“I-I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to-”

“What, no! I shouldn’t have brought it up.”

“No, it isn’t your fault Pyron.” My voice started to crack really badly.

“I-I really am j-just a mess, a c-complete and utter m-mess.” I don’t know why I’m crying, I don’t usually feel anything when I talk about my personal life, no matter how sad. Maybe it’s because this time, somebody actually cares about it.

I started to sob like a child. God, what the hell is wrong with me.

I felt something wipe my face, it felt like a hand. I opened my eyes and looked up to see Pyron wiping the tears from my face. I could see that gentle look he had in his eyes.

“It’s alright Daniel. Sometimes things happen and you can’t do anything about it. Don’t worry, I understand, I’ve been there too.”

I don’t know why, but I felt like he really did understand.

“Thanks Pyron.” I smiled as I wiped away my tears.

The rest of the night went without incident. I slept in the bedroom that I woke up in. Pyron told me “Goodnight” as he went into his room to sleep. I took off my coat and placed it on the nightstand. I sat on the bed, legs crossed; I raised my arm and opened my Neuro-syndex. It flashed up with the date and time.

It read “JAN16-2090 23:42:15” in green-coloured projections, I lowered my arm closing the device. It’s pretty late. I should get some sleep. I have to leave early tomorrow, as much as I enjoyed meeting Pyron, I can’t risk being anything important to him, or anyone for that matter. A small part of me wanted to think it’s because I’ll hurt anyone who gets too close, but in reality, it’s because I think that in the end the one who gets hurt most, is me.

I rested my head on the pillow and slowly closed my eyes. I fell asleep.

I opened my eyes to a strange place, I was floating in a swirling black-purple void, like outer space, I could see stars shining brightly, I felt so relaxed. I felt something twitch on my back, I looked over my shoulder and saw my feathered dark-purple and black wings, it’s been so long since I’ve revealed them to anyone, including myself.

I closed my eyes feeling the peacefulness, I snapped them open when I sensed a strong force, I twirled around and saw a small chunk of violet ground floating a few metres away from me. On it there was a lady sitting on it, she glowed- more like radiated, a pure white light, and she had a beautiful curling ivory tail- wait, a tail? S-she’s, she’s an angel?!

Then suddenly something sprouted or flapped open from her back, white leathery wings. She really is an angel. She snapped her head in my direction; I could see the horns that grew from her head.

Then as if she was right by my ear I could hear her whisper to me:

“Hello, Daniel.”

I sat up from my bed immediately, snapping myself awake.

“What was that, a dream?” I asked myself. I stood up from bed.

I looked out the window as I walked towards it; I saw the bright full moon shining through the window. It seemed familiar this feeling.

“Luna.” I said.

I gave a puzzled look. Who’s Luna? I didn’t know who this person was, but the name sounded familiar, like I had heard it a long time ago, a really, really long time ago. I lifted up my arm and opened up the Syndex on it.

It blinked “JAN16-2090 03:06:15”

I think it’s time for me to leave. I need to get going. I closed down the device once more and grabbed my coat from the nightstand and put it on. I quietly walked over to the door and turned it slowly, I peered out the door just a little bit, I didn’t see Pyron. I guess this is my chance; I managed to get as far as almost touching the scanner on the door before I heard a familiar voice coming from behind me.

“Daniel?”

I turned around to see Pyron giving a cheerless expression. I could tell that he must’ve been hurt by me leaving without saying goodbye, even if we did just meet, we did talk a lot and he did save my life after all.

I turned to face him, a little startled.

“Pyron?! I was just-”

“Leaving?” He cut me off before I could finish.

“No! I mean yes! I mean, y-yeah.” Why do I feel bad? It isn’t like I’m doing anything wrong; I’m doing what I always do: leave before I cause trouble. If anything I’m actually doing him a favour, but this- this feeling, it... hurts.

I clutch my chest.

“I’m really sorry.” I say looking down.

I turn around about to launch myself out of the door, but before I could, I felt something grab my left arm right as I was about to leave, and I heard him cry out.

“Wait!”

I stopped dead in my tracks. I turned around slowly to face the other lad, it could’ve just been my imagination or the dim lighting, but I could’ve sworn that he looked like he was about to cry.

“Before you go...” He opened up his Syndex and pulled up a data window, he swiped it sideways in my direction and I heard my own Syndex sound out with a boop. I opened it up and saw a data cube which I opened. It was a contact file.

It read:

“Name: Pyron C. Sowachowski

Sex: Male

Date of Birth: AUG3 2074

Institute: [Access 5 Required]

Employment Status: ACTIVE”

I giggled a bit at his last name.

“Sowachowski?” I could control the very audible giggle that I made after mentioning it.

“What about it?!” He said as he turned red up until his face.

“Hah, does that make your nickname Sock?” I held in another laugh with help from both my hands. I snorted.

He pouted at me, more mad than embarrassed. The laughter had died down after awhile. Pyron came with me to the entrance of the lodge to see me off.

“E-mail me or something, okay?” Pyron stood at the door. I was already standing outside.

“I will thanks.” I smiled.

“Good.” He nodded. “Oh and here’s one last thing before you go.” He got something from out of his pocket and tossed it. I caught in with my left hand up in the air. It was an Omni Card, I scanned it on my Syndex and a small window popped up, and my device read it aloud.

“+500 Gilets have been added to your balance.” I practically gagged after hearing that. I composed myself and read it again.

“500 Gilets?! I can’t, that’s way too much.”

“Don’t act like you don’t need it. I checked your profile when you first got here, you’re pretty broke. Like really broke.” He said in a serious way.

I guess I was. I would usually just steal and maybe even do some pretty odd jobs, like killing people, infiltrating, spying, piracy, crossing the street without looking both ways, that kind of stuff. The main idea is that I do bad things for money.

So why would being given money from somebody be so bad. I mean if you remember that I literally take money from others.

I looked at him with the most sincere face I could attempt to make without looking like I’m faking it. I genuinely felt that he was looking out for me.

“Thank you, Pyron. I appreciate it.”

I said goodbye one last time before walking through the door. Now back to where I was supposed to get to before this whole thing happened. Ah, yes.

Ivory Citadel, here I come.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you have any concerns or questions about the story, please, feel free to ask.