(Elira POV)
I was touching the clouds. Not metaphorically. Not in some poetic, dramatic way. Actually touching them. My fingers slid through soft, cold mist as if the sky itself had decided to let me exist inside it for a while. It felt unreal… like my brain was still trying to process the fact that this wasn't a dream, and honestly, same. Because right now, I was sitting on a dragon—yes, a whole dragon—with Maria in front of me, like this was just another casual night activity.
If someone had told me a week ago that my life would turn into this, I would've laughed so hard I'd probably fall off a chair. Now? I was the one sitting on something that could throw me off a cliff without even trying. Funny how life works. One moment you're running away from a nightmare, and the next you're flying through the sky with two strangers who casually drop things like "your parents" and "your real identity" like it's normal conversation.
Everything shifted after that breakdown. I had expected judgment, expected that look people get when they realize you're broken in ways they don't want to deal with. But they didn't give me that. No pity. No disgust. Just… understanding. And that was somehow worse. Because I didn't know what to do with something that didn't hurt.
"Come with us. We can explain why your parents left you," Maria had said, her voice steady, not forcing, not begging. "I know it won't fix anything. It won't erase sixteen years. But you won't be safe here anymore."
Safe. That word felt like a joke most of the time. Still, it stuck. Because deep down—somewhere I didn't like admitting—I wanted answers. I wanted to know who the hell I was, where I came from, and why my existence felt like some kind of unfinished story. My mind kept telling me not to trust them, that this could go wrong in a hundred different ways, but my heart… yeah, that traitor had already made a decision.
And honestly, where else would I go? Back to that house? Back to being nothing? Yeah, no thanks. I'd rather take my chances with a dragon.
Speaking of weird things—my lenses disappeared. Just gone. And my hair? Not black anymore. Silver. Like actual moonlight. I saw it when I looked at my reflection in the sea, and for a second, I didn't even recognize myself. Maria called it my "true self," like it had always been there, just waiting for the right moment to show up. Great. Love that for me. Hidden identity unlocked at sixteen—how original.
Then there was the mark.
My hand instinctively moved to my collarbone, fingers brushing over the place where it had appeared. It didn't feel like a tattoo. It felt… alive. Like something was there, beneath my skin, breathing quietly. A dragon, curled perfectly along my collarbone, its wings half-spread like it was holding back something massive. Its eyes—those damn eyes—glowed faintly, like molten gold watching everything. Above it, a crown rested, sharp and elegant, not decorative but powerful. Behind it, a shadow of something bigger—a throne, maybe. Not fully visible, just… implied.
And at the center?
Something pulsed.
A soft crimson glow, threaded with gold, beating slowly like a second heart. Every now and then, warmth spread from it, subtle but undeniable, like it was reacting to something I couldn't see. It wasn't just a mark. It felt like a statement. Like something had claimed me—and I had no idea what.
"In simple words," I muttered under my breath, staring at it earlier, "it's a dragon with a crown. Cool. Totally normal. Nothing concerning at all."
But those eyes… they didn't sit right with me.
They didn't feel like just a design.
They felt aware.
I exhaled slowly, leaning forward slightly as Cain glided smoothly through the sky. The wind brushed against my face, cold but refreshing, carrying the scent of the ocean below. When I looked down, I saw dolphins moving through the water, their bodies catching the moonlight as waves shimmered around them. For a moment, I just watched, quiet, realizing something simple but important.
Time had started moving again.
The crimson sky was gone. No more frozen world. No more apocalyptic glow. Just night. Calm. Normal. Like everything that happened before had been erased. But I knew better. Nothing about tonight was normal.
I tilted my head back, looking at the endless stretch of sky above me. The only sound was the steady rhythm of Cain's wings cutting through the air. It felt peaceful. Too peaceful. The kind of quiet that makes you forget, just for a second, how messed up everything actually is.
And somehow… I started singing.
It wasn't planned. It just happened. My voice slipped out soft, steady, carried by the wind as my fingers brushed through the clouds again. It felt natural. Like breathing. Like this was something I was meant to do, even in the middle of chaos.
"Silver clouds… drifting under my hands,Soft as a whisper the whole sky understands,Cold little stars in a warm quiet sea,For the first time… the night feels like it's holding me…
I don't need answers… not here, not now,Lost in the silence I don't ask how,Just let me stay where the world moves slow…Silver clouds… don't let me go…"
Maria turned slightly, glancing back at me, surprise flickering across her face.
I smiled at her.
A real smile.
Not forced. Not sarcastic. Just… real.
She blinked, then let out a soft chuckle, and somehow it blended perfectly with the melody. That made me laugh a little too, but I didn't stop. Instead, I leaned back slightly, letting my voice rise, stronger now, more confident. And then—
She joined in.
I looked at her, genuinely surprised this time, but didn't stop singing. Her voice was smooth, controlled, beautiful in a way that made it easy to follow. She tilted her chin slightly, completely at ease, like this was her world and I had just stepped into it.
"Carry me gently… wherever this goes,The wind doesn't question, the wind only knows,Hearts don't feel heavy this high above,Maybe the sky is what freedom was…
No need to run now… no need to hide,The silence is softer when you're by my side,Just for a moment… just let it be,Silver clouds… keep covering me…"
Our eyes met.
And we kept singing.
Even Cain seemed to respond. His movements shifted, smoother, almost rhythmic, like he was gliding with the music instead of just flying. The wind picked up slightly, carrying our voices higher, blending them into something that felt bigger than just a song.
"If this is fleeting… I won't look down,I'll stay in the sky before I hit the ground,Let every echo fade into light,Let me belong… just for tonight…
Silver clouds… I can finally breathe,Nothing beneath me, nothing to leave,No past behind me, no chains somehow…Only the sky… and the silver clouds…"
We reached the final note together.
I stood up carefully on his back, arms stretched wide, face lifted toward the sky, eyes closed as I held the note. For a second—just one second—everything felt perfect. No past. No questions. No pain. Just this moment.
Then it ended.
I opened my eyes, letting out a quiet laugh, breathless in a way that had nothing to do with fear.
Maria laughed too.
"I didn't know you could sing," I said, glancing at her.
She smirked immediately. "Why? You think you're the only one with talent?"
I scratched the back of my neck awkwardly. "No, it's not like that. I just didn't expect you to suddenly turn into a singer mid-flight."
"Well," she said lightly, "I should be the surprised one. Not just because of your voice—which, by the way, is definitely inherited—but because you're still wearing skates."
I blinked.
Looked down.
…Oh.
Right.
I was still wearing my skates.
A small, embarrassed smile crept onto my face as I rubbed my forehead. "Okay, in my defense, I didn't exactly plan to fly on a dragon tonight. Priorities were a bit… misplaced."
She laughed, shaking her head. "Looks like you're attached to them."
"I am," I admitted easily. "I like speed. Movement. The feeling of not being stuck in one place."
"And singing?" she asked.
I shrugged slightly. "That too. Speed and melody. That's my thing."
Cain let out a low rumble beneath us, something between amusement and acknowledgment.
"Interesting combination," he said.
"Yeah," I muttered. "Keeps life from being completely unbearable."
As I sat back down, my gaze drifted forward—and then stopped.
Something was there.
In the distance, rising from the darkness of the sea, was an island. But not just any island. It looked… wrong. Like it didn't belong to the same world as everything else. The shape resembled a massive cave, but what caught my attention were the openings.
Two hollow spaces.
Like eyes.
Watching.
A strange chill ran down my spine, and for once, I didn't make a joke about it.
Maria noticed.
She followed my gaze, her expression shifting slightly before she looked back at me. I didn't say anything. Just raised an eyebrow, silently asking the question.
She shrugged.
"Looks like we've reached our destination."
************
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Song: Silver Clouds By PhQ