Star-Crossed [ G. Impact ]

twenty | XX

ミ☆

     alatus' bed was empty the next morning. he half-expected it to be, yet the realization that she was gone still stung. he was a light sleeper so it was a surprise that she had managed to escape without waking him up.

     the others were still snoring away. alatus took this opportunity to leave the barracks and freshen up at a nearby stream. his bottom half was submerged in the cool waters while the rest of him was forced to put up with the chilly morning air. goosebumps rose on his arms and he rubbed his biceps to create some sort of warmth.

     he watched his breath form clouds of vapor as he collected his mess of thoughts.

     should he have said what he did the previous night? bosacius was quite literally the light in his void of a life. the way her features fell when he had unintentionally pushed her away were upsetting, to say the least.

     his voice echoed through the valley as he cursed abruptly. his lungs heaved and his fists suddenly felt the repercussions of slamming them on the stone flanking the stream. he regretted everything he had done up to this point. his loyalties were torn between morax and bosacius. how could a mere woman make him question where his values lay? after everything morax had done for him, it felt like a betrayal to even question such a thing.

     his chest was tight. with a quick breath, he pushed everything back inside where it belonged. there was no point in dwelling on this.

‑ˋˏ◈ˎˊ‑

     "something is off."

     bosacius perked up the moment morax spoke. he was never one to be wrong, she had known that since they first met. his instincts were unmatched.

     the morning had started off glum. the clouds rolled through before the sun had begun to rise, casting a melancholy glow across the plains. her hopes had been crushed by her potential lover and she couldn't bear to sleep in his bed any longer. she fortunately managed to leave before the sun even rose, seeking refuge in morax's presence instead. he never seemed to sleep, so it was the perfect opportunity for comfort.

      morax's features were stone cold—a sudden change from the peaceful expression he had feigned moments before. bosacius rose to her feet from the sofa she had been reclined on, weapon summoning in her fist in case of any surprises.

     it was hard to tell what he could have sensed since they were both inside of his tent. it was a temporary lodging for the archon while he decided if he was going to reside with guizhong or not. it was not the safest of places, but the only ones who knew of his placement were his trusted yakshas as well as the goddess of dust herself.

     he brushed past her before she could make a move and exited the tent. the girl was quick to follow, only to run into his back as he stood as still as a statue right outside the entrance.

     after a few moments of silence, she spoke. "what is it?"

     he did not respond. screams echoed in the distance, and before she knew it, he had changed forms completely and flew towards the noise. his dragon tail spliced through the air and propelled him forward. all sorts of questions flew through her mind as she surveyed her surroundings, taking keen note of the storm clouds that rumbled in the distance.