Chapter 10: what now?

Part I; Lyra

We stood slowly, coughing and dusting ourselves off. We all looked back to the rubble reminding ourselves of every memory as it flashed through our minds. Most of them were bad but the few good moments shone through the bad. Smiles grew on our faces as we finally knew that we had escaped, we were free truly free. I looked to Bellivia and Elijah both of them hugging and crying, I knew that they had forgiven one another even though they didn't know each other's stories and didn't even care. It was so unreal to feel as though our shackles had finally burnt away and the ashes blew from the wind, all that we had been through just drifted away and all the weight lifted... we all needed this, we all deserved this better we created for ourselves.

As Elijah pulled away he looked to me and then back at the rubble, the dust beginning to settle down. "what comes now?" he asked sighing at the old home that once trapped us, he shook his head and picked up a piece of rubble throwing it into the debris. I smiled wide and looked into his eyes "the rest of our lives! We aren't held back and we don't have any more boundaries pinning us down. We are free!" the word stuck to my tongue and lit a spark in my eyes it crawled into every space in my head and screamed out in joy. Bellivia giggled and began to run through the village leaving a cloud of dust to follow. Elijah looked at me and shrugged following her with a cheeky smile embedded onto his face, his eyes bright. I followed running past each house the wind wisping through our hair and blowing about. Our bare feet setting off dust on the narrow pathways as we ran. Our hearts fluttered and smiled at the thought of the memories wed soon make.

"Au revoir petit papillon" It was the last thing my mother said, before flames engulfed her. She did not speak French but that one line was something she always said. I was her little papillon, always. That night my flames had eaten up more than it should of but it lead us to the paths we were on now. Im not a hero, im the sacrifice no one was ever willing to make. I am the person who knows that it happiness is only temporary, it leaves scars in you. It leaves you wondering why it could never stay. It leaves anger, leaves you feeling alone. I knew what I said wasn't true. We were stronger than what we all could ever even think. We belonged together and this was our story.

Of a papillon that could set the world a blaze in only a few seconds, a boy from the fog who lost his way and lost himself in his past, and the girl who only wanted to protect what she loved the most but lost it in the process. Apart we never could've achieved what we did and together we stand.

Part II; Bellivia

I let out my arms as I ran feeling the breeze tickle my arms and pull back my hair making it waver and jump. Running the narrow dust pathway we came to the lake, the fog reaching over the water and creating a thin blanket amongst the reeds. I looked back to Elijah and Lyra their smile wide and their eyes wild. I splashed both of them with the ice cold water which instantly made my hand go numb, my giggles flooding the air and drowning the silence that had previously surrounded us.

I was out of mother Sagorian's evil and strong grip and i still felt protected and safe, maybe even more so now with Elijah and Lyra. I began to run around the lake brushing my hand over the reeds, screaming out in laughter piercing the air. I ran to the edge of the forest and hesitated. This would be the last we would see of the village. We all looked back one last time to the place we once called a home. I ran on into the forest breathing in a breath of the air that had surrounded me. They followed me into the forest just beyond the lake. It was dark under the canopy of leaves, little rays shining though every gap in the leaves above us. Dark green lit our way as we ran touching each tree as we passed them. Our hearts full of hope and our thoughts running free. Knowing every emotion we felt we could feel with no single consequence to bear afterwards. We could be whoever we wanted to be, whoever we dreamed to be. All of us were screaming and laughing following our feet with no care to where we are going or how long it would take us to get there. As it should've been a long time ago.

Since the day we met I had never given Lyra a second thought, yet she pulled all her strings of courage and strength she had left to save me. She may have thought she was no hero but to me without her none of us would still be here. I just wanted to protect my brother but in the end he wasn't the one who needed to be protected from the world. I had lost my way to protect a lie I was told instead of listening to the reality and I had betrayed and lost my brothers love, I had locked him away and fogged away all of me just to appease to someone. To the wrong someone and after everything I still don't regret it, it helped forge the future of us with a bond. Lyra's flames killed my parents all those many years ago, but in the end there not a single thing that I would ever change.

What happened in the past had made us stronger and ready to take on who ever we want. Together we were finally happy. Together we were the home that made us happier and stronger and no one will ever take it from us again. We will all make sure of it.

Part III; Elijah

We kept running the damp air filling our lungs and the rays of sunlight flashing as we went by. We had the whole world to run and nothing stood in our way. We were the owners of our own futures. Each step we took drew us closer to another world. Both the girls smiling and laughing with me as we drew near to a clearing. As we came out to a clearing we stopped on a rocky cliff. Water below us the waves rushing up onto a sandy shore untouched by the world. There was so much to see and feel but I couldn't help but look at Lyra.

I reminded myself of how it felt to be in her company. How pretty she looked and how she was just like me, yet in her own way different. Her eyes reminded me of the distant memory, the one that has almost faded. The way she looked out to the ocean ahead of us and smiled reminded me of so many more memories. I ran up and hugged her. My arms wrapping around her small body I knew that was could keep her safe. And I would never let her go. I was finally out of there because of her. I hugged her tight. Little did she know how much the hug meant to me. It meant the world feeling my arms wrap her cold body, feeling free and finally as though I was never really alone. I knew that I would never be alone again and that all I needed was her and Bellivia both.

I had learned to accept my feelings and emotions creating with it and this made mother Sagorian's blood boil. She would look down on me and whisper lies to my sister. My sister didn't know any better and didn't realise the betrayal i thought she created. Hugging my sister after so long and seeing that she was finally back. She was finally not lost in the lurking shadow that tried to consume our lives. I was truly happy and I knew that there was only one thing that I had left to do.

I suddenly pulled Lyra back looking her in her eyes and gripping her shoulders tight I smiled to her looking at the wild spark in her eyes that shone a deep blue in the sunlight. I pulled her in and kissed her, her lips were so soft and delicate. I was shocked by what I had done in the moment and pulled away shyly looking down to the ground beneath us. She lifted her hand and began pulling my chin up a grin on her face as she kissed me again. I could feel my cheeks begin to grow a dark red and as she pulled away slowly she looked to them and giggled then started hugging me gripping me tightly. Her head resting over my chest as she listened to my heartbeat. I gripped her tighter promising myself that I would never let go. I looked to my sister as she giggled and smiled giving me a nod the looking out to the ocean ahead.

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We stood together on the cliff edge after running through the forest and village, far away from our memories. We had been burnt down and turned to ashes, taught that we could never be more than that. Now we stand stronger than ever risen... from the ashes... ready to take on the world together. Who knows what's next.

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