Chapter 60: Bonding

Vyran

I took a deep breath and tried to shape the cosmic radiance in my hand into a sword. An actual sword, not just a glowing corn dog looking thing.

This power would help me be able to defeat Titanos. Ot could also maybe help us get back to Retra. At the moment, we had no way to get back.

Either way, I was glad that it still worked outside of Retra. Since the creator of Retra had given me this ability, and it was connected to the existence of Retra, part of me feared it wouldn't work here.

Panting, I glanced over at Valkyrie. We had brought her and Aegisa in with the help of the rebels. They had a larger second entrance than the one Zane and Kaeii had shown us.

The people here lacked the tech we had back in our universe, but they still managed to do amazing stuff with as simple tools as the pulley.

How did they build this underground town anyway? It must've taken years of grueling work. Or maybe they used some kind of power to do so.

"Vyran? You're awake?" a voice said, causing me to jump. I turned around and saw Sarudei.

"Eh? It's you. Why are you awake?"

She sighed. "I couldn't sleep, so I went to do so training, then I saw this weird light. Came to check it out, but it turned out to be you."

I gulped. My light was very bright. "Sorry about that."

She stared at it and smiled. "It's very pretty."

I found myself staring at her face. Still couldn't get over how much she reminded me of Sarai.

She caught my gaze and tilted her head slightly, her eyes shimmering under the soft glow of the cosmic radiance in my hand. "What is it, Vyran?" she asked, her voice a gentle whisper in the quiet of the cavern.

I shook my head, forcing a small smile onto my face. "It's nothing," I replied, silently cursing myself for letting my guard down. I needed to stay focused, to keep my emotions in check.

But as I looked at Sarudei, her hair cascading over her shoulders like a waterfall of moonlight, I found it increasingly difficult to suppress the feelings welling up inside me. She was so much like Sarai. Not just physically, but the way she cared for others too.

"It's just..." I started, hesitating before deciding to be honest. "You still remind me of my childhood friend."

She sighed. "To be honest, I couldn't sleep as I kept thinking about Syran. I- I found myself remembering how he died. I can't sleep when my mind is full of bad memories."

I hummed. "My little sis always says to focus on the good memories. I can't say it's easy."

"Do you have any good memories about Sarai?"

I chuckled. "A ton! I- I might've lost her early in life, but we knew each other since we were kids. Our dads were cousins."

"So, you were second cousins?"

"Yeah."

A sudden memory came rushing back to me, and I found myself smiling at the recollection. 

"It was about eight years ago," I began, my gaze distant as I lost myself in the past. "We were at the park near our houses, and Sarai had this new kite she was really excited about. It was a beautiful day, perfect for kite flying."

Sarudei listened intently, her eyes soft and understanding.

"Sarai was really good at it. She got her kite to soar higher and higher until it was just a small speck in the sky. But then..." I chuckled, "a gust of wind came out of nowhere and swept the kite away. It got stuck in the tallest tree in the park."

Sarudei laughed softly, "Let me guess, you tried to climb the tree to get it?"

I nodded, "That's exactly what I did. I was always the more adventurous one between us. So, I started climbing the tree, despite Sarai yelling at me to be careful."

The memory was so vivid, I could almost hear Sarai's worried voice, see the concern in her bright eyes. My heart ached with a mix of nostalgia and regret.

"I was halfway up the tree when I slipped. I remember falling and then... everything went black."

Sarudei gasped, "Did you get hurt?"

I nodded, "Yeah, I broke my arm. But you know what the funny part is? When I woke up, Sarai was there, holding my hand. She was crying, blaming herself for the accident. But all I could think about was how I failed to get her kite."

Sarudei chuckled, shaking her head. "You really were a reckless kid, weren't you?"

I shrugged, "I guess I was. But I would do it all over again if I could. Those moments with Sarai... they were some of the best times of my life."

I looked at Sarudei and found her staring at me, her eyes filled with a mix of emotions. "Thank you for sharing that, Vyran," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I... I think I understand now why you said I remind you of Sarai."

I nodded, a small smile tugging at the corner of my mouth. "Yeah," I said, my voice soft. "You remind me of one of the best parts of my life."

She looked down. "Hearing you recall it reminds me of Syran too. He used to be as reckless as young. Although he was shy when we were little."

I snickered. "I was too. Sarai use to be the braver one originally."

Sarudei laughed lightly at my admission. "Really? You?"

I felt a blush creep up my neck but I nodded anyway. "Yeah, believe it or not, I used to be incredibly shy as a kid."

A memory surfaced, one of a sunny afternoon spent in the park with Sarai. "I remember this one time," I started, a nostalgic smile gracing my lips. "We must've been around five or six, Sarai and I. We were at this little playground near our houses."

Sarudei listened attentively, a soft smile on her face as she encouraged me to continue.

"There was this tall slide that all the kids were scared of. Sarai, however, was determined to slide down it. I, on the other hand, was terrified."

I chuckled at the memory, the image of a young Sarai, all bravado and determination, etched into my mind. "She climbed to the top of the slide without hesitation, but I couldn't bring myself to follow her. I just stood at the bottom, looking up at her with wide, scared eyes."

"The funny thing is," I continued, "she didn't slide down immediately. She sat there, at the top, and called out to me. Told me it wasn't as scary as it looked."

A small sigh escaped my lips. "I was so scared, but I didn't want to let her down. So, I climbed up, slowly, with her cheering me on. When I made it to the top, I was shaking. But Sarai, she just held my hand, told me it would be okay."

Sarudei's eyes were soft, filled with understanding. She reached over, giving my hand a comforting squeeze. "And you slid down together?"

I nodded, a genuine smile on my face. "Yeah, we did. It wasn't as scary as I thought it would be. In fact, it was fun. From that day on, I wasn't scared of the slide anymore."

The memory was a testament to our friendship, a symbol of the bond that Sarai and I shared. It was a reminder of simpler times, of a period in my life where my biggest worry was a tall slide in a playground.

"Those were good times," I said, my voice quiet. "I miss them."

Sarudei squeezed my hand again, her smile gentle. "But you have those memories, Vyran. And nobody can take them away from you."

I nodded, grateful for her understanding. "You're right, Sarudei. And I'm glad I got to share them with you."

She hummed. "Guess I should share one of my own too. Let's see. Oh! There was this one time when I found a baby boar and brought it with me to the village. Syran so scared even through it was no bigger than a basket."

I laughed at that, picturing a young Sarudei fearlessly lugging a baby boar into their village, while a jittery Syran stood by, terrified. 

"Syran was afraid of a baby boar?" I asked, a smile playing on my lips.

Sarudei nodded, her eyes shining with mirth as she recalled the memory. "Absolutely terrified. He was convinced it would grow up and rampage. Although, it's better than being afraid of a tall slide."

My cheeks turned rosy. "I- I guess..."

She giggled. "I'm just teasing you."

I smiled back. "Say, did you like Syran?"

"Eh?" she asked, taking a step back. "Y-you mean like a girl likes a guy? I... Uh..." She sighed. "Yeah..."

"Thought so." My eyes shifted back to Valkyrie. "I liked Sarai too."

"Aww, kiddie love!" Sarudei said.

"Y-yeah. You could say that. If she were still alive, I think I would've asked her to marry me by now..."

"Vyran."

I slapped myself. "Sorry, didn't mean to get all sentimental again."

She hugged me from behind. "It's okay."

My heart thumped in my chest. Sarudei wasn't Sarai. This beating heart of mine wasn't right. I couldn't replace Sarai with a stranger. Not to mention, it would be unfair to Sarudei too.

Yet, I found myself enjoying her hug. It felt as warm as Sarai's hugs. How long had it been since someone had hugged me like this?