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At first when I saw them, I thought I should have just run away with my friends but my curiosity got the better of me. I have seen their encounter before but during that one Nyx had adamantly denied Kalona access her realm. I hadn't seen them together since. This encounter was quite different in terms of atmosphere.
When we ran into the unfolding scene I was going to the school building for our classes with my friends. We were just talking about normal teenager things when I saw Kalona standing alone under a tree nearby. He was there looking pensive as he often was these days. I didn't know what he was thinking so hard, and I never really thought to ask him about it. Not even though I wasn't bitter and angry at him anymore.
My thoughts were interrupted when I saw a flash of light and our charming goddess Nyx arrived. I immediately stopped in my tracks to watch quietly how their encounter could go this time. Kalona looked at the goddess in surprise for a moment and then he got down on one knee in front of his goddess. I saw Nyx smiling at him.
"What's going on, Z?" Stark whispered in my ear.
“Something I need to see,” I replied quietly.
The two in front of us didn't seem to notice us. They looked at each other for a while without saying a word until Nyx finally started to speak.
“Stand up, Kalona,” she said in a voice that had a gentle tone to it.
Kalona obeyed and looked at Nyx curiously.
"You have forgotten one important thing, my dear warrior," the goddess said and touched Kalona's face with her hand. "The reason why you were created."
"I was created to protect you, Nyx," Kalona replied in an equally gentle tone. I could tell that he enjoyed Nyx’s touch very much.
Nyx smiled at him. "But you always had another role as well. Although many still consider your brother my consort even today, the truth was always the opposite.”
"I don't understand what you mean, Nyx," Kalona said.
"He's as warm as the sun," Nyx answered with a smile. “But you are as seductive as the night itself. How could I love the sun when I am a creature of the night like you, Kalona?”
Kalona smiled at her, and he touched to Nyx’s face gently. "You are as beautiful as the night and the stars, my goddess."
Nyx took a step closer to him and pressed her cheek against the winged immortal's palm, sighing as if she had finally touched her long lost loved one.
“Your brother is a good friend but he doesn't make me feel like this, Kalona. You've always been the one to give me the love I really need,” Nyx said to her fallen warrior. "And you're also the only one I truly love," she added as she touched Kalona's lips with her finger.
Kalona smiled at him. "I remember now. I was created to love and protect you,” he said and spread his huge wings to wrap them around himself and Nyx.
Nyx smiled back and then leaned into her warrior's embrace, sighing happily. Kalona too embraced her. I saw tears in his eyes and couldn't help but feel sympathy for him once again. Kalona regretted what he had done in Nyx’s realm back then because it had separated him and Nyx from each other.
"I miss you all the time," Nyx said to Kalona. “Your brother is doing his best to protect me, but I think of you all the time.”
"I'm thinking about you too," Kalona said. “And sometimes you answer my thoughts,” he added, smiling at the goddess.
Nyx laughed and wiped the tears from her warrior's face. "I have to because I can't stop myself from doing that, you're just so sweet sometimes."
Kalona smiled charmingly at her as he lifted the goddess's chin with his thumb. "My love, can I kiss you?" he asked in a gentle tone.
"I thought you’d never ask," Nyx answered him with a playful smile.
And then they kissed. And it was no small kiss. It was a kiss of genuine love and passion, where two people who really loved each other met for the first time in a long time. They smiled against each other's lips and then kissed each other again and again, enjoying every single moment, not realizing that they actually had an audience.
"You are as seductive as the night itself, my love," Nyx said when they finally parted.
"Just as you are as beautiful as the night itself, my love," Kalona replied, smiling charmingly in a way that was familiar to me as well.
"It's a shame that I have to leave you now," Nyx told him, glinting in the moonlight.
"Indeed. I'd rather spend an eternity with you,” Kalona replied, holding her hand as he folded his wings against his back.
"You will make it back to my realm, my warrior. But first you have to help Light in the battle against the Darkness,” Nyx said, squeezing his hand.
"I will do as you wish, my goddess, my love," Kalona replied and kissed the back of the her hand, looking into her eyes with unconditional love in his eyes.
Nyx smiled at him as she disappeared into a flash of light. Her gaze had been filled with unconditional love for her fallen warrior. Kalona looked at the spot where the goddess had stood and he sighed happily. I never thought I'd see that look on his face again. He had looked like that with me too, and every time that sight took my breath away. He was wonderful. I couldn't even describe him in any other way.
I smiled at Kalona when he noticed us looking at him. I had always suspected that Nyx was also in love with her warrior. Like me and Stark. Maybe that's why she had urged Kalona to give me back my warrior. She knew exactly how it felt when a loved one was gone. I had sworn that I would stay in her realm if Stark died. I couldn't live without him. Nyx seemed to have similar feelings about her warrior even though she was so much stronger than I was.
“I knew you were there the whole time, Zoey,” Kalona told me calmly. "Why are your friends so surprised?"
"They found out things that I've always suspected," I replied.
"I see. What might those things be?”
"You and Nyx, for example," I said. "I have suspected that your feelings are mutual."
Kalona smiled. "Yes. It seems that I was wrong about her.”
"So you were jealous of your brother," I stated casually.
"Yes."
"And that's why you fell under the spell of Darkness."
"Yes."
"Damn it, Kalona, you could have solved the whole thing by talking to Nyx without any of that crazy stuff that you did," I said, shaking my head at him. "Then you'd be with her in her realm now and not stuck in here."
Kalona sighed and nodded. "When you say it like that, I realize how stupidly I handled it."
"But you'll fix it now," I pointed out and smiled. "I knew that the warrior of Nyx is still somewhere inside of you, Kalona. You just had to find him again,” I added.
Kalona bowed to me with her hand on her heart. “Thank you for believing in me, Zoey,” he said and then walked away from us.
My friends looked at me silently.
"Well?" I finally asked.
"Why are you talking to him as if you already knew these things?" Damien asked me right away.
"I've had that feeling for a long time," I said and sighed. "And I forgot to tell you because things happened."
"I thought you hated him because of Heath," Shaunee said, confused.
"I was angry at first but I don't want to be bitter. I don't want to turn into Neferet who’s a soul and heart are full of hatred and darkness. I like myself the way I am now,” I replied. "Which means an ability to forgive. Kalona needs it so he can return to Nyx’s realm. Are you still confused?" I added.
"Not really, no”, Shaunee said and others nodded in agreement.
"Good. Let's go to class. We're already late."
“Ah, shit,” they grumbled in unison.