บท 84: 84 - A Change of Heart (3.15k words)
YaYa's POV
I sit on the edge, letting the wind blow away the weight from my shoulders.
Just like how females could sacrifice their life source to produce an egg, the males could share their life source to nurture both the egg and the mother. They could both raise their child, then die together as mortals with the little spare life source they would have left. The last standing child would be a peak of evolution, a sign that our species had evolved enough.
I didn't seek revenge. It didn't matter if Father died a painful death or died peacefully. I just wanted to be able to sleep soundly at night. To not have the constant feeling of being watched, followed, or hunted. To be able to breathe and live without being restrained by his influence.
Water droplets dripped down my cheeks, my vision blurring. The tears that were supposed to have dried a long time ago, poured out.
My cry echoed in the air, my screams and curses reaching the heavens.
A part of me was dying with him, and another part of me was reborn.
The storm raging inside me subsided, and I found myself surrounded by the dark void, staring at the reflection of a young girl.
Her military uniform was dirty, her cheeks smudged with blood and dirt.
She didn't smile, didn't laugh, and didn't speak. But she cried.
I knelt in front of her and opened my arms, welcoming her with a gentle smile, "I'm sorry it took so long," I whispered, hugging her tightly, "but we're finally together again."
"Is he gone? Is it safe to come out?" she asked, her eyes wide with fear, "He won't come back, right?"
I handed her the Plushy, and her eyes sparkled as she took him and held him tight.
"If he does, I won't let him hurt you again," I promised.
She looked around the darkness, then back at me, "So, this is what the afterlife looks like," she observed, not disappointed but rather curious, "It's so empty."
"We're not dead," I explained, "It's just a place where nobody can find us," I said, standing up, "Let's go, we have a lot to catch up on."
She tilted her head, a confused look on her face, "I'm still tired," she mumbled.
"Then sleep," I said, taking her in my arms.
"But we don't have a bed," she pouted, her eyes half-closed.
"I'll carry you. Sleep tight," I smiled.
I walked and walked, and she eventually fell asleep in my arms. I hummed a song, rocking her back and forth, my steps echoing in the endless space.
After a while, she opened her eyes and looked up, "Are we lost?"
I chuckled, "I'm not sure."
She yawned, "We've been walking for so long, and we're not even there yet. You got us lost," she pointed, her tone accusatory.
"Getting lost is a part of the adventure," I replied.
She closed her eyes again, "If this is an adventure, then I want a refund."
I laughed, and continued walking, my heart warm and light.
When I looked down, I saw that she was gone.
I was back on the cliff, Plushy's button eyes stared back at me.
"Yes, I am fine," I answered, "No, you're not interrupting. I was just thinking."
There was no response, and I didn't expect one.
I took a deep breath and looked up at the spaceship parked in the air.
It was an enormous black ship with red stripes that resembled a spider's leg. Its name was 'Ravager.'
It belonged to Lucius Lark Sinclair, the man who was born and raised to manage some of Father's vast territories and wealth as if he owned them. Everyone respected him, but deep inside, he was just a puppet with no real military power, waiting to be controlled.
To help him resist his family's dark fate shrouded with luxury, his mother named him Lucius, meaning "light," and Lark, after the joyful bird that symbolizes freedom and new beginnings.
· · ─────── · ⊱❈⊰· ─────── · ·
The gate opened, and a smaller shuttle descended from the ship. The moment it landed, a man walked down the ramp, his styled black hair almost unbudgeable by the strong wind.
A pair of dark eyes met mine, a regal aura exuding from his tall figure, dressed in a black suit with a long trench coat draped over his shoulders.
He was a handsome man, his skin pale and his features sharp and defined, looking every bit the royalty he was.
He approached me with long strides, his hands behind his back, his posture elegant and refined, "You didn't wait long, did you?" he asked, stopping a few steps away.
"Long enough," I said, standing up, "I was starting to worry that you changed your mind."
"I'm a man of my word," he replied, leading me inside the shuttle, "It took me a while to persuade Zeek to cooperate." He sat next to me, and a few seconds later, the shuttle lifted off and headed to his ship, "You killed and took his heart after all," he said, glancing at me.
"Oh, right, the dragon..." I muttered, my gaze fixed on the shuttle window, watching the view from above.
How did I end up killing a dragon and taking its heart? Well, that was a long story. In short, I killed it after it tried to devour me. I kept its heart for research purposes and later transplanted it to Lucius' chest to stop him from courting me (whether because of father's order didn't matter).
You know the change-of-heart saying? I was trying to make that work in a literal way. It worked. Lucius stopped giving me gifts and taking me out on dates, father also sent me far away. That's how I rolled with powerful men who couldn't take no for an answer (the ones I couldn't kill).
What I didn't expect was the effect of the transplanted heart. The dragon's heart was a powerful artifact that allowed Lucius to gain immunity to the sun, hunger and thirst for blood, take control of father's familiar, and a bunch of other things. He would have died or become a slave of the dragon's will if it wasn't for the bond he shared with the dragon, making him an exception. They joined hands because of me, so to speak.
I planned to transplant a dragon's heart into Vick's chest, but one successful experiment was not enough to ensure a reliable result.
There were many other options, including the life source I just received from Father, which was meant to nurture me and mommy.
I noticed a part of Plushy's stomach and uniform had been pressed and deformed, which was most likely the result of my newfound strength.
It will take a while before I learn to control it, but the idea of having to hold back around the boys even more, sucked. I wanted to be free to touch and feel them whenever and however I wanted.
"How is she? The one you said was the only one you will love and marry," I asked.
Lucius wasn't very happy when father ordered him to watch and take care of me. He was in love with another girl, and I was just a thorn in his way, a duty he had to fulfill. He tried to protect the girl from his world, and it was so sweet and romantic that I couldn't help but root for the man who fell in love with an ordinary girl. Their love was forbidden and taboo, a beautiful tragedy.
Of course, his family was against it. They wanted him to marry me and gain an upper hand over The Empire, and that's when things started to go south.
"She is alive and well," he answered, his voice flat.
I nodded, not wanting to pry. It sounded like a happy ending for the couple. His next words, however, proved otherwise.
"With my enemy," he added, "She always preferred that criminal with a reputation of violence and abuse... over me, the nice guy."
I blinked, the corners of my lips twitched slightly, "Oh."
"I see the news of my misery amuses you," he commented, his eyes locked onto mine.
I wanted to say that he could always share her with his enemy, but decided against it, "You don't look miserable," I said instead, "I'd say you're a little bit happier than usual."
"Am I?" he replied, looking thoughtful, "Maybe it's because my Princess is finally here? The one I'm sure you have heard about. Mechanical engineering, wasn't it? A very promising field, I thought when I donated to the university," he mused, leaning forward, "I wonder what would happen if people learned that I was funding an unknown girl's secret projects and not the institution itself?"
I enrolled in a certain college for a reason, and it wasn't for learning. It was for the resources, which Lucius supplied, and the cover the school labs gave me.
There wasn't any special meaning behind the Princess pet name besides placing a wedge between us. He used me to protect his little lover from his enemies, showing me in public and taking me to parties, so his family would leave the poor girl alone.
"Where's my heart, Princess? I would like to have it back," he asked, his tone casual, his expression relaxed, "I believe you have kept it for far too long."
"Roasted and eaten," I lied, "It was a delicious snack."
He smiled, his eyes tracing my body, stopping at my stomach, "So, that's where it went," he concluded, a hint of amusement in his voice, "You don't want to give it back, is that what you're saying?"
"Do you need it that much?"
"Not me." He straightened his suit, "As long as it's in good hands, I have no objection," he replied, then stood up and walked to the door. "I'm sure you're hungry. Let's talk over dinner," he added, gesturing for me to leave the shuttle first.
Something was telling me this guy was having a change of heart again, and I didn't want any of that so I revealed that I was in a polygamous relationship with six guys.
Lucius seemed surprised, which was understandable, but then he said he was also interested in such a relationship and wanted to meet the boys. The last time I checked, he disliked sharing his lovers. He was quite a possessive fellow.
"Falling in love has become more and more difficult. The more people I date, the more I realize that my growing standards have become impossible to meet," he confessed, leading me to the dining hall, "I'm busy, and it's hard to find someone who can put up with my lifestyle. Maybe I can make an exception for the one who already has my heart."
"..." I knew better than anyone that there was no point in talking sense to this kind of person. He had many enemies, making protecting his loved ones extremely difficult. I wasn't his lover, but just staying by his side, the amount of kidnapping attempts on me was more than enough to understand why he had to take precautions and play it safe.
We reached the dining hall, and he pulled a chair, motioning for me to sit down. I did, and he pushed the chair, then took the seat across from me.
A group of humanoid droids came with a cart of food and set the table, leaving immediately after serving us.
I picked up the fork, the pressure I used caused it to bend, "..."
Lucius asked for a new one while engaging me with some business talk and plans for the future.
The dragon topic was put aside until a pair of wings grew from his back. They moved in my direction, and I stared at Lucius, a silent question in my eyes when one of its elongated tips stole my chicken drumstick.
"..." The meal continued like that, with his wings stealing half of my plate and placing it on his.
"That part of the chicken doesn't taste good," he said, then filled my plate with grilled fish, "Try this one instead."
I looked up, his wings still hovering above the table, trying to feed me more food.
"What did you do to the dragon?" I asked, taking a bite. The last time, he had to stop his dragon side from attacking and killing me. Back then, I was put under his watch again, shackled to a wheelchair, looking more defenseless than ever.
"Nothing. He is just mad at me for not sharing the food," he said, then paused, "Sharing was never my strong suit, but living with Zeek for so long taught me a thing or two."
"Like what?" I asked.
"Sharing the one you love with others isn't the end of the world," he replied, and his wings finally settled down and retreated. "Also, sharing the burden and responsibilities with others can bring the greatest of allies to your side─allies who would die for you and fight by your side."
"How come you didn't learn it sooner?"
"Because I didn't have a dragon as a roommate," he chuckled, a smile gracing his handsome features as he took a sip from his cup of tea, "I never thought I could enjoy the taste of normal food again after getting used to drinking blood. I never thought I could have a close companion who would stick with me through thick and thin."
He continued, placing the cup back on the table, "The dragon was a lonely being, and I guess I was too because we bonded quickly. It was hard at first, but then, I realized it was a lot easier and much more pleasant than I thought it would be."
I took a sip of water, watching him speak fondly of the dragon, "Are you trying to tell me something?"
"Yes, I am," he said, resting his chin on his intertwined hands, "Zeek told me we can leave a spousal imprint on one person, which will allow us to track their whereabouts and feel them through the bond. I would love to try it on you if you don't mind. It's really difficult to track and keep up with the movements of someone like you."
I almost spat the water in my mouth, glaring at the dragon wings peeking from his shoulder. Did the merging with the dragon's heart give Lucius beastmen's abilities? The dragon's heart could change size depending on the holder, which I found interesting. It was as if it was telling me to put it inside of someone's chest, so I did. "Why would you want to track my every movement?"
"All the phones I sent you ended up in trash," he replied, his dragon wings retreating, "I can't keep waiting for my business partner to contact me first. It's too tiring."
"Why would you send phones, anyway?"
"To talk."
"About what?"
"Anything."
"And then?"
"Get together and catch up. It's been a while," he explained, "You know, the stuff normal people do."
"We are not normal people."
"True," he agreed, then glanced at the door, "Which is why I can't have you run around recklessly, not knowing whether you're alive or not."
I turned around, and Skaris was standing by the door. He immediately ran toward me, snatching me from the chair and pulling me into a tight hug, nuzzling my cheek, "Dear!"
"Yes," I replied, afraid of hugging him back, my arms stuck to my sides, "How did you get here?"
"Karrak said it's safe to come out and dropped me on this flying ship," Skaris answered, still glued to my side, "I tried to reach out to you, but the connection was always blocked. I was afraid something might have happened to you, but Karrak kept me updated on the things on your side," he swung me from side to side, "I'm so glad you can walk again."
"Did he treat you well?" I asked, stroking his back.
"Karrak?" Skaris looked confused, "He was nice. He showed me lots of pictures of you and then we ate meat skewers while talking about you. He said he is your number one fan, and that he is trying to help you achieve your goals. I'm not sure what it meant, but he was so passionate about it, I got excited as well. Then, he told me that you're here, and we should come and join you."
"We?" I looked around, looking for the guy, but he was nowhere to be seen, "Did Karrak come with you?"
Skaris nodded, "He's a little shy, and doesn't like being in the spotlight," he explained, then leaned forward and kissed me, his lips pressed against mine, his tongue slipping inside, "You taste like fish, Dear. A really delicious fish."
"..." I pulled back and wiped my mouth, glaring at Lucius who was smiling innocently. I seated Skaris on my chair and let him finish my meal.
Skaris looked up at the other man and nodded politely, "Karrak told me to give you this," he said, taking out a phone from his shoulder bag and handing it to Lucius, "It's a special gift, he said. You can reach him through it and ask for Dear's condition. There is no need to put a spousal imprint on her."
Lucius' eye twitched as he looked around, accepting the phone. There was a note attached to it, written in red ink:YOU DON'T DESERVE HER. TRY HARDER.
"What does it say?" Skaris asked, tilting his head.
"Is that Karrak still nearby?" Lucius asked, his eyes scanning the dining hall one more time.
"I'm not sure." Skaris answered, munching on his food, lifting his blindfold to see a pair of dragon wings extending from Lucius's back as he flew out of the hall.
I stroked Skaris's tail. There was just something about this boy that drew unnecessary attention from other males in my direction, and I wasn't happy about it.
"No more interaction with strangers, especially males, understood?" I told Skaris, and he nodded cutely, his mouth stuffed.
This pup was around forty-five years old, yet we all treated him like he was a small puppy, a very precious small puppy.
╔═══ Author's note ════╗
Lucius aka Zeek is a man with little to no issues. Among all of YY's men, his mindset is the healthiest─like the perfect cherry on top of a cake. He is a gentleman with nice manners, I would even say that he is the opposite of Vick. 🫣😁
Karrak is acting all shy around his idol again...🤣
I'm so excited to introduce these two new candidates to you all, but let's not forget about our fave scorpion. It's his turn to try his luck with YY next. 🤭🥰
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