In loving memory of my father. May he soar through the skies above in the comfort of the Creator’s arms forever.
I am bathed in a bright aura of light, as shadows cascade below me. The wind catches my long silver strands and wisps them over my gold horns in every direction as it picks up into a howling gale. Crimson flames dance over my body, burning me up like a hot iron.
My limbs tingle as a current strikes me, coursing through every limb, but cools at the tips of my claws as they frost over. My skin cracks like dried soil, crumbling like gravel yet melting like molten lava at the same time. When it puddles, I flow freely and without form, merging with the deep blue sea. All the elements are as one in this place. In me. Yet there are still more that call out to me. But not here. Not yet.
As I sink past the thermocline, my body retakes its shape as my feet touch the substrate of the murky depths. I stand there as if on land, but I am on the edge of something dark.
(“Come closer, Kayden…”) The voices enter my thoughts and drip with honey sweetness.
(“We are within reach.”)
(“You only need to take one more step.”) One voice slithers through the back of my mind.
They get so loud that I can’t turn away.
(“The power is yours, just take it.”)
(“You can bring her back if you trust us.”) The voice drips with venom as it hisses at the end.
(“Just come closer.”)
(“Embrace it.”)
Its allure grips me, until slowly, shadowed hands reach out of the abyss and grip my hocks.
Frack, no. Let me go!
Slowly, I’m losing ground as my whole body anticipates going over.
A light cuts through the shadows, and that’s when I see her. Long, curly brunette tresses that rustle in the current, gently obscuring her beautiful face, her ethereal figure bathed in a golden aura.
“Turn away from there, Kayden. Do not succumb to the darkness.” A sweet and nurturing smile forms on her lips. “You are meant for more than that.”
Her figure slowly starts to fade, and with it, the dream comes to an end.
I just want to see you again, Felicia.
Would you have lingered in that dream, another version of me? Sought her in the abyss rather than face the ship’s cold silence?
The loud blare of my alarm jolts me, abruptly ending the dream. I sit up, sighing into my hand as my long hair settles over my face. I peer through my bangs, scanning the room as if in vain hope of seeing her visage.
“Felicia?” No one else is there but me. My gaze lowers as I fret.
I just want to see you again….
Walking along the corridor of the ship, my bare feet make soft thuds against the cold metal floor.
Moving to the kitchen on the lower level of my ship, I begin to shift in size, scaling down from my towering natural height to a more manageable size to accommodate my furniture. I reach for my favorite dark red coffee cup, its worn handle fitting comfortably in my hand.
Peering inside, I notice a faint coffee stain from the day before and groan, quickly rinsing it out under the tap, the water splashing against the porcelain.
The air inside the ship feels heavy, almost viscous.
It’s so fracking empty after all this time.
But then, the sound of soft paws padding against the metallic floor slices through the silence.
Lil Manx, a singular cyclopean feline anomaly, appears at my feet—a compact being of gray and white fur, crowned with a bulbous blue mana pom that pulsates with otherworldly luminescence. His enormous blue eye, within a dark blue abyss, meets mine.
“Good morning, old friend,” my voice imbued with a fondness that’s so rare these days.
“Chiip,” Lil Manx responds, springing onto the counter with a feline grace that defies the ship’s artificial gravity.
A flicker of a smile touches the corner of my mouth, vanishing as quickly as it appeared. I extend a hand, scratching Lil Manx behind the ears.
“Missed the quiet moments, didn’t you?” I ask, my tone skimming the surface of an emotion I can’t quite name.
Lil Manx chirps in agreement, “Chiip.”
Bypassing the generic pre-packaged nutrient packs, I reach for the French coffee press.
First priorities first.
As I scoop the dark, coarse grains into the bottom of the glass cylinder, the aroma of freshly ground coffee fills the room. I pause, allowing myself to be cradled in the fragrance, the aroma comforting even after all these years.
Can’t start the day without my first cup of coffee.
I activate the boiling mechanism, forcing hot water through the coffee grounds. “This was always her favorite roast.”
With a sigh, I open the ship’s fridge. Ignoring the sundry vials of nutrient supplements and synthetic meat packets, my eyes fix on a slice of cake—its colors an standing out against the sterile environment, encased in a shimmering force field.
Frack yeah, I’m glad I didn’t eat it all in one sitting like last time. Got me a slice for today, score.
I deactivate the protective barrier around the cake, laying it next to my cup of coffee.
Before tasting, I close my eyes, folding my hands for a fleeting prayer.
The dessert meets my tongue, and a quiver ripples through me. My eyes mist over, my senses touched by the taste.
“Frack, I must be low on mana, feeling like this over cake again,” I murmur, hastily wiping away the moisture from my eyes.
“Chiip,” Lil Manx offers softly, his glowing mana pom dimming as if in solidarity with my own shift into momentary bliss.
I smirk, eyeing my companion. “Still, maybe being low isn’t always a bad thing. Makes you appreciate what little you’ve got.” Man, I’ve still got to work off last week’s cake. This slice could be the final push that gets me after a year of training it all off.
“Chiip.”
After my breakfast snack, I find myself in the dimly lit hallway. My silent strides take me toward the bridge.
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