart sinks, I¡¯m not sure how I feel about this. I¡¯m not sure who this girl is, nor if she even exists. Is she just another fantasy my hormones-filled brain made up to satisfy my primal urges as a fourteen-year-old kid without a girlfriend?


    ¡°If-If you don¡¯t mind me asking¡­ who¡­ who are you?...¡±


    She remains silent for a second. Still trying to grasp the situation. It¡¯s as if she¡¯s seen a ghost or something. I can feel my heart beat a mile a minute. But then, after obviously think quite a lot about what to respond, she smiles a sad smile, and answers my question.


    ¡°I¡¯m just an old-childhood friend of yours¡­ yeah¡­ you can just call me Nia!¡±


    ¡°... Nia¡­¡±


    I¡¯m not sure why, but that name is so bittersweet. Nia¡­ I feel like I¡¯m going to remember that name forever¡­


    Nia and I start talking more and more. For a dainty girl, she sure has an appetite. Not to mention she¡¯s a big fan of sweets, even more than me. And as her and I continue talking, we learn alot about each other. I tell her about the past year, how I¡¯m training for Arpie High¡¯s entrance exams so that I can one day become a knight, because maybe then¡­ maybe then, I¡¯ll finally be able to make a bunch of new friends, and maybe get a girlfriend, like I always wanted¡­ However, I tell her that there¡¯s still a small problem. My boost still hasn¡¯t activated, and I don¡¯t have a single bit of magic within me.


    ¡°I¡¯m sacred, Nia. I really want to stay positive, but I don¡¯t know what to do. I don¡¯t want to be left behind. I don¡¯t want to be forgotten. What do should I do? Sniff.¡±


    I start to tear up a bit, and she looks at me with a sympathetic look on her face. But then, she all of a sudden asks me a question.


    ¡°Hey, Belly, what¡¯s your favorite thing to do?¡±


    ¡°My favorite thing to do? Hmmm¡­ that¡¯s a tough one.¡±


    ¡°Too many choices?¡±


    ¡°No, too many embarrassing choices.¡±


    ¡°Well, unless you¡¯re not a little pervert like you used to be when you were a kid, I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re favorite thing to do is checking out a bunch of pretty girls, huh?¡±


    ¡°Whaaaaat??? No it is not! How rude!¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah? I clearly remember you one day checking out our hot preschool teacher and yelling, AAAAHH!! THERE¡¯S SOMETHING IN MY PANTS?!?!¡± She starts laughing hysterically at my own expense, ¡°Hahaha! I swear, Belly, you were so cringey as a kid!!¡±


    ¡°Hmmmm. S-Stop laughingggg!!¡±


    ¡°Neverrr!! Hahaha!¡±


    My face instantly turns red from the embarrassment of that repressed memory, and so without thinking, I retort, ¡°Well, t-too bad you have nothing to check out! Especially here!¡±


    I point at her flat chest, and her face instantly becomes red, too. I say mission accomplished.


    ¡°You-You stupid pervert! Shut up!!¡±


    In a huff, she throws her ice cream at me, but I skillfully dodge it.


    ¡°No, you shut up!!¡±


    A food fight breaks out, snacks are flying all over the place, and neither of us are showing the least bit of mercy. It¡¯s an all out war. But then she activates her boost and her eyes glint a bright blue color with heart-shapes in the middle.


    ¡°H-Hey, that¡¯s not fair! I don¡¯t have any magic!¡±


    ¡°Haha! Too bad! Now prepare yourself because I¡¯m going to frickin¡¯ destroy you!¡±


    Crap. I need to do something--quick!


    I hastily look around and notice a big bottle of Fiji Water in the sand. Y''all can probably tell what my dumb ass is about to do.


    That¡¯s it!!!


    And so, without hesitation, I grab the big bottle of Fiji Water, open it up ever so dramatically, and pour all the water that¡¯s inside on her.


    SSS-Splash!


    She gasps and I could feel her magic deactivate. But then¡­


    ¡°Hahaha! Take that, you... you¡­¡±


    From top to bottom, Nia is drenched in water. Her thin blouse is so see-through that the lingerie she¡¯s wearing underneath is visible. And her skin gets so glossy and smooth-looking as drops of water run down her bright red face and body. I could feel my nose bleed at the sight of this, and the few seconds I have left to live.


    In a very angry, yet cute tone, she says, ¡°Tsk¡­ Tsk¡­ Hmmmm¡­. Beeellyyyy!!!!¡±


    I fall backwards, and think to myself, O-Oh, no.I guess this is it. What should my last words be? Something wise that will be rememebered across the ages.


    ¡°Nia, I¡­ I regret nothing.¡±


    Her eyes get teary, ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll kill you! You freakingpervert!!¡±


    She raises her fist, and I flinch, Eeeeeek!!!


    But then, a few seconds pass, and nothing happens.


    Huh?


    I open my eyes, and find Nia all shy while attempting to cover herself. She moans a bit, and sits down in front of me. Her drenched body is only a few inches away from mine. Both my heart and mind are going out of control. All of the food around us disappear, and in a very timid voice, she asks.


    ¡°So¡­ um¡­ Belly?... Do you feel better?... Are you still sad?¡±


    ¡°... Huh?...¡±


    My heart begins to beat, faster and faster. I couldn¡¯t believe what I heard, what I was thinking.


    Did Nia do all of this so she could distract me from feeling bad... No she couldn¡¯t have¡­ really?


    I¡¯m overwhelmed by Nia¡¯s kindness. The only other person who¡¯s ever shown me such a warm feeling is Cassandra. I don¡¯t know what to do. I don¡¯t know what to say. I¡¯m completely frozen, and yet I feel so warm.


    ¡°... Belly?...¡±


    ¡°Y-Yeah?¡±


    ¡°... Whether you fail or not fail is completely up to you. Because a true knight in shining armor does the most with the least.¡±


    And at this exact moment, the sun finally rises. The sky becomes a light hue of pink, and so do the clouds. Almost all the stars are gone, but a few are still left, sprinkled across the sky.


    ¡°And after everything you¡¯ve told me, I really think you can make Cassandra proud.¡±


    ¡°Nia¡­¡±


    And of course, after hearing all this, I start to cry.


    ¡°Ugh¡­ Sniff¡­ Nia¡­ hiccup¡­ Thank you, Nia. Sniff.¡±


    She giggles, and gives me a warm smile that can only exist in my dreams.


    ¡°You know, Belly¡­ you¡¯ve always been such a crybaby.¡±


    And so, I wake up. Not by my stupid alarm clock, but by Cassandra.


    ¡°H-Hey, Belly?¡±


    I slowly open my eyes to the sond of her voice.


    ¡°C¡­ Cassandra?¡±


    I sit up, we¡¯re still at the beach, and it¡¯s morning already. I rub my eyes and look around, lost for a second. That girl who I met in my dreams, Nia, I wonder who she was. But whether she exists or not doesn¡¯t matter to me. Because she reminded me about something important. The reason why I¡¯m doing all of this is for Cassandra. For the Cassandra in real life--for the Cassandra in my dreams. For my friends that are waiting for me tomorrow. For the girlfriend I still so desperately want. And for the magic that¡¯s love.


    I got this, I got this!!... But first¡­ I need to take a serious nap.


    ¡°Hey, Cassandra, what time and day is it?¡±


    ¡°Um¡­ It-It¡¯s four in the morning. And today¡¯s a Sunday.¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ I see¡­ Sigh¡­ Thank God. I can sleep a little more¡­ Ahhh.¡±


    I close my eyes and fall back to quickly drift off to sleep again in the comfy sand. And as Cassandra watches me, she can¡¯t help but blush at the sight of my lips.


    Belly¡­ why didn¡¯t you dream of me last night?... My heart¡­ it really hurts¡­ I can¡¯t believe that¡­ I¡¯ve fallen so hard for him¡­ Belly¡­ you clueless jerk.


    She lies down next to me, watching me sleep. Her eyes get teary, and her heart aches for mine. I really am a clueless idiot. But ironically, I know for whom I¡¯m fighting. And it¡¯s none other than the clueless Cassandra who is lying down, right beside me.

 A Knight in Love 9

    She runs along the beaches of Heavenly, early in the morning, training for Arpie High¡¯s upcoming entrance exams. Her breathing is heavy, she can feel the numerous drops of sweat drip down her face and body, and onto her P.E. shirt and leggings. And no matter how much she tries, she can¡¯t stop thinking about her one true love¡¯s rare smile. Her heart rate rapidly increases. She¡¯s never felt this much love for someone, and she doesn¡¯t know what to do, nor what to say¡­


    That kiss him and I shared that night¡­ Why can¡¯t I stop thinking about it?


    Hi, my name is Cassandra. Cassandra Alister. Since I was a little girl, I¡¯ve always seen Belly everywhere. And I¡¯ve always remembered his one true goal. To make friends and be there for them. But he¡¯s so pathetic and awkward. And it doesn¡¯t help that he¡¯s always been the target of the most amazing boy in town, Joshua Menma. And it¡¯s because of all this trauma and social rejection as a kid that he was never able to waken the magic within him called love.


    And I¡¯m ashamed to admit this, but all I could do was watch. I was afraid. Afraid to say something, to save him because¡­ just like him, I didn¡¯t have magic. I couldn¡¯t go against Joshua and everyone else who was against Belly, not in the state I was, so instead I joined them, leaving Belly all alone.


    I cried every night in our nurses office. My home. Hating myself for doing such an awful thing to Belly. Not letting him know that there really is someone out there in the world, thinking about him every night before they go to sleep. And after everything I¡¯ve been through myself with father¡­ how could I just leave him--abandon him when all he¡¯s ever wanted is a friend.


    But let¡¯s move past the sappy stuff. Let¡¯s move on to a dream I had as a little girl. A dream where Belly and I met for the very first time. I wake up in an open meadow where only a single tree resided, during the golden hour. And as I look around, I spot Belly in the distance, curled up in a ball, crying to himself. My heart sinks, I couldn¡¯t confront him. I was too ashamed of myself. How could I talk to him after everything I¡¯ve done to avoid him. I slowly step back, and turn around to start running away, but then I hear his sweet, broken voice.


    ¡°P-Please¡­ I-I don¡¯t--I don¡¯t want to be left alone anymore¡­ Mom, Dad¡­ Bro.¡±


    I cover my mouth with my hands. Trying my hardest to not burst into tears, but I just can¡¯t.


    He¡¯s crying¡­ begging life¡­ begging for someone to love him. For someone to be there for him¡­ Dammit!!


    I turn around and cry out for his name.


    ¡°Belly!! Huh?¡±


    But he¡¯s gone. Nowhere to be found. I fall on my knees. Regretting so much. My one chance to talk to him disappeared. I hold my chest, tightly. Not knowing what to.


    ¡°Belly¡­ I¡¯m here for you¡­¡±


    But then I wake up. It¡¯s a Saturday morning, and once again, I wake up in the nurse''s office. I don¡¯t know what to do, but one thing is clear.


    I have to talk to him¡­ I have to go see Belly!


    I change into some clothes and sneak out the school gates. I run all over town, hoping to find Belly somewhere--somehow.


    Belly¡­ Belly¡­ Belly¡­ Belly¡­ Belly!... Belly!!... Belly!!!... Belly!!! Where are you??Stolen story; please report.


    And at this moment, my eyes glint for the very first time in my life, a tyrian purple color with broken heart-shapes in the middle. My magic awakened.


    Belly!!


    I could feel so many new bittersweet emotions I didn¡¯t understand, see so many new beautiful colors I never knew existed. I use some of my unique magic to create my boost: Pounce.


    I start hopping great distances. Over buildings and lakes, across streets and open fields, and I jump atop our largest of buildings to look around the entire town of Heavenly. But nothing.


    I search around all day, but still nothing. The sun starts to set, and I end up going to the beach. As I look out into the sea, I can''t help but think the about the truth.


    I¡¯m all alone, too¡­ That¡¯s why I¡¯m looking for Belly¡­


    I smile, and can¡¯t help but cry. I start to cry, and cry, and cry. Desperately wishing for a friend to call my own. To be loved, to have a real home to return to. My entire life, I¡¯ve been all alone, too. I start to cry, louder and louder.


    Please¡­ I beg of you¡­ to whoever is listening out there¡­ I don¡¯t want to be alone anymore¡­ please¡­ just please, let me be friends with Belly.


    ¡°Um¡­ Ex-Excuse me?¡±


    ¡°Huh!...¡±


    That same sweet, broken voice I heard in my dreams. I quickly turn around, hoping it¡¯s him.


    ¡°B-Belly?¡±


    He stands there, holding a colorful popsicle in his hand. I remember something. For as long as I¡¯ve known him, he¡¯s never once smiled before. But after seeing my face, he blushed andcalmly smile.


    ¡°D-Don¡¯t-Don¡¯t worry Cassandra!¡±


    He offers his hand to me and giggles at my expense.


    ¡°I-I-I want to be friends with you, too! Heheh!¡±


    I hold his warm hand, and it¡¯s as if my heart bloomed into a thousand stars. My eyes go from a violet color to a light green with whole heart-shapes in the middle.


    ¡°B-Belly¡­ Belly!¡±


    I hug him, crying, overflowing with tears.


    ¡°Hic.Belly, thank you! Thank you, thank you! I-I promise Belly, I will always be your friend. I will always be here for you, Belly! Hiccup.¡±


    And as I cry in his shoulder, he drops his popcycle and embraces me with both his arms. We¡¯re so close to each other that we can feel each other¡¯s heart beat. And he whispers something.


    ¡°Me-Me, too. You don¡¯t have to suffer being alone anymore, Cassandra, for I am here now. And I will always be here for whenever you need to cry¡­¡±


    I wake up once more in bed. Two weeks left until Arpie High¡¯s entrance exams. I look out the window of the nurse¡¯s office and watch over the peaceful town of Heavenly, my home.


    That time Belly and I met as a kid¡­ it was all a dream, too¡­ Haha. He¡¯s such an idiot. I can¡¯t believe he hasn¡¯t realized it yet. And it¡¯s been so many years, too.


    Those dreams we have--how we¡¯re able to dream together. It¡¯s all because of Belly. That¡¯s his magic. To dream together with those who have a broken heart, and to help save them. He has so much potential at becoming the greatest knight, and he doesn¡¯t even know it. He has more potential than me, and yet, the reason as to why he fights is to make someone like me proud.


    I don¡¯t think he¡¯s ever really done anything for himself. All he cares about is being there for others because he knows what it feels like to be all alone, and he doesn¡¯t want anyone else to ever feel the same way. I think¡­ maybe, that¡¯s why I¡­ I love him¡­


    My heart feels warm at the thought of him. And I can¡¯t wait to see him again today.


    I¡¯ll help you, Belly. I¡¯ll help you make more and more friends, and become the greatest knight. Because honestly, if anyone deserves it¡­ it¡¯s you, Belly¡­


    My mind gets foggy, and my heart beat gets louder and louder. My entire body feels warm and cozy.


    Geez¡­ I can¡¯t believe I¡¯ve really fallen for that loser.

 A Knight in Love 10

    There is still so much I don¡¯t know about this mythical world. I¡¯ve come to understand that it¡¯s untold secrets are just a natural part of life. One thing¡¯s for sure, though, the magic that¡¯s within all of us¡ªthe magic that allows us to go beyond our full potential¡ªit isn¡¯t a mysterious power, but instead the product of a desire to accomplish our dreams.


    Everyone desires something out of life, but the cruel reality is that some succeed while others fail. Some of us are lucky, while some of us are not.


    For me, I say I¡¯m both.


    I want to become the world¡¯s greatest knight with my sword at hand and a woman in my arms. And to someday make Cassandra proud. That¡¯s what I desire. But the odds of me successfully reaching that goal are against me because I¡­ I was always so alone and pushed away as a kid, and so I was never able to awaken the magic that¡¯s within me¡ªwithin all of us¡ªlove¡­ and-and I was always told by everyone around me that I am destined to fail¡­ because I don¡¯t have any magic.


    ¡°At least, that¡¯s what you thought. Right, Belly?¡±


    ¡°Sniff... Yeah¡­¡±


    Cassandra and I are together again in the beaches of Heavenly. And as a starry night covers the town of heavenly, a floating luminescent ball of light shines a bright sky blue color between my hands.


    Magic¡­ I¡¯ve finally awakened my own magic!! This makes me so, so happy!!


    But there is still one major problem, though.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a single clue¡­ what this thing can do!! All it does is follow me around everywhere I go! Do you have any idea how awkward it was when I tried using the bathroom??¡±


    She giggles at my expense, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Belly, we still have plenty of time to figure out what your magic can do!¡±


    ¡°Plenty of ti... We only have two days left!!!¡±Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Ah-¡­ well¡­ ummm¡­ uhhh¡­ O-Oh, look Belly! A shooting star!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t change the subject.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t lying. The shooting star left a white scratch in the night sky, followed by so many indescribable colors.


    ¡°Wow¡­¡±


    ¡°Say, Belly, don¡¯t those shooting stars kinda remind you of your magic?¡±


    ¡°Huh? How so?¡±


    ¡°Well, think about it. Don¡¯t they both shine such a beautiful light?¡±


    ¡°B-Beautiful?... You really think so?¡±


    She smiles, ¡°Yeah!¡±


    I lower my head, embarrassed, ¡°... Tha-Thank you very much.¡±


    And just like always, Cassandra laughs at me for being so awkward.


    ¡°Well, Belly, I think it¡¯s time for us to head home.¡±


    ¡°Oh-Okay.¡±


    Cassandra and I start walking home and we eventually reach the point where we both go our separate ways.


    ¡°Goodnight, Belly! See you tomorrow!¡±


    ¡°B-Bye¡­¡±


    As I finally make it to my house, I take a shower, then lie down in bed as the ball of light floats around my room. My own magic, my very own magic. I start to tear up, thinking how lucky I am, and how much I don¡¯t deserve this.


    Thank you¡­ Thank you so much, Cassandra!.. Thank you!


    I¡¯m so close. I¡¯m so close that I can taste it. My first steps into becoming a knight in shining armor that the entire kingdom admires. I drift off to sleep, and like every night for the past year, I wake up in the middle of an imaginary beach as the sun sets in the distance. With Nia standing in front of me, admiring the beautiful scenery.


    ¡°Belly, is that you?¡±


    ¡°Oh, Nia! I have some really good news!¡±


    ¡°What-What is it?¡±


    ¡°I finally awakened my Magic!¡±


    ¡°Oh! You did?¡±


    ¡°Yup! Here, let me show you, it¡¯s a ball of light that follows me everywhere and does nothing. Neat, huh?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ Yes, it looks really cute.¡± Did he fall in love with... Cassandra?


    ¡°Hey Nia, thanks.¡±


    ¡°Hm? For what?¡±


    ¡°Well, although you¡¯re just a dream, you really do mean a lot for me. You keep me from feeling so lonely, and, well, it¡¯s because of your help that I was able to finally awaken my magic.¡±


    ¡°Oh. Well, it was nothing, Belly! Just promise me one thing.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°... Pass Arpie High¡¯s Entrance Exams, then, we''ll celebrate with a huge feast! Sound good?"


    ¡°Sure thing! I¡¯ll do my best, Nia!¡±


    ¡°Good! You better!¡±


    Nia and I continue to talk for the rest of the night. What the future holds is shrouded in mystery. What I can only hope for is that this ball of light shines a path that will take me to success. I can''t let down all of the amazing people who have chosen to put their faith in me. I just can''t.

 A Noteworthy Interlude

    Your Sweet Heart | A Noteworthy Interlude


    "The Prophecy For Belly"


    [Narrator¡¯s Perspective]


    *Tap Tap, TapTapTap, Tap*


    Belly and Cassandra have been messaging each other all night. This is the night before Belly¡¯s Entrance Exams for Arpie High, a prestigious Knight Academy. He hasn¡¯t been able to sleep for two days straight. He¡¯s worried of letting her down. He really wants to make Cassandra proud. For so many months, she¡¯s trained him physically until he couldn¡¯t feel his body, and on top of that, she trained him in the art of the sword.


    She¡¯s done so much for him, and all he has to show for it is a ball of light that does nothing but follow him around. As Belly falls deeper and deeper into this downward spiral of stress, he receives a peculiar text message from Cassandra.


    - Hey, Belly, is it okay if I come and sleep over at your place tonight? I¡¯m not that far away. -


    He sits up in bed, and aloud, he thinks to himself, ¡°Is-Is she serious? No, she-she can¡¯t be. This has to be a joke, right?¡±


    And just like that, Belly¡¯s weak little heart drops to his stomach, trying his best to grasp the situation before him. And before he has the chance to reply with a paragraph made of pure question marks, he receives another text from Cassandra.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    - Hey, is it okay if I use your shower, too? -


    ¡°No way,¡± He says as a bit of blood escapes from his nose, ¡°No way, Jose!!! Cassandra in my¡­ my shower??¡±


    He starts imagining how hot Cassandra¡¯s body would look wet in the shower, and how water drips down her bouncy breasts and butt, as she offers her hand for Belly to join her.


    Belly doesn¡¯t know how to reply. And he begins to finally think logically about this.


    This¡­ this is all a prank. It has to be. The odds of a girl like Cassandra showing up to my house is absolutely ze-.


    He then receives another text message from Cassandra.


    ¡°Open up, I¡¯m in front of your house.¡±


    Belly slams open his front door, out of breath, to find Cassandra standing there with a suitcase in her hands, and a sad, pondering expression on her face.


    ¡°Casandra? You-You¡¯re actually here? At my house????¡±


    She looks at Belly with teary eyes, and with a broken voice, Cassandra confesses, ¡°Belly, I¡¯m really sorry about this but¡­ I need you to¡­¡±


    And like a dumbass, Belly asks, ¡°Need me to¡­ carry your heavy suitcase??¡±


    Cassandra responds, ¡°No stupid! I need you to¡­ to¡­ toooo....¡± She clenches her hands, and forces herself to say what she wants to say with a passionate look in her eye, ¡°I need you to help me kick my father¡¯s stupid ass!!¡±


    Belly gets a blank expression on his face.


    To kick a what?.........


    He¡¯s unable to comprehend the atmosphere of this ridiculous situation.


    ¡°Ummm¡­ I beg your pardon, Cassandra?¡±


    Tonight will definitely be a night to remember.

 Issue #1

    Your Sweet Heart | Issue #1


    "I''m Here For You"


    [Narrator¡¯s Perspective]


    Cassandra and Belly are sitting down in his living room. It¡¯s currently 1 a.m. Belly is awkwardly waiting as Cassandra finishes chugging the sugar-filled coffee he made for her.


    *Tap!*


    She slams the mug on the table they are sitting at, while she expresses the symbol of a drink that satisfies an unquenchable thirst, ¡°Kaaaaahhhh! That was guuud stuff!¡±


    Belly can¡¯t stop looking constipated, as he thinks to himself about what just happened literally a minute ago.


    She¡­ She needs me to kick her old man¡¯s ass?? I¡¯m too scared to ask why. But, I can¡¯t even kick a soccer ball! What makes her think I can kick her dad¡¯s ass?


    *POP!!*


    Belly expresses a tiny jolt as Cassandra opens a bag of chips that she begins to eat out of. After she notably gulps down the first of many chips, she stares at Belly thoroughly. This of course makes Belly even more nervous.


    Cassandra lifts her hand to point at Belly, and finally says something, ¡°You.¡±


    Belly points to himself cluelessly, ¡°M-Me?¡±


    ¡°No, the wall. Yes! Of course you, you stupid Bug! Who else??¡±


    ¡°O-Oh¡­¡±


    She takes a chip out of the bag, ¡°I know your secret.¡± And proceeds to eat the chip.


    *Crunch, nom, nom nom, gulp!*


    Belly¡¯s eyes widen to these very terrifying news, and thinks to himself all of the wonderful possibilities.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    She-She know my secret??? Oh no¡­ could it be the stack of porno magazines under my bed? Impossible!!


    ¡°W-What, what secret???¡±


    She takes yet another chip out of the bag, ¡°Your brother, I know who he is.¡±


    ¡°My¡­ My brother?¡±


    ¡°Yes, your brother. He was the most famous and beloved knight in the entire kingdom. The Big Bad Wolf. He¡­He always cared for the safety of everyone. He never once cared about himself, only of those around him. I remember he used to always fight alongside his equal, Little Red Riding Hood¡­ Your older brother was truly an extraordinary knight.¡±


    Belly¡¯s eyes widen, as they fill with sudden tears. He clenches his teeth and starts to hiccup, putting down his head, trying his best to not cry. And while this happens, the blue ball of light floating in midair begins to slowly shine a brighter hue.


    ¡°How¡­ How did you find out?¡±


    ¡°... Because, Belly¡­¡± She clenches her hand on her lap, ¡°Because my father killed him.¡±


    Belly doesn¡¯t make a sound. All he can do is look up at Cassandra¡¯s sympathetic face.


    ¡°What are you saying?¡±


    ¡°Belly¡­¡± She puts down her bag of chips and places her hand on her chest, ¡°My father¡­ My father is the Demon King Allister!¡±


    ¡°... What?¡±


    ¡°I had to runaway¡­ for so long, I had to live on my own in the streets, constantly moving from place to place, trying my best to hide from my father¡­ because¡­ because I¡¯m the daughter of a demon who killed your brother¡­¡±


    Cassandra¡­ Cassandra has been through so much.


    Cassandra starts to cry, her eyes overflow with tears. She clenches her teeth, and hiccups. Although Belly has always looked up to her, she suffers just as much as him.


    She just didn¡¯t let it stop her from becoming the amazing knight she is now.


    She continue to cries, ¡°Now that you know the truth, do you hate me, Belly? Does looking at me hurt you? I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m so, so sorry, Bell-¡±


    *Gasp!*


    Belly embraces Cassandra in his arms without a single teardrop on his face.


    ¡°B-Belly??¡±


    ¡°Stupid, Cassandra. There is absolutely nothing in this world that can make me hate you.¡±


    Cassandra remembers a dream the two of them had together one night. And in that dream, Belly told her something that filled her broken heart with joy and excitement.


    ¡°I promise to become the knight in shining armor a beautiful princess like you deserves.¡±


    And to the sound of these words, Cassandra let¡¯s herself go to Belly.


    ¡°Ug¡­ Ugg¡­ Tha- Thank you, Belly! Thank you! But when did you ever grow the balls to say something cute like that???¡±


    Whatever that Demon did to her. I will never forgive him for making Cassandra cry and-


    "Wait, what did you just say???"

 Issue #2

    Your Sweet Heart | Issue #2


    "A Knight¡¯s Naughty Sword"


    Belly is sitting on his bed, with the most serious look on his face ever as the sound of shower water running and joyful humming can be heard in the distant background. He thinks to himself, revealing the dire situation,


    Cassandra is¡­ taking a shower right next to my room¡­ it¡¯s like she¡¯s asking for someone to peek at her!!!! That someone being me and only me of course. heheheh.


    He stands up, opens the door of his bedroom and heads towards the restroom, until he hurries back inside his room and slams the door shut to himself.


    NO, BELLY!!! You must resist¡­ the temptation¡­ GODDAMMIT!!!!


    *WHACK!!!*


    He forcefully grabs and attempts to pull his own hand from opening the door.


    ¡°NO!!!...... I must resist¡­.. Must not give in¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ can¡¯t let my dick win!!!!!!¡±


    And so, his dick naturally answers him in the deepest, most manliest voice. (Don¡¯t worry, you can¡¯t see it, only just a tiny a sword)


    ¡°Just give in, Brotha, I¡¯m only trying to help you out~ Quit restraining yourself.¡±


    ¡°I have to¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­. TryyyYYYYYYY- FUCK!!!¡±


    Belly slams open his bedroom door and makes a dash for the bathroom.


    There it is!! I''ll just say it was an accident!! I''ll be like ''woOAh!'' Yeah, that''s it!


    He throws himself to the doorknob as if his life depended on it.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    *Slam!!!*


    As Belly opens the door, Cassandra was already getting out of the shower. The towel wrapped around her body is pressing up against her boobs and butt emphasizing their magnificent sizes, and her face was still dripping wet with water, as a towel was carefully wrapped around her head to mask her hair.


    ¡°Belly?¡±


    ¡°Ca¡­ Cassandra?!?! Ah! Um! I-I¡¯m really sorry, I just couldn¡¯t control myself and-¡±


    ¡°Hahaha! It¡¯s okay, Belly.¡±


    Cassandra smiles and steps closer to Belly.


    ¡°C-Cassandra?¡±


    ¡°You knoww, I wouldn¡¯t mind fooling around with you in the shower, would you like it if I let you rub soap all over my sexy body?¡±


    ¡°Ye-Yes, Ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t the thought of doing it with a princess in the shower really make you go crazy?¡±


    She presses her body up against Belly until they reach the wall on the side of the restroom, Cassandra starts to tease him intensely by placing his hand on her hip, under the towel.


    This, This is the first time I¡¯ve ever touched a girl there!!


    ¡°Is this your first time touching a girl?¡±


    How did she know????


    ¡°I can tell.¡±


    Can she read minds???


    She asks in a very seductive voice,, ¡°Hey, Belly, do you want me baaad?¡±


    ¡°I, I do!¡±


    ¡°Ehh? Reallyyy?¡±


    ¡°Yes! I really, really do!!¡±


    Heheheh! He¡¯s just like an adorable little puppy who wants a treat!


    ¡°Ooh? That¡¯s good. Because guess what?¡± She leans closer to his ear and whispers, ¡°I¡¯m actually really, really sleepy.¡±


    ¡°... Hah?¡±


    Cassandra is now sound asleep on Belly¡¯s bed, which she completely took over as her own, and as for Belly, he got the honor of sleeping on the ground with nothing but a pillow and blanket.


    This is balls. All of that build up for nothing??? She totally blue-balled me!!


    He then glances at Cassandra in bed, and notices her warm smile as she peacefully sleeps.


    *Yawn!*


    Well¡­ Whatever. all that matters is that she¡¯s happy¡­ Cassandra¡­ I really want to¡­ make her proud¡­¡±


    Belly drifts off to sleep ever so calmly. With the Entrance Exams only hours away, and yet, he¡¯s obtained a new and valuable reason to succeed. He wants to, he has to become Cassandra¡¯s knight in shining armor.


    Oh crap! I almost forgot to set my alarm!


    Dumbass. Hopefully, he succeeds. (The ball of light dims as he sleeps. Who knows how it works?)

 Issue #3

    Your Sweet Heart | Issue #3


    "The LegendaryCloset"


    As Belly and Cassandra are eating cereal together at the living room table, Cassandra is notably cheery with a pure and innocent smile on her face as she watches the Tv playing some cheesy soap opera. Her smile is so sweet that it can give the healthiest man alive diabetes. Belly, on the other hand, is notably thinking intensely about something with an awkward expression on his face as he intently watches Cassandra eat, more than he does at his cereal or the Tv. What could it be?


    This morning¡­ This morning when I woke up this girl was sleeping right next next to me. Our faces¡­ Our lips were only inches away from each other!! WHh?? Did she fall off the bed or something???


    He closes his eyes from the embarrassment remembering how beautiful Cassandra looked when they were both lying down in bed, from her messy, blonde hair to her cold feet. He especially remembers the incredible view he had of what was underneath her unbuttoned pajamas. And with a confused, yet embarrassed smile on his face, he thought to himself.


    I have to¡­ I must grope them!! Those tig ol¡¯ bitties!!!! Muahahaha!


    But before he even has the chance to touch them, he hears her seductive voice, ¡°Goodmorning, Belly. My, aren''t you excited today? Is there ever a moment you don¡¯t think about squeezing my boobs?¡±


    And in two seconds, Belly jumps up and returns to the recessive little bitch he is.


    ¡°Ah- Cassandra! You- You¡¯re awake??¡±


    ¡°Too bad we can¡¯t stay in bed together since you have an Entrance Exam to go to.¡±


    ¡°Ah- Well¡­ Yeah, I guess you¡¯re right.¡±


    She laughs cynically at Belly¡¯s suffering, only to jump on him and embrace him with her arms and chest.


    ¡°Ca-Ca-Cassandra???¡± Belly asks surprised.


    She answers in a sweet, quiet tone, ¡°Belly, thank you for making me happy and forget about everything that makes me cry. I have no doubt that you will pass today¡¯s exams with flying colors.¡±Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    In a muffled voice, Belly answers, ¡°Ah!... N-No-No p-problem, Cassandra! But, I can¡¯t- I can¡¯t really breathe in here! Even though, it wouldn¡¯t be such a bad way to g- go! Oh, by the way, I want to show you something!¡±


    ¡°Hm? Heheh. Is it your tiny little sword?¡±


    Belly opens an old, dusty room. As the two of them enter it, the ball of light which follows Abella makes the dust in the air shine like stars. Belly forcefully opens an old cabinet which spouts out even more dust into the air, resulting in the two of them to cough a bit, so that he could uncover something ancient hooked up inside it.


    With wide-open eyes, sha asks, ¡°Belly, isn¡¯t that your brother¡¯s legendary sword??¡±


    ¡°Mhm. It is.¡±


    This sacred sword was a perfect mixture of the colors green and gold. Belly¡¯s brother forged it himself with the finest steel and most valuable ore from the wild. On top of that, an Aristocratic Witch casted a powerful spell on it for it to never break.


    Yeah, he was most definitely compensating for something.


    Belly grabs the powerful and heavy sword, resulting in the ball of light to glow a tad brighter. He struggles to hold,at first, he almost drops it, but then he places it behind his back in its rightful scabbard. Which creates a notable sound of metal sliding across a solid platform.


    *Shing!*


    Cassandra then thinks to herself,


    That sword. It¡¯s so big and long. Looking at it even makes my heart flutter. The colors on it are so pretty, too, it¡¯s as if though it was made specifically for a Princess¡¯ appointed knight. So, because of this, when Belly wears it¡­


    She notices Belly¡¯s proud and determined smile on his face as he struggles to stand still because of how heavy and big the sword is compared to his tiny body. After looking at this, she couldn''t stop herself from laughing.


    ¡°Pffft- Hahahaha! Belly, you look totally ridiculous!! That sword doesn¡¯t compliment you at all! Hahaha!¡±


    ¡°Huh?? Ye- Yes it does!¡± Belly¡¯s face turns red, ¡°Ugh! Sh-Shut up! I- I know that I look really cool wearing this! I¡¯m gonna show up to that Entrance Exams looking like a total pimp! And all the hot ladies will be begging for a piece!¡±


    ¡°Hahahaha! Oh my goodness, my stomach- it hurts, Belly! Hahahaha!¡±


    Belly stomps to the front door of his house and slams it open, ¡°Hmph! That¡¯s it, I¡¯m leaving!¡±


    Cassandra runs to the front door, giggling, ¡°See you later, Bellyyy! Goodluck on your exams! I believe in youuuu!!¡±


    Belly keeps running, and surprisingly has a confident smile on his face as he looks straight ahead into the distance.


    Cassandra watches Belly leave for a second, then almost closes the door, but before she did she spots a mysterious letter on the ground addressed to Belly.


    Hmmmm, this looks suspicious.

 Issue #4

    Your Sweet Heart | Issue #4


    "You Talking To Me??"


    As Belly finally arrives to Arpie High, located at the top of a mountain which overlooks the entire city of Heavenly, he is completely overwhelmed by the scenery and the school¡¯s vast beauty. This prestigious knight academy looked like a golden palace made for royalty. But something was off about Belly.


    On the way to Arpie High, Belly couldn¡¯t help but overhear the people around him whispering his name. From ordinary civilians to full-fledged Knights that protect the city from harm.


    ¡°That sword¡­ could it be? Ain¡¯t that the younger brother of Big Bad Wolf?¡±


    ¡°Nahhh, can¡¯t be, no one has seen or heard of the little scamp in years! At this point, he¡¯s nothing more than a myth!!¡±


    ¡°What are ya¡¯ll fools talkin¡¯ ¡®bout?? That there be Big Bad Wolf¡¯s little sister!¡±


    ¡°Rumor has it he became a shut-in once his legendary brother was taken away from us. How truly disappointing. He¡¯s nothing like his brother.¡±


    ¡°But that legendary sword on his back, though!! So magnificent!! What was its name again??¡±


    ¡°The name of that sword ya see there is Shooting Star! The unbreakable sword!!¡±


    ¡°Shooting Star??? Kinda edgy if ya ask me.¡±


    ¡°How DARE you?? It¡¯s been years since anyone has witnessed such a blade! That kid. I don¡¯t know why, but he¡¯s seriously holding himself back.¡±


    It¡¯s as if they think I¡¯m deaf or something?? Hearing people talk about me is really embarrassing. I wouldn¡¯t mind if a cute girl talked about me, though! Heheh-


    *Gasp!*


    Belly stops in his tracks, he could feel his heart rate drop from a thousand to zero. His eyes and entire body were shaking, he couldn¡¯t move. How could he when in front of him was his childhood bully? The person who has always put down Belly his entire life for wanting to be a knight, Joshua.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Okay, calm down, Belly! I don¡¯t- I don¡¯t think he¡¯s noticed me, yet. Dammit, why did the day he takes the exam have to be the same as mine?? Stupid luck! I wish Cassandra were here. If she were, I wouldn¡¯t- I wouldn¡¯t be so scared to move.


    The ball of light which haunts Belly began to shine erratically, but slowly it began to stabilize by a certain presence. As Belly finally regains control over his own body, he tries to step forward before being stopped by another participant behind him, lightly tugging at his sleeve.


    This girl, she recognized Belly from all the times Cassandra trained him at the beach.


    He turns his head in confusion before realizing that they was a girl, ¡°Huh- Wah! I- Um! Uh! Nice to meet you- Um!¡±


    She answers in a shy whispering voice, ¡°Huh? Hahaha, I- I¡¯m sorry for scarin¡¯ ya! My- My name is Cely and, well, I couldn¡¯t help but notice you standing there looking a bit nervous. But as I got closer, I noticed something really awesome!!¡±


    Belly¡¯s face turns red, ¡°A- Awesome??? Are you sure??¡±


    ¡°Yup! That sword! You- You must be the younger brother of Big Bad Wolf, huh?! The greatest Knight of all time!¡± She answers with an eager look on her face, ¡°He- He¡¯s my hero!¡±


    Disappointed she wasn¡¯t talking about him, Belly answers in an apathetic tone, ¡°O- Ooohhhhh. So you were talking about my brother¡¯s sword. Yeahhhh, I guess you can say I¡¯m his brother.¡±


    Hmm. As if she was referring to me being awesome. The only thing you can really call awesome about me is my massive sword. And my brother¡¯s legendary sword, too, I guess.


    She fidgets with her hands a bit as she faces the ground, trying her best to ask Belly a question, but her timid nature keeps holding her back.


    ¡°So, ummm, you- you here to take the entrance exam, right??¡±


    ¡°Y- Yeah.¡± She¡¯s probably gonna make fun of me for it, like Joshua.


    ¡°Well¡­ I- I hope¡­ I hope you pass because I think you can become a knight that¡¯s even- even more amazing than your big brother.¡±


    ¡°Yea- Wait, WHAT????????¡±


    She speed walks pass Belly, completely embarrassed over talking to the brother of her once-hero.


    ¡°Well, I- I better head inside now!! See- See you later!¡±


    Ah ¡­¡­¡­¡­ That girl¡­¡­ she complimented me¡­ This is the first time a total stranger complimented me!! And they were a super cute girl at that!!! Baha- BahahaHAHAHAAHHAHA!!


    Belly turns back around, facing the prestigious knight academy, and starts marching forward inside the main hall with a smile that was once lost but finally regained. The ball of light that follows him around wherever he goes shines brighter than ever.


    Thank you, Cely, I promise I won''t fail!


    Your Sweet Heart | Issue #4 - End

 Issue #5

    Your Sweet Heart | Issue #5


    "More Than Just A Cute Girl"


    [Narrator¡¯s Perspective]


    No words can describe how wrong I was.


    *KA-BOOM!!!!*


    As Arpie High is engulfed in flames, it didn¡¯t take long for Belly to realize that this was a terrorist attack by one of the bandit armies of the Demon King. As Belly lied there on the floor helplessly with the legendary sword, Shooting Star, in his hand, he couldn¡¯t think of anything else besides wanting to run away.


    But he couldn¡¯t move, all he could do was stare. However, that isn¡¯t something new. Since he was a but a small child, that is all he has ever been able to do, just stare and watch in fear doing nothing.


    Other students begin crying for help.


    ¡°Whe- Where are the teachers?!?!¡±


    ¡°Someone, call the knights to save us!!!¡±


    *STOMP!!*


    A muscular bandit at the top of the golden palace overlooking everyone answers instead.


    ¡°WAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! You bunch of WHINY little kids!! We¡¯ve killed them ALL!! And now, you are next!!! The entire Kingdom of Mythica shall kneel before the one and only DEMON KING!!!!¡±


    As crowds of people run pass Belly on the ground, a swarm of white dragons storm the mountain.


    *RAAAWR!!!*


    Tears begin to overflow Belly¡¯s eyes, ¡°I have to- I need to runaway!! Ca- Cassandra! P- P- Please come save me!!!¡±


    He¡¯s completely lost all hope. As Belly starts crawling away, unable to properly stand and control his body, he hears the sound of distant swords clashing against one another.


    *Shing! Klank! Pow!!*


    Belly turns around, and all he could see was Joshua and other kids stand up against the bandits and their dragons. Some of these kids were mages with staffs at hand, others looked like vikings and some even looked like pirates. This world has all sorts of warriors.


    But again, all Belly could do was stare. He clenches his hand holding Shooting Star, angry at himself for not doing anything to help them.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    He again whispers to himself, ¡°I have to¡­ run away. Who am I kidding? I¡¯ll only get in the way of them.¡±


    He remembers the times everyone in class made fun of him for being too weak and unable to carry a sword.


    ¡°I- I should¡¯ve stayed home.¡±


    He remembers Joshua and his friends bullying him for wanting to be a knight like Little Red Riding Hood.


    ¡°They were right. I really am- I really am nothing like my brother!!¡±


    *KLANG!!- POW!!!¡±


    Joshua, with just the might of his edgy sword, blows away multiple bandits at once not that far from Belly.


    ¡°Huh??¡±


    Joshua lands on his feet, turns his head towards Belly and yells, ¡°You fucking loser!!! My God, you really are a disgrace!!! Did you really think you would ever be like your brother??¡±


    ¡°Ju- Joshua?!¡±


    Joshua leaps away onto his next victims. Belly can feel his heartbeat again, and remembers Cassandra¡¯s words.


    Don¡¯t you want to prove everyone who bullies you wrong?


    Another scream is heard in the distance.


    ¡°KYAAAAAHHH!!! Please, somebody, save me!!¡±


    Belly quickly glances over at whoever is crying for help, and he couldn¡¯t believe his eyes.


    Oh no! Tha- That girl! Cely!!


    Cely with her wand at hand is protecting two kids lying on the ground completely terrified, while being surrounded by three white dragons looking hungry for the delicious snack inside a bubble.


    Cely is shaking, struggling to keep her compusre, but she still manages to look back at the people she¡¯s defending with an innocent smile.


    ¡°Du- Don¡¯t- Don¡¯t worry! I puh- puh- promise, I will be your knight in shining armor!¡±


    Belly clenches his teeth and tries his best to stand, but all he can do is kneel, using his sword as a crutch.


    I have to save her. I have to save everyone.


    The ball of light begins to shine erratically more so than ever before. This ball of light which is a manifestation of all the love and courage that was once inside Belly¡¯s heart.


    He looks straight at the bandit¡¯s eyes.


    I won¡¯t let you hurt anyone anymore!! Because one day, I¡¯m going to become the greatest knight in the kingdom!!


    The bandit does nothing but smile and laugh cynically.


    Belly puts his head down and whispers to himself, ¡°Your Knight in Shining Armor¡­¡±


    These words trigger a memory in Belly. And in this memory, as a little boy, he¡¯s struggling to even pick up Shooting Star while his brother, Anthony, stands behind him,


    And in a squeaky voice, he cries, ¡°I- I can¡¯t do dis, Tony!! I¡¯m not strong enough to hold dah sword!! I¡¯m- I¡¯m not you! Everyone at school, and even our family doesn¡¯t think I will ever be like you!¡±


    As Belly slowly stands in the present, he continues remembering this lost memory, but then a titanic blue-eyes white dragon the size of a mountain descends from the sky and lands on the academy¡¯s massive campus, completely crushing the ground beneath it, and causing an earthquake that can be felt for miles.


    ******RRRRROOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*******


    Now, more than ever, people are running away pass Belly in chaos.


    You- you seriously have got to be kidding me!!Can this get any worse??


    As the dragon properly stand over the particapants, Belly notices that it''s taken Cely.


    But she wasn''t screaming. Her eyes were just overflowing with tears, wanting so desperately for someone to save her. And at this moment, her gaze met Belly¡¯s.

 Issue #6

    Your Sweet Heart | Issue #6


    "Maximum Effort!!!"


    Within Belly¡¯s lost memory, his older brother, Anthony, pats crying little Belly on the head as he picks up Shooting Star and activates the magic generated from one¡¯s own love. An overwhelming, bright green light can be seen growing in Anthony¡¯s hand, as he stands before countless monsters and demons, with Belly safely behind him. This light is so powerful, it causes the ground around him to shake. The monsters and demons step back and become hesitant to attack.


    Anthony doesn¡¯t looks back, Belly can only hear an echo of Anthony¡¯s voice.


    ¡°Cynthia, I¡¯ll let you in on a little secret. You are much stronger than I am¡­¡±


    In the present, the ball of light that haunts Belly gives off an enormous shockwave, causing for all the bandits, dragons, and participants to turn their heads towards Belly. The ball of light then electrocutes Belly like a battery, resulting in his eyes to turn completely white, and a blue mist surrounds Belly¡¯s entire body.


    Distinct whispers of Belly¡¯s overwhelming power can be heard,


    ¡°B- BELLY????¡±


    ¡°Is that- Is that really him??¡±


    ¡°That sword!! Could it be??¡±


    ¡°Big Bad Wolf???¡±


    ¡°No, it has to be Belly!!!¡±


    It¡¯s unclear whether Belly is conscious or unconscious at the moment, but his motives are definitely clear. He effortlessly raises Shooting Star, then pierces the blade through the ground, completely bulldozing through the white dragons and bandits which infest the entire area. He could still hear his brother¡¯s voice.


    ¡°And there will come a day when you will finally realize that¡­¡±


    Cely being held by the titanic dragon¡¯s hand can¡¯t do anything else but smile in relief,


    ¡°I knew you could do it, Belly.¡±


    She then flinches at the sound of the dragon¡¯s desperation, but she still doesn¡¯t lose her smile knowing that everything will be okay.


    *****RRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRR******


    Anthony continues with his words.


    ¡°And when that day comes, you will be standing in front of the whole world, letting them know that everything is going to be okay¡­¡±


    *BOOM!!!!!*The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    Belly, faster than the speed of light, jumps into the open sky leaving a trail of blue mist behind, to meet the gaze of the titanic dragon. The dragon opens its enormous jaws and blasts Belly with scorching fire. However, the flames don''t even seem to faze him, and he disrupts the attack with just the flick of his fingers.


    All of the participants on the ground can only watch Belly in the sky with eyes of admiration, unable to say a single word. Especially, Cely.


    ¡°To fill their hearts with hopes, dreams, and love¡­¡±


    Belly once more lifts the legendary blade with both of his hands, and his voice resonates throughout the entire academy.


    ¡°Shooting Star¡­ BLLAAAAAADE!!!¡±


    Then, he powerfully throws the sword at the heart of the titanic dragon.


    *SLASH!!!!- PA- POW- BOOM- THUNDERRRRR!!!!!*


    ¡°THAT IS WHEN YOU BECOME THEIR KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOR!!!!¡±


    As Belly lands safely on the ground, the titanic dragon falls and slowly disintegrates into nothing, and Belly jumps once more to catch Cely falling in midair with tears in his eyes.


    ¡°Now go forth, Belly, you are a knight destined to be even greater than me.¡±


    As Cely is being held in Belly¡¯s arms in the sky, being so caught up in the moment she decides to thank him with a kiss on the cheek.


    ¡°Tha- Thank you, Belly, you¡¯re my hero!¡± *Chu!*


    *Zap-*


    And just like that, Belly loses his focus and all of his power dissaperes.


    The two of them look at each other confused, ¡°Huh??¡±


    ¡°Ah, I- I¡¯m really sorry Belly!!¡± Cely covers her face, ¡°Ah, I- I¡¯m so embarrassed!¡±


    Did- Did Cely just¡­¡­¡­ No, wait, why the hell are we hundreds of feet in the air?? What just happened?? What- What¡¯s going on???


    And so the two of them scream helplessly as they fall, ¡°KYAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!!!!!!!!¡±


    *SPLASH!!!*


    Fortunately, they fall in the academy¡¯s lake, but as they are in there, some sort of magical red mist carries them to the surface, soaking wet, and they are returned to the main entrance of the school together. Absolutely everything was perfect and intact.


    *Drop- Thud!*


    Cely squeels, ¡°Ow, my butt! Wa- wait, I thought everything was destroyed. Ohhh, don¡¯t tell me¡­¡±


    Ah! Cely!! I- I can see her bra!! And she¡¯s sitting on top of me!!!! No, this is too much!! I- I really can¡¯t take anymore surprises!!......


    A mage with a red cape wielding a Legendary Staff, and many other knights, stand at the top of the golden palace. The chairman of the knight academy steps forth, preparing himself to explain just what is going on. Many students are confused, but it doesn¡¯t take long for most of them to realize the hilarious truth.


    Cely speculates, ¡°B- Belly, I think- I think this was all a test!! It was all an Illusion Magic!! Haha, what a relief, huh?¡±


    *Ssslip- Thud!*


    ¡°Belly?¡±


    He doesn¡¯t answer as he lies unconscious on the floor with blood running from his nose. Cely starts to shake him lightly while still being on top of him soaking wet as her body rubs against his.


    ¡°Belly, hey Belly, wake up! Are you okay?? Speak to me!! Oh geez, someone please get a healing mage quick!! Belly??¡±


    All of the participants surround Belly and Cely. Some were still confused and were worried for Belly, others wanted to thank Belly for saving them. Joshua, however, wanted nothing more than to ask Belly where the hell did this power of his come from. But nobody could talk to Belly.


    In Belly¡¯s perspective, Cely¡¯s voice slowly fades into darkness. It is unclear whether he passed out from being unable to remember what happened in the past five minutes, or because a cute, soaking wet girl was sitting on top of his legendary sword.

 Issue #7

    Your Sweet Heart | Issue #7


    "Well, That Escalated Quickly"


    Cassandra knocks on Belly¡¯s bedroom door, hoping for him to open up.


    ¡°Bellyyyy, come out of your room already! I went out and bought cake, it¡¯s your favorite! None of that ¡®gluten free¡¯ crap!Hahaha!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Cassandra, but I don¡¯t deserve to eat cake. All of that time you wasted training me, I¡¯m really sorry it was all for nothing.¡±


    ¡°Bellyyy¡­¡± But, it wasn¡¯t for nothing. You gave me a place for me to call home. So please¡­


    Cassandra sits against Belly¡¯s bedroom door, ¡°Just come out of your room already¡­ You depressing bug¡­¡±


    It¡¯s been about a week since the entrance exams. Rumors about Belly saving the day began to spread throughout the City of Heavenly like wildwire. These rumors, however, consisted of lies to put down his achievements. To completely drag his name across the mud.


    On the day of the Entrance Exam, as Cely holds Belly¡¯s hands while jumping up and down like a little school girl, participants began to cheer and rejoice over Belly saving them all. Belly for the first time in his life felt what is was like to have so many people clap for him. It truly was an overwhelming moment for him. His weak little heart was truly filled with joy.


    But then, one degenerate who did absolutely nothing during the exam stepped forward from the crowd with a smug look on his face, ready to say what¡¯s on his mind. He began flapping his fish lips, completely ruining the moment and taking the spotlight away from Belly.


    ¡°Maaaan, are you guys seriously happy about this guy CHEATING??? You bunch of normies!! All of you should just give up on becoming knights if you¡¯re this dumb!!¡±


    Belly, unable to speak in front of such a large crowd, can only whisper, ¡°I- I didn¡¯t cheat.¡±


    A tough guy from the crowd aggressively asks the degenerate, ¡°Wha- What the hell did ya just say, punk???¡± Another participant adds on, ¡°You want everyone here to kick your ass or something??¡±


    The Flappy Bird looking mother fucker continues his infamous speech, ¡°Hey! Hey! Woah! Chilllll!! All I¡¯m saying is that- don¡¯t you think it¡¯s funny how this kid only got as powerful as he did while he was carrying around that LEGENDARY SWORD, Shooting Star, in his hand???¡±


    People in the crowd start whispering to one another, as they began to take the degenerate¡¯s words into consideration. Belly, and even Cely, start to panic.


    The degenerate realizes these facts, and resumes, ¡°And remember how he turned back to normal literally right after he threw Shooting Star at the weak, puny dragon?? That can only mean he must¡¯ve somehow been getting power from the sword itself the whole time!! He played us all like a fool!!! And may I remind you just who this kid is?? He¡¯s the useless younger brother of the Legendary Knight, Big Bad Wolf!! Do you seriously expect someone as pathetic as HIM to hold that amount of power??¡±You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.


    Another participant in the crows tries to defend Belly, ¡°He- Hey!! Shut up already!! That isn¡¯t¡­ that can¡¯t be true!...¡±


    ¡°Ooooohhh, but it is!¡±


    Belly doesn¡¯t know what to do, he¡¯s too scared to say anything as he looks around at everyone second-guessing his actions. But then Cely steps forward for Belly.


    ¡°Sto- Stop it, already, you¡¯re being really mean. B- Belly used his own power so he could protect us all from the fake bandits. He- He even saved me from the giant dragon.¡±


    The degenerate retorts Cely¡¯s praise for Belly, ¡°Are you that stupid?? Look everyone, he even used this girl to show off how much of a hero he is!! Just like me, he figured out that this was all just illusion magic all along, but he took full advantage of it to make sure that NONE of us stood a chance to be accepted into the academy!!!¡±


    Everyone around began to murmur, looks of resentment and anger grew on their faces. The warmth in Belly¡¯s heart was replaced with a void of emptiness and sorrow. And because of all the sad emotions swirling around inside Belly, the ball of light began to dim down more than ever.


    Belly tries his best to speak, but he can only manage to whisper, ¡°P- Please, stop it¡­ I- I didn¡¯t cheat¡­ I¡¯m a- I¡¯m a c- completely different person from my brother.¡±


    The degenerate notices Belly¡¯s unsureness, and prepares to drill the final nail in the coffin.


    ¡°HEEEEHHHHH???? What was that, Belly??? If you think I¡¯m SO wrong, then why don¡¯t you show us that power of yours again??? Should be easy for the YOUNGER BROTHER of BIG BAD WOLF, riiiiiiight?¡±


    People in the crowd start to agree and side with the degenerate.


    Cely tries to stand up for Belly once more, but it¡¯s to no avail at this point, ¡°Le- Leave him alone. Using his power made him pass out just a moment ago.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, girl, but I want Belly to answer!! So Belly, can you please prove to everyone here that you¡¯re not a cheater by showing us your power??¡±


    Belly starts to feel nauseous from all the pressure. He can¡¯t think straight, and a few seconds pass before he can finally answer,


    ¡°I- I¡¯m sorry. But I can¡¯t. I don¡¯t know how.¡±


    The entire crowd gasps at the sound of Belly¡¯s words.


    ¡°Whaaaat??? You saying you CAN¡¯T???¡± He turns to the crowd, ¡°So I guess I was right ladies and gentlemen!! Belly did in fact CHEAT!! Wooowwww, and odds are HE¡¯LL be the ONLY one to be accepted into Arpie High!! How selfish of him to hog alllll the glory. Cheaters like you make me SICK!!! BOOOOOOOO!!!! SCREW YOU, BELLY!!!! WAHAHAHAHA!!!!!¡±


    And at this point, the entire crowd follows the degenerate¡¯s lead. Except for Joshua, though, who only walks away.


    ¡°BOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!¡±


    ¡°You seriously suck!!!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you would do such a thing!!!¡±


    ¡°You selfish jerk, I hate you!!!¡±


    ¡°Go home and cry, you disgrace!!!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t deserve to carry that sword!!!!¡±


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t even look strong to begin with!! HAHAHAHAHA!!!¡±


    ******HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!*******


    ¡°You will never EVER be like your brother!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!¡±


    Belly, on the brink of tears, turns around and runs away, leaving Shooting Star behind.


    Cely didn¡¯t know what to do. She was scared. Her timid nature, and the fact that everyone was hating on Belly made her feel weak and out of line to say anything. All she could do was go and pick up Shooting Star for him and hope that Belly will be okay on his own. Somehow.


    The sun is almost finished setting. Belly runs along the beaches of Heavenly crying hysterically all alone. He trips a few times, but quickly gets up each and every time only to start running again with no clear destination.


    Andwhile he runs, a meteor shower can be seen high above night sky of Heavenly.

 Issue #8

    Your Sweet Heart | Issue #8


    "A Message From The Heart"


    Two weeks have passed since the exam. Belly is lying on the floor while watching Tv in his living room with the most empty look in his eyes as he stuffs a handful of chips into his mouth.


    *CRUNCH!! Chew, chew, chew.*


    You know, after you lose everything and realize that your life is empty of any meaning, there¡¯s a certain peace that follows. And that peace is total bliss.


    *CRUNCH!! Chew, chew, chew.*


    Yeah, there¡¯s no way I passed the exam. Odds are the teachers have heard the rumors around town about me cheating. Oh well. It¡¯s not like I care. What¡¯s so cool about being a knight anyway? All you do is save people¡¯s lives and get bombarded by cute, hot girls. No man in his right mind wants to live a life like that.


    As Belly reaches for another handful of chips, he instead takes out a letter. Still being out of his mind, however, Belly cluelessly attempts to eat the letter before realizing what it actually is. He didn¡¯t notice Cassandra walking behind him so she could easily sneak the letter inside his the bag.


    ¡°What.. What is this?¡± Belly asks as he watches Cassandra sit down next to him.


    Mockingly, she answers, ¡°It¡¯s a love letter from a girl at school!¡±


    Belly quickly sits up in excitement and asks, ¡°R- REALLY???¡±


    ¡°Hahaha! No, of course not! Did you actually believe me?¡±


    ¡°... Oh¡­ hahaha¡­. You sincerely suck.¡±


    ¡°Just open the letter, you depressing bug.¡±


    ¡°Hmmmm.¡±


    Belly opens the letter, only to find a small written message that was addressed to him. Belly has seen this type of letter multiple times in his life before. However, up until now, he never knew who they were from.


    He looks at Cassandra with a doubtful look on his face, ¡°Is this¡­ Is this really a letter from her?¡±


    Cassandra smiles and nods, ¡°Yes, Belly. I found out two weeks ago. The day you took the exam. I wanted to tell you, but I never found the right time until now.¡±


    ¡°Belly looks at Cassandra, ¡°No way. This has to be a joke. Why would she write someone as pathetic like me a letter?¡±


    ¡°Well, why don¡¯t you go to the beach ask her yourself? Oh, but before you go, Belly, I have no doubt in my mind that you passed the exam.¡±Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    Belly stands up, runs to his room to get ready, then quickly heads outside.


    ¡°See- See you later, Cassandra!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, whatever, bug.¡±


    It¡¯s late afternoon. Belly arrives at the beach and starts searching around desperately. He spots a girl wearing a red cloak in the distance, looking out into the distant sea. Belly begins to walk towards her, feeling his heartbeat faster by the second.


    ¡°Li- Little Red Riding Hood?¡±


    The girl turns towards Belly, ¡°Ah, so you¡¯ve finally arrived. Yes, it¡¯s me, Little Red Riding Hood. Your brother¡¯s greatest rival and closest friend. It¡¯s been so long since I last saw you!¡±


    ¡°N- No way! I¡¯m- I¡¯m your biggest fan!... So why?... Why would you write someone like me all those letters? Aren¡¯t you disappointed in me? You think I cheated, too, right? Is that why you called me here?¡±


    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t, I just-¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m- I¡¯m not worthy enough to talk to a knight as amazing as you. I¡¯m nothing but a weak loser that doesn¡¯t even remember using his own power!! I¡¯ll never- I¡¯ll never be strong like my bro-¡±


    *WHACK!!!*


    Little Red Riding Hood hits Belly on the head with her Legendary Staff. Considering it¡¯s legendary, it must¡¯ve really hurt like a bitch.


    ¡°Ugh!! You seriously talk WAYYY too much, Belly!!¡±


    ¡°Ow! What- What was that for??¡±


    She points at Belly with her staff.


    ¡°Listen up, Belly, and make sure you pay attention!! First of all, no, unlike half the world, I don¡¯t think your dumbass cheated!! Second, I¡¯m not disappointed you at all!! So quit telling yourself that I am!! And third, I called you out here because I wanted to congratulate you, ya big idiot!!¡±


    ¡°C- Congratulate me??¡±


    ¡°Yes! Because you passed the Entrance Exam!!¡±


    Belly¡¯s eyes widen and his voice begins to crack.


    ¡°... You¡¯re lying¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you questioning me, boy?¡±


    ¡°Hahaha¡­ you¡­ you have to be lying¡­¡±


    ¡°The day of the Entrance Exams, I could sense your emotions. You wanted to run away, but your heart just wouldn¡¯t allow for that to happen. You cried, and you begged your body to move so you could go and save the people around you.¡±


    Belly starts to tear up at the sound of her sweet words.


    Little Red Riding Hood smiles and continues, ¡°And for me, Belly, that proved more than enough to me that you truly are a knight in shining armor. Nevertheless, my heart isn¡¯t the only one you moved, Belly.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What are you talking about?¡±


    Belly hears a familiar voice behind him call out for his name, ¡°Belly?¡±


    He turns around to find Cassandra standing next to Cely holding his Legendary Sword in her arms.


    ¡°Tha- Thank you, Belly, for wanting so badly to save someone as weak as me. For risking your life and inspiring me to do better. You- You¡¯re my hero!¡±


    Belly could no longer hold back his manly tears. He hugs Cely with all his might, feeling warm and happy once again.


    ¡°Cely¡­ Thank you¡­ I promise to always be there to save you!¡±


    Cely drops the sword on the sand and hugs him back with a sweet smile and tears in her eyes.


    She lightly whispers in his ears, ¡°I will always believe in you, Belly. And I know that someday, with your own strength, you will become the world¡¯s greatest knight in shining armor!¡±


    As the two of them embrace one another, Cassandra is happy for Belly finally realizing that his life does in fact hold a little bit more meaning than he thinks he does.


    And although she¡¯s too embarrassed to admit it, Cassandra, for the first time, really is proud of Belly. And she knows that someday, he will become a knight that surpasses his brother.

 Issue #9

    Your Sweet Heart| Issue #9


    "So Many Secrets!!"


    Somewhere unknown, there exists a city, and at its center there is a golden castle where the Demon King lies in wait for something to amuse him as he sits on his throne surrounded by the most beautiful women ever imaginable from across the Kingdom of Mythica. Then, the giant doors of his royal chamber are opened by a girl with red eyes that invoke the taste for blood.


    She kneels before him and says, ¡°Father, I¡¯ve received really good news that I¡¯m sure you will find interesting. They have to do with your first born daughter, Princess Cassandra.¡±


    He stands up from his throne and approaches the girl beneath him. This man is tall and built. He wears a white robe, but no crown. He has eyes of a demon craving destruction, his very name strikes fear into the hearts of everyone in the kingdom.


    In a very deep and intimidating voice, he demands the girl to speak.


    ¡°We¡¯ve finally found her.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Oddly enough, however, she¡¯s living together with the younger brother of Anthony, the last Legendary Knight. A boy who was named after Little Red Riding Hood. Cynthia Abella.¡±


    The Demon King smiles menacingly to this fact. As if he just found a very new plaything.


    ¡°What are your orders, Father? Should I kill him?¡±


    ¡°No. Don¡¯t. Not yet.¡±


    ¡°Then, what should I do?¡±


    ¡°I want you to break him first, in front of Cassandra. I want her eyes to fall into despair as she watches the person she loves getting tortured in front of her.¡±


    ¡°As you wish, Father, I¡¯ll do anything to you ask for. I promise I won¡¯t fail.¡±


    ¡°Good, good. And then, after you break Cynthia Abella, I want you to bring Cassandra back to me by any means necessary.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Father.¡±


    Alister waks back to his throne, excited to see the outcome of the catastrophe he¡¯s set in motion.


    ¡°Oh, and by the way Camila¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, Father?¡±


    ¡°This is your one and only chance to prove your worth to me. To prove if you are indeedworthy of my love.So, if you don¡¯t come back with Cassandra, or if you were to fail and get caught by knights, consider your life no more as my daughter. Now leave.¡±


    This girl, Camila, she can hardly contain her fear. But this is the life she was given, and this is the life she has to live with, whether she wants to or not. It¡¯s not her call. And oddly enough, she''s more than happy with it.


    ¡°Okay, Father. Thank you.¡±


    The girl exits the royal chamber to prepare herself for the journey to come.


    One of the king¡¯s women speaks, ¡°You know, even with an army, that girl will never be able to defeat Princess Cassandra.¡±


    The demon king answers, ¡°Camila needs this to grow. She will most definitely fail and learn that in order to best Cassandra, she will need to figure out her weak points first. And from here, I¡¯ll be able to watch everything. I¡¯ll occasionally guide her if I feel like it. And I¡¯ll be able to laugh as she finally breaks the younger brother of Anthony in half. Hahaha.¡±


    ¡°Oh my, Master, you¡¯re so baaad.¡±


    ¡°I know.¡±


    Back in the peaceful town of Heavenly, Little Red Riding Hood is walking with Belly around the neighborhood in which he lives.


    Out of nowhere, she asks Belly an obvious question, ¡°Soo, Belly¡­ you¡¯re living with a girl now, huh? How kinky. Heheh.¡±Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    ¡°It- It¡¯s not what you think, Sis! She¡¯s- She¡¯s just staying over for a while, that¡¯s all!¡±


    ¡°Hmmmmm! So, you two done it, yet?¡±


    ¡°No! Geez, we¡¯re just- we¡¯re just friends!¡±


    ¡°Of course you are. Say, Belly, whatever happened to your balls??¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, and I don¡¯t care.¡±


    ¡°You see! That¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about! You¡¯re always so unsure and accepting everything for what it is. Not to mention, you¡¯re sensitive as fuck.¡±


    ¡°I- I¡¯m not sensitive! God! I¡¯ve never been sensitive.¡±


    She jokingly smiles and pokes Belly¡¯s face, ¡°Really? You sure? I swear, all I remember a few weeks ago is you running home crying your eyes out after people made fun of you! You know, like a bitch.¡±


    Little Red Riding Hood has always liked messing with Belly since he was a kid. She¡¯s not that much older than him, but she¡¯s still like the big sister Belly never asked for but still can''t live without.


    Belly rubs his face and says, ¡°Geez, Sis, unbelievable. You haven¡¯t changed a single bit since I last saw you as a kid.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what was that? Bitch-ass nerd¡¯s gonna have to speak up!¡±


    ¡°N- Nothing! Gosh.¡±


    ¡°You know, Belly, I wish I could say the same thing about you not changing.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What do you wean?¡±


    ¡°Liiiiike, for example, your dumbass actually managed to get accepted into Arpie High all on your own!¡±


    Belly starts to murmur and drone on, ¡°Oh¡­ well I didn''t really do that on my own. Cassandra gave me basically everything I needed for the exam. If it weren¡¯t for her training me and teaching me how to wield a sword, I would¡¯ve definitely failed. Still though, I don''t even remember what happened during the exam when I took down one of your dragons. It¡¯s as if I fell asleep the second my magic flowed through my body. I¡¯m not worthy of being accepted. And in the end, everyone who took the exam thinks I cheated and only passed because of my brother¡¯s legendary sword. I must have seriously let you and Cassandra dow-¡±


    *WHACK!!*


    ¡°OW!¡±


    ¡°God, Belly, you seriously talk too much!¡±


    ¡°Stop it, Sis, that staff really hurts!¡±


    ¡°I don''t care! It hurts me even more hearing you talk like that! Honestly, you¡¯re too insecure. Just take the goddamn compliment already and raise your self-esteem a bit!¡±


    ¡°I- I¡¯m sorry, Sis, but I can¡¯t stop feeling like I don¡¯t deserve anything I have. Everyone in town hates me because i don''t even know how to even use my own magic.¡±


    ¡°You mean that floating blue ball of light that follows you around everywhere, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, i guess, why?¡±


    ¡°Well, simple, because you''ve always had it since you were but a small child. I was really surprised when I saw it with you again during the day of the exam.¡±


    ¡°Re- Really? But it only recently appeared out of nowhere, I don''t even know what it is!¡±


    ¡°Haven''t you figured it out already? It''s your love, stupid.¡±


    ¡°My love?¡±


    ¡°Yup! You''ve always had a big heart, Belly! When Anthony was still around, you used to always walk around with the biggest smile and you were always so kind to everyone who walked by. Honestly, it was really adorable and obvious that you should¡¯ve been born with the biggest pussy of all time!¡±


    Belly blushes a bit, ¡°A- Adorable?? N- No, I¡¯m not adorable, I¡¯m ugly.¡±


    *WHACK!!*


    ¡°Oww!!! Sis, you hit the same spot!!¡±


    ¡°Just take the compliment! I''m serious, kid. You were filled with so much love and so many sweet emotions that eventually, it overflowed within you and manifested into a ball of light that followed you everywhere. But then, after you lost your brother and everyone around you started to bully you for being a disappointment, it all faded away. As if your love vanished without a trace. And, for a while, it made me really, really sad. But then, when I saw it with you again, it made me really, really happy!¡±


    ¡°Ohhh. Well, I guess me getting back all of the love magic I once lost is also thanks to Cassandra for helping me. She really is an amazing friend.¡±


    Little Red Riding Hood asks with a shocked look on her face, ¡°WhaaaAAAT?!?!¡±


    Regretful, Belly answers, ¡°Aw, geez, I shouldn¡¯t have said that.¡±


    ¡°You have a thing for Cassandra!! Hahahaha! Oh man, this- this just made my week!!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, whatever. I don''t care.¡±


    ¡°I''m honestly rooting for you.¡±


    ¡°Huh?? WHat do you mean??¡±


    ¡°After the Entrance Exams, and from what she''s told me about you for the past few weeks, you seriously sound like perfect wife material!!¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ You- You really think so?¡±


    ¡°Eh, kinda, you were still born with such a pussy-ass name! I mean, seriously, what kind of boy is named Cynthia??? Hahahaha!¡±


    ¡°I was named after you, you jerk!!¡±


    ¡°Oh, And Belly, since it''s Summer Break, how ¡®bout I help your pathetic-ass?¡±


    ¡°Help¡­ me? Really???¡±


    ¡°Well, I''ve got nothing better to do besides training a little girl that walks around with a pixie on his back. My God, you''re the definition of emasculation!¡±


    ¡°Well, you- you¡¯re the definition of a- a mean person!¡±


    She shrugs off the terrible insult, ¡°Uhuh. Well, let¡¯s head back to your place! I''m kinda craving something to eat, so I''mma just help myself to your fridge.¡±


    ¡°Geez, thanks for asking my permission.¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, Belly, it¡¯s cute you think that you¡¯re dominant in this relationship.¡±

 Another Noteworthy Interlude

    Your Sweet Heart | Another Noteworthy Interlude


    ¡°How Belly''s Lucid Style Works, Kinda?¡±


    It¡¯s been about a month since Little Red Riding Hood unexpectedly entered Belly¡¯s simple life. The two of them are at the beach together a little before noon. Cassandra is eating ice cream in the distance, spectating as the two prepare themselves for another day of rigorous training to help Belly become the man everyone hates. In her hand, Little Red Riding Hood dangles the Legendary Sword, Shooting Star, in front of Belly.


    She asks, ¡°Belly, do you see this sword right here?¡±


    Feeling patronized, he answers, ¡°No, all I see in front of me is an edgy girl dressed in all red.¡±


    A little frustrated, she retorts, ¡°Well, listen here you little smartass punk. I FORBID you to ever touch this sword again!¡±


    ¡°WHAT??? BUT WHY???¡±


    ¡°You questioning a wizard, boy???¡±


    He sighs and obediently answers, ¡°No, Sis, I¡¯m not.¡±


    ¡°Good! Now then, for the past month we¡¯ve been focusing on building up that weak, little body of yours! And, although it¡¯s not much, I can at the very least feel a little bit more umph to your punches! So, now¡­¡±


    She raises the legendary blade stabs it through the sand, releasing a powerful, red shockwave that causes the ocean waves to switch direction.


    Belly yells, ¡°Geez, Sis! I get it! You don¡¯t have to scare off the water to show me how much of a badass you are!¡±


    She continues her lecture, ¡°You still have much to learn, kid, as to how you need to channel all that love-magic stored inside that ridiculous ball of light of yours.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know I do! It¡¯s kind of the reason as to why I had to run home crying like a baby after the entrance exam.¡±


    Little Red Riding Hood pats Belly on the head.


    ¡°Hey, Belly, can I ask you a question? What provokes you as the girly-boy you are?¡±


    He asks with a raised eyebrow, ¡°What provokes me? Sorry, Sis, I don¡¯t really understand your question.¡±


    ¡°Well, you know, Cassandra told me something veeery funny the other day while we were hanging out at your house. Even though you¡¯re a total loser on the outside with no motivation to live whatsoever, you still hope¡­¡± She starts to mock Belly by talking with an over dramatic tone, ¡°You still hope against hope¡­ that someday you will have the opportunity¡­ to pound the girl of your dreams¡­ someday.¡±


    Belly¡¯s face turns red.


    Dammit, Cassandra! What the hell have you been saying about me??


    He awkwardly answers, ¡°That- That¡¯s kind of a sensitive topic that I don¡¯t really want to dive into, Sis.¡±


    Little Red Riding Hood puts her arm around Belly, and with her Legendary Staff, she points to something in the distance within the crowd of happy people spending a nice summer day at the beach with friends and family.


    ¡°Belly, do you see those girls over there playing volleyball?¡±


    ¡°Ye- Yeah¡­¡± What is this?? Is this a test of endurance???? Well, well, well, Sis, I won¡¯t fall for your tricks that easily!!!! My dirty magazines have trained me for a day like this!!


    Little did Belly know, he was about to most definitely fall for Little Red Riding Hood¡¯s tricks. She knew what Belly was thinking, and begins to describe in great detail of the juicy scenery before his very eyes in a captivating, seductive voice.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°Ooh, Belly, don¡¯t you just want to go over there and watch those nice, jiggling titties up close in person? As they bounce up and down after every time those girls hit the volleyball with their soft hands?¡±


    ¡°Um. Sis. What are you trying to accomplish from this?¡±


    Little Red Riding Hood then points to Cassandra, who is listening to music while exercising in a frilly two piece swimsuit that really emphasizes her nice, big personality.


    She then asks Belly, ¡°Hey, wouldn¡¯t you like to see her body as it is now up close in person, too? Think about all the times you¡¯ve seen her almost completely naked. And how amazing her body looks as she gracefully moves with a sword. Don¡¯t you just want to be with her, baaad?¡±


    Belly thinks to himself.


    This sensation I¡¯m feeling¡­ what is this?... I¡¯ve always known that Cassandra was smoking hot but¡­ Not once in my life have I ever really thought about wanting her so bad¡­ And wanting her badly¡­ that sounds really familiar.


    Cassandra notices Belly staring at her, and as a result, she smiles sadistically and teases him by shaking her hips. And to finish it off she wipes sweat off her forehead and makes eye contact with Belly in a very alluring manner.


    Did- Did we just makeeye contact??


    The ball of light that follows Belly everywhere begins to produce sparks.


    I can¡¯t¡­ I can¡¯t stop thinking about Cassandra¡¯s fun bags¡­


    Cassandra gets Belly¡¯s attention, ¡°Heyyy, Belly, if you really can¡¯t stop looking at my amazing body, then why don¡¯t you just come over here so I can show you just how amazing it feels, too.¡±


    His heart skips a beat.


    ¡­ What?? You¡¯re telling me¡­ it¡¯s okay to¡­ no way¡­


    These words resonate within the psyche of Belly¡¯s mind.


    Don¡¯t screw with me, Cassandra¡­ And, Sis, how dare you call upon my inner demons¡­


    Belly clenches his fist, and although it¡¯s not as powerful as before, the ball of light still enlights all of the major joints on Belly¡¯s body. From the back of his neck to his ankles, a magical blue, hazy thread gets tangled around his body. His eyes turn completely white as well.


    Little Red Riding Hood thinks to herself.


    So that¡¯s how it works. This ball of light is sort of like a limbo for Belly¡¯s dream state and conscious state. He has yet to have full control over it, though, so you can say it¡¯s as if he¡¯s lucid dreaming in real life. Meaning he¡¯s for sure still awake, but the question is ¡®just how awake is he, right now?¡¯ I guess I can test this by simply asking him.


    ¡°Hey, Belly,¡± She steps away and lifts her staff, preparing for battle, ¡°you wanna go a few rounds, or what?¡±


    Belly¡¯s voice reverberates, ¡°You underestimate me sis, in this form, I¡¯m more-or-less untouchable.¡±


    ¡°Oh, cocky are we now?¡± Let¡¯s provoke him a little more, ¡°Hey, Belly, if you win, how about you grope Cassandra¡¯s big ones as a reward?¡±


    Cassandra blushes and asks a natural question, ¡°WHAT??? You- You can¡¯t be seriou-¡±


    Belly interrupts her, ¡°DEAL!!!¡±


    Little Red Riding Hood answers in a mocking voice, ¡°Then come at me, little-Anthony!!!¡±


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m coming at you. And I¡¯m coming at you HARD!!!¡± SHOOTING STAR: LUCID STYLE!!


    Belly jumps over to where Little Red Riding Hood is, readying a heavy punch while at the same time leaving behind a trail of blue mist. Little Red Riding Hood lifts her staff to summon a vibrant shield in front of her to block Belly¡¯s blows.


    Although Little Red Riding Hood was clearly holding back, the two of them fight until dawn. Belly is exhausted while Little Red Riding Hood hasn¡¯t even broken a sweat.


    ¡°Oh, wooowww, Belly. You seriously giving up on that sweet reward???¡±


    He breathes intensely as only bits of haze cover his body, ¡°Ugh¡­ pant¡­ Dammit!!... pant¡­ Fine, I give.¡±


    Back to normal, he plops himself on the comfy sand behind him, ¡°I just wanna go home and take a bath.¡±


    ¡°My God, you¡¯re a let down. And here I was hoping to test out a couple of my new magic spells on you! Heheh.¡±


    ¡°Ugh. Whatever, I don¡¯t care. I can¡¯t even feel my body anymore.¡±


    Little Red Riding Hood walks over to Belly and carries him on her back.


    ¡°I guess that¡¯s enough training for today, you weak little punk.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Sis, if it weren¡¯t for you, I would have never discovered that I could manifest such love-magic all along. You really are an amazing teacher.¡±


    She gives Belly a warm smile as he rests on her shoulder.


    ¡°Oh my, Belly, those cute words you say to a girl like me. You really are such a pussy, huh?¡±


    As the two of them head their way to his house, Cassandra is taking a bath, blushing at the thought of Belly groping her boobs and him finally awakening his magic a bit because of that.


    Geez, that dumb bug! The stupid things that motivate his dirty mind¡­ Ugh!! Why can¡¯t I stop thinking about him groping my tits?!?! I''m the one with all the power in this relationship!!