#lynn reqs

Wait! How did it come to this in the first place??

Personally, I see Cyrene as the first to confess to you and will probably be the first to bring this subject up. The three of you have always been close, in a sense that physical touch or intimate gestures are always labeled as "normal trio things". Cyrene catches the shift quickly, she has very good understanding and grasp of her emotions and is intelligent enough to tell romance from closed friendship

Phainon on the other hand… Takes a while to come to terms with the fact that he's in love with his you in a less platonic way and more of a I-want-you-so-badly kind of way. However, he's pretty sharp too, he picks up the signs that Cyrene may be feeling the same way for you so he kinds of… retreat? Take a back seat and numb his feelings down so Cyrene can be with you instead.

Cyrene is also very aware of this, so she just confronts him about the matter and well, come up with a solution. She has all three of you sat around a table like it's a inter-city negotiation and gingerly declares that "Since we all have too much love in our hearts, let's just share it with one another!" — That is if you have no problem with it.

Flustered as you are, you eventually admit your feelings for them and agree to try out polyamory— as per Cyrene's suggestion.

So, how is it going?

At first, you and Phainon are very confused about the whole thing, like how does this work? Do you agree on a specific schedule like Mon-Wed-Fri for Phainon and Tue-Thu-Sat for Cyrene? Then what about Sunday? (as in the day of the week and not the chicken guy)

Since you two are callow in this regard, Cyrene has to take the lead very often. She insists that you all just act normally, like how you always do! But with better understanding of your feelings and the romance that comes with it.

Your dates range from late night relaxation together at the Hero's Bath or an excursion around Okhema. Cyrene is very creative so she's in charge of date location, sometimes you three enjoy a romantic dinner at a small restaurant in Okhema, other times you visit the Garden of Life to play with the Chimeras. She's the type to never run out of date ideas, whether indoors or outdoors. She absolutely loves makeup and skincare dates too, especially when the weather isn't favorable for outdoor activities.

Phainon of course also contributes to this by helping in certain ways. By that I mean he makes sure to reserve seats at the restaurant, scour for monsters at the outskirts of Okhema when you go stargazing, carrying all of your and Cyrene's bags if you want to go shopping and he pays, of course. You may be wondering where the hell does this penniless lad even get all the money for this?? Honestly, he doesn't tell you, he just insists you two to let him pay lol. Also a very flexible boyfriend, if you want the more fun, barn-storming dates like a spar (yes that's his idea of a date) or a spar but at the bath house or maybe a spar at communicating with Dromases— He's up for it! And he's not against letting you and Cyrene put face masks and makeup on him or messing with his hair.

Phainon and Cyrene are both very big on physical touch so you can always expect both of your hands to be held tight and warm. Cuddling is also a favorite activity too (not so much for you during the hotter seasons of Amphoreus). Envision being sandwiched between these two, Cyrene likes to place her arm across your chest, letting her breaths fan near your cheeks while Phainon typically puts his arm across your stomach, chin over your head. The heat radiating off them makes the cold air of the night less icy and lonely but also makes your life pretty miserable when summer comes.

If you insist on not cuddling during hot days, they'll pout and try to change your mind. Cyrene often just tell you straight up that "I can't find any joy in a night without your warmth!" or "How can this lonely maiden find any comfort in her slumber if not by your side?"

Phainon would take another route by telling you "My insomnia turns restless without you by my side.". Yes go we love our emotionally manipulative king (only for small trivial things)

They will quit right away if you threaten to sleep on the couch though ( they know well there's no way to squeeze all three on it) In the end, you choose to still sleep together with them on the bed, but each of them has to stay at least 20 cm from you to ensure sufficient breathing ground.

But you still wake up with their limbs tangled in yours and sweat dripping down your entire body. So it's basically like sleeping with an overly clingy Samoyed and an affectionate gorgeous pink ragdoll.

Being in a polyamory with Cyrene and Phainon also means receiving a lot of love, in many different ways. Phainon is always willing to help you with whatever you need, acts of service is just his middle name, his love makes your life a lot easier in ways that seem mundane and domestic.

You never have to worry about losing things, he always remembers where you last put it! And he puts a lot of effort into remembering things you say fleetingly. You like this specific dish? Now he's got a bachelor degree in it and is ready to make you an infinite amount of serving. You find the plot of this game fascinating? Okay, he's also disgustingly educated about the topic, so let's chat for hours! The button of your favorite pajamas fall off? No worries, Phainon has it covered!

Phainon's love is one that manifests in his intensity to protect you but also in the normalcy of life. The want and need to build a home together and to be there for you, with you not just as the Deliverer but also Phainon of Aedes Elysiae.

Cyrene, on the other hand, is one that never spares a word when it comes to complimenting you. Doesn't even have to be about appearance, it can be just about anything! That's precisely the person she is, one to find beauty in every corner of the world and every glimpse at you—her lover.

You just learn a new recipe? "My love, this is amazing! Ahhh, I can't believe I get to enjoy your cooking almost every day♡", you draw a Chimera doodle "Ahh! ꨄ ︎So adorable! Should we make our Chimerasonas together?", you have a new pajama "This color looks so pretty on you❤︎ ! Should we get matching ones? A pink for me and a blue for Phainon!"(The heart emojis automatically appear, she just does it).

Her love for you manifests itself in her words, thought, spoken and written. She finds you in every beauties of the world, every words she writes, every song she hears and every poem she makes— the true "to be loved by a writer" experience. Cyrene strives to make a lot of unforgettable memories with you, enjoy every second with you by her side— her love is both passionate and deep, loud and silent, beautiful and tragic.

Both Phainon and Cyrene rarely ever have any qualms about your relationship. Due to their duties as the Chrysos Heirs, they learn to cherish every moment with you for they know well what will become of themselves once it's their turn to fulfill the prophecies. Before that day comes, they try to make the best out of time, they leave you with memories and love in the forms of gifts, letters, poems, memorabilia,… anything that will make their existence last as long as possible so after the Era Nova, all of you can be reunited.

"Since we all have too much love in our hearts"

Loving the prophesied heroes of Amphoreus is no easy task. There's nothing that hurts more than watching the love of your life burning themselves away for this world.

As you can already guess, this romance is one that is as ephemeral as it is beautiful. During the first cycle of Amphoreus, both Phainon and Cyrene watch as the world crumbles and vanish. They have to watch as Okhema falls to pieces as flashes of black and red consumes everything, as well as their lover.

So they set out on a long, long quest to save Amphoreus and the universe. For they have too much love in their hearts, they love Aedes Elysiae, love Amphoreus, love the foreign universe they've never reacher and so too, they love you.

Eternal Recurrence #4,000,001

48 million Coreflames. They surged through his entire body like raging flames, consuming his mortal flesh until all that was left was no more than wreckage and ruins.

The constellations at the Vortex of Genesis shone down an empty vessel, its shell cracked and broken, revealing an abysmal void into the darkness. The flames of destruction demanded everything from him— and the derelict body of his was no longer tempting.

He turned to the one thing he could do, trying to find his wayback to you and Cyrene, somewhere within those 4,000,001 cycles back to the first one— No not the Eternal Recurrence #1, but the first, the beginning where it all started.

In the vastness of memories he had harbored across his quest, he tried to look for the nights you all spent stargazing in the outskirts of Okhema, the stolen late nights at the Hero's Bath, the warm meals by the candlelight you three used to share. The fragmented dreams of a distant past that was beginning to seem like a fever dream, a result of wishful thinking, a delusion of a lost man.

They were as beautiful as the flicker of flame in this dark, cruel world. The memories burn bright, passionate and fast, flickering wildly as if it had been a candle amidst a storm. Your form slowly came through from the tiny spark of the flame, fluttering erratically until the fire gave in to the winds and all that was to remember you by was no more than a handful of ashes. Because, between him and Cyrene, there lay a black blot.

The thing he feared most had finally happened.

Eternal Recurrence #801, he couldn't recall the color of your cheeks when you blush

Eternal Recurrence #2,234, he couldn't remember where your mole used to be.

Eternal Recurrence #4,024, he couldn't trace the bridge of your nose.

Eternal Recurrence #5, 930, he couldn't remember the shape of your lips.

Eternal Recurrence #7, 283, he couldn't remember the shade of your lips.

Eternal Recurrence #112,923, he couldn't measure the length of your hair.

Eternal Recurrence #824, 929, he couldn't remember the color of your hair.

Eternal Recurrence #1,023,943, he couldn't recognize your voice.

Eternal Recurrence #1,923,889, he couldn't recall how your skin felt.

Eternal Recurrence #2,023,657, he couldn't remember the shape of your brows.

Eternal Recurrence #3,234,928, he couldn't remember the shape of your eyes.

Eternal Recurrence #3,982,999, he couldn't remember the color of your eyes.

Eternal Recurrence #4,000,001, he couldn't remember your face.

As this vessel had entered its final stage of withering, there would be no use in keeping it anymore, especially when your face had completely vanished from its memories. Khaslana had thought this through carefully.

All the Phainons of the next cycle will make the same choice— he was sure of it. But he, might be the last to carry the burnt, torched picture of your smile. He wondered if Phainon would meet you again in the next cycle, would fate allow him to find his ways to you unknowingly? Or make him be just another passing face in your life?

Well that no longer mattered, this vessel was completely incapable of love…

So now, let wrath incinerate fate!

One will remain in the past,

One will walk toward the future.

The sounds of her heels clicking against space is both silent deafening. Even though she knows where this path would lead her, her pace and smile doesn't falter. She's aware of her choice, continuing on this path would mean she can no longer strive for the stars, can't witness the birth of Amphoreus and can't fulfill her promise of reunion with you and Phainon.

The vast space earlier has now vanished, no more distant stars nor galaxies, the beautiful painting of the cosmos has all but faded into a shade of white. She holds her conviction firm in her heart, for she knows Peach would make the same choice.

"Love? How should I explain it… It's something that can be amorphous or physical, it can be anyone and anything."

"Me? I love a lot of people and things. Let's see… I love Aedes Elysiae, the little fairies, the color pink, the Flame-Chase, my friends, the wheat field, Amphoreus, humanity and … I love—"

Undefined Record #XXX, Archived.

Her love is abundant, so much so that it exceeds the digital constrains of Amphoreus and out to the universe. Cyrene wishes she can too, love like that.

Even as of now, as she has taken the steps towards the empty pages of future, Cyrene still has troubles letting go of some things.

What is it like to love and to be loved?

Cyrene can still remember you clearly, Peach once told her you were a dear person to her. Your love makes the dark corners of the streets seem brighter than ever, your smile turns the lonely, far-away stars on the night sky closer and warmer, your touch soothes the coldness of morning away from her palms, your gaze fills this world with a pink tint that she so dearly adores.

Cyrene walks towards the void, the white page of her future will become the colorful future for the rest of the universe, as well as yours.

Your laughter reminds Peach of the lovely wind chimes in Aedes Elysiae, your voice bears the familiar lilt of her childhood folk lullabies, your gait carries the elegance of the soft, delicate silk in the weaving competition in her hometown.

Cyrene finds herself back at Aedes Elysiae, near the old tree that Peach used to love. Leaves scuffle along the gentle winds as she walks by. Under the same old spot Peach used to love, Cyrene sits down.

Peach said she wanted to show you around Aedes Elysiae with Phainon, tell you of the beautiful starry night that reigns across the sky, weave a flower crown for you as you three would run across the field with hearts full of adoration and not hatred nor destruction.

Under the crown of the trees, Cyrene's body shrinks. Her long, pink hair reduced to shoulder-length, rosy bright eyes turned into a clear shade of blues, her pristine white attire transformed back to that of an ordinary Aedes ELysiae's girl.

Peach would have loved to travel across Amphoreus with you, enjoy the long panoramic view while riding a Dromas together, traverse through the snow-capped hills of Aidonia, witness Phainon fights at the fiery festivals of the Kremnoans, show you around the ethereal Januspolosis where she would be studying as a Time Priestess.

An alluring sense of slumber slowly takes over Cyrene's mind. Perhaps it is as Peach has said, afternoons at Aedes Elysiae are bound to make one's eyes droop, the tranquility, the wind chimes, the distant sounds of the waves…

She closes her eyes and let the memories flood her mind one last time…

Irontomb… Amphoreus…. The Flame-Chase… The Chrysos Heirs… Trailblazer… Phainon

And you.

It is nice to finally get a glimpse of you, your smile is just as Peach has described…

I wonder what it feels like to be loved by you too?

You shall fade when the flowers bloom, for every ending begets a beginning.

The banquet hall is crowded with foreign Princes and Princesses from different kingdoms. Adorned in fine silk and iridescent jewels, they dance along to the foreign melody of this small land, all in congratulation of Aedes Elyisae— A small kingdom that has just regained her peace from the Black Tide catastrophe.

Your eyes scan through the crowds of people, dazed by the colorful, exquisite fabrics that glide through the marble floor like a kaleidoscope, trying to look for the silhouette of a certain young Prince with white hair. He is the crowned heir to the throne of this newly-freed land, yet he is nowhere to be seen in this banquet hosted on this joyful day. After his speech and a few diplomatic exchanges, he has seemingly disappeared from sight, becoming a wandering guest of the night.

That one—A vexatious Prince he is!

Ever since your official accolade at the Church that finally made you an honorary knight of the Royal Family, he's done nothing but exasperate you. He has no proper noble etiquette, no understanding of the ways of the sovereign and absolutely no respect for royal hierarchy!

"Are you my new knight? Finally! I can't stand that old geezer trying to herd me like some sort of goat anymore."

"You don't have to wear full body armour all the time, I can't imagine how uncomfortable that feels! Guard duty? Welllll, I'm sure a bit of relaxation can't hurt."

"I've heard your swordsmanship is outstanding. Care to spar with me partner? You… aren't allowed to do that? I see, how disappointing."

"Is it against the protocols for you to address me with something other than 'Your Highness'?… Yes? But is it still a violation if I demand you to call me 'Phainon'? You can't do that? What a shame…"

"Do the protocols have any specific rule about a knight not being able to sit and dine with the Prince? What, seriously? Seems like I will have to have my father change it then."

Unbelievable! He is the crowned Prince of an entire kingdom, yet his ways of doing and speech are beyond your understanding! You can tell he is doing this on purpose because his speech earlier showed a completely different person— His words were refined, his form was polished and his tone was well-bred. It's not that he's incapable of gentility, he's just deliberately ignorant!

That Prince is an immature and disagreeable lad! It's maddening to serve him. How can he truly be the prophesied Deliverer?

Well, there is no good in troubling yourself with the thought when you have a bigger problem to deal with. You storm down the foyer, away from all the revelries and stupor of the banquet. Your metal armour clinks loudly with each step down the floor. Well, what do you do now? Order a search party? No, that would make you seem incompetent— And this is only your first month of work!

You don't know how he managed to vanish right before your eyes but you're sure he can't have ventured anywhere far. Once this is over, you may actually have to take him on that spar invitation! Well, as for now, it is still plausible to look for the Prince yourself. But how? The banquet hall is a far too capacious space to look for him, that would be impractical…

Right, the Holy Artifact!

Your hand hovers over the breastplate, right above the area where your necklace should be.

The holy pendant, crafted from the last known "Gem of All Worlds" is one of the few artifacts directly linked to Kephale, the great protector of Aedes Elysiae and the Royal Family. It allows two people to merge their minds and hear the other's thoughts, their feelings and the like. Such a precious and crucial jewel is only gifted to the most honorary knight of all, whose sword is branded with the holy emblem and their loyalty surpasses the extent of their life.

And now, it is shared between you and the Prince.

Yet up until now, it hasn't truly ascended to its full celestial power.

"This Holy Artifact holds divine power that surpasses the understanding of most mortals so the intricacies of its mechanism remains elusive until this day. However I've consulted the King and looked through the old scrolls in the Palace's Library, no past bearers had had this problem before."

"One thing I notice though, is that all of them had a really close bond with each other. And…this just happens to be something you two lack."

"Knight, you can choose not to believe me. But I am very affirmative in my theory and you know, a girl's instinct is always right!"

That's what the High Priestess had told you before having to return to the Church to deal with urgent matters. You can't see yourself ever understand or connect with such a frivolous prince, he's a member of the Royal family, destined for extraordinary deeds and regal sovereign and yet he chooses to act like a callow , childish lad.

As you say so, you can't still get that memory out of your head. Looking back, you don't get what prompted you to behave like that, but you did and the lingering sentiment in your heart is clear evidence.

You can still remember that morning vividly, because it was the first time you saw the young Prince's visage in a more silent and solemn expression. His azure blue eyes flickered across the table with half-empty cups of tea and a tray of honey suncake. You don't get why he was so bothered by it, the desserts weren't anything high-end or luxurious, just your regular cuisine easily found at any ordinary coastal village— You even thought such simplistic arrangement was unsuitable for a prominent figure like The High Priestess herself.

You wanted to tell him about your opinion yet that look in his eyes made you decide otherwise.

You always find his eyes akin to the wild tidal waves that reign across the oceans, inexorable and uncontrollable— they're untamed and wild, not the rigid and rigorous stability you've come to know, and you hate it. But in that moment, you caught a glimpse of the deep, silent seabeds, where stillness and darkness permeates the water with a sense of melancholy, a sense of loneliness.

"Please, just sit with me for a bit will you?"

It wasn't a demand, wasn't an ordinary request but a desperate plea for companionship, your heart softened.

And so, against all the stiff, rigid rules you've trained yourself to obey, you sat down and dined with him. Was it because you pity the boy that was too young to handle the heavy weight of the crown and the loneliness that comes with it? Or was it because you pity the reflection of yourself in his forlorn gaze?

"Knight, what are you doing here?"

You jerk away from where you stand and quickly kneel down to greet her.

Her long rosy hair cascades down to her feet like a magnificent waterfall, eyes as radiant as the resplendent rose quartz— The High Priestess.

"Lady High Priestess."

"Oh you, there's no need to be so formal! Come on, get up from the floor." Seeing your kneeling form, she quickly ushers you to stand up. Even in the darkness of the night sky, her form is as bright as ever. She hands you a small cupcake, perhaps taken from the banquet earlier, normally you would decline— this is inappropriate of you, taking a gift from a person of higher ranking but you are too deadbeat and tired to care. Seeing your abnormal reaction, she wastes no time in questioning you.

"Oh dear! Now this is rare, last time I came you didn't take any of my sweets at all, not even from Phainon himself. Pray tell, what has caused your rigid ways of doing to soften knight?"

Faced with her curious inquiry, you have no choice— or perhaps too exhausted— but to reveal the truth to her. Upon hearing that, she lets out a kind-hearted giggle, her gentle laughing stirs the heaviness of the night. It is brighter than the practiced smiles of the guests and warmer than the nocturnal breeze that haunts the passage.

"Is that why you have been pacing back and forth this whole time? Oh—oh knight, you need not to fret about it! Phainon did this to all his previous knights as well. No one knows how he does it, but apparently it has yet to become a problem big enough to warrant the attention of his Father. He will return once the sun sets, I can assure you that much."

You look at her flabbergasted, you do not know which is more surprised-worthy than the others. Is it her casual forms of addressing the Prince? The fact that he's done this numerous times? Or that everyone is just accustomed to this peculiar habit of his?

"Lady High Priestess, I apologize but shouldn't you be more mindful regarding the matter of addressing?"

"My, Phainon is right, you're strictly obsessed with rules and protocols! It's times like this that make me miss our hometown. Things were so much more simpler there, no royal rules, no hierarchy-based addressing, no constant upkeeping of public image."

Did she just say "our"? As far as rumors are concerned, both the High Priestess and the Young Prince were raised together at a young age, is she insinuating that they aren't from the Royal Palace? No.. that must have been a mistake.

She skips a few steps and walks towards the opened window, letting the wind blow through her hair and sunlight to bathe her attire, silently motioning for you to get closer.

"What's that look for? Oh—right, most people don't know this, silly me! Now if you could keep me company for a short while, I will let you in on this little secret."

"It would be my pleasure. Lady High Priestess." She smiles at you before turning to gaze at the constellations that illuminate the night sky.

"Back when Aedes Elysiae was ravaged by the Black Tide, calamity plagued the land for years on end: sickness, famine, death— they were the very things that haunted every family. So when the Prince at that time beseeched his father to give him an army for him to vanquish the darkness, the King readily agreed."

Isn't that the story of how King Hieronymus eradicated the Black Tide army? That is no secret, this is taught in every history book, sung in every song and told in every child's bedtime story. Even so, you hold back your tongue and wait for her to continue the story.

"But sick with worries for his son, the old King invited a legendary Priestess from the neighboring kingdom— Januspolosis to give his son a prophecy."

She leans on the window frame, letting the long veil from her head to dance with the wind. The diaphanous cloth glistens under the delicate sunlight, it reminds you of the foreign land Januspolosis, where the sun and moon are intertwined by the three Titans of Fate.

"During his journey, he will achieve three great deeds: birth the salvation for his people, vanquish the eternal darkness of the land and… find an heir to bring dawn to Aedes Elysiae."

You perk up at the last part, in the original story you've grown up with, the Priestess only gives him two prophecies, that last one was never mentioned. Just as you are about to question her, she places a finger over your lips, through your metal headpiece, she nudges at you to wait.

"The first two he has accomplished splendidly, he brought back peace and freedom for his people and his resounding victory marked the end of a long, dark history of Aedes Elysiae. As for the last prophecy that is not known by most… it is a most romantic story like none other."

"At a quaint seaside village to the East of Aedes Elysiae, he met a widow during one of his expeditions and they soon fell in love. When the Black Tide reached that idyllic little town, the Prince brought the woman along with her child and his friend back to the Royal Palace, and against all prejudices, opposition and rejection, pronounced her his Queen right after his coronation."

You audibly gasp and look at her with a stunned expression. This can't be true! If this is just a joke, she could get executed on reasons of defamation of the Royal Family! To taint the reputation of the Queen by associating her with a commoner, if this ever reaches the old folks at the Council of Elders, they would have her head over a guillotine in a matter of seconds.

"I—How… Even if this is true, how do you know it?" Too taken aback, even your regular upholding of royal etiquette slips off without you realizing.

"Hmm~ I know because Queen Audata used to tell me and Phainon this story when we went to bed! What don't believe me? I think it should be obvious enough."

Obvious…?

The Prince doesn't concern himself with royal etiquette, he dislikes formal addressing and finds them unnecessary, he enjoys local cuisine, desserts with honey and origins from coastal towns… Could it truly be as she said? If so, this is a confidential matter, why is she telling you this?

"You can choose to believe me or don't, knight. But I am revealing this secret because of that silly boy. He's not born a Prince or blue blood, just an ordinary boy from a family of farmers in a small town. A boy that had his life completely flipped over in a single night, from a care-free child to a kid that carries the heavy prophecy on his back."

Her pink hue of her eyes soften as sunlight filters through her orbs, sparkling like the thousand iridescent stars that drift across the sky. The smile she gifts you is tender and sentimental, drawn with years of love, care, sadness, grief and memory.

"Crowned Prince, Deliverer or not. To me, he will always be that innocent kid who took me into his family and treated me with nothing but kindness."

"Lonely and burdened on his selfless quest of Deliverance, he acts unthinkingly and recklessly."

"Even so please, be a little kinder to that silly boy for me will you?"

You race across the sandy beach in your new attire, rid of the heavy metal armour that just may slow you down. The pendant on your neck is growing stronger than ever before, its power hasn't truly been awakened but you can faintly make out the sounds of waves crashing against the shore.

He must be by the sea.

The thought burns at the back of your mind, the revelation that came a bit too late still stings your heart. Maybe you've been too harsh on him, you spat at his hospitality and called it childishness, you are supposed to be his sword and shield yet you became the very thing that he wishes you to turn away from.

Before he is the crowned heir of Aedes Elysiae, he was a normal boy, still scarred after the loss of his hometown yet forced to grow up and carry the burden destined in the prophecy. And before you put on the silver armour that is etched on the Royal family emblem, you were also just a normal kid, adrift and lonely in the cold, icy seas.

You keep on running, not caring for the sand that gathers at your feet, flying into your face or the harsh, cold wind that swipes the moisture off your eyes and tears through your skin. None of it could ever hurt more than what you did to him.

You let your heartbeat thrums erratically, growing louder, faster, higher until it reaches a crescendo and begins to go down— He's there.

Your grip around the Holy artifact loosen as his silhouette comes into view. Sitting by the sea, his long regal cape discarded behind, golden aiguillette thrown to the side. He bears nothing but a simple white linen shirt and black pants, eyes distantly staring at the horizon.

Out of breath and exhausted, you stagger to where he is sitting. Cold sweat trails down your temples as you clutch your chest, trying to catch your breathing.

"Y—Your… Phainon!"

He turns to you with surprise evident in his eyes, a momentary smile of bliss and awe spreads across his face before he breaks into a boisterous laugh. "So it was you. I almost thought the Holy Pendant accidentally connected me to a wild beast elsewhere, all I could hear for the past 20 minutes was ragged breathing and moaning!"

He pulls back his cape and lay it beside him, motioning for you to sit down by his side. For this request, you don't decline him.

For the first few minutes, he lets you catch a short breath and doesn't say anything, just enjoying the silence and the beauty of the sea. Over the horizon, small rays of gold are already peaking out, coruscating the dimly lit sea with its radiance. Your rapid heartbeat has stabilized, giving you enough air to breathe out your nose like a normal person. Now knowing how to say your apologies, you fidget around in your seat until Phainon spares you the awkwardness.

"Do you know? My hometown always greets dawn the earliest in all of Aedes Elysiae because it is the furthest East. People wake up early to head to the field, I also go to help out my mother and… partly to skip school so I can watch the sunrise."

You glance at him, this is the first time you've been this close to him, not separated by rules and protocols , just two people sitting on the beach watching the sun emerging beyond the sea. "Where I'm from… fishing is people's livelihood. My father used to set sail at the dead of the night and return at dawn. My mother never let me come along because it was too dangerous, my father just said I had to wait until I grew up."

"So you're from a coastal town too! I once tried to sail a boat out to sea just for Cyrene to watch dolphins, got scolded a lot for it though. Did your father keep his word?"

You gaze at the gentle waves that move back and forth from afar, this sea is gentle and kind— not cruel and furious like the one in your past.

"Not quite… The first time I got on a boat, it was to flee from the Black Tide, none of my parents could escape with me."

Alone in the sea, drifting along the tides that are as harsh as they are powerful, floating for days with nothing but elegy of sea gulls and a saltiness in your mouth that's worse than any seawater.

"I.. I'm sorry, I did not mean to remind you of such memories."

"Don't be, that's a long time ago. I never venture anywhere near the sea anymore after that. This is… my second actually."

The sun is rising, inching up bit by bit from the horizon. It chases away the remaining darkness of the night, lights up the sky with its brightness and sheds warmth on to the land. During your days adrift, this is your favorite moment— it means you're still alive, sick, frail, weak but alive. It became your only lifeline, the beam of hope during restless freezing nights, during the raging, relentless waves that threaten to crumble your fleeting life. It was the only thing you set your heart on.

For the darkest hour is just before dawn.

"Then can I get the honor of making this experience memorable for you?" As you quizzically turn to face him, he shoves something into your hand.

It's a conch, pristinely white and adorned in intricate spirals. As the hazy sunlight shines through, its surface lights up with an opalescent sheen. The simple object ignites a child-like happiness within you, bringing you back to your care-free days of picking seashells while waiting for your father.

"Phainon… This is gorgeous. I… I'm sorry, I'm sorry for having been such an incompetent knight, I should have tried to understand you more, I'm meant to be your sword and shield and yet..." You didn't, you failed your duty and yet he has enough kindness to let you sit by his side, holding his gift and taking his forgiveness.

His eyes soften at your words. Was he hurt by your cold and distant attitude? Your harsh prejudices? Your heavy expectations? To that, he only smiles and turns to you.

"Don't be. You're lucky seaside folks aren't the type to hold grudges. Besides, now you're sitting here and being honest with me… I can spare you the guillotine."

"But you'll have to help me look for another conch though."

"Alright… Thank you Phainon, it's settled then."

Unguardedly, the corners of your lips gradually move up, forming a clumsy yet candor smile. And Phainon finds himself to be staring, unable to shift his eyes anywhere but your countenance. He has never seen you fully, always hidden behind layers of metal protection, distance, rigid rules and strict protocols.

But now, you sit next to him, care-free and relaxed. The sun has almost fully freed itself from the contain of the horizon, the moment of dawn he's been waiting for the entire night, and yet he finds himself too captivated to leave. Watching the warm lush of gold spreads across your cheeks, the now-delicate breeze kissing your hair and the genuine, tender-hearted smile of yours.

The sun is warm on his face and ablaze in his heart. Governess Aglaea never taught him what to say or do when one feels like this. Does he tell you a joke? Laugh or just keep on gazing at you?

Even then, the only thing he could do is to smile back at you.

"You know what? I don't want you to call me Phainon anymore."

At this point, the hour of dawn has come, the sun is shining like an eternal fire ball on the sky, painting the sea with its fiery dash of gold and orange, fusing into the shade of warmth and hearth. Yet elsewhere, light is also bursting intensely, fragments of colors flicker and fade through the star-shaped gem, slowly tying the fate of two people whose destinies have been written in the stars.

"Next time, call me…"

"Khaslana."

Khaslana.

You hear those syllables with your own ears, and very clearly so, in your mind. But with such a breathtaking sight ahead, it's hard to care about anything else, not even the Holy Pendant that you've been stressing for weeks. You tentatively try out the words in your mouth, feel how each letter rolls off your tongue and let it engrave in your heart.