Memories Like a Dagger

“Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is like a broken-winged bird that cannot fly.” — Langston Hughes Whistle remained perched onto his shoulder, black head cocked and its eyes even cockier. Kalani grinned though, despite his disheveled hair. Training against loud noises had been going well, and it wouldn’t be long till they officially moved to the city. Anticipation made his heart fly high. Finally… his family would move to the illustrious Nael, capital of the kingdom of Karst. Yet the world beyond those small routines was far less gentle than the stories suggested. Kingdoms and tribes hid their violence well, their dangers slithering quietly beneath polished surfaces. You didn’t need to dive in to be taken; brushing against it was enough. And so ‘They’ took everything. What remained of him was sealed away, buried where names lost their meaning. Revenge required survival, and survival required obedience. Then she appeared. Not as rescue, and not as hope, but rather as something that didn’t fit. She moved through his world without caution, wings catching air where no fresh wind should exist. Her optimism wasn’t comforting. It was reckless. He told himself to ignore her. Yet he found himself noticing details he had long trained himself not to see: the rhythm of her voice, the way she tilted her head when thinking, and how she flew free like how he used to. He never looked at her for long. “This changes nothing,” he would murmur, though the words rang increasingly hollow. His emerald eyes lingered a second too late, following the outline of wings he knew he should not reach for. Objective first. Always. And yet, some costs are harder to measure than others. … Update Schedule: 2 chapters every month Cover found on Pinterest; artist unknown ;~;