The Night of Ash and Wings"
Night had fallen, and everyone had retreated to their chambers.
Lilya sat on her luxurious bed, unable to sleep. The moonlight spilled softly through the tall window.
She rose, approached it, and placed one foot on the ledge.
Without hesitation, she jumped.
She was on the third floor — but before she could touch the ground, a pair of crimson wings unfolded from her back. The air caught her; she rose effortlessly into the cold night sky.
Lilya: "Ah… the evening flight. It never fails to clear my thoughts."
She soared higher, the wind brushing her hair, until the towering edge of the fortress came into view. Below, a faint spark flickered in the darkness — fire.
Lilya's brow furrowed.
Lilya (thinking): "What is that…?"
She glided closer and saw someone sitting beside the flame.
Lilya (softly): "Who could that be?"
Her feet touched the ground with barely a sound. The fire crackled quietly, its fading glow casting long, restless shadows across Noa's tired face.
He turned his head slightly.
Noa: "...Is that you?"
Without thinking, Lilya ran to him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.
Lilya: "Brother! I was so worried about you—so much has happened!"
Noa sat still, unmoving.
Noa: "Calm yourself."
Lilya slowly let go and sat beside him.
Lilya: "Are you well, brother? It's been so long since we last met. How have you been in this place?"
Noa managed a faint smile.
Noa: "I'm as fine as I've always been."
Worry flickered in Lilya's eyes. She reached out, touching his face gently.
Lilya: "Your words say one thing, but your face tells another."
Noa took her hand from his cheek and lowered it.
Noa: "Don't mind it. I've grown used to this. Things won't get any better."
Lilya: "I don't believe that. You're the strongest person I know."
Noa's gaze hardened, his voice turning cold.
Noa: "Enough, Lilya. Keep your useless comfort to yourself."
Lilya grasped his hand, trembling slightly.
Lilya: "Brother… why are you speaking like this?"
Noa looked down at the ground. His voice was calm but heavy—too heavy to hide the pain beneath it.
Noa: "I told you before, Lilya. I am no longer a prince. All that remains of me is this body—nothing more."
Silence. Then Lilya drew a sharp breath, her anger flaring.
Lilya: "And what does that change? Rank doesn't define who you are. Not to me."
Noa gave a short, bitter laugh. The corner of his lips twisted in irony.
Noa: "In the past six months, I've learned the truth. This world turns only for power and position. A dragon without use is worthless. I have no title, no worth, no place. That's why I am nothing. And when you're nothing—no one stands beside you."
Lilya's eyes softened, a memory flickering to life.
Lilya: "Do you remember, brother? Four years ago, when we first met at the palace? We were children then—unspoiled by rank or ambition. You took my hand, led me through the gardens, played with me as if I were truly your sister. When you met my brother Rion, you called him your dearest friend. Were all those words lies?"
Her voice broke. Tears shimmered in her eyes.
Noa closed his eyes. The silence that followed was sharp—like steel drawn in the dark. When he finally spoke, his tone was quiet but unyielding.
Noa: "Leave."
Lilya's heart pounded. Her lips trembled, but the fire in her gaze did not fade.
Lilya (thinking): "You never saw me as a stranger, brother. And now… you're pushing me away. Why?"
Lilya (aloud): "Leave? No. I won't. You can try to cast me aside, but you'll never be rid of me. You may only dream of that."
Noa stared at her in silence. The fire flickered between them, their words caught in its glow. At last, he sighed, his shoulders sinking under invisible weight.
Noa: "There are things you wouldn't understand, Lilya. Just live your life of comfort. I have my path, and you have yours."
Lilya sat down beside him gently.
Lilya: "That doesn't mean we have to part ways forever. The paths may differ, but they still lead to the same sky."
Noa glanced at her from the corner of his eye and exhaled slowly.
Noa: "Very well… Tell me, why didn't Rion come? For a princess to be sent here—it's unusual."
Lilya smiled faintly, though sorrow shadowed her voice.
Lilya: "Many have asked me the same. My brother is bound to the affairs of the court—he couldn't leave. There was no one else in our family who could come. Yet the young soldiers needed someone to lead them, and for the sake of honor, someone of our bloodline had to stand among them. So they sent me."
Noa said nothing. Her words carried strength like steel, yet her presence radiated warmth. Still, the storm within him refused to rest. He still saw himself as weak—stripped of title and worth. And though part of him longed to push her away again, he could not bring himself to drive his sister from his side.
Noa: "So you came only to fulfill duty, then? Or is there something more?"
The fire dimmed, its light fading into ash. The night reclaimed its silence, but the questions lingered—
Questions even the fire could not burn away.
---
Reader's Thought:
Does Lilya truly see Noa only as her brother…
or does her heart recognize something deeper—a man worthy of standing beside her?
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