ARTIMI

Cyrus

My heart felt like being roasted over an open flame as I sat there, watching Azrial and Inan together, their smiles like sunbeams dancing on a warm summer day. Why did Azrial choose to be his personal knight and not mine? It was a question that gnawed at my soul like a relentless wildfire.

Inan's voice broke my trance as he pointed to the lamb on my plate, which I had unknowingly mutilated beyond recognition with my knife and fork.

"EAT."

The poor lamb had done nothing wrong, but it seemed like my frustration was taking its toll on my meal. Azrial, ever the good-humored one, chuckled by Inan's side, and I could feel the flames of jealousy lick at my heart even more.

I couldn't bring myself to respond to Inan's question. Instead, I lowered my head, desperately searching for an escape from this torturous feast. My mind was spinning like a tempest, trying to make sense of the emotions that held me captive.

It wasn't like my brother and Azrial were in love. At least, that's what I kept telling myself, trying to extinguish the green-eyed monster that haunted my thoughts. But my heart saw them together with a different lens, and no matter how hard I tried to fight it, the jealousy raged on.

Why did Azrial only smile in front of my brother? Why couldn't he see me the same way? I longed for his smiles to be directed at me, to feel the warmth of his gaze on my face, but it seemed like my heart was destined to suffer in the shadows.

I stabbed my knife into the lamb once more, my frustration manifesting in my meal. It was a reflection of the turmoil inside me, a tempest that refused to be quelled. But for the love of all things sacred, I couldn't bear this agony any longer.

"You're having fire practice with Azrial today, you remember, right?" My brother, Inan, asked with that look. You know, the one that screams, "No escape, little brother." So there I sat while they finished their lunch, knowing I couldn't wiggle out of it.

But my appetite? Oh, it had vanished like a magician's trick. I couldn't eat another bite; my hunger was as good as toast.

Don't get me wrong; I actually enjoy training with Azrial. He's amazing, skilled, and sharp as a phoenix's talon. But whenever Inan joins us, it feels like I'm playing third wheel to their bromance. I mean, I'm glad they get along so well, but it stings like a dragon's fiery breath that I can't have Azrial's undivided attention.

I was about to muster up the courage to say, "Sorry, I have plans." Inan shot me that look. You know, the one that says, "You better not even think about it." So I closed my mouth, playing along like a good little prince.

And just when I thought my appetite couldn't go any worse, Inan had to go and mention Ginna—that sweet girl who works in the kitchen.

"Maybe" you should give her a chance. You two look good together."

Oh, well, would you look at that? My heart is breaking, and it's just the cherry on top of the pity sundae! First, he stole my Azrial away from me, and now he pushing him towards dating someone else? What's next—dramatic music playing in the background as I wallow in heartbreak?

I made sure not to look at them; there was no need to let them witness the tragedy that is my heartbreak. Oh, Azrial, my knight in shining armor, I bet you didn't even know the power you hold over me with that husky voice of yours. Thank f*****g god, I've got ears to hear it, or else my life would be even more of a soap opera.

"No, I don't want to." Oh, sweet relief! He's not jumping on the date-Ginna bandwagon. My grin was wider than a dragon's wingspan, but I wasn't about to show it. Nope, you have to keep up the façade.

My brother, the meddling cupid of my life, couldn't resist poking the fire. "Are you still in love with that person?" he asked, practically rubbing salt on my open wounds.

And there it was—the final nail in the coffin of my love life. Azrial's sad voice, like a haunting melody, admitted, "I am." Did you hear that again? That's the sound of my heart breaking beyond repair, shattered into a million fiery pieces.

"Really?" my brother, the heartbreaker, probed further. "I thought they rejected you." Oh, great! Let's just twist the knife while we're at it.

"They did not," Azrial sighed, his words dripping with melancholy. "They don't know that I like them."

Well, isn't that just peachy? The perfect conclusion to my love story is unrequited love, heartbreak, and a bucketful of sarcasm. Bravo! Round of applause for the tragic hero, Prince Cyrus, in the drama of a lifetime!

Wait? Does he already have someone he loves?

Suddenly, I couldn't bear to sit there and talk about love like some tragic love guru. No, I'd rather have my heart chopped up like the poor lamb on my plate. Sorry, little lamb.

"Let's go for practice," I blurted out, standing up abruptly. I needed an escape from this awkward love triangle that I never even knew existed. Honestly, it's like walking through a minefield of emotions, and I'm just the little prince trying not to step on a feeling explosion.

They both looked at me like I was some sort of ghost, and I couldn't blame them. I mean, I must look like a walking enigma right now. But they didn't say a word; they just got up and walked with me to the practice grounds.

Great! Just what I needed—Azrial jogging beside me, casually wrapping his hands around my shoulders like it's no big deal. But little does he know, my heart is doing a flamenco dance inside my chest, threatening to burst out of my ribs like a phoenix taking flight.

"What happened?" he asked, his lips dangerously close to my ears. Oh, be still, my erratic heart! Can't you see I'm trying to keep it together here? "You know you can tell me anything. I won't tell your brother."

Well, isn't that just peachy? My heart's about to stage a full-on mutiny, and Azrial's acting all concerned and caring. What do you want from me, life? You've already thrown enough drama my way!

I managed to shrug his hands off my shoulders, mustering all the nonchalance I could. "Nothing for you to concern yourself with," I said, like the master actor that I am. Pretending he doesn't matter to me—yeah, right. More like my heart's on fire and I'm trying not to get burned!

Move over; the award for best actor in Artimi goes to none other than Cyrus, the master of deception. Hey, that's me—the prince who can pretend everything's fine while my heart does the cha-cha inside my chest.

But seriously, life, can't you cut me a break? I've got unrequited love and jealousy, and now Azrial's acting all sweet and concerned. Can I just get a moment to catch my breath without feeling like my heart's about to burst into a million fiery sparks?

Alright, Cyrus, it's time to put on your best game face and pretend like your heart isn't doing a fire dance inside you. Let's go, let's conquer this practice, and let's pretend like nothing's wrong. Because after all, that's what we do best—put on a show and hope nobody sees the cracks in our fiery façade. He stopped walking beside me. breath, Cyrus breathes. Phew.

We stepped onto the grounds. Inan just walked to the wooden bench placed beside the weapon stand and sat like a f*****g sloth, with a grin on his face.

"Cyrus." My heart, Azrial, called me.

"Yes." I replayed it with my poker face.

"Tell me, how do we control the elements?" Azrial asks with his usual stoic expression, like he's reciting lines from a script.

"We draw our power from our raw emotions," I said. The answer is in the back of the head.

"Good," he replied. "And how good are you at controlling emotions?"

Oh, come on, really? It's like asking a phoenix how good it is at starting fires. Controlling emotions is the basic 101 stuff we were taught since we were knee-high to a dragon's egg. But, of course, I didn't say that out loud. I am not crazy. Trust me, I am not.

A knight came running towards my brother, who was lounging on a bench beside the weapon stand, looking at me with a stupid grin on his face. "Your highness, the king is asking for you," he said, and my brother had to leave the grounds, leaving me alone with Azrial.

Now I get to have some one-on-one time with the person who turns my insides into a bonfire. "Concentrate, Cyrus," Azrial said.

"I was trained to neutralize my emotions while casting the spell," I replied, looking into his eyes. Oh, those eyes, bless my soul; they're like twin flames of mesmerizing beauty, lighting up the whole realm.

"Close your eyes," Azrial instructed. "When I ask you to cast a simple fireball, can you do that?" he added, his face wearing a smug expression.

Alright, this is getting weird. Usually, he trains me in more physical matters, like weapons and combat.

"Okay." Well, what do you expect me to say? No to Azrial. No.

I closed my eyes; my other senses seemed to be on high alert, heightened by Azrial's presence. I could hear his every footstep and his movements like whispers in the wind. He walked past me, and then, oh-so-slowly, he was standing behind me. What on earth is he up to?

My heart raced like a stampeding herd of dragons, and I couldn't help but remain composed on the outside, even if I felt like a dragon with its wings on fire on the inside.

But then he came even closer, his chest pressing against my back, and a million sparks flew. My hair stood on end as I felt his warm breath on my neck. His scent, a hint of lavender and something undeniably Azrial, surrounded me like a sweet enchantment.

And then, just when I thought it couldn't get any more intense, he did the unthinkable—he slowly held my waist. Panic surged through me, and I tried to move away, but he hushed me, his lips grazing my ear. "Shh, close your eyes. Concentrate," he whispered.

Fuck, f**k, f**k! Oh, great, now my body has decided to betray me too. Thank the gods, my shirt is loose enough to conceal it. Keep it together, Cyrus! Concentrate on something else, anything else. But my heart and brain were clearly on the same page for the first time, Azrial. yay me.

Oh, great! Now I'm supposed to control my emotions while he's basically sending my heart on a rollercoaster ride. This is torture, pure and simple. But despite the chaos inside me, I am trying to focus on anything other than the fact that Azrial was standing so close, his touch igniting sparks of both magic and desire.

Concentrate, Cyrus, concentrate! I can't let him see how much he affects me. I'll just have to pretend I'm as cool as an iceberg in the midst of a volcanic eruption. Wish me luck.

He whispers, and I swear my whole being catches fire. "Now," he breathes, drawing me even closer, "make a fireball."

Alright, just breathe, I take a deep breath, trying to calm the raging storm within me. Breath in. Breath out. Focus, Cyrus, focus. I raise my hands in the air, my eyes still tightly shut. The fireball spell—that's what I need to concentrate on. But it's easier said than done with Azrial standing so close.

And then it happens. As I'm casting the spell, his hand moves to my front, and my breath gets caught in my throat. Oh, gods, my heart is pounding so loud, and I'm sure he can hear it too. kidding me, the whole kingdom can hear it beating out of my ribs.

The fire erupts from my hands like a volcano, and I feel its heat coursing through my veins. It's intense; it's like my emotions are feeding the flames. But just as quickly as it started, he removed his hand and stepped away. Go on, say it, disaster.

Controlling emotions 101, my ass.

"You can open your eyes," he says, but I can't bring myself to do it just yet. I need a moment to gather my composure. My heart is still racing, and my mind is a whirlwind of conflicting emotions.

I finally open my eyes, and he's standing in front of me. What just happened?

Before I could even utter a word, my brother, father, and the elders were rushing towards the soul forest; they were running as if their pants had caught fire. The tension among them is palpable, and I can sense that something is seriously amiss. What on earth is happening now?

I shoot Azrial a look, filled with a million questions I want to ask him, but there's no time for that. We have more pressing matters to attend to.

I ran behind them with Azrial hot on my tail. I mean, what was he thinking? Trying to distract me with his warm fingers? Yeah, that's a normal way to distract someone. Especially when someone has feelings for you and you are completely obvious to them.

For a moment, I even dared to entertain the thought that he might have feelings for me. Ha! That's probably just wishful thinking.

But, lo and behold, as I came near my brother and father, they stood in front of the almighty soul tree. Everyone's got stiff backs and horror-filled eyes. I turn my eyes towards the tree, and lo and behold again, the fire surrounding the tree is diminishing.

Inan's voice is as stiff as a stick as he explains that we got a message from the Terravale king about their dying tree, and now we have to check if our tree is on the same path to tree doom.

Just when I thought my day couldn't get any better, we have a dying soul tree. Because, you know, it's not like we had any other important matters to attend to. Let's just add a good old tree crisis to the mix, shall we?

I need a break.