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it was a cool and quiet day. she sat among the crimson flowers, waiting for him. this was their meeting place, and she always felt excited while waiting for him. she pressed her small hands against her chest, never taking her eyes off the sky because she knew he would come from there. when she saw a silhouette approaching with the sound of wings, her eyes sparkled. "sylus!" a wide smile spread across her face as she immediately stood up.
sylus landed near her, catching his breath. his heart was pounding just as fast. when he saw her running toward him, he smiled and opened his arms to catch her. without hesitation, she threw herself into his embrace, hugging him tightly. "you're late!" she scolded, furrowing her brows and tugging at his horn. sylus chuckled. "i had to make sure no one saw me, my lady," he said playfully, bowing in front of her, she couldn't hold back her laughter. "your apology is accepted."
they sat together, looking at the view. the field full of flowers looked magical, and the wind carried their scent to their noses. there was a peaceful silence, an atmosphere beyond words. she was watching the scenery, but sylus was watching her. they shared the quiet together.
"what does it feel like to be human?" sylus suddenly asked. she turned to him, her eyes widening. "what do you mean?"
a bittersweet smile appeared on his face as he looked away. he remained silent for a moment. "being human, feeling like them, loving and living like them… what does it feel like?"
she blinked, thinking about how to answer. "it's not much different," she murmured softly, unsure if that was the answer he was looking for. sylus turned his glowing ruby-red eyes to her, a deep sorrow in his gaze. "what do you mean? there must be obvious differences between humans and monsters. i am feared and unwanted, but you are loved."
her eyes widened in surprise, and for a few seconds, she just stared at his face. "monster?"
sylus touched his horns, gripping them as if he wanted to tear them off. "why wasn’t i born as a human?" his voice was strained, as if he were fighting back tears. the hands clutching his horns started to tremble, and he buried his face in his knees. his small body, but most of all, his soul, was in pain. "i can't make myself look human, i can't live like them. but all i ever wanted was to be accepted." and at last, he let his tears fall down his cheeks, unable to hold them back any longer. "maybe then… even you and i could be together…"
her eyes welled up, and she felt like she was drowning in his despair. she couldn't help him; her hands were tied. there was a lump in her throat. she wanted to reach out, to wipe his tears away, to tell him everything would be okay—but what good would it do? she couldn't change how he saw himself. "do you think humans can’t become monsters?" she finally asked.
sylus lifted his head and looked at her, narrowing his eyes. "what do you mean by that?"
she smiled gently and took his trembling hands that were still gripping his horns. "you are everything, but you are not a monster, sylus. you don't have to change for me to be with you. i accept you just as you are. whatever it is that you hate about yourself, i embrace all of it."
as he listened, sylus' eyes widened, filling with even more tears. he wanted to believe she was lying, but the pure honesty in her gaze left no room for doubt.
she smiled and plucked a flower, tying it to his horn. he had cut them over and over again, hurting himself just to look a little more human, but now, a flower was tied to the very thing he once tried to get rid of. it was as if this flower was their symbol. sylus slowly reached up, touching it as if it were the most precious thing in the universe, his fingers tracing its petals carefully.
suddenly, she threw her arms around him, closing her eyes and resting her head on his shoulder. caught off guard, he froze for a few seconds, but then he wrapped his arms around her as well, holding her tightly against him. her hair swayed gently with the breeze, and the flower petals danced around them as if trying to embrace them too.
"thank you," sylus whispered.
"no matter what happens, we will always find each other, and we will never be apart. promise?" she asked, trying to keep her voice serious. sylus smiled softly.
"promise."