1 The Last Trial

"This day has finally come," Ali, wearing a red see through clothing, can be seen near the shore of the clear lake, lying down with his eyes closed as he reminisced his memories with his special someone. This day is a long awaited day that the heavens have brought to them.

"We have come this far, Viron..." his voice shaked as he uttered 'Viron', his lover's name. The moment he opened his eyes, what welcomed him was the radiance that the bright sky had. "What a nice and loving day," he smiled from ear to ear.

"I can't wait to see him," the longingness in his voice couldn't be ignored. Ali sat and stood, "I just need to wait a few more hours… a few more hours what's there to be impatient about? Yes, it has been centuries since the last time we've seen each other; but waiting for a bit wouldn't hurt, hm?" he said while calming himself down.

"I couldn't wait for the sun to go back in its cave," he simply uttered when the sun had just arisen a few hours ago, he was THAT excited.

He looked back on the clear lake, it just mesmerized him how clear and clean it was, "The fishes are dancing!" He extended his arms towards the water to feel its temperature. He found out later on and it's neither hot nor too cold, it's warm enough — just a perfect temperature for him.

Slowly, he took all his clothes off and untied his waist-length straight black hair. He was completely naked but he didn't seem to mind that fact since he owns this place; and the way it was built was just how he and Viron had in their minds.

When he's about to make his first step into the lake, a white lily that sprouted out of nowhere has interrupted it. As he looked at the flower, he gave it a sign to go back by sending a bit of his power onto it, but the white lily refused and seemed to be a little bothered by something.

"It's fine, I'm just planning to take a quick bath," the moment he said that, the white lily was still a bit adamant to leave him alone, but he is its king, the King of all Flowers, Ali — so the flower had put its trust in him and took its leave.

The warmth of the lake water has circulated on his body. Ali welcomed them and he swam but as he swam, he prayed that all the worries that had been bugging him could also be engulfed by the coming waves formed the moment he moved his body.

Worries that he had especially for this day, 'Even though I have already been doing good deeds for as I live up until now, I will formally promise to do good deeds until my last breath, just let this day — let our last trial be successful. I will let heaven and earth strike me with a bolt of thunder and burn my soul and for my body to turn into ashes if I fail to do what I promised despite having our last trial successful,' he thought.

That was how desperate he was.

'I would certainly offer my life and soul if something unexpectedly happens to Viron and I won't regret it. For he is my life and death, no one can separate us — not even these trials that were given to us as it was only for our own kinds to coexist. I loved, will love, and still love you,'

He couldn't help but laugh because of the thoughts he has, 'It's not as if something unexpected would really happen to us, hm?

Suddenly, he felt a familiar presence coming into his place — but it wasn't Viron.

Like a feather, he let himself float onto the top of the lake. Just like earlier when he opened his eyes the one that welcomed his sight was the radiance of the bright sky.

He waited for that person to reveal himself at once before he got up but minutes passed and there wasn't a signal whether he's going to do it or not.

"If you're having a hard time doing it, I'll do you a favor," Ali started. Waiting was and still will be the thing he won't be used to.

He didn't let any more seconds be wasted and got up from the state he's in and called the pink lotuses. The pink lotuses obeyed his order as every one of its petals had come onto his body and formed into clothes, similar to the one that was left on the shore.

After he made himself clothes to wear, the other pink lotuses' petals rapidly went to the place where the person who trespassed was hiding. The petals had made an ear-piercing noise, similar to the sound that the metals are giving when they continually collide with each other. That was the moment the normal petals had vanished and became sharper than any possible blades.

The petals were pointed on the bush, "Reveal yourself and I'll withdraw my petals," the authoritative and intimidating voice he has would be enough to make any normal person pass out and shiver just by hearing it.

"Is this the famous "Pink Blade Lotuses"? Hm, sharp indeed. This is my first time actually seeing them personally," he smiled and didn't seem to mind those sharp things that were pointed to him, that if only he goes near them a bit more, it'll be possible for him to bleed himself out.

The petals might look fragile outside, a few of them knew that there was an unrevealed secret behind it.

"Mind to take your precious petals back?" he asked. This man might be placing a smile on his face, he couldn't admit it but he really was amazed by how the petals were being used in fighting. If he didn't stand up earlier and revealed himself, the nearest pink blade lotus must have already attacked him for hiding.

'But the only one who knows how it works is you,' he thought while he looked at Ali.

"What are you doing here? It's not like you to go here unnoticed," he asked while he called his petals who were already in their normal state. The pink lotuses flower had shown up, collecting the petals he had used, the flower didn't react to anything but to obey what he wanted.

"Am I unable to visit my friend every once in a while?" He joked to try and lighten the mood when the only thing he received was a stare from Ali.

They may be friends but sneaking in his house for a visit is something Ali imagined he would do. He sighed, 'Let it be,' he said to himself.

"What did you take me for? Aren't I your friend? Of course I am, at least, capable of getting into your houses," he added but Ali's face just turned sour.

"Ross, if you're bored and don't have anything to do in your house, go do something else. I can't accompany your boredness today," he said. All the years he wasn't with Viron, the person he was often with was his friend, Ross.

"So, if that's the reason you visited me, then I'm sorry but I have something else to do," the lake floor from where he is isn't that much far from where his friend is, so instead of wasting his power, he just walked until he reached the shore. "And can't you please not act like you don't know why I'm free? You know it yourself how much I've been waiting for this day to come," he added.

"That's exactly the reason why I am here, Ali," he added but it's obvious that there's still more he wanted to say but he didn't let himself do so.

"Hm? Why exactly?" Ali smiled as he waited for him to finish his sentence.

"I… I was asked to come here to get you," he bit his lower lips, "I was told to tell you that Viron, that snake… won't come today,"