Fayn Itagral

I left Hogan's office still thinking about my mission and those files. The Warlords served the Capital by fighting against Inferno, recovering territories, and bringing hope to the people. All this under the leadership of Dália, the last High Commander before me. What would make them kill their leader? Better yet, could I suffer the same fate?

Of course, I had seen images of Dália when I was in school. Not to mention the giant mural on the wall of the main barracks depicting the Warlords and Dália together. Our physical similarities are undeniable, and I had considered the possibility that I might be her son after discovering that Hogan was indeed my biological father. They had a close relationship, too close for some people, but that was impossible. 

Dália died in the Battle of Eclipse. That was twenty years ago, the same year I was born. It's impossible that she could have been pregnant and participated in something of that magnitude in the same year.

Furthermore, there is little information about Dália and her death. I believe the papers I just read are all we know about the event...

As soon as the elevator door opened, the same blonde secretary from before approached, this time with a small stack of papers in her hands. She waited for me to give her the signal to speak. Does she think she's in the army?

“High Commander, the Governor asked me to pass this on to you.” 

I took the papers to see what it was. True, I had forgotten about that for a moment. Due to Hogan's schedule, I would have to organize the Dahlia Festival for tomorrow. Well, everything was already organized, but it never hurts to review, and I was already going to do that anyway. 

“Do you happen to have a pen I can use?”

Luana, according to the badge on her chest, handed me a black pen she got from the front desk. It took me no more than fifteen minutes to check everything involving the festival. The price of it all made me feel a sharp pain in my chest, but it was really necessary.

The other secretary, Barbara, with brown hair, finished a phone call and took advantage of the fact that I was leaning on the reception desk to approach me. Just when I finished the last line? If it's another one from Hogan, I'm going to kill that old man.

“Sir.” 

“Yes?”

“They are requesting your presence at the flower shop responsible for the Dahlia Festival.” 

“Tell them I'm on my way.” 

Thanks to my ability to fly, it took me less than five minutes to cross the capital and reach the flower shop. It was a six-story building made of concrete and metal, just like all the others in the city. The facade had a sign that read “Flowers and Love.” 

The problem was simple: there weren't enough dahlias, so I needed to nourish the seeds with eternum so they would grow. The scope of this festival was a little bigger than in other years, but that made sense. It was the anniversary of Dália's death, specifically the twentieth anniversary of her death. 

My day went by like this, solving last-minute problems that arose about the Dahlia Festival. When I was finally able to rest, I went straight home after checking the time. 

*****

The information on those papers kept coming back to my mind even as I made dinner. Everything lined up so perfectly, the Dahlia Festival happening just as Dália's killers return? I would even say that Hogan has more than a hand in this. 

The doorbell rang, and I went to answer the door with a smile on my face, already knowing who it was. 

Alissia appeared in a pearly green dress and a small black box with a red bow in her hands. Before I could say anything, she hugged me tightly and kissed me as she spun around to enter my house. When she stepped back a little, she looked at the box in my hand like a child waiting for candy.

“A gift?”

“Doesn't the most powerful man in the world know when he's getting gifts?”

I opened the box and found a necklace with a heart pendant. There was a button on top of the heart. When I pressed it, it revealed the two inner parts of the heart, each with a photo. The one on the left was Alissia wearing a blue dress the same shade as her eyes, laughing at the camera with a big smile on her face. The other photo was one I took myself. Alissia was standing against the orange sunset, and only part of her face could be seen because of her hair blowing in the wind. In both photos, she was striking the same pose in the same place, but in the second one, she was wearing a white shirt with a jacket and black pants.

“You need to tone down your ego.”

“Oh! Look who's talking.”

I hugged my lady and gave her another kiss. She let out a little scream when I lifted her up.

The night passed quickly. We had dinner, watched some movies on the couch, and now she and I were playing on my console. At times, the War Lords tokens came back, with more questions arising every time I thought about them. 

“You seem worried.”

“Hogan gave me an... eccentric mission. I can't say more than that.”

She grabbed my arm and we stayed like that for almost thirty minutes until she turned off the console herself and put away the controllers. I stared into her blue eyes, reflecting the light from the lamp, until she pushed me back and climbed on top of me.

“I don't feel like it.”

“I know, I just want to stay like this for a while.”

Alissia let her weight fall on me and rested her head on my chest. My fingers ran slowly through her wavy hair, as slowly as her sigh on my chest when she lifted part of her body to look at my face.

I felt paralyzed by those eyes, even though her expression was one of concern.

“You need to rest and not take on any more missions.”

“This will be the last one for the rest of the year. Then I'll have six months off.” 

“Just one more?”

“Just one more.”

Her eyebrows furrowed after hearing my confirmation. She kept eye contact for a few more seconds, long seconds, before laying her head back on my chest. She whispered, so quietly that I could only hear her because I was close.

“Just one more.”

My hand still caressed her head, just as hers caressed my chest. I wanted to look at the television and see the reflection of her face, but I couldn't bear to see another expression like that from Alissia, not now.

Just one more and she won't have to worry anymore.