Chapter Twenty-One

Humanity, Within and Without

My sword's handle was slippery from sweat. I gripped it tighter and grabbed the boy's collar with my other hand. He squealed like a pig. Growling beasts covered in golden fur surrounded us. They were human once, but their inner evil had changed them into those… things. They feared me but begged to eat the human's flesh.

"Back off. He's mine." The beasts retreated but watched my every move from the shadows. I dragged the boy over more bleached cobblestones then slammed him against the side of a building. The emerald Orichalcos infecting the structure glowed ruby by the fires burning the city.

"Please, please Rain, please don't hurt me! I'm sorry, I take it all back! If you let me go I'll never touch you again, swear to Dartz! I'll never hurt you, I'll never- agh!" I sliced open his inner thigh. "Make it stop!"

"Choose a finger," I said.

He glanced at his hands then back at me. "Nononono-"

"…Fine. I'll choose for you." They were all removed, slowly and methodically. "Now tell me: which leg do you favor?"

The fear on his face was replaced by a sudden rage. "You're no different than how you've always been. Monster, monster, mon-"

He broke off into blood-curdling scream. I said, "The left it is. You can go now."

The boy clutched at his bloody stump and hobbled away. I followed at a slow pace. He eventually was forced into a crawl, but he reached the edge of Atlantis all the same. The raging waves crashed below him. In a broken voice, he asked, "Where can I go?"

He turned at the sound of my footsteps and pinned me with a furious glare. I approached and said, "An Orichalcum never leaves her debts unpaid."

I shoved him into the water. I sat with my back to him, listening to the splashing of his flailing and his cries for help.

A laugh escaped me. "At last."

The memory shattered. I was in the empty blackness again. Roman stood before me, chuckling. "They can all see you, monster! All your little friends see the truth now. You hate humanity. Your heart is dark. You only exist to satisfy your thirst for revenge. You're no different from a Dark Signer, and you've doomed the world."

"Uru," I growled. "Because of you, my Master..! You'll pay for this. I'm going to kill you."

"I'll kill you!" I tore towards him but my hands were restrained. Handcuffs locked me to a steel structure. I pulled on them anyway, evoking the power of the Blue Flame. They held strong, and the skin of my wrists tore as I yanked harder. "I'll kill you slowly, Uru! That memory you saw will be nothing compared to what I do to you! DIE!"

He kept laughing. "Oh? Don't you know the clock is ticking away on the fate of this world? You could try to stop it, or is your revenge more important?"

"I don't give a shit! You trapped me for five thousand years. I spent that time picturing this moment over and over again, and I always repay my debts."

"So now you see her for who she is," Roman said. A layer of reality peeled back, fading in the gathered group of humans behind him. Fear was cast upon their faces. "Your 'friend,' as you call her, is an evil murderer with no heart."

"This can't be what you want, Rain," Aki said, her eyes brimming with tears. "You're better than this! Let's hold onto hope!"

"There is no hope," I hissed, "not when it comes to humans. This is the fate you deserve. You're all evil, and you should be wiped off the face of the planet! The dark gods will take better care of the world in the meantime!"

Yusei Fudo gazed at me. He said, "I thought our bonds could overcome anything, including your past. I was… wrong. You don't care. You're just like a Dark Signer. No, worse. We're… all going to die because of you."

I could feel the broiling of their fear and anger across the room. They phased out, leaving Roman and I alone in the darkness. I struggled against the cuffs, shouting, "I'll break out of here and destroy you!"

"I'm afraid not." A grin slashed across his face. "You're falling deeper into the depths of your own heart, where no one will be able to reach you. This will be good-by for all of us!"

Cracks formed in the Dark Signer's body, and he drifted away in a thousand tiny grains like sand caught in a desert wind. Fury blazed in me. "Goddammit! You can't run forever! I'll find you, and I'll-"

"Stay still, Rain. I'm getting you out of here."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Kalin fiddling with the handcuffs. The hood of his black-and-blue cloak was pulled over his face. I snarled, "Back off. I don't need your help."

"You can complain all you want once you're free."

"Why the hell would you do that? You should be spending your last moments groveling to whatever god you happen to believe in today."

"Yeah, well, I'd rather spend them right here."

My laugh was empty. "I'm a dangerous murderer, and I threw away the fate of the world just to see the hopelessness on their faces. You should be running."

His hands stopped. His hazel eyes shone like gold beneath the lip of his hood. "Rain. Whoever you used to be doesn't make a difference to me. I know who you are. So what if you did bad things in your past? Join the club! What matters is who you are now. Whether that includes the old parts or not is up to you."

"…I showed who I am. I don't care about anything or anyone. I just. Don't. Care."

"I thought so, too. You reminded me I was more."

"That girl you met was fake. If you release me now, I'll take my vengeance on Uru. It's all I have left to want in this world."

"Whatever you do isn't so important," he said. "I just want you to be free."

Free. In my mind's eye, I saw the Satellite. The girl I thought I was said she'd never had friends before. The truth turned out to be much worse. A ghost of this dark human's voice found me.

"Look, the point is, you're one of us now. We all care about you. And, whatever your memories say about you… I can't speak for the other guys, but I happen to like you. So I'll be by your side no matter what."

He was… telling the truth?

A click sounded, and the handcuffs popped off of my wrists. I held my hands in front of me and observed the deep wounds I'd inflicted in my animalistic rage.

"There," Kalin said. "That's better, isn't it?"

…No.

I snarled, and my grip tightened on my torn wrist.

He never told the truth.

"Without my memories, I was some blank slate for you to make whatever you wanted of me. So you do and then – you completely abandon me. I'm not a blank slate anymore, but this criminal mark and these scars will mark me forever because of you. Why the hell should I believe a word you say?"

Kalin rested on one knee, and he held my burning gaze without flinching. "Blank slate? Is that a joke? 'Some blank slate' probably would have listened to me on occasion in the Satellite and not run into danger to, say, save a kidnapped kid. You likely would have let myself get arrested on my own, and, oh yeah: you definitely would not have walked away when I asked you to side with me.

"Look. I don't care about you being angry with me. I'd be pretty surprised if you weren't. But first of all, I won't let anyone make light of you, least of all you. Second of all, I know I'm a liar. I know I messed up, but you're being a goddamn hypocrite. The 'I don't care' shtick is total bullshit. You care too much."

My breathing hitched. He lowered his head the slightest amount, and his eyes bore into mine. "You can't hide anything from me, remember? You turned me down because you know right from wrong. So why'd you do this, Rain? Why'd you do what you knew was wrong?"

"Why." My hands dropped. A ruby-red bead of blood dripped from where I had squeezed the wound on my wrist. "If it's the truth you want, I will show you."

Blue fire spurted to my right. Kalin shot to his feet. Left behind was a young girl with brown skin and hair. Her golden eyes stared into the distance. Kalin asked, "Who's that?"

"These are pieces of my memories," I explained. "That is me as a child."

He grasped his own chin. "But she-"

"I'm supposed to look like that now, but I made a dire mistake. Like you so aptly stated: I cared too much." The fire returned, twisting to form a Blue-Eyes White Dragon. A spear pierced the scales beneath its wing. "Five thousand years ago, monsters and humans shared the world. Every monster you see on a card is a real being. My city saw monsters as dangerous creatures to be hunted. My cursed human empathy took pity on the Blue-Eyes, and I saved it when it was sentenced to death. In return, it evolved and gave me a… 'gift.'"

The dragon disappeared in a blinding flash of light. My younger self changed into the looks of my current self: white hair and skin with blue eyes. I muttered, "My father was not pleased by my choice."

A pillar of blue fire brought forth the form of Dartz Orichalcum, King of Atlantis. The child cowered before him as he shouted, "Do you know where your name comes from? The Atlantian rains are unpredictable and catastrophic. You were an unplanned mistake, and you will never cease to be my one regret. You are outcast!"

Dartz was swept away, and Kalin watched with wide eyes. "Your own dad said that to you? That's- messed up!"

"You dare to interrupt with worthless pity?" I growled. His mouth snapped shut, and his hazel eyes thinned. How oddly patient of him to restrain his retort. He's trying hard on my behalf. "There are two rules to being an outcast. One: outcasts are not to be acknowledged whatsoever, lest one risk also being outcast. Two: rule one can be ignored if the interaction is for the sake of violence. My best friends were swift in taking up rule two."

The younger me was cornered by two boys, one with hair dyed red and the other with hair dyed blue. A smaller girl with pinned-up hair watched from the distance with a grin. The kid raised his fist and said, "Monsters like you aren't supposed to exist."

After the first punch, the scene disintegrated into a sprinkling of blue sparks. I said, "They were my best friends. The instant I was outcast, they were the first to hunt me down. For years, I was struggling to survive, and their hobby was to make that as difficult as possible."

The azure cinders floated above my palm. I peered at them and said, "Friendship is just a pretty word. It was only a matter of time before I decided I'd had enough."

The blue fire swept into the form of a young girl in front of the other Rain. She grabbed past Rain's arms and shouted, "My da turned into one of those beasts! He's trying to kill me! I know you have those crazy powers, and you carry around a sword. You have to help!"

Orichalcos glowed green from former Rain' necklace. Her hands balled into fists at her sides, and she spoke through clenched teeth: "I have to help? I have to help you? What gives you the right to my help?"

"Because you can!" she shouted. "Or else I'll die!"

The Orichalcos pendant former Rain wore shattered into a thousand green shards. An unnervingly wide smile stretched her face. "…Oh, of course. I'll help how only a monster can."

The Blue Flame surrounded her hand. Fast as lightning she drew her Orichalcos saber and sliced upward. With a spurt of blood, the young girl's right arm fell to the ground. Her mouth hung open as she observed her own detached limb. A shriek tore from her, and the two figures dissipated.

I leaned back on my palms, stared into the infinite blackness above, and laughed a little. "It's funny. I never had a temper when I was a kid. It hasn't gone away since the day I lost it. Whenever a human asked me for help, I did the opposite. My kill count reached one hundred and seventy eight that way.

"You asked why I threw away the world. What did I see earlier other than more humans begging for help? I guess I must've lost my temper again."

Kalin crossed his arms and peered down at me. Moments of silence stretched on as his eyes searched mine. Finally, he said, "Huh. Makes sense."

"That's all you have to say? It makes sense?"

"Did you forget who you're talking to?" He plopped down beside me like it was natural, like I didn't have so much blood on my hands. "That explosion at the Sector Security headquarters wasn't just for show. I injured a lot of officers that night. Didn't give a shit. Oh, and… the night you gave yourself up for me, when we all got separated, Yusei and I were still together. A Security riding a duel runner cornered us. He tried to run over Yusei, so I tackled him and he lost control of his runner. We both crashed, and he didn't make it. I had that feeling, though. The feeling he got what he deserved even though he was dead. Funny how things work out. Now I'm the one who's come closest to killing Yusei."

"Oh, please," I said under my breath. "Don't act like we're similar. My killing had purpose and direction. I know for a fact the world would be better off without your species. I was reaping souls to use their energy in powering an engine that would erase humanity."

He faked an intense thinking expression. "Huh. Huh! You know, that sounds a lot like something else I've heard before. Hm. What could it be? Oh! It's just like the Earthbound Immortals and their sacrifices! Crazy how similar that is!"

I growled, "You are goddamned pestilent."

He grinned, saying, "Hey, thanks. Look – seriously, you're being a teensy bit narrow-minded on this, and that was supposed to be my thing. Is that why you didn't leave? That's the only part of your story that didn't make sense to me. If your former friends were hunting you down every day, the obvious solution is to leave town."

My heart clenched. "I-i-it's not that simple."

"What, your town was like the Satellite – no way out?"

"N-no, I could have."

"Then I don't get it," he said with a shrug. "It's not like you're an idiot. It must've occurred to you. Unless you're not telling the whole truth."

The side-eye he tossed me suggested he was trying to reach this point all along. He knew there was more to it in that infuriating way he always managed to figure things out. Well. "You're wrong this time. There's nothing."

"Oh, really? Because I know you. You're bullshitting. You cared about something, Rain. What was it?"

"I- I don't- th-there's nothing, I swear," I said, but my voice was quieter with every word. Undeniable warmth was sprouting in my heart.

A cold wind swept through the dark pit, carrying gold, crimson, and brown leaves. The crunch of them underfoot caught my attention. It was another me from a memory, but this particular reminiscence was different. A scene of the leaves and tall, white trees with black markings like scars replaced the empty darkness. A male, singsong voice echoed, "Um, hell-ooo. You in there?"

I was still walking through the forest. The voice yelled, "Hey, Rain!"

I snapped to attention. A boy a few years older than me materialized from the blue fires. His amber eyes, dark skin, and brown hair matched the way I used to look. He flashed his usual, blinding grin and said, "There you are! I thought you forgot about me."

"I could never, Ranue," I said under my breath, and the wind carried the words away.

"What was that? Couldn't hear you." I didn't answer him and stared at my toes instead. He sighed and set his hands on his hips. "You know you can speak up out here, right? We're nowhere near Atlantis. Oh, and you should try looking somewhere other than the ground. Have you seen the trees lately?"

I lifted my head to the sky and gasped. The blackness shattered. Sunlight poured through branches of red leaves. Gaps of bright blue marked the clear sky. In the distance, waves washed against the sandy shore. I tucked a lock of white hair behind my ear and tasted sea salt on the breeze.

"Beautiful, right?" I turned back to Ranue, and his smile upturned his eyes. He said, "You don't have to block it all out. If you do, you'll make yourself more miserable. Er, if anything, it's better for your neck to not be bent down all the time!"

When making his last point, Ranue lifted a finger and spread his grin the slightest bit wider. I offered a weary smile. "Right. Sorry. You… shouldn't have to repeat this to me every week."

"Stop it with that! No apologizing, Rain. I'm helping you because I care for you. You know that, right? It's what family's all about."

My hitch of a laugh was insincere. I sat with my feet facing the ocean and clasped my hands between my legs. "Ma and da didn't show as much."

"You have the wrong idea." Ranue crouched next to me. The wind disturbed his turquoise lab coat and pushed locks of his long, brown hair into his face. His golden eyes shone like I'd almost made him cry. My heart panged in response. "Family doesn't mean we share blood. That's just an extra. Family means we're there for each other no matter what. It's as simple as that, Rain. I'm by your side to the end, and that means you're family."

My mouth twitched down. I was being a cynical jerk, as usual, and he was spending his time trying to make me feel better.

And he didn't even think it was a waste of time.

"W-well, I-" I gulped in a sad attempt to erase the shaking in my voice.

"You know the rule," Ranue said. His expression was soft. "If you have to cry, go ahead and let it out."

"I- I don't-" I started, but tears were streaming down my cheeks. He kept a reassuring hand on my back. He was silent and patient until the last of my sniffles died out. I said, "Y-you never stopped being family to me. You're the best brother of all time."

"What? No way!" He hopped up with his same old grin. "Does that win me an award? I'll have to frame it. It can go right above the fireplace. Then when people ask me about it since I'm not supposed to have any siblings what with you being outcast, I'll just have to tell them about my sister, the greatest duelist in the city."

The pride he gifted me swelled my heart and smile. Ranue said, "So, where is it?"

"Where's what?"

"The plaque!"

"Oh, my stars, shut up about it!"

But I was laughing, and he was, too. Ranue crumbled into blue ashes and faded like the other memories. The sky, forest, and sea didn't leave with him. When I walked along, I could feel the dirt between my toes as though the memory had happened yesterday instead of centuries ago.

"This is more like what I'd imagined it would be."

Kalin's voice startled me. He was standing on the beach, and the sea breeze unsettled his cloak. I said, "Imagined what to be?"

"Your heart."

I snorted. "That has to be the cheesiest thing I've ever heard. This is likely some prison Uru created so I can't rip his guts out."

"M…hm," Kalin said. "So, I have to ask. What was your plan back then? To kill everybody except for that guy?"

"Huh? No. I… I really relied on Ranue. He had one bad day and yelled at me because he wasn't his normal self. He was under the Orichalcos's influence, which changes people to be the worse versions of themselves because it feeds off negative emotions. I didn't know that when it happened. I thought I had lost the one person who cared for me."

Kalin's expression was neutral. "Right, right. Hey, so, we probably don't have much time left what with the end of the world and all. I know you, but I was kinda hoping I'd get to a chance to, like, get to know you better. What're some things you like to do?"

I didn't see what that had to do with what he asked me earlier, but if that's how he wanted to spend his last moments… I said, "I… I like gardening. I like watching the flowers grow and bloom, and I like dancing, as in the formal way with a nice rhythm. I like dueling, but not really in the sense of beating someone else as much as I like learning and spending time playing a card game with people I care about. I… pretty much expect to lose most times, anyway. I like playing the piano. I like sewing, too, though I'm not very good at that, either. I enjoy those things, though. I do."

"Ahh, I knew it!" Kalin exclaimed. He had a wide grin. "See, if you were a real weirdo, you totally would've said something like 'murder' or 'death.'"

I choked on a laugh I tried to hide. I really should have said that. Kalin went on: "You're not, though. It makes complete sense to think everyone is shitty when you've only met shitty people, and the one person who wasn't betrayed you. Nah, you're just a normal person who's been put through some terrible things.

"The only thing you lost was your temper, like you said. This is something you made me realize about myself. I screwed up, too, but I'm still the guy who put everything into saving the Satellite. I'm still Kalin goddamn Kessler. You're still the same Rain you were an hour ago when you beat me in a life-or-death duel to save me. We are more than what they made of us. No one can take away who you are at your core. Er, not that it makes what we did any better. But it does mean we don't have to let it own us."

"Own me," I said, the words riding on my exhale. "I… I don't. It's just who I became."

"So, you'd rather go around killing people and ending the world for fun?" he asked. "Because I don't buy Uru's bullshit for one second on that. I see you dancing in your garden, kicking ass in duels, and making dresses in your downtime."

"B-but…" A lump built in my throat. "E-even if that's who I wanted to be, if everything goes wrong in the worst way over and over again with me at the center of it, doesn't that mean that's who I am at my core? If this is what'll always happen as long as I'm around, there's no point in going back. I should… I should have stayed dead…"

Kalin's determination collapsed. He sighed. "I… feel the same way. God only knows why I came back. I ruin everything I touch! But, Rain, you… make me so happy I'm able to stay. It's like back in the Satellite. The island was a disgusting trash heap, and the sky was darker and darker the farther in you went just because of the smog in the air. You didn't see any of that. You looked to the sunset on the water, and you said it was beautiful your first day in the Satellite. I was always so focused on what was wrong… same with myself, and same with what I thought the guys did – but you showed me what was right.

"You're not some mistake at your core. When you didn't have memories, your first thought was always to help whoever was in need no matter the cost to yourself. You're not someone the world should get rid of. You're someone the world needs more of."

"E-even after all I've done, that's still what you see in me?"

Kalin laughed like it was nothing and sat down beside me like it was natural. He tapped his temple and said, "Of course I do, partner. I know my Rain."

I couldn't breathe.

Partner. He'd called me his partner despite the burden on my back, despite all the blood on my hands, despite the world I'd ruined.

"Y-you shouldn't say that. I became everything we both hated. I'm… I'm the real traitor. That's why the Crimson Dragon isn't here anymore. He knows I… I'm really evil, and he shouldn't have resurrected me. I was just a liability to the real heroes the whole time. I should've stayed dead."

Kalin flopped his hand in the air. "Come on, Rain. We don't deserve to live, sure, but that doesn't mean we lie down and die. It means we earn back our right to exist."

"How can that be possible? I- I betrayed my friends, the only people who cared for me and stood up for me no matter what. I can't believe I… was dumb enough to think they were like my old 'friends.' I can't go back and face them knowing I…"

I bit my lip. Kalin scanned my face. I stared at my own bare feet. He whispered, "Then could you do it for me?"

My eyes widened. "W-what?"

He hopped to his feet and held a hand out to me. "We're partners to the bitter end. We don't belong with the good guys, sure, but… I still feel like I belong with you. I didn't want to live, either. I'm sticking around for your sake. What I did haunts me every second, but I won't let that stop me from staying with you. We can do anything together, anything, and this is no exception.

"So. Think you could do the same for me, partner? Would you live? Could you live with me?"

Partner?

It made no sense. I mean, I was pretty much a piece of breathing garbage, and sometimes I even failed at the breathing part. Who in the living hell would want to be a partner with someone like me?

Kalin said he saw someone who could find beauty anywhere, someone selfless, someone who could change the world for the better. He didn't just say that; he died for me believing that. He… he really thought that highly of me. Unbelievable. It's as though, the way he saw it, everything I wanted to be was who I already was.

But what if he was right?

"Can I ask you a question first?" I asked. He nodded. "What do you think love is?"

Kalin blinked several times. "Like, a definition?"

"Yeah."

"Uh. It's, like, you want to give them everything. Every single moment, every word, every wish, every dream. I want you to have everything, and it's all I want."

My heartstrings pricked. A chill crawled over my skin. Giving. It was giving, not taking. Of course that had to be another of his lies. But he wasn't holding me back anymore. He was in my past, and I had-

The Blue Flame sparked in my palm. I formed and shaped the fire into an outline, and fire filled it then crystallized. I held my creation, a bright blue tulip, out to Kalin.

-a future.

Kalin accepted the gift with intrigue. "You made this from your cool fire? But it's, like, crystal! Jesus, this is amazing. It's the color of your eyes, too."

He gazed at me, and I wondered if he could tell my heart was bursting. A single tear traveled down my cheek. He wiped it away. He said, "This is another thing you taught me. At first, I thought it was super weird how you barely talked. Then you showed me there's so much more to speaking than words.

"So, for this, I want to say…" He observed the tulip and spun it between his fingers. He leaned down and kissed my temple, right beneath where I wore his headband. "I love you, too."

Heat flushed my face. I clasped my hands together and said, "I- I didn't know you were into older women."

He broke into a fit of laughter. It made me so happy to hear. He set a hand on my head and said, "You're just the best. Er, that's not true, though, right?"

I swatted his hand away. "Of course it's not, you dummy!"

Kalin laughed again. "You never really answered me earlier. You staying, or what?"

Staying? Oh, that's right. Living. Funny. The last time I loved, he stole my will to live. But, my partner… I jumped to my feet and held my head high. "We'll make our own grace."

Kalin had that smug smile, the one he wore the day we met. "You know what's crazy? If you told me so ten minutes ago, I never would have believed you. Now, though- damn. We really are partners in everything."

I crossed my arms. "Villains like us have to stick together."

"Riiight." He laughed and cupped his forehead. "You're no villain, princess."

"Oh?" I smirked. "You know, I actually was a princess."

"Ah, shit, really?" Kalin watched my spreading, sweet smile with interest. He threw his hands up. "The whole 'end of the world' really is a shame. I'd have liked to spend more time with you."

"Your world won't end today, partner. Even the deepest wounds can be mended. Here, I'll prove it."

I reached forward, and my fingers brushed the tulip in his hand. Crystal melted into fire, which surrounded my hand. I covered the nasty wound on his abdomen. The Blue Flame dissipated, and flawless skin was left in its place.

"Holy shit, you really do have superhero powers!" He ran a hand over the repaired muscles. "Shouldn't you be, like, using this on yourself?"

I observed my right forearm, where my first wound of the day was hidden beneath a torn strip of Kalin's shirt. "It works in a funny way. I can only heal people I feel kindness towards, so… I haven't been able to use it on anyone in years."

"Aw, are you just trying to make me feel special?"

He snickered at my flustered look. I muttered, "One in a million. No. That is an insult."

"Same to you. What do you say we blow this joint? It's pretty lame."

"Hey!" I pouted. "Roman said this is supposed to be my heart!"

"No wonder it's so roomy."

"…You're so goddamned cheesy."

"So's the heart bullshit. Not sure if you noticed, but Roman's not the most trustworthy guy." Kalin tapped his temple. "This is probably another one of his traps."

"Trap..? Okay. I know who can help." I stared at my left arm. In a flash of green light, my duel disk appeared.

"Where'd that come from?"

I touched the top of my head. "Orichalcos chip in my brain. Same way my runner can locate me. Surgery hurt like hell. Not as much as the criminal mark, though."

"Chip," he muttered. He held up his two hands as though they were weighing scales. "You said you were from the past, though?"

"Is the past all cavemen and rocks to you?"

"You use a sword."

I pursed my lips. "You ask too many questions."

"You really aren't any different," he said with a laugh. I smiled with him and tossed a particular card onto my disk.

Grand wings of light exploded from my back. Sand and leaves soared in the billows from the dragon's wings. Light shone from my form, and Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon was born from the azure flames of my soul.

I bowed and thoughtspoke, Nice to see you again, Master.

He alighted in front of me. I apologize for not speaking until today. Protecting you from the Zero Reverse stole my consciousness for longer than I care to admit. What can I do for you, young dragon?

I seem to be caught in a trap. Shining Diffusion should suffice.

The sapphires along Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon's body glowed white. Indeed. I can free you whenever you are ready.

I turned to Kalin. "Ready to live?"

"With you," he said, "always."

Blue-Eyes Shining Dragon spread its wings, disturbing my and my partner's cloaks. He soared ever higher, and the dragon's light shone brighter with the increasing altitude. His shine reached its heavenly apex, and his hopeful roar shattered the vision.