Life-Long Rivals

Zann sighed as he remembered a memory from the past. He was walking back to his house in Hesreth Town as he recalled what had happened years ago.

Since then, he hadn't told Aranea that he is her familiar. He was too embarrassed to admit, let alone too focused on improving himself in terms of his power and skills at the same time.

Zann remembered how he told her in her sleep to improve herself. Zann remembered how he also promised her that he would do his best to improve himself to protect her when she needed it.

As the years went by, he was training his powers in secret. Since Aranea summoned him, he hadn't gone back home to his realm for him to get familiar with their world as well.

Since then, he had been watching Aranea from afar. He did his best to keep his identity from her because somehow, he wanted to have his freedom to himself.

Zann was torn.

When Zann remembered how he was treated back in their world, he stopped in his tracks, his hands balling into tight fists as his lips turned into a tight line.

He remembered how he was constantly compared to the other familiars. He remembered how he was shunned because of how destructive his magic was.

Fire, they always say, causes havoc and destruction.

With him being born into the world with their legendary fighter dying giving birth to him, it had created a stigma that Zann is bad luck.

Because of that, people had often told him that he would never be summoned. People in their world bullied him for being the epitome of destruction without them even knowing that Zann was trying his best to control his powers so he could be accepted.

Zann's facial expression softened when he remembered the sadness in Aranea's eyes. He remembered the words she said--how despaired she was for being different.

Since then, Zann had been watching Aranea from afar. He improved himself and promised himself that he would protect her when she needed him.

However, when he had not seen her for a few years, he somehow forgot how she looked like--her appearance.

Until he saw her again during their first day of classes. The moment he saw those familiar green eyes, that familiar red hair... when he confirmed her name, he remembered and recognized that it was her.

Aranea Griffin, his Summoner.

It was then that he recalled how he could relate to her even though she had not told him most of her woes.

With meeting her again, he would have to seal the pact with her again...

But how?

"Nnngh..."

Zann snapped himself out of his thoughts. He sighed exasperatedly as he entered his home, immediately going to his room as he plopped himself down on the bed, his face landing on his pillow.

He then turned on his side, staring blankly at his ceiling as he put his forearm over his forehead, thinking to himself.

'How could I introduce myself to Aranea?' he wondered, his lips turning into a tight line. 'I was kinda mean to her and then suddenly, I would introduce myself as her familiar?'

His face suddenly turned serious. He then got the pillow beside him as he embraced it tightly, one of his coping ways to calm himself down.

He knew that he was socially awkward. He always hated that part of him. Still, he knew he had to renew his vows as a familiar with Aranea.

As years went by, he realized that the bond between them had slowly been dissipating since he had not gone home back to their realm.

The only way to save him from this suffering is to renew his vows with Aranea with a kiss, officially being her familiar once more.

If he won't renew his vows, if he didn't come home to reject being Aranea's familiar...

Then he would cease to live... or wait for a lot of years to be summoned by a Summoner which is unlikely to happen.

"Aaah..."

Zann did not want to think anymore. He got his paper with his trial written on it, his lips turning into a tight line when he read the content of the paper.

"Protect your Summoner."

Zann rolled his eyes, as if the paper had something stupid written on it.

"This is common sense," he mumbled to himself, putting the paper aside as he heaved another sigh. "I know I have to protect my Summoner. I know I have to renew my vows."

He then suddenly remembered the event a while ago when he met Aranea, her twin sister, then Leonel.

Zann's face then suddenly turned serious when he remembered how they glared at each other, making him remember how they treated each other in the past.

Leonel, the Water Familiar. And him, Zann, the Fire Familiar. Since then, they had been rivals as they grew up and with them having the same Summoner, it made Zann wonder how fate could play with them this way?

Zann then furrowed his brows when a sudden thought had passed in his mind.

'If I were to renew my vows with Aranea, would that mean that I would have to protect her with Leonel?'

Zann then sat up, his hands tightening into fists. He gritted his teeth as he remembered how the two were competitive back then and meeting him now, he realized that even staying away from their realm for a long time would not make him avoid his rival, Leonel.

"Damn..."

Zann stood up from his bed, making his way to the window. The moment he did, he saw the three of them walking alongside each other, going back home, making him realize that he is neighbors with them.

With that in mind, he gritted his teeth as he walked away from the window, already irked by seeing Leonel's presence.

With both of them being Aranea's familiar, with the fact that they were also life-long rivals, he wondered if they would be able to live with it.