So Strange Is The Tranquil Life

One Last Task

It was morning, very early morning when the full moon brightened up the alleyways of the city. A city so quiet making you hear the wind howling and the trees rustling as it passed them by. For a city with technology, it's surprising how it was surrounded by nature with shadows looming over some part of it by floating archipelagos visible in the night sky. Such sight was quite a beaut but to the people, it's nothing new.

As quiet as it is now, the concrete walls that defended the entirety of it showed damage. Charred, cracks and even bits of pieces missing yet still it stood. It stood strong and tall against the calamity brought upon the city. A 10-year war that finally ended and it ended in their victory. Festivals of cheers and parades have went on for the previous 2 weeks and now that their celebration is over, it is finally peaceful in Ionia.

But not to this man, in a room, no lights, no sound. Standing on a chair while his gaze directed to the floor. Wrists tied using his own teeth, noose surrounding his throat.

All he needed to do now was jump, and with a deep breath...he did.

He yearned to calm his thoughts, his memories but his body yearned for another day. He flailed, his feet trying to find a place to stand on but the chair was already knocked down. This time, there was no going back...hust like he want it to.

The pressure of the rope crushing his neck forced him to gag, his body still fighting for one gasp of air but in his mind there was no fight. Only a thought that said, "Finally."

Where he placed his effort was not to break free but to smile one last time before closing his eyes. There he could hear a boy that sounded so young giggling and was followed with a laugh. This darkness was slowly turning white and all the pain he was feeling started to fade.

Then he could see it, a young boy. Though the man was big this child looked at him on the same level. The man just smiled when he knew that face so well and was about to hug him. Before he could do so the child just sighed with a smile and shook his head as those lean arms crossed to his chest.

"It's too early for you to be here Y/N!" the child beamed with such euphoria. This made the man shrug with a smile of his own before looking at the boy.

"You came in way earlier," the man said weakly only to have a voice of a child, soft and light holding that warm tone.

"Hahaha! True true...but seriously Y/N, go back. You still got so much to live for," the boy replied as his voice weakened.

The man wanted to chuckle when there's no way out this time. He was sure of it but the boy just waved his right arm goodbye making him furrow his eyebrows wondering why the gesture. It was then that he felt that again, a heat that he could feel surrounding his neck.

"Wait, wait!" the man yelled, the sensation was familiar and it made him confused.

"Zephyr!" The man shouted as his arms stretched out to the boy. He could only see the child waving high when Y/N could feel himself being pulled away at a terrifying rate. Something forced his eyes to open pulling him back to reality. He felt the impact when he was dropped to the floor and his body coughed and gasped when air could finally pass.

He could see the room was brighter than a few seconds ago. Flames, dark violet flames burned the rope tied to his neck as well as the part where the rope snapped from the hook he hammered to the ceiling.

Y/N didn't calm his breathing as he pushed himself to the wall. He could feel his heart pumping so fast and his breathing began to recover to its steady pace but he didn't care. He just glared at the creature in front of him.

The flame already burnt the ropes on his neck to oblivion while the ones on the hook disappeared leaving a part of it. Even then, the fire on his neck grew and shrunk, raging and calming each second. Y/N could feel the heat turn warm and even when it was touching his skin, it didn't burn him at all. The fire on his neck trailed back to the tail of this creature. It looked so old yet so young when its size was that of a cat, the appearance was a little more extreme. The flames formed the silhouette of a dragon on all four while a large wing sprouted on its back. Its neck resembled a mane and seeing the form of its body looked like it was an old dragon of its kind.