Void Dragon - A God among Gods

Finally, I had managed to get out of that place, and, more importantly, I had managed to escape that idiotic bet without having to resort to, let's say, a bit of violence.

As soon as I left, I headed straight for the most distant place where I knew I could rest in peace without being disturbed. This place was the stone in the forest, a unique spot for me.

- "Huff... Nice... It seems I'm far away from that crazy place."

- "... Huff... What was that girl thinking with that challenge?" I thought, still panting.

- "Sigh... But whatever... After all, I managed to get out of there without using any violence, and that in itself is already a huge victory." I reflected.

- "Well... More importantly now, I can finally go to the stone in the forest. That place is unique. I can finally rest without being disturbed, hahaha... FINALLY!" I said, excited.

Then, I headed for the stone in the forest. Upon reaching the entrance of what was known as the free zone, I transformed, finally able to feel the fresh air hitting my wings and scales. That sensation was wonderful, something I would never trade for anything. While I was there, feeling that freshness, I heard the sound of the wind blowing through the trees and making the leaves sway, creating an atmosphere that suddenly washed my soul, removing any remnants of anger, agony, or anything that bothered me at that moment. So, without further ado, I ventured into the forest in search of my lovely stone to sleep on.

... Sound of the wind and trees...

- "Sigh... This atmosphere... This is what I was looking for." I said, feeling an inexplicable peace.

- "Well, it's time to head to my lovely stone so we can sleep, huh?" I said, excited, as I delved into the forest towards the stone I had been to before.

Upon arriving, I made no ceremony and simply lay down, falling asleep almost immediately. Truly, that was the best place in the entire academy to be, far from everyone and all the noise. It was something magnificent, inexplicable... At least, until I was awakened again sometime later. It's true that this time it took a few more hours, I think, but still, why did people have to wake me up every time? Especially one person in particular.

- "...ZZZzz..." I snored.

Suddenly, I felt something touch me again, but this time, it wasn't my tail, it was my snout.

- "...Hu... Huh?... Is... someone touching my... snout?" I asked, still groggy.

- "Tsk... Could it be... some insect?" I thought, while exhaling through my nostrils, trying to scare off whatever it was.

But still, it didn't help.

- "...Tsk... This... is still bothering me?" I thought, now awake and more irritated.

Then, at that moment, I opened one of my eyes slowly to see what was caressing my snout. When I opened my eyes, I realized it had been a mistake not to do so earlier, as the person there was Aurëalis, with a big smile, and her hair, previously perfectly neat, now messy, most likely due to the air I released while trying to expel what I thought was an insect.

- "Hi, Kyrion..." She said, maintaining a smile difficult to decipher if she was irritated or not.

- "...A-AURËALIS? W-WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" I asked, quickly standing up, startled.

- "...Well... I was passing by and saw that you were on this stone again, so I came to say hi... and this is how you greet me, huh?" She said, letting out a scary aura while smiling.

- "...AGH... SORRY... I THOUGHT IT WAS AN INSECT..." I said, backing away, scared.

- "...Hahahaha... No need to be afraid... I'm just kidding. Actually, I was expecting a worse reaction from you, but this was quite... cute?" She said, as she fixed her hair.

- "C-CUTE? ... I... SIGH... What do you want now?" I said, lying back down and closing my eyes again.

- "...W-Well... It's just that... I heard from Lyrielle about what happened at the theater and wanted to apologize on their behalf." She said, grabbing my tail and fiddling with its spikes.

- "...Hmm... I see, that's why, huh? It's all good... After all, nothing bad happened." I said, opening one eye and trying to shake my tail so she would let go.

- "...Really? ... That's good... I'm very happy that you didn't get mad... Besides, can I ask you something?" She said, firmly gripping my tail and this time, hugging it.

- "..Tsk... W-Well... what is it?" I said, giving up trying to pull my tail away from Aurëalis.

- "...I-I... I heard you have a very beautiful voice... Could you... show me?" She said, hugging my tail with a blushing face and shining eyes, looking at me as if imploring.

- "...W... WHAT? ... N-NO WAY" I said, turning my face to the other side.

- "...W-what? ... But why?" She asked, in a sad tone.

- "I-it's... Not gonna happen..." I responded.

- "But... Why?" She insisted, getting closer.

- "...Tsk... Look... You see... Singing is not something I enjoy... And... Besides, there's not even a divine music box here... How could I sing something?" I said, trying to escape the situation, as I lay down and tried to find the best position there.

- "So... If I managed to get a divine music box... Would you... Sing?" She asked, with a smile and blushing face.

- "...Yaawnn... Hmm? ... Sure... No doubt about it..." I responded automatically, not realizing what I had said, while thinking only about going back to sleep.

- "...Ok, then, I'll fetch something and be right back..." She said, letting go of my tail and quickly heading back into the forest.

- "...Yawn... Sure, see you tomorrow..." I said, while going back to sleep.

... After several minutes...

... Sounds of footsteps in the forest...

- "...zzz..." I snored again, until something hit my head.

...Thud...

- "...Hmmm?.." I woke up, wondering what had fallen on my head.

- "...Yaawwnnn... Damn, what was that?" I murmured, still groggy.

This time, though, before doing anything, I opened my eyes, and there she was again, Aurëalis, this time with her hand on my head.

- "...Aurëalis... You... Here again? ... B-but... Didn't you say you had something to do? And would only come back later?" I asked, remembering she had said something like that.

- "...What? ... Yes, and I did... I fetched the divine music box, because you said that if I had it here, you would sing for me..." She said, with a smile and shining eyes.

- "...Ah... Yes... I said that..." I repeated what she said, when I understood what was happening.

- "...W-WAIT A MINUTE... I WHAT?" I asked.

- "...Pfff... You said that if I had the music box, you would sing..." She said, laughing softly at my reaction.

- "...I-I? SAID THAT? W-WHEN?..." I retorted, trying to remember if I had really said something like that.

Then, at that moment, I remembered what I had said before going to sleep and before Aurëalis left to fetch something.

- "...AGH... TSK... I CAN'T BELIEVE I SAID THAT... HOW COME?" I wondered, recalling my words.

- "Hahahaha... Your reaction is great... But now it doesn't matter anymore... Here is the divine music box... So, sing for me..." She said, with a big happy smile and an extremely blushing face.

- "...Hu... Huh?... You really brought it?... D-damn..." I said, realizing I would have to sing.

- "Yes, I brought it... So start singing for me, Kyrion..." She said, as she sat down and hugged my tail again.

- "...Tsk... B-but..." I murmured, shy.

- "...Sigh... O-ok, I'll sing… but… you have to promise me one thing..." I said, a little blushed.

- "When I finish… you will have to let me sleep..." I spoke.

- "...Hm... let you sleep?... for me, that's fine..." She said, as she ran her cheek on my tail, as if it was something cute.

- "...Aghh... y-you..." I said, embarrassed, while she laughed softly.

- "...Sigh... right... since we've come to this... I'll sing for you… but I hope you keep our agreement..." I said, looking at her with a hesitant look.

- "...Of course I will, have you forgotten who I am?" She said, turning her head a bit, while smiling and hugging my tail.

- "...Tsk... Ok..."

Then, from that point on, I took a deep breath and, before starting to sing, I prepared myself mentally.

As soon as I was ready, I placed my paw on the box that Aurëalis had brought and imagined the song I wanted to play. Unlike the song I had sung before, this one would now also be from the dimension and world of humans, but it would be a calmer song than the one I had sung before.

So, after a few minutes, I started singing. At that moment, while singing, I could see in Aurëalis's eyes a brightness that almost blinded me. She seemed to keep every second of what she saw in her soul, as if it were something extremely precious. That vision, for some moment, while singing, brought me a sensation that I didn't even know I could achieve, especially while she was watching me. What was that? Why did I feel that way while she was watching me? Was that... joy? My chest burned, and it bothered me, as I had never felt that before, but why now? Why so suddenly? While singing, I could feel her hugging my tail more and more, as if she was enjoying what she saw so much that my tail became a trigger for her to release what she was repressing, knowing she couldn't do it. I, on the other hand, wondered what she wanted to do that she had to repress. Anyway, I had done what I promised and, as soon as I finished singing, I looked at her and asked what she thought.

- "...So... satisfied?" I asked.

- "...Hu... huh?..." She asked, seeming to come out of a trance.

- "...Y-YES... I-I really liked it... it's like Lyrielle and Cristine said... your voice is very good..." She said, while hugging my tail, with a blushing face and shining eyes.

- "...A-AGH... O-ok... that's enough... now it's time for you to fulfill your part of the deal." I said, a little embarrassed.

- "...Hmm... ok... then, you can sleep peacefully... I won't wake you up again..." She said.

- "...Sigh... right... s-so, see you later..." I said, as I lay down.

After a few minutes, however, she still hadn't let go of my tail, and I could feel her looking at me intensely.

- "...A-Aurëalis?... w-weren't you leaving?" I asked, with one eye open, seeing that she was still there, just as before, looking at me intensely, with her gaze shining.

She laughed softly.

- "...Well... our agreement was that I should let you sleep... not that I would leave..." She said, looking at me intensely.

- "...Agh... b-but..." I said, until she interrupted me.

- "...Kyrion... you can be calm... I won't bite a piece of you... it's just that... I like being with you... I... have to stay all the time near people who only know how to put me on a pedestal, or who come after me seeking relationships... but I'm not interested in any of these people... and being with you... helps me to relieve this burden immensely... so... please... let me stay here." She said, with a blushing face and her eyes shining even more.

- "...Agh... y-you... you're really appealing to the emotional side?... D-damn... that's not fair." I said, as I looked at her.

- "...Sigh... Ok, then... stay here... but just... don't wake me up... please." I said, as I closed my eyes and turned around.

At that moment, when I allowed her to stay, I could see in her face a genuine happiness that I had rarely seen on the faces of those I had talked to, and that made my chest unexpectedly burn even more than before. After all, what was that? Could I be sick? Well, for now, I just decided to suppress that sensation and go back to sleep, as I was extremely tired. It took me a while to do so, as there was someone beside me, and that person was none other than the princess of the Light Dragons, who strangely hugged my tail while looking at me with shining eyes... that seemed even... in love?