*Sirius Frye’s POV*

I slowly opened my eyes as the bleak and dark walls greeted me. I looked around to find myself in a tall dungeon-esque room with several pillars supporting the ceiling. I glanced behind me and noticed several figures kneeling with their heads bowed low. I wasn’t able to see many of their faces but I already knew who all those people were. I turned my eyes to the front where my parents stood, side by side. There was a large ball of darkness that buzzed and whirled from time to time. And from that ball of darkness, came an elegant and dignified female voice.

“Do you understand, Sirius Frye?”

As soon as the question was asked, I looked at my mother. She was looking back at me with eyes filled with confidence as she nodded gently. I looked at my father but he was still looking ahead, not paying my glances any attention.

“I do.” I squeaked in my nervous voice and the large ball gradually collapsed upon itself.

This…. is the oldest memory that I remember. How old was I? Almost four years old? Well, I don’t remember exactly. What I do remember though, were the words that the woman, on the other side of the gate had spoken. They weren’t new. My parents had told me that several times before that. But for some reason, the words coming out of the woman’s mouth stuck to my mind for a long time and weighed upon me heavily. The realisation that I was the most important person in the world, dropped like a mountain on my conscience and stayed there. I was scared. I was worried that I would disappoint people. I was terrified of letting down my parents and other people who expected so much from me. But the woman had also said something else.

“Soon, you will meet someone who will become your wings. That person will support you so that you can fly the highest, Sirius Frye. Even I don’t know who that person is, but you will know. So, I shall leave it upon your judgement. Your destiny is inexplicably intertwined with that person. Do you understand, Sirius Frye?”

And it wasn’t long before someone came. At a night that wasn’t particularly any different, I was unnaturally anxious. It felt like a voice inside me was screaming to go out of the palace. I felt like I would lose something very important to me if I stayed here. So I ran. I ran as fast as I could, to the direction my heart told me to go. Not long after, I found him. He was a boy, not older than me, bleeding from his side as he looked to be dying in the snow. His odd eyes, one blue and one black, looked back at me and he looked as curious as the little animals in the garden did. This was the first time I met Mehr.

I remember him getting annoyed at every question I used to ask. His brows were always furrowed and he seemed perpetually bored. And yet, he would always answer me patiently, albeit with a few insults mixed in here and there. I liked talking to him. A lot, actually. He was the first person who thought of me as just another person. I wasn’t the son of two great people to him; I wasn’t some savior to him; I was…. just Sirius. He never expected anything from me. Rather, he would always find faults in everything I do and would always reply sarcastically to everything I said by furrowing his brows some more. I was never worried around him. I could say whatever was on my mind and he would just remark sarcastically and go about his day.

And I enjoyed it. I even started asking increasingly stupid questions just to annoy him further. Sometimes, I would get on Boo’s back and chase Mehr around everywhere. I never understood why he didn’t like Boo and its children. But scaring him was always enjoyable.

I think, and I might be wrong, but he has also changed. Not much, but still. He smiles a bit more now. I remember how he always used to say You and I, but now he says We/Us. Talking with him, playing with him, running around with him would make my shoulders feel lighter. Spending time with him would make me forget my responsibilities for some time. I wish I could tell him about me. I wish I could tell him the secrets I carry and I wish that he would stay by my side and help me achieve what I had to. But I am scared.

What if he changes his attitude around me?

What if he started treating me like other people?

I am scared, but I am also optimistic.

“So Mehr, looks like I won our challenge.”

“How did you win? I almost killed the beast way faster than you did.”

“Well, almost. But I killed mine all on my own.”

“The one I was fighting could use mana, Sirius. So technically, you are declaring yourself victorious by beating up a little baby.”

I think I will tell him. Not now, but someday soon. I’ve felt this for a while now but I think the woman, behind the gate, was wrong. Mehr did not become my wings, something to push me up to new heights. Rather, he calmed my heart. He taught me how to take our time, look for beauty around us, make fun of it and then be on our way. If I were to relate him to something, I would say….

….Mehr had become my oasis. Moreover……

“Yeah whatever, loser. I still won.”

...Mehr had become my best friend.