New World: Episode 2, Chapter 1 —GlowtailLover

The night was still, Osiris and his beloved partner; Whirlwind were flying silently overhead. That is, until Osiris heard a ear-splinting scream. The red and black griffin spun around in the air to see Whirlwind falling out of the sky. He quickly dove down with talons outstretched, hoping to catch her.

Water…..water……..Whirlwind could feel the swampy-water curl around her. Her neck was sliced by an unknown creature—who could this be? Whirlwind had never done anything so terrible to make someone do this….unless…..

I’ll see you in silver dye, then Dracinis tales guy. I thank you for your permission. I will do as you say!

Griffen is a hoke and he in joy ce hing food

I had a dream that I was walking then I saw 30 griffins attacking 67 dodos

Like if I should start a channel because I am on day 47 and have wyverns and long neck rifel ascendent 217.8 , ascendent shot gun 327.7 but it is so hard to get.💯💯💯💯🤑🤑🥱

-im a boy

Oh no, my typo army is growing!

Tclp

Up! To get the griffin removed from ark

To the guy who said tek saddle for the griffin, I will try to do that

Under Nirvana - An ARK

Chapter 20 – The Coalition

Story by Bria!

Find the last chapter in ICHTHYORNIS and the next chapter in GRIFFIN.

The raft sailed slightly rough down the lake’s edge, carried by the gentle breeze. Ruby and Neddy were still chatting away about the numerous dinosaurs they had learned growing up– whilst silence was all that could be heard between the other four group members: Nova, Borealis, Bria, and Twinkle. Even Ocean made more noise than them, occasionally tapping its claws against the logs of the raft.

“This is so boring,” Nova thought, hugging her legs close. She couldn’t think of any good material to use against Borealis, and messing with Bria was out of the question.

Naturally, her mind wandered back to her interaction with Borealis during the skirmish against the Leedsichthys. She wondered if Borealis thought that her advice was actually sound.

“He better think that,” Nova hoped to herself quietly. “Otherwise…”

Despite the island of rather violent dinosaurs, Nova couldn’t imagine it without all the drama thus far. It was… thrilling. If anything, this ARK was nothing but a playground for her and her vision.

Her vision…

“It will be very, very interesting.”

Bria was still steering the raft. Occasionally, the raft would jerk to the left or right to avoid something rooted in the lakebed. Her eyes darted across the surface of the water, studying all the small fish that swam by. There didn’t seem to be any other threats, but she still kept to herself.

Ruby and Neddy suddenly laughed. Ruby turned to Bria.

“Hey, Bria!”

Bria looked back, slightly unamused. “Yes?”

“Why did the dinosaur cross the road?”

“Because it wanted to get to the other side,” Bria finished for her. Ruby laughed again. “Good try, but that’s not it. The dinosaur crossed the road to eat the chicken that was there.”

Her and Neddy burst into laughter again. Bria rolled her eyes again.

“Come on. Your joke needs to at least have a punchline.”

The grass around the lake was beginning to transition into something much more harsh and dry– sand. The trees looked lusher, the water looked almost tropical in a way. Bria rubbed her eyes underneath the aviators.

“Otherwise, your pun holds no weight.”

“Aw, don’t be such a Danny Downer,” Nova suddenly butted in.

“I’m not being a Danny Downer. I’m just saying.”

“You seem to know a lot about jokes, why don’t you give one?” Nova suggested. Neddy and Ruby said “Ooooh” in sync. Twinkle chirped in agreement. Even Borealis nodded.

“Sure,” Bria said. “There was a man. He was a desert man.”

“Boring joke, you suck!” Nova booed.

“I haven’t even started yet. Relax.”

CREAK! Bria let go of the lever. A single torch that was snuffed out in the sand seemed to mark a set of footprints that led further into the desert, toward a small valley tucked in between two large mountains. Bria hopped on her Raptor and walked forward. Naturally, everyone disembarked from the raft to follow Bria.

Ruby and Neddy listened attentively as Bria continued her spiel.

“The desert man loved an arctic woman. The man and woman fell in love. The man confessed his love.”

“Oooh, a love story,” Nova chirped.

“But, naturally, the woman rejected him. She wanted to, of course, but her body refused to let this happen.”

“Wait. This is supposed to be a pun? This is just sad.”

Bria ignored Nova. “The man was devastated. Finally, he asked, ‘Why? Tell me why. I promise I’ll change!’ Finally, the woman answered– ‘You’re just too dry.’”

At that moment, a wave of heat flushed from the air, striking all of them. Neddy and Ruby shared a look of disappointment. Nova was flabbergasted.

“Are you serious? That was catsh*t!”

“Absolutely not. That was amazing. Youth these days, don’t have a sense of humor,” Bria spat, tugging on the reins of Ocean hard. Ocean gagged. Ruby said something.

“You are the same age as us.”

“Not the point.”

Nova glanced at Borealis, wanting to ask his opinion on the horrible joke. But if anything, the pun only made him look more distant than ever. She turned away, deciding not to press it.

A few minutes later, they finally made it to the valley tucked in between the two towering mountains. Despite the heat and harsh terrain, the settlement down below still looked rather developed. There were numerous wooden huts. A perimeter of wooden spike walls surrounded what the mountain could not cover, and a large gate was stationed just next to the mountain. Stone irrigation pipes ran down the mountain to the lake nearby.

Notably, one of the three Rune Towers– the red one– hung right above the entire settlement. A natural bridge of rock had formed in between the two mountains, which happened to naturally pass underneath the Rune Tower too. It also provided a good amount of shade for the settlement below.

“Damnnnn,” Nova gasped.

“Yeah. It’s neat. And it seems they’ve built up more while I was away too,” Bria realized. “The farm is growing too.”

“The place looks awesome,” Ruby complimented.

“Yeah. It must’ve taken a lot of work,” Neddy agreed. Borealis crossed his arms.

“Does your ‘Coalition’ have a leader? If so, may we speak to them?”

“You’ve already met her,” Bria said. She chuckled softly. “Just kidding. No, the Coalition doesn’t exactly have one. We run just fine without one. I guess you could consider her a symbolic one though.”

“Her? Who’s her?” Nova wondered, her curiosity piqued. The idea of meeting more people seemed to excite her more than anything else. Bria turned around, walking toward the gate.

“Why don’t you all meet her yourself?”

~

Right in the middle of the settlement was a wood hut just about the same size as the rest. The only stark difference of the house was the symbol that was above the doorway– the Greek capital letter ‘Omega’. It seemed to be made of some sort of metal.

A large cat-like marsupial lounged near the front door, swishing its tail back and forth. It barely paid attention to them as they approached, but that was probably only because Bria accompanied the newcomers.

“Sup, Panther,” Bria said. Panther yawned, revealing its huge canine teeth. Twinkle chirped nervously.

“He doesn’t bite unless we ask, don’t worry. Not that I know of, at least.”

“That’s not very reassuring,” Neddy mumbled, staying close to Ruby with a hand on his bow. Nova looked at the house excitedly.

“Alright. Let’s get the show on the road.”

Bria nodded. She walked up to the door with the Omega symbol and knocked on it. THUMP THUMP THUMP! Clack. Clack. Clack. What sounded almost like the armor of a knight came closer to the door. It swung open.

A woman with flowing orange hair the color of the sun and white highlights sashayed out, donned in metal flak armor with a red paint job. Nova’s eyes widened. Borealis raised an eyebrow in curiosity at this ‘spiritual’ leader. She paused dramatically, looking down at Bria without even so much a hint of a smile.

“Bria,” the woman said shortly. Bria looked around awkwardly.

“Sup, June. You’ve got things done around here.”

The armored woman, June, gave her a smile.

“That, we did. The entire perimeter has been secured. No more viable threats as far as we’re concerned. I’ve gotten reports from Andres too. The Redwoods Colony is doing well. No attacks, yet, at least.”

“I’m sure he can hold it down. But this is perfect. I’ve brought more for the cause, as you know…”

“Great, great,” June lifted her hand. They shook Bria’s, and she turned to face the others. “May I have the honor of knowing your names?”

“I’m Nova,” Nova declared. Everyone else introduced themselves. When Borealis said his name, June only stared at him hard. There was an unreadable look in her eyes. The others gave nervous glances. They couldn’t tell if she actively disliked him or not.

She seemed to be able to tell something about him though. What? They didn’t know.

Borealis started speaking. “I was made aware the Coalition was brought together to stop some foreseeable threat in the future. What would that be?”

June gave Bria a nod. Bria started speaking.

“These… ‘Obelisks’, as he liked to call them, carry a certain power within them. The very material they are made of has it. In order to conquer them, however, a boss must be defeated for each one. That is why preparations must be made.”

“We’ve already established colonies as far as we could,” June continued. “Our good friend Andres is in the Redwoods. He’s there to gather resources and beasts.”

“And some of my own friends I’ve sent to set up a camp near the Green Obelisk.”

June froze at the mention of friends. She looked down at her armor, and then back at Bria. “Uhh… about that.”

“Hm? What is it? Did they contact you?”

“They did. And it’s urgent.”

June grabbed Bria’s wrist, leading her away. “We need to speak about it privately.”

With that, Nova, Borealis, Ruby, Neddy, Twinkle, and Ocean were left in awkward silence. Ruby and Neddy gave each other a shrug.

“Well that was weird,” Neddy muttered.

“Let’s just check out the rest of the camp,” Ruby offered. The two walked off. Ocean stood near June’s hut obediently, not moving an inch. The other three, however, had other plans.

“Eavesdrop?” Nova asked Borealis. Borealis didn’t need to be asked twice. Nova scooped Twinkle up in her hands, and the three quickly followed them.

~

“He got captured?” Bria’s voice said sharply.

“That is what they told me, yes. It seems someone has established themselves at that Obelisk.”

Bria rubbed her eyes. “Well that’s just perfect…”

“They said they’ll figure it out.”

“Will they, though?”

“They’re your friends. I wouldn’t know. But, Bria, there is something else I wanted to let you know about…”

“What is it?”

June trailed off. “Recently, I’ve been having ‘hallucinations’. At least, I think they are. They’re very telling, though. She comes to me in my daydreams– The fox with seven tails. Recently, she has grown more ambitious. She tells me what the Obelisks really are capable of.”

She taps the oval-shaped implant on her right wrist.

“It will unlock the true potential of these ‘medallions’. She calls them ‘medallions’.”

“You need to drink more water,” Bria urged her. “We can’t have the most seasoned fighter deluded.”

“I’m not deluded!” June yelled in an outburst. Bria took a few steps back carefully, putting her hands in her pockets.

“Deep breaths, June.”

“Don’t pull that on me! Of course you wouldn’t believe me… nobody does,” June muttered, pacing back and forth. “Not even you.”

“It’s kind of hard to believe though, June.”

“Just shut up, shut up!” June stormed off. “I need to talk to her again. She’ll have more advice, I know it, she’ll tell me more!”

And then she was gone.

“Ohh, sh*t,” Nova said loudly. Bria, who looked like she was about to walk off after June, paused in her tracks.

She took her sunglasses off, looking in the direction of the eavesdroppers. Borealis looked away, covering his eyes. Nova, noticing Borealis’ reaction, looked down at the sandy floor with Twinkle.

“If you’re going to listen in,” Bria warned. “Don’t be so obvious next time.”

Bria paused right in front of Nova. Nova shut her eyes tight when Bria ducked down to try and look her in the eye.

“Mmm. A little cautious, aren’t we? C’mon… where’s that spirit of yours?”

Footsteps thudded against the sand.

“I’m going to talk to Celeste. Don’t follow me. I already knew, anyway.”

Borealis breathed a sigh of relief. The three looked up to see Bria walking off with her hands in her pockets, her sunglasses covering her eyes again. Borealis looked at Nova with a slight fury.

“Of course you were the one that almost got us caught!” Borealis cried, losing his dialect. Nova didn’t respond to him. She only sighed dreamily.

“Hot damn,” Nova blushed. “She’s a badass.”

Borealis and Twinkle groaned simultaneously, rubbing their foreheads.

Under Nirvana - An ARK

Birthday Special – Flash

Story by Bria

Original Song by C.A.S.

Last chapter in Griffin.

Next chapter in Glowbug.

Bria wobbled, her own head spinning as she tilted her aviators back up. She leaned against one of the walls of the thatch hut, feeling a sweat racking her entire body as memories of her old life gradually subsumed her vision. With a clenched jaw, she slid down to the sand, taking a seat and clutching the golden heart locket in her pocket.

“Got somethin’ you wanted to say, partner?” Bria muttered, holding the locket up to her eyes.

Her eyes stirred. Memories overwhelmed her, memories she’d kept in the back of her head ever since she moved to this accursed country– memories she’d kept ever since she decided to fulfill her eternal duty.

~

The classroom was quiet. A rather lean, red-haired woman wearing a red dress paced from one end of the room to the other, tracing her chalk along the blackboard and creating a long white line underneath the words, “LOVE”.

Murmurs flooded the room. Some girls whispered to each other, giggling as the instructor twisted the cap back onto the marker. A few of the boys nudged one another, looking around the room mischievously.

“She’s talking about you, dude. It’s a sign.”

“Yeah! Talk to her already!” another said.

Bria, who sat in the middle row of all the desks, exhaled in frustration, pushing her sunglasses further along her nose. This entire discussion was pointless. She could never understand how fellow peers could get so caught up in something that was so simple to comprehend.

‘Even my own aunt–’

“Would anyone like to answer the question?” the teacher asked. “What is love?”

A few of the girls whispered. Then, one shouted, “Ms. Park, Scylla would like to answer!”

All the heads in the classroom turned to a rather timid girl with long black braids, glasses, and braces running all along her teeth. She squealed, covering her face and putting her head down on her desk. Her friends laughed while she yelled in response, “Stoppp!”

Ms. Park rolled her eyes. “How about a volunteer?”

A few heads turned, looking at each other to see if one would relent. Finally, a jock with blonde hair and a sturdy build raised his hand.

“Love is when two people do anything for each other, no matter what it takes!” the jock declared. People around the room nodded their heads in agreement. Ms. Park seemed to nod along too, slightly satisfied.

“Okay then. Cedric, give me an example.”

The jock scratched his chin. “Hmm. Like me and my girlfriend.”

Some of his friends snickered. Bria rubbed her head, feeling a headache coming on.

“And who is your girlfriend?”

“Madison, of course.”

Everybody in the classroom let out a synchronized “Ooooooh” at the blonde cheerleader near the back of the room. She shrugged nonchalantly, before blowing a kiss at Cedric. Cedric only smirked. The entire room seemed to burst into laughter once more.

Except for Bria, that was. And one of the other boys in the class.

Bria spotted him sulking near the window overlooking the school field. He was a beast of a man. He was at least twice as wide as the desk, and she could see his chest hair matted down his sternum. The hair on his head was a mess too. It looked barely combed.

The boy sighed. Nobody seemed to notice, except for Bria. But of course she’d notice. How couldn’t she? The way he gazed at Madison whenever the class quieted down?

‘He had feelings for her,’ Bria thought, brushing her long, red-brown hair to the side. ‘Can’t help but feel bad for him.’

She still remembered the meal he’d prepared for her, only to be greeted with the cheerleader and her jock kissing by the lockers. It was a shame, too. He’d spent all day working on it, and he was a real master at his craft.

Bria averted her gaze from the poor soul. There was no point in grieving fate.

‘Besides. You can’t coerce someone into loving you with just a meal–’

“My dear niece,” Ms. Park blurted. Bria’s head jolted up with wide eyes.

“Yes?”

“What did we say about shades in the classroom?”

Now everybody was looking at her. She gritted her teeth. Her fingers didn’t budge an inch.

“I don’t remember, Ms. Park.”

Ms. Park frowned, before quickly snapping with a pointed finger, “No shades in the classroom, you know that! It’s school policy, and not only that but a sign of disrespect. Take them off. Now.”

The class didn’t make any remarks. The boy next to the window looked on earnestly, frowning slightly. Bria huffed. Her damned aunt had given her enough red slips to warrant detention, and she didn’t feel like dealing with any of that. Not with what was to come later today, that was.

She reached for the temples of her glasses when the door slammed open.

BAM! Everyone jumped in their seats. Standing at the doorway was a boy wearing a backwards baseball cap and a fluffy, pastel red wool jacket. His green cargo pants made a slight noise when they shuffled against the linoleum floor. He tilted his head to stare at the rest of the class.

He shook his head. The rest of his luscious brown hair moved along with it. Some of the girls blushed when he flashed a toothy grin at Ms. Park, who was now scowling.

“Mr. Paul Parker. Do you know what time it is?”

He glanced at the clock. It was just a minute or two before the end of the school day. With his hands still in his pockets, Paul shrugged his shoulders and winked.

“Time for class?”

Everybody started howling. Scylla giggled quietly to herself. Even Bria chuckled, covering her mouth as she did so.

Ms. Park was completely red. She pointed at his desk near the front of class.

“Sit down. Now.”

Paul just stood there for a few more seconds. When Ms. Park started walking down the aisle of desks, he took a single step forward. Bria’s smile grew wider and wider with each step he took.

Paul crouched to take a seat, but before his bottom could even make contact with the plastic chair…

BRINGGGGGG! Everyone let out cheers, scrambling from their seats and rushing out the door. Even with a fruitful, private education people were excited to leave the hallways of this school they called Wilson High.

Only Ms. Park, Bria, Paul, and the boy at the window remained in the class. Paul threw his hands up in the air playfully, skipping over to the boy and placing a hand on his shoulder.

“Carlos! Ready to go? A big night is ahead of us.”

Carlos nodded, still staring out the window.

“Yeah. Just… give me a minute.”

Paul sighed, taking his hat off and holding it close to his chest. “If this is about Madison then–”

“Just go. I’ll be outside soon.”

Paul turned away quietly, whispering “Okay” under his breath before exiting the class. Ms. Park watched Carlos with a slight intrigue.

Bria stood up from her desk, but Ms. Park yelled, “Ah ah ah! Wait!”

Bria groaned. She mentally prepared herself for another lecture from her aunt by sitting down and shoving her sunglasses further up her nose.

A few minutes passed. She knew that she was waiting for Carlos to leave, but she was hoping that he’d stay a little longer so that Ms. Park could give up and just let her head out. She had places to be.

A minute of awkward silence and Carlos rose from his desk. His face was dry with tears. He shambled out of the room, closing the door behind him. Bria cursed in her head. Looking back at the board, Ms. Park was wiping it down.

“My dear plumeria. Shall we talk about your bad habits?”

“How is it a bad habit? It’s literally hurting nobody!” Bria cried. “So what if I wear sunglasses inside the building? You don’t enforce the dress code on anybody else! You just have something against me–”

“It’s for your own good,” Ms. Park said, stepping up to her and looking up at her face. Bria was much taller than her aunt. “You’ve become too comfortable with hiding your eyes, when there’s nothing wrong with them.”

She reached for Bria’s face. Bria quickly slapped her hand away.

“Don’t touch me!”

“Dear–”

“Stop it. Stop it,” Bria said, her voice shaking. It felt like her eyes were swimming now, swimming in a void of cluttered, spontaneous feeling. She took a few steps back. “You’re not my parents. You don’t get to decide what I do with my body. Nobody does.”

Bria stormed to the door.

“█████!” she shouted at her.

Bria paused in her footsteps. She looked back in horror.

“You…”

Ms. Park looked at her without any remorse. Bria’s fist clenched.

She wanted to hit her so badly.

‘But I have to wait,’ she thought. ‘There are greater duties on the horizon.’

“Okay,” Ms. Park breathed a heavy sigh. “Can we at least talk about… the future? I’m your godmother too! Your parents want to know if… well they’d like to know when you’ll marry. It’ll be important for your future. It is for everybody.”

Bria didn’t speak. She wholly wished that her aunt would stop speaking. ‘Please. Just stop,’ she thought hopelessly. ‘Just let me go.’

The word rang in her head like church bells chiming. ‘Marry.’

Ms. Park started to list off people. Bria felt like she couldn’t move. Her whole body went still as she kept on naming an array of boys in their class, and then her grade, until finally Ms. Park’s lips uttered something she should never have uttered.

“Okay… if not him, why not that friend of yours? The one in the other building, who you always spent time with? B–”

SLAM! Bria was gone in an instant. When Ms. Park swung the door open, looking left to right, she couldn’t spot a trace of her anywhere.

“My dear! Wait, I’m sorry if I upset you… have you two dated before and it didn’t work out?”

Bria heard her words as she slipped through the shadows of the hallways, her hands in her pockets. She adjusted her sunglasses again. Ms. Park was wrong. That was not the reason. Nothing she ever said would be the reason.

‘Of course she wouldn’t get it.’

A tear dribbled down her cheek.

‘People like you don’t get it.’

Perhaps Bria was wrong. Love was something too complex for most to wrap their heads around.

Average fools like Cedric only knew love for its sensuality– kisses under the moonlight, hand-holding in the halls, and horrible pick-up lines. Average fools like her aunt only knew love for its utility– taking care of the kids, bringing home rent money, and unwavering servitude to a partner.

But only fools like Bria knew love for what it could really be. That love is irrational. That love was honest. That love meant showing your true colors to someone you could trust. That love meant finding parts of yourself you could never find with an average fool. That love didn’t always mean confiding in a partner.

Ms. Park wouldn’t see Bria again. She would never uncover the truth.

Bria had a duty she’d have to fulfill one day. That was her vision of love.

And the only one that knew was her.

Her and her best friend.

~

The sky above brewed with thick dark clouds, blocking the sun and its glow on Wilson High. Squinting her eyes, Bria could almost notice ice growing along the edge of the pavement. It didn’t look like it would melt anytime soon.

The hallways still burst with students, roaming to and from classrooms wearing various club uniforms and sport attire. The students of this school had always been studious, but Bria could never fathom the idea of being so passionate about it simultaneously.

‘I suppose it’s all for university,’ Bria realized. The thought of it never occurred to her. With what was to come, there wouldn’t be a time or place to go for any sort of higher education.

Bria soon found herself at the front gates of Wilson High. Stepping outside, she took in the view one last time. A forest of large pine trees towered in front of her, still as shady as always. A cat with fur as black as night stood on a tree branch with a cat with fur as white as clouds sitting next to it.

The birds were singing. The flowers were blooming.

“It’s a beautiful day outside,” a voice suddenly recited in a deep voice. Bria turned calmly. Standing right next to him was a boy with a farmer’s hat and a silk kimono. He brandished a rubber katana, pointing it at Bria from a safe distance.

“On days like these, mysterious women like you…” he posed dramatically. “Should be celebrating your birthday!”

Bria rubbed her head in disapproval. A soft laugh came from a boy behind the cosplayer.

“Quit it, John. You’re going to scare her off,” the boy said. He wore a white apron and blue jeans. The black shirt underneath his apron was cluttered with splotches of paint.

“Err, right. Sorry about that, Ian.”

“Don’t go apologizing to me!”

John bowed respectfully, his hands planted by his hips. “Apologies, ma’am!”

He scratched the back of his head awkwardly. Ian shook his head. “You-know-who was looking for you. He said something about it being your birthday? So he was wondering if you wanted to attend your… birthday party? He said you already knew about it but wanted us to let you know that we’re hosting it at my house. Instead of his own. I’m not sure. You’ll have to ask him.”

“He said you already knew the details, madam lady,” John retorted. “And you also somehow knew what Ian’s address was. His words, not mine.”

“Okay, shut up,” Ian warned him. “We’ll see you there then?”

Ian grabbed John’s wrist and pulled him along the sidewalk. At the end of the street, two familiar boys were waiting— Carlos and Paul. When they reunited, they turned a corner, disappearing from Bria’s vision.

Bria exhaled, pushing her sunglasses up again. Unbeknownst to these boys, this very moment had been rehearsed to a tee. There was no other choice, after all. If this plan didn’t succeed, the duty would never be fulfilled.

She glanced at the trees one last time. The cats were still perched on the branch. The white one licked its paws. Then, the black cat quickly hopped off the branch to another. The branch shook, the white cat squealed, and it slipped off the branch, hitting its head on the moon-colored rocks below.

THWACK!

The black cat looked down and cried with visible horror.

And when Bria blinked, the two cats seemingly swapped positions. Now the white cat stood on the branch, staring down at the corpse with its tail swishing back and forth in anticipation. The clouds above parted briefly, and the sun’s light shone on the rocks, painting the surface an orange-red.

Bria took a deep breath as a fox crept out of nearby bushes to grab the cat’s neck. The two predators locked eyes with one another before the fox dragged it deeper into the forest. Bria’s breath hitched.

She would fulfill her eternal duty, no matter what it took.

~

Bria knocked on the door of the humble abode.

“Coming!” a gruff voice shouted from inside. She recognized it to be Carlos’. Bria stood patiently with her hands behind her back. Shuffling came from inside, and the door swung open. The lights were off, and nobody was inside. Bria squinted her eyes.

“Come in!” Carlos yelled again.

Bria stepped inside, the lights flicked on, and a stream of confetti shot into her face, knocking her sunglasses off. Her heart froze up as everybody clapped. Someone presented a cake to her.

“Happy birthday!” the four boys all shouted simultaneously. Bria shielded her eyes with her hand, looking at them with a nervous smile.

‘They haven’t noticed,’ Bria thought. ‘They… haven’t noticed?’

The boy with the baseball cap, Paul, knelt down and picked up her sunglasses, dropping them in her hand. “Sorry ‘bout that, pal. We were wonderin’ if you’d ever show.”

‘Or maybe… they don’t mind at all.’

“Yeah. He was stressed. Said something about a party later tonight too. You know about that?” Ian asked. Bria shook her head.

“I can’t reveal too many details.”

John saluted. “Well then. So be it, mysterious woman. We shall leave the cake on the table. Drinks and other refreshments are on the counter for your enjoyment.”

“But be careful, because Ian made them!” Carlos whispered with a slight chuckle. Ian shot a look at him. Bria was surprised to see Carlos so happy, but she didn’t question it.

A slight grumble came from her stomach. She didn’t mind a bite just now. She walked into the small kitchen and noticed a plate stacked with chicken sandwiches. She picked one up off the platter and took a bite out of it. Her eyes sparkled in surprise.

“How’d you know?” she asked, taking another large bite. Ian laughed.

“He told me fried chicken was your favorite. Fortunately, sandwiches are something of my specialty, not even Carlos can compete…”

“Now that’s just a lie,” Carlos mumbled, looking away and crossing his muscular arms. Paul gave them all a mischievous grin.

“Of course you are. You make a killer sandwich. Mayo I ask for more?”

“Shut up,” Ian said. “You’re horrible.”

“Aw. But my puns are anything but sub-par! Lettuce continue!”

“No! No continuing!”

“You’ll have to make me stop, dear Ian.”

“Give him a knuckle sandwich bro,” John said, dropping the act and nudging Ian on the shoulder. Ian groaned, rubbing his temple. Paul turned back to face Bria. She opened her mouth to ask a question.

“Where is he?”

Paul squirmed nervously. “He said he was at– ‘the place where it rained’.”

Bria’s heart dropped. ‘No… no. No, this is all happening too soon. I can’t–”

She twirled around, rushing out the front door.

She was too late.

~

When she arrived at the park, it was already starting to rain.

Her footsteps pounded against the mud ferociously. Each step she took left its mark on the earth to be inevitably washed away. Her hair was drenched, her clothes were soaked, but she didn’t care. She just needed to see her best friend, even if it would be for the last time.

BOOM! Thunder crackled in the distance. Bria’s sunglasses slipped into the earth in the commotion. She didn’t look back. She could find those later.

“Hey!” she cried into the rain. “HEY!”

But there was no response. She felt herself getting more desperate, she felt her heart beating faster. Her hair was getting in her eyes, too. She knotted it up in a bun the shape of a lotus flower.

“I’m here, Khem! Come out! Please! Our duty still remains!”

She finally saw him.

He was standing at the very edge of the lake, peering into the water in a sullen daze. His shoulders slumped, and the flowers around his boots wilted. Bria ran up to grab his arm.

“Khem! What are you doing? This… this shouldn’t be happening. Not until later–”

He pulled away from her. “Hey. Don’t touch me! I’m waiting for someone.”

Bria was taken aback. She squinted her eyes. “It’s me! Khem–”

“My name’s not Khem, er… oh. I do recognize you. You’re– you’re Bria, no?”

“No, not that name. That’s a fake. Remember? We did it to twist things in a different direction.”

“Look, lady. I don’t know who you’re talking about. I’m just waiting for my best friend. That’s all.”

“Ben,” Bria whispered. “I know your name. That means something. Right? I’m your best friend.”

He stared into Bria’s eyes. He blinked once. A few tears dribbled down his cheeks, but the rain made it wash away quickly.

“I’m sorry,” he managed to whisper. “I’ve forgotten your face, best friend. I think… I will forget all of you eventually.”

“Don’t forget,” Bria choked. “Just don’t forget. It’s not hard, it’s not!”

He knelt down to sit in the mud. He glanced up at the night sky, filled with its stars. Bria couldn’t help but look up with him.

“Do you think,” he continued. “we’re best friends in every universe?”

“...of course we are.”

“Do you think I will ever remember in any of them?”

“...of course you might.”

He tilted his head down. His voice seemed to get quieter.

“No matter what happens to me,” he mumbled. “Promise me… promise me you’ll–”

His lips moved, but no voice came from them. Bria buried her face in her hands. The golden heart locket around her neck he had given her so long ago glowed softly.

The dream around her shattered like glass.

~

She gasped softly, pocketing the locket as quickly as she could. She looked around. There was nobody else in sight.

She stood up, patting the dirt off her clothes and adjusting her aviators again.

“Don’t forget,” she murmured.

She walked off, toward where Celeste and her brother’s hut was.