[55.2] By Your Side

I scratched Zephyr's fur as he lay in a ball beside me.

Cyrus was sitting on the lounge couch beside me with his head propped up and looking out of the window. The Headmaster sat across from us with his arms crossed as he stared at the table. He was so lost in his thoughts he didn't realize how close Cyrus and I were on the couch.

My Mother entered the room and placed down tea cups and some scones. She anxiously looked at the men's faces, "Apparently this tea is a specialty here. It's very delicious."

No one other than me reached for one.

I took a deep breath, "It smells good."

No one responded.

My mother and I exchanged a look:

This isn't working.

I nudged Cyrus, "You should try it."

He glanced at the tea and made a face at it.

Hm? Does he not like tea?

I took a sip and realized what was wrong.

This is the tea that Caldwell liked to import and give to us.

My expression fell as I looked at him anxiously, "I-I'm sorry."

He let out a sigh and shook his head, "It's fine."

He stood up and excused himself to go outside. I looked at my Mother anxiously and her eyebrows pinched together apologetically, "I didn't know."

I picked up Zephyr and placed several kisses on his furry forehead before handing him off to my Mother. He accepted the transition without any complaints.

I went outside of the cottage and looked around for Cryus. However, he was completely gone. I searched around on the premises before deciding he had to have left the area. I strolled into the fields overlooking the distant lake. The grass was so tall and the sky was starting to turn dark, I could barely see anything to find where he was hiding.

I let out a sigh, "How am I going to find him?"

Ah! That's right. I have a cheat.

I sniffed the air and watched the red string appear on my chest and followed it to where it was going. Eventually, it led me to a part of the field where the grass was pushed down, revealing a golden-haired man who lay on his back with his eyes closed.

As I leaned over him, my long hair nearly tickling his nose, his eyes opened. I grinned proudly, "Found you."

His clear blue eyes looked up at me without shrinking away. He raised an eyebrow making his expression haughty, "Red string?"

"Red string." I went to his side and laid down beside him, creating my shape in the grass. Together we lay side by side. Unable to handle the silence, I chattered nervously, "It's really useful. If you are ever lost, I can sniff my way to you. Oh! And I bet hide and seek would be really fun too."

He let out a sigh, "You would just win."

I laughed, "Exactly! It would be fun."

"Is it also fun that you would die if I were to die?"

"...No, that's not so fun." I thought about it, "But it does seem a bit romantic."

He clicked his tongue, "How can you be so casual about it?"

I snickered, "Well if it makes you so upset, just don't die until your grey and wrinkly. Okay?"

His voice lowered, "...Did you forget about the curse? I'm destined to die far before I turn grey."

"You don't need to be old before you turn grey. Chronic stress can age you overnight." Seeing that my joke didn't have the intended effect, I coughed awkwardly, "A-Anyway. I'm sure there's a way to solve your curse. We will figure it out."

"Hah. Zephyr couldn't figure it out and he's a demon. What else could we do? Ask Moni to fix it?"

"Umm… It's worth a shot?"

"What makes you think he would help?"

"Everyone wants something… So maybe we could just figure out what he wants?"

"And what if he wants world domination?"

"Oh, he can't have that." I laughed, "That's our goal and you can't share world domination."

"Hm."

The deafening silence returned again and I listened to him, focusing on his steady breathing. Soon, the sun lowered until it was past the horizon, and the stars began to appear. They looked dazzling in the sky as one by one they brightened.

I smiled softly, "The stars look better when you're not in the city."

"...We are still in the city."

"Yeah, but not a city like where I am from. The people here don't use lights at night like in my world. The people here only use them when they are necessary."

"Isn't it normal to use it only when necessary?"

I let out a laugh, "You would think, but no."

"How strange."

My smile slowly faded as I stared at those stars in the sky, "When I was younger… My brother told me that a star would appear whenever someone died. The stars couldn't touch you, but they were always watching you. In the darkness of night, they could even guide you back home… Of course, that was all a lie. Stars are just giant suns, burning up. However, it always comforted me whenever I looked up at the night sky. I felt like… Maybe I wasn't really alone."

I let out a sigh and lowered my gaze, "Of course, when I moved to the city, I couldn't see them anymore. It makes sense because I never felt more alone than when I was in the city. Then with every passing year, my memories started to fade until I only had that boring night sky."

Cyrus silently listened to me, his eyes reflecting each of the stars in the sky above him. He spoke softly, "I barely remember my father anymore. For as early as I could remember, I only ever had Caldwell beside me. Although I was sad, I was never truly alone because I had him… But he- Caldwell… Is he really… A demon?"

"He is…" I glanced at him from the corner of my eye, "Do you dislike demons?"

Cyrus pursed his lips, "Demons gave me this curse. Because of my demon ancestry, I was a social outcast. No one wanted to associate with me until I grew stronger and they realized I could serve a purpose. But even then, I never felt like I hated demons or resented them… If anything, I hated nobility and royalty more than demons."

"Then… Do you hate Caldwell?"

"Caldwell… He was there for me when my Father died… When I was all alone… He was there. Even though demons have been trying to kill me this entire time, he has always treated me with kindness. He gave me a sense of family when I had none-" His throat tightened, "-But why did he lie to me? Did he really think I was such a terrible person that I couldn't look past his ancestry? Did he really not trust me enough to tell me?"

I couldn't find the words to answer him. I hummed, "Maybe that's something you should ask Caldwell."

He let out a heavy sigh, "I would if I saw him, but ever since that day… He hasn't come home. I thought maybe he was hiding with Chief Gonza, but when I found out Chief Gonza didn't know where he was either, I realized he actually left. He actually left me behind. Now I have no one. I'm all alone."

I scooted closer to him and leaned my head against his. "You're not alone, Cyrus."

I reached out to hold his hand.

Do you feel that?

The warmth in your palm?

It means I'm by your side.

I slowly closed my eyes and whispered, "I'm here."

…And I always will be.