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Beneath the depths, he found himself in a realm of uncertainty, the weight of the water pressing upon his body. Struggling to catch his breath, his world spinning as if caught in a whirlpool. The draconic soul trapped in the undertow of its own history. The weight of past wrongdoings and sins lay heavy upon his conscience, a tapestry woven with threads of regret and rejection.
The vitality within flickered, torn between the wish to move forward and the gravity of memories. Waves of reflection crashed upon his spirit, carrying traces of choices made and unmade. The waters of its own turmoil embraced him, a requiem composed by the stars above, as he descended into his own consciousness. In the depths, the sins of another time, another form, enveloped him, and the dragon seemed to embrace its fate, a final exhale of surrender to the currents of its own existence.
Just as hope began to wane, a shimmering figures emerged before his eyes. The Astral Crew. His companions, his friends. Mr. Yang, Himeko, March, Pom Pom. His... family. Standing resolute with smiles on their faces. Memories of them etched fondly in his heart, those he held so dearly.
The tapestry of memories neared its final thread. The past slipped from his conscious grasp, replaced by the unspoken future he envisioned - a future meant for his companions to live through with the absence of his presence. Subtle traces of concern lingered in the eyes of their future selves, yet the dragon remained unaware, as these were mere shadows of worry cast by a part of him concealed in the depths, a fragment that hadn't yet emerged into the light of his awareness. A part of himself hidden deep within that had not gotten the chance to see the surface's light.
His features relaxed gradually, eyelids lowering with the serenity of a tranquil moon sinking below the horizon.
"They'll be fine without me."
The battle within seemed even more futile now, a surrender to the currents of destiny.
His strength waned, and his eyes fluttered shut, surrendering to the weight of the water's embrace. But just as darkness loomed, a faint whisper danced through his mind.
"...Stelle?"
She too was a part of the Astral Crew. Yet, as he strained to recall her face, like fragments of a half-forgotten dream, her features remained elusive, defying attempts at reconstruction.
"Stelle?"
"Stelle..."
"Stelle...!"
His own voice echoing through the chambers of his mind, a plea infused with longing.
Abruptly, his eyes snapped open, wide and desperate, as if a jolt of lightning had pierced the shroud of his thoughts.
'Forgetting me already? Hmm. So it seems like we haven't spent enough time together yet, and you're giving up?' The voice was hers, but he knew it wasn't a spoken sentiment. It was his own longing, buried deep, yearning for the chance to linger by her side, if only for a fleeting moment more.
A surge of determination ignited within him, a fire that burned away the weight dragging him down. Before his eyes materialized an image of her radiant smile. So vivid as if painted in the brightest hues.
He reached out, fingers straining against the currents, yearning to touch the mirage that held his heart captive. But the image dissolved like mist between his fingers.
He could feel his heart ache and desperation filling his body. With newfound resolve, he battled the currents, muscles aching and heart pounding.
"You're my past... but you won't follow me into my future!" His words were a battle cry to his former self, a pledge to move forward.
'She is my future.'
And within that realization, he found the strength he needed - the strength to rise, to move forward, and to accept his past, ceasing to evade it. Because there was a future he was determined to defend. A future that was personified in her.
As he broke free, gasping for air, he whispered a promise sure to upheld. For her smile to await him.
'Future I need to protect.'