Mega Dragon: Harbinger of Death

CHASING SHADOWS

“I take it that you would be participating in the contest then?” Ara said.

“Certainly. And I’ll win it over the head of your precious student,” Aroha replied.

Ara turned to Kiro. “Well aren’t you a lucky man. You’ve already got yourself a pair of rivals.”

Kiro couldn’t care less what Aroha said much less what she wanted. He was apathetic towards things like rivals and friends – everything that screams camaraderie. He was open to the idea of getting stronger. Ara had made it clear the difference between them. If he would ever truly taste freedom, he needed strength. His ideology of freedom was somewhat different from most. Ironically, it was similar to Aroha’s – the choice to be left alone. But that likeness created friction between them. Almost like the law of magnets – like poles repel. But neither realized it. The aggression they portrayed, although one was more specific, was the very reason they couldn’t get along. While Aroha was more expressive about hers, Kiro chose the more passive route.

“Hope you can keep up though, angry bird. I’m not an easy target,” Ara teased. It did not matter how serious she was. It was impossible to be stronger than him. It was etched in his mind. So much so that even if he were to be born in the glory days of the divine creatures, it would not change a thing. There was simply no one more powerful and that would never change. Ara was not the only one to share this thought. Zenon strongly believed this as well. it wasn’t just because they never experienced first-hand how powerful the divine creatures were. It was a sense of feeling that they reached after attaining the highest levels. They saw and felt things differently from everyone else. But the terrifying thing was that there were others like them, however few they were.

“I’ll save you for last. There are a lot of you on my list. Vela, my parents,” she said before her eyes stuck on Kiro for a while. Something irked within her, but she let it out anyway. “Kiro,” she finally said. “And there’s you, Zenon,” she said softly. A complete contrast from her usual tone. Even the ever-calm Zenon was flustered.

“And there’s you too,” Aroha said as she wrapped her arms around Zhiyi’s shoulder.

“Are you admitting that you just might be the worst in this circle?” Zenon teased. He was finally interested in the conversation.

“In some ways. But who cares about the past? I’ll surpass you all before you know it,” Aroha said confidently.

“But, we’re in the present,” Zenon iterated.

“In a few months we won’t,” she riposted with a smug look on her face.

There was silence in the room for what felt like forever. Aroha stared straight at Zenon’s face too long for comfort. She didn’t know why, but it felt right. Zenon didn’t break the stare either. His face was lit up with his usual smile. At that moment, she started to notice the features that she ordinarily ignored. He was handsome, almost enough to be called pretty. His pretty dark eyes, well-shaped nose. His lips look pursed as if he was leaning to kiss her. Or were his eyes creating an illusion. She screamed at the back of her head. She was becoming just like Zhiyi! This was certainly what the other girls suffered. Honestly, she couldn’t blame them. It was hard not to be attracted by all his features.

He donned his usual blue and black robe with his black undervest’s sleeve poking out. He wore that most of the time and this time was no different. His long black hair was packed into a ponytail. His dark eyes glistened as he smiled softly at her. Did he know what he was doing to her?

Zhiyi felt a mix of emotions. Aroha was receiving the attention she hoped to receive. Everyone at the capital seemed a lot more concerned about Aroha than they were about her. It didn’t matter much to her before, but seeing Aroha and Zenon stare at each other that way stirred a feeling within her that she didn’t know existed. She hated herself for feeling that way. But she couldn’t help it. Well, at least there was still Ara. The same Ara who never gave her a second look. The same Ara whose face was red with annoyance as he observed the two. It was the first time she noticed that look on his face as well. He always wore a smug look.

The only person that was exempt from the fury of emotions was Kiro. He couldn’t care less about things like that. But unfortunately for him, he was stuck in the most uncomfortable of situations. “Can I go back to my shed? I assume there’s nothing left for us to do, right?” Kiro said. His voice cut through the tension, freeing everyone else from its grasp.

“Well, yes. I’ll expect you here tomorrow morning. We’ll work out your accommodation details later,” Ara said finally able to focus his attention elsewhere. Of course, Aroha and Zenon had already stopped staring at each other.

“Wait, you want me to close the shed?” Kiro objected. That was one of the few times that his emotions accompanied his voice. He was truly aghast.

“Of course. I need your full commitment. It’s not like you had a passion for the job or something. You’re under my wing now so you need not worry about working,” Ara said. He expected some kind of response from Kiro. Any kind at all would do, even if it was just an expression. But his face was bland. He wasn’t sure how to react to that as well.

“So, pack whatever you want to keep and bring them with you tomorrow,” Ara added and Kiro nodded in response. There was a bit of idle talk after Kiro left. Zhiyi was the one who initiated it. The last thing she wanted was for Aroha and Zenon to resume their staring contest. Ara, who was also on the same page spared no effort in keeping the conversation going. But after a few minutes, they all agreed that the girls needed a rest as well. That, however, did not ease up the tension.