It was the late hour. The whole city was soaked in the darkness of the night. The moon hung high in the sky, a lone silver eye piercing through the emptiness,
Kylin was alone in his dimly lit room, staggering through his bookshelf to find the book he had kept for later reading. While surfing, his fingers paused on a familiar cover, the book labelled 'The Lost Heart'.
He remembered the story, which was an ancient legend about two colossal dragons. One was the embodiment of darkness and destruction, while the other was the avatar of life. Both dragons maintained the fragile balance of the universe.
"True balance is not in choosing between light and dark, but in knowing when to embrace both."
This was Kylin's favourite line from the book. Although he always felt a lingering emptiness inside his heart, he remembers how that emptiness fades away whenever he is Amire. The presence of his friend lifted the hollow spaces within him.
Kylin looked at the pages for a moment before closing them with a quiet thud. The moonlight cast a shadow on the wall, the edges almost resembling scales, as if something lay trapped beneath the slumber of the abyss, waiting to be freed.
"Hmm… I think I should return this book to the library before the due date."
Kylin decided to put the book back, but before he could, he heard someone call his name.
"HEY!! KYLIN!"
To his surprise, when he glanced out of the window, there was nobody in sight, leaving him dazed.
Then rang the doorbell, Ding Dong…
"Who could even come here at this hour? I swear if it's Am-"
"Hey! Kylin. Well… I was just strolling by, so I came to say hi."
This was Amire... He just barged into his room even before Kylin could open the door for him… just like he did all the times before, as if it were a routine ritual
"Dude... Are you for real, again?" Kylin's voice dripped with disbelief.
"What!! Anyways… So, what are you up to?"
"Nothing much. Just reading." Kylin responded.
Amire takes a look at Kylin's hand and the book he was holding.
"OH man… Were you reading kids' fairy tales?" Amire rebuked Kylin.
"It's not a kid's fairy tale. It's an ancient legend." Kylin defended himself, though he somewhat agreed with Amire.
"Hmph, whatever. I don't even like reading at all. I don't know how you manage that. First our academic books, then autobiographies, and now these folktales, I could never!" Amire said nonchalantly, clearly uninterested in the whole conversation.
"You should try reading, you know. Might help you grow a brain. Have you even looked at your marks?"
"I don't need to read," Amire said proudly. "I'm gonna be a world-famous football player anyway. Don't worry, you'll get my first autograph. Hehe."
"Of course…" Kylin said, deciding not to fuel his friend's growing ego any further.
"Kylin, guess what? How about we take a stroll through the greenery and enjoy the fresh air?"
"Really, Amire… at this hour?"
"What? It's the perfect time to head out and hang out."
Kylin, knowing he couldn't win against Amire's stubbornness, sighed and decided to go along with him. They stepped outside into the soft glow of the night.
"Well, isn't it beautiful? The night," Amire said, his gaze fixed on the twinkling stars and the silver moon.
"It's too dark," Kylin replied, his voice flat. Darkness had always been a curse for him — a reminder of things he'd rather forget.
"Oh, don't be such a pessimist. It's all about perspective."
Kylin didn't answer. Amire had always been the one with the positive outlook. Kylin never understood what he gained from it — why he kept trying to see good in others — but he'd long stopped questioning it. That was just Amire.
While Amire was busy gazing at the sky, Kylin was suffering from something else. It was that old familiar ache, the unbearable pain that made him fall to his knees.
He tried to call Amire's name, but his throat tightened. The words tangled and broke apart before they could form. Somehow, he forced them out, raw and strained.
"Amire… It's- It's acting up again."
Amire's head snapped back, the light in his eyes dimmed the moment he saw Kylin, on his knees, breathing unevenly, his hand gripped tightly on his chest.
"Kylin!" Amire dashed to Kylin's side in seconds, hands on his shoulder.
"Kylin, I'm here, you hear me?" It was not the first time that Amire had seen Kylin like this. He knew the only way to rid Kylin of the pain was to calm him down.
Kylin, who was trying his best to keep the void inside, felt himself sinking more and more into the emptiness. His chest felt tight, with tendrils of the void curling beneath his skin.
"Amire… leave. I don't want to hurt you." Kylin knew if the void was let out, it would engulf everything, including Amire.
Amire wasn't gonna leave his friend's side at any cost.
"I'm not leaving you," Amire said firmly. His hand pressed against Kylin's back, supporting him. "Just try to breathe, okay? You're fine."
Kylin's breath was shaky, and a dark, heavy aura started to surround him, while Amire's voice was the only direction he knew.
Amire didn't show a hint of desperation; it's as if he knew exactly what to do at that moment.
"Kylin… remember when we had a play during our middle school and we were forced to be sunflowers?"
Amire picked up a memory from their past, in hopes of calming Kylin. Kylin's breath hitched as Amire went on.
"You refused to dance to the music, but the teacher kept yelling 'IMPROVISE!'." Amire chuckled. "So, you tore off a giant petal and threw it at her face."
Kylin remembered. How could he forget? He had to stand on the school grounds the entire day dressed as a sunflower as punishment. But he hadn't stood there alone — Amire had voluntarily joined him, standing by his side in that ridiculous costume. He's always been there.
"You're fine… I'm here, see?" Amire's voice softened as his hand pressed against his back, grounding him.
And so, he did, he followed Amire's direction, as his breath steadied. Slowly, painfully slowly, the darkness began to ease. The pain in his heart lightened. The shadows began to fade.
Amire's hand rested on Kylin's back as his pain was easing up. He didn't say anything.
Finally, Kylin opened his eyes, his breathing still rough, his gaze met Amire's.
"Are you alright?" Amire said, with a hint of guilt in his eyes, as if he thought this was somehow his fault.
"I'm fine…" Kylin said, not wanting to worry Amire.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that."
"It's not your fault." Kylin's voice was low, almost resigned. "It's just the way I am. You can't fix it." His gaze darkened.
"I am just a burden to everyone around me, especially you. But why are you like this? Why did you come so close to me? I could've hurt you…" Kylin's voice deepened as he said the last line. He could bear every kind of pain, but he couldn't bear hurting Amire.
"Kylin…" Amire's voice sharpened. "Have you forgotten? I said that I've got your back, no matter what happens. I can't leave you when you're suffering like this." Amire responded, quite offended by Kylin's remarks. "Don't you dare to ever tell me to leave you alone again."
Kylin sighed. He had lost again — there was no winning against Amire's stubbornness. The amount of pain that he was in just a few minutes ago vanished like a blurry dream.
"Thanks…" Kylin was just glad that Amire was there. "I don't know how I could ever repay you."
"You don't have to." Amire thought for a second, then said, "Although, there is one way. Next time you lose control, just aim at the maths teacher. You'll do not only me, but the world a favor."
Kylin couldn't help but huff out a laugh. How does he even think of things like this in such tense moments? Well, Kylin had long since stopped questioning Amire. It's just Amire – he thought to himself.
As they both were talking and laughing, unbeknownst to them, they were not alone.
Not far away in the shadows stood a girl. Her long, lustrous purple hair danced softly in the night breeze
"Hah! He does have that ability." Her voice was barely more than a whisper.
A wicked grin spread across her lips. Her hair flowed like dark silk in the silence of the wind.
"Finally… After all this time, I've found you, Alpha."