Last Born Of The Desdemona

”I simply wanted to officially meet the Last Born.”

”Is this official, to you?”

”Unfortunately, being near my true body would turn you to ash faster than a thought could form,” the voice sounded like it was smiling. ”You’re still far too weak, Cassius, sweetling.”

Cassius looked at the bird, his left eye beginning to burn. ”Is that so?”

The white bird grinned even wider. ”Oh, sweetling, it really is so.” Then it spread one wing and pointed towards the sun overhead. ”The day you’re able to reach the sun without burning, that’s the day you can stand in my presence. And that’s also the day I’ll see if you’re worth all this effort. Until then...”

The bird’s eyes glowed with burning white fire.

”...Emrys Stormblessed is the better bet for this story. Not you.”

Then the bird vanished in a puff of white smoke, swept away by the wind.

Cassius sat there, still staring at where the bird had been. Then he lifted his head, looking up at the orange sun, faintly tinged with white. He didn’t know why the thought struck him, but it felt like the white part of the sun had grown... bigger?

His mouth curved into a smile.

”How strong must I be to reach the sun without burning, dear goddesses?”

[For your level of existence? Maybe at Fourth Rank you could barely survive. But at Fifth Rank, Ascended, you could definitely reach it,] Ananke replied honestly.

[Just as Ananke said. But you could achieve it faster if you truly leaned into your dragon and spirit heritage,] Marvela said. [That’s quite the power you’ve been given; such a number and quality of red dragons in your left eye, coupled with your Fire Spirit eyes. If anyone can reach the sun besides the White Phoenix, it’s you.]

”I see,” he replied, still looking at the sun, and this time he could feel a gaze coming from it. ”If I’m worth all this effort, huh?” Cassius scoffed lightly. ”As if I asked for any of this. But it doesn’t matter anyway. We’ll see, once I reach the sun.”

At that moment, a voice called out his name, and Cassius turned to see both Keisha and Natalia walking towards him.

His guests had arrived.

He looked at the sun one last time before turning his focus to his two friends.

”You guys took your time,” he said, standing up to meet them.

”Never thought you’d call us to hang out! I’m so happy!”

”Yeah,” Natalia added dryly, secretly overjoyed, ”I thought I was dreaming when I saw your message.”

”What kind of friend do you think I am?” Cassius grumbled.

”The one who’s never around?” Both Kei and Naty replied in unison, Kei smiling guiltily, as if she’d said it on instinct.

Cassius looked at them blankly, then started walking ahead. The two immediately followed, each taking a side.

”Where are we going? Where are we going?” Kei asked excitedly.

”What do the two of you want to do?”

”How free are you today?” Naty asked.

”As free as I can possibly be.”

”Another bicycle ride?”

”No!!” Kei shouted, shaking her head at Natalia’s suggestion. ”Not that! I can’t ride a bike, you know that! Let’s go... hm... play games? I know where we can! I watch Clover Wealth’s videos all the time, and I’m so good at it! He’s the best gamer! And handsome!”

Both Cassius and Natalia snapped their heads towards her. ”Handsome??”

Kei’s face flushed red with embarrassment as she shook her head again. ”No! Not like that! And Cassius is more handsome!”

”Hm, should I ask Meadow for the number of—!”

”No! No!” Kei was about to cry. ”I don’t love him!”

”Have a crush on him, then?” Naty said, suddenly interested in her friend’s love life.

”No! I don’t have a crush on him! I have a crush on Aaron!”

This time, Cassius and Naty nearly stumbled to the ground. They stopped and stared at Keisha, feeling like the world had gone darker.

”No... no.... my angel!” Cassius dramatically hugged Keisha. ”Don’t get tainted! Don’t follow the path of Klaus and Naty! I beg you!!”

”This fucker!” Naty cursed, shooting Cassius a dark glare. But she immediately followed his lead and hugged Keisha too, looking at her with fear. ”No, Kei! Don’t get tainted! You’re too pure!”

”Yes! Leave the filth to us! You deserve Eden!”

”With no snake inside, like Cass!”

”Hey, Naty, that’s too far!”

In the end, Keisha stood there, hugged desperately by her two childhood friends, while the other students watched the scene in confusion.

And that’s how the day went, with Cassius and Natalia trying to shield their angel from the trap of love by listing every bad thing they’d ever heard about Aaron.

It was, to say the least, a difficult endeavor.

After all, Keisha’s crush wasn’t Aaron.